On the icon "Tenderness", the Mother of God is sealed in a happy moment before the birth of the baby, but after the Annunciation. It stands out with its bright face and rapt expression. Maria's half-open eyes, prayer-crossed arms and a slightly inclined head, all this symbolizes meekness, humility and chastity. The Virgin is depicted at the moment when the angel Gabriel informs her that she is destined to give birth to the Son of God. The day of the icon is celebrated on August 1 and 10.
Initially, the face was depicted on a canvas, which is attached to a cypress board. Nikolai presented it to the Reverend Seraphim of Sarov. He had the ability to see the hearts and souls of people, and therefore he prayed for their healing. Oil from the lamp, which burned near the image, had healing properties. The Monk greased the sick with them, which contributed to their recovery. Seraphim called this icon "The Joy of All Joys". The Monk died kneeling right before the icon. In 1991, the image was given to the Moscow Patriarch Alexy II, who placed it in the patriarchal church. Every year the icon is transferred to the Epiphany Cathedral, where worship takes place. Over time, a huge number of copies were made and some of them also possess miraculous power.
What helps the icon "Affection" and its meaning
In general, the image is considered feminine, so its strength is to protect the fair sex. Thanks to the use of icons, a girl can preserve cleanliness, kind disposition and chastity. It is believed that the image helps all, and most importantly, faith, and, the stronger it is, the faster the desired will come true.
What are the prayers of the icon "Affection":
- Prayer to this icon helps to survive the puberty period, promotes conception and mild delivery.
- The image helps get rid of various diseases.
- Mothers turn to the Mother of God with a request for the happy life of their daughters, that they find a worthy companion of life and be happy.
- If you refer to the image, you can get rid of bad thoughts, emotional experiences and achieve harmony .
Today, many girls prefer to embroider the icon "Affection". During the process itself it is recommended to pray and address to the Theotokos. It is necessary to work with a sense of repentance in a good mood and without bad thoughts. Many women who could not get pregnant, immediately after the work was finished, found out that they were in a position. Embroidered paintings play the role of an ordinary icon, on which you can pray.
Prayer for the icon "Tenderness" sounds like this:
"O, Most Blessed Lady, Lady, the Virgin! For our unworthy prayers, save us from the evil man's slander and from the vain death, give us first and give us joy in sorrow. And deliver us, O Lady Lady of the Mother of God, from all evil, and grant us your sinful servants, at the right hand of the second coming of your Son, the Christ our God, and heirs of us were able to help the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life with all the saints in an endless age. Amen".
Other icons of the Mother of God "Tenderness" and their meaning
One of the famous icons of the Mother of God "Tenderness" - Pskov-Pecherskaya. It is a list of the "Vladimir Mother of God." It was written in 1521 by the monk Arseniy Hitrosh. This icon refers to the type of "Eleusa". It shows the Virgin Mary, who holds Jesus in her arms. The baby clings to her mother's cheek, which symbolizes the immense power of the children's love for their parents.
The image became famous all over the world because of its miraculous power. It protected Christians during the most difficult periods of life. In 1581, the Polish king decided to conquer Pskov and began to drop on the city the roasted kernels. One shell fell directly into the icon of the Virgin "Affection", but it did not suffer in any way. It is believed that it was the face of the Virgin that helped to stand before the pressure of the Polish army. According to existing legends, the image of the Mother of God helped to take Polotsk from the French. Still many stories are known, when a miraculous icon helped people cope with various ailments.
Of great importance is the Novgorod icon "Tenderness". This image of the inhabitants of Novgorod has been worshiped for more than 700 years. It protects the city from various misfortunes, for example, fires, wars, etc. Celebration of this icon is July 8th.
