Athos icon: history and modernity. Miraculous icons of Athos monasteries

August 14, on the day of the Origin (wearing) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, at the end of the evening Divine Liturgy, a significant event took place in the temple of the Holy Righteous Warrior Theodore Ushakov under construction in South Butovo. The icon of the Mother of God "Abbess of Mount Athos" miraculously arrived at the temple.

It should be noted that this event was neither expected nor planned. The pious pilgrim, who left for the Holy Mountain a few days ago, returned and brought to the temple under construction a large Greek icon of the Mother of God, which he donated to the Metochion.

This event, although it was a complete surprise, was interpreted by the believers as a sign of the mercy of the Queen of Heaven and Her all-good Protection to the construction and arrival at this difficult time.

At the entrance to the temple, the rector took the icon in his hands and with church hymns it was brought into the House of God. The rector overshadowed all those present with the Holy image and announced a significant event, a sign of God's mercy and the attention of the Mother of God.

The parishioners reverently bowed to the icon and kissed it. After that, it was installed on a lectern next to the Holy Cross.

Icon of the Mother of God "Abbess of the Holy Mount Athos"

Holy tradition connects the appearance of monastic cloisters on the Holy Mountain with the special care of the Most Holy Theotokos on Mount Athos. Church tradition tells that the Mother of God, after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Holy Pentecost, according to the lot that fell out for Her, was to go to the Iberian land, but by the Providence of God the work of the apostleship was before Her in another place. A few years later, after the Ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it turned out that the Athos Peninsula became this other place, which determined its future fate and history. Fleeing from the persecution initiated by Herod in Palestine, the Most Holy Theotokos went with the Apostle John the Theologian and other companions to the island of Cyprus to Lazarus, about whom the Gospel tells and whom Jesus Christ resurrected. At that time he was a bishop on the island. During the voyage, a storm occurred that carried their ship to Athos and they were forced to land on the shore just in the place where the Iberian Monastery was eventually founded.
Tradition also mentions God's signs that accompanied the arrival of the Most Holy Theotokos to Athos. For example, people who at that time were in the temple of Apollo heard how the idols began to make voices and cried out so that the people would hasten to the pier to meet Mary, the Mother of God of all gods. Hearing this, the people were surprised and hurried to the shore. Seeing the Mother of God, they asked Her:
- What kind of God did you give birth to? And what is his name?
The Blessed Virgin told the audience in detail about Christ the Savior - the Son of God. People, having shown Her great respect, gladly accepted Her words, many believed and were baptized. During the sermon, the Blessed Virgin Mary showed many signs confirming the truth of the Good News before She sailed to Cyprus.
Seeing the beauty of the land of Athos, the Most Holy Theotokos prayed to Her Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that the Gospel light would shine on this land and that Her preaching here would give abundant fruit. Then a voice came from heaven:
“Let this place be Your Lot, and a garden, and a paradise, and a refuge for those who yearn for salvation.
Before leaving, She addressed the residents with the words:
- May the grace of God be in this place and on those who stay here with faith and reverence and keep the commandments of the Son and My God. The Lord will bless the labors of those who strive here with abundant fruits, and heavenly life will be prepared for them, and the mercy of My Son will not fail from this place until the end of the age. I will be the Intercessor of this place and the Intercessor about it before God.
Having said this, the Mother of God blessed the people and, having boarded the ship, sailed to Cyprus.
Today, there are a large number of monasteries on Mount Athos, and in them there are many miraculous icons of the Mother of God, which it is simply impossible to list everything.
We present only a few of them.
In the Great Lavra of Athanasius of Athos, the icons of the Mother of God "Kukuzelissa" and "Economissa" are especially revered. In the Vatopedi Monastery - "Pantanassa", "Slain", "Live", "Ktitorskaya", "Joy" or "Consolation", "Union", "Shot through".
The main shrine of St. Andrew's Skete was the icon of the Mother of God "Consolation in Sorrows and Sorrows".
At the entrance to the Iberian monastery on the left side there is a small gate church, in which the miraculous icon “Portaitissa” (Goalkeeper), also called “Iberian” resides. The most remarkable legends are connected with the Iversky Monastery. One of them says that the Mother of God, having visited the Holy Mountain, landed in Klimentova Bay, near Iveron, where a chapel has now been built. And nine centuries later, Georgian monks from the Iberian monastery saw in a pillar of fire rising from the sea, the icon of the Mother of God, which miraculously came to Athos by sea and was called "Iberian". She was placed above the gates of the Iverskaya monastery. Once the monks decided to place this icon in the temple for better preservation. But three times the icon turned out to be in the same place again. And, appearing at night to the abbot, the Mother of God said to him:
- Don't take care of me, I'll take care of you.
The monastery gate is what connects the monastery with the world. The Mother of God, on the one hand, keeps Her abode from the harmful influences of this world, and on the other hand, she directs the blessed influence of the abode into the world. The Monk Nil the Myrrh-streaming foresaw a special significance for the monks of Athos in the presence on the Holy Mountain of the icon of the "Iberian" Mother of God.
“As long as My icon is in this monastery, the grace and mercy of My Son will not fail you,” the Queen of Heaven Herself revealed to him. - When I leave the monastery, then let everyone take their things and go wherever they know, not forgetting their monastic vows.
Athos monks believe that in the last times the icon will leave the monastery, after which the monks will have to leave.
In the Hilandar Monastery there are miraculous icons of the Mother of God “Three-handed”, “Milk-giver”, “Akathist”, “Priest”, “Instructed the ecclesiarch”, “Not burned during the fire”. In the monastery of Dionisiat there is an ancient icon “Praise of the Mother of God”, molded from wax and mastic.
The Kostamonit Monastery is famous for the presence in it of the icon of the Mother of God "The Harbinger", and the Zograf Monastery - for the miraculous icons of the Mother of God "The Hearer" and "Akathist-Zograph" located in it. The icon of the Most Holy Mother of God "Gerontissa" ("Old Lady") is kept in the Pantokrator. The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hear" is located in the Dohiarsky Monastery.
The icon of the Mother of God "Jerusalem" is located in the cathedral church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery, in a kiot over the royal gates, which is sometimes lowered. The icon is lowered on a wide velvet ribbon, on which the troparion of the Mother of God of Jerusalem is embroidered. The icon was painted in the Trinity Krivoezerskaya Hermitage by Hierodeacon Nikon (in schema - Hieromonk Nile) in 1825 and sent by him as a gift to the Russian Panteleimon Monastery. At all-night vigils, on the feasts of the Mother of God and on Sundays, at the end of the evening service, this holy icon is lowered with due honor in front of the royal doors, and an akathist is read in front of it, after which the brethren, in order, approach the holy icon with prostrations, reverently kissing the One depicted on it, asking for Her motherly intercession before the throne of His Son and God.
In Karey, in the Assumption Cathedral, there is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat”.
Holy Mount Athos, which is called the monastic republic, flourished abundantly with virtue and therefore is the greatest shrine of the Christian world. And the Blessed Virgin Mary is her Great Abbess.

The icon of the Mother of God “Abbess of the Holy Mount Athos” was created at the beginning of the 20th century, by order of the Greek governor of Athos, by one of the masters in the former cell of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on Athos. In the ark of the icon are placed particles of the Cross of the Lord and the relics of the Saints.

Tradition tells that in the 1st century, a few years after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, fleeing the persecution set up by Herod in Palestine, was preparing to recover in the land of Iberia according to the lot that had fallen to her. But an Angel of God appeared to her and said that the gift of apostleship would appear to her on another earth. The ship on which the Mother of God with the Apostles was heading to the island of Cyprus, to Bishop Lazarus, got into a storm and landed on Mount Athos, inhabited by pagans.

The Blessed Virgin, seeing in this an indication of the will of God to the earthly Lot given to Her, went ashore and proclaimed the gospel teaching.

The pagan people accepted the Mother of God and listened to Her sermons, then believed and were baptized. By the power of Her sermon and numerous miracles, the Mother of God converted the locals to Christianity.

She appointed one of the Apostolic men there as a leader and teacher and said: “Be this place for me and the lot given to me from the Son of my God.”

Then, having blessed the people, she added: “May the grace of God come to this place and to those who are here with faith and reverence, and who keep the commandments of the Son and my God. The blessings necessary for life on earth will be abundant for them with little labor, and heavenly life will be prepared for them, and the mercy of my Son will not fail from this place until the end of the age. I will be the Intercessor of this place and a warm intercessor for him before God.

Akathist to the Icon of the Mother of God "Abbess of Mount Athos"

Chosen from all generations of the Mother of God and the Queen, who received Mount Athos from Her Son and God as Her lot, and gave it to the eternal heritage of Orthodox monks, we proclaim this praiseworthy singing. You, O Bogomati, the Intercessor of the essence of the ascetics of piety, save and deliver from all troubles, sorrows and misfortunes, and guide us to the Kingdom of Heaven, Your spiritual child, crying tenderly to You: Rejoice, Supreme Athos Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

You surpassed the angels in holiness and purity, O Most Pure One, having lived angelically from youth: the same angel-like monastic rank, a fair Mentor and Patroness appeared to you, guiding the guardians of virginity and purity to the Kingdom of Heaven, from them worthily hear this: Rejoice, the beginning and sanctification of virginity. Rejoice, brightest image of chastity. Rejoice, Thy righteous parents, promised before conception to the service of God. Rejoice, born from barren beds according to the gospel of the Angel. Rejoice, at the age of three you entered into the temple of God. Rejoice, brought up by heavenly food from the hand of an angel. Rejoice, having ascended to the height of spiritual perfection with the ladder of virtues combined in You. Rejoice, having shown us the image of a God-pleasing life in prayers, abstinence and obedience. Rejoice, first among women you promised your virginity to God and kept it. Rejoice, chosen and prepared from above for the guidance of the monastics. Rejoice, in the person of John the Virgin at the Cross of Your Son, you accepted all the faithful as sons. Rejoice, most of all to the monastic rank, as to Your life following, Good Mother appearing. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

By the light of God, after the ascension to heaven of Your Son Christ our God, fall to Thee, the Lady, the lot of the Apostolic service in the lands of Iverstei, but by the angelic notice frankly, as it will be enlightened in the last days: You labor and imashi in the lands, south of Thee God wills. The same, as the Servant of the Lord, humbly obeyed that will, the image that gives us, and we always and in everything do the will of our Creator, crying out to Him: Alleluia.

Opening the mind of His Divine Providence about the lot of the Mother of God, not to Cyprus, but to Mount Athos, the Lord directs Her path, where His Gospel is preached, and so Her earthly lot appears. The same we pray: rule, Bogomati, and our path to the Heavenly Fatherland, yes to You, our Instructor, we laudatoryly cry out: Rejoice, having sanctified Athos with your coming. Rejoice, thou who planted the true faith in him. Rejoice, thou who didst receive this mountain from God as Your lot. Rejoice, thou who promised the mercy of Thy Son to the end of time to this place. Rejoice, foretelling of His grace to be in this place. Rejoice, as we see this prediction until now, the deeds are being fulfilled. Rejoice, warm Intercessor for those who live in Your lot. Rejoice, fear of all enemies. Rejoice, giver of earthly blessings living here. Rejoice, guarantor of their eternal salvation. Rejoice, for all the people of Christ honor your lot. Rejoice, for they call it a holy place and a monastic paradise. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Power of the Most High, through the intercession of the Mother of God, autumn this Holy Mountain, and show me a truly spiritual garden, which has grown many reverends in its bowels, like grapes are ripe and red: the same and create this, like a quiet haven for all who want to please the Lord in monastic life and sing to Him: Alleluia.

Having providence for Your lot, thou hast spoken, O Lady, in a vision to the first hermit dweller, the Monk Peter: there is no more convenient place to serve God, except Mount Athos, which I received with love from My Son and God, and those who have to struggle here, I will be a Helper and Intercessor. For this sake, we thankfully cry out to Thee: Rejoice, thou who didst fulfill Your promise about this mountain. Rejoice, city of the world, on it the former, providentially abolished. Rejoice, thou who didst give Mount Athos into the possession of the monks. Rejoice, you who gave her freedom. Rejoice, thou who laid the foundation of the Vatopedi monastery by Tsar Theodosius. Rejoice, thou who created the Esphigmenian monastery with the diligence of Empress Pulcheria. Rejoice, thou who inspired Tsar Nicephorus to create the Athanasian Lavra. Rejoice, thou who didst marvelously arrange the Iberian monastery with the diligence of the kings of Iberian and noble monks. Rejoice, thou who didst erect the Xiropotamsk monastery with the zeal of Tsar Peter of Bulgaria. Rejoice, having erected the Hilandar monastery through the labors of Savva and Simeon of Serbia. Rejoice, having renewed the monastery of the Passion-bearer Panteleimon with the diligence of the ancient Russian princes. Rejoice, thou who didst inspire the many Orthodox kings and nobles of different tribes to build the monasteries of Athos and to do good deeds. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Averting the storm of temptation from the monastics in Your lot, Thou hast not created this for women, O Lady, Empress Placidia, announcing this with a mysterious voice, whenever she wants to enter the temple of the Vatopedi monastery. For this reason, from time immemorial, the Holy Mountain has been legitimized not to be for women, but those who labor here on it without the temptations of the worldly abide, singing out to God: Alleluia.

Showing care for the greatness of the population of His earthly lot by monastics, innocently expelled from Egypt, Syria and Palestine, the fathers miraculously instilled here, O Mistress, and so multiply and age Your spiritual garden, from worthless fruit brought to God a lot - the great Cathedral of the Monks of Athos: to them and us, Bogomati, count, crying You are laudatory: Rejoice, in the deserts of Egypt, Syria and Palestine, who helped to shine as an ascetic of piety. Rejoice, thou who didst miraculously settle the disciples of the fathers on Mount Athos. Rejoice, monk, from the cities of many iconoclasts expelled, granting residence in this mountain. Rejoice, having multiplied the monastic rank, and gathered book wealth with holy relics. Rejoice, Mount Athos with a multitude of desert cells, as if creating a single abode marvelous. Rejoice, rewarding you with a great and small abode here. Rejoice, O thou who didst set the sights of Orthodox asceticism on this mountain. Rejoice, thou who didst firmly protect the life of those living here with monastic charters. Rejoice, thou who didst show the radiant image of Peter the desert-loving as a hermit. Rejoice, O thou who bestowed a divinely wise mentor on the community of Athanasius. Rejoice, for Athos the monastic sin for the sake of ours, from the unfaithful srats, sometimes I was devastated to be allowed. Rejoice, packs according to this, in fulfillment of Your promise, having inhabited it with many monks. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

The lamp of light appears to the Lady, Your earthly lot, spiritually enlightening the whole universe and warming the prayers of the monks, hedgehog pious Emperor Alexy Komnenos in his message to the Father of Athos, according to Your inspiration, wisely depict: the same all about You, laudatory cry to God: Alleluia.

Assuring the motherly providence about the inhabitants of Your holy lot, assuring, you appeared, Bogomati, to the Monk Athanasius, who was needy for the embarrassed, exhorting him not to leave the cloisters being built, and promising to be that Iconomiss herself: in assurance of this, you commanded him to strike a stone with a rod, from a worthless Abie the source miraculously flowed out , even to this day it exudes living and healing water, as if your witness is faithful in the place of that appearance. For this sake, laudatory to You, we cry: Rejoice, this source of this, showing us the source of Your good deeds. Rejoice, Thy double appearance to the Monk Athanasius, Thy invisible visit assured us. Rejoice, O Iconomissa of the Lavra of Athanasius who remains unfailingly. Rejoice, thou who does not leave all monastic cloisters with thy care. Rejoice, in the monastery of Iverstej, miraculously multiplying wine, flour and oil. Rejoice, in the monastery of Kostamonites you invisibly supplied the vessel of oil and all the storages with all the needs. Rejoice, in the monastery of Vatopedstey you filled the impoverished vessel with oil until it was overflowing. Rejoice, in the monastery of Pantokratortey you created the multiplication of oil just like that. Rejoice, in Philotheiste of the monastery of a certain ecclesiarch, in murmuring about the poverty of the needy, you enlightened. Rejoice, having announced to him that it is impossible to have the abodes of being of Your care except. Raduys, in a time of difficult circumstances about the vital needs of our life, wonderfully provides. Rejoice, thou who laborest about every one here, showing thy loving care. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

The preacher of Thy mercies and blessings, the inhabitant of the Holy Mountain, appeared Your miraculous, Bogomati, the icon, “Quick to Hearing” by You, before the Nile’s repast, punished Thou for neglect with relaxation, and packs, for the sake of repentance, forgiveness and healing to that Thou granted, proclaiming Your will together with this, but they resort to You and feet in all their needs, promising to fulfill the pious petitions not only of the monks, but also of all Orthodox Christians, who faithfully cry out to Your Son: Alleluia.

What language is there to confess the greatness of Thy miracles, O Lady, which I have created and are doing as an inhabitant of Thy earthly lot? Your light-bearing icon, miraculously coming from Nicaea by sea, Thou hast left the abode of Iverstei, and Thou hast revealed Thy will, as if you want to be the Gatekeeper of their abode and the Keeper of all those who live in this mountain. We also sing of praise to Thee: Rejoice, thou who commanded the Monk Gabriel to descend into the sea and receive Thy holy icon. Rejoice, having created for him a procession on the waters, as if on dry land. Rejoice, Thy icon in the small temple at the gates of the monastery, favored to stay. Rejoice, having shown us the image of humility by accepting the title of Goalkeeper. Rejoice, in the presence of Thy holy icon, you confirmed the sign of the grace and mercy of Thy Son. Rejoice, you who promised to be our Guardian in the present and future. Rejoice, thou who sank the warriors of Amir of Agaria from the ships in the sea. Rejoice, having saved the Iberian monastery from ruin by such a miracle. Rejoice, Thy icon "Sweet Kiss", miraculously presented from the Tsar-grad to Athos by sea and farther away from the cloisters of Philotheiste. Rejoice, having denounced and enlightened people in pianism while sowing icons during the procession of the cross on a breeze. Rejoice, aunt, who stole the icons of gold from sowing, miraculously holding on to the sea with the ship. Rejoice, having given us with this sign an instruction for the preservation of the church property. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Those who sometimes want the wicked-wise Latins to suddenly come to the Holy Mountain and turn all the monks into their heresy, Thou, O Mistress, appeared as a forerunner of those invasions: from the icon of Thy saint, in the monastery of Zografstey, to an old man, in a desert cell “Rejoice” to You who sang, with a wonderful voice you announced this. The same, many reverend with Your help, fierce torment for piety, valiantly enduring from the wicked and receiving the crowns of victory from Christ, singing to Him: Alleluia.

A new sign of Your care for the inhabitants of Your earthly lot, Lady, you show from Your icon “Joy and Consolation”, as if the abbot of the Vatopedi monastery with a wonderful voice commanded you not to open the gates of the monastery, but to climb the walls, and drive away the robbers who wanted to destroy the monks and plunder the property of the monastery i. The same, we humbly pray to Thee, Most Pure One, do not leave us, with Your help, in all troubles and circumstances, crying out to Thee: Rejoice, from the height of heaven the whole Christian race is watching. Rejoice, our evil enemies in their deceit stumble. Rejoice, taking away the punishment of God from our heads. Rejoice, Thy Son, Christ our God, bowing down to us in mercy. Rejoice, foretelling of those who suddenly find us at odds in good time. Rejoice, delivering from murder and vain death. Rejoice, thou who didst help the venerable martyr of Athos to put to shame the flattery of the Latins and accept martyrdom. Rejoice, thou who feared the fall of the wise papists with the fall of the wise papists and removed them from Athos as an earthly coward. Rejoice, thou who preservest the purity of Orthodoxy in Your lot like the apple of an eye. Rejoice, heresy and schism fortify yourself here without allowing it. Rejoice, Thy lot, who does not participate in worldly turmoil. Rejoice, in a time of great battles around, preserving this peace and silence. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Thy invisible, Mistress, about us, show the care of the reality, if you wish, appeared on the day of the Annunciation in the monastery of Vatopedstey, where the Monk Cosmas Zografsky saw Thee in the likeness of the Lady, powerfully in the temple and the meal of the command, different for everyone. The same reverently this phenomenon is reminiscent, and henceforth do not deprive us of Your motherly care asking, we sing to God: Alleluia.

By the good pleasure of being born from Thee, Abbess and Ruler, you appeared to the monastic rank, O Blessed Virgin: the same hegumen’s staff in the monastery of Hilandarstey deigned to receive, announcing this to one from the brethren, and miraculously placing Your three-handed icon in the abbot’s place, thereby setting the world. In the same way, we, Thy novices, entrust ourselves to Thy guidance and care and laudatoryly cry out: Rejoice, the first nun in the world, not according to the order of external life, but in spirit, from infantile swaddling clothes dedicated to the service of God. Rejoice, having combined virginity and Christmas miraculously in Yourself by the grace of the Most High. Rejoice, honoring the abode of Saint Savva by accepting the title of the unchanging Abbess. Rejoice, all the inhabitants of Your earthly lot, like the Supreme Abbess revered. Rejoice, Elder Parthenios Abbess of the Lavra of Pechersk, betrothed. Rejoice, and you were named St. Abbess Seraphim of the Diveyevo monastery. Rejoice, by the grace-filled suggestion of many from the world into monastic life and into Your earthly lot. Rejoice, for all those who want to monasticize a place of residence and a way of life, a decent pointing out to their spiritual dispensation. Rejoice, thou who graciously accepts from all the Orthodox tribes who want to become monastics. Rejoice, for all those who live here in their native tongue serve God well. Rejoice, having cut off the hand of John of Damascus for piety, praying tearfully before Your icon, miraculously healed. Rejoice, thou who didst receive the singing of thanksgiving from him. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Thou didst arrange the salvation of many, Thou didst favor, O Lady, to call the Monk Anthony to Your earthly lot, and having taught him a monastic feat, send him to the then newly enlightened fatherland, the Russian land, to the city of Kiev, even with Your help, plant a new spiritual garden, in which there are many reverends, with Theodosius wondrous, shining and the great Cathedral the monks of Athos conjoined, as if spiritually from that offspring. Do not deprive us, O Bogomati, of our father, and with them in the Kingdom of Heaven we forever sing to God: Alleluia.

Showing great love to the Christian race, through the Archangel Gabriel proclaimed Thy wonderful song “It is worthy to eat.” The same we pray to Thee, Most Pure One: vouchsafe us, the unworthy, and in this and the future, this joyfully cry out: Rejoice, worthy of praise from the Archangel and Angel. Rejoice, blessed from all Heavenly Powers. Rejoice, having honored the humble novice of Athos with a visit to Arkhangelsk. Rejoice, Thy evangelist who proclaimed to us the song of heaven. Rejoice, for this song is sung everywhere by the faithful. Rejoice, for every gender and age is spiritually comforted by it. Rejoice, Thy icon, in front of it, praise Thee, the Archangel, who has preserved intact to this day. Rejoice, glorifying this icon and its likeness in many places with wondrous miracles. Rejoice, memory of this miracle for every summer by the monk of Athos litiya renewing. Rejoice, for you teach us unity, harmony and humility in love in her great and small monasteries. Rejoice, our life is good and pleasing to God. Rejoice, all good and useful bestower to us. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Kondak 10

You help the salvation of the faithful and the admonition of the infidels, Thy lot is unshakable, the stronghold of Orthodoxy and the stronghold of monasticism, Thou hast made, Mistress. In the same way, you exude a stream of spiritual enlightenment from everywhere to all ends of the world, striving all the faithful and not only verbally, but also with a virtuous life, sing to God: Alleluia.

Showing a new sign of Your providence for our spiritual salvation and nourishment, O Lady, with a wonderful voice from Your icon, the saints said to the God-child Jesus depicted with You: “Son and My God, teach Your servant Cosmas how to save him.” The Lord answered Abie: “In silence, let Mi serve.” Meanwhile, we humbly pray to Thee, Bogomati: implore Christ God to guide us on the path of salvation, crying out to Thee: Rejoice, the prayer of Your saint Cosmas soon heard. Rejoice, and our zealous prayer does not reject. Rejoice, guiding us on the path of salvation and spiritual prosperity. Rejoice, leading to a solitary life of those who desire. Rejoice, O grace-filled Interlocutor who labors in hermitage, pouring spiritual joy into their hearts. Rejoice, in Thy lot and piously living everywhere, embracing Thy Mother's love. Rejoice, having helped Cosmas of Zograf and another father to accomplish the feat of desert silence. Rejoice, O Gregory Palamas, who appeared with luminous men, and commanded those who were concerned about his needs. Rejoice, having blessed Maximus Kavsokalivita with Your appearance. Rejoice, thou who bestowed the gift of unceasing prayer and tenderness of the heart upon him. Rejoice, having helped St. Simon in the fight against temptations. Rejoice, thou who commanded to create the abode of the Nativity of Christ on the stone. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Kondak 11

Our humble singing does not suffice for the expression of Yours, the Lady, the face of monastic goodwill, and especially for those who labor in Your earthly lot, where (in the Lavra of the Monk Athanasius) Thou was seen by the monk Matthias, Your gifts, like silver and gold, giving, fervent prayers for the sake of coming with fear in the temple and crying out to God: Alleluia.

The light of heaven shines upon the sight of Thee, the Lady, the Monk Mark on the hill of the edge of Athos, in wonderful beauty and Royal glory, exalted on the throne, surrounded by a host of Angels and the Monks of Athos and gloriously sung, like the Queen and Lady of all. The same, the Most Pure Mother of God, as if then Thy lot overshadowed Thou, so now protect us from all temptations, from the world and the devil who find, let us call Thee laudatory: Rejoice, Queen of the Archangels and Angels. Rejoice, Lady of the mountains and valleys. Rejoice, thou who vouchsafed the reverend Mark of His miraculous appearance. Rejoice, thou who didst show Thee the vigilant guardian of Athos. Rejoice, as you strive with Thee for the protection of our hosts of the incorporeal and the cathedrals of the saints. Rejoice, as you intercede with them for us before Your Son and God. Rejoice, as by your heavenly autumn you protect us from the temptations of the world. Rejoice, for you strengthen us in the labors of fasting, chastity and prayer. Rejoice, as in the assurance of the future after death for the exploits of retribution, Thy singers Gregory and John in sleepy slumber rewarded you with gold. Rejoice, for you have bestowed the power of miracles on those golden ones, truly given by You. Rejoice, for it is impossible to count your wonderful signs, done for our good. Rejoice, for it is not so much sensual and visible, as it is grace-filled and invisible, that you show us Your help. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Kondak 12

The grace of God, abundantly poured out by the inhabitant of Your earthly lot, from Your miraculous icons, the Mother of God, do not deprive the essence of the Russian abode here: she has the icons “Jerusalem” and “The Redeemer”, ovs - “The Mammoth” and “Consolation in Sorrows and Sorrows”, they are like a pledge of Your good will to them moreover, we glorify Thy merciful providence, and about the Moldavian Lachic monastery, even “Self-made” Thou hast given Your image, for the sake of a Jewish woman, get rid of death and receive holy baptism, crying out to Christ God born of You: Alleluia.

Singing a wondrous miracle, as if by Your, Bogomati, providence, in the monastery of Vatopedstey in front of Your icon hidden in a treasury and the honest Cross, the lit candle is inextinguishable for seventy years, we glorify other signs, for our salvation and to satisfy the needs of life in Mount Athos and everywhere you have done, we also cry: Rejoice, illuminating this mountain with the blessed rays of miraculous icons. Rejoice, exuding gifts of diverse blessings all over the world with their likenesses. Rejoice, Twenty great monasteries of Athos, Providence and Guardian. Rejoice, for you showed the sign of Your care in these. Rejoice, skete and cell monasteries, like Your planting garden, preserving Your cover. Rejoice, hermit dwelling, beloved by You, not leaving Your care. Rejoice, in monastic obediences and your own will cutting off those who work, everlasting Helper and Comforter. Rejoice, in the hermitage of those who live and listen to their salvation, good Instructor and Mentor. Rejoice, O ecclesiarch of some, in the gloom of displeasure, your face wounded, punished with relaxation and granted healing to him. Rejoice, priest of the impudent, for touching the blood, on Your icon, caked, in our teaching, punished by death. Rejoice, for the sake of punishment and admonition of the monks, you allowed Athos to suffer from the wars of the king of Tours. Rejoice, having interceded with the Emperor of All Russia, preserving Your lot from ruin and granting prosperity to him. Rejoice, Supreme Athos, Ruler, and our Mentor and Patroness.

Kondak 13

O All-Singing Mati, virginity and Christmas are wonderfully combined in Herself, and virginal litany ever gladdening! Graciously accept this prayer singing and our praise: and like a kokosh gathers its chicks under the krill and covers them, so cover us all from all troubles, Lady, and gather us into the Heavenly city, and there with all the saints we sing the Trinity of Saints forever: Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

O One and only Most Pure and Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Chamber of the Holy Spirit, Omnipotent Intercessor and Intercessor of the Christian race! Do not reject me unworthy, sin the soul and body of the defiled, cleanse my mind from thoughts of vain, embittering in the destruction of this lovely world. Tame my passions and deliver me from my sins. Give courage and reason to my darkened mind, so that I may be a skillful doer of the commandments of God. Ignite my icy heart with the fire of Divine love. I pray thee more, Good Mother, like Maxim Kavsokalivit, ask me unceasing prayers for the gift, may this be a stream in me, from the heat of passions and sorrows finding, cooling and filling, but having gained peace of the heart with Your help and cleansed from sinful filth with tearful repentance, I will be vouchsafed in the future age of joy and bliss with a privateer of being all the venerable fathers of Athos and all the saints from the ages who have pleased God. Amen.

Troparion, voice 3

We bring songs of thanksgiving to Thee, Mother of God, as if all of us, living in Thy grief, from the evil libel of the enemy, deliver us forever, and grant us all that is useful: the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven to those who love Thee.

Kontakion, tone 5

Who does not rejoice in hearing Thy promises, Mother of God? Who doesn't enjoy them? Thou didst say, O God-breasted: good is the life of the deceased, to the Son and God of My present to the Imams, having asked for forgiveness of sins. The same touching cry to You: Rejoice, hope and salvation of our souls.

magnificence

We magnify Thee, Virgin Mother of God, and honor Thee, as the Supreme Ruler of Athos, and our Good Mentor and Patroness.

Athos - Holy Mountain in Greece with the status of an autonomous monastic state, uniting 20 Orthodox monasteries. Saint Athos is revered as the earthly lot of the Mother of God, under her special patronage. Therefore, it is not surprising that the world of the Athos icon is, first of all, the images of the Mother of God. Many Athos icons of the Most Holy Theotokos are a thousand or more years old, and lists from them have spread throughout the Orthodox world.

More than once, Athos icons performed real miracles. It is believed that prayer before the Blessed Virgin heals the body and soul, brings peace to it, and strengthens faith.

Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God of Iverskaya

The history of this icon from Athos is amazing. In the 9th century, when iconoclasm reigned, when icons were destroyed, they tried to seize the icon of the Mother of God from a pious widow. When the warrior hit the icon with a spear, blood poured from the icon. The woman prayerfully carried it to the sea, let it float on the waves, and the icon moved upright along them.

Two centuries later, the monks from the Athos Iberian Monastery regained the icon, and she herself appeared above the gates of the monastery, for which she was called the "Goalkeeper" in addition to the name "Iberian".

Celebration - Tuesday of Bright Week.

Icon of the Mother of God "Tricherussa" ("Three-handed")

Many images here are known as miraculous icons of Athos. These include the Three-Handed, which belonged to St. John of Damascus. When, on the slander of slanderers, the Saracens cut off his hand, he turned to the icon for healing, and a miracle happened - the hand grew to the same place. St. John, in honor of this miracle, made a brush of silver and attached it to the icon.

Subsequently, the image was presented to the Archbishop of Serbia, but when Serbia was attacked by enemies in order to save the icon, they put it on a donkey and let this donkey alone, wherever their eyes look. He himself came to Athos to the Hilendar monastery. A long time after the death of the abbot, they could not choose a new one, and then the Mother of God appeared to one hermit in a dream and announced that she herself would become the abbess of this monastery. Until now, it is managed by the priest-vicero, and the icon "Three Hands" stands in the hegumen's place.

This icon of Athos has its own wonderful story. In 982, an old man with a novice lived in a cave near Karey. When the elder left for the all-night vigil, an unknown monk appeared in the cell at night and began to pray together with the novice. When they sang the prayer “Most Honorable Cherub”, the monk added to the chant “It is worthy to eat…” (and further, now this song is sung like this).

The monk, at the request of the monk, wrote down these words, but not on paper, but on a stone slab with his finger, which became like wax. Giving his name - Gabriel, the monk disappeared. It was the archangel Gabriel.

Icon of the Mother of God "Gerontissa" ("Staritsa")

According to legend, the place for the construction of the Patnokrator monastery was chosen by the Mother of God herself and subsequently performed many miracles.

She is revered as the patroness of eldership.

This icon got its name for the quick fulfillment of the prayers' requests. Many healings are also associated with it, primarily from epilepsy and demon possession.

Icon of the Mother of God "Sweet Kiss" ("Glycofilus")

According to legend, this icon is one of the seventy that the Evangelist Luke himself painted. He depicted the Mother of God kissing the Infant Jesus. The icon has performed miracles more than once. So, during the Second World War, when Greece was occupied by the Germans, the Filofeyevsky Monastery almost ran out of wheat, there was nothing to feed the monks and lay pilgrims, but in the hope of the help of the Blessed Virgin, the monks baked bread from the last flour.

Soon a ship moored at the monastery, and the captain offered the wheat that the ship was carrying in exchange for firewood. So the Mother of God took care of Her children.

Icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa"

The property of this miraculous icon is to resist all kinds of magic and witchcraft, to heal from the most terrible ailments.

Just as the Mother of God breastfeeds Her Child, she also nourishes the souls of believers. A lot of evidence of miracles is associated with the icon.

The monastery got its name from the word "vatoped", translated from the Greek "bush of the lad". According to legend, in 390, the young son of Emperor Theodosius the Great Arcadius fell into the sea from the ship, but by the grace of the Mother of God he ended up on the shore and fell asleep under a bush, where he was found the next morning.

Before the icon of the Mother of God the Economist they pray in material need,

with financial difficulties, problems with debts

to protect the family hearth,

when starting a new business (enterprise)

O Most Honorable Lady Theotokos, Our All-Honorable Mother Abbess, of all Orthodox monasteries of monastic life, in the holy Mount Athos and throughout the universe!

Accept our humble prayers and bring as if to our generous God, may our souls be saved by His grace.

Look at us with Your merciful eye and work out Our salvation in the Lord, for the mercy of Our Savior and Your holy passage-mystery about us, we, the accursed ones, will not be able to complete our salvation, as if our life is shattered in the vanities of the world, for the time is approaching the harvest of Christ on the day of the Last Judgment.

But we, the accursed ones, are perishing in the abyss of sin, for the sake of our negligence, according to what was said from the holy fathers, the originators of the angelic life in the flesh: as the last monk, by the negligence of his life, will be likened to worldly people, and it will come true today, for our monasticism floats with his life on the sea of ​​life in the midst of great storms and bad weather: for our saints I abode in the ashes for the sake of our sins, our All-Righte Lord Jesus Christ, so please, we, unworthy, have no where to bow our heads.

O our sweetest Mother Abbess!

Gather us, the scattered flock of Christ, into one and save all Orthodox Christians, vouchsafe heavenly life with Angels and all the saints in the Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him be honor and glory with His Beginningless Father and with the Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The intercession is terrible and shameless, do not despise, Good, our prayers, All-singing Mother of God, Gracious of the faithful House-builder, establish Orthodox residence, save our country and protect all Orthodox living in it, for you have given birth to God, O Blessed One.

Then it happened in the monastery on Mount Athos that all the monks left the holy monastery, and the elder Athanasius, who endured hardships for a long time, decided to leave the monastery after the others.

But on the road he suddenly saw a woman under a veil and was surprised, saying to himself: where can a woman come from here when it is impossible for them to enter here? However, the woman herself asked him: “Where are you going, old man?” In turn, St. Athanasius asked her: “Who are you and how did you get here?” And he also added: “Why do you need to know where I am going? You see that I am a monk here.”

“If you are a monk,” the stranger continued, you must be simple-hearted, trusting and modest. I know your grief and will help you. But tell me first where you're going." Then St. Athanasius told everything, and the woman objected: “And you couldn’t bear this? For the sake of a piece of bread you leave the monastery? Is it in the spirit of monasticism?” “Who are you? asked Athanasius.

“I am the One to whose name you dedicate your abode. I am the mother of your Lord,” the woman replied. “I’m afraid to believe,” the elder answered, and the demons take on bright images. How can you prove it to me?!" “You see this stone,” answered the Mother of God, “hit it with a rod and then you will know Who is talking to you. Know that from now on I will forever remain the House-Builder (Economissa) of your Lavra.”

Athanasius struck a stone, and water flowed out of it with a noise. St. Athanasius returned to the monastery and found that all the pantries were filled to the brim with everything necessary. Water still flows from the place where the stone was located.

but only a sub-econom, or assistant to the Economist. In memory of the miraculous appearance of Our Lady of St. Athanasius in the Lavra painted the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos-Housebuilder. On this icon, the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne with the Divine Infant on her left hand.

On the right side of the throne, St. Michael of Sinad is depicted in a prayer position, and on the left side, St. Athanasius, holding in his hands the appearance of his Lavra, symbolically depicting the special care, patronage and care provided to the monastery by the Mother of God.

At the site of the apparition of Our Lady of St. Athanasius, on the way to the Kareisky monastery, a small church was erected in honor of Her in the name of the Life-Giving Spring. In this church there is an icon depicting a miracle. There is also an open gallery for the relaxation of fans and pilgrims. The source still flows abundantly, quenching the thirst of strangers and pilgrims and giving healing to believers.

Chosen from the foundation of the world to the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God, who truly gave birth to Jesus Christ the Savior and our God in the flesh, as the Lady of the universe, who deeply loved Christ and took their holy cloisters under her sovereign cover, we offer praise in praise. But you, our All-Honorable Mother Abbess, save and save us from all enemies, visible and invisible, let us call you: Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy Mount Athos and the whole universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess!

The angels of the flesh are all reverend fathers and mothers, young men and virgins, who have shone in the saints from the ages and are now Orthodox marching to the heavenly villages under the radiance of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of Christ, on the earthly field, in the vale of weeping and sorrows, under the sovereign patronage of the Mother of Christ our God, the Most Honorable Abbess of the Orthodox monk sixth life. Even as a merciful intercession, we joyfully cry out: Rejoice, Our Most Honorable Mother Abbess; Rejoice, hope of our salvation. Rejoice, Guardian of Mount Athos; Rejoice, Savior of the living monks there. Rejoice, joy and glory of Christ's ascetics; Rejoice, divine joy of the holy hermits. Rejoice, for through you all the saints are saved; Rejoice, for the whole universe is adorned by You. Rejoice, countless worlds about God the Lady; Rejoice, guide of heavenly paradise. Rejoice, good and glorious end of all the saints of life; Rejoice, holy joy of the Divine stream. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, Holy Mount Athos and the whole universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess!

Seeing the mournful path of salvation for all His reverends, our Lord Jesus Christ favor His Mother, the Most Honorable Virgin Mary, may She stretch Her divine cover of abbess over all the holy monasteries of the holy Mount Athos and the whole universe of Orthodox monastic salvation, and all who are saved in reverence and holiness, seeing this by faith, cry out unceasingly to the Savior God : Alleluia.

The divine mind of all reverend fathers and mothers, loving the glory of heaven with all my heart, but hating the world with all its charms and righting my feet, marching in the labors of the saints for Christ in the world of this life, comfortably led by Her ever-virgin heavenly Abbess, even by faith seeing in the face of Her icons of the saints, the mind illy cry out like this: Rejoice, our salvation is the main thing; Rejoice, our joy in this life and in the next. Rejoice, wondrous Builder of our holy cloisters; Rejoice, merciful Economiso of monastic hostels. Rejoice, flower of Divine vegetation; Rejoice, joy of the universal resurrection. Rejoice, divine joy of all saints; Rejoice, ornament of monasticism. Rejoice, True Mother of our Savior; Rejoice, for thou hast given birth to the flesh of hell the Conqueror. Rejoice, for thou hast planted a spiritual garden on Athos; Rejoice, for thou didst guide those living in reverence to paradise. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the whole universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

The power of the Most High overshadows all, in reverence and holiness, and in righteousness living, even hating the vanity of this world and fleeing to the holy monastic abode, and there, in the form of an angel, perched on the good yoke of Christ, holyly striving, through all their lives they constantly cry out to the Most Holy Trinity God: Alleluia.

Having a fiery desire for salvation, all the cathedrals of the saints, who have shone in the saints from time immemorial, and now perform the feats of salvation in the monasteries of monastic life, in laurels, monasteries, sketekhs, cenobiums, cells and in every place of the whole universe, having a wondrous shield of salvation - the Divine Abbess of the Mother of God, they sing praise to Her: be gone, our Gatherer in the midst of a sinful world; Rejoice, builder of our spiritual salvation. Rejoice, having saved the whole race of Adam the fallen; Rejoice, having given birth to the ineffable Savior and our God in the flesh. Rejoice, Most Honorable Monk, the image of those who are saved; Rejoice, righteous Abbess of all of us who labor. Rejoice, invincible voivode of the Orthodox faith; Rejoice, Omnipotent Divine Fortress. Rejoice, Mother of the Lord and our Blessed One; Rejoice, blessed for all the saints. Rejoice, door of mercy for the penitent; Rejoice, hope in the Bose of those who hang on. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, all-honorable Abbess.

The storm of doubts of the sin-loving ones were left by the fathers of the reverend and mother, loving the thorny path of salvation, living amidst sorrows and hardships, the Kingdom for the sake of Heaven, decorating with their God-pleasing life many places in the universe, where they founded the holy monastery of monastic salvation, in them being saved, they sing the Angelic song to Christ our God: Al liluia.

Hearing the holy words of the Gospel of Christ, the chosen one of heaven, all the vain world of this world is contemptible, on the path of the holy one, wearing the good yoke of our Savior with your life, in the flesh like an angel to the saints, having the amazing Abbess over all their holy abodes throughout the universe, like the stars of heaven shining, they always cry out to Neizha: Rejoice, wise aya Abbess of Orthodox monasticism; Rejoice, salvation of God's chosen people. Rejoice, pillar of virginity and ocean of mercy; Rejoice, eternal joy of heavenly joy. Rejoice, refuge of repentant sinners; Rejoice, treasure of the wretched ascetic. Rejoice, covering the whole universe with love; Rejoice, casting down Satan into hell with the glory of heaven. Rejoice, divine joy of angels and men; Rejoice, for thou hast brought weeping as a demon forever. Rejoice, one hope of the Orthodox faith; Rejoice, Mother of the Lord and our All-Glorious. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the whole universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

Having reached the divine life of the righteous and the Heavenly Fatherland with joy, they rejoice, in the Lord, with the holy angels for all ages, we are their brothers, we labor in the holy monasteries, singing songs of praise to God: Alleluia.

Seeing the chosen one of the Lord the fleeting glory of this world: wealth is impermanent, happiness is fleeting, sorrow, sorrow and despair, and all sorts of misadventures of the eternal companion of this life is, in the end, bodily death is inevitable for all people. By the holy faith of the eternal villages contemplate, having loved the narrow and sorrowful path of monastic life, where the Most Holy Mother of the Lord Samago abbesses, leading the saving spiritual children of Her, laudatory crying out to Her: Rejoice, the only salvation of our souls; Rejoice, heavenly consolation of all who mourn. Rejoice, holy mountains of Athos, Enlightener; Rejoice, patroness of the whole universe. Rejoice, safe haven for all who repent; Rejoice, quiet refuge from troubles for those who are fleeing. Rejoice, Lavra of the Pechersk Builder; Rejoice, Protector of the Pochaev monastery. Rejoice, Economiso of the Lavra of Athanasius of Athos; Rejoice, book of the New Zion Testament of Christ. Rejoice, having gathered all the saints into one; Rejoice, thou who didst show the way to paradise as Orthodox Christians. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

The preachers of the rich equal angelic life in the flesh are the reverend fathers: Anthony the Great, Pachomius, Macarius, Theodosius and other reverend fathers and mothers, following the life of the host of all the reverends, heirs of the former heavenly cloisters with all the saints, and now we imitate them, living in the rank of angels, we sing to the Savior of the world x valebnya tones: Alleluia.

Ascension is an image of life equal to the angels for all those who seek salvation: far from all worldly vanities, by the example of Christ Himself and our God and His Most Pure Mother, Ever-Virgin Mary the Mother of God, Forerunner of the Lord John and many saints, their life is imitated by all the reverends and under the sovereign guidance of the Lady of the Universe, the Most Honorable Abbess of the Orthodox the monastic cloisters of Mary the Mother of God, praised by all the saints with wonderful praises to the site: Rejoice, Orthodox monastic procession Mother Abbess; Rejoice, eternal salvation of their angelic life. Rejoice, Good Instructor on the path of heavenly life; Rejoice, Mother Superior of the monastic fatherland. Rejoice, quick protection of orphans; Rejoice, as you always prepare crowns as a holy ascetic. Rejoice, loving all the righteous; Rejoice, merciful repentant sinners. Rejoice, for your love is likened to God's love; Rejoice, for through Thee every creature in the Lord is saved. Rejoice, joy of Divine joy; Rejoice, protector of the whole world and salvation. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

I want to improve the mournful path to heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, favor His Mother, may he be the abbess over all Orthodox monastic cloisters throughout the universe, leading hosts of chosen ones into the villages of the heavenly paradise, seeking salvation and singing to our Redeemer God: Alleluia.

The new life was shown by the way of the Angelic life of the fathers of the reverend and mother, for leaving all the sweetness of the sinful world and loving to march to Heaven by the way of the King of Glory Christ our God, suffering on the cross, and a former martyr without blood, enduring all the evil of the Kingdom for the sake of God, hedgehog and received, and now the hosts of the saints are walking in this way, led Mother of God, as the Most Honorable Abbess of their reverend life, I exalt them with praises: Rejoice, Mother of the Lord, Judge of the All-Righte; Rejoice, pre-elected in the abbess from the ages. Rejoice, thou who hast surpassed the creature in purity; Rejoice, having adorned Heaven with the holiness of Your soul. Rejoice, good news of the Heavenly Fatherland; Rejoice: spiritual crine of Orthodox monasticism. Rejoice, zealous Prayer Book for all Orthodox; Rejoice, Good Builder for the holy elect. Rejoice, quiet haven for all wanderers; Rejoice, resting place of blissful old age. Rejoice, Unbrided Bride; Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, all-honorable Abbess.

A strange life of possessions, Christ's chosen ones, leaving bodily passions and joys, loving the path of suffering on the cross in the wilderness, on the islands, in the clefts of the rocks, in the oak forests, living with animals equally to the angels, even though they had destroyed the holy cloisters by the will of God, in them I sang my cherub through all my life Ski to the Lord: Alleluia.

All the Almighty God is in the minds and hearts of His chosen saints, but said: “Wonderful is God in His saints”, glorifying His saints, gathering from the midst of the sinful world, placing them in holy monasteries, may His holy Name be praised by them, with the holy Angels forever, and the Lady Mother of God, the All-good Mother of the Lord wisely abbess, saving from troubles and sorrows humbly but praising Her mercy: Rejoice, Most Honest of all creatures and of all the universe; Rejoice, sweetest, as God's village. Rejoice, holy cover of our life; Rejoice, Divine source of the sweetest sweetness. Rejoice, all our hope of salvation and peace; Rejoice, according to Bose, our hope in earthly life. Rejoice, for your Son and Lord have risen; Rejoice, for He will resurrect all flesh. Rejoice, Heavenly Hosts sing more; Rejoice, praised by all the saints at their true worth. Rejoice, great joy of my salvation; Rejoice, divine consolation of the whole world. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

All earthly wisdom is contemptible, holy saints for Christ's sake, appearing, running and wandering on earth, not having a bodily body anywhere, even having received it, and we imitate them with life, deeds and love for the Lord, and we praise Him, singing angelically: Alleluia.

The Venerable Fathers appeared to Vitya of the Wisdom of the Lord: Pachomius the Great, Anthony the Great and Macarius of Egypt and all the Orthodox monks of the chief, shone in the saints, for with their holy life equal to the angels on earth and the words of salvation, they saved many hosts of disciples, true servants of Christ, throughout the universe by the command of the Most Holy Trinity under the sovereign yoke by the leadership of the Lady of the Mother of God, Yuzhe with all my heart always praising tacos: Rejoice, Sovereign Lady of the universe; Rejoice, Abbess of our salvation. Rejoice, all-loving daughter of the God of the Fathers; Rejoice, you were honored to be the Mother of the Son of God for holiness and humility. Rejoice, beautiful Chamber of God of the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, in heaven and on earth with love All-rich. Rejoice, nun Most Honorable of the Cherubim; Rejoice, as the Mother of God, Exceeding the Seraphim. Rejoice, all-wise teaching of the Apostles of Christ. Rejoice, justification of all saints; Rejoice, help our earthly suffering. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

At least to save the human race, our Lord Jesus Christ descended from heaven into the vale of weeping and sorrow, and with His sufferings of Divine life set an example for all the saints who wish to achieve eternal rest, in reverence and truth praising Him with angelic voices: Alleluia.

The wall of the Divine fortress appeared to you, our All-Honorable Mother Abbess, guarding, saving, covering all the holy cloisters of monastic life in the holy mountain of Athos and throughout the universe, from the dawn of the Christian faith to the day of the Last Judgment of Christ, saving with the Divine mercy of His reverend, ever praising Her bounty with these words-scales: Glad uysya, Blessed Mother Igu-menie; Rejoice, source of spiritual resurrection. Rejoice, covering the whole universe; Rejoice, gladdening the holy Church of Christ. Rejoice, prophetic glory and crown; Rejoice, and my life is blessed at the end. Rejoice, more beautiful than heaven and sweeter than paradise; Rejoice, example for a holy life. Rejoice, loving Athos, your lot; Rejoice, adorning Jerusalem-lim and Zion. Rejoice, Mother of the Merciful Judge; Rejoice, shedding tears of peace. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, all-honorable Abbess.

All the saints in the heavenly villages of paradise bring all-singing singing, with the saints Angels praising and exalting the Most Holy Trinity: “Holy, Holy, Holy,” they cry, and we, Orthodox monks, by faith beholding this, we cry unceasingly to our God: Alleluia.

The cathedrals of the saints received the light-receiving candle of the Orthodox life, with all the saints who shone from the ages, already ahead, and now they are on the path of heaven, having the Emmanuel Mother Emmanuel, the Almighty in the Lord, as the Abbess of their venerable life, they joyfully cry out to Her with praises of the mother: Rejoice, giving us the image of peace eniya; Rejoice, our Gatherer in the abode of salvation. Rejoice, Abbess of the Holy Mount Athos; Rejoice, Mother Superior of all holy monasteries. Rejoice, all-honourable nun in life; Rejoice, most powerful omnipotent in battle. Rejoice, Savior of the living and the dead; Rejoice, blessed Mother of the orphans. Rejoice, pleasant joy in the sorrow of those who are; Rejoice, salvation of Orthodox Christians. Rejoice, holy bounties of the Divine ocean;

Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy Mount Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

Grace always gives, our Most Sweet Savior, to all His holy servants, who strive in reverence and holiness in the field of earthly life, for already the hosts of Orthodox saints in the villages of Paradise sing the Most Holy Trinity with all the heavenly powers, and we, imitating them, cry out to the Wonderful God in the saints: Alleluia.

Singing all the mercy of the Lord and bounty to us, unworthy monks, ever sent down, and the all-honorable Abbess over all our cloisters of our All-graceful Lady of the Mother of God, we rejoice divinely and rejoice, as if we have been honored to make salvation in those cloisters, even though many hosts of venerable ascetics have already reached the Kingdom of Heaven, and they with holy prayers, by the grace of God and under the holy Protection of our Heavenly Mother Abbess, we will also reach the heavenly villages for the labors of salvation, laudatory, singing the words: Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin; Rejoice, helper of our salvation. Rejoice, O All-Generous Abbess for all; Rejoice, thou art first in reverence. Rejoice, covering the whole world with a veil of mercy; Rejoice, feeder of strange orphans. Rejoice, Instructor of young chastity; Rejoice, good Sorrower of all people. Rejoice, gladness of the kind of forefather Adam; Rejoice, quiet haven of salvation. Rejoice, our All-Generous Mother Abbess; Rejoice, good beginning and end of our hymns. Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos Virgin, holy mountains of Athos and the entire universe of Orthodox monasteries, All-Honorable Abbess.

O Our All-Singing Mother Abbess, Most Glorious Lady of the Mother of God! Accept this prayer of ours, from the bottom of our hearts to Thee now being offered up by us and worthy in the rank of Angels to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, where all the saints, Angels and men, sing with unceasing voices the praise of the Most Holy Trinity God: Alleluia.

Saint Athos is revered in the Orthodox Tradition as the earthly inheritance of the Mother of God. According to legend, the Most Pure Virgin herself took the Holy Mountain under Her special protection.

In the year 667, the pious monk, the Monk Peter of Athos, saw in a subtle dream the Theotokos, who said: “Mount Athos is My lot, from My Son and God given to Me, so that those who withdraw from the world and choose for themselves an ascetic life according to their strength, but those who call on My name with faith and love from the soul, spend their lives there without sorrow and for their charitable deeds would receive eternal life.” It is no coincidence that it was on Athos that many of the miraculous icons of the Mother of God shone forth…

MIRACULOUS ICON OF THE MOTHER OF IVERSKAYA

The Iversky Monastery is the home of the icon of the patroness of the Holy Mountain of the Most Holy Theotokos of Iberia - the Goalkeeper (Portaitissa).

The first news about it dates back to the 9th century - the times of iconoclasm, when, by order of the heretical authorities, holy icons were destroyed and desecrated in houses and churches. A certain pious widow, who lived not far from Nicaea, kept in her cherished image of the Mother of God. It opened soon. The armed soldiers who came wanted to take away the icon, one of them hit the shrine with a spear, and blood flowed from the face of the Most Pure One. Having prayed to the Lady with tears, the woman went to the sea and lowered the icon into the water; the image of standing moved along the waves.

Two centuries later, the monks of the Greek Iberian monastery on Mount Athos saw an icon in the sea, supported by a pillar of fire. The Monk Gabriel the Holy Mountaineer, having received instructions from the Mother of God in a dream, walked across the water and brought the icon to the katholikon, but in the morning it was found over the gates of the monastery. Tradition says that this happened several times. The Most Holy Theotokos, appearing to St. Gabriel, explained that it was not the monks who should guard the icon, but that it was the guardian of the monastery. After that, the icon was placed over the gates of the monastery and received the name "Goalkeeper", and on behalf of the monastery - the Iversky Monastery - it received the name Iverskaya.

According to legend, the appearance of the icon took place on March 31, on Tuesday of Easter week (according to other sources, April 27). In the Iversky Monastery, a celebration in her honor takes place on Tuesday of Bright Week; the brethren with a procession go to the seashore, where the elder Gabriel received the icon.

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "TRICHERUSSA"

In Russian tradition, this icon is called "Three Hands". The icon is located in the Hilendar Monastery on Mount Athos.

The image was a personal icon of St. John of Damascus. During the period of iconoclasm, the saint, defending icons, wrote letters to the iconoclast emperor Leon III Isauro. The same, in order to justify himself, slandered him before the Saracen prince, who ordered that the saint's hand be cut off. St. John, with a cut-off brush, came to the icon of the Mother of God, which he had at home, and asked to be healed. The brush miraculously grew together and St. John, in memory of this miracle, attached a silver brush to the icon. In this form, the icon remains to this day.

The image remained in the monastery in the name of Saint Sava until the 13th century, when it was presented to another Saint Sava, Archbishop of Serbia. When the Agarians invaded Serbia, the Orthodox, wishing to preserve the icon, placed it on a donkey and let it go without a guide. With precious luggage, he himself reached the Holy Mount Athos and stopped at the gates of the Hilendar Monastery. Local monks accepted the icon as a great gift, and they began to annually make a religious procession to the place where the donkey stopped.

One day the old abbot reposed in the Hilendar Monastery. The election of a new one caused dissension among the brethren. And then the Mother of God, appearing to one recluse, announced that from now on she herself would be abbess of the monastery. As a sign of this, the “Three Hands” that had hitherto stood in the altar of the monastery cathedral was miraculously transported through the air to the middle of the temple, to the abbot’s place. Since then, the Hilendarsky monastery has been managed by a monk-viceroy, who during the services stands at the abbot's place, where the image of the “Three-Handed” - the Abbess of this monastery is kept. The monks receive a blessing from Her, venerating the icon, as if from the abbot.

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "WORTH TO EAT"

The shrine is located in the Assumption Church of the administrative center of Mount Athos - Karei.

According to legend, in the 10th century, in a cave not far from Karei, an old priest-monk with a novice labored. One day, towards Sunday, June 11, 982, the elder went to the monastery for an all-night vigil, while the novice remained at home. Late at night, an unknown monk knocked on the cell. The novice bowed to the stranger, gave him water to drink from the road, and offered to rest in his cell. Together with the guest, they began to sing psalms and prayers. However, while singing the words “Most Honorable Cherub”, the mysterious guest unexpectedly noticed that in their places this song is sung in a different way: adding before the “Most Honorable” the words “It is worthy to eat, as it is truly Blessed Theotokos, the Blessed and Most Immaculate, and the Mother of our God.” And when the monk began to sing these words, the icon of the Mother of God “Merciful”, standing in the cell, suddenly shone with a mysterious light, and the novice suddenly felt special joy and sobbed with tenderness. He asked the guest to write down the marvelous words, and he traced them with his finger on a stone slab, which softened like wax under his hand. After that, the guest, who called himself the humble Gabriel, suddenly disappeared. The icon continued to shine with a mysterious light. The novice waited for the elder, told him about the mysterious stranger and showed him a stone slab with the words of a prayer. The spiritually experienced elder immediately realized that the Archangel Gabriel, sent to earth, had come to the cell to proclaim to Christians a wondrous song in the name of the Mother of God. Since then, the angelic song “It is worthy to eat ...” has been sung during every Divine Liturgy around the world - wherever there is at least one Orthodox throne or at least one Orthodox Christian lives.

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "GERONTISSA"

In Russian tradition, this icon is called "Staritsa". The shrine is kept in the monastery of Patnokrator. One of the most revered on Mount Athos.

According to ancient legend, the first miracle from this icon occurred during the construction of the future monastery, which began about five hundred meters from the modern buildings. One night, both the icon and all the tools of the builders disappeared, and in the morning they were found at the site of the current location of the monastery. This was repeated several times, and then people realized that the Most Holy Lady Herself was choosing a place for building Her monastery.

In different years, many miracles were revealed from the icon of Gerontissa. The elder-abbot of the monastery, having received a revelation of his imminent departure, wished before his death to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and humbly asked the serving priest to hasten with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. However, he did not heed the elder's request. Then, from the miraculous image in the altar, a formidable voice was heard, commanding the priest to immediately fulfill the desire of the hegumen. He communed the dying man, and he immediately peacefully withdrew to the Lord. It was after this miracle that the icon, as a patron of eldership, received the name “Gerontissa”.

In the XI century, during the attack of the Saracens on the monastery, the following happened: one of them wanted to split the icon into pieces in order to blasphemously light his pipe, but at the same moment he lost his sight. Then the barbarians threw the image into the well, where it remained for more than 80 years. Before his death, the Saracen, blinded by his insolence, repented and commanded his household members to visit Saint Athos again and show the monks the place where the icon is located. The shrine was found and placed with honor in the cathedral church of the monastery.

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "SERIOUSLY ATTENDANT"

The icon was painted on the Holy Mount Athos and is kept in the monastery of Dohiar, in which its grace-filled power was first revealed.

Tradition relates the time of its writing to the tenth century, to the time of the life of the abbot of the monastery of St. Neophyte. In 1664, the refectory Nile, passing at night into the refectory with a lit torch, heard from the image of the Virgin, hanging over the door, a voice urging him not to go here again and not to smoke the icon. The monk thought that this was a joke of some brother, ignored the sign and continued to go to the refectory with a smoking torch. Suddenly he is blind. In bitter repentance, Nil prayed before the icon of the Mother of God, begging for forgiveness. And again I heard a wonderful voice, announcing forgiveness and the return of sight and ordering to announce to all the brethren: “From now on, this icon of My will be called the Quick Listener, because I will show mercy and fulfillment of petitions to everyone who flows to her.”

Soon the miraculous icon became known throughout Athos. Numerous crowds of monks and pilgrims flocked to worship the shrine.

Many miracles and healings were performed through the icon. Many sufferers have been delivered from possession and demon-possession.

The Holy Virgin helped to avoid shipwreck and captivity. The Most Holy Theotokos has fulfilled and is now fulfilling Her promise - she shows first aid and consolation to all who flow to Her with faith.

There are twenty lamps near the icon. Six of them are inextinguishable, they were donated by Christians in memory of miraculous healings. Oil is also added by the suffering, who received deliverance from ailments thanks to the help of the Mother of God. And in 1783, a silver-gilded riza was placed on the icon. It was made by Russian philanthropists.

In Rus', the lists from the miraculous Athos icon "Quick to Hear" have always enjoyed great love and reverence. Many of them became famous for miracles. Cases of healing from epilepsy and demonic possession were especially noted.

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "SWEET KISSING"

Sweet Kiss (Glykofilussa), miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is named so because the Mother of God is depicted on it kissing the baby Christ, belongs, according to legend, to one of the 70 icons painted by the Evangelist Luke. Located in the Philotheevsky Monastery on Athos.

The icon became famous during the iconoclasm. It belonged to the pious woman Victoria, the wife of a certain Simeon Patricius. Victoria, with a danger to her life, honored and kept it in her room. The husband demanded that she burn the icon, but the woman chose to put it into the sea. The icon appeared on the shore in front of the Filofeyevsky Monastery. The abbot and the brethren carried her into the cathedral church. From then until now, on Easter Monday, a religious procession has been made from the monastery to the place where the icon appeared.

The following story is connected with this miraculous icon. During the German occupation of Greece, the stocks of wheat in the monastery of St. Philotheus were running out, and the fathers decided to stop receiving visitors. One pious elder Savva was saddened by this and began to beg the council of the elders of the monastery not to do this, because by doing so they would grieve Christ and the monastery would lose its blessing. He was obeyed. However, after some time, when the stocks of bread were practically exhausted, the old man began to be pestered with reproaches. Savva answered them: “Do not lose hope in Glycofilus. Knead the remaining twenty-five okads, bake bread from them and distribute it to the brethren and laity, and God, as a Good Father, will take care of all of us.” After some time, a ship moored at the pier of the monastery, and the captain offered to exchange the wheat he was carrying for firewood. The monks, seeing the obvious Providence of the Mother of God, Who, as a Good Mother, took care of Her children, glorified God and the Mother of God. Miracles are still being performed from this icon.

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "THE Tsaritsa"

The miraculous icon "The Tsaritsa" (Pantanassa) is located in the katholikon of the Vatopedi monastery.

The image was painted in the 17th century and was the blessing of the famous Elder Joseph Hesychast on Athos to his disciples. The story of the elder about this icon has been preserved. In the 17th century, a strange young man appeared in front of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa". He stood mumbling something indistinctly. And suddenly the face of the Virgin flashed like lightning, and some invisible force threw the young man to the ground. As soon as he came to his senses, he immediately went to confess to his fathers with tears in his eyes that he lived far from God, practiced magic and came to the monastery to test his strength on the holy icons. The miraculous intervention of the Virgin convinced the young man to change his life and become pious. He was healed of a mental illness and after that he remained on Athos. So this icon for the first time showed its miraculous power on a man possessed by demons.

Later, they began to notice that this icon also has a beneficial effect on patients with various malignant tumors. In the 17th century, she was first written off by a Greek monk and gradually became known throughout the world as a healer of cancer. The very name of the icon - All-Lady, All-Mistress - speaks of its special, all-encompassing power. Having first revealed her miraculous power against magical spells (and after all, sorcery, a passion for magic and other occult "sciences" spread throughout the Christian world like a cancerous tumor), the All-Tsaritsa has the grace to heal the most terrible of the diseases of modern mankind.

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "MAMMAL"

The icon of the Mother of God "The Milk-Giver" is located in the Hilendar Monastery on Mount Athos. The icon depicts the Blessed Virgin breastfeeding the Divine Infant.

Initially, the image was in the Lavra of the Monk Savva the Sanctified near Jerusalem. The holy founder of the Lavra, at his death, predicted to the brethren that the pilgrim Savva from Serbia would visit the Lavra, and ordered that the miraculous icon be given to him as a blessing. This is what happened in the thirteenth century. Saint Savva of Serbia brought the icon to the Hilendar Monastery on Mount Athos and placed it on the right side of the iconostasis, in the church at the Karey cell, later called Typikarnitsa, since the rule of Saint Savva was kept there.

The theological meaning of the holy image is very deep: “The Mother nurses the Son, just as She nourishes our souls, just as God feeds us with “pure verbal milk of the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2), so that, as we grow, we move from milk food to solid food (Heb. 5:12)

The icon of the Mother of God "Mamming" depicts the sun and the moon with the corresponding inscriptions. The image is sometimes found in a mirror image and with other symbolism. There are several miraculous lists, about each of which written and oral traditions have been preserved. So, in Russia, the image acquired in 1650 in the village of Krestogorsk near Minsk became famous. In the middle of the XIX century. - in 1848 - another list of the icon "Mamminger", brought to Russia by the schemamonk of the Ilyinsky Skete on Athos, Ignatius, became famous. He was sent to Russia to collect donations and was blessed on his journey with this icon. In Kharkov, the first miracle was revealed from her - the carpenter, who was adjusting the icon case without proper reverence, lost his hands. Prayers of repentance at the brought image brought him healing, and this first miracle was followed by many others: in Yelets, Zadonsk, Tula, Moscow ...

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF VATOPEDI "JOY" OR "COMFORT"

The image of the Mother of God "Joy" ("Paramythia") is located in the Vatopedi Monastery.

It got its name from the fact that in 390, near the island of Imbros, opposite the Holy Mountain, the young prince Arcadius, the son of Emperor Theodosius the Great, fell into the sea from the ship, and by the miraculous intercession of the Mother of God was transferred to the shore safe and sound. Here in the morning they found him sleeping in a deep, calm sleep under a thick bush, not far from the destroyed Cathedral of the Annunciation. From this event came the name “vatoped” (“young bush”). Emperor Theodosius, in gratitude for the miraculous deliverance of his son, erected a new temple instead of the destroyed monastery, where the altar was located in the very place where the saved young man was found.

The history of this image is connected with the events that took place on January 21, 807. A gang of robbers who decided to rob the Vatopedi Monastery, having landed on the shore in the dark, took refuge in the vicinity of the monastery, intending to wait for the opening of the gates of the monastery. While the robbers were waiting for the gates to open, Matins ended and the brethren began to disperse to their cells for temporary rest. Only one abbot of the monastery remained in the church. Suddenly, from the icon of the Mother of God standing nearby, he heard a female voice warning of the danger that threatened the monastery. The abbot fixed his gaze on the icon and saw that the faces of the Mother of God and the Divine Infant had changed. The Vatopedi icon was similar to the Hodegetria, on which the Infant of God is always depicted with a blessing hand. And now the abbot sees how Jesus raised His hand, blocking the lips of the Mother of God, with the words: “No, My Mother, do not tell them this: let them be punished for their sins.” But the Mother of God, evading His hand, twice uttered the same words: “Do not open the gates of the monastery today, but climb the monastery walls and drive away the robbers.” The astonished abbot immediately gathered the brethren. Everyone was amazed at the change in the outline of the icon. After a prayer of thanks before the holy image, the inspired monks climbed the monastery walls and successfully repulsed the attack of the robbers.

Since that time, the miraculous icon has been called "Joy", or "Consolation". The outlines of the icon remained the same as during the warning said to the abbot: the Mother of God evaded the outstretched right hand of Jesus Christ.

The icon was decorated with a silver-gilt riza and placed in a church built on the choirs of the cathedral. In this place, the icon remains to this day. In memory of the miracle in the Church of the Mother of God "Otrada", monks are tonsured and the thanksgiving prayer service of the Mother of God is performed in front of the miraculous icon.

The cloisters of Mount Athos are guarded by numerous Christian shrines, including the miraculous icons of the Mother of God, the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, the holy relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, the relics of the saints and the Gifts of the Magi.

Icon of the Mother of God "Altar" ("Ktitorissa")

The “patron” icon of the Vatopedi Monastery is located on the high place of the altar of the cathedral church of the monastery. According to legend, the son of Emperor Theodosius the Great, Arkady, having fallen into a shipwreck, miraculously intervened by the Mother of God, was brought to land under a bush in the area where Vatopedi was later built, and there he discovered this icon.
A miracle happened with this icon - when Turkish pirates attacked the monastery, the monk managed to lower the icon of the Mother of God, along with a particle of the life-giving cross of the Lord, into the well under the platform of the altar and left a lit lamp in front of the shrines. He himself did not have time to escape - he was captured and sold into slavery in Crete. After 37 years, Crete was liberated from the Turks, and at the same time the monk received freedom, who returned to the monastery. There he pointed out to the then hegumen Nikolai a place and asked to open a well. And they found that the icon and the particle of the Cross were not damaged, and the lamp that the monk lit 37 years ago is still burning! That is, a double miracle happened: the sacred relics that fell into the water did not die, thanks to a miracle and the care of the Mother of God, and the lamp burned for 37 years without burning!
Since both shrines were found on Monday, starting from the time they were found, on that day a solemn prayer service to the Mother of God is performed in the cathedral in the Vatopedi monastery, and the next day, on Tuesday, a solemn liturgy is served in the same cathedral with the blessing of the koliva and the offering of a part of the prosphora in honor of the Mother of God. Such a constant celebration has been going on for nine centuries already and is the best evidence of the truth of the event, deeply imprinted in the legends of the Vatopedi monastery. The special solemnity of this celebration is already evident from the fact that the liturgy on Tuesday is served in the cathedral church, while, according to the established rules, it is served in the cathedrals on the Holy Mountain only on Sundays and holidays, but on weekdays always in the adjacent churches, or paraklises. The Ktitor icon is now in the altar of the cathedral church, on a high place, which is why it is also called the “Altar Room”, and the Cross remains on the altar.

Icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa"

The miraculous icon "The Tsaritsa" is located near the eastern column of the cathedral church of the Vatopedi monastery. It was written in the 17th century and was the blessing of the famous Elder Joseph Hesychast on Athos to his students.
The story of the ever-memorable elder about this icon has been preserved. In the 17th century, a strange man appeared in front of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa". He stood mumbling something indistinctly. And suddenly the face of the Virgin flashed like lightning, and some invisible force threw the young man to the ground. When he came to his senses, he immediately went to confess to the fathers of the monastery that he lived far from God, was engaged in occultism and came to the monastery to test his strength on the holy icons. The miraculous intervention of the Virgin inspired the young man to change his life. He was healed of a mental illness and after that he remained on Athos.
So this icon for the first time showed its miraculous power. Later, they began to notice that this icon also has a beneficial effect on patients with various malignant tumors. The very name of the icon - All-Mistress, All-Mistress - speaks of its special, all-encompassing power. Having first revealed its miraculous power against magical spells - and after all, the fascination with the occult "sciences" has spread like a cancerous tumor - "The Tsaritsa" has the grace to heal not only the most terrible of the diseases of modern mankind, but also the dependence of children on alcohol and drugs, which is confirmed by numerous miracles and before the prototype on Athos and before the lists of icons all over the world.

Icon of the Mother of God "Gerontissa"

On the northeastern slope of the Holy Mountain, on a sheer cliff near the sea, there is the Pantokrator Monastery, founded in 1361 by the Greek Emperor Alexei Stratopedarchus. In this monastery, revered shrines are kept: particles of the life-giving tree of the Cross of the Lord, parts of the relics of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, Saints John the Merciful, John Chrysostom and Athanasius of Constantinople, the Monk Ioannikius the Great, Hieromartyr Charalambius, there is also a rare value - the Gospel of St. But, perhaps, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Gerontissa”, which means “Elder” or “Abbess”, is perhaps most revered in the monastery.
The history of the appearance of this name is connected with a miracle. The pious abbot Pantocrator fell ill and, having received a revelation of his imminent death, asked to serve the liturgy and receive communion. The priest hesitated until he heard a voice coming from the icon (which was then in the altar), urging him to immediately fulfill the will of the abbot. The frightened hieromonk hurried to fulfill the command of the Mother of God: he proceeded to worship and communed the dying man, after which he peacefully departed to the Lord.
The next miracle happened during the reign of the Turks in the Balkans - the monastery was attacked by Muslims. The Gentile, who tried to split the image into chips in order to light a pipe from them, was stricken with blindness. Frightened, the icon was thrown into a well not far from the monastery. There "Gerontissa" lay for 80 years and was found, intact, by Athos monks. The location of the icon was indicated to them by the relatives of the blind blasphemer, who repented before his death.
Another amazing miracle happened in the 17th century. There was then such a severe famine in the monastery that the brethren gradually began to leave. The hegumen urged everyone to ask the Mother of God for help, and he himself prayed fervently. And the Most Holy Lady did not shame his hopes! One morning, the brothers noticed that oil was pouring out of the pantry, where at that time there were only empty vessels. When they went inside, they were astonished: from one jar, preserved, as they say, until now, oil was continuously pouring over the edge. The monks thanked the Most Holy Intercessor for the ambulance, and in memory of this event, the icon depicted a jug with oil overflowing. Many other miracles were performed from the image. So, through prayers before this icon, the Mother of God repeatedly showed Her special care for the elderly, cured of various diseases, including cancer. Her lists began to appear in many temples in Greece, and it was noticed that she heals from infertility, helps with childbirth, and provides obvious assistance in work and study. From this, the veneration of the icon of the Mother of God "Gerontissa" in Greece is now widespread.

Icon of the Mother of God "It is worthy to eat"

In the 10th century, an old man lived as a hermit with his novice not far from the capital of Athos, Karei. The monks rarely left their secluded cell, named after the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos. It happened that the elder once went to the Sunday all-night vigil in the Protatsky church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos; his disciple remained to guard the cell, having received an order from the elder to perform the service at home. At nightfall, he heard a knock on the door and, opening it, saw an unfamiliar monk, whom he received respectfully and affably. When it was time for the all-night service, they both began to chant prayers. Then the time came to magnify the Most Holy Theotokos, both stood before Her icon and began to sing: "The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim ...". At the end of the prayer, the guest said: “We do not call the Mother of God like that. We sing first: “It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Theotokos, the Blessed and Immaculate, and the Mother of our God” - and after that we add: “The most honest cherub…””. The young monk was touched to tears, listening to the singing of a prayer he had not heard, and began to ask the guest to write it so that he would learn to magnify the Mother of God in the same way. But there was no ink or paper in the cell. Then the guest said: “I will write this song for your memory on this stone, and you memorize it, and sing it yourself, and teach all Christians to glorify the Most Holy Theotokos in this way.” Having inscribed this song on a stone, he gave it to a novice and, calling himself Gabriel, instantly became invisible.
The novice spent the whole night in doxology before the icon of the Mother of God, and in the morning he sang this Divine song by heart. The elder, returning from Karei, found him singing a new wonderful song. The novice showed him a stone slab and told him everything as it happened. The elder announced this to the council of the Athonites, and all, with one mouth and one heart, glorified the Lord and Mother of God and sang a new song. Since then, the Church has been singing the Archangelic hymn “It is worthy to eat,” and the icon, before which it was sung by the Archangel, was transferred to the Protatsky Cathedral in a solemn procession. The slab with the song inscribed by the Archangel was brought to Constantinople during the reign of Basil and Constantine the Porphyrogenic, during the Patriarchate of St. Nicholas Chrysoverha (983-996). The cell is still known on Mount Athos under the name "It is worthy to eat." Every year on the second day of Easter on Mount Athos, a procession is held with the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat”. This traditional Holy Mountain holiday takes place with amazing solemnity and in its scale resembles the processions of the Byzantine Empire.

Icon of the Mother of God "Iberian"

Not far from the Iberian monastery on the seashore, a miraculous spring has been preserved to this day, which gushed at the moment when the Mother of God set foot on Athos land; this place is called Clement's Quay. And it was to this place miraculously, in a pillar of fire, that the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, now known to the whole world, appeared by sea.
The first news about it dates back to the 9th century - the times of iconoclasm, when, by order of the heretical authorities, holy icons were destroyed and desecrated in houses and churches. A certain pious widow, who lived not far from Nicaea, kept in her cherished image of the Mother of God. It opened soon. The armed soldiers who came wanted to take away the icon, one of them hit the shrine with a spear, and blood flowed from the face of the Most Pure One. Having prayed to the Lady with tears, the woman went to the sea and lowered the icon into the water; the image of standing moved along the waves. On Mount Athos, they learned about the icon with a pierced face, launched into the sea: the only son of this woman took monastic vows on the Holy Mountain and labored near the place where the ship, carrying the Mother of God Herself to Cyprus, once moored. Once, the inhabitants of the Iversky Monastery saw a pillar of fire on the sea as high as the sky - it rose above the image of the Mother of God, standing on the water. The monks wanted to take the icon, but the closer the boat sailed, the farther into the sea the image went. The brethren began to pray in the main cathedral of the Iversky Monastery and began to ask the Mother of God to allow Her miraculous icon to be taken away. Only Elder Gabriel, who lived in the Iberian Monastery, was able to take the icon. Having received instructions from the Mother of God in a dream, he walked on the water, took the icon and brought it to the shore. The monks placed the shrine in the altar, but the very next day the image was not in place. After a long search, they found it on the wall above the monastery gates and carried it to its original place. However, the next morning the icon was again above the gate. This was repeated until the image was left in this place. He was called the Gatekeeper, or the Gatekeeper, and on behalf of the monastery the icon received the name Iverskaya, and after that the “Goalkeeper” never left Iveron. In response to the requests of the laity, the monks sent lists of the miraculous icon. The icon is taken out of the paraklis only three times a year, where it remains permanently:
- on the eve of the Nativity of Christ, after the ninth hour, it is solemnly transferred by the brethren to the cathedral and remains there until the first Monday after the feast of the Cathedral of John the Baptist;
- from Holy Saturday to Monday of St. Thomas' week. On Tuesday of Bright Week, a solemn procession of the Cross takes place on the territory of the monastery;
- on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The main service of the Iberian Icon - helping the suffering - is beautifully expressed by the words of the troparion: “From Thy holy icon, O Lady Mother of God, healings and healings are given abundantly, with faith and love coming to Her, so visit my infirmity, and have mercy on my soul, O Good One, and heal my body with Thy grace, Most Pure”.

Icon of the Mother of God "Abbess of Mount Athos"

Holy Mount Athos is called the inheritance of the Most Holy Theotokos, since since ancient times it has been under Her special patronage. In some Athos monasteries, there is a tradition not to have the position of hegumen, since the Mother of God herself is considered the abbess. It happened according to legend in the 1st century, a few years after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Mother of God, fleeing the persecutions initiated by Herod in Palestine, was preparing to go to the Iberian land according to the lot that had fallen to her. But an angel appeared to her and said that the gift of apostleship would appear to her on another earth. The ship on which the Mother of God with the Apostles was heading to the island of Cyprus fell into a storm and landed on Mount Athos, inhabited by pagans. The Blessed Virgin came ashore and proclaimed the gospel teaching. The people accepted the Mother of God and listened to Her sermons, then believed and were baptized. By the power of Her sermon and numerous miracles, the Mother of God converted the locals to Christianity. She appointed one of the Apostolic husbands there as a leader and teacher and said: “Let this place be my lot, which was given to me by my Son and my God!”. Then, having blessed the people, she added: “May the grace of God come to this place and to those who are here with faith and reverence, and who keep the commandments of the Son and my God. They will have the blessings necessary for life on earth in abundance with little labor, and heavenly life will be prepared for them, and the mercy of My Son will not fail until the end of the age. I will be the Intercessor of this place and a warm intercessor for it before God. In honor of this, the icon of the Mother of God "Abbess of the Holy Mount Athos" was created. It was written at the beginning of the 20th century, by order of the Greek governor of Athos, by one of the masters in the former cell of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on Athos. In the ark of the icon are placed particles of the Cross of the Lord and the relics of the Saints. This icon is very revered not only on Mount Athos, but also beyond its borders. The miracles that took place from the image of the Virgin glorified her and made her very famous.

Icon of the Mother of God "Mamming"

Initially, the icon was located near Jerusalem in the Lavra of St. Sava the Sanctified. Saint Sava, dying (and this was in 532), left a prophecy about the visit of the Lavra by the royal pilgrim Sava from Serbia and ordered to give him the “Mammary” as a blessing.
Six centuries had passed, the fourteenth century had passed. And now the prophecy is coming true - Saint Savva, the first Archbishop of Serbia (the son of a prince who refused to inherit his father's throne for the sake of monastic life) visited Palestine. When he was praying at the tomb of Savva the Sanctified, his heavenly patron, the hegumen's baton of the monk who was standing right there suddenly fell to the floor, and the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which had stood motionless before, suddenly leaned several times. Considering all this as a sign of the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, the monks gave Savva the Serbian and the "Mammary" bequeathed to him (together with another icon of the Mother of God - the "Three-Handed"), and the abbot's rod.
Saint Savva the Serbian brought the image of the Mother of God "Mammary" to Mount Athos and placed it in the church at the cell assigned to Hilandar, which was later called Typikarnitsa, since the charter (typic) of Saint Savva was kept there. As a sign of special reverence, the miraculous icon was placed in the iconostasis not on the left side of the royal doors, but on the right, where the image of the Savior is usually placed. The icon of the Lord Almighty was placed on the left side of the royal doors, that is, where the icon of the Mother of God should stand.
The theological meaning of the holy image is very deep: “The Mother nurses the Son, just as She nourishes our souls, just as God feeds us “with the pure verbal milk of the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2), so that, as we grow, we pass from milk food to solid food (Heb. 5:12).” Also, the icon of the Mother of God "Mamming" protects mothers and children, and also helps nursing mothers.

Icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria"

The Xenophon icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria" was kept for centuries in the cathedral church of the Athos Vatopedi Monastery.
In 1730, the shrine (despite the locked doors of the church and monastery) suddenly disappeared from the monastery. The inhabitants of Vatopedi believed that the miraculous image was stolen by one of the brethren, and began to search for it. Soon the monks heard a rumor that "Hodegetria" was in the Xenophon monastery, located a three-hour walk from Vatopedi. A delegation of Vatopedi monks was sent to Xenophon, who asked the Xenophon brethren how they got this image and heard that it was found in the cathedral and the monks themselves did not know how it got there.
After that, the inhabitants of Xenophon offered the Vatopedi monks to take the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” and return it to its usual place. And indeed, the miraculous image of the Mother of God was returned to Vatopedi, put it in the cathedral in its original place and took all necessary measures so that the incident would not happen again.
However, some time later, the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos left the Vatopedi monastery for the second time and, in an incomprehensible way, again appeared in Xenophon. Having learned that the icon was again found in the Xenophon monastery, the inhabitants of Vatopedi hurried to this monastery and prayed in front of the icon for several hours. After that, they did not return the icon. The Vatopedi monks understood the miracle that had happened as the will of the Mother of God and were afraid to take the "Hodegetria" to their monastery, but as a sign of their reverence, they decided to deliver candles and oil for the lamp for the miraculous image to Xenophon.
In 1875, another amazing event took place in Xenophon. A certain Protestant arrived at the monastery (who, like other supporters of this doctrine, did not venerate icons). During a tour of the temple, he was shown the miraculous “Xenophon” image of the Mother of God and told about the numerous miracles performed through prayers at this shrine. After listening to the monks, the Protestant, with sarcasm and mockery, “turned” to the Mother of God:
- So it's you, the same famous "Hodegetria" that works miracles? Can you really do some miracle for me now, so that I believe?
He did not even have time to finish his words, when suddenly, as if struck by lightning, he fell to the ground. The monks hastened to come to his aid, but the Protestant could not move. He remained paralyzed until his death.
At present, the image of Hodegetria in Xenophon is located in the cathedral church near the column of the left kliros, that is, in the same place where it stood in Vatopedi. The day of her memory is solemnly celebrated both in the Vatopedi and in the Xenophon monastery.

Icon of the Mother of God "Joy and Consolation" ("Paramythia")

A fresco of the 14th century, which was once located at the right end of the outer vestibule of the cathedral church of the Vatopedi monastery, but after a miracle, was separated from the wall and transferred to a special chapel in the name of the Mother of God “Paramythia” (“Exhortation”).
In ancient times, there was a custom in Vatopedi, according to which, leaving the cathedral after matins, the monks kissed the icon of the Mother of God, which was then in the outer vestibule, and the abbot gave the gatekeeper the keys to the gates of the Monastery, which were closed in the evening hours, so that he would open them. The monastic tradition tells us that on January 21, 1320, when the abbot, as usual, handed over the keys to the gatekeeper, the icon came to life and the Mother of God said: “Do not open the gates today, but climb the walls and drive out the robbers.” Then the baby Jesus, who was in the arms of the Mother of God, tried to block the mouth of His Mother with a pen, saying to Her: “Don't, my Mother, don't tell them. May they get what they deserve, because they neglect their monastic duties.” And the Mother of God, took the pen of Christ, took it away from her lips and exclaimed, addressing the monks a second time: “Do not open the gates of the Monastery today, but climb the walls, drive out the robbers and repent, because My Son is angry with you.”
At the end of the dialogue, the Mother of God and the Child again froze on the icon, but in the form in which it is seen today: the Mother of God holds the hand of Christ just below Her lips, Her head is turned in an attempt to evade it, and the expression on her face is such that it is full of boundless condescension, compassionate love and maternal tenderness, while Christ has a formidable look. Hearing the warning, the monks hurried to the walls of the monastery and saw that the pirates had indeed surrounded the Vatopedi monastery and were waiting for the gates to be opened in order to plunder it. Thus, thanks to the miraculous intervention of the Mother of God, the monastery was saved. To commemorate this event, the monks lit and maintain an inextinguishable lamp in front of the icon. Every Friday, in the paraklis, where the miraculous image is kept, the Divine Liturgy is performed, and a prayer service is served every day. In addition, in Vatopedi for a long time there was a custom to take monastic vows in the aisle of "Paramythia". The icon of the Virgin "Joy and Consolation" is known for its protection from natural disasters, as well as the patronage of soldiers during military operations.

Icon "Girdle of the Blessed Virgin Mary"

The Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary is kept in the Vatopedi Monastery, which today is divided into three parts. Tradition tells that the belt and robe of the Virgin before her assumption were given by the Virgin Mary to two Jerusalem widows, who passed on the relics from generation to generation. Under the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire Arcadius, the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was brought to Constantinople and placed in a golden casket sealed with the imperial seal, which found its place in the church built by Theodosius the Younger in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos - the Chalkopratian Church. The Ark was opened during the reign of Emperor Leo VI (886-912) and a Belt was found inside, sealed with the golden chrysovul of Emperor Arcadius, containing the exact date of its position - August 31. The reason for the opening of the ark was the wife of Basileus Zoya. She was overwhelmed with mental illness and prayed to God for healing. She had a dream that she would be cured if the Belt of the Virgin was placed on her. Then the emperor ordered the patriarch to open the ark. Tradition tells that the belt was stretched out over the sick woman, and she was immediately completely healed of the disease.
After the fall of Constantinople, the shrine left the city. A part of the Belt is still kept in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, where it became famous for many miracles and especially for helping families suffering from infertility.

Icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hear"

In 1664, the monk-diner of the Dohiar monastery, fulfilling his obedience, went down from the kitchen to the utility rooms at night, and in order to better see, he held a lit torch in his hands. On the way, he passed a large icon of the Mother of God, which was painted on the outer wall of the refectory during the restoration of the cathedral in 1563. There, out of habit and inattention, he leaned the torch against the wall next to the icon, and smoked the smoke from the torch onto the image of the Mother of God. And one day, he heard a voice say to him: "Monk, don't choke me on the icon!" The trapeznik was frightened by the voice, but he decided that someone from the brethren had said it and did not pay attention to the words. As before, he walked past the icon with a burning torch. As time passed, the monk again heard the words from the icon: “Monk, unworthy of this name! How long have you so carelessly and so shamelessly smoked My image? And the monk instantly went blind. Only then did the understanding come from whom the unknown voice really came from, and in the morning the brethren of the monastery found the trapezar prostrate and praying before the image. The icon was venerated, and the negligent monk himself every day tearfully prayed to the Mother of God to forgive his sin - without leaving the icon. And for the third time he heard the voice of the Mother of God, who said: “Monk, I have listened to your prayers, from now on you are forgiven and you will see. Announce to the rest of the fathers and brothers laboring in the monastery that from now on, let them pray to me in any need. I will quickly hear them and all the Orthodox Christians who reverently come running to me, because I am called the Quick Listener. Following these joyful words, the sight returned to the monk.
The rumor about the miracle that happened in front of the icon quickly spread throughout Athos, bringing many monks to worship the image. The brethren of the Dohiarsky monastery built a temple, consecrated in honor of the image of the Mother of God "Quickly Hearing". Inextinguishable lamps were hung in front of the icon, and a gilded place of worship was decorated. Many miracles, which the Mother of God performed through her icon, filled him with offerings. This is evidenced by the huge number of donations in the form of small silver images of healed body parts, born children, surviving boats, and so on, which are on chains near the icon itself, as well as in a glass case near it and in a large photograph taken when the accumulated images were transferred from the icon to the case. At the same time, a particularly reverent hieromonk (promonarius) was chosen to constantly stay at the icon and perform prayers before it. This obedience continues to this day. Also, on the evening of every Tuesday and Thursday, the entire brethren of the monastery sing the canon of the Mother of God (in Greek “paraklis”) in front of the icon, the priest commemorates all Orthodox Christians at litanies and prays for the peace of the whole world.

Icon of the Mother of God "Sweet Kiss"

During the time of iconoclasm (829-842), the pious resident of Constantinople Victoria, the wife of one of the emperor’s close associates, saving the icon from destruction, with danger to life, honored and kept it in her room. The husband found out and demanded that she burn the icon, but Victoria threw it into the sea, with words of hope in the Mother of God. And the image arrived at the Holy Mountain, about which hegumen Philotheus was warned in a dream. At the place where the icon was found - when it was taken, a source of water clogged. From then until now, on Easter Monday, a religious procession has been made from the monastery to the place where the icon appeared. But the miracles did not stop there - in 1793, deacon Ioankiy, while lighting candles in front of the icon, often complained that the Mother of God did not care about the monastery, because the other monasteries of Athos did not need anything, but Philotheus did. And once the deacon was very immersed in his prayer and did not notice anything around him. Suddenly, the Mother of God appeared before him and said that his complaints and lamentations were in vain - if there were no care for her, the monastery could not exist. He asks for prosperity in vain - money is of no use to the monastery. The deacon realized that he was mistaken, and humbly asked for forgiveness from the Most Pure One. Then he told the brethren about what he had seen.
Through prayers at the icon of the Mother of God, many miracles have happened in our time. One of them happened during the years of the German occupation. The story about him is contained in the book of the elder Paisius the Athonite Mountain Fathers and the Stories of the Athonite Mountains: During the German occupation, the stocks of wheat in the monastery of St. Philotheus were running out, and the fathers decided to stop receiving visitors. One pious elder Father Savva, having learned about everything, began to beg the council of the monastery not to do this, because by doing so they would grieve Christ and the monastery would lose its blessing. He gave many examples from the Holy Scriptures, and he was finally obeyed. However, after some time, only twenty-five okads of wheat remained in the storerooms of the monastery and nothing more, and the monks began to say quite caustically to Father Savva: - Father Savva, the wheat is over, what will happen now? But the pious and faith-filled old man answered this: - Do not lose hope in Glycofilus. Knead the remaining twenty-five okads, bake bread from them and distribute it to the brethren and laity, and God, as a Good Father, will take care of all of us. When they ran out of the last bread, they did not even have time to get hungry, when a ship sailing from Kavala moored at the pier of the monastery, and the captain offered to exchange the wheat that he was carrying for firewood. The monks, seeing the obvious Providence of the Mother of God, Who, like a Good Mother, took care of Her children, glorified God.
From the icon of the Mother of God "Sweet Kiss" many miracles have happened and are happening. In Greece, she is very famous, her lists are in almost all temples. Through prayers to her, the sick are healed, the barren give birth to children, those who seek spiritually find comfort and peace.

Icon of the Mother of God "Passionate"

This image of the Mother of God was the only relic that survived the terrible fire that completely destroyed the monastery in Crete. A legend has been preserved that in the 13th century, through her, the Mother of God revealed Her protection to the monks - she made the monastery invisible, shrouding it in fog, and thereby saved it from pirate attacks. After this event, the icon received another name - "Fovera Prostasia" ("Terrible Protection").
The image was transported to the monastery, where many miracles still occur, as evidenced by the fathers of the monastery and pilgrims. Here is one of them: Recently there was a fire in the forest of the monastery, the monks ran to the place with the icon in their hands and soon the heavy rain stopped the catastrophe.
Many miracles were performed from the image. So, through prayers in front of this icon, the Mother of God repeatedly showed Her special care for people with vision problems, cured from various other diseases, including cancer. Her lists began to appear in many temples of Greece, and in addition to the miracles described above, the continuation of obvious help in case of fire was noticed. It is located in the chapel of the same name, which was built in 1733. The Icon depicts the Mother of God holding Christ in her left hand, an angel holding a Cross, a spear, a lip and a cane. The prophets are all around.
This is one of the favorite icons of Elder Paisios from the Kutlumush Monastery. He often came to this monastery and occupied the stasidia right in front of this icon and prayed until he had enough strength.

Icon of the Mother of God "Three Hands"

The history of miraculous healings from this icon began in 717. Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, having ascended the Byzantine throne, began a period of iconoclasm - believing that the worship of sacred images and the worship of idols are equal. At the same time, Saint John (Damaskin) lived in the capital of Syria, Damascus, and served as an adviser to the caliph. Having heard about the error of the emperor, the Monk John wrote three treatises in defense of icon veneration and sent them to Byzantium. After reading these works, Leo III was furious, but the author of the messages was out of reach and the emperor decided to resort to slander. On behalf of John, a forged letter was drawn up, in which the Damascus minister allegedly offered Leo the Isaurian his help in conquering the Syrian capital. Then this letter and the answer to it were sent to the Caliph of Damascus. The angry ruler ordered the minister to be immediately removed from office, cut off his right hand and, as a sign of intimidation, hang it in the city square. After some time, Saint John received the severed hand back and, shutting himself up, began to pray before the icon of the Mother of God. In the evening he put his hand to the stump, and the next morning, waking up, St. John felt his hand and saw it whole and unharmed with a small scar at the place of the cut. The caliph was surprised by the miracle that had taken place and urged John to return to the affairs of state administration, but the saint from now on gave all his strength to the service of God alone. He retired to a monastery in the name of Saint Savva the Sanctified, where he received monastic vows. Here the Monk John brought the icon of the Mother of God, which sent down healing to him. In memory of the miracle, he attached to the bottom of the icon an image of the right hand, cast in silver.
In the XIII century, the icon of the Mother of God "Three Hands" was presented as a gift to St. Savva of Serbia, who transferred it to his homeland. During the Turkish invasion of Serbia, in order to avoid desecration of the shrine, the keepers of the icon went on foot to Athos, only the icon of the Virgin was carried on a donkey. Having easily reached the Athos monastery of Hilandar, where the shrine was reverently accepted by the brethren, the image was placed on the altar.
Soon there was no abbot in the monastery, and the inhabitants of the monastery began to choose a new mentor, but strife and division began. One morning, having come to the service, everyone unexpectedly saw the icon of the Mother of God "Three Hands" in the hegumen's place. Thinking that this was a manifestation of human pranks, the image was taken to the altar, but the next day it reappeared in the abbot's place. Deciding to test this extraordinary phenomenon, the monks sealed the door and windows of the temple, and in the morning, having removed the seals from the door, they again saw the icon in the abbot's place. On the same night, the Mother of God appeared to one monastery elder and said that she herself was pleased to manage the monastery. Since then, there has been no position of abbot in the Hilandar Monastery, and monks, in order to receive a blessing for certain monastic obediences, are applied to the hand of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The Three-Handed Icon of the Mother of God is known for its healing of injured hands and feet, as well as for strife in the family, dreary life sensations and other spiritual unrest.

Icon of the Mother of God "Economissa"

The history of the Economissa Icon of the Theotokos begins on Athos in the 10th century. Then a terrible famine occurred in the monastery on Mount Athos, so that all the monks left the holy monastery, and the elder Athanasius, who had endured in the monastery longer than the other monks and humbly endured these hardships, decided to leave the monastery after the others. But on the road he suddenly saw a woman under a veil and was surprised, saying to himself: where can a woman come from here when it is impossible for them to enter here? However, the woman herself asked him: “Where are you going, old man?” In response, St. Athanasius asked Her questions: “Why do You need to know where I am going? You see that I am a monk here.” And then, in grief, he told everything that had happened to his laurel, to which the Woman replied: “Only this! And for the sake of a piece of bread you leave your monastery?! Come back! I will help you, just don’t leave your solitude and don’t leave your laurel, which will become famous and take first place among all the monasteries of Athos.” "Who are you?" asked the astonished elder Athanasius. “I am the One to whose name you dedicate your abode. I am the mother of your Lord,” the woman replied. “And the demons take on bright images,” the elder replied. How can I trust You?!" “You see this stone,” answered the Mother of God, “hit it with a staff, then you will find out Who is talking to you. And know that from now on I will forever remain the House-Builder (Economissa) of your Lavra.” St. Athanasius struck a stone, and water flowed out of it with a noise. Struck by this miracle, the elder turned around to fall at the feet of the Most Holy Theotokos, but She was no longer there. Then Athanasius returned to his monastery and, to his great amazement, found that the storerooms of the monastery were filled with everything necessary. Soon many of the brethren returned to the monastery.
According to the will of the Queen of Heaven in the Great Lavra, from that time to the present day there is no steward, but only a sub-econom, or assistant to the Economist. In memory of the miraculous appearance of Our Lady of St. Athanasius in the Lavra painted the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos-Housebuilder. On this icon, the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne with the Divine Infant on her left hand. On the right side of the throne, St. Michael of Sinad is depicted in a prayer position, and on the left side, St. Athanasius, holding in his hands the appearance of his Lavra, symbolically depicting the special care, patronage and care provided to the monastery by the Mother of God. And this unique icon was also called: "The Economist". And there were many miracles associated with salvation from lack of money, overcoming financial troubles, and in modern times, protection from the financial crisis and help in business. The Athos Icon of the Mother of God "Economissa" has become extremely popular and lists from it diverge throughout the world.
At the site of the apparition of Our Lady of St. Athanasius, on the way to the Kareisky monastery, a small church was erected in honor of Her in the name of the Life-Giving Spring. In this church there is an icon depicting a miracle. There is also an open gallery for the relaxation of fans and pilgrims. The source still flows abundantly, quenching the thirst of strangers and pilgrims and giving healing to believers.

Icon of St. George the Victorious

Zograf Monastery was founded by three brothers, Bulgarians from Ohrid, monks - Moses, Aaron and John. And they could not name the main monastery church in any way. One wanted to consecrate it in honor of the Virgin, the second - St. Nicholas, the third - St. George the Victorious. To resolve this issue, they begged God to give a sign and placed a clean icon board on the altar, agreeing to dedicate the temple to the one whose image would appear on it. The brothers served an all-night vigil, praying for the fulfillment of the will of God, and at dawn, after the service, looking at the icon, they saw the image of St. George on it. Of course the will of God was clear. Simultaneously with this miracle, another thing happened - on Syrian soil, in the Fanuile Monastery, located not far from the hometown of the Holy Great Martyr George - Lydda. The zograph monks learned about this miracle later from the lips of the astonished abbot and monks from Syria who arrived on Athos. On the day of the appearance of the image of St. George in Zograph in the Fanuil Monastery, in front of the monks, the image of St. George suddenly separated from the board, rose into the air and disappeared from the monastery in an unknown direction. The astonished monks prayed for a long time to God to reveal to them where the miraculous image of the Great Martyr had hidden from them. The Lord heard the prayers of the distressed and frightened monks: St. George, appearing to the monks, consoled them - telling them that he had found a place for himself on the Holy Mountain and invited them to hurry there. Fulfilling this decree, the monks, together with the abbot, sailed to Athos, where they settled in Zograf, because it was here that they found the face that left them. But the miracles from the icon did not stop there. Since the rumor about what happened spread far, pilgrims began to come to the icon. Once a bishop arrived, who did not believe the monks, claiming that they were deceiving everyone - having painted this icon themselves. Proving this, he pointed his finger at the face of the saint, showing brush strokes, etc. But his finger suddenly fell into the board, as if into butter, and remained there. The bishop tried to pull him out, the monks began to pray to somehow help, but nothing helped. We turned to the elder, he blessed to cut. They invited a doctor, who cut off the bishop from the icon, and the phalanx of his finger remained forever. Already in modern times, scientists-researchers came and illuminated the shrine with X-rays. Their surprise knew no bounds - inside the board, near the nostrils of St. George, there really is the tip of a real human finger. The icon was named in honor of the Syrian monastery - "Fanuilev".
Icon "Arabian": The tradition of the monastery says that the icon sailed for a long time on the waves of the sea from the Arabian Peninsula and, finally, nailed to the Holy Mountain. Among the brethren of various monasteries of Mount Athos, a dispute arose as to which monastery the priceless image should belong to. To resolve the contention, the elders offered to put the icon on the back of the mule and let it travel on its own. The monks fulfilled the blessing and the providence of God brought the animal to the gates of Zograf. With heartfelt joy, the monks of this monastery received the second icon of the Great Martyr George. In memory of this miraculous event, at the very place where the mule with the miraculous icon once stopped, the monks built a chapel in the name of St. George the Victorious.

Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

One day, in the middle of the 16th century, Patriarch Jeremiah I of Constantinople arrived at the monastery for its consecration and unexpectedly witnessed a miracle that happened to fishermen who threw their nets into the sea. The catch turned out to be unusual, because in the nets, instead of the desired fish, there was a mosaic icon of St. Nicholas, once thrown into the sea by iconoclasts. The icon, which, according to legend, had been in sea waters for more than seven hundred years, was reverently and carefully examined by the fishermen and the patriarch himself, who was at that time on the shore. Everyone noticed that a large shell had grown to the face of St. Nicholas (its trace is still visible today). It was an ordinary, but large oyster, grown right into the icon. It could only be torn off with force. The mother-of-pearl shell separated from the brow of St. Nicholas damaged the icon and left behind a semblance of a pink-red wound - from the frontal part to the very pupil of the left eye. Moreover, everyone noticed how blood flowed from this wound at the time of separation of the shell. Patriarch Jeremiah I of Constantinople, seeing in the very appearance of the miraculous image a special indication from above, consecrated the monastery of Stavronikita erected on this site, no longer in the name of St. John the Baptist, as he intended, but in the name of St. Nicholas. The monastery was built in 1553, and in its cathedral church in honor of St. Nicholas and painted by Theophanes of Crete, they placed a miraculous revealed image - the icon of St. Nicholas, known by the Greek name "Stridis" - "Oyster". The shell was given to the Patriarch, and he made from half of this shell a liturgical dish intended for the Mother of God prosphora, and from the second half - a panagia, which he later presented as a gift to the Patriarch of All Rus' Job.

Icon of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon

The veneration of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon is very widespread today, but the center of pilgrimage is the place of his execution (in ancient Nicomedia - the modern name is the city of Izmit) and Mount Athos, with the monastery of the same name located on it. In the St. Panteleimon Monastery there are many shrines associated with the name of the holy great martyr. This is also his honest head, which appeared in the monastery after the tonsure in it of the greatest Serbian saint - the High Hierarch Sava of Serbia (in the world, Prince Rastko, son of Tsar Stefan Nemanich I). In memory of this, one of his successors, the Serbian Tsar Stefan Dushan, in 1347 granted the Russian monastery the head of St. Panteleimon, which was the ancestral shrine of the Serbian reigning house, as reported in the sent khrisovul: and which is witnessed not only from my father and the king, but also from his former kings, also from the patriarchs. Since that time, the honest head of the Great Martyr has invariably abides in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery.
An olive tree grows in the monastery, which sprouted from a stone that a Russian monk brought from the tree at the beginning of the 20th century, where, according to legend, the execution of the great martyr took place. They tied him to it in order to cut off his head, and when the head of St. Panteleimon rolled on the grass, a white liquid flowed from the wound instead of blood - like milk. And after it soaked into the ground under the olive tree - right in front of the crowd of people, ripe fruits appeared on the withered tree. Those who took and ate these wonderful olives were healed of any disease. When the wicked Tsar Maximian found out about such amazing events, he ordered that an olive tree be cut down and burned along with the body of the great martyr. But the fire did not touch the body, which was found undamaged under the ashes of a burnt out fire. After some time, a new olive tree grew on the old root. It was from this "resurrected" olive that the stone was taken. In 1968, a terrible fire broke out in the Russian monastery on Athos, from which almost half of all buildings burned down, along with others, the hospital building burned, not far from which the Nikomidian olive tree was planted. During the fire, when the whole building was engulfed in flames escaping from the windows where the olive tree was growing, the stacks of firewood that surrounded it on both sides had already caught fire, but not a single leaf on the olive tree itself was burned. This was not her only miracle. Many of the sick monks and pilgrims, who ate its fruits with faith and prayer, were healed of various diseases and mental illnesses.
Two miraculous icons of St. Panteleimon located in the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and in the St. Panteleimon Cathedral became famous for various miracles. In addition to healing and helping people who come with faith and prayer, one image, during the indignation of the brethren of the monastery, with bright rays pointed to the perpetrators of the disturbance. Another image miraculously was transferred to the Panteleimon monastery and, by the will of God, constantly already resides in it for the consolation of the brethren.

Icon of St. Silouan of Athos

The veneration of Elder Silouan in the Athos St. Panteleimon Monastery began long before his official canonization. Books about Elder Silouan (authored by Father Sofroniy) began to be printed abroad, and foreign pilgrims began to come to Athos more often. And all the visitors, after reading the book about the elder, asked about his head.
The head of Elder Silouan was exhibited in the temple of the Athos St. Panteleimon Monastery, and pilgrims kissed it. Once, in Peter's post, a Greek came to Athos with a fourteen-year-old son who suffered from a serious illness (the dance of St. Vitus): the boy was shaking and twitching all over. The father asked that they be brought to the head of Elder Silouan. At the request of the father, the head of Elder Siluan was put on the boy’s head and hands, but they forgot to put it on his feet. A month later, the father and son came again. The boy's head and arms were normal, but his legs were still twitching. The head of Elder Siluan was placed at the boy's feet, and his legs stopped twitching. This was the first miracle from the holy relics of the elder. The second miracle was the outflow of the world from a particle of the relics of the elder Silouan, and it happened like this: hegumen Jeremiah, who himself revered the monk, sometimes gave particles of his relics for monasteries and temples. He gave one of these particles to Archimandrite Emilian, hegumen of the neighboring Greek monastery of Athos Simonopetra. At that time, Elder Silouan's book had already been translated into Greek, and thanks to this book, many people were able to make a life choice that led them to monastic service on Athos. This one, donated by Fr. Jeremiah, a particle of relics began to exude myrrh. And then countless miracles of healing began.
The holy head of the elder, kept in the monastery in the altar of one of the limits in a wooden ark, with the blessing of Abbot Jeremiah back in the 1980s. was first transferred to the Pokrovsky Cathedral and placed for general worship.
In 1988, the Patriarchate of Constantinople canonized Elder Siluan as a saint, and in 1992 by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Honest Gifts of the Magi

“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, magicians from the east came to Jerusalem and said: Where is the King of the Jews who has been born? for we saw His star in the east and came to worship Him” (Matt. 2:1–2), says the Evangelist Matthew.
The Gospel does not say exactly how many Magi came to the Child, but it is generally accepted that there were three of them - according to the number of gifts. Their names - Caspar, Melchior and Belshazzar - are first found in the Monk Bede the Venerable (†735). In some narratives, there is also information about their appearance: Caspar turns out to be a "beardless youth", Belshazzar - a "bearded old man", and Melchior - "dark-skinned" or "black", originating from Ethiopia. So, having entered, the wise men “fell down and worshiped Him; and having opened their treasures, they brought him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:11). Each of these gifts had a symbolic meaning. Gold was brought to Jesus as the King of the Jews, frankincense as God. Smyrna (myrrh) - an expensive aromatic substance used to embalm bodies during burial - as the Savior Who Became the Son of Man, to whom "many sufferings and burial" were predicted.
The honest gifts of the Magi were carefully preserved by the Mother of God all her life. Shortly before Her Dormition, She handed them over to the Jerusalem Church, where they remained together with the girdle and robe of the Mother of God until the year 400. Later, the gifts were transferred by the Byzantine emperor Arcadius to Constantinople, where they were placed in the church of Hagia Sophia.
The gold brought by the Magi is 28 small gold plates-pendants in the form of trapezoids, quadrangles and polygons, decorated with an elegant, filigree ornament. The pattern is not repeated on any of the plates. Frankincense and myrrh, brought separately, were once combined into small, olive-sized balls of dark color. There are about seventy of them left. This connection is very symbolic: frankincense and myrrh, brought to God and Man, are connected as inseparably as two natures - Divine and human - were united in Christ.
In 1453, Sultan Mohammed (Mehmed) II besieged and took Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire fell. The mother of the young sultan was the Serbian princess Maria (Mara) Brankovich. During the Ottoman rule, European monarchs often sought to intermarry with Porto in order to somehow facilitate their existence. So the daughter of the Serbian ruler George Brankovich Maria was married to Sultan Murad (1404-1451). Mary did not convert to Islam and remained Orthodox until the end of her days. It is impossible to even imagine what she felt when she saw the walls of the great Christian city crumble and her brothers and sisters in faith perish in torment! But this personal tragedy of the Serbian princess turned into a real happiness for Christian history. Thanks to her, many Orthodox shrines were saved and preserved. Mehmed II, who loved his mother very much and respected her religious feelings, did not interfere with this. In addition to collecting shrines, the Sultan allowed his mother to take under his personal patronage and protection the Holy Mount Athos, a monastic country, which all previous rulers of Constantinople considered it an honor to help. The tradition started by Maria Branković pleased the sultanas of subsequent centuries so much that, even as Muslim women, they devoutly guarded this stronghold of Orthodoxy until the fall of the Porte.
In 1470, Maria Brankovich decided to visit Athos, which she loved so much since childhood and dreamed of visiting the land, despite the thousand-year-old monastic tradition forbidding women to come to the Holy Mountain. Most of all she wanted to see the monastery of St. Paul of Xiropotam, in which many Serbs labored at that time. Her father, George Brankovich, loved this monastery very much. He built a temple here in the name of his patron saint George the Victorious. Mary's ship landed on the shore near the monastery of St. Paul. Mary carried with her 10 arks with saved shrines, among which were the Gifts of the Magi. At the head of the solemn procession, Mary began to climb the mountain. Halfway to the monastery, she stopped in amazement when she heard a voice: “Do not approach! From here begins the kingdom of the Other Lady, the Queen of Heaven, the Lady of the Mother of God, the Representative and Guardian of the Holy Mountain. Mary fell to her knees and began to pray, asking for forgiveness for her willfulness from the Queen of Heaven. To meet Mary from the monastery, the abbot came out with the brethren, to whom she handed over the arks with the shrines. After that, Maria returned to the ship. In the place where the kneeling Mary once stood, a cross was erected, called Tsaritsyn. In the nearby chapel, the meeting of these great shrines by the monks is depicted.
And the precious Gifts are preserved with reverence in the monastery of St. Paul to this day. The monks are well aware of how great the spiritual and historical value of the shrine is, therefore, after the night service, they take gifts from the sacristy in a small silver ark to worship the pilgrims. The gifts exude a strong fragrance, and when they are opened, the whole church is filled with fragrance. The monks of the Holy Mountain noticed that the gifts give healing to the mentally ill and possessed by demons.
Some pilgrims say that when the monks brought one of the golden pendants to their ear, miraculously, a whisper was heard from it, telling about the miraculous Birth into the world of the Eternal Infant...