In addition to the images that depict certain specific clergy (Jesus, the Mother of God, the apostles-evangelists, martyrs and prophets), there are collective icons. All the Host of God is symbolically drawn on them, and, praying before them, we can turn to our patron saint for help, as if it were a nominal icon.
The essence of the name
Why is the image called "The Icon of All Saints"? At baptism, each Christian receives a personal heavenly protector, a patron who protects him on his life path and to whom the churched can turn in prayers with any need, request. In honor of this patron, a new name is given to him. However, the icon of All Saints is a universal image, and this is the essence of its name. Whoever your heavenly guardian is - Archangel Michael, Nicholas the Wonderworker or Mother Matrona - your prayer in front of this image will be heard by each of them. Ask for support at all life's crossroads - and you will definitely feel it! What prayers were most often heard by the icon of All Saints? Probably: “Heavenly fathers, merciful intercessors, pray to God for us!”
Image Description
There are many different icon image lists. The oldest ones date back to the 5th-7th centuries, and they were made on Athos. Here, for example, is how the icon of All Saints looks like on one of the Russian samples of the 18th century: at the top is the Most Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). The Father is depicted in the center, the Son is on the right, and the Spirit (in the form of a Dove) is above Both. The second row of figures, that is, somewhat lower, are the Mother of God, who is called the Lady of the Mother of God, the Intercessor of all sinners, and the Baptist John. In addition to them, the icon of All Saints, the description of which we are making, includes John the Baptist and the faces of other lambs of God.
Celebration in honor of the image
In memory of All Saints - this is the name of the day of special glorification of the icon. It is usually celebrated after Trinity, on the first Sunday. It is also called Pentecost. After all, the icon of All Saints acquires special significance on the fiftieth day after Easter. Prayers in her honor are held all week until the 8th post-Easter Sunday. Thus, this holiday is a passing one, which does not have a specific calendar number assigned to it.
Our invisible intercessors
Who are they, our invisible saviors? Let's take a closer look at the photo of the icon of All Saints and think about the personalities who look at us strictly and at the same time meekly and compassionately. Saints are people who, even during their lifetime, pleased the Lord with their deeds, firmness in faith and deeds that glorified the Almighty, performed for the glory ofHis. After their physical death, they were taken by God to heaven to pray before Him for our intercession.
Heavenly Hierarchy
To the faces of the saints are, first of all, the prophets. From God himself, they received a wonderful gift - to see the future, to see the events that should happen hundreds and thousands of years later. The most important of them is the return of the Savior to earth. Among the prophets, Ilya is most revered (prayer to the icon of All Saints and to him is effective in July-August, on the 20th and 2nd, depending on the style). In addition, Orthodox Christians respect John the Baptist, whose days of veneration are June 24 (July 7) and August 29 (September 11).
Apostles - messengers of God
Apostles are those people who personally knew Christ, were his disciples, accompanied the Son of God in the land of Judea, wrote down his teachings. We know the 12 apostles, by name, how they came to know the Living God and how they found themselves in Christ. After the death of their teacher, the apostles went to different parts of the world to preach new knowledge. They also have their own hierarchy. Paul and Peter are recognized as the main, or supreme ones. Evangelists, i.e. compilers of Holy Scripture, are Luke, Matthew, John, Mark. Some saints are equated with the apostles according to the mission they perform. They were not personal disciples of Christ, but in different eras they propagated His teachings. These are the Greek kings Konstantin and Elena, the Russian princes Vladimir and Olga, the Georgian educator Nina.
Clan of Martyrs
Many saints depicted on the icon deserved such a great honor not only by bringing the Light of Truth to the masses, but also suffering severely for it. These include Christian martyrs. Those who endured terrible humiliation, abuse and torture are called great martyrs. This is the famous healer Panteleimon, whose image in the people's consciousness has grown together with the archangel Raphael, the healer of God; and St. George, bearing the big name Victorious; as well as Christian sufferers - Catherine and Barbara. The canonical texts speak of the first martyrs - Christians, that is, those who were the first of the huge number of victims to take the blow of persecution and persecution - Stefan and Thekla. A special place among the saints on the icon is occupied by confessors - Christians who, with their own righteous lives, proved the justice of God's precepts.
Christ's sake people
These include the holy companions who pleased the Lord with their deeds:
- This is Nicholas so respected by both Orthodox and Catholics: endowed with great abilities, he, to the glory of God, worked many miracles, for which he received the title of Miracle Worker. John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian and others called teachers of the Christian Church.
- Becoming like God, i.e. the reverends - Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, beloved by all Orthodox people. And to this day, faith in them is strong and unshakable.
- The righteous are family people who lived according to the laws of Christianity and tried with all their might to keep the covenantsGod. These are, first of all, the Old Testament prophets, Mary's parents, her husband, Joseph, Peter and Fevronia of Murom and many others.
- The holy fools and unmercenaries who help others morally and financially without payment, without expecting any reward, for Christ's sake: St. Basil the Blessed and Mother Matrona, Xenia of Petersburg and others.
Here she is so amazing - the icon of All Saints!
