There is a place on earth to which Heaven clings, where prayer does not stop for a second, earthly angels live and the presence of the Most Holy Theotokos is felt at every step. The Most Pure One chose Mount Athos as her lot and took it under special care. Many miraculous icons became famous on Athos, and the divinely inspired prayers of Athonite monks saved and continue to save the sinful land from the righteous wrath of God. But there is a special icon and a special prayer, the history of which is amazing, miraculous and cannot be explained by simple human standards. “It is worthy to eat” - with these words the Orthodox magnify the Mother of God. And the holy evangelist, Archangel Gabriel, taught people divine chants.
In 335, through the efforts of Emperor Constantine, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected on the Holy Mountain. The cathedral, majestic at that time, became the first Athonite temple and to this day is the center of the spiritual life of the monastic republic. In its altar, opposite the Throne, for more than a thousand years the miraculous image of the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat” has resided. The icon is a witness to many troubles that befell the temple and an accomplice to its greatness. From Mount Athos it illuminates the whole world with an invisible light.
The prayer “It is worthy to eat” as a song of praise to the Mother of God
“It is worthy to eat” is the most famous Orthodox chant of praise in honor of the Mother of God. The text of this prayer consists of two parts. The author of the words of the second part (“The Most Honest Cherub”) is considered to be Kosma Mayumsky. He was a Byzantine ecclesiastical poet who lived in the 7th and 8th centuries. But in the 10th century, the magnification “It is worthy to eat” was added to the Athonite Karey Lavra. Church Tradition says that it was announced by the Archangel Gabriel. For this reason, the prayer “It is worthy to eat” is called the “Archangel Song.”
The Orthodox prayer to the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat” is widely used not only during divine services, but also as an independent prayer. It is read or sung at the completion of any task, as thanksgiving after a meal, in evening prayers.
Icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat”
Icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat”
During the time of Constantine the Great in 335, the first Assumption Church was built on Mount Athos. Since the 10th century, on the high place of the altar there has been a revered image of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat.” The name of the icon is associated with the church hymn of the same name.
In one cave, an old man and a novice labored. According to legend, on June 11, 982, the elder monk went to serve in the temple, and the novice remained in his cell. At night a stranger came who called himself Gabriel. The novice invited him to rest from the road. Together they stood up for prayer and chanted psalms. When the novice began to sing the words “Most Honest Cherub” to the Mother of God, the stranger said that in his places before these words it is sung first “It is worthy that You are truly blessed, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate, and the Mother of our God.”
At this time, the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, called the “Merciful One,” began to shine with light. At the novice’s request to write down the words of the miraculous chant, Gabriel, due to the lack of paper and ink, began to write with his finger on a stone slab, which became soft as wax. After that the guest disappeared. The elder who returned from the service, after listening to the story of his novice, realized that the Archangel Gabriel himself had visited the cell. From that time on, the image of the Most Holy Theotokos began to be called the same as the prayer - “It is worthy to eat.”
According to tradition, every year on the Monday after Easter, Athonite monks perform a procession with the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat” around the Kutlumush Monastery.
One day Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets (1924-1994) witnessed a wonderful fragrance:
“On Monday of Bright Week, I sat in the archondarik of my cell and said the Jesus Prayer. Suddenly I felt an unusually strong fragrance, went out into the corridor to see where it was coming from, then went to the church - but the fragrance was not coming from there. I walked out of the kaliva into the yard. Here the fragrance was felt stronger. Then I heard someone hitting a wooden beater. Looking towards the Kutlumush Monastery, I saw the procession of the Cross going down, and I realized that this fragrance was coming from the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.”
The image of the Virgin Mary “It is worthy to eat” is honored on June 24 according to the new style.
History of the holy image
The story has come to us from time immemorial: there lived a monk in a cave on Mount Athos, one day he went to work, and left a young novice in his cell. It was evening, suddenly there was a knock on the door. The young man was not surprised - Mount Athos is inhabited by monks, there are also pilgrims here, sometimes they ask to spend the night with each other. The guests began to pray together. When the monks began to glorify the Mother of God, the guest suggested adding the words to the traditional verses:
- “Worthy to eat...”
All this happened in front of the icon of the Mother of God, which began to emit a wonderful light. The young monk asked to write down the beautiful words. When there was no paper, the guest inscribed them directly on the stone. He asked to teach this prayer to all Christians. Having performed this miracle, the guest disappeared. All Orthodox Christians today know the prayer of praise by heart, which then became part of the divine service.
The perspicacious elder then said that the Archangel Gabriel himself visited him in his cell. Since then, the icon has been called the first words of the angelic song. The image was transferred to the monastery Assumption Church (Kareya), where it remains to this day. By faith, many receive healing from spiritual and physical illnesses before him.
Lists of the icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat”
Widespread veneration of the “It Is Worthy” icon in Russia began in the mid-19th century.
In 1853, the rector of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery, Archimandrite Gerasim, donated a list (copy) of an icon that was little known in Russia at that time to the Arzamas Alekseevsky Convent (Nizhny Novgorod region). With the advent of Soviet power, the monastery was closed, many shrines were desecrated, including the image of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat.”
In 1997, in Arzamas, in the outbuilding of an old house, the surviving central part of the icon of the Mother of God was found. However, the face of the Most Holy Theotokos was severely mutilated by the axe. The found image was transferred to the St. Nicholas Convent. After the procession of the cross, this icon underwent a miraculous renewal. The next day the image began to stream myrrh. After some time, new paint began to appear in place of the eyes of the Mother of God, which were cut out during the desecration, as if an invisible icon painter was painting them. Now the icon “It is Worthy to Eat”, located in Arzamas, is known as “Chopped”. From her, believers receive healing from their illnesses, especially headaches and eye diseases.
In 1887, Hieromonk Arseny brought a copy of the “It Is Worthy to Eat” icon from Mount Athos to St. Petersburg. Especially for this image, a five-domed temple in the Byzantine style was built in Galernaya Harbor. In 1950, the image, revered among believers, was moved to the Smolensk Church, where the northern aisle was consecrated in its honor.
In the Zadonsk St. Tikhon's Transfiguration Convent (Lipetsk region) there is a particularly revered copy of the “It Is Worthy to Eat” icon. An image of the Athos letter, about which there is a corresponding entry in Church Slavonic. At the end of the 20th century, the colors on the icon faded, and spots were visible in places. On November 26, 2000, the image of the Mother of God was renewed. The miracle happened just during the period of restoration work in the Assumption Church.
How and what to ask from an icon
What should we pray for to the “It is Worthy to Eat” icon? The thoughts of any believer should be directed, first of all, to the salvation of their soul. To have mercy, to save from eternal fire - this is what we must beg for from the Queen of Heaven and the Lord Christ. Only then can you ask for some household needs. You should never complain about others, demand to punish them, or try to force loved ones to do their own thing with the help of prayer. This looks more like witchcraft and not like a prayer pleasing to the Lord.
You should pray, first of all, to correct your own shortcomings.
- Pride . The beginning of many other negative qualities, “the mother of all sins,” as the holy fathers say. An arrogant attitude towards others prevents you from seeing virtues, sincerely loving, and respecting loved ones.
- Laziness . Modern people are so pampered that often the slightest obstacles seem insurmountable to them. The Queen of Heaven worked a lot during her lifetime (ordinary water in ancient Israel had to be carried from afar), so she will teach hard work, patience, and send strength.
- Anger . A sign that a person has not made peace with himself, and therefore with the Lord. It can develop into envy, impatience, and anger towards others. It is necessary to pray especially earnestly; the Lord will pacify future passions in the soul.
First you need to read prayers specially written for the veneration of the most holy icon “It is Worthy to Eat.” We should not forget about the chant that gave the icon its name. If you have no hearing, it is not necessary to sing. Simple reading will be enough.
- Icon of the Lord Pantocrator
- Icon of the All-Seeing Eye of God - look here
- Icon of Saint Helena -
The prayer “It is worthy to eat” can also be used completely independently; you can read it on the road, at moments when you have a free minute. It is necessary to take a blessing to read the rosary. Usually priests only encourage the desire for prayerful feats if it arises. You just need to prepare for the fact that demons will do their best to prevent the strengthening of this new habit. You can't give up, you have to pray every day. Then the Lord will bless all earthly life with abundant gifts.
Icon of the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat”: what helps
The image of the Most Holy Theotokos “It is Worthy to Eat” is especially revered in the Orthodox world. The Mother of God, as a Merciful Intercessor, helps those asking for Her help in front of this icon with various everyday difficulties. It is believed that turning to the icon helps to cope with epidemics of various diseases. Also, before the miraculous image, they pray for blessings on marriage.
“Let us give Her with one mouth and one heart our pure childish praise. Small children always cling to their mother and hold on to her. And you, spiritual children of your Heavenly Mother, place your hopes in Her in all your sorrows and difficulties and remember that She tirelessly prays for the Christian race” (St. Luke of Crimea, 1877-1961).
What do they pray for in front of the image?
The title of the image speaks for itself. Through her love and mercy for people, the Lord grants forgiveness of sins and help in troubles and illnesses.
Before the face of the Mother of God in Arzamas, believers pray:
- about healing yourself and your loved ones, especially for eye diseases;
- good luck in business;
- about tolerance towards people;
- strong family relationships.
Believers who have a grave sin before God and people in their souls most often turn to this image.
Wonderful help from the icon “It is Worthy to Eat”
In the summer of 1990, due to extreme heat on Mount Athos, several monasteries were engulfed in fire. After the prayer service in front of the icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat,” the fire went out on its own.
In the late 90s, a resident of the Samara region, Svetlana, began drinking heavily after the death of her husband. Relatives repeatedly tried to treat her, but medical means and methods did not help. Friends advised Svetlana to visit the Church of the Intercession in the village of Belovka (Samara Region), which she eventually arrived in 2007. The woman prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of the icon “It is worthy to eat.” When she kissed the image, she felt a slight warm shock, like an electric shock. After this, Svetlana developed an aversion to alcohol.
Other icon painting options
The icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat” also became the subject for church paintings in the 17th century. There, the plot unfolded, as a rule, in more detail, since the authors were not strictly limited by the size of the board. The Mother of God is depicted here in full height, holding the Infant God in her arms. There is an angelic world around, saints. Above the Mother of God, God the Father appears in the clouds (later, by a decree of one of the councils, depicting the First Person of the Holy Trinity as an old man was prohibited).
About the author About the book
The text of the prayer “It is worthy to eat” was also written around St. Mary. Such a plot was also depicted on vessels called panagiars. They were intended for bread consecrated in honor of the Mother of God. After meals in the monasteries, it was distributed to each monk.
Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat”
Oh, most holy and most merciful Lady Theotokos! Falling before Your holy icon, we humbly pray to You: listen to the voice of our prayer, see our sorrow, see our misfortunes and, like a loving Mother, trying to help us helpless, beg Your Son and our God, that He may not destroy us for our iniquities, but show We are kind to His mercy.
Ask us, Lady, from His goodness for bodily health and spiritual salvation, and a peaceful life, fruitfulness of the earth, goodness of the air, and a blessing from above for all our good deeds and undertakings, for our Orthodox army for victory and victory over all enemies. And just as in ancient times You mercifully looked upon the humble praise of the Athonite novice, who sang Thee before Thy most pure icon, and You sent an Angel to him to teach him to sing the heavenly song with which the Angels praise Thee, so now accept our fervent prayer offered to You. About the all-singing Queen! Extend your God-bearing hands to the Lord, in the image of the Infant Jesus Christ you bore, and beg Him to deliver us from all evil.
Show, O Lady, Your mercy to us: heal the sick, comfort the sorrowful, help the needy, and grant us the honor to complete this earthly life in a pious manner, to receive a Christian shameless death and to inherit the Heavenly Kingdom through Your Mother’s intercession to Christ our God, born of You, who is with His Beginning Father. and to the Most Holy Spirit is due all glory, honor and worship, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
