Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God: what it helps with, meaning

In the Orthodox tradition, there are many so-called non-human images, that is, images of saints, the Virgin Mary or Christ, which appeared miraculously, without human intervention.

The icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovichi is one of those that appeared not thanks to the icon painter or anyone else, but by the grace of God.

The icon is of great value and is revered throughout the Orthodox Church, but especially in Belarus, where it appeared to the people.

How the Zhirovitsk Icon appeared

There is a legend associated with the painting, full of miracles and amazing events. The find dates back to 1470, when the land of the Lithuanian treasurer Alexander Soltan was trampled by his shepherds. They saw a bright light coming from a pear tree in the forest.

When the shepherds approached and waited for a while, they saw that an image appeared on the tree, made on jasper the size of a small palm. In the end, the Zhirovichi icon came to Soltan himself, who did not attach much importance to it and put it in a casket. Only when the icon disappeared and reappeared on the tree did he decide to build a temple there to worship the miraculous image.

The temple was built, and people almost immediately began to find out how the icon of the Mother of God from Zhirovichi helped, turning to the new relic. Various healings were reported and even the resurrection of a girl who was brought to the icon for blessing, but due to illness was not brought to the shrine.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the first Orthodox church, built on the site of a pear tree, burned down, and the icon was considered lost, but after some time a second discovery was made when a burning candle and an icon were actually found on the ashes. The Yavlensky Sanctuary was built on this site, which still exists today. However, the Revealed Icon of the Mother of God is now kept in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was built at the beginning of the 17th century from stone.

Features of the icon

The image belongs to the “Tenderness” type, very reminiscent in composition of the Feodorovskaya Mother of God. Only here the movements of the figures are more pronounced:

the Baby's head is turned towards the Mother and thrown back;
the right hand of the Most Pure One is pressed to her chest;
her head is strongly bowed towards Jesus;
the baby's knees are visible from under the shirt.

The first copies of the original, made in stone, are known from the beginning of the 17th century. A number of them also became famous for their miracles. The image shows the tender relationship between Mary and Christ, as an example of God's love for man. Prayers in front of the Zhirovitsk Icon can be offered on different occasions:

when migraine overcomes;
to strengthen in faith;
to get rid of passions and sinful habits;
during pregnancy;
before starting a new business.

Since the image has been known for several centuries, various prayers have been written specifically for it: akathist, magnification, songs. But you can read any prayer addressed to the Queen of Heaven. It doesn’t matter what kind of image is in front of the believer: everything that they pray to God or the Mother of God can be said in front of the Zhirovitsky icon.

Icon of the Last Supper
Icon of Cyprian and Ustinya - here
Icon Tree of Life -

Zhirovitsky shrines

Residents of Zhirovice to this day try to honor the holy image and objects and phenomena associated with it. The root of the pear tree on which the icon appeared has been preserved to this day in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is located under the altar and has a spring flowing from it, which flows holy water used by the believers for various religious purposes.

In addition, the stone on which the icon was rediscovered has survived to this day. According to this story, the children first went for a walk to the place where the first temple was, and on a stone they saw an image of a beautiful woman who was clearly not an ordinary person. The children told the adults in their village about this, and then the adults saw the candle and the restored image.

The stone is located in the Temple of Manifestation and is the base of the altar throne. On the surface of the stone there is a handprint of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who appeared to children in this place many centuries ago.

Numerous pilgrims still visit it today.

People who want to receive religious education also come here. On the territory there is a seminary, which is one of the most advanced educational centers of the modern Orthodox Church.

What does the icon look like?

The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God depicts the Virgin Mary with the Child, whom she holds in her arms. The boy hugs the Virgin Mary tightly by the neck and presses his cheek to her face. This image is made on jasper.

Original icon of the Zhirovskaya Mother of God

The head of the Virgin Mary is tilted to the right and is completely uncovered. The boy is wearing only a short shirt, so his legs are not covered. The halos are made not in a round, but in an elliptical shape.

This holy image is the only one in Belarus that was made in flat relief on stones.

Today this miraculous icon is located in the church built in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary at the Zhirovitsky Monastery, which belongs to the Minsk diocese.

Miracles of the Zhirovitsk Icon

In fact, this holy image showed people a considerable number of miracles, but from modern evidence it is worth noting the appearance of the Mother of God during the Second World War. Nazi troops entered Zhirovichi and placed their ammunition in the churches, at which time the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them. In the end, representatives of the German army wanted to blow up the churches, but they failed.

Soviet pilots who had to bomb this area also told many interesting stories. They said that the churches were invisible from the cockpit, but the map showed that they were located directly under the churches.

How does an image help?

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The Zhivoritsky icon became famous, first of all, for its healings from various diseases. Records of miracles have been kept for several centuries. The image is revered not only in Orthodoxy, but also in the Catholic Church. The monastery in Zhirovichi belonged to the Western Church for many years. The second wave of veneration occurred when in Rome in the 18th century. found a copy of the image. This happened during repairs - the discovered fresco was restored, a list was made and sent to the village. Zhirovichi. The image was already well known by that time. The Roman copy also began to lavish healing.

The veneration of Catholics was so great that they decided to give the icon a crown. In honor of this event, the festivities continued for many days. Obviously, believers attached great importance to the Zhirovitsk Icon: about 40 thousand people gathered for the coronation. One priest wrote a special song in honor of the image. In Rome, a golden crown was specially made, which was placed on the icon by Metropolitan Athanasius.

Prayers before the Zhirovitsk Icon

O All-Merciful Lady, Mother of God! With what lips will I touch Thy shrine, or with what words will I confess Thy good deeds revealed to people; for no one who touches You retreats weakly and is not heard. Since my youth I have sought Your help and intercession, and have never been deprived of Your mercy. You see, Lady, the sorrow of my heart and the pain of my soul. And now, kneeling before Your Immaculate Image, I beg You: do not deprive me of Your almighty intercession, neither on the day of my sorrow, nor on the day of my sorrow. Do not turn away my tears, Mother of God, and fill my heart with joy. Be my refuge and intercession, O Most Gracious One, and enlighten my mind with Your light. And pray not only for yourself, but also for everyone who turns to your intercession. Preserve the Church of Your Son in goodness and protect it from the harmful influence of enemies who would rebel against it. Send Thy help to our archpastors in their apostolate and keep them healthy, patient, and faithfully teaching the word of the Lord’s truth. Grant to their shepherds, through God Your Son, zeal and vigilance towards the souls of the flock entrusted to them; grant them the spirit of prudence and piety, Divine purity and justice. Also, Lady, Lord, grant wisdom and strength to sovereign authorities and administrators, to judges - truth and impartiality, and to all who come to You - the spirit of purity, humility, patience and mercy. I pray to You, O Merciful One, cover our land with the shelter of Your goodness and deliver it from natural disasters, invasions of foreign peoples and internal strife, so that all those living on it will live in love and peace, have a calm and peaceful life and through Your eternal glory glorify God in heaven with You forever and ever. Amen.

icon of the Mother of God "ZHIROVITSKAYA"

May 20 (May 7, old style)

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The appearance of the icon of the Mother of God of ZHIROVITSKAYA occurred in 1470 in the town of Zhirovitsy, Grodno district (now Belarus). In the forest belonging to the Orthodox Lithuanian nobleman Alexander Soltan, the shepherds saw an unusually bright light penetrating in the form of a flame through the branches of a pear tree. The shepherds came closer and saw on a tree a small icon of the Mother of God in a radiant glow. The shepherds took her to their master. However, the nobleman did not attach much importance to the shepherds’ story, but he took the image and locked it in a casket.

The next day, guests gathered at Alexander Solton’s place, and the owner decided to show them the find, but there was no icon in the casket. After some time, the shepherds again found the image of the Mother of God in the same place and again brought it to their master. This time, Alexander treated the icon with greater reverence than before, and vowed to build a temple at the site of the appearance of the icon of the Mother of God. Soon a small wooden church was built, and the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was transferred to it.

At the beginning of the 16th century, a fire suddenly broke out in the church. Despite the efforts of residents to put out the fire, the temple could not be saved. Everyone decided that the icon of the Mother of God also died in the fire. But one day, young children saw on the mountain, at the foot of which there was a burnt temple, a Virgin sitting on a stone in a radiant radiance. The children hastened to inform their families about what they had seen. Taking what the children said as a Divine revelation, everyone went to the mountain and, approaching the stone, saw a burning candle on it and the Zhirovitsky icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which had not been damaged at all by the fire. Soon the residents built a new stone temple and placed a miraculous image in it.

Subsequently, a monastery arose near the temple. Nowadays the miraculous Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Zhirovitsky Monastery in Belarus.

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Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Zhirovitsk they pray during persecution of Orthodoxy, in doubt, for deliverance from fires, in case of any bodily weakness.

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon, called “Zhirovitskaya”

Oh, Most Merciful Lady, Virgin Mother of God! With my lips I will touch Your shrine, or with these words I will confess Your generosity, which is revealed to people: no one, who flows to You, goes away empty-handed and is not heard. From my youth I have sought Your help and intercession, and I would never again be deprived of Your mercy. See, O Lady, the sorrows of my heart and the ulcers of my soul. And now, kneeling before Your most pure image, I offer my prayers to You. Do not deprive me of Your all-powerful intercession on the day of my sorrow, and on the day of my sorrow intercede for me. Do not turn away my tears, O Lady, and fill my heart with joy. Be my refuge and intercession, O Merciful One, and enlighten my mind with the dawning of Your light. And I pray to You not only for myself, but also for the people who flow to Your intercession. Preserve the Church of Your Son in goodness, and protect it from the evil slander of the enemies who rise against it. Send Thy help to our archpastors in the apostleship, and keep them healthy, long-living, rightly ruling the word of the truth of the Lord. As a shepherd, ask God your Son for zeal and vigilance for the souls of the verbal flock entrusted to them, and to send down upon them the spirit of reason and piety, purity and divine truth. Ask the same way, Lady, from the Lord for wisdom and strength from the rulers and city rulers, from the judges for truth and impartiality, and from all who flow to You the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. I also pray to Thee, O Most Merciful One, to cover our country with the shelter of Thy goodness, and deliver it from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that all who live in it may live a quiet and serene life in love and peace, and enjoy eternal blessings through eternal prayers Having inherited yours, they will be able to praise God together with you in heaven forever. Amen.

Troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon called “Zhirovitskaya”

Troparion, tone 5 Before Your holy icon, Lady, those who pray are honored with healing, accept the knowledge of true faith, and repel the Hagarian invasions. Likewise, for us who fall to You, ask for the remission of sins, enlighten our hearts with thoughts of piety, and offer a prayer to Your Son for the salvation of our souls.

Greatness We magnify Thee, Most Holy Virgin, and honor Thy venerable icon, which Thou hast glorified since ancient times in the Zhirovitsky monastery.

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Akathist to the Holy Mother of God in front of her icon, called “Zhirovitsky”

Kontakion 1 Let us bring songs of praise to the Queen and Lady, chosen from all generations, as the Intercessor and Intercessor of the Christian race. But You, as a good Representative before the Lord, beseech Your Son and our God to grant us the inheritance of eternal blessings, so that we may rejoice in You: Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Ikos 1 Archangel Gabriel, sent from heaven to you, pure virgin thing: Rejoice, gracious Lord with you! We, by the grace of God through the illumination of you, will praise you with songs of gold: Rejoice, chosen before the ages by the Council of God; Rejoice, O Lamb, who gave birth to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Rejoice, treasury of our salvation, exceeding the powers of the angels; Rejoice, most immaculate Youth and Mother of Light. Rejoice, insectless mountain, who brought forth the fountain of living water; Rejoice, flower-bearing Paradise, who brought forth the Divine Tree of Life. Rejoice, God-pleased Mother, who gave birth to joy to heaven and earth; Rejoice, overshadowed by the power of the Most High, the Divine class, the Savior of the world, the vegetated one. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 2 Seeing Your faithful children despondent in the troubles of everyday life and demanding heavenly help from You, You, Mother of God, gave hope to Christians, by the miraculous appearance on the tree of Your holy icon, the monk of Zhirovitsky, You filled their sorrowful hearts with joy and gladness, so that they all cry out in gratitude to You To God: Alleluia. Ikos 2 Without understanding with reason the mystery of the miraculous appearance of Your icon on the tree, Most Pure Lady, the boyar Soltan hid Your most honorable image in the ark. But You, Virgin Mother of God, by the special appearance on the same tree of this icon, You taught him, so that everyone will know the gift of mercy sent to people by You, and cry out in joy: Rejoice, treasury of inexhaustible joy; Rejoice, fragrant flower of indescribable sweetness. Rejoice, like the tree of life, spiritually delighting the faithful; Rejoice, you who give weightless wealth to all who honor you. Rejoice, you who do not deprive the erring of your grace and mercy: Rejoice, you who overshadow all those who flow to your icon with your protection. Rejoice, obedient to the voice of the prayer of all those who mourn; Rejoice, Mother of mercy, inexhaustible. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 3 By the power of admonition about the appearance of Your miraculous icon, the enlightened Bolyarin Soltan knew that this icon was sent down from above for the consolation of those suffering by You, and, tearfully praying for his foolishness, he erected a temple on the site of its appearance, and all people offered prayers to God in it. , give unceasing praise for You: Alleluia. Ikos 3 Having the wealth of mercy unspeakable, You did not reject Your chosen ones in great sorrow. When the temple, where Your most honorable icons were, was given over to fire, You, the All-Good One, the Comforter, having preserved them undamaged from the fire, again showed them on the stones near the temple, which was burned by fire. People, behold such a miracle, hurriedly sing a song of praise to You: Rejoice, unburnt Bush, preserving Your most honorable image in the fires; Rejoice, sorrowful people, who did not deprive Thy miraculous icon. Rejoice, covering Christians with the shelter of Your wing; Rejoice, through Thy intercession protecting Thy shrines. Rejoice, who once again showed Your most honorable image on the stone; Rejoice, through Thy admonition we have established our feet on the stone of faith. Rejoice, for the indestructible wall of our refuge is Your treasure; Rejoice, for I have known You as the beneficial Protectress. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 4 Through the storm of passions and temptations, the obsession of Your faithfulness, praying before Your miraculous icon, finds peace and spiritual joy. You, O pure Virgin, are the Guide of Christians, instructing them in the right path and helping them to understand the meaning of earthly existence, so that everyone praises God with a red song of God, singing to Him: Alleluia. Ikos 4 Those who have heard that the icon You have revealed with the gift of miracles is abundant, with faith and trust in Your mercy they flow to it and, enriched by the wealth of Your bounty, sing the following praise to You: Rejoice, Mother of mercy, pouring out a sea of generosity to Christians; Rejoice, you who bring joy to the whole world. Rejoice, sacred refuge of the faithful; Rejoice, Giver of eternal blessings. Rejoice, Sweetener of our sorrows; Rejoice, strong rise of all the fallen. Rejoice, O intercessor and strengthener of the weary; Rejoice, everlasting consolation in our suffering. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 5 More than the God-bearing star that rose from the east, You were like the Most Holy Virgin, when You appeared as a child in radiant radiance in the form of a wife of indescribable beauty, indicating the place of the appearance of Your most honorable icon, miraculously preserved by You from the fire. You did not deprive these little ones of Your goodness, teaching them about Your great mercy, so that, imitating the children of Israel who exclaimed to Christ: Hosanna, they would sing praises to God about You. Alleluia. Ikos 5 Having seen the strange and glorious miracle revealed by Your icon, the Most Pure One, when a certain maiden Irina, who was in illness, moved to worship Your shrine, died on the way, and when the foreigners began to perform the rite of her burial before Your icon, rose again, all people with trembling exclaiming: Rejoice, you who gave birth to the Word of life in the flesh; Rejoice, having raised up Your dead servant through Your prayers. Rejoice, O ark of our life, preserving us from the mortal flood; Rejoice, most luminous mind, who bestows upon us the sweets of eternal life and knowledge. Rejoice, through Your icon you show us the sources of great miracles; Rejoice, you who drive away the darkness of cruel circumstances from those who worship you. Rejoice, you who encourage those who pray with incomprehensible signs; Rejoice, you who visit all those who come to You with your mother’s generosity. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 6 The preachers of Thy goodness appeared all flowing to Thy wholesome icon, the Lady. For You have not rejected any of them, who in warm prayer stretched out their hands to her, so that, having recognized the power of the wonderful gift You have shown in her, they will cry out a song of gratitude to God: Alleluia. Ikos 6 With a shining ray of light illuminating the path of a good moral life, the all-honorable monastery of Zhirovitsk appeared, erected under the roof of Your shrine, Mother of God. This house of monastic exploits, and the school of divine understanding for young men, illumine the land of Lithuania with the rays of true knowledge of God, so that all may sing to You, the Mother of the Divine Mind, in songs of praise: Rejoice, Mother of God of incomprehensible light; Rejoice, thou never-setting dawn of the Sun. Rejoice, ladder leading to heaven; Rejoice, thou who makest the foolish by the Divine mind wise. Rejoice, school of piety in our Motherland; Rejoice, all-wise Leader in the knowledge of the teachings of Christ. Rejoice, thou who graciously nourishes the souls of the faithful; Rejoice, faithful one who satisfies the milk of wisdom. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 7 Desiring to give veneration to Your icon, which shone with many miracles, I visited the Zhirovitsky monastery not only of the noble ones, but also of the kings of the earth, falling to Your most pure image, the Lady, and, expecting great and rich mercy from You, offering to You a song of praise and chanting to God: Alleluia. Ikos 7 Truly wondrous industry you have shown. Mistress, Thy faithful, when the Zhirovitsky monastery was fenced off from Orthodoxy by flattery and violence, by Thy intercession it was again given to Orthodox people. For this reason, all worshipers of the right faith flocked to Your Most Pure Image, hurrying with joy: Rejoice, our reliable refuge in sorrowful circumstances; Rejoice, a quiet refuge for those seeking salvation. Rejoice, O apostles of the faith of Christ, Planter; Rejoice, depth of the word of God, all-wise Teacher. Rejoice, lamp of the Trisolar Light, illuminating us with truth; Rejoice, pillar of fire, showing us the path of right faith. Rejoice, we are protected from harmful teachings; Rejoice, shame on harmful teachings. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 8 We have known strange and glorious miracles in You, Mother of God, Your faithful ones, for not only did You show them grace-filled gifts through Your icon, but also to the waters of the source, at the place of the appearance of Your icon that flowed, you gave the gift of healing ailments, and to all, great and rich mercy, Having received from You, they will sing a song of praise to God: Alleluia. Ikos 8 All who resort to Your protection do not leave You empty-handed and are not heard; For You, Mother of God, who accepted the sorrows of motherhood at the cross of Your Son, weigh the burden of our sorrows. Moreover, to You, Mother, in more experienced sorrow, as a fellow participant in the sorrow and suffering of Your Son, we thus cry out: Rejoice, hopeless hope; Rejoice, consolation for the sorrowful. Rejoice, quenching our sorrows; Rejoice, you who give joy to the whole world. Rejoice, you who quickly give a helping hand to those in trouble; Rejoice, you who show us motherly love and mercy. Rejoice, through Your prayers we are our Intercessor before God; Rejoice, great protector in adversity. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 9 All the angelic hosts magnify you, O Mother of God, as the highest of the heavens and pure lordships of the sun: for you conceived God in flesh and you gave birth to the Light of lights. In the same way, we, earthly beings, like the most honest Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, magnifying You, will sing about You to the Gods: Alleluia. Ikos 9 Every kind of orgy of earthly beings is not sufficient to glorify the icon You revealed, but from it, like from an ever-flowing source, those who flow in draw an abundance of blessings. Moreover, bewildered to praise You according to your inheritance, as the primary source of these blessings, with tenderness of heart we cry out to you: Rejoice, Housebuilder of our salvation, organizing our earthly life for good; Rejoice, Guide, who leads us to the heavenly fatherland. Rejoice, guilty one, who does not deprive eternal sinners of the blessings; Rejoice, our Representative before God, who transforms the righteous wrath of God into mercy. Rejoice, thou who teachest us the vanity of this world to despise us; Rejoice, thou who by the insight of our mind attracts us to a more divine love. Rejoice, quick deliverance from all troubles; Rejoice, reliable salvation for the desperate. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 10 For those who want to be saved, and for those who come running under Your roof, be, O Most Holy Virgin, your inexhaustible Helper. Save us from troubles and misfortunes, especially despair and the fall of the sinful, and, reveling in the virtues of Christ, with joy about Your previous intercession we cry out in gratitude: Alleluia. Ikos 10 You were the strong wall of the Orthodox Church, O Most Holy Virgin, in the days of her grave trials; In the same way we pray to Thee: intercede, protect and protect us in our evil days from the evil enemies who rise up against us, so that we all cry out joyfully for You: Rejoice, protector and champion of Orthodoxy for the Church of Christ; Rejoice, for through Your intercession the Church shines brightly. Rejoice, for the apostates of the faith of our forefathers are being admonished by You: Rejoice, for by You the machinations of the enemies of Orthodoxy are put to shame. Rejoice, for through Your admonition the true faith is being implanted in our country; Rejoice, for the anger of the enemy burning upon you is being quelled. Rejoice, solid strengthening of Orthodoxy; Rejoice, shame on those who are heretical. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and sad intercession. Kontakion 11 All singing is not sufficient to praise according to the riches of Your generosity, O Most Pure One, which You have revealed to people. There is no reason capable of cognizing the depth of Your mercy, not a word in which to praise You worthily. Moreover, good being, accept our wretched praises, and we, glorifying Your greatness, will sing a song to God about You: Alleluia. Ikos 11 With the luminous ray of grace-filled help inherent in Your most pure image, illuminate, Lady, the path of our sorrowful life, so that all from troubles, sorrows and fierce misfortunes, delivered by You, we may have the right to stand in the law of the Lord, thanking You and singing to the Lord: Rejoice, miracles, We are revealed by Your icon, like an omophorion covering us; Rejoice, you who give countless bounties to everyone. Rejoice, you who calm our passions and carnal thoughts; Rejoice, you who heal all our physical and mental illnesses. Rejoice, through Your intercession you deliver from all troubles; Rejoice, you who quickly comfort us in sorrows and sorrows. Rejoice, intercession of widows and care for the orphans; Rejoice, correction of the young and consolation of the old. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 12 Ask for grace from heaven from God for us, Lady, flowing to Your most pure image, and You, Mother of Light, magnifying in songs, so that, overshadowed by Your protection, we will live in all piety and purity and be worthy to appear before the Throne of the King of Glory without condemnation, singing about A song of praise to you: Alleluia. Ikos 12 Singing of Thy greatness, O Most Holy Virgin, we all praise Thee, and, as the steadfast Representative of our salvation, we fervently pray: be a Helper for the good of us all and hear us touchingly calling upon Thee: Rejoice, O wise Pointer of the right path to Christ; Rejoice, protector of purity and chastity. Rejoice, Nourisher of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; Rejoice, vigilant Intercessor of those who seek Your intercession. Rejoice, help to those who are weary; Rejoice, protection for the whole world. Rejoice, our Guide, who protects us on all the paths of life; Rejoice, even after death in the air ordeals, protecting us from the spirits of evil. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession. Kontakion 13 O Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mother of God, hymned by the angelic ranks in heaven, accept from us, Thy unworthy servants, this prayer offered in praise of Thee, and delivering us from the falls of sin, make us heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that with You forever We sing to God: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. (This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

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The short life of a wooden church

The re-discovery of the icon left no doubt that the find was nothing less than a miracle, and he, Alexander Soltan, was God’s chosen one through whom it was revealed. Wanting to show himself worthy of such a high honor, the nobleman immediately ordered the construction of a wooden church on the edge of the forest, where the icon of the Zhirovitsky Mother of God appeared to the shepherds, and to place the newly found shrine in it.

In a land rich in forests, it would take a long time to build anything - before the master had time to look back, the axes had already fallen silent, and a beautiful church grew in the middle of the clearing. But, apparently, the Lord did not bless his undertaking - less than six months later, lightning struck it, and the wooden building, still smelling of resin, burned down overnight. It happened at night, and by the time the alarming bell woke up the villagers, by the time they got there, there was nothing left to put out. All that remained on the site of the church was a smoking pile of coals.

The third acquisition of a miraculous image

The peasants felt sorry for their labors, and the master felt sorry for the wasted money, but most of all they regretted the wonderful icon, which was considered lost in the fire. They didn’t expect to see her again, when suddenly (for the third time it was the same thing) the same children, but already returning from school - apparently, in the 15th century she had already been in the village of Zhirovichi - noticed a Woman of unprecedented beauty sitting on a stone near the burnt church, holding in her hands an icon familiar to them.

After listening to the youths’ confused story, the villagers, who believed that God’s revelation had visited them again, hurried to the indicated place, not forgetting to call the local priest with them, and he, in turn, grabbed the father-deacon with banners and icons. In general, a whole religious procession headed towards the church ashes.

And although everyone was ready for a miracle, they involuntarily froze when the icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God, completely untouched by fire, appeared before them on a stone blackened by soot. The story may seem incredible, but for almost six centuries it has been listened to and read with trepidation by many generations of Christians both in Mother Rus' and in foreign lands.

The beginning of inexplicable miracles

Alexander Soltan, very puzzled by such a curiosity, did not know what to do with it, but, having given the boys a coin each, just in case, he locked the icon in a casket, deciding at the first opportunity to take it to Grodno and show it to the diocesan bishop. A forged casket is a reliable thing; a find (expensive, apparently) will not go anywhere from it. Imagine his amazement when the next day, wanting to show it off to the guests, he found the treasured casket empty.

No matter how much the master frightened the servants with eternal torment in the next world, and with rods in this world, everyone swore that they knew nothing. And the key to the box stayed around his neck all night. Well, it’s clear whose hands this is. They sprinkled Soltan’s chambers with holy water, and stopped thinking about it. When suddenly (again this is suddenly) the same shepherds again saw at the edge of the forest the already familiar glow and, in anticipation of a few more coins, rushed to it.

Troubles brought by the 20th century

During the First World War, Grodno and all surrounding areas found themselves in the center of battles, and to preserve the shrine, it was transported first to the Moscow Intercession Cathedral on the Moat, and then to the regional city of Vidnoye, where it was kept for several years in the monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine.

The icon returned to her native village, where she spent almost four and a half centuries, in 1922. An anti-religious campaign was then unfolding throughout the country, and its transportation was fraught with considerable risk. Therefore, the archimandrite of the Zhirovichesky Monastery, who specially arrived in Vidnoye, secretly took out the priceless shrine, hiding it in a jar of jam.

It was not possible to deliver the frame of the icon to Zhirovichi, but soon the monks of the Pochaev Dormition Lavra made a special case for it, in which it was kept for all subsequent years. The presence of such a famous icon in the monastery contributed to the restoration and reconstruction of its main temple - the Assumption Cathedral. In 1938, religious processions were held with the Zhirovitsk Icon in many regions of Western Belarus, during which all the funds collected from donations went to carry out the necessary work.

It should be noted that, despite all the persecution that the Church endured throughout most of the 20th century, pilgrimages to the great shrine of the Zhirovichesky Monastery did not stop. It continues today.