The icon of the Virgin "Passionate" has special significance for believers since ancient times. The name is due to the fact that it depicts angels , in whose hands are instruments of the passions of the Lord - a cross, a sponge and a spear. Twice a year there are celebrations dedicated to this image: August 26 and Sunday after Easter.
Before we understand the meaning of the icon of the Virgin "Passion", we learn the history, when for the first time this image showed its miraculousness. There was a woman who periodically suffered from strange attacks, as if a demon was entering into her. She wanted to commit suicide, behaved inadequately and aggressively. When the seizures passed, the woman promised that if the ailment disappears she will go to the monastery. In a dream the Mother of God came to her and told her to go to Nizhny Novgorod and buy there the "Passionate" icon. As a result, prayers before the image helped the woman heal and become absolutely healthy.
What helps the icon "Passion" and its meaning
For a start, we'll figure it out in iconography, so this image belongs to the type of "Hodigitria". The Virgin Mary is represented with a head tilted to the baby. The face of the God-fader is turned away from the mother and directed to the image of his future sufferings, which are represented on the icon in the form of two angels. An important detail is that Jesus holds the thumb of the Virgin with his right hand, and the other squeezes the wrist, which indicates the desire to get protection from the mother.
The main meaning of the icon "Passionate" is embodied in the fact that the Mother of God submissively carries her child to suffering, completely abandoning the obedience of God. This image helps people get rid of passions, experiences and various sufferings. Thanks