The Seven-shooter icon has been known for more than five hundred years, or, as it is called otherwise, the Seven-shooter icon. Its significance for every Orthodox Christian is very great. She softens embittered hearts, before her they pray for enemies.
The glory of the miraculous image of the Mother of God spread throughout Russia after the cholera epidemic that swept the Vologda province and many other regions of the Empire in 1830. Bringing incalculable disasters, pestilence suddenly ended after the procession made by the parishioners. Banners and images were carried in front, the main of which was the Seven-shooter icon. Its meaning was understood by believers even then, it was reputed to be miraculous and healing for a long time, since it cured the lameness of a peasant who discovered her in the church of St. John the Theologian, on the river Toshna.
It is interesting that in the temple at first they did not treat this image very carefully, it lay face down on the bell tower, and that unknown cripple, who went upstairs, at first mistook it for a simple board. When his miraculous healing took place, his story aroused some doubts about the veracity. But thatinsisted, citing as evidence the non-randomness of his discovery. The icon of the Mother of God of Seven Arrows was found after a voice that sounded in a dream ordered to look for it and indicated the place. Then the image was cleansed, put up for worship, and the healings continued. Thus, getting rid of cholera proved his miraculousness once again.
Court in the style of writing, the icon was created in the North of Russia. The Mother of God is alone, grieving for her son, and her heart is pierced with seven arrows, symbolizing the sorrows of her earthly life. Russian variants are distinguished by asymmetry. Three and four arrows are located on the right and left, unlike other versions, on which there are three of them in each hand, and the seventh is depicted at the bottom of the image.
Praying for enemies is difficult, but the whole point of Christian teaching is based on philanthropy and hatred for sins, but not for people who commit them. The seven-shooter icon provides assistance in this difficult joy to all true believers. The significance of such a victory over pride is no less than that of bodily healing. Only mercy can lead humanity out of that civilizational impasse in which it is now occupied by vindictiveness.
The troubled times of the 1917 coup did not bypass the holy image, which shared the fate of many relics - it was lost. However, it is possible to destroy the material incarnation, but not the Holy Spirit. The list of this icon has become myrrh-streaming in the Moscow Church of the Archangel Michael, giving hope to believers.
Hugethe power possessed by the Seven-shooter icon. Its meaning is in the healing of bodily ailments, softening the character. Its beneficial effect on evil people who come into the house is so great that it is desirable to have it in every home. In Orthodox iconography, she occupies the rank of a certain "divine special forces" that comes to the rescue in the most difficult moments of life. During the years of war hard times, before the Semistrelnitsa, they pray for the victory of the Orthodox army and the protection of the Fatherland from the adversary.
Church canons do not establish strict rules regarding where the Seven-Arrow icon should be placed. Where to hang this image - everyone decides for himself, sometimes it is placed in the home iconostasis, often he meets guests right in front of the front door. If the image is in the temple of God, then you need to pray in front of it, putting seven candles, according to the number of arrows.
