History of the holy image
Holy Athos is the destiny of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Lady herself ordered to close this land to women and make it an exclusively male island. In the 10th century, the great ascetic, Elder Athanasius, founded a monastery on Mount Athos. Monks came from different places to the new monastery. But one day there came a severe famine. Due to need, the brethren scattered in different directions. The hunger and need were so great that even such an ascetic as Elder Athanasius could not bear the disaster that befell the monastery and decided to leave it.
Taking his iron staff, he left the monastery and walked for two hours until he was tired. The father decided that he needed to rest, when he suddenly saw a woman in a blue veil walking towards him. Fear fell on the elder and he crossed himself, because the Holy Mountain is closed to women. But he moved towards her. The woman asked the old man where he was going. To which he replied: “Why do you need to know where I am?” and emphasized that he was a local monk. But the woman replied that since he was a monk, he was supposed to answer according to his rank and be trusting, simple-minded and modest. Then the elder told her about the grief that had befallen the monastery. The woman asked if this was why he left his monastery and where was his faith.
Orthodox icon "Ekonomissa", or "House Builder"
She told her father to return, promising that everything needed would be in abundance. The elder was afraid of being deceived by demons, who could confuse people with visions, and asked for conviction. Then the woman ordered him to hit the ground with the staff, and when the old man did so, the stones opened and a stream of water came out of the cracks. Saint Athanasius wanted to venerate the Most Pure One, but She disappeared.
The father returned to the abandoned monastery and found that the pantries and household vessels were filled with everything necessary. The Most Holy Theotokos is the Economist of the monastery. The icon “House Builder” was also created there. At the place where the miraculous appearance of the Lady took place, the Church of the Life-Giving Spring was built in honor of the Mother of God. There is also an icon depicting the miracle that occurred. An unquenchable lamp is installed in front of it.
Where is it stored?
The Holy Face is kept on Mount Athos, but getting there has always been difficult. Location: Greek Macedonia in the north of Eastern Greece. You can also watch Economissa:
- in Belarus - St. Nicholas Church;
- in Moscow - All Saints Church;
- in the village Northern Moscow region;
- Tashkent - Trinity Monastery.
All Saints Church in Moscow
An entire temple is dedicated to the Mother of God the Housebuilder in the village of Severny. It was built in 1998 and today operates successfully. Located 513 km from the capital.
The icon can be purchased in any Russian church. It is available for sale. Suitable as a guardian of the family hearth and well-being. And also for placement in the office. She patronizes only honest businesses. When choosing an icon for yourself, you should focus not on its cost, but on your taste. If you like the image, then there will be more benefits from it.
It is obligatory to consecrate the icon in the temple if it was purchased outside the church. All the images in the church shop are consecrated. No money is required for the consecration, but donations can be made. During transportation, the face is covered with paper or placed in a linen bag. After transportation, the paper should be burned.
Icon of the Economist on Mount Athos
Only men can see the “House Builder” on Mount Athos. Women are still not allowed into the Sacred Site.
Compositional features of the holy face
There are no random details or elements that have no meaning in icon painting. In iconography, there are several options for depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to a number of features, the image of “Economissa” belongs to the Panahrant type. Translated, this term means “immaculate” or “All-Tsarina” - after the name of the most widely known image of this type.
Features of the Economiss icon:
- The Most Pure One is depicted in royal robes.
- The Virgin Mary with the Child in her arms sits on a throne.
- With her right hand, the Lady blesses Saint Athanasius.
- Saint Athanasius is depicted in a monastic robe with a cute model of the temple in his hands. The temple is a symbol of the Lavra.
- To the left of the Most Holy Theotokos is Saint Michael of Sinada. When the heresy of iconoclasm was raging, he was a bishop. The Bishop did not allow their temple icons to be taken out. For this he was sent to prison, where he died. His rank is emphasized by clothing appropriate to his rank.
- Sometimes at the bottom there is an image of the construction of the Lavra. Monks are involved in the work, and to the side the appearance of the Most Pure One to Saint Athanasius is depicted.
The image of "Economissa" belongs to the Panahrant type
What does the icon look like?
The icon depicts the Mother of God with the baby Jesus in her left hand. The saint is surrounded by Michael of Sinadsky and Athanasius of Athos. The background of the image is heavenly, and under the saints is depicted what they patronize - the construction of a house, people busy at work.
The second version of the icon includes images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Spyridon and Danila of Moscow. There are no images of workers here, but the Virgin Mary is also depicted with a son in her left hand and a prayer sign on her right.
Complete Economist icon, modern list
The Virgin's vestment is red (from cherry to dark crimson). This symbolizes nobility, royal dignity, prosperity, but at the same time it is a symbol of suffering. A veil is thrown over the head (in church language - maforium or omophorion). This is a symbol of motherhood. Underwear - a dress or cassock - is blue, which means innocence.
The icon can also depict stars. Basically it's 3 stars. According to some opinions, they mean father, son and holy spirit, and according to others, conception, birth and death. In any case, the icon is light due to the predominance of the blue tone.
The meaning of the Economissa icon
People only have what they are given. Although they strive and work, people owe everything to God. After all, humanity might not have the resources, conditions, or simply the strength and health to work. Therefore, it is important to always thank the Lord and the Most Pure Mother for all the blessings provided.
Just as a thousand years ago the Most Holy Theotokos saved a needy monastery from hunger, so now the Most Holy Mother of God helps every Orthodox Christian in need.
Orthodox people especially often face need and difficult life circumstances. Previously, this could be explained by rejection by people living according to the commandments: not stealing, not deceiving. Now, in addition to the fact that Orthodox Christians do not commit sin for profit and endure need, a new test has appeared - globalization. The Most Holy Theotokos hears the sincere prayers of people in need and takes care of them.
Pilgrims to the Greek monastery of the Great Lavra
The Athos image of the Abbess of Mount Athos became especially popular during the economic crisis; copies and lists of the miraculous image began to spread all over the world. Representatives of all religious denominations were attracted to the Athos peninsula by the Economissa icon. What the powerful of this world pray to the holy image for is not difficult to guess. The Lord sent this image to the monk at a time of hunger and deprivation, therefore, one must pray for deliverance from poverty and ruin.
Despite the fact that the Bible says that “it is easier for a caravan of camels to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven,” this icon really helps millionaires and the rich of this world. This happens because it is the poor who suffer first from the ruin of the haves, since when factories and enterprises stop working, people remain unemployed and without a means of subsistence. The wisdom of the Lord is endless, miracles that occur at the requests of believers, pronounced at such an image as the Economissa icon, are further evidence of this.
What does the Economiss icon help with?
In front of the “Housebuilder” icon you can pray for any need, give thanks and praise. They especially often resort to the image with the following requests:
- salvation from hunger;
- granting a good harvest;
- resolution of financial difficulties;
- overcoming need.
You should not ask for excesses and luxury. As you know, you don’t ask God for money. The Most Pure One helps those in need. People get what and as much as is useful for them. Of course, you need to live, feed your family, raise children, but excess can cause damage to the soul and the development of passions. We must remember that earthly life is the “embryo state” of the soul and it will not last long. Eternal fate is much more important.
You can pray in front of the “Housebuilder” icon for any need
What do they ask the Mother of God for?
Prayers are offered to the holy image if there are material problems. They ask Our Lady Economissa:
- give daily bread;
- protect against hunger;
- protect against bankruptcy.
Turning to the holy image helps both poor and wealthy believers. Among the pilgrims to the Athos Lavra there are many entrepreneurs who humbly pray to the Mother of God to protect their business before the Lord.
The Mother of God, first of all, helps to save a person’s soul. If you pray only for material well-being, forgetting about spiritual purity, atonement for sins and faith in God, then your prayer will not be heard by the Lord.
Days of celebration and location of the image
The celebration in honor of the wondrous image takes place once a year - on July 18. On the same day the memory of Saint Athanasius is venerated.
The icon, painted after the miraculous appearance of the Most Pure One on Mount Athos, still remains on the Holy Mountain. Women were not added to the original, since the Most Holy Theotokos Herself forbade them to come to Athos, so as not to disturb the peace of the monastics.
There are lists of icons that can be venerated outside of Greece. These are images located in Russia (Moscow) and Belarus.
Author's advice
You can purchase the Economissa icon in the church. At home it should be placed in a holy corner. You need to understand that this is not a mystical amulet, but an image of the Mother of God. He must be revered and treated with reverence. After all, the honor that a person shows to an icon goes to the prototype.
Celebrations in honor of the wondrous image take place once a year - July 18
The second miraculous appearance of the comforter of the human race
The second legend says that during Athanasius’s lifetime another miraculous appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos occurred. For the second time, the monk Matthew, known among the brethren in the Lavra for his zeal and piety, saw the Most Pure Virgin. During the service, he suddenly saw the image of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by two angels. She approached each monk and presented them with coins, depending on the degree of zeal during prayer. Matthew also got a few coins. Thus, the house-builder of the Holy Mountain once again showed her patronage and care over the holy monastery. Since then, one of the most revered shrines of Mount Athos has become the “Economissa” - the icon of the Mother of God.
Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God "Economissa"
“Oh, Most Honorable Lady Theotokos, Our Most Honorable Mother Abbess, of all Orthodox monasteries of monastic life, in the holy Mount Athos and throughout the entire universe! Accept our humble prayers and offer everything to our generous God, that He may save our souls by His grace. Look upon us with Thy merciful eye and bring about our salvation in the Lord, for without the mercy of our Savior and Thy holy intercession for us, we, the accursed, will not be able to accomplish our salvation, for our life has been tarnished in the vanities of the world, for the time of Christ’s harvest is approaching. The day of the Last Judgment has arrived. We, the accursed, are perishing in the abyss of sin, for our negligence, according to what was spoken by the holy fathers, the first leaders of the angelic life according to the flesh: as the last monastics, through the negligence of their lives, will become like worldly people, which will come true today, for our monasticism floats with its life on the sea of life. amidst great storms and bad weather: for our holy abodes remain in the dust for the sake of our sins, our All-Righteous Lord Jesus Christ, so benevolent, but we, unworthy, have no place to bow our heads. O our sweetest Mother Abbess! Gather us, the scattered flock of Christ, into one and save all Orthodox Christians, grant us heavenly life with the Angels and all the saints in the Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him be honor and glory with His Beginning Father and with the Most Holy, Good and Life-Giving Spirit forever and ever. Amen".
The image of the “Housebuilder” appeared after the miraculous appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos to a monk. People especially resort to this icon in times of need. Every person hoping for help, in addition to fervent prayers, must live piously, trying to be guided in everything by the commandments.
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Not a single woman has ever set foot on the blessed land...
Pilgrims from crisis-ridden countries come to venerate the miraculous image. At the same time, it absolutely does not matter what faith the newcomer professes, the icon “Ekonomissa” (“House Builder”) helps everyone with sincere prayers and requests. The only exception: women cannot get to the icon, because they are completely prohibited from visiting Mount Athos, so as not to disturb the peace and tranquility of the monks living there. This is what the Mother of God commanded many centuries ago, when she chose the Holy Mountain as her inheritance, and this prohibition has been observed for many years. Women have the opportunity to worship copies of the image or copies from it, which are also not without miraculous power. Repeated requests from the Orthodox for the opportunity to release the icon outside the monastery were invariably refused, since the “Economissa” - the icon of the Mother of God - is the custodian of the entire Holy Mount Athos.
Appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The old man had already been walking for two hours; he was tired and just wanted to rest on a roadside stone, when he saw a Woman under a blue airy blanket coming towards him. Saint Athanasius was embarrassed and, not believing his own eyes, crossed himself. “Where does a woman come from here? After all, women are strictly prohibited from entering here! Isn't this a ghost? — the old man thought, and the Stranger, meanwhile, had already caught up with him and asked:
- Where are you going?
- Who are you, how did you come here? - Afanasy asked Her in turn, - and why do you need to know where I’m going? You see that I am a local monk.
“I know your grief and everything that happened to you, and I want to help you, but first I want to know where you are going?” - repeated the Woman.
Surprised by such strange questions and the persistence of the mysterious Stranger, Saint Athanasius told Her everything that had happened in his monastery.
- And that’s what you couldn’t stand? - The Stranger was surprised. - For the sake of a piece of daily bread, you, a strict ascetic, abandon your monastery?! Come back! I will help you: everything you need will be given to you in abundance, just do not leave your Lavra, which will become famous and take first place among all the Athos monasteries.
- But who are you? - asked the amazed Afanasy.
- She to whose name you dedicate your monastery. “I am the Mother of your Lord,” answered the Stranger.
Saint Athanasius looked at Her incredulously and with great doubt, and then said:
“I’m afraid to believe this, because the enemy will also transform into the Angel of Light.” How will You convince me of the truth of Your words?
- Do you see this stone? - answered the Woman. - Hit it with your staff, and then you will find out who is speaking to you. Just know that from now on I will forever remain the Economist (House Builder) of your Lavra.
Afanasy hit the stone with his staff, which immediately split, and water flowed abundantly from the resulting crack...
Amazed by this miracle, Athanasius turned around to throw himself at the feet of the Divine Stranger, but She disappeared. He immediately returned to the Lavra and saw a second miracle here: all the empty vessels and storerooms were filled with everything vital.
Soon many brethren gathered at the monastery again. But according to the will of the Queen of Heaven, from that time on the Lavra no longer elects an economist, but only a sub-economist or assistant to the Economist. At the same time, the icon “Economissa” itself was painted in the monastery.
In memory of the appearance of the Mother of God to Saint Athanasius at the source, which since then has been flowing its waters healingly and abundantly, a small church was erected in the name of the Life-Giving Source. It contains an icon with an unquenchable lamp, which depicts the miracle that took place here.
Holy guardian against hunger and want
Despite the fact that the Economissa icon never left its place of residence and traveled around the world, miraculous copies from this image provided assistance all over the world, since the copies from this icon carry elements of purity and holiness. There is evidence from believers that during atheistic war times in besieged Leningrad, people saved themselves from starvation by offering prayers to the image of the “Economissa”. Despite the fact that hunger, illness and death reigned around, those who sincerely believed in the miraculous Saint were saved and were under the protection that the “Economissa” - the icon of the Mother of God - determined for them. What else does a unique shrine help with? She saves from death and disease caused by poverty and hunger.
The meaning of the image for an Orthodox Christian
For many centuries, this shrine has been protecting the Orthodox world from troubles caused by poverty and hunger. The modern world is no exception, since financial problems in an era of economic crisis make the threat of poverty and ruin as real and close to almost every family as possible. Some priests, zealously carrying out their service, distributed a small list of the miraculous image to each believer’s home; now the “Economissa” icon of the Mother of God helps many families. What does it help with? We have already talked about this. From poverty and hunger.
The financial crisis affects every family, both rich and not very wealthy people, both owners of firms and enterprises, and their employees. All the more important for a modern Christian is the icon of the “Economissa”, the significance of which for an Orthodox person cannot be overestimated. The saint constantly comes to the defense of her earthly children, becoming an unbreakable wall between troubles and people, especially where sincere prayers for help are raised. It is not so important where a person turns to this wonderful image: on Mount Athos or in a small village church, in the silence of a monastery or in a city apartment, sincere prayers and appeals will certainly be heard, and the one who prays will once again come to the aid of a unique and magical icon “ Economy."
The power of prayer is faith
A prayer appeal to the Great Intercessor is made with a sincere message, as the holy fathers say, “from the heart.” There are known cases when the Housebuilder of Mount Athos not only saved from want and deprivation, but also healed from infirmities and diseases. So, back in the 18th century, a pious, hard-working woman and her little daughter were healed from illness, hunger and want. A sick and needy woman constantly prayed to the miraculous image and kissed it, the miracle happened, the life of the family improved. Thus, the prayer book of the Russian land showed the world once again the miracles of her mercy and love for the human race. Prayer to the Economissa icon has more than once helped those in need and those asking for help. The main condition is to formulate your prayer message sincerely and with love.
May your prayers be heard...
The miracles of faith through the prayers of Orthodox Christians at the Economissa icon are known throughout the world. In the 19th century, several deeply religious peasants from the Smolensk province went to bow to Mount Athos. After spending several days on the Holy Mountain, praying to many Athos shrines, we went to bed at night. One of the pilgrims had a dream that their native places were in great trouble, but the intercessor from heaven sent help and the people were saved. Having told their dream to the abbot of the monastery, the peasants were sent to the Great Lavra to the image of the “House-Builder”. After praying for three days at the icon, the peasants received a sign that their prayers were heard. Returning home, the pilgrims learned that a terrible disaster had been averted from their native places through their prayers: hunger and poverty, the death of all living things, had been averted. The Economissa icon heard the prayer books. What do the Orthodox pray to her for, what does the Abbess of Mount Athos protect the human race from through their prayers? The answer to these questions is the numerous miracles performed by the image.
