"Save me, God!".
Thank you for visiting our website, before you start studying the information, please subscribe to our Orthodox community on Instagram, Lord, Save and Preserve † - https://www.instagram.com/spasi.gospodi/. The community has more than 60,000 subscribers. There are many of us like-minded people and we are growing quickly, we post prayers, sayings of saints, prayer requests, and timely post useful information about holidays and Orthodox events... Subscribe. Guardian Angel to you!
The “Jerusalem” icon of the Mother of God is one of the most famous and most important icons. The image has faithfully accompanied Christianity since the beginning of time. It depicts the lifetime face of the Mother of God and embodies her facial features. Throughout the history of Christianity, the Most Pure One has helped our people in everything: be it illnesses or misfortunes of individual people or terrible epidemics.
The image of the Mother of God was painted by Saint Evangelist Luke in the 15th year after the Ascension of the Lord. It is believed that this image was the first of 70 other images of the Mother of God. From the very beginning, this shrine was supposed to protect the Jerusalem community. It is considered miraculous and there is a lot of evidence for this. The first miracle was the healing of the Venerable Mary of Egypt from the evil eye.
- What do they pray to the “Jerusalem” Icon of the Mother of God?
The history of the appearance of the Jerusalem icon
Many people want to know what the Virgin Mary looked like. The Evangelist Luke painted several images of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that the image is more than two thousand years old.
Tradition says that Mary of Egypt heard the call to repentance while standing next to this icon.
During the reign of Leo the Great in the fifth century, the image was transferred to Constantinople. When the Scythians attacked the city, people offered prayers in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Jerusalem” and the enemy retreated.
The image was transferred to the main temple of Byzantium, where it remained for three hundred years. In 988, the icon was presented as a gift to Grand Duke Vladimir. He moved the shrine to Korsun, and then to Kyiv. Later, the image was presented to the people of Novgorod, who were baptized.
Ivan the Terrible moved the Jerusalem icon to the Assumption Cathedral. The image was updated at the beginning of the 18th century, making a frame of jewelry, on the margins of which martyrs and apostles were located. During Napoleon's attack, the icon was stolen. It was believed that the image was taken to Paris. However, at the end of the last century, an official request was made, to which they received the answer that there was no such image in museums in France.
The history of the miraculous Jerusalem icon of the Mother of God
The year 48 is considered to be the time when the Jerusalem Icon was painted. The place where the shrine was created is also named - ancient Gethsemane. The history of the creation of the image is closely connected with the Holy Land and the people who surrounded the Savior during the years of His earthly journey.
The first documentary mentions of the miraculous shrine date back to 463. This year, the ruler of Byzantium, Leo the Great, transferred the Jerusalem icon to the Blachernae Church of Constantinople.
Residents of the city reverently resorted to the help of the Mother of God and often turned their prayers to the miraculous icon. The Mother of God protected the believers and defended the ancient capital from enemy invasion. So, after the service before the icon, the Scythian nomads retreated from the walls of Constantinople, who were going to plunder the city.
For almost 300 years, the Jerusalem icon remained in the Church of Constantinople. In 988 (the year of the Baptism of Rus'), the miraculous shrine was given as a gift to Saint Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles.
For some time, the Jerusalem image was kept in the Kiev temple. After the Novgorodians accepted the Orthodox faith, Prince Vladimir sent the icon to Novgorod.
Under Ivan the Terrible, the ancient image was transported to Moscow, to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. Until 1812, the Jerusalem miraculous icon remained in the Kremlin Cathedral. After Napoleon's invasion, the relic disappeared.
According to one version, she was transported to France and transferred to Notre Dame Cathedral. But representatives of the Catholic clergy still deny that the icon came to France. One way or another, the original image is considered lost and all efforts to discover the shrine have so far failed.
There are ancient copies left in Russia that exactly replicate the original icon. The most famous copies are kept in the Assumption Cathedral, in the Church of the Resurrection (Old Jerusalem Compound in Moscow), and the Trinity Church in Moscow's Veshnyaki.
After praying in front of the Jerusalem icon, hopelessly ill people received healing. Twice after prayers in front of the shrine, epidemics of plague and cholera, which raged in Moscow in 1771 and 1866, stopped.
Description of the Jerusalem Icon
The image of the Mother of God “Jerusalem” is classified as the “Guide” iconographic type.
Icons like him were painted: “Georgian”, “Kazan”, “Support of Sinners”, “Iverskaya”. The Mother of God is depicted from the waist up, with her right hand supporting the Baby, who is facing the Mother. His right hand blesses the human race, in his left He holds the sign of knowledge. The face of the Most Pure One is turned to the Son, her head is slightly bowed, her hand is pressed to her chest. The Jerusalem Icon depicts a silent dialogue that has deep theological significance. The gestures and poses depicted in the images do not have a literal, but a spiritual meaning. The face of the Lord turned to the Mother speaks of His boundless love for Her. The image of Mary and Christ represents the unity of man with the Lord.
God humbled Himself so much that He came into the world as an ordinary baby who is completely dependent on an earthly woman. The Mother of God herself is a guide to the world of people. The hand pressed to the chest speaks of deep empathy for the share that will go to Her Son.
Her heart and soul were torn with pain when He suffered martyrdom on the cross. But thanks to humility and patience, the Virgin Mary was able to walk her path with dignity.
Iconography
The Jerusalem icon was painted 15 years after Christ ascended in Gethsemane. Evangelist Luke witnessed this event and in honor of him painted the face of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus on her right hand.
In its image, the Jerusalem Icon is similar to the Georgian Mother of God. Both are written in the Hodegetria style. The Virgin Mary is depicted with a baby in her hand. Christ, in turn, holds a scroll with the commandments. The right hand is raised for blessing with two fingers. Jesus turned to his mother and raised his head to her. Maria also leaned over and looked at her son. She presses her free hand to her chest and at the same time points it at Jesus, as if emphasizing that it is in him that the salvation of people lies.
On the margins of the icon are images of various saints. There is an option with Mary's parents, John and Anna.
Revered lists of the miraculous icon “Jerusalem”
The original image could not be preserved, but in Russia there are several especially revered lists.
One shrine is located in Izmailovo in the Church of the Nativity. Initially, the image was located in the royal estate. The emperors, as if anticipating a loss, ordered copies of the miraculous Jerusalem icon to be made. List of plus sizes. Eight people can hardly lift the board. Martyrs and apostles are located on the margins of the composition. The difference between the Izmailovsky list is that the fingers of the Lord are folded differently. Every week an akathist is read in the church in memory of the miracles that the Mother of God showed through the prayers of parishioners.
How to pray correctly in front of the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God
Lists of the miraculous icon are kept in many Russian churches and in churches located outside of Russia. The image can be purchased at a church store and prayed in front of it privately, at home. Before turning to the Heavenly Intercessor, they calm down, forgive the offenders, and focus on communicating with the Lord and the Mother of God.
They pray according to the prayer book or in their own words. On the day of the celebration of the Jerusalem Icon, people try to visit the church and offer prayers in front of the church image. It is useful to read the akathist, canon and prayers addressed to the ancient shrine on the holiday.
The meaning and in what cases they pray before the icon of the Mother of God “Jerusalem”
Prayer onePrayer twoAudioVideoPhoto icons
O Most Holy and Most Blessed Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Most Pure Ever-Virgin Mother of God Mary, our Patroness and Intercessor!
We fall down and worship You before the holy and miraculous Jerusalem icon and humbly pray to You, hear the voice of our prayers offered to You from the soul, seeing our sorrows and temptations, and like a truly loving Mother, trying to help us who are helpless, sad, falling into many sins and constantly angering the Lord and our Creator. Pray to Him, O Lady, that He may not destroy us with our iniquities, but for the sake of Your intercession He will show us Your humane mercy; ask us, O All-Good One, mental and physical health, complete repentance for sins, success in Christian virtues, a grace-filled, peaceful and pious life, fruitfulness of the earth, goodness of the air, well-timed rains and blessings from above on all our good deeds and undertakings. Preserve and keep us in peace and prosperity, and hasten to all to bear the good and easy yoke of Christ in patience and humility, for the salvation of our souls, protecting us with Your Mother's protection from the temptations of the devil and all evil. Oh, all-singing Queen, all-merciful Mother of God! Extend Your God-bearing hand in supplication to Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and receive prayers to Him, together with You on Your icon, Your righteous parents, Joachim and Anna, with them beg Him to have mercy on us and deliver us from eternal destruction, and just as sometimes in great sorrow before this icon of Yours you gave consolation and good promises to the praying Nile, so even now we humble and sinners praying, hear and show us Your great generosity: heal the sick, comfort the sorrowing, deliver the needy from troubles, those who travel and preserve those who sail unharmed, and grant us all the honor to end our earthly life in a pious manner, to receive a good Christian death, to be partakers of the Holy Mysteries, and to inherit the kingdom of heaven: that in the light and joy of the saints we sing and magnify Thy mercy and our Lord Jesus Christ, born of Thee . To him, together with his beginningless Father and the Most Holy Spirit, is due all glory, honor and worship, forever and ever. Amen
Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos, hope of all who trust in You, Intercessor of the sad, Refuge of the desperate, widows and orphans, Nourisher! Hear and have mercy on us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who fall with tenderness before Thy most pure image: pray, O Merciful Lady, Thy Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, that He may turn away His righteous anger from us, that He may forgive our sins and iniquities, for that we may be worthy By His goodness we may end our life in repentance and receive His mercy with all His chosen ones, for Thou art blessed and glorified forever and ever. Amen
"Jerusalem" Icon of the Mother of God:
The Day of Remembrance of the Image of the Virgin Mary of Jerusalem is celebrated on October 25. There are several versions of this icon, but two are the most popular: on the margins of one the martyrs and apostles are represented, on the second the Mother of God is depicted with her parents Joachim and Anna.
The Georgian icon is a mirror image of the image of the Virgin Mary of Jerusalem.
The shrine has visited many countries, showing numerous miracles:
Prayers are read in front of this image at moments when a person begins to lose faith , grieves and worries about something.
The icon is considered healing . There are many known cases where, through prolonged and sincere prayers, people were healed from various diseases. Especially those related to vision.
The Icon of the Mother of God “Jerusalem” helps protect your home from thieves , fires and natural disasters. Prayers are read before her so that the family and home will not be attacked.
Prayers are offered before the image when going on a long business trip or journey , so that the journey will be successful.
They turn to the Mother of God when they cannot cope with family difficulties , and also improve relations between spouses. Women who cannot get pregnant pray for the gift of a child.
When and how to read the prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”
The prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” is included in the liturgy (morning service) and the evening troparion, where it is solemnly performed three times. The complete Theotokos rule is to read the prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” 150 times a day. While reading every ten prayers, one must remember an event from the life of the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven:
1. Birth of the Virgin Mary. 2. Entering the Church of the Virgin Mary. 3. Annunciation. Meeting with the angel Gabriel. 4. Date with Elizabeth. 5. Birth of Jesus Christ. 6. Presentation of the Lord. 7. Flight from Herod. 8. The disappearance of the Son in Jerusalem. Experiences of the Virgin Mary. 9. Miracle when, at the request of the Mother of God, Jesus turned water into wine. 10. Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Suffering of the Virgin Mary. 11. Resurrection of the Savior. 12. The Ascension of the Son of God, which was seen by the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven. 13. The appearance of the Holy Spirit to the apostles and the Virgin Mary. 14. Death of the Mother of God. 15. Glory to the Virgin Mary in heaven.
After ten prayers, “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice,” you should read the “Our Father” and the prayer “Merciful Doors.” To begin with, it is recommended to read forty times a day. Saint Seraphim of Sarov suggested, in the absence of free time, to read “Our Father” 3 times, “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice” 3 times and “Creed” 1 time.
It is better to read the prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” in front of the icon of the Mother of God. The prayer is short and can be read, if necessary, at any time and in any place, most importantly with faith, with all your soul, thoughtfully.
What requests are made to the Mother of God in the prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”
The prayer is read if: – oneself or one’s loved ones are sick; – parents pray for their children; – if you need the mercy of Jesus Christ, the prayer “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice” will also help; – it is necessary to improve relations with relatives; – pray for the missing; - melancholy sets in; – sinful or overcome by sinful thoughts; – need help in business and relief from need; – if it is unclear what to do, the prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” will help you make the right choice; – for the marriage of girls; – travel; – protection of relatives and home from evil and deceit is needed; – asking for a peaceful, serene death; – food must be sanctified.
When you pray for others, ask the Queen of Heaven about this with prayer:
If necessary, change the masculine gender to the feminine gender in prayer.
Rules for reading prayers in front of the Jerusalem icon
The prayer must be said following simple rules:
- before you start praying, you need to stand silently for a while, collect your thoughts and throw away all worldly worries;
- You can offer prayers not only for yourself, but also for loved ones, relatives, listing their names;
- It should be remembered that when turning to the Mother of God, we ask Her intercession for us before the Almighty;
- you should not ask in front of the icon for retribution, fame or wealth;
- the prayer is read aloud or silently;
- in front of the shrine they ask for the gift of love, spiritual wisdom, faith, humility and hope;
- prayer must be supported by unshakable faith.
In the temple you can order a water-blessing prayer service with an akathist before the miraculous image; at the end, believers are given holy water, which they need to drink every morning on an empty stomach with prayer.
How does prayer before the miraculous Jerusalem image help?
The prayer to the Mother of God is offered at the most difficult moments of life. Believers ask the Queen of Heaven to grant health, peace in the family, resolve conflicts and get rid of enemies.
Before the miraculous Jerusalem image they pray:
- before starting important tasks, on the eve of important events in life;
- during epidemics of serious diseases;
- in case of enemy attacks and wars.
The Mother of God helps prayer workers cope with melancholy and despondency, overcome a crisis of faith, and find strength to overcome difficult life circumstances.
Temples in honor of the Jerusalem icon in Russia
In Russia, the Mother of God is so revered that a large number of churches have been built in her honor.
Thus, the Temple of the Jerusalem Icon in Moscow is one of the most beautiful attractions. The spacious temple is distinguished by a beautiful dome and an original high iconostasis. After the revolution, it was reconstructed into a factory, and later into a plant. Only in the late nineties the building was returned to the Church. The last hours of the Savior’s earthly life passed near the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Gethsemane Icon of the Mother of God “Jerusalem” is located. After the Dormition of the Mother of God, Her body was located here.
In order for the request made in prayer to come true, it is necessary to firmly believe and unquestioningly follow His commandments, to live according to the canons of the Church. It is necessary to confess and receive communion often. Only in this case will the Mother of God definitely hear the prayer and help.
Questions for the priest
Did Evangelist Luke write other prayers?
Luke devoted himself entirely to serving the Lord and creating Christian texts. He wrote the Gospel of Luke, known to all believers, and many other texts, most of which were canonized. The preacher became the author of dozens of prayers. He dedicated more than seventy of them to the Mother of God alone. They are intended for reading in front of various images, asking for help on a specific matter from the Virgin Mary, odes of praise and gratitude.
How to pray correctly for the icon of the Mother of God to help?
It is not the icon itself that helps, but the Mother of God, having heard the prayer, asks her son Christ to help. The icon only transforms the prayer of the believer to the Most Holy Mother of God and strengthens it. The reading rules are usual for most appeals to God. The main requirements are sincerity, faith and the absence of bad thoughts.
The texts of the appeal to the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God can be added to the prayer rule and read after completing the obligatory list. The rest of the time you should retire, disconnect from everyday everyday thoughts. To get into the mood for prayer, you should read “Our Father” 3 times, a prayer of repentance. Then slowly, in a quiet voice or whisper, say the prayer texts to the Jerusalem icon.
You must have a copy of one of the images of the Virgin Mary in front of you. Light a candle or lamp in front of the icon. Make sure in advance that nothing distracts you from communicating with God, and that no one can interfere.
Does praying to the Jerusalem icon always help?
It is useless for a person who does not pray regularly, who is not sincere in his desires, or who has conceived a deed that is not pleasing to God, to read any texts at home and in church. He will not be heard. God will not help someone who is mired in sins and does not repent. The prayer before the icon of the Jerusalem Mother of God is strong. She has repeatedly saved individuals and entire cities and villages around them from death.
Prayers of repentance to the Most Holy Theotokos
The Mother of God dedicated her earthly life to serving people, although the human race crucified her Son, our Savior. We offer prayers of repentance to the Most Holy Lady, lamenting our sins.
Prayer to the Mother of God 1st
Most Holy Lady Theotokos, the only one most pure in soul and body, the only one who surpasses all purity, chastity and virginity, the only one who has completely become the abode of the complete grace of the all-holy Spirit, the most immaterial power here has incomparably surpassed the purity and holiness of the soul and body, look upon me, vile, unclean, soul and the body that has been denigrated by the filth of the passions of my life, cleanse my passionate mind, make immaculate and order my wandering and blind thoughts, put my feelings in order and guide them, free me from the evil and vile habit of unclean prejudices and passions that torment me, stop all sin acting in me, grant to my darkened and damned mind sobriety and prudence to correct my inclinations and falls, so that, freed from sinful darkness, I will be vouchsafed with boldness to glorify and sing songs of You, the only Mother of the true Light - Christ, our God; because you, alone with Him and in Him, are blessed and glorified by every invisible and visible creation, now, and always, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary 2nd
Undefiled, Unblessed, Imperishable, Most Pure, Unbridled Bride of God, Mother of God Mary, Lady of Peace and My Hope! Look upon me, a sinner, at this hour, and from Thy pure blood Thou hast unknowingly given birth to the Lord Jesus Christ, make me merciful through Thy motherly prayers; The one who was ripeningly condemned and wounded in the heart with the weapon of sadness, wound my soul with Divine love! The mountaineer who mourned him in chains and abuse, grant me tears of contrition; With His free conduct to death, my soul was seriously ill, free me from illness, so that I may glorify You, worthily glorified forever. Amen.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary 3rd
O zealous, compassionate intercessor of the Lord Mother! I come running to You, a cursed man and a sinner above all others: listen to the voice of my prayer, and hear my cry and groaning. For my iniquities have exceeded my head, and I, like a ship in the abyss, am plunging into the sea of my sins. But You, All-Good and Merciful Lady, do not despise me, desperate and perishing in sins; have mercy on me, who repent of my evil deeds, and turn my lost, accursed soul to the right path. On You, my Lady Theotokos, I place all my hope. Thou, Mother of God, preserve and keep me under Thy roof, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos on Sunday, St. Nil Sorsky
O all-merciful Virgin Mother of God, Mother of generosity and love for mankind, my most beloved hope and hope! O Mother of the sweetest, firstborn and all-surpassing love of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Lover of mankind and my God, Light of my darkened soul! I fall down to You, a great sinner, and I pray to You, the source of mercy and the abyss of generosity and love for mankind: have mercy on me, I cry out to You painfully, have mercy on me, all the wounded, who fell into cruel robbers, and from clothes, clothed me in nakedness, Father, woe is me, naked In the same way, my wounds became stale and rotten in the face of my madness. But, my Lady Theotokos, I humbly pray to You: look at me with Your merciful eye, and do not disdain me, all that is darkened, all that is defiled, all that is immersed in the mire of pleasures and passions, that is fallen in the rage and cannot rise: have mercy on me, and give me a helping hand, raised me from the depths of sin. O my joy! Deliver me from those who have bypassed me; enlighten Thy face upon Thy servant, save the perishing, raise up the fallen: for thou canst do all things, as the Mother of the Almighty God. Pour upon me the oil of Thy mercy, and give me the wine of tenderness; You truly have only one hope in the acquisitions of my life. Do not reject me, who flows to You, but see my sorrow, O Virgin, and the desire of my soul, and accept this and save me, Intercessor of my salvation.
