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The joy of motherhood is quite often accompanied by a number of problems and difficulties that a young mother faces. The original calling of a woman was to give birth and feed her child. The intercessor of the mother-nurse is the Image of the Mother of God “Mammal.”
The Mammal Icon of the Mother of God is an image of a woman breastfeeding a baby. Not a single icon, except this one, reveals the sacred sacrament - a mother feeding her child - the Mother of God feeding her son, His Holiness Jesus Christ. The greatest sacrament in the world is feeding a child, for which every mother is ready to do anything in order to realize the ability given by God to feed her baby.
The meaning of the Mammal icon
Many clergy and scientists tried to describe the image of the Mother of God, the meaning and symbolism that she hides within herself. She is a helper, she is an intercessor, she is a patroness, she is a rare icon of iconography.
Mother's milk is the greatest value that every woman can give after the birth of a baby. The Mother of God feeds her child, Jesus, performing an incredible, secret sacrament.
This shrine is classified as one of the most ancient images. Initially, it was kept for a long time in the Holy Place - Jerusalem, in the Church of the Sanctified Laurus Sava. Then, it was transported to Mount Athos, to the Church of the Karelian Kelia of the Hilandar Monastery.
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There are a large number of miraculous lists from the image of the Virgin Mary, which are truly magical, they work miracles. Mandatory symbols inherent in all lists of shrines are the image of the moon and the sun.
According to legend, every woman who is going to become a mother should have such a face, then she will experience only the joy of motherhood, without knowing unnecessary troubles and troubles, and breastfeeding will not cause the slightest worry.
Calendar of national holidays and will accept for every day
One season always replaces another and this determines a person’s way of life. In connection with this, a folk calendar was formed in which there were practically no nameless, unmarked days. Every day was special, had its own purpose. All this was determined by climate conditions and astrological phenomena. In Rus', the calendar was called a monthly calendar. The month book covered the entire year of peasant life, “describing” day by day, month after month, where each day had its own holidays or weekdays, customs and superstitions, traditions and rituals, natural signs and phenomena. The cyclical nature of the calendar is reminiscent of human life, where spring is youth, summer is heyday, autumn is the time of harvesting fruits (it’s good if there are some, otherwise you can live your life without collecting fruits), winter is the time of wisdom and peace. This cyclicality and rhythm determined the way of life of the farmer. The folk calendar was an agricultural calendar, which was reflected in the names of the months, folk signs, rituals and customs.
For each person, the only way to avoid the constant danger lurking in the world around him was to find a system of explanations for this incomprehensible world. For this purpose, each nation has created its own system of predicting events and signs. It is known that in each region there are thousands of folk signs that are characteristic only of this place. But over time, our ancestors developed a coherent, unified system of signs and predictions based on natural phenomena. This is how a yearly calendar cycle was formed, with which we invite you to familiarize yourself with the Folk Calendar of Russian Folk Signs...
What does the “Mammal” icon help with?
As a rule, pregnant girls turn to the Mother of God in the form of a nursing mother for a blessing for the successful feeding of their unborn baby, as well as those who have given birth and who, for some reason, have problems with feeding the baby. This shrine helps in the following situations:
- Every pregnant woman who wants to feed her treasure – her child – turns to the Queen of Heaven.
- The image of the Mother is an intercessor. People turn to her to heal illnesses in children.
- The prayer of the Mother of God “Mammal” helps mothers with diseases of the mammary glands, gynecological diseases, and also helps to easily endure childbirth. It’s not for nothing that they say that when you go “to childbirth”, put an icon of the Virgin Mary in the pocket of your robe or shirt and the birth will be painless.
- Mothers and babies always receive the strongest protection and protection from the Virgin Mary.
- They also turn to the Mother of God for help in family problems, in order to find mutual understanding and peace of mind; they say that she gives everyone who asks “milk of the soul.”
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Different traditions
It must be said that the significance of the icon of the Virgin Mammal was noted in a special way not only in Orthodoxy, Catholicism also actively used this plot. Even if, over time, in Orthodoxy such a composition became for the most part an atypical and “highly specialized” option, then in Catholicism the Madonna and Child became a common image.
As you know, in Catholicism, images are more artistic in nature; they are actually paintings, only on religious themes. Therefore, artists here were given the opportunity to use many effective techniques. In particular, in the Mammal Icon of the Mother of God plot there is an opportunity to work with the subtle details of Mary’s face, emphasize various emotions, and create an amazing image of immaculate motherhood.
Many artists, for example Leonardo da Vinci, created similar images. However, after the 16th century, this artistic tradition was interrupted, as Catholics created a ban on the depiction of naked bodies, part of this ban was the image of the Virgin Mary nursing a baby.
Icon of the Mother of God “Mammal” what do they pray for?
Like any image, the Mammal icon requires respect, sincere prayer, and pure thoughts. Standing in front of the image, it is imperative to think about the problem that worries you and, with all the purity of your soul, read the prayer to the Mother of God “Mammal.” And it sounds like this:
“We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, Mammal of our Savior, and honor Your holy image, from whom You have ever given us the grace of healing. Accept, Lady Theotokos, the tearful prayers of Your servants who flow to You. We see You on the holy icon, carrying in your arms and feeding with milk Your Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even if you gave birth to Him painlessly, even though the mother weighed the sorrow and infirmity of the sons and daughters of human beings. Falling with the same warmth towards Thy whole-bearing image and lovingly kissing this, we pray to Thee, all-merciful Lady: we, sinners, condemned to give birth to sickness and nourish our children in sorrow, mercifully spare and compassionately intercede, but our babies, who also gave birth to them, from the grave deliver from illness and bitter sorrow. Grant them health and prosperity, and their nourishment will increase in strength, and those who feed them will be filled with joy and consolation, for even now, through Your intercession from the mouth of a baby and those who piss, the Lord will bring His praise. O Mother of the Son of God! Have mercy on the Mother of the sons of men and on Your weak people: quickly heal the illnesses that befall us, quench the sorrows and sorrows that are upon us, and do not despise the tears and sighings of Your servants. Hear us on the day of sorrow who fall before Your icon, and on the day of joy and deliverance receive the grateful praise of our hearts. Offer our prayers to the throne of Your Son and our God, may He be merciful to our sin and weakness and add His mercy to those who lead His name, as we and our children will glorify You, the merciful Intercessor and the true hope of our race, forever and ever. . Amen".
Description
The size of the icon is 122.5 × 87. The icon shows a half-figure of the Mother of God breastfeeding the Christ Child sitting on the left. The Mother of God is crowned with a crown, which is presented to her by two angels.
The modeling of the faces is done with a strongly whitened pinkish ocher over the dark preparatory tone of sankir. The lights on the faces are covered with a dense layer of paint applied with strokes. This technique of personal writing is consistent with the traditional techniques of post-Byzantine painting, conveying the roundness of forms. The golden crown on the head of the Mother of God is decorated with stones and crosses painted with transparent glaze paints. The himation of Christ and the maforium of the Virgin Mary are made of gold and silver with glazing with a transparent layer of carmine and orange-red paint (the himation of the Infant God). The green tunics of the Mother of God and Christ are decorated with gold and silver floral patterns. Along the golden border of the Mother of God maforia there is a ribbon of a letter ornament. The style of the Hilandar icon is close not only to other icons of the late 17th century from Athos monasteries, including Hilandar, but is in many ways consonant with Russian icon painting of this period
The original light green, whitened background color, discovered as a result of trial tests in 2002-2004, was left under the later dark blue entry due to the poor preservation of the original paint layer. On the lower field there is a dating inscription made in red cinnabar paint: despite the loss of part of the text, it is clear from the inscription that the icon was ordered by Hieromonk Maxim from the Pech Patriarchate under Archbishop Arseny and Hilandar Abbot Simeon in the 1690s (the last digit of the date is lost).
The icon is decorated with votive silver, gilded overlays with relief ornaments: halos of Christ and the Virgin Mary, a crown on the head of the Mother of God, stars of Bethlehem on the forehead and shoulders of the Virgin Mary, overlays on the arms and cuffs, two cartouches on a background with a Greek inscription.
Where is
The most revered image is located on Mount Athos in the north of Eastern Greece, in the Church of Karelian Kelia. In the capital of Russian cities - Moscow, this face can be found in the Epiphany Cathedral and in the Church of St. Nicholas, and on the territory of Ukraine, in the beautiful city of Odessa, a list of the holy face is kept in the Holy Dormition Monastery. Next to the image in the Odessa church, there is a rare shrine - part of the most holy robe of Jesus Christ.
God bless you!
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You will also be interested in watching a film about this miraculous icon:
History of the image
The Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Mammal" (in Greek - "Galactotrophus" is also called the Hilandar "Typikarnitsa".
Rice. 2.The first image of the Mother of God “Mammal” appeared in the 5th century on Athos.
This image ends up with the Monk Sava the Sanctified (439-532), who founded the Lavra near Jerusalem, which later began to bear his name. Saint Sava the Sanctified, departing to the Lord, said that this miraculous image of the Mother of God would need to be given to a person of royal origin who would visit this Lavra, his name would be the same as his.
What St. Savva said came true in the 18th century. This man turned out to be Saint Sava of Serbia, who was the son of the Serbian Grand Duke Stefan Nemanja. According to the will of Saint Sava, he was given the image of the “Mammal Mother”, as well as the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed”.
When Saint Sava was returning from Palestine to his homeland, he visited the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos, which he himself founded. The saint transfers the icon into the ownership of the monastery, where it remains to this day.
Rice. 3. Wanting to show the significance of the miraculous Face, the saint places it on the iconostasis of the temple not on the left side of the Royal Doors, but on the right, instead of the icon of the Savior. He places the icon of the Savior to the left of the Gate.
The church where the holy image is kept later began to be called Typikarnitsa, because the special charter of St. Sava of Serbia is kept there.
Later they began to make copies of the icon, which also became famous for many miracles. The most famous of them are in Russia (Moscow and Odessa), Greece and Mount Athos. In our country, such miraculous lists appeared thanks to St. Gabriel of Athos.
Rice. 4. One of these lists is kept in the Elokhovsky Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow.
There is an inscription on the icon: “This holy icon was written and consecrated on the Holy Mount Athos in the skete of the holy prophet Elijah and is sent as a gift and blessing to the reigning city of Moscow to the Church of the Epiphany, which is on the Field of Elohov. In unforgettable memory of the 2-month stay in this temple of the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos “Mammal,” which belonged to the above-mentioned monastery when Archimandrite Gabriel was its rector. 1894."
Rice. 5. The Odessa copy of the “Mammal,” which was also brought by Saint Gabriel of Athos, resides in the Holy Dormition Monastery.
Another miraculous image of the “Mammal” was found in 1650 on a tree in the Krestogorsk tract near Minsk. At the site of the appearance of this icon, the Assumption Church was subsequently built.
Rice. 6. This miraculous icon is placed above the Royal Doors. And in order for anyone praying to venerate it, a special mechanism was installed by which it goes down.
The icon became famous for its many miracles, through prayers before which believers received healing from various ailments, received help in various needs and deliverance from troubles and misfortunes.
How to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary correctly
To enlist the support of the Higher Powers, it is advisable to visit the church shop in advance and buy the “Mammal” icon there. After all, during postpartum troubles and worries, there may not be enough energy and time for this. Some people do not experience difficulties with breastfeeding until a certain point, but stress and fatigue provoke illness. In this case, it is not too late to turn to the Mother of God with a request for help.
During prayer, traditional Christian ritual rules are observed. Before you begin, you need to cover your head with a scarf, light a lamp in front of the images, and read a short introductory rule. While reading sacred texts, signs of the cross and bows are made.
The priests are convinced that it is important to completely immerse themselves in prayer and call with faith to the Most Pure Virgin Mary, asking for protection and protection.
Special prayers to the “Mammal Mother” can be read daily. If a woman responsibly follows Christian norms, then these texts can be included in the morning or evening rule. You don't have to pray at home. If the church that a Christian woman visits has this icon, then you can pray and light a candle here. The frequency of turning to the Mother of God depends on the desires and needs of the woman. There are no strict prohibitions.
