Virgin Mary mother of Jesus Christ. Mother of God - Theotokos

ANNA

IN 80 BC was born Joachim, Maria's father.

Anna born in 74 BC in a large family, becoming the fourteenth child. Anna's mother was then 45 years old. Anna's parents were middle-income people at that time. They lived in the city of Nazareth, were engaged in cattle breeding and had a small herd. In addition, Anna's father kept a small inn. There were three rooms in the courtyard where visiting merchants stayed.

Nazareth was located very well, just on the way from Egypt to India, and caravans constantly visited this town.
Very often Simeon, a famous fortuneteller, stayed at their house. This is the same 113-year-old elder Simeon who waited for the newborn Jesus to appear in the temple. It was he who said then: “Praise the Lord that I waited for this!” At that time, Simeon was still young. He practiced medicine, treated with herbs and could predict the future. He did this with the help of thirteen stones and a lamb shoulder. Simeon threw them up, and then carefully studied what kind of layout was obtained from the stones that fell to the ground. At that moment, the unknown future of man was revealed to him. Previously people They treated the predictors with great respect and faith. Simeon's prophecies always came true, and people often turned to him for help.

Little Anna was then 12 years old. Anna amazed everyone with her hard work and did her best to help her mother with the housework. At such a young age, she already knew how to work like an adult: milking a cow and running a household. At the same time, she was distinguished by her enormous love of life, irrepressible gaiety and, most importantly, a childish sense of pity for all living things. She felt sorry for everyone - the old people, the weak and sick wanderers and neighbors, animals, she could not calmly look at anyone’s suffering. Anna had a big and kind heart. Anna simply fell in love with the fortuneteller Simeon. He was so unusual and mysterious. He was doing something incomprehensible and mysterious - a real magician...
The room in which Simeon stayed was divided into two parts by a curtain. Anna, a terribly curious girl, hid in the second half of the room and from there carefully watched Simeon from the side, fascinated by his actions. She really wanted to understand what their mysterious guest was doing, and she wanted to learn it herself. Simeon also paid attention to the curious child. He liked Anna for her spontaneity, kindness and obvious, undisguised thirst for new knowledge. He slowly began to teach the girl the art of healing and revealed to her some of the secrets of medicine.
Simeon was not mistaken - Anna turned out to be a capable student and grasped everything right on the fly. Soon she could speak herself toothache, remove a purulent abscess from the patient’s body or soothe stomach pain.
Previously, home healing was practiced everywhere. Each family had a person who could provide assistance to sick household members or pets. Magic, healing and predictions of the future did not surprise or frighten anyone; they treated this calmly, with faith and understanding. No one divided medicine into official and folk.

One day Anna begged Simeon to tell him what would happen to her when she grew up, what future awaited her. Simeon, agreeing, spread out the stones and silently looked at the resulting layout for a long time. He sighed, looked at Anna and did not say anything.
The intrigued girl began to persistently tease him, persuading him to tell her the truth. Simeon refused for a long time, but then in the end, succumbing to her persuasion, he said: “You will live a difficult and short life. And you will die when you give birth to a child, at the age of 54. You will have a girl, whom you will have to name Maria. This will be an extraordinary girl. Time will pass and she will have a son named Jesus. This man will be the Messiah, he will bring people a new faith that will save the world.”
After this prediction, Simeon began to look at the little girl with completely different eyes. From ancient prophecies, Simeon knew that someday on the land of Judea a man would be born who in the future would turn the whole world upside down, cleanse it of filth and vice, and give people new life. And now - wow - this prophecy comes true right before his eyes!
Simeon now prayed for only one thing - if only he could live to see this bright day and see the Savior of the world with his own eyes, if only he had enough strength to wait for this miracle!
After all, it turned out according to the prophecy that the Mother of God Mary would be born when Simeon would be almost a hundred years old! If only I could live to see this day!

At the age of 13, Anna was married to 19-year-old Joachim. In those days, children grew up very quickly; at the age of 13, a girl was considered already of age and ready for marriage. They lived in the Holy Land, were well-born and rich, but they had no children. In the society around them, the absence of children in the family was tantamount to a curse, disfavour from Above, and therefore the priest stopped allowing Joachim into the temple. He left home into the desert and decided never to return. Anna was left alone in the house, grieving over her misfortune. On her wedding anniversary with Joachim, she wept bitterly in the garden: “Woe to me, to whom I have become like; I have not become like the birds of the air, because the birds of the air are fruitful before you, Lord! Woe to me, I have not become like the beasts of the earth, because they too have children! Even the waves will give birth to waves that play and splash, praising God. And I cannot compare with the earth, because the earth bears its fruits...” Anna’s cry was heard, the heavenly messenger - an Angel - assured Anna that she would soon have a girl, who would be called Mary.

Icon "Meeting of Joachim and Anna"
Images of Joachim and Anna are not uncommon in icon painting; they were always represented in the same way: Joachim - as an old man with a long beard, Anna - in a long himation with a covered head. Sometimes they were among the selected saints of the icon. There was also a special composition “Meeting of Joachim and Anna.” Joachim and Anna hugged each other when they met after the gospel and Joachim's return from the desert to his home.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Years passed. Anna had long forgotten about Simeon’s prophecy. Business, housekeeping, everyday life - life went on as usual. Joachim and Anna were considered a prosperous, middle-income married couple in Nazareth. They kept livestock- goats, cows, horses, bulls. And a large flock of sheep. In addition, Joachim owned a small creamery, which produced sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. Despite his advanced age of 60, Joachim still worked hard, trying to keep up with the housework everywhere.
Suddenly the unexpected happened - his wife Anna became pregnant again. At 54 years old! Just some kind of miracle! And only now Anna remembered about Simeon! She told all her loved ones - her husband, relatives - about the prophecy made to her in childhood: that she would become pregnant at 54 years old and die in childbirth, and the resulting child should be named Mary, and this girl would then become the mother of Jesus - the Messiah, who would suffer a lot and will bring new faith to this world.

Anna's loved ones were simply confused. What kind of prophecy, where does it come from, what kind of Messiah, will Anna really die, how can this be, and who will then raise the child?
Joachim was already 60 years old, and he was unlikely to be able to raise the girl alone.
In those days, having many children was common. And none of the relatives could take little Maria into their home. And then Anna remembered her distant relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth's mother was Anna's mother's second cousin. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah had no children of their own, so they agreed to take Mary in with them.

Early in the morning, at 6:15 a.m., July 21, 20 BC. e. In the house of Joachim, a girl was born who was named Maria. Anna, unable to endure a difficult birth, died, as predicted by Simeon.

Saints Joachim and Anna
The icon painter was usually commissioned to depict the parents of the Mother of God by families who had no children or were expecting their first child.

The child was very sick, and it was not certain that the girl would survive without mother's milk. Therefore, Joachim entered his daughter into the family genealogical lists only when the danger of early death had passed, i.e. exactly two months later - September 21.
This date began to be considered Mary’s birthday. In our time, on this day, September 21, one of the twelve great church holidays- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
All babies born three days before July 21 and September 21 are often gifted children, and all of them are under the protection of the Virgin Mary.
July 21 is a special day. Nature itself rejoices and celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary - the air is filled with the heady smells of summer and sun, an extraordinary lightness settles in the soul of all people, in the morning everyone wakes up in a good mood, anticipating that something extraordinary is about to happen today.

Dormition righteous Anna

July 25/August 7 - Dormition of Righteous Anna, mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Icon of the Dormition is right. Anna, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

According to legend, Saint Anna acquired two estates in Jerusalem: the first at the Gethsemane Gate, and the second in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. In the second estate, she built a crypt for deceased family members, where she was buried along with Joachim. The most pure body of the Mother of God was buried in this family cemetery. A temple was erected at the burial site. There is a legend that St. Equal to the Apostles Helena built a basilica here. In 614, the temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Mother of God was preserved. Much of the modern building dates back to Crusader times. This is an underground temple, with 50 steps leading to it, with chapels of Sts. Godfathers Joachim and Anna and Joseph the Betrothed, located on the sides of the stairs.

Funeral crypt of Joachim and Anna in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Tombs of St. Joachim and Anna in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

In con. X century On Mount Athos, the monastery of St. Anna was built - the most ancient of all Athonite monasteries. Devastated for many years by sea robbers, it was in the 17th century. was restored Patriarch of Constantinople Dionysius, who acquired the foot of the holy righteous Anna from the Christians of Asia Minor. In 1680, a cathedral church was erected there in memory of the Dormition of St. Anna. From that time on, the monastery began to bear the name “St. Anna”. It is famous on Mount Athos for the high ascetic deeds of its monks.
Not far from the skete of St. Anna there is the so-called New Skete of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary or “Little Anna”. The proximity of these blessed places emphasizes the connection between the sacred events of the conception and birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Under the holy blessed king Justinian (527-565), a temple was built in her honor in Deutera, and Emperor Justinian II (685-695; 705-711) renovated her temple, because righteous Anna appeared to his pregnant wife ; at the same time, her body and maforium (veil) were transferred to Constantinople. The Dormition of St. Righteous Anna is celebrated on August 7 (July 25).

Currently, particles of the relics of St. Anne are located:
- in Athonite monasteries ( left foot in the Great Skete of Righteous Anna, right foot in the Kutlumush Monastery, left hand in the Stavronikita monastery);
- in various monasteries and churches in Greece (including the Monastery of St. John the Evangelist on Patmos, the Church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos in Thessaloniki);
- to the church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi, Moscow;
- October 26, 2008, a particle of the relics of St. Anna was brought from Athos to the temple complex of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Dnepropetrovsk, where she was placed in an ark in the lower aisle of the cathedral church in the name of Joachim and Anna;
- July 10, 2011, a particle of the relics of St. Anna was transferred to the Valaam Monastery.

Troparion of Righteous Anna

Voice 4
You, the Pure Mother of God, God-wise Anno, bore the life that you gave birth to in your womb. Moreover, you have now reposed in heavenly acceptance, where those who rejoice are the dwelling place, rejoicing in glory, honoring you with the love of sins, asking for cleansing, ever-blessed.

Kontakion of Righteous Anna

Voice 2
We celebrate the memory of the ancestors of Christ, those who faithfully ask for help, to free everyone from all sorrow, calling: Our God is with us, glorify these, as you have been pleased.

Glorification of the Dormition of Righteous Anna:

We magnify you, holy righteous Anno of Christ our God, and we all honorably glorify your dormition.

The miraculous icon and part of the relics of St. Righteous Anna in the monastery of St. Anna on Mount Athos.

On June 17, 2006, Valaam met the icon of the holy righteous Anna, the foremother of Christ, who has great grace from the Lord to heal from the disease of infertility. This is a list from the miraculous icon, which is located in the Skete of St. Anne on Mount Athos. There are now three such lists in the monastery, all of them are exact copies the miraculous image of St. Anna, and were written directly to the monastery of St. Righteous Anna. Countless letters of gratitude have come and are coming to Mount Athos from parents who have gained the opportunity to have children thanks to the intercession of the holy righteous Anna.

Prayers for marital infertility

For help with marital infertility, turn with prayers to the righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anna, the prophet Zechariah and Elizabeth, the Monk Roman, the martyr Paraskeva, named Friday.

Meeting of St. Righteous Joachim and Anna. Fragment of an icon from the 17th century.

Prayer to the righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anna:
About the ever-glorifying righteous women of Christ, the holy godfathers Joachim and Anno, standing before the heavenly throne of the Great King and having great boldness towards Him, as from your most blessed Daughter, the Most Pure Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, who deigned to be incarnate!
To you, as a powerful intercessor and zealous prayer books for us, we, sinners and unworthy (names), resort to you. Pray for His goodness, that He may turn away His anger from us, righteously moved against us by our deeds, and may, despising our countless sins, turn us to the path of repentance, and may He establish us on the path of His commandments. Also, through your prayers, preserve our life in the world, and in all good things ask for good haste, all that we need from God for life and piety, freeing us from all misfortunes and troubles and sudden death through your intercession, and protecting us from all enemies, visible and invisible, for let us live a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity, and so in the world this temporary life has passed, we will achieve eternal peace, where, through your holy prayer, may we be made worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, together with the Father and the Most Holy Spirit, belongs all glory , honor and worship forever and ever. Amen.

Personal petition of Righteous Anna for the gift of a child(from the Chetyi-Menya of St. Demetrius of Rostov):
Woe is me, Lord! Who will I be like? Neither to the birds of the air, nor to the beasts of the earth: for they too bring You, O Lord God, their fruit, but I alone am barren. Alas for me, Lord! I am alone, sinful, without offspring. You, who once gave Sarah the son Isaac in her old age. You, Who opened the womb of Anna, the mother of Your prophet Samuel, look now upon me and hear my prayers. Stop the sadness of my heart and open my womb, and make me, barren, fruitful, so that we bring what I have born to You as a gift, blessing, singing and glorifying Your mercy.

Kissing Zechariah and Elizabeth. End of XV - began. XVI century

We know about the Blessed Virgin mainly thanks to Sacred Tradition. The main sources here are two apocrypha - the Proto-Gospel of James and the “Book of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary and the Childhood of the Savior.” These monuments were not included in the New Testament canon due to their late origin, but they reflect the view of the Mother of God that existed from the very first days of the Church.

Conception and Christmas Virgin Mary

According to Tradition, the Most Holy Theotokos was born at the turn of the epoch during the reign of Herod the Great in one of the suburbs of Jerusalem. Her parents - pious Jews Joachim and Anna - were wealthy, respected and noble people, but did not have much wealth. Their family, descended from King David, had already lost its former influence by that time. By all standards, Joachim and Anna were happy spouses; they could be envied in a good way, if not for one circumstance - after living fifty years in marriage, they were never able to give birth to a child.

Perhaps, at the beginning of their family life, the absence of children did not weigh heavily on them: while you are young, you don’t really think about such things. However, at the peak of maturity, when their surrounding peers began to have grandchildren, Joachim and Anna began to ask the Almighty more and more to send them a child. They were still strong, they could still conceive, give birth and raise the long-awaited child. Every day the couple expected a miracle, but it was in no hurry to happen. The years passed, old age creeped up unnoticed. The couple even promised to give their firstborn to serve in the temple, but God did not seem to hear them. And one day, after another prayer, Joachim and Anna humbled themselves.

They did not curse Heaven, their hearts did not become completely embittered the world around us, but faith in the Lord did not become cooler. They simply accepted their childlessness as the will of God. Since He deigns to leave them without offspring, it means that this is necessary, it means that He knows better what exactly to endow each person with, what to give and what to take away. The elderly people gratefully accepted their cross, now asking only one thing - that their remaining lives be even more pious than before. They were still full of strength, and decided to devote themselves entirely to those who needed support.

Virtuous spouses began to be respected even more, but there were also evil tongues. Rumors spread throughout the surrounding villages that Joachim and Anna were cursed by God, that one could not communicate with them, and that the good deeds they did brought grief to people. It got to the point that when Joachim once brought the prescribed sacrifice to the Jerusalem Temple, the priest drove him away, declaring that he would not accept it from unworthy person. This attitude of some people may seem strange, but it is quite logical and is explained not only by the evil morals of some Jews, but also by one feature of Old Testament religious thinking.

At the very beginning of human history, God gave our fallen ancestors Adam and Eve the promise that in due time a Deliverer and Savior would be born among their descendants. This prophecy was spoken in the form of an appeal to the seducing devil, whom the Lord cursed literally with the following words: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it will bruise your head, and you will bruise its heel(Life 3 :15).

Already the foremother Eve attributed the statements about her wife and her seed to herself and believed that it was she who would give birth to the future conqueror of evil. But it turned out differently - her eldest son Cain became not a savior, but the first murderer who took the life of his brother Abel. The more distant descendants of Adam turned out to be not much better - they moved away from God. And only a small part of people continued, as best they could, to honor the One God and preserve the memory of the old times, when heaven was not yet closed to man.

For centuries, these same generations faithful to the Lord passed on God’s promise about the seed of the woman, which would erase the head of the ancient serpent Satan. Every pious girl understood that she could become this wife, and every man, deep down in his soul, hoped to be involved in this miracle. Therefore, among the chosen people, marriage and procreation were considered a matter of honor, and the presence of children was regarded as a blessing from God. And vice versa - if the spouses did not have offspring, then they were subjected to all kinds of reproach, because it was believed that such couples were deprived of the mercy of the Almighty for some terrible sins.

Joachim and Anna bore the cross of childlessness throughout their married life. They could not even imagine that it was from their union that the very wife whose seed was mentioned in the Edenic promise would come. One day, an angel appeared to them one by one and announced the good news - they would become parents. And just as many years ago the elderly couple humbly accepted the lot of their childlessness, with the same humility the old people accepted the joy that befell them. Joachim and Anna did not argue with the angel, did not piously refuse, citing their advanced age and the inability to have children. That same night husband and wife were together, and after some time elderly woman I realized that I was pregnant.

At the appointed time, the already middle-aged woman became the mother of a healthy baby, who was named Maria. Rumor spread through the surrounding villages again, but this time people were amazed at what was happening. The miracle was obvious - this had not happened in Israel for several centuries. The old people were happy and thanked God for the gift sent down to them. Finally, their dream came true, and they could quietly end their earthly days. The couple remembered their promise to dedicate their Daughter to God. At first they planned to keep their word two years after Her birth, but they realized that it was better to wait a little longer - the Girl was not yet ready to leave parents' house. Another year passed, and three-year-old Mary, accompanied by young virgins with lighted torches, was brought to the Temple of Jerusalem.

During the initiation ceremony, a miracle happened: as soon as Mary was placed at the stairs leading to the upper part of the temple courtyard, she herself, without anyone’s help, climbed fifteen huge steps, which many adults had difficulty climbing. Seeing what was happening and seeing the future fate of the Girl, the high priest accepted Her, blessed her and did something previously unprecedented - he led Mary into the interior of the Temple - where only priests could be. Whether the Virgin was really introduced into the Holy of Holies - the Proto-Gospel does not directly speak about this, however, from ancient times the Church believes that the Mother of God did enter this most sacred compartment of the Temple.

At that moment, everyone present realized that the daughter of Joachim and Anna was worthy to enter the sanctuary, and She had to do something very important. Her place was right here - in God's house, where She could receive the necessary education and knowledge. And the Virgin’s parents, having lived for several more years, died peacefully with the knowledge that they had fulfilled their vow and were able to give God the most precious thing they had. Now the fate of their Daughter was completely in the hands of the Almighty.

Mary's Childhood and Annunciation

The temple school for girls educated the best representatives of Jewish society, who later became the wives of priests, scribes and noble young people. They were taught everything they needed to run a farm. Also, great attention was paid to giving pupils a spiritual education, teaching them to have a good understanding of sacred texts and rituals. In fact, the school that Maria ended up in was a theological seminary for girls.

The Mother of God studied until she was twelve years old. During all this time, she mastered many “female” professions, but she was best at sewing. The skill of the Most Pure One was so high that She was entrusted with the most important work - creating curtains and covers for the sanctuary. She did not lag behind in studying the Scriptures, which she knew almost by heart. Mary was the best student at the Temple school, and over time would become a desirable bride for many worthy young men. In a different situation, She could have taken a prominent position in society, if not for one “but” - even in early childhood, the Girl took a vow of celibacy to God.

The priests knew about this. When their pupil reached adulthood, and She could no longer live at the Temple, they faced a problem. No one thought of breaking the vow made by Maria, and there was no question of forcing Maria into marriage either. However, She could not live independently in the world - the law forbade unmarried girls to live among people alone. Since, apart from her long-dead parents, Mary had no close relatives, they decided to betroth Her to one of the old widowers, so that he, formally considered Her husband, would be the guardian of the purity and chastity of his wife. After long discussions and prayers, the priests decided to choose Mary’s future betrothed by drawing lots - so that exclusively the will of God would be manifested.

Among the candidates was Joseph, a construction foreman from the provincial Galilean town of Nazareth. When the men gathered in the Temple, the high priest took their staffs and placed them on the altar. After a long prayer, he began to return the rods to their owners one by one, with the expectation that the Lord would somehow clearly indicate the chosen one. But there was no sign, and only when Joseph’s turn came, as Tradition says, a miracle happened - the wide end of the stick separated from it and turned into a dove, which landed on Joseph’s head. Everyone understood that he was God’s chosen one.

The artisan was not happy with this turn and began to refuse the mission offered to him. The argument was simple - the old man was afraid of ridicule from his already adult children and acquaintances, because the age difference between him and Maria was huge. In addition, the adoption of another member into the family would have forced the division of modest property anew, and this would have given rise to unrest among the relatives... But the priests convinced Joseph not to resist the will of God. Ultimately, the old man agreed.

And what about Maria? How did she react to what was happening? Both Tradition and the Holy Fathers say that She humbled herself. But this was not the submission of a “doomed victim,” but a conscious act - Mary, who knew the Holy Scripture better than all her fellow students, understood that the Lord was expecting something from Her. And therefore She accepted everything that happened to Her as the Lord’s will, as Her destiny. And this acceptance was the Virgin’s step towards God, who prepared a new test for Her.

Soon after the betrothal, Joseph left the Virgin at home and went to work on a construction site. He had to be away for several months. Mary, meanwhile, was weaving the curtain that the priests ordered for the Temple sanctuary. While doing what she loved, Virgo most often either prayed or reflected on what she had heard or read. So, one day, while still a child, She learned that the time would come when a certain wife would give birth to a Child who would destroy the devil and crush all his power. Impressed by this story and other prophecies about the mother of the Messiah, Mary dreamed of being at least a servant in this woman’s house. And then I realized that this was just a dream. After all, the Jews had a strong belief that the Savior would be born in the royal chambers, surrounded by the best midwives and nurses. But can She, a simple poor provincial woman, get into the palace? Mary could only dream... According to Tradition, it was during such reflections that the angel of God Gabriel appeared to her.

His appearance is described in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. The Messenger of Heaven announced to Her the news that She would give birth to a Son. And not an ordinary child, but precisely that very long-awaited Savior, whose coming all the Jews were expecting. His words confused Mary, and the Girl replied that She was a virgin, and therefore she could not have a child. The angel replied: The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God(OK 1 :35). At the same time, Gabriel added that there is another woman in Israel with an unusual pregnancy - Elizabeth, the wife of the high priest Zechariah, who conceived in old age and is now waiting for her son. And if God was able to make Elizabeth’s old womb capable of receiving seed, then He will also bless Mary’s virgin womb, which will bear without any male participation.

The appearance of the angel was a kind of milestone for the young Mother of God. The fact is that God expected from Her precisely free and voluntary participation in the matter of the Incarnation. And if so, it means that Mary could refuse the mission offered to Her. This option, according to the majority of the holy fathers, was very possible. And then the Lord would again have to wait for the birth of a new worthy girl in order for her to give Him her human nature. But Maria agreed. Convinced of the truth of the angel’s words and believing God, she humbly answered Gabriel: “I am the Servant of the Lord, let it be as you say.”

After some time, Joseph returned home. Noticing Maria's pregnancy, he fell into despair: just think - as soon as he left for long term How the Young Lady fell into sin! He began to question his Spouse, but She only told him about the appearance of an angel. Having heard this answer many times, Joseph pulled himself together and calmed Mary down. He realized that something unusual had happened, but still thought that the Girl had been seduced, and She had become a victim of deception. Not considering Her guilty, but also not being able to endure the possible shame from people, the old man decided to secretly let Her out of the house, giving Her a divorce. He seemed to absolve himself of all responsibility for Her and at the same time saved Her from stoning, which was supposed to be done against unfaithful wives.

However, these plans of Joseph were prevented by Gabriel: at night he appeared to an elderly man and forbade him to let Mary go. The angel told about the fate of the unborn Child and calmed the worried husband. After this conversation, Joseph finally believed in the purity of the conception and kept Mary with him.

However, the family faced a new test - soon one of the scribes came to visit them. He knew that Mary was a Virgin, and that Joseph was only formally considered her husband. Seeing the pregnant Girl, the guest decided to tell the high priests about everything. The formal guilt of the couple was that Mary became pregnant without the knowledge and blessing of the clergy. And the elders thought that Joseph was simply covering for his Wife. An investigation has begun.

Joseph and the Mother of God told everything that happened to them, but the Temple did not believe them. After much questioning, spending a lot of energy and nerves, the priests ultimately decided to ask God Himself whether the Girl was pure. The essence of the ritual was that after performing certain prayers, the person being tested was given a special mixture to drink. If he remained healthy and without any external changes, this meant his innocence. Joseph and Mary were also given the mixture to drink, but God left them unharmed, showing that they were clean before Him. The priests were forced to curtail the investigation and bless the couple.

Mother of Christ

The events of the Savior’s earthly life are described in sufficient detail in the New Testament, and they are well known to every believer. The Gospel story mentions Mary as if in passing, making Her a participant in only a few episodes. This silence of the evangelists is quite understandable - the center of the good news and the entire Christian faith was, is and will be Christ, and only Christ. But without knowledge of the further fate of the Mother of God, the honor that the Church still bestows upon Her is still incomprehensible.

After the events of Christmas and a rather long stay in Egypt, the holy family returned to their city of Nazareth. The secret of the virgin birth of Christ was known only to the spouses themselves and several other priests, who soon died. For the rest of the people, including Joseph's older children, Jesus was his own son. No one doubted this, since the imaginary husband of the Mother of God had such an impeccable reputation that no other options were even contemplated.

The birth of the Divine Infant had little effect on the family life of Mary’s house - the Betrothed continued to walk around the neighborhood, building and repairing houses; the Mother of God still bore the burden of women’s chores around the house. Did the attitude of the husband's relatives change - they accepted Jesus with coolness, not wanting to recognize an additional heir. At first, only the youngest of Joseph’s children, Jacob, treated Him well. He fell in love with Mary as a second mother and as an older sister, and immediately recognized the Infant Christ as his brother, sharing with him his share of the inheritance. Jacob began to help Mary when she was widowed, and the Savior was still too young to earn money on his own.

Having reached adulthood, Jesus took his stepfather’s tool and began to earn food for himself and his mother. So more than ten years passed until one day He went out to preach, which was one of the main goals of His earthly life. Mary knew from the very beginning that this was precisely why the Lord came to earth, and as a mother she did not interfere with Him. Moreover, almost immediately after Her Son entered public service, the Most Pure One joined the number of female disciples who followed Christ along with the apostles.

The companions of Jesus took upon themselves all the burdens of creating basic living conditions for the Teacher and students - they bought and prepared food, washed and mended clothes, and tried in every possible way to support their sons, brothers and husbands. The Most Holy One shared all the difficulties of preaching with Christ until the moment when He was arrested, condemned to death and crucified on Calvary. Like other women, She did not leave her suffering Son for a minute during the hours of the cross and at the moment of death. According to Tradition, she was also among the myrrh-bearers who were the first to receive the joyful news of the Light Christ's Resurrection. She was also present when the Lord finally left the earth and ascended into heavenly glory.

Did the Mother of God know that she had given flesh to the Creator of the universe Himself? The Church says unequivocally: Yes! But this knowledge developed in Her gradually, originating first as a kind of spiritual intuition and only over time developing into a firm confidence in the divine dignity of Her Son. She, as Evangelist Luke writes, put together in her pure heart all the words and events associated with the Savior and carefully connected these parts into a single mosaic, which became fully apparent on the day of the Resurrection. After the victory of Jesus of Nazareth over sin and death, none of the disciples had even a shadow of doubt that Mary was the Mother of the Lord and Savior of the world.

Tradition says that She lived the remaining years of Her earthly life together with the Apostle John Zebedee, the beloved disciple of Jesus, to whom He, shortly before his death on the cross, instructed to take care of Her in every possible way as his own mother. Mary and John lived most of the time in Jerusalem. Ephesus became their second hometown, where the apostle spent a long time.

Despite her advanced age, the Most Pure One did not sit idle - She continued to preach, console, instruct, support and help everyone who came to Her. For the apostolic community, She became a living memory of the Teacher, the conscience of the Church, Mother and Prayer Book. All people who converted to Christianity tried to receive her blessing, and Mary did not reject anyone. Her heart was warm, her love was immeasurable, her prayer was fiery.

The Most Holy Theotokos peacefully passed away into Eternity in the third quarter of the first century. At the end of Her earthly journey, She greatly missed her Son, prayed a lot and asked to take Her to Himself. During one of these prayers, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before the Virgin, as in the distant years of her youth, and said that She could rejoice, for the Lord would fulfill Her request in three days.

Holy Virgin I was waiting for this news. She was ready to move into eternity, and used the allotted three days to say goodbye to all the people dear to Her heart. It immediately became clear that She would not be able to see some - for example, the apostles who dispersed to the remote provinces of the Roman Empire to preach. Three days were not enough to gather them all, and the Mother of God prayed to her Son. She did not demand anything - She simply asked - humbly and meekly, as she always did. And the Lord answered the mother’s prayers miraculously - to all the regions where the apostles were, He sent angels who carried them to Jerusalem to the house of the Most Pure One.

And then the day of death came. Mary lay peacefully on her bed, beaming with quiet joy. Her closest people gathered around her. Suddenly, the indescribable light of Divine glory shone in the upper room. Those to whom this vision was revealed were horrified. They saw Christ himself surrounded heavenly powers approached His Mother. Her soul separated from her body and was taken into the arms of the Savior, who took Her with Him. And on the bed there remained a body glowing with grace. It seemed as if the Mother of God had not died, but was sleeping in a peaceful midday slumber. A happy smile froze on Her face - finally, after many years waiting She went to her Son. According to Tradition, by this time the Virgin Mary was 72 years old.

They buried the Mother of God in the tomb where Her parents and husband Joseph had previously been buried. The body of the Ever-Virgin was carried in a solemn procession through Jerusalem. The Jewish priests found out about this and decided to disperse the procession. But a miracle happened - the Christians who accompanied the Mother of God to last path, surrounded by a cloud, and the warriors sent by the elders could not cause them any harm. Then the Jewish priest Athos tried to overturn the bed, but his hands were cut off by an invisible force. After repentance, he received healing and confessed himself to be a Christian. After the burial, the apostles closed the entrance to the cave with a stone and left.

The Apostle Thomas did not participate in the procession - the Lord specifically did not allow him to arrive on time. He arrived in Jerusalem on the third day after the funeral. Saddened that he would never see the Virgin Mary again, he began to ask the apostles to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to his body. They agreed, but when they opened the coffin, they were horrified: there was no body in the cave - only burial shrouds lay in the niche. The apostles were in confusion. They returned home, perplexed and praying to God to show them where to look for the missing body. That same day, in the evening, at dinner, the Mother of God herself appeared to the apostles, surrounded by angels, and greeted them with the words: “Rejoice! For I am with you always.”

Our Lady and always the Virgin

An integral part of traditional Christian doctrine are two concepts: Motherhood and Ever-Virginity. What do these concepts mean and why are they so important?

The first term, which appeared in the Christian lexicon in the middle of the 2nd century and goes back to the Alexandrian theological school, says that Mary - a simple human Girl, a descendant of Adam and Eve - gave birth not only to the Man Jesus, but also True God, Second Person of the Holy Trinity. At the same time, it is important to clearly understand that the Divine nature has no beginning, it is eternal, and God cannot have a mother. However, without ceasing to be God, the Son of God deigned to accept human nature from Mary and become Man.

Mary gave birth to Man, but since His Person is divine, the Church considers the expression “to give birth to God according to the flesh” correct and justified. The concept of the Mother of God is very closely connected with the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, and therefore the Church has always insisted that denying Mary the title of Mother of God is the same as denying Christ His divinity.

There are many more questions with the second term, and it is also very important. Ever-virginity - “eternal virginity” - means that Mary, just as she was a Virgin before the conception of her Son, was so at the time of the Nativity, and also remained a Virgin after giving birth. In other words, no physiological and psychological changes or destruction associated with the birth of children occurred in Her girl’s body. The purity of the Mother of God has two characteristics that make Mary the most perfect person after Christ.

One of the main problems of fallen human nature is the dominance of the flesh over the individual. The Fall damaged the hierarchy that was laid down by God in Adam and Eve. After the Edenic catastrophe, the spirit, soul and mind became prisoners of the physiological principle. In the field of motherhood, this has led to the fact that a mother's love is very often based on the biological maternal instinct, on a sense of duty and on a sense of ownership. For most mothers, a child is part of herself, flesh and blood. At the subconscious level, the child is most often perceived as the woman’s own part, as a certain thing, and rarely does a parent find the strength to overcome this instinct, to reach new level love for the child. In the birth of the Son of God, the Mother of God sacrifices herself in an absolute sense, demanding nothing in return. He leaves Her to serve people, He leaves Her in death. She knows from the very beginning that He is the Son of God. The Mother of God is an absolute and unattainable example of sacrificial maternal love. This is why all mothers pray to Her. She is asked to teach sacrificial love for children.

In the Mother of God the law of fallen nature was overcome, and She gives birth to the Son completely freely. For Mary, the Infant of God is not a consequence of marriage, as for all other women, but someone completely different. This otherness is most adequately conveyed by the church term “groom.” The relationship between the Mother of God and Christ fits best into the ideal of a pure relationship between the bride and groom - just as strangers and people who did not know each other are imbued with mutual unconditional and selfless love, so the Mother of God completely freely chooses for herself the path of serving God. She gives Him Her untouched nature, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and becomes the chosen vessel, the container of the incontainable King of the universe. By the way, this is where the poetic phrase “The Unbrided Bride” originates. Mary's love for her Son (and therefore for all people) is higher than any human love, since it is not overshadowed by any distortions of fallen nature.

The Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God also speaks of the fact that She became the first on whom the divine plan to restore all humanity to its former greatness and glory was fulfilled. In Eternity, which will come after the second coming of Christ, the whole world will be transformed, become different, and man himself will lose sad consequences the Fall. But this will happen only after a general resurrection of the dead, and the Mother of God, already during Her earthly life, was honored to be involved in this heavenly state. She showed people that highest ideal - both spiritual and physical - to which everyone who calls himself a Christian is called. By personal example, humility, love and selfless service to God, the Most Blessed Mary showed us the path along which all people are called to follow. A path that runs through self-sacrifice and self-forgetfulness, through feat and effort, through labor and constant work on oneself. But if you still decide to follow it and ask the Mother of God for help and support, then at the end of this road the imperishable light of the Heavenly abodes will shine - the very ones where we are all called to come.

On the screensaver is Hans Holbein the Elder. Dormition of the Virgin Mary (fragment). 1491-1492

The main female figure for Orthodox believers is the Virgin Mary, who was given the honor of becoming the Mother of the Lord. She led a righteous life and helped people cope with various troubles. After ascending to heaven, believers began to pray to the Mother of God, asking for help in various situations.

Virgin Mary in Orthodoxy

For believers, the Mother of God is the main intercessor before her Son and Lord. She is the woman who gave birth and raised the Savior. It is believed that nothing is impossible for the Mother of God, and people ask her for salvation for their souls. In Orthodoxy, the Virgin Mary is called the patroness of every person, since she, like a loving mother, worries about her children. More than once the appearance of the Virgin Mary occurred, which was accompanied by miracles. There are many icons, temples and monasteries created in honor of the Mother of God.

Who is the Virgin Mary?

A lot of information is known about the life of the Mother of God, which can be found in the apocrypha and in the memoirs of people who knew her during her earthly life. The following main facts can be highlighted:

1. The Holy Virgin Mary was in a specialized school at the Jerusalem Temple until she was 12 years old. Her parents sent her there, who made a vow that their daughter would devote her life to the Lord.
2. The appearance of the Mother of God was described by the church historian Nicephorus Callistus. She was of medium height, golden hair, and olive-colored eyes. The Virgin Mary's nose is oblong and her face is round.
3. To feed her family, the Mother of God had to constantly work. It is known that she was a good weaver and independently created the red tunic that Jesus wore before the crucifixion.
4. The Virgin Mary constantly followed Jesus until the end of his earthly life. After the crucifixion and ascension of Christ, the Mother of God remained to live with John the Theologian. Further life is known to a greater extent from the apocryphal “Proto-Gospel of Jacob”.
5. The death of the Virgin Mary was recorded in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, where the Catholic Church is now located. According to the apocrypha, apostles from different parts of the world arrived at the deathbed, but only Thomas lingered, so at his request the tomb was not closed. On the same day, the body of the Virgin Mary disappeared, so it is believed that the Ascension of the Virgin Mary took place.

Symbols of the Virgin Mary

There are many symbols that relate to the Virgin Mary:

1. A monogram made up of two letters “MR”, which means Maria Regina - Mary, Queen of Heaven.
2. A common sign of the Virgin Mary is a winged heart, sometimes pierced by a saber and depicted on a shield. This picture is the coat of arms of the Virgin Mary.
3. The name of the Mother of God is associated with a crescent moon, a cypress tree and an olive tree. The flower symbolizing the purity of the Virgin Mary is the lily. Since the Virgin Mary is considered the queen of all saints, one of her symbols is the white rose. She is represented with five petals, which is associated with the name Maria.

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

The sinlessness of the Mother of God did not immediately become a dogma, since the authors of the first Christian texts did not pay attention to this issue. Many do not know how the Virgin Mary became pregnant, but according to legend, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven to her, and an immaculate conception occurred, thanks to which it did not pass on to Jesus Christ original sin. In Orthodoxy, the Immaculate Conception is not accepted as a dogma and it is believed that the Mother of God was freed from sin thanks to contact with Divine grace.

How did the Virgin Mary give birth to Jesus?

It is not possible to find details regarding how the Virgin’s birth took place, but there is information that it was absolutely painless. This is explained by the fact that Christ emerged from his mother’s womb without opening it or expanding the paths, that is, the Mother of God Virgin Mary remained a virgin. It is believed that Jesus was born when his mother was 14-15 years old. There were no midwives near the Mother of God; she herself took the child in her arms.

Prophecies of the Virgin Mary at Fatima

The most famous apparition of Our Lady is the Miracle of Fatima. She came to three shepherd children and each of her appearances was accompanied by a number of inexplicable incidents, for example, the random movement of the sun across the sky was observed. During the communication, the Mother of God revealed three secrets. The predictions of the Virgin Mary of Fatima have been revealed at different times:

1. At her first appearance, the Mother of God showed the children terrible visions of Hell. She said that the First would soon end world war, but if people do not stop sinning and offending God, then he will punish them with various disasters. The sign will be the appearance of bright light at night, when it will be visible as during the day. According to some data, before the outbreak of World War II, the northern lights were observed in Europe.
2. The second appearance of the Virgin Mary brought another prophecy and it says that when everything is illuminated by an unknown light at night, it will be a sign that God is going to punish the world. To prevent this from happening, the Mother of God will come to ask for the consecration of Russia, and also for the holding of expiatory sacraments on every first Saturday of the month. If people listen to her requests, then there will be peace, but if not, then wars and new cataclysms cannot be avoided. Many believe that this prophecy speaks of the spread of communism, which was accompanied by various clashes.
3. The third prophecy was received in 1917, but the Virgin Mary did not allow its discovery until 1960. The Pope, having read the prophecy, refused to reveal it, citing the fact that it did not concern his time. The text indicates that an assassination attempt will be made on the Pope and this happened in May 1981. The Pope himself admitted that it is believed that the Mother of God protected him from death.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

There are a huge number of prayer texts addressed to the Mother of God. She helps believers cope with various problems, this is how women who want to get pregnant and get married turn to her, ask her for healing and material benefits, pray to her for children, and so on. There are several rules regarding the pronunciation of prayer texts:

1. You can turn to the Mother of God in church and at home, the main thing is to have an icon before your eyes. It is recommended to light a candle nearby to make it easier to concentrate.
2. The prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary must be said from a pure heart and with faith in her power. Any doubts are a block to assistance.
3. You can turn to the Mother of God at any time when your soul desires.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary of Lourdes

In 1992, the Pope established a holiday in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes. People turn to her for help to receive healing from illnesses. During her lifetime, the Holy Virgin healed the suffering and after that became the savior of the sick. When she was a child, the Virgin Mary, the Most Holy Theotokos, began to appear to her and taught her the rules of prayer, called her to repentance for sinful people and asked her to build a church. She showed the girl where the healing source was. Bernadette was canonized only 10 years after her death.

Strong prayer to the Virgin Mary for help

In Christianity, prayer to the Mother of God is considered the most powerful and effective. They ask her for help in various situations, the main thing is that the request is serious, since it is better not to disturb the Higher Powers over trifles. The prayer to the Virgin Mary for help should be repeated daily and even up to several times a day. You can say it out loud or to yourself. The sacred text, when read regularly, instills hope and gives strength not to give up in a difficult situation.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for well-being

A person's life is filled with different situations that are not always positive. Women are the guardians of the family hearth, so representatives of the fair sex should pray for the well-being of their relatives. The Blessed Virgin Mary will help reconcile people, and another one will protect from quarrels and family destruction. With the help of the presented prayer, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from various negativity from the outside.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for health

There is a huge amount of evidence from believers who confirm that sincere prayerful appeals to the Mother of God helped to heal from various ailments. The prayer to the Holy Virgin Mary can be said in church, but it is also recommended to place an image at home near the patient’s bed, light a candle and pray. You can say the text on, and then give the person with the disease a drink and wash it.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for marriage

Many girls who are in search of a soul mate turn to the Most Holy Theotokos so that she can bring petitions to the Lord and help establish personal life. She is considered the main intercessor of all women, helping them in love affairs. To find happiness and love, you need to read a prayer to the Virgin Mary every day until what you want becomes real. Prayer requests will not only increase the chances of meeting a worthy life partner, but will also protect the relationship from various problems and help build a happy family.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for children

The Mother of God is the main mother for all believers, since she gave the world the Savior. A huge number of people turn to her for help, asking for their children. The blessed Virgin Mary will help guide the child on the righteous path, discourage him from bad company and give him inspiration to find himself in this world. Regular prayer to the mother will be a strong protection against illnesses and various problems.

To understand the Christian tradition and the Divine image of the Mother of God itself, it is useful for every Christian to know the following truths: The Most Holy Virgin Mary is in the literal sense the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the Mother of God; She remains the Ever-Virgin before the birth of Jesus Christ, at Christmas and after Christmas; The Mother of God follows the Savior as the highest power of all heavenly powers - the holy apostles and holy fathers of the church. The books of the Old and New Testaments, the very earthly life of the Mother of God, lead to such a generalization.

More than two thousand years separate us from the day when the Blessed Virgin was born into the light of God. Today it is difficult to even believe that She had an earthly life filled with human worries, joys and sufferings. We are accustomed to perceiving Her as the Queen of Heaven, but She had her own earthly character traits - a tendency towards peace and thoughtfulness, as evidenced by Her contemporaries. The divine touching smile of the Virgin Mary was forever captured by icon painters; it is not even a smile, but an image of kindness itself.

Mary’s mother’s name was Anna, her father’s name was Joachim, both family branches had venerable ancestors behind them, among whom were patriarchs, high priests and Jewish rulers from the branches of the wise Solomon and the mighty David. Joachim and Anna were not considered wealthy and noble, although they lived comfortably, raising large flocks of sheep. They were oppressed by only one sadness: there were no children. The coming of the Messiah was already predetermined, and childless people were obviously deprived of the hope of having the Messiah as their descendant, something that every family secretly dreamed of. Among the Israelis at that time, even the clergy perceived a childless person as being punished from above. This is confirmed by a fact from the life of Joachim. On the feast of the renewal of the Temple of Jerusalem, he, along with other residents, brought rich gifts for the Temple, but the priest refused to accept them - Joachim’s childlessness was the reason for this. He bore his grief heavily, for some time he even retired to the desert, where, crying bitterly, he repeatedly turned to God: “My tears will be my food, and the desert will be my home until the great and wise Lord hears my prayer.” And then Joachim heard the words of the Angel of the Lord: “I was sent to tell you that your prayer has been heard.”

Your wife Anna will give birth to you a wonderful daughter, and you will name her Mary. Here is a confirmation of my words: when entering Jerusalem, behind the Golden Gates you will meet your wife Anna, and she will also delight you with joyful news. But remember that your daughter is the fruit of a divine gift."

The Angel of the Lord also appeared to Anna and also told her that she would give birth to a blessed daughter. The small southern town of Nazareth, where Joachim and Anna lived, was located three days' journey from Jerusalem. They are from the very beginning life together walked from Nazareth to express their great request to God in the famous Jerusalem Temple: to have a child. And now the dream came true, their joy knew no bounds.

On December 9 (Hereinafter in the biography the dates are given according to the old style.) the Orthodox Church celebrates the conception of the Blessed Virgin, and on September 8 - Her birth. At the age of three, Mary was brought into the Temple in Jerusalem. This was a very important moment; it is no coincidence that the Orthodox Church celebrates such an event. It took place in a very solemn atmosphere: the procession was opened by girls the same age as the Blessed Virgin, with lit candles in their hands, and behind them walked Joachim and Anna together with their blessed daughter, holding hands. They were followed by numerous relatives, among whom were very noble persons. Everyone's faces were lit up with joy. The virgins walked singing spiritual songs, their voices merging with the singing of the Angels.

The Blessed Virgin was destined to spend many years in the Temple of Jerusalem. That temple was the prototype of a monastic monastery. Within the walls of the Temple there were 90 separate spacious rooms-cells. A third of them were allocated to virgins who dedicated their lives to God, the remaining rooms were occupied by widows who gave dinner to remain celibate. The elders looked after the younger ones, taught them to read holy books and do handicrafts. The Blessed Virgin Mary immediately surprised everyone by the fact that she easily comprehended the most difficult passages of the sacred books, better than all the adults who had studied these books all their lives.

After the birth of the desired child, the parents die very soon, first Joachim at the age of 80, then Anna. There was no one even to visit the little child staying in the Temple. Orphanhood and the consciousness of her loneliness turned Mary’s heart even more strongly to God, in Him was contained her entire destiny.

When Mary was fourteen years old, the high priests announced to her that the time had come to get married. Mary replied that she wanted to devote her life to God and wanted to preserve her virginity. What should I do?

An angel of the Lord appeared to the high priest Zechariah and told him the advice of the Most High: “Gather the unmarried men of the tribe of Judah, from the line of David, let them bring their staffs. And to whomever the Lord shows a sign, hand over the Virgin to him, so that he may become the guardian of Her virginity.”

That's exactly what happened. The high priest Zechariah gathered unmarried men near the temple and turned to God with a prayer: “Lord God, show me a husband worthy of becoming the betrothed of the Virgin.” The staffs of the invited men were left in the sanctuary. When they came for them, they immediately saw how one staff blossomed, and a dove was sitting on the branches that appeared. The owner of the staff turned out to be 80-year-old widower Joseph, who was engaged in carpentry. The dove flew off the staff and began to circle above Joseph’s head. And then Zechariah said: “You will receive the Virgin and keep Her.” At first, Joseph objected, fearing that with adult sons older than Mary, he would become the laughing stock of people. Tradition says that Mary herself was very upset that She had to leave the Temple of God. But by the will of the Almighty, the betrothal took place, only Joseph became not the husband of Mary, in our usual understanding, but the guardian of holiness and a caring servant of the Virgin Mary.

Not much is said about Joseph in Scripture, but still, bit by bit, a fairly clear image can be formed. The elder was a descendant of kings David and Solomon, a man of firm and truthful character, modest, attentive, and hardworking. From his first marriage to Solomiya, he had two daughters and four sons. Before his engagement to Mary, he lived for many years in honest widowhood.

Joseph brought the God-given girl to his home in Nazareth, and they plunged into ordinary everyday affairs. Only Mary had a premonition of a great accomplishment, something indescribable, extraordinary. All people were waiting for the coming of the Messiah, as the only deliverer from numerous vices that entangled people like a web.

Luxurious Rome, which conquered many countries, indulged in pleasures, wallowed in debauchery, perversion, fanaticism, forgetting about all virtues. A catastrophe of the spirit always leads to a catastrophe of the body. Only the Almighty could be a healer of the spirit. And the Virgin Mary, as if instinctively, without realizing it, was preparing for the fulfillment of the greatest Divine plan. Her soul comprehended the birth of the Savior. She did not yet know in what way God would send His Son to Earth, but Her soul itself was already preparing for this meeting. Thus, the Most Holy Virgin of things, in Her essence, alone could unite the age-old foundations of the Old Testament with the new Christian laws of life.

To preach the gospel of His Divine plan, the Lord chose the Archangel Gabriel, one of the very first angels. The icon of the Annunciation (celebration of March 25) reveals to us this great act of the Lord. It depicts the quiet descent from heaven to Earth of an angel in the guise of a magnificent young man. He hands the Virgin Mary a heavenly flower - a lily and pronounces priceless words; "Rejoice, Full of Grace: the Lord is with you! Blessed are you among women!" The meaning of these heavenly words is that the Most Holy Virgin conceives a Son, whose kingdom will have no end. Before, She read the sacred books, in particular, the prophet Isaiah, that a certain Virgin would give birth to the Son of Man from God. She was ready to become a servant of That woman, and did not think about her own divine destiny.

Modern man can create doubt in his mind. The Immaculate Conception has raised questions throughout the ages. But the most amazing thing is that hearing the Good News first of all doubted Mary herself. “How will this happen to me when I don’t know my husband?” - were her first words.

A fact may indeed seem dubious if one comprehends it with a cold mind. But it must be accepted not with the mind, but with the soul. The Immaculate Conception or ever-virginity of the Most Holy Theotokos is a union of the heavenly and earthly, the spiritual and the material. That was the moment of the rebirth of a worldly person into Holiness, which people have been worshiping for two millennia.

Moscow Metropolitan Saint Philaret (1782-1867) speaks insightfully and sublimely about this phenomenon: “The virgin is ready to become a mother, She bows before the Divine destiny, but does not want and cannot experience earthly marriage, this common path to birth on Earth.. This heart trembles with one Divine love. All thoughts, feelings, aspirations are given to the invisible, unapproachable God. He alone could be Her desired, Her incorruptible bridegroom. , frightened by the mere possibility of an earthly marriage, she rushed with strength there, into the heights, to the only desired and awaited God. And then the mysterious, wonderful, immaculate conception took place.

Thus the words of the Archangel Gabriel were confirmed: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore, the One who is born is holy, and will be called the Son of God.”

Materialists cannot comprehend this miracle. Some accept only physics, others take a bolder step - into metaphysics. But how natural and natural it is to recognize the Divine principle! Although the concept of “beginning” is applicable to a specific phenomenon, and God is Eternity, which cannot have a beginning and an end. God is the force that establishes harmony in the Universe.

The Annunciation icon helps mortal man to accept this spiritual essence and connects us with the Divine world. In Nazareth, where the Archangel Gabriel preached the gospel to the Virgin Mary, a temple was erected in the 4th century in memory of the Annunciation. Unquenchable lamps burn in the altar, casting light on the words that contain the essence of the greatest sacrament: “Yic Verbum caro fuit” (“Here is the word flesh”). Above the throne is an image of the Annunciation and next to it are vases with white lilies. The flower that was in the hands of the Archangel Gabriel symbolizes purity.

One must imagine the state of the Virgin Mary, who must explain to her husband the reason for the already visible fruiting. The sublime and the sinful stood on the same scales in her imagination. A grave drama was brewing in the soul of earthly man. And what was the state of Joseph, who was in awe of Mary, but saw changes in Her figure and suffered from questions that tormented him?! Of course, the Virgin Mary could tell Joseph everything as it happened... But would he believe that the Divine fruit was hidden in Her womb? And how can we speak about ourselves as holiness? The Virgin Mary preferred silent suffering to all such supposed explanations, questions and answers. After all, She was aware of the fact of the ascension of mortal man to an unattainable height.

Righteous Joseph, not knowing the secret of the Lord’s incarnation, showed extraordinary kindness. After much torment, various assumptions and hesitations, he decides to secretly present the Virgin Mary with a letter of divorce without indicating the reason for the divorce. Saint John Chrysostom explains this act this way: “Joseph showed amazing wisdom in this case: he did not accuse or reproach the Virgin, but thought only to let Her go.” He really wanted to preserve the honor of the Virgin and save Her from persecution by the law, thereby satisfying the demands of his conscience. And just as he decided to carry out his plan with the letter, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. All contradictions and omissions were instantly resolved by the Lord's revelation.

The Nativity of Christ and His entire subsequent earthly life are most fully and variedly represented in spiritual literature, in icon painting. Over the course of two millennia, a number of books have been written about it that cannot be counted in the usual circulations. There was no other similar life on Earth that would attract human souls with such unshakable force. Over the course of a gigantic period of time (in the usual human understanding), the burning of lamps and candles did not stop in honor of Jesus Christ on Earth. If black forces blew up the temple of God, then a candle burned in some hut. If it went out in one part of the world, it invariably shone with flame in front of a pure image in another. At all times, the great spiritual feat of Christ, which all people in the world must know about, remained the highest ideal of service to God the Father and service of God the Son to humanity. The life of Jesus Christ was a living example of fulfilling the two first biblical commandments: to love God and to love your neighbor.

Failure to observe these commandments by humanity leads to destruction. Life has convinced us of this more than once. Evil seems to migrate across the planet in time. History records: the obscurantism of pagans of various stripes, the ferocity of the Herodian dynasty, the cruelty of Nero, the fanaticism of the Jesuits, the harmful consequences of the doctrines of philosophers like Nietzsche, the deception of false prophets and the disastrous temptations of the new “kings” and so-called democracy. Where the commandments of the Lord are not kept, evil invades, lies flourish there, and faith in God becomes false; where the commandments of Christ the Savior are not observed, there is constant bloodshed, and love for one’s neighbor is manifested only in words; where the commandments of the Almighty are not observed, there the government is luxurious, and the people are poor. Such a society is doomed to destruction.

If we imagine that Jesus Christ had not come to earth, then there would have been no force at all to counteract evil, and humanity would have ended its existence long ago. The Savior appeared on earth during the reign of King Herod. It is clear what people associate with this name. At all times and to this day, the most vile rulers are called Herods. Whoever opposes them follows the commandments of Christ.

At all stages of the spiritual feat of Jesus Christ himself in the name of saving people, His Mother, the Most Holy Theotokos, stood next to Him. She bore her cross with the greatest earthly dignity. On a cold night, having given birth to a son, She could not shelter Him in Her house ("She gave birth to Her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn) Luke 2:7." King Herod, who unrighteously commanded the people, was very afraid of the coming of the Messiah; he in every possible way prevented the fulfillment of God’s intentions. Having learned about the birth of Christ, he committed a terrible, barbaric act - he ordered to kill all the babies in Bethlehem and its environs, hoping that among those killed would be the newborn King of the Jews - the Savior. 14,000 innocent children - boys - fell as sacrifices for Christ by the will of King Herod. What fear did the Mother of God feel for the life of her Son?!

She experienced every second of Jesus' life, from birth to crucifixion and ascension. And one must imagine Her grief, how it shook the soul when the ignorant crowd mocked the Holiness, when the blood froze on the forehead of Her Son from the crown of thorns and when the Most Pure Body of Jesus had to be removed from the cross...

After the Ascension of Christ, the earthly path of the Mother of God was still quite long and fruitful.

She was destined, together with the apostles, to carry the teachings of Christ throughout the world. Rejoicing at the successes of the Son’s disciples, the Mother of God herself almost never spoke before the people. However, there is one wonderful exception in the legends... More on it later. The Mother of God sought the essence of Christian teaching not in words, but in life itself. By the way, this is the most effective method of teaching children by parents: you can say little and do a lot, then children will definitely understand how to do and what to do. The Virgin Mary diligently served the poor, gave to the poor, cared for the sick, and helped orphans and widows. She devoted a lot of time to prayers at the tomb of her Son. The Virgin Mary buried Joseph the betrothed when Jesus was in adolescence. Joseph also modestly and nobly fulfilled his life’s feat. The life of each of us should be a feat; the essence of life lies in fulfilling with dignity the destiny given by God to each person. How to do it? Follow your conscience. Conscience should be the guide of life - sent by God, guarded by man. With her existence, material and spiritual efforts, the Mother of God taught people how to live, awakening in man Conscience - the voice of God. The Mother of God - the Mother of God, standing in front of the icon - Her image, a person opens his soul, trusts secrets, sends repentance for sins, hoping for Her mercy and mediation before God. And the Mother of God connects a particle of this Divine principle in man with the Almighty.

The laconic Virgin Mary once nevertheless had to speak to people with a most wonderful sermon, the legend of which has survived to this day. The Mother of God intended to visit Cyprus.

The ship crossed the Mediterranean Sea, and the desired island was about to appear. But suddenly a storm hit the ship, and it became uncontrollable, it was carried to the other side of the world, as if by the will of the heavenly Helmsman. The ship fell into the Aegean Sea, rushed between numerous islands and stopped by the will of the Almighty at the foot of Mount Athos. That area was literally teeming with idolatry temples with a huge temple of Apollo in the center, where various fortune-telling and pagan sorcery were performed.

But then the Mother of God descended from the ship to earth, and people began to flock to Her from everywhere with questions: who is Christ and what did He bring to Earth? And then She was forced to tell people for a long time about the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, about the suffering that befell Him for the sins of people, about execution, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.

She revealed to people the essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ - about repentance, forgiveness, love for God and neighbor - as great values ​​that affirm goodness, justice and prosperity in the world.

After such a heartfelt sermon of the Mother of God, an extraordinary action took place. Everyone who heard Her wished to be baptized. Leaving Athos, the Mother of God blessed the newly converted Christians and uttered a prophecy: “Let this place be my lot, given to me by My Son and My God. May My grace rest upon those who live here with faith and piety and keep the commandments of My Son and My God. They will have abundantly and with little difficulty, everything necessary for earthly life, and the mercy of My Son will not fail for them until the end of the age. I will be an intercessor for this place and an intercessor for it before My God.”

The further history of Athos to this day confirms that Divine protection has been felt and materialized over that place in all centuries.

The blessings of the Mother of God similar to those of Athos are so endless that a whole chronicle can be compiled from them. Many icons of the Mother of God are dedicated to this. There is a story about them ahead. Towards the end of her earthly life, the Mother of God strove with all Her being towards Heaven. And one day, during prayer, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her again with a joyful and radiant face, just as decades ago, when he brought the Good News from the Almighty. This time the news was that the Mother of God had only three days left to remain on Earth. With the same great joy, She accepted this message, for there could be no greater happiness for Her than to eternally contemplate the image of Her Divine Son. Archangel Gabriel handed Her a heavenly date branch that emitted extraordinary light day and night. The Mother of God was the first to tell the Apostle John about the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, who almost never separated from the Mother of God.

Having notified everyone at home about her upcoming departure from the sinful Earth, the Mother of God ordered to prepare Her chambers accordingly: decorate the walls and bed, burn incense, light candles. She exhorted her loved ones not to cry, but rather to rejoice in the fact that, talking with Her Son, She would direct His goodness to everyone living on Earth, and would visit and protect those in need.

Apostles and disciples from all over the world, alerted by the Holy Spirit, gathered in a miraculous manner to see off the Mother of God on her final journey. There were about seventy of them - the most devoted preachers of the teachings of Christ. On the blessed 15th day of August and the third hour from noon, everyone gathered in the temple, decorated especially for the sacred unprecedented action. Many candles were burning, the Mother of God was reclining on a splendidly decorated bed and praying selflessly in anticipation of her outcome and the coming of Her Son and Lord. According to legend, one can imagine an extraordinary picture.

At the appointed time, the entire temple was bathed in a never-before-seen heavenly solemn light. It was as if the walls parted and the King of Glory Christ Himself ascended above the heads of people, surrounded by a host of angels, archangels and other disembodied forces, with the righteous souls of the forefathers and prophets.

Rising from her bed, the Mother of God bowed to Her Son and the Lord with the words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoices in God My Savior, for He has looked upon the humility of His servant!.. My heart is ready; be unto Me according to Thy word...”

Looking at the radiant face of the Lord, Her dearest Son, without the slightest bodily suffering, as if sweetly falling asleep, the Mother of God transferred Her most radiant and pure soul into His hands.

Metropolitan of Moscow Saint Philaret, in his letters on the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos (M. 1844), explains to his compatriots this solemn moment of transition from earthly life to the life of the eternal Virgin Mary: “And since the Ever-Virgin carried the Son of God in Her arms during His earthly infancy, then, as reward for this, the Son of God carries Her soul in His arms, at the beginning of Her heavenly life."

The body of the Virgin Mary was buried on earth. Saints Peter and Paul, with the Lord's brother Saint James and the other apostles, lifted the bed onto their shoulders and carried it from Zion through Jerusalem to the village of Gethsemane. Saint John the Theologian carried before the bed a paradise date branch presented to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. The branch shone with heavenly light. Above the entire crowded procession and the most pure body of the Mother of God, a certain cloudy circle suddenly appeared - something like a crown. And the joyful singing of the heavenly forces spilled into space. Radiance and Divine chant accompanied the procession until the burial.

Tradition testifies to how the unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem, amazed by the extraordinary grandeur of the funeral procession and embittered by the honors given to the Mother of Jesus Christ, reported what they saw to the Pharisees. Their order followed: destroy the entire procession and burn the coffin with Mary’s body! But a miracle happened: a shining crown - the Divine Sphere - hid the procession like a protective cap. The soldiers heard the footsteps of people accompanying the Mother of God, heard singing, but could not see anyone. They bumped into each other, into houses and fences, and felt as if they were blind. Nothing could interfere with the solemn burial.

Nowhere in Holy Scripture will we find a narrative about the death of the Virgin Mary. There was no death. Of course, in the understanding of how this happens with an ordinary person, when the body is given over to the earth, and the soul to God. The Holy Orthodox Church calls the departure of the Mother of God from earthly life the Assumption. And he sings the Dormition of the Mother of God like this: “The laws of nature are defeated in You, O pure Virgin, virginity is preserved at birth and life is combined with death: remaining a Virgin through birth and living after death, You will always save, Mother of God, Your inheritance.”

The Dormition means that the Virgin Mary, after a difficult many-year wakefulness, fell asleep in a sweet sleep, reposed to the eternal source of life, becoming the Mother of Life, delivering with Her prayers the souls of mortals from torment and death, instilling in them with Her Dormition a living foretaste of eternal life.

The Apostle Thomas, as the legend says, arrived in Gethsemane only on the third day after the burial of the Most Holy Theotokos. He grieved and cried a lot over this and really regretted that he was not awarded Her blessing. And then the other apostles allowed him to open the coffin to make a final farewell. The stone was rolled away, the coffin was opened, but... the body of the Virgin Mary was not there. The apostles began to pray to the Lord that He would reveal His secret to them.

In the evening the holy apostles sat down to a meal. As was customary among them, they left one place unoccupied, and placed a piece of bread in front of it, so that after the meal, giving thanks to the Lord, glorifying the name of the Holy Trinity, this piece of bread could be tasted by everyone as a blessed gift with the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ.” , help us!" Everyone thought and talked during the meal only about the miraculous disappearance of the body of the Mother of God. The meal was over, everyone stood up and, according to custom, raised the bread set aside in honor of the Lord... Looking up, preparing for prayer, everyone saw the Most Pure Virgin Mary, surrounded by many angels. And they heard from Her: “Rejoice! I am with you always!”

The entire earthly life of the Mother of God fits into a specific 72 years, this is evidenced by the calculations of the ancient holy fathers of the church (St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, St. Simeon Metaphrastus), authoritative church historians agree with them. But from the entire holy life of the Blessed Virgin, the Orthodox Church has identified four most important spiritual events, celebrated by great holidays: the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Entry into the Temple, the Annunciation and the Assumption. These holidays are counted among the so-called twelve and are equated to the great holidays of the Lord. There are twelve of them in total per year. Behind every holiday there is a great spiritual event, the reflection of which is an endless number of icons.

But at the same time, the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos themselves have a special life, special story, they preserve miracles and still have a beneficial effect on humans.

Before interpreting the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, it will be interesting and useful to imagine Her earthly appearance according to the descriptions of eyewitnesses that have come down to us in holy books. But the main feature of the Blessed Virgin, which determines all of Her spiritual content, was defined by Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea as follows: “She has a mind controlled by God and directed towards God alone.” All of Her contemporaries, without exception, place the impeccable spiritual qualities of the Mother of God in the foreground.

Saint Ambrose, in the guise of the Mother of God, notices those features that can serve as an ideal person: “She was not eloquent, a lover of reading... Her rule was not to offend anyone, to be kind to everyone, to honor elders, not to envy equals, to avoid boasting, to be sensible, to love virtue. When did She offend her parents, even with her expression? When was she in disagreement with her relatives, when did she laugh at the weak, did she shy away from the poor? in actions: modest body movements, quiet steps, even voice, so Her bodily appearance was an expression of the soul, the personification of purity."

Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, three years after his conversion to Christianity, was honored to see the Blessed Virgin Mary face to face in Jerusalem, describes this meeting as follows: “When I was brought before the face of the God-like bright Virgin, such a great and immeasurable Divine light enveloped me from without and within. and such a wonderful fragrance of various aromas spread around me that neither my weak body nor my spirit itself were able to bear such great and abundant signs and firstfruits of eternal bliss and glory.”

Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer surprisingly accurately defines the essence of the blessed influence of the Mother of God on mere mortal people: “In Her the angelic nature was united with the human.”

From the legends and memories of contemporaries of the Blessed Virgin, a completely visible image emerges. The church historian Nicephorus Callistus verbally depicted him this way: “She was of average height, golden hair, quick eyes, with pupils as if the color of an olive, arched and moderately black eyebrows, an oblong nose, flowering lips, full of sweet speeches; her face was neither round nor sharp. , but somewhat oblong, arms and fingers long."

At all times, the holy fathers of the church expressed their genuine delight before the image of our Most Pure Theotokos, Ever-Virgin Mary. For example, the great theologian of the Orthodox Church, Saint John of Damascus (VII century), says: “God, the highest and purest light, loved her so much that through the invasion of the Holy Spirit he was essentially united with Her, and was born from Her as a perfect man, without changing or mixing his properties. ".

It is these properties, specifically defined and named by the venerable chroniclers of the church, the holy fathers and contemporaries of the Virgin Mary, that are present in every icon of the Mother of God, corresponding to one or another event in Her life, one or another feast of the Mother of God, one or another phenomenon associated with Her.

The first icon painter who left the most accurate image of the Mother of God was the disciple of the Apostle Paul and his assistant, the holy evangelist Luke. Pious believers wished to see the face of the Mother of God. Saint Luke paints an image of the Virgin Mary and presents it to Her directly. Having seen the first icon of the Mother of God, or rather her own image, she involuntarily said: “May the grace of the one born of Me and Mine be with this icon!” Her blessing made the icons of the Mother of God blessed - giving the believer good, deliverance from vice, filling the soul with divine light.

The history of the first icon is unique. She spent many years in Antioch, where believers first called themselves Christians. Next, the holy image moves to Jerusalem, and then ends up in Constantinople to the holy queen Pulcheria (in the middle of the first millennium). Together with their husband Emperor Marcian, they erected three magnificent temples in Constantinople in honor of the Mother of God - Chalkopratea, Odigitria and Blachernae. In the temple of Hodegetria they place an icon painted by the holy evangelist Luke.

The Mother of God in the fate of Russia is like a mother for a baby. There is a special mystery in the veneration of the Mother of God by Russian people. It lies in the hope of omnipotent maternal intercession before God. After all, the Almighty is not only a great benefactor, but also a formidable judge. Russians, who have such a valuable character trait as repentance, have always had fear of God side by side with love of God. Like his own mother, a God-fearing sinner asks for the protection of the Mother of God, going to the judgment of the Lord. A person knows his sins; that is why God has given him a conscience. The great Intercessor, Defender, Savior - the Mother of God - helps us to be accountable to God for our sins. It seems to soften the punishment, but it reveals a person’s conscience. When the poet says that “Russia cannot be understood with the mind,” he means precisely Conscience. The Russians entrusted this vulnerable and completely non-material “structure” - the divine essence - to the Mother of God.

There is no more illustrious name in Rus' than the Most Holy Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary. From the very beginning of Russian history, the main cathedral churches have been dedicated to the Mother of God. Byzantine craftsmen erected the Assumption Cathedral at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra at the command of the Mother of God Herself. The desire of the Mother of God to remain in Rus' is attested in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. And since then, people in Rus' began to consider their Fatherland as the House of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The veneration of the Mother of God is accomplished primarily through icons. In the church calendar alone there are about three hundred venerated icons of the Mother of God. Each has its own name. There is almost no day in the year that this day is not illuminated by the celebration of one or another icon of the Mother of God.

Exodus of the Great historical events associated with the miraculous influence of icons of the Mother of God. The Don Icon helped in the Battle of Kulikovo; in the salvation of Moscow from Tamerlane and during the great stand on the Ugra - Vladimirskaya; V Time of Troubles during the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow - Kazan; with the establishment of the ruling Romanov dynasty - Feodorovskaya; in the Battle of Poltava - Kaplunovskaya. In 1917, on the day of the abdication of the martyr Tsar Nicholas II from the throne, it was as if the Mother of God Herself, unexpectedly appearing in the form of the Sovereign, took upon Herself the succession of power of the Russian Power. But many people did not preserve this holy image, nor did they preserve themselves.

For Russian people, the saving quality of the Mother of God has always been revered as the blessing of one’s own mother. The people entrusted their souls and all of themselves to the Mother of God. The icons of the Mother of God were treated as living shrines, which is why they were often given proper names, as a person.

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The glory of the Virgin Mary began from the time when Archangel Gabriel greeted Her: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Blessed are You among women!” announced to Her the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, incomprehensible to people. The same greeting with the addition of the words: “Blessed is the fruit of Your womb,” The Most Pure and Righteous Elizabeth met, to whom the Holy Spirit revealed that before her was the Mother of God (Luke 1:28-42).

Reverent veneration of St. The Mother of God in the Christian Church is expressed by many holidays, with which the Church commemorates various events from the life of the Blessed Virgin. Great ascetics and teachers of the Church composed songs of praise, akathists, and uttered inspired words in honor of the Virgin Mary... With such reverent veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is, of course, comforting and edifying to know how She lived, how she prepared, how she matured to such a height as to become a receptacle the incontainable God-Word.

The Old Testament Scriptures, predicting the incarnation of the Son of God, also predicted about St. Virgin Mary. Thus, the first promise about the Redeemer, given to fallen man, already contained a prophecy about the Holy One. To the Virgin in the words of condemnation of the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the Woman, and between your seed and her Seed.”(Gen. 3:15). The prophecy about the Virgin Mary is that the future Redeemer is called here the Seed of the Woman, while in all other cases the descendants were called the seed of one of the male ancestors. The Holy Prophet Isaiah clarifies this prophecy, indicating that the Wife who is about to give birth to the Messiah-Emmanuel will be a virgin: “The Lord himself will give you a sign,”- says the prophet to the unbelieving descendants of King David, - “ behold, Virgo(Isa. 7:14). And although the word “Virgo” seemed inappropriate to the ancient Jews, she will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Emmanuel, which means: God is with us.” because birth certainly presupposes marital communication, but still they did not dare replace the word “Virgin” with another word, for example, “woman”.

Earthly life of the Mother of God
Based on Holy Scripture and church tradition

Evangelist Luke, who knew the Holy Virgin Mary closely, recorded from Her words several important events related to early years Her life. Being a doctor and an artist, He, according to legend, also painted Her portrait-icon, from which later icon painters made copies.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When the time approached for the birth of the Savior of the world, a descendant of King David, Joachim, lived with his wife Anna in the Galilean city of Nazareth. Both of them were pious people and were known for their humility and mercy. They lived to a ripe old age and had no children. This made them very sad. But, despite their old age, they did not stop asking God to send them a child and made a vow (promise) - if they had a baby, to dedicate him to serving God. At that time, not having children was considered God's punishment for sins. Joachim experienced childlessness especially hard, because according to prophecies, the Messiah-Christ was to be born in his family. For their patience and faith, the Lord sent Joachim and Anna great joy: finally, they had a daughter. She was given the name Maria, which means in Hebrew “Lady, Hope.”

Introduction to the temple. When the Virgin Mary was three years old, Her pious parents prepared to fulfill their vow: they took Her to the Jerusalem Temple to be dedicated to God. Maria remained to live at the temple. There She, together with other girls, studied the Law of God and handicrafts, prayed and read the Holy Scriptures. The Most Holy Mary lived at the Church of God for about eleven years and grew up deeply pious, submissive to God in everything, unusually modest and hardworking. Wanting to serve only God, She promised not to marry and to remain a Virgin forever.

Blessed Virgin Mary with Joseph. The elderly Joachim and Anna did not live long, and the Virgin Mary was left an orphan. When She turned fourteen years old, according to the law, She could no longer stay at the temple, but she had to get married. The High Priest, knowing her promise, so as not to violate the law on marriage, formally betrothed Her to a distant relative, the widowed eighty-year-old elder Joseph. He pledged to take care of Her and protect Her virginity. Joseph lived in the city of Nazareth. He also came from the royal family of David, but he was not a rich man and worked as a carpenter. From his first marriage, Joseph had children Judah, Josiah, Simon and Jacob, who are called the “brothers” of Jesus in the Gospels. The Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and solitary life in Joseph’s house as at the temple.

Annunciation. In the sixth month after the appearance of Archangel Gabriel to Zechariah on the occasion of the birth of the prophet John the Baptist, the same Archangel was sent by God to the city of Nazareth to the Blessed Virgin Mary with the joyful news that the Lord had chosen Her to be the Mother of the Savior of the world. The angel appeared and said to Her: “ Rejoice, Thankful!(that is, filled with grace) - The Lord is with you! Blessed are You among women.” Mary was embarrassed by the Angel’s words and thought: what does this greeting mean? The angel continued to say to Her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you will bear a Son and call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the son of the Most High, and His Kingdom will have no end.” Mary asked the Angel in bewilderment: “How will it be when I don’t know my husband?” The angel answered Her that this would be accomplished by the power of Almighty God: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Behold, Your relative, Elizabeth, who had no children until she was very old, will soon give birth to a son; for God will not remain powerless no word.” Then Mary said with humility: “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done according to my word yours.” And Archangel Gabriel departed from Her.

Visit to Righteous Elizabeth. The Most Holy Virgin Mary, having learned from the Angel that Her relative Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zechariah, would soon have a son, hastened to visit her. Entering the house, She greeted Elizabeth. Hearing this greeting, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and learned that Mary was worthy to be the Mother of God. She exclaimed loudly and said: “Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb! And where does it give me such joy that the Mother of my Lord has come to me?” The Blessed Virgin Mary, in response to Elizabeth’s words, glorified God with the words: “My soul magnifies (glorifies) the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because He has looked (turned merciful attention) to the humility of His servant; from now on all generations (all tribes of people) will please (glorify) Me. Thus the Mighty One has done great things for Me, and holy is His name; and His mercy endures throughout all generations to those who fear Him.” The Virgin Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, and then returned home to Nazareth.

God also announced to the righteous elder Joseph about the imminent birth of the Savior from the Blessed Virgin Mary. An angel of God, appearing to him in a dream, revealed that Mary would give birth to a Son, through the action of the Holy Spirit, as the Lord God announced through the prophet Isaiah (7:14) and commanded to give Him the name “Jesus (Yeshua) in Hebrew means Savior because He will save people from their sins.”

Further Gospel narratives mention the Most Holy. Virgin Mary in connection with the events in the life of Her Son - our Lord Jesus Christ. So, they talk about Her in connection with the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem, then - circumcision, the worship of the Magi, bringing sacrifice to the temple on the 40th day, fleeing to Egypt, settling in Nazareth, traveling to Jerusalem for the Easter holiday, when He turned 12 -thous years and so on. We will not describe these events here. It should be noted, however, that although the Gospel references to the Virgin Mary are brief, they give the reader a clear idea of ​​Her great moral height: Her modesty, great faith, patience, courage, submission to the will of God, love and devotion to Her Divine Son. We see why She, according to the words of the Angel, was deemed worthy to “find grace from God.”

The first miracle performed by Jesus Christ at a marriage (wedding) in Cana of Galilee, gives us a vivid image of the Virgin Mary, like Intercessors before His Son for all people in difficult circumstances. Noticing a lack of wine at the wedding meal, the Virgin Mary drew the attention of Her Son to this, and although the Lord answered Her evasively - “What is it for me and for you, Zheno? My hour has not yet come.” She was not embarrassed by this half-refusal, being sure that the Son would not leave Her request unattended, and said to the servants: “Whatever He tells you, do it.” How visible in this warning to the servants is the compassionate care of the Mother of God to ensure that the work She began is brought to a favorable end! Indeed, Her intercession did not remain without fruit, and Jesus Christ performed His first miracle here, leading poor people out of a difficult situation, after which “His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11.).

In further narrations, the Gospel depicts to us the Mother of God, who is in constant anxiety for Her Son, following His wanderings, coming to Him in various difficult cases, taking care of the arrangement of His home rest and peace, to which He, apparently, never agreed. Finally, we see Her standing in indescribable sorrow at the cross of Her Crucified Son, hearing His last words and testaments, entrusting Her to the care of His beloved disciple. Not a single word of reproach or despair leaves Her lips. She surrenders everything to the will of God.

The Virgin Mary is also briefly mentioned in the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, when on Her and on the Apostles on the day Pentecost The Holy Spirit descended in the form of tongues of fire. After that, according to legend, She lived for another 10-20 years. The Apostle John the Theologian, according to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, took Her into his home and with great love, like his own son, took care of Her until Her very death. When the Christian faith spread to other countries, many Christians came from distant countries to see and listen to Her. Since then, the Blessed Virgin Mary has become for all the disciples of Christ a common Mother and a high example to follow.

Dormition. Once, when the Most Holy Mary was praying on the Mount of Olives (near Jerusalem), the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her with a paradise date branch in his hands and told Her that in three days Her earthly life would end, and the Lord would take Her to Himself. The Lord arranged it in such a way that by this time the apostles from different countries had gathered in Jerusalem. At the hour of her death, an extraordinary light illuminated the room where the Virgin Mary lay. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, surrounded by angels, appeared and received Her most pure soul. The apostles buried the most pure body of the Mother of God, according to Her desire, at the foot of the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the cave where the bodies of Her parents and the righteous Joseph rested. Many miracles took place during the burial. By touching the bed of the Mother of God, the blind received their sight, demons were cast out and every disease was healed.

Three days after the burial of the Mother of God, the apostle, who was late for the burial, arrived in Jerusalem Thomas. He was very sad that he did not say goodbye to the Mother of God and with all his soul wanted to worship Her most pure body. When they opened the cave where the Virgin Mary was buried, they did not find Her body in it, but only burial shrouds. The amazed apostles returned to the house. In the evening, while praying, they heard angels singing. Looking up, the apostles saw the Virgin Mary in the air, surrounded by angels, in the radiance of heavenly glory. She said to the apostles: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days!”

She fulfills this promise to be a helper and intercessor of Christians to this day, having become our heavenly Mother. For Her great love and all-powerful help, Christians since ancient times have honored Her and turned to Her for help, calling Her “The zealous Intercessor of the Christian race,” “The Joy of all who mourn,” “who does not leave us in Her Dormition.” Since ancient times, following the example of the prophet Isaiah and the righteous Elizabeth, Christians began to call Her the Mother of the Lord and the Mother of God. This title is derived from the fact that She gave flesh to Him who always was and will be the true God.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is also a great example to be followed by all those who strive to please God. She was the first to decide entirely dedicate your life to God. She showed that voluntary virginity above family and marriage life . Imitating Her, starting from the first centuries, many Christians began to spend a virgin life in prayer, fasting and contemplation of God. This is how monasticism arose and became established. Unfortunately, the modern heterodox world does not value at all and even ridicules the feat of virginity, forgetting the words of the Lord: “There are eunuchs (virgins) who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven,” adding: “Who can contain, yes will accommodate!”(Matt. 19:1).2

Summarizing this brief overview of the earthly life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it should be said that She, both at the moment of Her greatest glory, when she was chosen to become the Mother of the Savior of the world, and in the hours of Her greatest grief, when at the foot of the cross, according to the prophecy of the righteous Simeon, “ the weapon passed through Her soul,” showed complete self-control. With this, she discovered all the power and beauty of Her virtues: humility, unshakable faith, patience, courage, hope in God and love for Him! That is why we Orthodox Christians honor Her so highly and try to imitate Her.

Modern miracles and apparitions of the Mother of God

WITH the first days after Her Dormition and to this day, the Blessed Virgin Mary helps Christians. This is evidenced by Her numerous miracles and appearances. Let's list some of them.

Holiday of Intercession The Mother of God was installed in memory of the vision of St. Andrew of the Mother of God, covering Christians with Her omophorion (long scarf-veil) in the Blachernae Church during the siege of Constantinople by enemies in the 10th century. At the fourth hour of the night, the blessed one saw a majestic Woman coming from the royal gates, supported by St. the Baptist and John the Theologian, and many saints preceded her; others followed her, singing hymns and spiritual songs. St. Andrew approached his disciple Epiphanius and asked if he saw the Queen of the world. “I see,” he replied. And when they looked, she, kneeling before the pulpit, prayed for a long time, shedding tears. Then She went to the throne and prayed for Orthodox people. At the end of the prayer, She removed the veil from Her head and spread it over all the standing people. The city was saved. St. Andrew was a Slav by birth, and Russians greatly honor the Feast of the Intercession, dedicating many churches to him.

Further information in this chapter regarding the apparitions of the Mother of God is gleaned mainly from the foreign press. Our Church has not yet expressed its opinion on them, and we present them here as additional information.

Shortly before the revolution in Russia, on May 13, 1917, the Mother of God appeared to three Portuguese shepherd children in FATIMA . After this, She appeared to children for several months, surrounded by radiance. Believers flocked from five to eighteen thousand people from all over Portugal to Her apparition. An unforgettable miracle happened when, after heavy rain, an extraordinary light suddenly shone, and the wet clothes on people instantly dried. The Mother of God called people to repentance and prayer and predicted the upcoming “conversion of Russia” (from atheism to faith in God).

Starting on April 2, 1968, for more than a year, the Mother of God appeared in the suburbs CAIRA Zeitune above the temple dedicated to Her name. Her apparitions, which usually occurred between 12 at night and 5 in the morning, attracted large numbers of pilgrims. The Mother of God was surrounded by a radiance sometimes as bright as the sun, and white doves hovered around. Soon all of Egypt learned about the apparitions of the Mother of God, and the government began to take care that public meetings at the site of Her apparitions were held in order. Local newspapers wrote about these frequent apparitions of the Mother of God. Arabic. Several press conferences were held regarding the apparitions, at which people shared their impressions and what they heard from Her. The Mother of God also visited individuals in the vicinity of Cairo, for example, the Coptic Patriarch, who doubted Her appearances to the people. During the appearances of the Mother of God, many healings also occurred, witnessed by local doctors.

The Washington Post newspaper of July 5, 1986 reported new apparitions of the Mother of God over the Church of St. Demian in the working-class town of Terra Gulakia, north of Cairo. The Virgin Mary held the Child Christ in Her arms and She was accompanied by several saints, among them St. Demian. As in past years, the appearances of the Mother of God were accompanied by numerous healings of incurable diseases, for example, blindness, kidneys, heart and others.

Since June 1981, the Mother of God began to appear to people on the mountain in INTERMOUNTAIN (Yugoslavia). Sometimes up to ten thousand people flocked to Her apparitions. People saw Her in an unearthly radiance. Then the appearances to the people stopped, and the Mother of God began to regularly appear to six young people and talk with them. Medjugorje has become a place of constant pilgrimage for believers from all over the world. Local, Italian and other newspapers have written and are writing about these phenomena. Our Lady gradually revealed 10 secrets to the young people, which they should tell the church representatives in due time. The Mother of God promised that 3 days after communicating Her last secret, She would leave a visible “sign” for unbelievers. Representatives of medicine and other respectable people testify that young people who see the Mother of God are completely normal and their external reactions during visions are natural. Often the Mother of God, crying, spoke to young people about the need to establish peace on earth: “Peace, peace! The earth will not be saved unless peace is established on it. It will come only if people find God. The Lord is life. Those who believe in Him will find life and peace... People have forgotten prayer and fasting; many Christians have stopped praying.” It is interesting to note that in Medjugorje, where atheism previously prevailed and there were many party members, all residents became believers and left communist party. In connection with the appearances of the Mother of God in Medjugorje, many miraculous healings occurred. The phenomena continue.

At Easter 1985 in the city LVOV During the service of Metropolitan John in the cathedral in the name of the Holy Mother of God and in the presence of a large crowd of believers, a cloud suddenly appeared in the window opening, shining like a ray of sun. Gradually it formed into a human figure and everyone recognized Her as the Mother of God. In a spiritual impulse, people began to pray loudly and cry for help. People standing outside also saw the image of the Mother of God in the window and tried to enter the church and prayed loudly. The crowd kept growing, and rumors of the miracle spread like lightning. All efforts of the police to disperse the worshipers were in vain. People began to arrive from Kyiv, from the Pochaev Lavra, Moscow, Tiflis and other cities. The authorities of Lvov asked Moscow to send the military, as well as experts in the field of science, to help. Scientists began to prove that there could be no miracles for people to disperse. And suddenly the Mother of God spoke: “Pray, repent of your sins, because... There is very little time left... “During the sermon, the Mother of God healed many cripples and sick people. The visions of the Mother of God and healings continued for three and a half weeks, and She still spoke a lot for the salvation of people. People did not leave either day or night.

Some miraculous Icons of the Mother of God

VLADIMIRSKAYA The icon is one of the oldest miraculous icons of the Mother of God. In the middle of the 5th century it was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, and in the middle of the 12th century it was sent by the patriarch to Kyiv to the great. book Yuri Dolgoruky and staged at the Maiden Monastery in Vyshgorod. In 1155, Prince Andrei of Vyshgorod, going north, took with him the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. Along the way, prayer services were served and miracles were performed. On the banks of the Klyazma, the horses carrying the icons could not move. The prince named this place Bogolyubov, created two stone churches here, in one of which the icon was placed. In 1160, on September 21, the icon was transferred to the Vladimir Church and from that time began to be called “Vladimir.” Since 1395 St. The icon is located in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral on the left side of the royal gates. The icon became famous for many miracles. Before her, Russian tsars were anointed as kings and metropolitans were elected. The celebration of the icon takes place on September 8, as well as on June 3 (new art). on the occasion of the deliverance of Moscow from the Crimean Khan in 1521, who was frightened by the vision of a miraculous army near Moscow.

KAZAN icon. In 1579, the nine-year-old girl Matrona, whose parents’ house burned down during a fire in Kazan in 1579, saw in a dream the image of the Mother of God and heard a voice commanding her to take St. an icon hidden in the ashes of a burnt house. The holy icon was found wrapped in old cloth under the stove in a burnt house, where it was buried, probably during the rule of the Tatars in Kazan, when the Orthodox were forced to hide their faith. The holy icon was solemnly transferred to the nearest church of St. Nicholas, and then to the Annunciation Cathedral and became famous for healing the blind. A copy was made of this icon and sent to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In honor of the appearance of the icon, a special holiday was established on July 21 (new art).

Icon SIGNS (Kursk Root) was found on September 8, 1295 by a trapper on the banks of the Tuskari River in the Kursk region, on the ground at the root of a tree. He built a chapel and erected an icon, which began to manifest itself in miracles. In 1383, the Crimean Tatars, who were devastating the region, cut the icon into two parts and threw them in different directions. They took prisoner the priest Bogolyub, who served in the chapel. Ransomed by the ambassadors of the Moscow Grand Duke, Bogolyub found the broken parts of the icon, put them together, and they miraculously grew together. In 1597, the icon was brought to Moscow at the request of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich. Upon the return of the shrine, a monastery was founded on the site of the chapel, called the Root Hermitage. Since the time of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, the icon has been inserted into a cypress board with the image of the Lord of Hosts at the top, and the prophets on the sides. The icon, with a miraculous vision, saved Kursk from being captured by the Poles in 1612. Grateful residents of the city built the Znamensky Monastery, where she then stayed annually from September 12 until Friday of the 9th week of Easter. The rest of the time she was in the Root Desert. On March 7, 1898, the icon remained unharmed during an attempt by attackers to blow it up in the Cathedral of the Znamensky Monastery, although there was general destruction around it. During the revolution, the icon was stolen on April 12, 1918 and miraculously found in a well on August 1. The icon was taken from Russia in 1920 by Bishop. Theophan of Kursk, and was in Yugoslavia in the Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade. The shrine provided great assistance during the bombing of Belgrade during the Second World War: bombs never hit the houses visited by the icon, although everything around them was destroyed. Now the icon resides in the Cathedral of the Sign of the B.M. in New York. Periodically, the icon is taken for veneration different temples Russian Church Abroad.

CRYING Icons. Over the past 100-150 years, several icons of the Mother of God shedding tears have appeared. This type of miracle probably indicates the grief of the Mother of God for people regarding the disasters impending on the world.

In February 1854, in the Orthodox church at the Sokolsky Romanian monastery, one of the icons of the Mother of God began to shed tears. This miracle coincided with Crimean War in Russia. The miracle of the flow of tears attracted thousands of pilgrims every day. The miraculous flow of tears sometimes occurred every day, and sometimes at intervals of 2 - 3 days.

In March 1960, in the Greek Orthodox Katsounis family living in Long Island, New York, the lithographic icon of the “Passionate” (or “Roman”) Mother of God began to shed tears. During the transportation of the icon to the Greek Cathedral of St. Paul, throughout the entire journey, white doves hovered in the air above the icon. Due to the profuse flow of tears, the paper on which the icon was written became completely wrinkled. Sometimes the tears seemed bloody. Pious pilgrims applied cotton wool to the icon, and the cotton wool filled with moisture. Soon, in the house of another Greek Orthodox family, Kulis, living in the same area, the lithographic icon of the Mother of God, Iveron, also began to shed tears. These two weeping icons attracted a large number of worshipers. A large number of miracles occurring from these icons were noted in the foreign and local press. One of these icons was even subjected to scientific research to determine the source of these tears. University scientists in British Columbia They witnessed the fact of the flow of tears, but could not explain it scientifically.

On December 6, 1986, the iconostasis icon of the Mother of God in the Albanian Church of St. Nikolai Ugodnik in the city of Chicago began to shed tears. This miracle sometimes attracts 5 thousand people to the temple who want to see the miraculous icon. This crying icon was painted 23 years ago by Manhattan artist Konstantin Jussis. A specially assembled commission testified that “there can be no talk of any hoax.”

MYRRHSTREAMING icon. The Orthodox Spaniard Joseph, living on Mount Athos, saw a copy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in the monastery and wished to purchase it. At first he was refused, but then unexpectedly the abbot handed him this image with the words: “Take it, this icon should go with you!” Joseph brought the icon to Montreal. On November 24, 1982, at 3 o’clock in the morning, Joseph’s room was filled with a fragrance: drops of wonderfully fragrant myrrh (special oil) appeared on the surface of the icon. Archbishop Vitaly of Canada offered to bring the icon to the cathedral, then they began to visit other churches with the icon. During Chrismation, the glass door of the icon case opens, and each worshiper can see how St. myrrh slowly flows from the surface of the icon. Sometimes during crowded services, St. Myrrh appears on the outside of the glass and, before the eyes of the pilgrims, it flows in copious amounts onto the floor, and the fragrance fills the entire temple. What’s also remarkable is that Holy Week Myrrh does not appear on the icon at all, and after Easter it flows again. Many miraculous healings occurred from the icon. The smell of St. the world changes from time to time, but is always extremely pleasant and strong. Anyone who doubts about miracles in our time should look at the Myrrh-Streaming Icon: an obvious and great miracle!

There is no way to list everything here miraculous icons Mother of God. After the revolution in Russia, a large number of ancient icons began to be updated. Sometimes, right before people’s eyes, within a short time, icons turned from dark to light, as if they had been recently painted. There are thousands of such updated icons.

Signs and wonders do not happen without a reason. There is no doubt that numerous modern wonders and the appearances of the Mother of God are intended to awaken in people faith in God and a sense of repentance. But the world has become deaf to everything spiritual. Turning his back more and more to God, he, having bitten the bit, is rapidly rushing towards his death. At this time of all kinds of catastrophes, shocks and temptations, we must remember Our Heavenly Mother and Intercessor at the throne of God. Most Holy Theotokos, save us!