Often people think that miracles are something fromarea of legends and fairy tales. Or, at least, something very old, ancient, forgotten. But, strangely enough, in our time there are real miracles. Parishioners of Orthodox churches and monasteries from time to time are witnessing healing from illnesses through prayers before the icons of the Mother of God.
The custom of praying to the Theotokos
Together with the adoption of Christianity in the tenth century onRussia came and the tradition of veneration of the Mother of God. Along with the temples in honor of Christ the Savior appeared on our land temples dedicated to His Most Pure Mother. The domes of such temples, according to custom, are painted in blue, which is considered the color of the Virgin. Images of the Virgin are necessarily present in the iconostasis of any Orthodox church.
There are many variations of images of GodMothers who are considered miraculous. According to rough estimates, there are about six hundred of them. People often ask themselves the question: "What icon should we pray in each particular case?" Priests usually answer this question in this way: you can pray for any need for any icon to which the soul lies. The Theotokos is one. Before whatever icon we pray our prayer, it is turned to the same Mother of God, who is always ready to say a word for us before her Son.
There is, however, a tradition to turn to different iconsin different everyday needs. Some icons of the Virgin were specially "approximated" to one or another of the needs of people. For example, the mother of infants is referred to the "Mammal" for help. About the older children pray before the icons "Education of children" and "Addition of the mind." There are other cases. Someone, having addressed with a prayer to the Theotokos, received from Her miraculous help. A person seeks to tell others about the miracle that has happened. Another person who has a similar problem, having heard about the mercy of God through the prayers of the Mother of God, turns to the same icon and, through his faith, also receives what he asks. So in the people the tradition is fixed. Before the Tikhvin icon pray for children, before Kazan - about the healing of the eyes. On the healing of tumors, according to tradition, the akathist "Vsezaritsa (Pantanasse)" is read.
Icon of the Mother of God "Vsesaritsa (Pantanassa)" and the holy mountain Athos
According to the folk tradition, the cure of cancerthe patients pray before the icon "Vsezaritsa" or, in Greek, "Pantanasse". This icon appeared and gained fame in the Vatopedi monastery, located on Mount Athos. According to tradition, the Most Holy Theotokos, accompanied by John the Theologian, went to Cyprus in 48. However, the ship that fell into the storm, was forced to moor to Athos. Admired by the extraordinary beauty of the peninsula, Holy Mary wished to remain here to lead the gospel preaching. It is commonly believed that Jesus Christ Himself, at the request of His mother, made Athos her lot.
Athos is still considered a special place for Christians.Since 1046, it officially acquired the name "Holy Mountain". Life here flows according to its own specific laws. This place is a special monastic prayer. On Mount Athos today there are twenty male monasteries, both the creation of new monasteries, and the abolition of the existing ones is forbidden by the laws of Athos. In the monasteries of Mount Athos there is a large number of Orthodox shrines. Among them there are about sixty revered icons of the Most Holy Theotokos. One such icon is "Pantanasse"
The icon "Vsezaritsa" is known from the seventeenth century.The story of the old man Joseph Hesychast, who lived for many years on Mount Athos, to his disciples, is preserved. One day (in the seventeenth century) before the icon "Vsezaritsa" a strange young man appeared. He stood for a long time in front of the icon of the Virgin, muttering something. Suddenly in the face of the Virgin flashed something like lightning, and the young man was thrown to the ground by some unknown force. Recovering himself, the young man wished to confess and confessed to the priest that he was fond of magic and came to the monastery to test his magical abilities before the holy icons. After the miracle that happened to him, a person completely changed his life, left magical lessons and stayed in the monastery. This was the first miracle that occurred from the "Vsezaritsa".
All in the same seventeenth century one of the Greekmonks made a list with a miraculous icon. People who prayed before the icon began to notice that its impact on patients with malignant formations is especially beneficial. Over time, the icon of Vsezaritsa gained fame as an assistant in the healing of cancer patients.
Iconography of the Vsezaricy
The Most Holy Theotokos is depicted on the icon inclothes of crimson color. The icon painter depicted Her sitting on the royal throne. The God-child in the arms of the Mother holds a scroll in his left hand, with his right blessing the worshipers in front of the image of believers. The Mother of God with his right hand points to His Son, as if to say: "This is your Savior, who came to deliver you from sin, sickness, and death." In the background there are two angels, overlapping the Pure Maiden with their wings and stretching their arms towards her. The nimbus above Christ contains an inscription in Greek: "The one from which everything is all around."
The whole icon is executed in bright, warm colors. There is also a scarlet robe pointing to the royal dignity, and the full perfection of the Virgin, and a golden background symbolizing eternity.
The first appearance of the icon in Russia
The first list of the Vatopedi icon "Vsezarica" forRussia was made in 1995. August 11 this year, written with the blessing of the governor of Vatopedi monastery, Archimandrite Ephraim, the icon was taken to Moscow, to the children's oncology center on Kashirka. Employees of the center noticed: after the children had kissed her, many had noticeable improvements, which are difficult to attribute solely to the action of drugs.
Female monastery in honor of the icon "The Vsezaritsa" in Krasnodar
There is a monastery in Russia dedicated to the well-knownicon of the Virgin "Vsetsaritsa". It is located in Krasnodar. The main shrine of the monastery is "Vsezaritsa" - an exact copy of the Athonite icon. The list was made in 2005 by the Russian master icon-painter from Pereslavl-Zalessky Valery Polyakov. On the feast of Easter, Vatopedi Archimandrite Ephraim served a special prayer service on which the newly painted icon was consecrated. After the moleben, the icon was attached to more than one hundred Vatopedi shrines, including the Belt of the Blessed Virgin.
With great honors the icon was delivered fromAthos in Krasnodar. Since then, the All-Tsaritsa service has been regularly performed in the monastery: akathist, prayers, prayers. Patients of the Krasnodar Regional Oncologic Dispensary have become frequent participants in prayer singing. Many of them came to the temple quite recently, having learned about their terrible diagnosis. In hope of a miracle, they turn with sincere prayer to the Most Pure Mother of God.
Church of All Saints in Novoalekseevskom monastery in Moscow
In this temple, one of the most famouswonders of Pantanassa - the image suddenly zamotochil. Just a few drops of the miraculous world appeared on the icon, and the extraordinary fragrance of it spread throughout the temple.
The temple regularly serves akathist to the Most HolyVirgin "Vsetsaritsa". At the prayer service, an oil is blessed to anoint the sick and afflicted. Anointed with the consecrated oil can not only cancer patients, but also other ill people.
The image of the “All-Lady” from this temple is often delivered to the nearest oncologic dispensary for performing prayers.
Novospassky monastery in Moscow
This is one of the most ancient Moscow monasteries,the place of the oldest burial of royal persons. There are a lot of miraculous icons and relics. Since 1997, among the shrines of the monastery, there is also a list with the Vatopedi icon. Her image is revered as miraculous. Every Sunday, in front of the holy image, the Akathist to the Mother of God “All-Lady” is read, water-holy prayers take place. The servants of the monastery here, as well as in other places, keep a special book in which they mark cases of miraculous help through prayers in front of the Pantanassa icon.
Once a year icon from the Novospassky monasterydelivered to the Institute of Oncology. Herzen A prayer service and an akathist "Vsetsaritse" is performed in the hospital church of the institute. After the prayer, everyone can attach to the miraculous image and ask for help and healing in the fight against illness.
Can church prayer really cure cancer patients?
Можно утверждать, что в некоторых случаях это really going on. The prioress of the Krasnodar monastery, Neonilla's mother can tell about the cases of the amazing help of the Most Holy Theotokos. It happens that a sick person turns to the All-Tsaritsa: the akathist reads, prays earnestly, and suddenly the tumor either disappears without a trace, or stops its development, as if “frozen” at the stage at which the person began his prayer feat. The nuns diligently collect evidence of the miraculous help of the monastic shrine and place them on the site of the monastery.
Despite the fact that the icon is known, above all,as a redeemer from neoplastic diseases, there have been cases when an akathist in front of the icon "All-Daughter" heals also from other various diseases. There are cases of getting rid of heavy addictions - alcoholism and drug addiction. Mindful of the first miracle of the icon, believers turn to her with prayers for practicing magic and also receive help from the All-Daughter.
In order to receive help from above, it is desirable that not only the relatives of the sick should read or sing the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos “All-Daughter”, but also the suffering themselves, wishing to get rid of the illness, pray to her.
Why is healing done?
As the priests say, according to the faith of the OrthodoxChristians, according to their works and sincere prayers, grace is sent from God. The Lord will certainly turn his eyes towards a person who aspires to him. What does it mean to seek the Lord? First and foremost is to try to regularly participate in the sacraments established by Christ for his Church. First of all, this is the Sacrament of Confession, established for the cleansing of believers from sins, and the Holy Communion granted to us for union with our Savior Christ. The Sacrament of the Unification has also been established to help the sick. It takes place in all the temples in the days of Great Lent. Some churches also perform a churching on Christmas Day. For seriously ill bedridden patients, you can invite a priest to a house to perform an unction. In this case, the sacrament is performed regardless of calendar dates. In addition to the sacraments of the Church, you can make an intensified prayer to Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. One of such additions is an akathist to the icon of the Virgin "All-Daughter".
How to read akathist "Vsetsaritse"
Serious prayer work is not taken to begin.without blessing. Therefore, first of all, it is advisable to turn to an Orthodox priest and ask for the blessing to read the akathist "Vsetsaritsa". The text of the Akathist is available in the church shop.
Reading the Akathist to the Virgin of All-Daughter, it is logicalhave this icon before your eyes. It does not matter whether it is an icon made on the board by a professional icon painter using special paints, or a small reproduction. It is desirable, however, that the acquired icon was consecrated in the temple. All the icons sold in church shops, have already been consecrated.
Before any icon, it is possible to pray with your ownin words - the main thing is that the prayer should come from the heart. However, among the Orthodox are very popular "book" prayers, composed in ancient times by famous or unknown saints. While reading these prayers, we kind of pray together with our co-religionists, who compiled the prayer text, as well as with the generations of people who once read these prayers.
To perform services in front of an iconSpecial prayer texts were compiled - canons and akathists. Akathist, for example, consists of twenty-five small-volume prayers, called ikosy and kondakami. In any akathist there are thirteen kondak and twelve ikos. Icosa are usually read, kondaki - are sung. However, if a prayer is deprived of musical abilities or simply does not know how to sing an akathist, you can refuse to sing and just read an akathist to the All-Daughter. If a person prays alone, it may be more convenient for him to read the text of the Akathist to himself. This option is also possible. The Lord and the Virgin hear and silent prayer. The main thing - that our heart while screaming.
It is worth remembering that the word "akathist" is translatedmeans "do not sit." Akathists are always read while standing. However, many priests do not get tired of reminding that this rule applies only to healthy people. If it is difficult or impossible for a person to stand for health reasons, you can read the akathist of the Mother of God "All-Daughter" while sitting, lying or reclining.
Reading "All-Tsaritsa" akathist, canon or any othera prayer, you should not necessarily expect from the prayer any special sensations, strong emotions. Such sensations are possible, but not necessary. Orthodox priests, following the holy fathers of antiquity, warn against specifically seeking such feelings or giving them any special significance. The Lord often quite invisibly touches the soul of a person, without accompanying what is happening with unusual sensations. At the same time, it is possible that a person, in pursuit of the sweetness of prayer, gradually forgets about God and, as the holy fathers say, “falls into charm”, putting his soul in grave danger.
Like any prayer, the akathist to the All-Princess demandingfull attention. One who prays needs to try to understand each word read. It is known, however, that our thoughts tend to dissipate and "fly away" rather far from the content of the prayer. It is not worth it because of this despair. Simply, noticing the "disorder", you need to return the idea to the desired direction and do so every time we catch ourselves at being distracted from prayer.
In Lent in the temple is not accepted to readAkathists, except for the Akathist to the "Passion of Christ". However, for home prayer, a Christian has the right to choose the rule himself. Therefore, if a sick person reads the Akathist at home to the icon of the All-Daughter, this cannot be considered a sin or a violation of church canons.
There is a tradition to read an akathist for forty days. However, this is not the law, the time of prayer should be chosen according to the forces. You can pray fewer days or more if there is such a desire.
Читая молитвы, не стоит "вымаливать" то решение, which seems to us the only desired. Expressing our fervent request to the Mother of God, we must still leave room for the will of God, which does not always coincide with our desire, but is always aimed at the benefit of our soul. Some priests recommend, having prayed for forty days, temporarily leave an intensified prayer and wait some time. If the situation has not changed and the prayer did not come to some important conclusions for himself during this time, you can resume the prayer works and re-read the All-Daughter akathist.
