Many people eventually begin to say something similar: the main thing is health. Only everyone understands this statement in their own way. Sometimes it takes a serious illness to turn to the Lord, and sometimes the Lord heals His children by showing mercy. The famous icon of the Mother of God “Healer” is associated specifically with healing from illnesses. The very history of this image tells how a miracle appeared in this world. Numerous further miraculous works that are performed in a holy manner to this day help believers and strengthen the Orthodox.
The history of the icon of the Mother of God “Healer”
This face of the Most Holy Lady was first revealed in Georgia, at a time when Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina preached the Word of God in those parts. He belonged to the iconographic type of Tenderness. The icon was in the Tsilkan Cathedral in the area of Kartolinia. Today her whereabouts are unknown.
Later, an image based on the plot described by St. became widespread. Demetrius of Rostov in his work “Irrigated Fleece”. The saint, referring to the book of Peter Damiani, the most prominent church leader and theologian of the early Middle Ages, described an ancient story about how a certain cleric of the Nivirninsky church, who had the pious habit of glorifying the Mother of God with an angelic greeting every hour, once became seriously ill.
When the hour of his death was already approaching, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him and, looking at him with pity, watered the cleric’s lips with milk from Her breast. At that same hour, the patient felt that the painful illness had subsided, and hurried to the church, where he served as a choirboy, and there he told his amazed comrades about the miracle that had happened to him.
In the 18th century Another amazing event happened. At that time, a certain church minister named Vikenty Bulvinensky lived in Moscow. He had the habit, every time he entered and left the temple, to kneel before the image of the Mother of God and say a prayer to Her. But one day a misfortune happened to him: a serious illness confined Vincent to his bed.
However, the minister did not leave the prayer to the Mother of God. Even when he had no strength to speak, he continued to pray mentally. One day he saw a radiant young man near his bed, in whom he recognized his Guardian Angel. The angel cried out with him to the Most Pure Virgin and asked Her to help the sick man. In response to the fiery prayer, the Heavenly Lady Herself appeared in wondrous radiance and, touching the suffering Vincent with Her rod, completely healed him.
These two similar cases served as the subject of the iconography of the image of the Mother of God “Healer”, widely known today, in which the Most Pure Virgin stands at the bedside of a seriously ill cleric.
Iconography of the image and its meaning
There are two versions of the iconography of this image.
The most ancient one belongs to the Tenderness or Merciful type, also called Eleusa (from the Greek “Ελεούσα”). In icons of this type, the Baby Jesus affectionately hugs His Mother and presses his cheek to Her cheek. The image personifies the mutual tenderness of the Mother of God and Her Divine Son, Their warm care for each other and for all humanity.
Icon of the Mother of God “Healer”
Currently, the second type of iconography, in which the Mother of God appears at the bedside of a sick cleric, has become widely known. At the same time, depending on the chosen source, She heals the sufferer either with a rod depicted in Her hand, or with milk pouring out from Her breast. Sometimes in the lower corner of the image there is a story about the miraculous healing of a sick person from the book of St. Dimitri Rostovsky "Irrigated Fleece".
Interesting fact
Images of other Orthodox healers are often placed on the margins of this wondrous image. Such as mchch. Cosmas and Damian, Evangelist Luke, St. Luka Krymsky, martyr. Panteleimon, St. mts. Elisaveta Feodorovna, MC. Zinaida and others. Usually the host of holy doctors is headed by the Archangel Raphael, the doctor of human ailments, whose name translated from Hebrew means “healing of God.”
Miracles and healings
About 30 years ago, there was a unique case of a cancer patient being healed with the help of the “Healer” icon. She ended up in the hospital by accident, unaware of her terrible illness, which was at the last stage of development. The doctors, recognizing her condition as hopeless, sent the woman home.
Imagine the surprise of the doctors when this patient came to the appointment 5 years later with other problems. After a successful operation, in response to questions from the doctors, the patient explained everything to them. Feeling worse, she decided to go to church and prayed for a long time in front of the holy face. Very soon, the Mother of God herself appeared to the sleeping woman with the news that her prayer had been heard, she would be healthy again. And so it happened.
This miraculous healing is just one of many. People who sincerely asked for the return of health saw the Mother of God in a dream, and subsequently they were cured forever.
What do they pray to the Mother of God for in front of this image?
From the name of the image it is obvious that they pray in front of it for the healing of a variety of ailments. The most severe, sometimes difficult to treat.
- Traditionally, people pray in front of this icon for help in childbirth and for the safe feeding of babies with breast milk.
- There are many testimonies about the help of this face in the treatment of infertility.
- Before the image of the Mother of God “Healer” they also pray for the healing of mental illnesses. For example, it is believed that prayers before him help get rid of prolonged depression.
- People turn to the icon with requests for deliverance from all kinds of bad addictions and addictions: alcohol, smoking, drugs, games.
Cases of help
An excerpt from the life of St. Zinovy (Mazhugi), in the schema of Seraphim, Metropolitan of Tetritskaro:
“In 1972, the saint was elevated to the rank of metropolitan. That same year he became seriously ill. The council of doctors determined that he would not live more than 2 days. Vladyka Zinovy lay and prayed to the Lord and the Mother of God in front of Her “Healer” icon. Later he told his relatives that the Mother of God visited him and blessed him, after which, contrary to all forecasts, he began to recover and outlived all the doctors who predicted his imminent death.”
The following story is posted on the Internet portal “Orthodox Shrines”: “In Soviet times, from the practice of one nurse, whose name is not mentioned, a miraculous case of healing was known, in which the help of the icon of the Mother of God “Healer” was known.
A woman was taken to one of the Moscow hospitals, almost screaming from terrible abdominal pain. Doctors immediately took up scalpels to find out the cause as quickly as possible, and they discovered metastases in the abdominal cavity. The doctors knew that the patient’s condition was hopeless, but they still decided to operate on her. After the operation, they decided to simply send her home, knowing that the patient could no longer be helped. The woman asked if she would live. The medical staff, who did not want to upset the patient, agreed. She went home.
Four years later, the woman was admitted to the same hospital again, only this time with appendicitis. The doctors recognized her, and after the appendix was successfully removed, they asked how she had been all these years. The patient said that after that operation she felt even worse and decided to turn to the Mother of God for help. She went to the temple and in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Healer” asked the Virgin Mary to help her heal. One day, in a dream, the Mother of God herself appeared to her and said that her prayer had been heard and her health would return to her. After some time the woman recovered.”
Evidence of the help of the Most Holy Theotokos through Her prayers in front of the “Healer” icon in St. Nicholas Church. Great:
“My name is Elena Bychkova, our family currently lives in Sochi. I want to tell you about a wonderful incident that happened in our family. For more than ten years I dreamed of a child, but the Lord did not send one to us... Having lived with my husband for five years, we almost despaired... I didn’t talk to doctors about infertility because I was afraid of this diagnosis - it would be like a death sentence for me... Knowing my problem, many told me: “Don’t despair, it’s probably not the time yet, because you’re young and you still have a long way to go!” I am very grateful to everyone for this support! And one day my godfather, with whom I baptized the boy, said that in our St. Nicholas Church in the village of Velikovechny there is a myrrh-streaming icon of the Mother of God “Healer” - it helps everyone who is sick. Having learned about this, my husband and I came to the church for the festive service on January 7 - the Nativity of Christ. After completing the service, we approached this icon, venerated it and prayed for a child... A month and a half later, when I fainted, I realized that a MIRACLE had happened!!! On November 8, 2011, we gave birth to a beautiful, absolutely healthy baby girl weighing 3 kg and 51 cm tall... Every day our Anechka makes my dad and I happy with her new achievements and every day we thank God for this!!!”
Another case:
“Great are the miracles of the Lord! Great are the prayers of the Most Pure Mother! For a long time, my husband and I could not have children, but through the prayers of the Mother of God, the Lord had mercy on us sinners. When we came to St. Nicholas Church, we served a prayer service in front of the myrrh-streaming “Healer” icon and a wonderful girl was born to us. The fetus developed safely throughout the pregnancy, but the position was transverse. The Most Holy Theotokos did not leave me; just before the birth, the child turned.
When I was six months pregnant, my husband suddenly had a seizure at work. Miraculously, he arrived home, covering the entire journey in 40 minutes, although we covered this distance in at least two hours. The hospital diagnosed him with purulent peritonitis. The operation lasted five hours, everything ended well because all this time both my husband and I turned in prayer to the “Healer” Mother of God. The Lord strengthens us all in faith in this difficult time, for this purpose He gave us the myrrh-streaming icon of His Mother of God “Healer”. Yulia Solina, from Velikovechnoye.”
Message from R. B. Irina: “When I was in the hospital, I had a tiny book with an akathist to the Mother of God, and on the cover there was an icon of the “Healer.” She helped me a lot, and the operation was successful.”
What does it help with and what does it protect against?
Mostly they pray to the Mother of God for health. Some seriously ill patients ask for relief from unbearable torment, others pray for relief from the disease. Many childless families ask for a child. They also pray to the “Healer” for deliverance from the sins of despondency, anger, and envy. Relatives ask the Mother of God for advice and direction in raising their children.
The Heavenly Queen helps parishioners in an effort to protect their loved ones from the misfortune looming over them.
Relatives of people who find themselves in prison through no fault of their own turn to the Mother of God. Faith in justice and the help of the Mother of God helps them endure difficult trials.
Mostly they pray to the Mother of God for health
Where are the especially revered lists located?
In the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of the Lord in Sokolniki there is a miraculous image of the Mother of God “Healer”, transferred here in the 30s of the last century from the Alekseevsky monastery. This is one of the most famous faces of the Virgin Mary, which became famous back in the 18th century. The image miraculously survived the invasion of Napoleon's troops: in those days, the nuns hid it in the basement of the church, placing the hospital infirmary on top.
Another miraculous image of the Mother of God with this name is located in the Church of Alexy, the Man of God in Krasnoe Selo. Every Sunday at 14.00 an akathist is read in front of the shrine.
In the Moscow Church of St. Nicholas at the Straw Gatehouse there is a revered image of the Mother of God “Healer with Holy Doctors”. This image was painted for the temple by icon painter Nina Malovichko. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the marks around the perimeter of the icon contain half-length images of the most famous and revered Christian healers.
Myrrh-streaming icon
In St. Nicholas Church. The great eternal icon of the Krasnodar region is the myrrh-streaming icon of the Mother of God “Healer”. This icon, made in the Sofrinsky workshop, was donated to the temple by parishioner Elena Valentinovna Zhukova, in whose house the image began to flow myrrh only 2 months after its acquisition.
For the first time, fragrant healing myrrh appeared on the icon on the Feast of the Annunciation - April 7, 2009. Currently, the icon is known far beyond the borders of its native parish. Pilgrims come to her from all over the country, and through prayers before the wondrous image many healings occur.
Where is the holy face kept?
At first, the image was located on the territory of the Alekseevsky Convent in Moscow. But during Napoleon, the monastery was destroyed, and almost everything except the cathedral burned down. All icons and church property were hidden underground, and beds with seriously ill people were placed on top. Since the occupiers were afraid of getting infected, they did not approach the lodges.
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The monastery was restored, and already in the 30s of the 19th century, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was erected on this site. The monastery was moved to the village of Krasnoye. And the holy face of the Most Pure Mother of God has remained preserved to this day in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki.
Every day thousands of pilgrims turn to the image of the Queen of Heaven for the gift of recovery, for help in difficult times, for the healing of mental anguish. The Mother of God has never refused to anyone; she has given and to this day grants what they want to everyone who comes to Her.
And the prayer itself to the Mother of God “Healer” sounds like this:
“Accept, O All-Blessed and All-Powerful Lady Theotokos the Virgin, these prayers, now offered to You with tears from us, Your unworthy servants, who send up the singing of Your celibate image with tenderness, as if You yourself are here and heed our prayer.
For every request you fulfill, you alleviate sorrows, you grant health to the weak, you heal the weakened and sick, you drive away demons from demons, you deliver the offended from insults, you cleanse lepers and have mercy on little children; Moreover, O Lady, Lady Theotokos, you free us from bonds and prisons and heal all manifold passions, for everything is possible through your intercession to your Son, Christ our God.
O All-Singing Mother, Most Holy Theotokos!
Do not cease to pray for us, Your unworthy servants, who glorify You and honor You, and who worship Your Most Pure Image with tenderness, and who have irrevocable hope and undoubted faith in You, the Ever-Virgin, Most Glorious and Immaculate, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen".
God bless you!
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Watch also the video story about the miraculous icon:
Temples dedicated to the icon
The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Healer” is located at the Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. This church was founded in the early 2000s at the monastery hospital. It is located in a former school building, built during the years of Soviet power on the monastery graveyard. The building was transferred to the monastery in 2004. The consecration took place on October 1, 2008. The hospital itself is located in the same building.
The hospital Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Healer” operates at the medical and sanitary unit No. 33. The temple is assigned to the Moscow courtyard of the Valaam Monastery. The design of its painting was approved by the icon painters of the famous Optina Pustyn. In the interior decoration there are the faces of many holy saints, awarded by the Lord the gift of healing bodily ailments. Among the shrines are the revered images of the Mother of God “Healer”, “Assumption” and the image of the healer martyr. Panteleimon. Particles of the relics of Patriarch Hermogenes, St. are kept here. Innocent, St. Nicholas of Valaam, John of Kiev-Pechersk and Herman of Alaska. Temple address: Malakhitovaya st., 16, building 1, Moscow.
The rector of the temple, Archpriest Alexander (Pakhomov), said:
“The main shrine of our temple, of course, is the icon of the Mother of God “Healer.” But we have a revered image of Panteleimon the healer. During the consecration of the temple, a miracle happened: the icon began to stream myrrh. Although this icon is just a photograph pasted onto chipboard. We treat her with great reverence. Patients and doctors brought her many gifts in gratitude for fulfilling her requests. We don’t even keep a separate journal (recording miracles performed through prayers in front of the image), because there are very, very many such cases.”
Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Healer” at Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Tyumen. This brick church was erected in 2006. It is a large single-domed quadrangle with a three-tier hipped belfry. Elements of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture were used during construction. A Sunday school is opened at the temple, in which parishioners are taught the Law of God and applied creativity. Address: st. 50 Let Oktyabrya, 53A/1, Tyumen.
On August 9, 2022, Metropolitan Dimitry of Tobolsk and Tyumen donated a piece of the holy relics of the Great Martyr to the temple. Panteleimon. The relics were brought here from the holy Mount Athos, from the Panteleimon Monastery.
Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Healer” at the 2nd city hospital in Krasnodar. Built in 2004. Its interior decoration features amazingly beautiful frescoes and stained glass windows. In the temple there are especially revered images of the Mother of God “Healer” and “Helper in Childbirth”, as well as the miraculous icon of St. Luke Krymsky. Nearby is a baptismal temple, consecrated in honor of St. Luke of Crimea, where there is another icon of the saint with a particle of his relics. Temple address: Krasnodar, st. Red Partisans, 6/9.
Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Healer” at the Republican Children's Hospital in Simferopol. Founded in June 2009. The temple is located on the 1st floor of the hospital building. It runs a Sunday school. There is an Orthodox library. Among the revered shrines is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The All-Tsarina” from the Athos monastery of Vatopedi, as well as the image of Demetrius of Thessalonica. Here there are revered faces with particles of the relics of St. Luke of Crimea, St. Agapit of Pechersk, St. Martha Diveevskaya. There is a miraculous cross with the relics of the holy fathers of Kiev-Pechersk. Temple address: st. Alexandra Nevsky, 19, Simferopol.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos before the icon of Her “Healer”
Oh, Most Holy Lady Queen Theotokos, the highest of all heavenly powers and the holiest of all saints! We fall and worship You before Your all-honorable and wholesome image, remembering Your wondrous appearance to the sick cleric Vincent, and we earnestly pray to You, the all-powerful intercessor of our family and assistant: just as she gave healing to that cleric of old, so now heal our souls and bodies, sick with the wounds of sins and manifold passions, deliver us from all misfortunes, troubles, sorrows and eternal condemnation, save us from soul-destroying teachings and unbelief, from flattering and arrogant attacks of invisible enemies, grant us I wish you a Christian death, painless, peaceful, shameless, I will partake of the Holy Mysteries and grant us The improvised improviser of the judge of Christ is far as the whole judge and the berths of Him to hear: "Give, the blessings of my father, enjoy your kingdom from the complexity of the world." Amen.
Troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos before the icon of Her “Healer”, tone 4
Like the Most Bright Star, Your holy image, O Healer, shines with Divine miracles. Grant us, Mother of God Mary, healing of mental and physical ailments, salvation and great mercy.
Translation: Like a bright Star, Your holy image, O Healer, shone with Divine miracles. Grant us, Mother of God Mary, healing of mental and physical illnesses, salvation and great mercy.
Another troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos before the icon of Her “Healer”, tone 1
To Love, Pure Virgin, Your holy icon to those who reverence, and to those who glorify You, the true Mother of God, and to those who faithfully worship, the Healer appeared, removing all evil and illness from these, like the Almighty.
Translation: With love, Pure Virgin, those who honor Your holy icon, and those who glorify You as the true Mother of God, and who worship You with faith, become a Healer, removing all evil and illness from them, like the Almighty.
Kontakion to the Most Holy Theotokos before Her Icon “Healer”, tone 6
The representation of Christians is unashamed, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, but advance, as the Good One, to the aid of us who faithfully call upon Ty; hasten to prayer and strive to supplicate, ever presenting the Mother of God to those who honor Thee.
Translation: The protection of Christians is reliable, Intercession to the Creator is unchangeable! Do not despise the prayerful voices of sinners, but come quickly, as the Good One, to the aid of us who call upon You with faith: “Hasten with your intercession and hasten your prayer, Mother of God, always protecting those who honor You!”
Greatness
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor Your holy image, which brings healing to all who come with faith.
