Iveron Icon of the Mother of God - the main shrine of Mount Athos

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

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

Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Iveron

The Iversky Monastery is the home of the icon of the patroness of the Holy Mountain, the Most Holy Theotokos of Iveron - 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 in houses and churches were destroyed and desecrated. A certain pious widow who lived near Nicaea kept the treasured image of the Mother of God. It soon opened. 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 standing image moved along the waves.

Two centuries later, the monks of the Greek Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos saw an icon in the sea supported by a pillar of fire. The Monk Gabriel the Svyatogorets, having received instructions from the Mother of God in a dream, walked across the water and brought the icon to the Catholicon, but in the morning it was discovered above the gates of the monastery. Tradition says that this happened several times. The Most Holy Theotokos, having appeared to St. Gabriel, explained that it is not the monks who should guard the icon, but she is the guardian of the monastery. After this, the icon was placed above the gates of the monastery and received the name “Goalkeeper”, and from the name of the monastery - the Iversky Monastery - it received the name Iverskaya.

According to legend, the appearance of the icon took place on March 31, 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 religious procession go to the seashore, where Elder Gabriel received the icon.

Mozdokskaya and Tbilisskaya Iverskaya

Photo: Yuri Kaver/RIA Novosti
According to legend, the copy from the Athonite Iveron Icon was given to the Ossetians by St. Queen Tamara. In 1768, by decree of Catherine II, the Ossetians of the village of Maryam-Kay had to move to a new place. They took with them the revered image. The travelers spent the night on the banks of the Terek, near the city of Mozdok. At night, light poured from the icon. In the morning, the oxen refused to move and carry the cart on which the icon was placed.

The Mother of God appeared to one Ossetian in a dream and ordered him to leave the icon in this place. The news reached the bishop, and the image was transferred to the cathedral. The Mozdok Iveron Icon is revered throughout the North Caucasus and the Don.

A list of the Iveron Icon from the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sioni) in Tbilisi is also known. Written on Mount Athos at the request of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and brought to Tbilisi in 1989.

Patriarch Elijah ΙΙ also paints icons. One of them, the revered image of Iveron, is located in the new Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba).

Icon of the Mother of God "Tricherussa"

In the Russian tradition, this icon is called “Three-Handed”. 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 the saint’s hand to be cut off. Saint John, with a cut off hand, came to the icon of the Mother of God, which he had at home, and asked to heal him. The brush miraculously grew together and Saint John, in memory of this miracle, attached a silver brush to the icon. The icon remains in this form 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, the Archbishop of Serbia. During the invasion of Serbia by the Hagarians, the Orthodox, wanting to preserve the icon, placed it on a donkey and let it go without an escort. With the 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 began to hold a procession of the cross every year at the place where the donkey stopped.

Once upon a time, the old abbot died in the Hilendar monastery. The election of a new one caused discord among the brethren. And then the Mother of God, appearing to one recluse, announced that from now on She herself would be the abbess of the monastery. As a sign of this, the “Three-Handed Lady,” which 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 Hilendar monastery has been governed by a priest-vicar, who during 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 an abbot. The celebration of the icon takes place on July 11.

Icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat”

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

According to legend, in the 10th century, in a cave not far from Kareya, a certain elder priest and a novice labored. One Sunday, June 11, 982, the elder went to the monastery for an all-night vigil, but the novice remained at home. Late at night an unknown monk knocked on his 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 Honest Cherub,” the mysterious guest unexpectedly noticed that in their places this song is sung differently: adding before “Most Honest” the words “It is worthy to eat, as truly you are blessed, the Mother of God, the Ever-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,” which stood in the cell, suddenly shone with a mysterious light, and the novice suddenly felt a special joy and began to sob with tenderness. He asked the guest to write down the wondrous words, and he inscribed them with his finger on a stone slab, which softened under his hand like wax.

After this, 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 prayer. The spiritually experienced elder immediately realized that Archangel Gabriel, sent to earth, came to his cell to announce 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 throughout the world - wherever there is at least one Orthodox throne or at least one Orthodox Christian lives. The celebration of the icon takes place on June 24.

Appearance of the Light-Painted Image of the Mother of God in St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos

1. New Svyatogorsk panigir

Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos

The Athos church calendar for 2007 of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery is dedicated to an amazing event that occurred more than a hundred years ago - August 21 / September 3, 1903.
One of the monastery manuscripts tells that on this day, during the distribution of alms to the poor monks at the Great Monastery Gate, the monk Gabriel took a photograph and when he developed it, in a black and white photograph, to his great surprise, he saw the image of the Mother of God, humbly receiving the blessed I crushed the bread. The monastery’s confessor, Father Macarius (Makienko), says: “Our archives contain written memories that shortly before this event, some of the ascetics saw in reality the Wonderful Woman among the monks. They wanted to show Her to the gatekeeper, but on the very day of photographing, no one saw Her. This event opened another page in the sacred chronicle of not only our monastery, but the chronicle of the entire Holy Mount Athos. We can also say this: this is a new chapter in the memorable history of the innumerable benefits of the Mother of God to the entire human race.” In the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, a new icon appeared, dedicated to this appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos - “Image of the Mother of God Painted in Light” (see Photocopy). A service dedicated to the miraculous appearance of the light-painted and self-depicted image of the Blessed Virgin Mary has also been prepared. It is also published in the calendar on pages 189 - 241.

“This service is our grateful offering to the Mother of God for the misunderstood manifestation of Her mercy. We believe,” Father Macarius continues, “that all who sincerely love the Most Holy Theotokos as the God-given Mother will joyfully accept this new celebration into their hearts and memories. We also believe that through the prayers and grace of the Blessed Virgin, this newly revealed miracle will serve to strengthen the faith of many ailing doubts.

Father Macarius also wrote in Church Slavonic the “Sermon on the day of the celebration of the illuminated image of the Mother of God” (placed in the calendar on pages 242 - 262).

At the end of each month of the voluminous calendar, the patronal feasts (“panigyra”) of the monasteries and monasteries located on Holy Mount Athos are listed. In the month of August (September 21/3), a new Svyatogorsk panigir is designated, dedicated to the Icon of the Mother of God Painted in Light in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery. According to the resident of the monastery, Father Philosopher, the panagir in honor of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Illustrated was widely published for the first time; The patronal feast day in memory of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God will be celebrated for the second time this year.

2. “This mountain,” said the Queen, “let it be My lot...”

“Our Most Merciful Lady Theotokos repeatedly repeated to Her ascetics the joyful promise of Her Lot,” wrote Hieromonk Panteleimon (Sapozhnikov). “To the founder and head of the common monastic life on Athos, the Monk Athanasius, She said: “From now on I will be your Ikonomissa, who will take care of you.” Then, through the Venerable Gabriel (Georgian), who was honored to receive the miraculous icon at sea, the Most Blessed Lady commanded to announce: “Rtsy monk: I did not come to be kept from you, but most of all, may I be your Guardian not only in the present, but also in the future. Elite monastics will live in this mountain with the fear of God and reverence, and will not neglect virtue in their strength, so that they may have boldness and hope in the good life of My Son and Master, as I asked and gave Me this gift.” Two centuries before this (1664), the Intercessor of the monks and the entire Christian race, by granting sight to the monk Neil who prayed for that, deigned in Her Lot to be named Quick to Hear (i.e., a quick obedient to those praying to Her), and She uttered the following touching words full of Motherly love and great mercy for everyone: “Let the monks and all Orthodox Christians turn to Me in their needs, and I will not leave anyone; to all who come running to Me with reverence, I will intercede, and the prayers of all will be fulfilled by the Son and My God, for the sake of My intercession for them before Him” (See: On the miracles of the Mother of God. - In the book: Athos Church Calendar, 2003, p. 177 ).

By the providence of God, Holy Mount Athos is destined to play a special role in the history of the salvation of mankind, and the flow of pilgrims from all continents does not dry out here. Here, in the Lot of the Most Holy Theotokos, under Her protection, prayers have been incessantly offered to God for more than a thousand years. According to legend, the Mother of God herself indicated the place for monastic feat to the first Athos saint, St. Peter: “For the free service of God there is no other more convenient place than Mount Athos. I will be the Intercessor and warm Intercessor for this place to God, and His mercy will not fail for those who live here with faith and reverence and keep the commandments of My Son and God until the end of the age.”

Persecution of Christians brought the first hermits to inaccessible places on Athos. The number of those suffering to serve God in the angelic rank in this earthly lot of the Mother of God increased every year. The monastic brotherhood of Holy Mount Athos still remains under the blessed protection of the Mother of God, and the Most Pure Virgin Herself is called the Abbess of all the Holy Mountain residents.

Once Saint Philaret, Archbishop of Chernigov, knowing about the good deeds of the Lady to the inhabitants of Her Lot, and as if foreseeing with his perspicacious eyes a future event, sang a hymn to the earthly Destiny of the Mother of God:

This mountain,” said the Queen, “let it be My lot.” From here My right hand will provide eternal shelter over this place.

I will not forget this place, I will always be his Intercessor, I will intercede for him forever to My Son.

The Holy Fathers, who were worthy to see our land with spiritual eyes, testify that it is connected to the sky by lonely pillars of light. One of these places that constantly radiates this invisible radiance is Holy Mount Athos.

My longed-for Athos reigns above the sea as a pillar of fire, a dear home to the deserted monks for all ages,

This is what the author of the “Letters of the Holy Mountain”, Hieromonk Seraphim (1814-1854), wrote about Athos.

Many generations of Christian ascetics labor here in continuous labor, fasting and night prayer vigils. Since the time of the Byzantine emperors, Athos has been a separate independent monastic state, completely autonomous in its internal life, governed by the Holy Kinot, consisting of representatives of twenty main monasteries. According to God's Providence, the Holy Mountain became a shelter and nursery for monastic life not only for the Greeks, but also for the Slavs who labored in the monasteries of the holy great martyrs Panteleimon, George and the Mother of God Monastery of Hilandar.

In the dead of night, the Holy Mountain with its twenty monasteries, many hermitages and kallivs is engulfed in the flames of prayers that disperse the darkness. The image of Athos is forever imprinted in our minds as some amazing place on the globe, where the marble peak of the Holy Mountain and the Orthodox crosses on the monastery domes and bell towers touch the very sky. And in the early morning, a pink-yellow haze breaks off from the shimmering surface of the Aegean Sea or a light fog rises. At this hour they gently envelop the green mountains of Athos and the white monastery buildings. The bell towers of the cathedrals and the gilded crosses of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery, turning pink with the first rays, seem to grow before your eyes. They swim along with pink seagulls in the mother-of-pearl sky towards the rising sun, and then, gradually decreasing in size, melt and completely disappear into the heavenly heights.

The transcendental monastic brothers of Athos, who have peace in their souls, clarity in their minds, and humility and love in their hearts, after a long night service and subsequent short sleep, begin the day’s work, fulfilling the obediences assigned to them. Having left the world forever, they devote their lives on Athos only to prayer, worship and work. Their heart, will and desire are one, and the silence of their lips is the key to their Svyatogorsk life.

Every day in the first half of the day, a ferry with pilgrims on board sails like a white bird from Ouranoupolis to the monastery pier. The dazzling blue sky contrasts with the orange-yellow flowers of lemons and oranges, the air is filled with the subtle aromas of Athonite plants.

Athonite monks, welcoming guests, treat them, according to the old custom, with crystal clear water, a shot of brandy and Turkish delight. On the table is tea made from mountain herbs and slices of monastery bread that smells like apples. Another rule is strictly observed: talking with guests is good, but silently praying for them, reproaching and humbling oneself, is even better, for this is soul-saving and salutary for pilgrims and the owners of the monastery.

...And then you understand why other pilgrims not only stop for a few days on the Holy Mountain, but also, by the will of God, stay here forever.

3. “And She reveals Her face there”

The Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos, with its domes and domes shining in the sun, gilded balls and crosses of different heights among palm trees and cypresses, creates a solemnly elated mood among pilgrims arriving at the Holy Mountain. From the monastery pier you can enter the territory of the Monastery itself only through the Great Monastery Gate, built in the thickness of the southern wall. The main entrance, called “porta” according to Athonite tradition, is framed by a domed canopy supported by two marble columns. Above the arch of the entrance itself, in a niche, is a majestic image of the heavenly patron of the Russian monastery, St. Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, whose celibate relics are located in the main cathedral on the monastery square. On the left on the wall at the Great Gate hangs a large stone slab made of labradorite with black and white silhouettes of the Virgin Mary, monks and pilgrims. The memorial plate in Russian and Greek tells about the wondrous miracle of the appearance of the Mother of God, which occurred at this place exactly one hundred years ago - August 21/September 3, 1903. The image itself on the stone slab is an enlarged copy of an old photograph that captured the miracle of the appearance of the Most Holy Image of the Most Holy Theotokos, as one of the old monks said, “as a consolation and confirmation of His Providence for us sinners.”

A hundred years ago, monastic manuscripts, now carefully preserved in the library, tell the story that the St. Panteleimon Monastery, which accepted donations from Russia, generously shared alms with its needy brethren. Every week, from the two southern Russian ports of Odessa and Taganrog, where the Athonite farmsteads of the St. Panteleimon Monastery were located, large and small ships with food and vital materials came to the Athonite pier. They were intended for 3,000 inhabitants of the St. Panteleimon Monastery and 4,000 Russian-speaking brothers who labored in various monasteries, metokhs (agricultural land of the monastery. - Author's note), cells (a separate building of several rooms. - Author's note) and kaliva (monastic house without temple. - Author's note.) Holy Mountain.

Monastic archives show that between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Russian monks distributed alms weekly at the porta. A crowd of poor monks-Syromakhs (a hermit-wanderer who does not have a permanent shelter and pilgrims from monastery to monastery, from cell to cell. - Author's note) and pious wanderers gathered at the Great Gate. There is evidence that about 600 - 800 people received bread cakes - chereks - from the hands of the monks. On scheduled days, people who were doing nothing, drunkenly and obeying no one began to come to the monastery gates for alms. On August 14 of the same year, from Kareia, a kind of capital of the monastic “republic” and the center of self-government of Athos, where the Holy Assembly, or Kinot, usually meets in the Protat building, the monastery received a letter in which Kinot expressed dissatisfaction with the “useless” and “harmful” in his opinion, alms. The Higher Sacred Administration of the Holy Mountain, in its official letter, demanded that the Hierarchy of the St. Panteleimon Monastery cancel the hitherto practiced distribution of alms and find a more acceptable and non-tempting form of help, which, by the way, was eventually implemented. The message, in particular, said: “Alms given in the Gospel are only pleasing and dear to God when they are given in the mind - to people who are worthy of alms and in need of it. Given to people who unworthily present themselves as alms-seekers and who rely only on this visit, and for this reason they live here, then such giving of alms becomes a cause of harm.” Thus, Kinot conveyed to the leadership of the monastery his determination “about the cessation of alms distributed in such a useless manner for the future.”

On August 21, 1903, exactly a week after receiving the Kinot letter, the monks of the Russian monastery decided to observe the tradition for the last time and give out alms, and only then read the contents of the letter from Kinot to those present. At this time, as usual, hundreds of needy and wandering people had already gathered at the main port in anticipation of alms. During the distribution of chereks, Hieromonk Gabriel unexpectedly decided to take a photo as a souvenir.

When this photograph, black and white at that time, was developed, then, to everyone’s greatest surprise, it showed... the image of the Mother of God, humbly receiving blessed alms together with other petitioners. Looking at the unusual photograph, the monks immediately remembered the story of the monk Sebastian, who heard from the porters that “one hermit saw a woman several times while distributing chereks.” Some of the ascetics, who also saw the Wonderful Virgin in reality among the wretched monks and alms-seekers, wanted to tell the gatekeeper about this, but on the very day of photographing, no one saw Her. One of the Athonite poets wrote the following poems about the miracle that occurred:

The photo was received without deception. He amazed the Saints: Without any lies or fog, He depicted the Mother of God.

The queen in a long robe, of indescribable beauty, in a wonderfully blissful radiance, full of love and purity.

Ukrukh humbly received, Behind her came the poor people of Athonite, By this miracle she taught the brethren Not to reject Her hand.

She had previously promised to observe Athos until a century. The mountain has not yet become impoverished. Grace has not become scarce.

The Mother of God invariably provided for those who labored in Her earthly lot. At the behest of the Queen of Heaven, the monastery continued to satisfy the needs of the poor brethren: after fraternal meals in the monastery, meals were organized for the poor, and the cellarer gave them food from the warehouse.

Monastic manuscripts testify that the Mother of God often appeared to the Holy Mountain residents even today, which is confirmed by oral and written traditions.

One day I asked the monastery confessor, Father Macarius, to tell me something about other apparitions of the Mother of God known to him or the brethren in our time. Smiling, he replied:

-Monks don’t talk about this unnecessarily...

And then, noticing my embarrassment and, probably, not wanting to sadden the pilgrim, Father Macarius continued:

-We have long had this pious custom in our monastery: when the brethren notice or hear that such and such a brother’s earthly days are already numbered, they gather at his cell and ask about his life in the monastery, about the mistakes he made and about correcting them. About how, in addition to the general cell rules, he also had his own prayer rule, how he fought to acquire grace-filled prayer, how he overcame despondency and longing for his homeland, especially in his first years of life on Athos. And the elders edify those who thirst for salvation with their soul-helping instructions and examples, and warn them against the secret wiles of demons. For the benefit of the brethren, they talk about the instructions and admonitions they received from the holy saints of God or venerable elders, about God’s help and about the apparitions of the Mother of God they experienced...

With God’s help, I managed to write down two stories about the apparitions of the Mother of God in the Russian monastery on Mount Athos. It was like this... Once at the monastery gates, where a miracle happened more than a hundred years ago, I discussed with several pilgrims: does the Mother of God still provide for the ascetics of Her Earthly Lot; Does She appear to them in a dream or in reality, does She comfort them and in what way does She instruct them? While thinking about this out loud, we did not notice an elderly monk approaching us. Noticing our idleness, he looked at us sternly, and then hurriedly headed towards the monastery cemetery. Feeling awkward and even guilty, I rushed to catch up with him, not only to apologize, but also to ask him about the miracle of the appearance of the Mother of God. Then he looked at me intently and asked:

-Tell me, didn’t God promise those who love Him to abide with them “always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)? Doesn’t His Most Pure and Most Blessed Mother, like Her Son, provide for all the people who call on Her for help and glorify Her to the best of their ability? Remember, already in the tenth century, in Constantinople, Saint Andrew, the holy fool for Christ’s sake, who saw the Heavenly abodes, was not vouchsafed to see there the longed-for Intercessor of the human race? “The Mother of God came down to earth to help those who call upon Her,” the celestials answered him.

—Have you personally ever been able to see the Most Pure Virgin on the Holy Mountain? - I asked timidly.

“Yes,” he answered. “Once, on New Year’s Day, after the All-Night Vigil, I saw in a dream a great many monks rising to the capital of Athos, and in front of this monastic regiment, the Mother of God walked majestically, with a bouquet of lilies in her hands. I did not see Her face, but, following Her, I marveled at Her unearthly lightness: She lightly touched the ground, and everything ahead parted before Her. Another time, not so long ago, on the eve of the Patronal Feast of the monastery, having completed the cell rule, I dozed off with sorrow that very soon there would be a holiday, and in my obedience very much was not yet ready. In my drowsiness I see, but it was as if in reality, as if I was somewhere behind the monastery on the sea side, and along the upper road a line of guests was drawn to our monastery. From everything I saw, I began to grieve even more, they say, the holiday is already beginning, and I have not yet properly prepared for it. Suddenly I notice how, hastily overtaking others, in black monastic clothes and with a basket in her hand, a Woman resembling the Mother of God is approaching the monastery, exactly as She is captured in the wonderful photograph. With joy I exclaimed: “Mother of God!” Stopping at my call, She looked at me, as if asking: “What do you need?” I then had no words to say to Her, for I was incredibly glad that I recognized the Mother of God in the walking Woman. She hastily turned towards the hurrying guests and soon found herself in the stream of people already entering the monastery. At that moment the monastery bell was rung for the beginning of the morning service, and my heart rejoiced with extraordinary joy. During the holiday, I hoped once again, in reality, to see Our Heavenly Athos Mother Superior, but, due to my sins, I was not worthy. I was convinced, however, that She was really present at the panegyric, which is the name of our Patronal Feast. Day and night during the holiday itself, I walked everywhere around the monastery and was amazed at how smoothly it went on. I felt that Someone was miraculously organizing the holiday itself, although no verbal instructions were heard. All the brethren worked at the call of their conscience, especially in the kitchen and refectory obedience, about which I was worried...

My interlocutor fell silent for a while, took a deep breath and, looking into the sea, continued:

“There seems to be nothing miraculous in my story.” It’s just that the Mother of God, in Her greatest humility, came in a difficult moment to help our brethren worthily spend the Patronal Feast and console the guests. She is the Mistress of this Holy place.

During my stay at the Monastery, I once noticed an elderly monk in one of the corners of the monastery courtyard, hastily rearranging and sorting through some things. I came closer and expressed my desire to help him. This was Hieromonk Jacob, who lived for about two decades in the monastery skete of Xylurgu, called by the Greeks the “skete of the Mother of God” because of the main cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Father Jacob was leaving for Khromitsa, and he gladly accepted my offer to help him. And so, having shouldered our things, we left the monastery and, passing by the famous place of the appearance of the Mother of God, I asked Father Jacob whether he had heard before from the brothers who labored here about the miracle of this appearance and how he himself felt about it?

- A well-known case. All this happened here. And the elders spoke about this more than once. “And I myself received a gift from the Mother of God,” admitted Father Jacob.

Having crossed ourselves and bowed at that place, we began to slowly descend from the monastery to the sea pier. Father Jacob further related the following:

“When I lived alone in the monastery of Xylurgu, I made it a rule for myself during the morning service at the 9th ode to go to the cathedral church and there, with censing, sing before the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Most Honest.” One night, having seen the whole church, I sat down in the stasidia and quietly fell asleep. In a dream I see how the Mother of God sits on the bishop’s see in a majestic cathedral and many people stand in front of Her in a long line. Each one holds an offering in their hands, as if they want to congratulate the Mother of God. I was the last one in this line. Looking at others, I was overcome by a feeling of embarrassment both for myself and for the fact that I was standing empty-handed, that is, without a gift. “What will I bring as a gift to the Queen and Lady?” - This thought especially bothered me. When my turn finally approached, I said with tears: “Mother of God, I have nothing with me that I can give to You. Can I sing “The Most Honest”? She smiled affectionately and nodded her head approvingly. And I began to sing... Having finished singing, I looked at Her. She, in a blissful radiance, handed me a coin in Her hand with the words: “How well you sing! Take a coin for it." I woke up, and in my hands was Her gift...

Having finished the story, Father Jacob shed tears, and so did I: his story touched my heart so much. The horn of a cruise ship broke up the long pause. I helped the elderly man carry his things onto the ferry, and we hastily said goodbye...

The author of these lines also experienced special feelings and detachment from everything earthly and vain, listening to the stories of modern monks of the Russian monastery about the miraculous appearances of the Mother of God in our days.

4. Give strength to Thy servant, Most Holy Mother, and blessing to those who glorify and

praising Thee

...Athonite monks call the Holy Mount Athos “vertograd, earthly inheritance or lot of the Mother of God.” His Grace Filaret, Archbishop of Chernigov, likening Mount Athos to an earthly paradise, wrote in 1876:

I know Who owns you, Who inherited you: You are protected, you are cherished by the Queen of the High Heights.

This spirit-bearing Lord also sang of the appearance of the Mother of God, captured in a wonderful photograph:

And She reveals Her face there, Talks to Her servants; Fate itself controls them and watches over their earthly life.

The monastic brotherhood of St. Panteleimon Monastery still remains under the gracious protection of the Mother of God - the Abbess of all the Holy Mountain residents. The long night services there, the instructive stories of its monks and the miracle of the appearance of the Mother of God at the Main monastery gate, which occurred more than a hundred years ago and captured in an extraordinary photograph, strengthen our faith in the incomprehensible Providence of God and the care of the Queen of heaven and earth for Her faithful servants. They heal our spiritual and physical infirmities, inspire hope in the fulfillment of the promises of the Mother of the Lord, evoke strong emotional and spiritual experiences in pilgrims, and prayerfully influence their soul, raising it from the vain world to eternity.

* * *

Troparion to the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Face of the Light-Painted
We bow to Your Most Pure Face, O Good Mother of God, asking for intercession for us, for You have deigned to appear among the brethren, so as to deliver them from the sorrow that You have gathered together.
Thus we cry out to You with gratitude: You fill all with joy, O Most Pure Virgin, who entrust themselves to Your Protection. Kontakion to the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Light-painted Face
of Thy indescribable and merciful looking to man, the Pureest Cherub and the Most Glorious without comparison, the Seraphim.
And Your Light-revealed and self-depicted Image, evidence of the appearance of Your ineffable love and mercy, we honor with kisses. https://www.sedmitza.ru/index.html?sid=77&did=46251&p_comment=belief&call_action=print1(sedmiza)

Icon of the Mother of God "Gerontissa"

In the Russian tradition, this icon is called “Staritsa”. The shrine is kept in the Patnokrator monastery. 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 approximately five hundred meters from modern buildings. One night both the icon and all the builders’ tools 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 to build Her monastery.

Over the years, many miracles have been revealed from the Gerontissa icon. The elder abbot of the monastery, having received a revelation of his imminent departure, desired to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ before his death 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 a menacing voice was heard from the miraculous image located in the altar, commanding the priest to immediately fulfill the wishes of the abbot. He gave communion to the dying man, and he immediately passed peacefully to the Lord. It was after this miracle that the icon, as a patron of the elders, received the name “Gerontissa”.

In the 11th century, during a Saracen attack 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 for his insolence, repented and commanded his household to visit Holy Athos again and show the monks the place where the icon was located. The shrine was found and placed with honor in the cathedral church of the monastery. The celebration of the icon takes place on April 17.

Photo of the Mother of God

Miracle of the appearance of the Mother of God. September 3 (August 21, old style) 1903 Photograph

An order came from the Holy Kinot: no more alms to be given out.

Exactly 112 years ago, on September 3 (August 21, old style), 1903, an event unnoticed by the world took place in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos. On this day, for the last time, the brethren were supposed to distribute alms at the monastery gates to the poor Siromakh monks (wandering around Mount Athos “without a fixed place of residence”), pilgrims and wanderers. The last time - because an order came from the Holy Kinot (Svyatogorsk government): not to give out any more alms. It's ineffective. This corrupts the monks staggering from monastery to monastery, healthy and not yet old, but inclined to live at the expense of others, instead of working and being obedient... (Isn’t this a familiar situation? How many homeless people do you meet - not on Athos, but in Moscow subway, on the streets - and every time there is a moral problem: to give or not to give? Especially when it is obvious: the person will drink “alms”, and your “help” seems to bring nothing but harm).

Monk Gabriel saw in the photograph the figure of a Woman humbly receiving a piece of bread

But the fate of Athonite homeless and needy people changed dramatically under the influence of one photograph. The distribution of alms that day was recorded by the monk Gabriel. Having developed the negative, to his great surprise, he saw in a black and white photograph the figure of a poorly dressed Woman humbly receiving the blessed bite of bread. The news quickly spread throughout the monastery; it was reported that one hermit also saw a beautiful Woman several times during the distribution of alms at the monastery gates. Needless to say, after this the ban on giving alms was forgotten.

Apparitions of the Mother of God on the Holy Mountain are not uncommon events. Once or several times in life, in a dream or in reality, many Athonite ascetics see Her. But when the Mother of God leaves a visible sign of her presence, this means some kind of message: a warning, admonition, a manifestation of mercy. This is what happened with the famous Vatopedi Icon of the Mother of God, and this is what happened this time. An enlarged photograph of the monk Gabriel now hangs on the wall of the St. Panteleimon Monastery, a source has been brought to the site of the apparition, and cases of relief from illnesses have been recorded after taking water from it. A new, light-painted image of the Virgin Mary was born from this story. However, the negative of the photograph was lost, and after numerous shocks (including fires) experienced by the monastery in the 20th century, there was no hope of returning it.

Light-painted image of the Blessed Virgin Mary

And at the beginning of this year, the negative was found while working with the monastery archives. The current abbot of the St. Panteleimon Monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhine), regarded the event as a manifestation of the mercy of the Most Holy Lady, indicating that “the Abbess of Athos favors the monastery and accepts the feasible feat of its inhabitants”[1]. It seems that the feat is not only a prayerful, monastic feat, but also a feat of charity, helping others, love shown in deeds. Back in 1885, the abbot of the Russian monastery on Mount Athos, Elder Jerome (Solomentsov), wrote in his will:

“You know how long the Lord tested our monastery with great poverty and even heavy debts, for before the Crimean War it did not have the means to give alms to the poor. But when, in that time of calamity, our monastery, with complete self-denial, decided to share its last bread with the starving Siromakhs, then from that time it was noticed that from all the countries of Russia, abundant alms began to be sent to Russik, with the help of which in that calamitous time our monastery did not have the need for maintenance and nourished many more poor people. So God-loving is the virtue of communication and charity.”

This is the significance of the appearance of the Mother of God more than a hundred years ago for the monastery itself and the monks living in it. But, I think, this story goes beyond Athos and monasticism, and says something to us, ordinary Orthodox Christians, not ascetics and not seers of God.

After all, on Athos it is only with greater force than in our ordinary life that the general laws of Christian existence manifest themselves. Everyone who has been there talks about the amazing manifestations of the Providence of God and the Most Pure One about everything, even the everyday needs of pilgrims.

The Mother of God humbly accepts a piece of bread

Does the Blessed Virgin Mary participate in our lives? Yes, sure. And on the Holy Mountain this is simply more obvious than anywhere else; Her concern “hangs in the air” there. Is the Mother of God humble? Yes, more than all the Saints. We, not saints, know about this from theology, from Tradition, from worship - there is a lot of evidence of this. But the author of these lines was most impressed by something completely little-known and “uncanonized”: one God-loving soul, honored with the appearance of the Mother of God, said: “She looked at me as if it were not She, but I, the queen of the world.”

The Most Pure One humbly accepts the piece of bread “due” to Her, like one of the poor and wretched. In this situation, She, with all Her behavior, literally realizes the words of the Gospel: “Whatever they did to one of the least of My brothers, they did to Me” (cf. Matt. 25:40). By her entry into this everyday human situation, the Most Holy One demonstrates Her power, received from the Divine Son, the power to embrace the entire universe with her heart. Ascetics explain: the more a person improves in virtue, walking the path of the Cross, the more he approaches the Christ-like and cross-like state - the ability to unite as much as possible with God (vertical) and neighbors (horizontal). And so the Mother of God achieved perfection in this, second only to the perfect and absolute love of God Himself. For Her, everyone is a neighbor.

And therefore, our earthly logic, our accounting calculations - who benefits from our help and who does not, when this help is “effective” and when not - all this is completely overturned by the logic of God and the Most Pure, the logic of holiness. This is how the saints differ from us - in their determination to constantly walk on the waters, to live by “God’s logic,” which is absolutely absurd for this world. We know these signs of true holiness - we know it painfully, because each of us feels at what moment he “left the race”: he stopped “walking on the waters” or, rather, never took the first step. And therefore, in order to encourage us, the Most Pure One allows us to do Her a favor: to give her a piece of bread. Do a small deed of love for someone nearby[2]. Who knows - maybe this “someone nearby” will turn out to be the Mother of God.

In conclusion, we present a touching story from one of the Svyatogorsk monks.

“When I lived alone in the monastery of Xylurgu, I made it a rule for myself during the morning service at the 9th ode to go to the cathedral church and there, with censing, sing before the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Most Honest.” One night, having seen the whole church, I sat down in the stasidia and quietly fell asleep. In a dream I see how the Mother of God sits on the bishop’s see in a majestic cathedral and many people stand in front of Her in a long line. Everyone holds an offering in their hands, as if they want to congratulate the Mother of God. I was the last one in this line. Looking at others, I was overcome by a feeling of embarrassment both for myself and for the fact that I was standing empty-handed, that is, without a gift. “What will I bring as a gift to the Queen and Lady?” – this thought especially bothered me. When my turn finally approached, I said with tears: “Mother of God, I have nothing with me that I could give to You. Can I sing the Most Honest?” She smiled affectionately and nodded her head approvingly. And I started singing. Having finished singing, I looked at Her. She, in a blissful radiance, handed me a coin in Her hand with the words: “How well you sing! Take a coin for it.” I woke up, and I had Her gift in my hands.”[3].

Enlarged photograph of the Mother of God. Wall of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos

Troparion to the Apparition of the Illuminated Face of the Blessed Virgin Mary

We bow to Your Most Pure Face, O Good One, asking for intercession for us, Mother of God, by the will of You you have deigned to appear among the brethren, so that You may deliver them from their sorrow. Thus we cry out to You with gratitude: You fill all with joy, O Most Pure Virgin, who entrust themselves to Your Protection.

Kontakion to the Apparition of the Illuminated Face of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Your indescribable and merciful look towards man, Most Honest Cherub and Most Glorious Without Comparison Seraphim. And Your light-revealed and self-depicted image, evidence of the appearance of Your ineffable love and mercy, we honor with kisses.

Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”

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

Tradition dates the time of its writing to the 10th century, to the time of the life of the abbot of the monastery, St. Neophytos. In 1664, the refector Nil, walking into the refectory at night with a lit torch, heard from the image of the Mother of God hanging above the door a voice calling on him not to walk here in the future 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 splinter. Suddenly he went blind.

In bitter repentance, Nile 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 it to be announced to all the brethren: “From now on, this icon of mine will be called Quick to Hear, because I will quickly show mercy and fulfillment of petitions to all who come to it.”

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 received deliverance from obsession and demon possession.

The Holy Virgin helped to avoid shipwreck and captivity. The Most Holy Theotokos fulfilled and is now fulfilling Her promise - she provides immediate help and consolation to everyone who flows 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 those suffering who have received relief from their ailments thanks to the help of the Mother of God. And in 1783, a silver-gilded chasuble was placed on the icon. It was made by Russian philanthropists.

In Rus', copies of the miraculous Athos icon “Quick to Hear” have always enjoyed great love and veneration. Many of them became famous for their miracles. Particularly noted were cases of healing from epilepsy and demonic possession.

The celebration of the icon takes place on November 22.

And Russia - since the 17th century

Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
Russia, 19th century. Image from the website tihvinskiy.ru The first copy of the Iveron Icon was brought to Russia in the middle of the 17th century. In 1647, Archimandrite Pachomius of the Athonite Iveron Monastery came to Moscow to collect donations and met the abbot of the capital's Novospassky Monastery, Nikon, the future patriarch, who was so impressed by the story about the monastery and the miraculous icon that he asked to make for him a copy of the Iveron Icon "measure" in moderation."

The image was painted by the icon painter “Iamblichus Romanov”. In the fall of 1648, the icon was solemnly greeted in Moscow, at the Resurrection Gate. The Russian celebration in honor of the Iveron Icon on September 13 (September 26) is dedicated to this event.

Icon of the Mother of God “Sweet Kiss”

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

The icon became famous during the time of iconoclasm. It belonged to the pious woman Victoria, the wife of a certain Simeon Patricius. Victoria, at the risk of her life, honored and kept it in her room. The husband demanded that she burn the icon, but the woman chose to throw it into the sea. The icon appeared on the shore in front of the Filofeevsky Monastery. The abbot and the brethren brought her into the cathedral church. From then until now, on Easter Monday, a procession of the cross has been carried out from the monastery to the site of the appearance of the icon.

The following story is connected with this miraculous icon. During the German occupation of Greece, the wheat supplies at the monastery of St. Philotheus were running low, 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 sadden Christ and the monastery would lose its blessing. They listened to him. However, after some time, when the supplies of bread had practically dried up, the old man began to be pestered with reproaches. Savva answered them: “Don’t lose hope in Glykofilusa.

Knead the remaining twenty-five okadas, bake bread from them and distribute it to the brethren and laity, and God, as the Good Father, will take care of us all.” After some time, a ship moored to the monastery pier, 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, like a Good Mother, took care of Her children, glorified God and the Mother of God. Miracles are still performed from this icon.

The celebration of the icon takes place on April 30.

Light-painted image of the Blessed Virgin Mary

And at the beginning of this year, the negative was found while working with the monastery archives. The current abbot of the St. Panteleimon Monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhine), regarded the event as a manifestation of the mercy of the Most Holy Lady, indicating that “the Abbess of Athos favors the monastery and accepts the feasible feat of its inhabitants.” It seems that the feat is not only a prayerful, monastic feat, but also a feat of charity, helping others, love shown in deeds. Back in 1885, the abbot of the Russian monastery on Mount Athos, Elder Jerome (Solomentsov), wrote in his will:

The miracle of the appearance of the Virgin Mary in the Athos monastery

And therefore, our earthly logic, our accounting calculations - who benefits from our help and who does not, when this help is “effective” and when not - all this is completely overturned by the logic of God and the Most Pure, the logic of holiness. This is how the saints differ from us - in their determination to constantly walk on the waters, to live by “God’s logic,” which is absolutely absurd for this world. We know these signs of true holiness - we know it painfully, because each of us feels at what moment he “left the race”: he stopped “walking on the waters” or, rather, never took the first step. And therefore, in order to encourage us, the Most Pure One allows us to do Her a favor: to give her a piece of bread. Do a small deed of love for someone close to you. Who knows - maybe this “someone nearby” will turn out to be the Mother of God.

In conclusion, we present a touching story from one of the Svyatogorsk monks.

“When I lived alone in the monastery of Xylurgu, I made it a rule for myself during the morning service at the 9th ode to go to the cathedral church and there, with censing, sing before the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Most Honest.” One night, having seen the whole church, I sat down in the stasidia and quietly fell asleep. In a dream I see how the Mother of God sits on the bishop’s see in a majestic cathedral and many people stand in front of Her in a long line. Everyone holds an offering in their hands, as if they want to congratulate the Mother of God. I was the last one in this line. Looking at others, I was overcome by a feeling of embarrassment both for myself and for the fact that I was standing empty-handed, that is, without a gift. “What will I bring as a gift to the Queen and Lady?” – this thought especially bothered me. When my turn finally approached, I said with tears: “Mother of God, I have nothing with me that I could give to You. Can I sing the Most Honest?” She smiled affectionately and nodded her head approvingly. And I started singing. Having finished singing, I looked at Her. She, in a blissful radiance, handed me a coin in Her hand with the words: “How well you sing! Take a coin for it.” I woke up, and I had Her gift in my hands.”

Troparion to the Apparition of the Illuminated Face of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Kontakion to the Apparition of the Illuminated Face of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Georgy Velikanov / Pravoslavie.Ru

Icon of the Mother of God “Vse Tsaritsa”

The miraculous icon “The All-Tsarina” (Pantanassa) is located in the catholicon of the Vatopedi monastery.

The image was painted in the 17th century and was a blessing from the famous Elder Joseph the Hesychast on Athos to his disciples. The elder's story 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 All-Tsarina”. He stood there muttering something inaudibly. And suddenly the face of the Mother of God 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 Mother of God convinced the young man to change his life and become pious. He was healed of mental illness and after that remained on Mount Athos. This is how this icon first showed its miraculous power on a person possessed by demons.

Later they began to notice that this icon also had a beneficial effect on patients with various malignant tumors. In the 17th century, it was first copied by a Greek monk and gradually became known throughout the world as a healer of cancer. The very name of the icon - the All-Mistress, the All-Mistress - speaks of its special, all-encompassing power.

Having for the first time revealed her miraculous power against magical spells (and after all, sorcery, passion for magic and other occult “sciences” spread throughout the Christian world like a cancerous tumor), the All-Tsarina has the grace to heal the most terrible of the diseases of modern humanity. The celebration of the icon takes place on August 31.

Montreal Iveron Icon, myrrh-streaming

Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
Photo from the site prosymbol-ru.1gb.ru The Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God was painted on Mount Athos in 1981. Myrrh streamed almost continuously since 1982 for 15 years. The icon traveled almost all over the world - the image was transported from church to church by its custodian, Chilean Joseph Jose Muñoz Cortes, who converted to Orthodoxy.

Cotton wool with holy myrrh is kept in many parishes. On the night of October 30-31, Brother Joseph was killed under still unclear circumstances, and the icon disappeared. Lists from the Montreal icon are also streaming myrrh. So, since 2007, a small paper copy of it, located in the ROCOR parish in Hawaii, has been exuding myrrh.

Icon of the Mother of God “Mammal”

The Icon of the Mother of God “Mammal” is located in the Hilendar Monastery on Mount Athos. The image depicts the Blessed Virgin breastfeeding the Divine Infant.

Initially, the image was located in the Lavra of St. Savva the Sanctified near Jerusalem. At the time of his death, the holy founder of the Lavra predicted to the brethren that the Lavra would be visited by a pilgrim from Serbia, Savva, and ordered that the miraculous icon be given to him as a blessing. This happened in the 13th century. Saint Sava 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 Kareya cell, later called Typikarnitsa, since the charter of Saint Sava was kept there.

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

The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Mammal” 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, each of which has preserved written and oral traditions. Thus, in Russia the image acquired in 1650 in the village of Krestogorsk near Minsk became famous.

In the middle of the 19th century. - in 1848 - another copy of the Mammal icon, brought to Russia by the schema-monk of the Elias monastery on Mount 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 straightening the icon case without due reverence, lost his hands. Repentant prayers at the brought icon brought him healing, and this first miracle was followed by many others: in Yelets, Zadonsk, Tula, Moscow. The celebration of the icon takes place on August 31.

Icon in two frames

Iveron image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Iveron Monastery, Athos. Photo from the site sobormihail.cerkov.ru The Iveron icon is quite large - 137 x 87 cm. It has two frames that can be exchanged from one to the other. More ancient, chased, made by Georgian craftsmen in the 16th century. At the bottom there is an inscription in Georgian:

“Queen, Mother of the philanthropic God, Immaculate Virgin Mary, have mercy on the soul of my master, the great Kaikhosroi Kvarkvarashvili, and I, Your servant and deprived of all strength, worthy of pity, Ambrose, thank You, who deigned me to fetter this and decorate the holy image of Your Portaitissa. Accept this little insolence of mine as a sacrifice from me, a sinner, and save the rest of my life without sin.

And at the hour of the exodus of my pitiful soul, help me, scatter all the lists of my sins. And place me, a sinner, at the throne of Your Son and God and His beginningless Holy Father and the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

On the back of the icon is an image of a cross with the monogram “IC XC NI KA” and four letters “X” - an abbreviation of the phrase “Christ gives grace to Christians”, in which in Greek all words begin with X.

A later salary on the prototype of the “Goalkeeper”. On the margins of the icon are enamel images of the apostles. On the old salary they are waist-length, and on the new one they are full-length. Like many miraculous icons, Iverskaya is decorated with numerous donations: crosses and coins.

Fragment of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God with a legend. Image from the site hram-kupina.ru

There is an Athonite legend, according to which, one day the Iveron monks experienced a shortage of food, and the gatekeeper began to demand money from travelers for bread.

The Mother of God appeared to one of the pilgrims and gave him a coin. The moment the gatekeeper took it as payment for food, all the bread in the monastery turned wormy. The abbot examined the coin and recognized it as an ancient Byzantine nomisma, suspended from the Iverskaya frame.

Icon of the Votopedi Mother of God “Consolation” or “Consolation”

The image of the Mother of God “Otrada” (“Paramithia”) is located in the Vatopedi Monastery.

It received the name Vatopedi from the fact that in 390, near the island of Imbros, opposite the Holy Mountain, the young prince Arkady, the son of Emperor Theodosius the Great, fell into the sea from a ship, and by the miraculous intercession of the Mother of God he was carried to the shore unharmed. Here the next morning they found him sleeping in a deep, calm sleep under a thick bush, not far from the destroyed Annunciation Cathedral. From this event the name “vatoped” (“youth’s bush”) came about. Emperor Theodosius, in gratitude for the miraculous deliverance of his son, erected a new temple in place of the destroyed monastery, where the altar was located in the very place where the rescued 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, landing on the shore in the dark, took refuge in the vicinity of the monastery, intending to wait for the opening of the monastery gates. While the robbers were waiting for the gates to open, Matins ended and the brethren began to disperse to their cells for temporary rest. There was only one abbot of the monastery left in the church. Suddenly, from the icon of the Mother of God standing near him, he heard a woman’s 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 Infant God had changed.

The Vatopedi icon was similar to the Hodegetria, on which the Infant God is always depicted with a blessing hand. And now the abbot sees how Jesus raised His hand, blocking the mouth 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, uttered the same words twice: “Do not open the gates of the monastery today, but climb the monastery walls and disperse the robbers.” The amazed abbot immediately gathered the brethren. Everyone was amazed at the change in the outline of the icon. After a prayer of thanks in front of the holy image, the inspired monks climbed the monastery walls and successfully repelled the attack of the robbers.

From that time on, the miraculous icon received the name “Consolation”, or “Consolation”. The outlines of the icon remained the same as during the warning given to the abbot: the Mother of God deviated from the outstretched right hand of Jesus Christ.

The icon was decorated with a silver-gilded chasuble and placed in a church built on the choir of the cathedral. The icon remains in this place to this day. In memory of the miracle, in the Church of the Mother of God “Otrada” the monks are tonsured and a prayer of thanksgiving is sung to the Mother of God in front of the miraculous icon. The celebration of the icon takes place on February 3.