Icons for studying. Which saints should I pray to?

Giver of mind, Adder of mind:

A rare subject for Orthodox icons, with many details. The icon depicts a full-length image of the Mother of God and Child, dressed in a red veil, surrounded by angels with lit candles. They stand at the entrance to the Heavenly Kingdom, in the lower part the houses of Heavenly Jerusalem are visible. For help please contact:

parents to make it easier for children to study;
students who struggle with knowledge;
high school students asking for help in choosing the right direction for further study.

Day of celebration: first Sunday after August 28th BC

Sergius of Radonezh

One of the great intercessors of the Russian land, St. Sergius of Radonezh, is probably the main saint to whom one should turn for help with difficulties in studying. According to the Life, seven-year-old Bartholomew - that was the name of the future Saint in childhood - had serious problems in the sciences and could not learn the simplest thing - reading.

Being already very devout at that time, the boy began to diligently pray to God to grant him knowledge. One day, in the forest near his native village of Radonezh, where his parents lived, Bartholomew was looking for missing horses and met an old monk in a meadow under an oak tree, who was fervently praying. Tradition says that the child waited until the monk finished his prayer and asked him to pray to God to grant him the ability to learn.

After the prayer, the monk handed the boy a prosphora, which he ate; After this strange meeting, the child received clarity of mind and the ability to learn.

It is known that Bartholomew grew up calm and modest, and after the death of his parents he left the estate to his younger brother, and he, together with his older brother Stefan, retired to a monastery.

Since the saint himself had learning difficulties, after his death he performed many miracles - at the request of his parents, children began to understand science.

Key of understanding:

Also a multi-character image. The main images on the icon are the Virgin Mary in full size, and under her a key, carefully supported by angels. The plot is inscribed in the arch. In the upper part of the icon, saints can be depicted, enhancing the effect of the icon (Nicholas the Wonderworker, Matrona of Moscow and others). The plot is prayed to:

weak in mind to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge;
parents for their children;
those who cannot understand the essence, gain understanding of life situations.

Day of celebration: April 15th local time

You can see all the images of the Virgin Mary made from solid wood in this section.

Upbringing:

Studying is not only learning science from the lips of a teacher. This is the daily mastering of the rules of life that teachers give to their children. They are helped by the “Education” icon. The Mother of God depicted on it holds the Savior on her left hand. They pray to her:

parents raising children of any age;
guardians, on whose shoulders lies a heavy burden of responsibility for the younger generation;
teachers responsible, among other things, for the spiritual guidance of their students.

Day of celebration: March 18th local time

Saint Tatiana:

Saint Tatiana became the patroness of students after the first university, now Moscow State University, was opened in Moscow on the day of her memory. Since those

Since then, the day of honoring the icon has become Student's Day.

the image of Tatiana is carried with them to exams and tests;
they pray to her during the period of study, so that science comes easy;
University teachers offer prayers to Tatiana with requests for conscientious students.

Day of celebration: January 25th local time

In the photo: a standard size carved icon of St. Tatiana.

Prayer

Oh, holy martyr Tatiano, bride of your Sweetest Bridegroom Christ! To the Lamb of the Divine Lamb, the dove of chastity, the fragrant body of suffering, like royal robes, covered with the faces of Heaven, rejoicing now in glory, from the days of youth to the servant of Tse The Church of God, who observed chastity and loved the Lord above all the good things! We pray to you and we ask you: heed the petitions of our hearts and do not reject our prayers, grant purity of body and soul, inspire love for Divine truths, lead us onto the virtuous path, angelic protection and ask God for us, heal wounds and ulcers, protect your youth, Grant us a painless and comfortable old age, help us in the hour of death, remember our sorrows and grant us joy, visit us who are in the prison of sin, instruct us in repentance quickly, kindle the flame of prayer You, do not leave us orphans, so that glorifying your suffering, we send praise to the Lord, now and forever and ever. Amen.

Matrona of Moscow:

Matrona (Nikonova) lived at the beginning of the 20th century and was canonized quite recently. During her life, ordinary people turned to her with requests to pray for them, because the woman’s prayers were pure, sincere, and the Lord heard them. Matronushka performed many miracles. And now people are asking for her image:

about easy passing of tests, exams, tests;
about quick understanding of the material;
about good memory;
about easy days spent within the walls of educational institutions.

Days of celebration: May 2, March 7/8, local time

For even more information about the saint and prayers addressed to her, see the section where all the icons of Matrona and their prices are presented.

John of Kronstadt

The holy righteous John of Kronstadt lived in the 19th century, and in his adolescence this intelligent and perspicacious ascetic of Christ had problems with his studies. He then studied at the Arkhangelsk parish school; he began to have problems remembering and understanding what the teachers were explaining.

His parents were poor people, and their efforts to teach their son greatly embarrassed the boy - he understood that they were giving everything they had so that he could study, but he could not even understand what they were teaching him.

The teenager was saved by a fervent prayer to God, according to which the Lord gave the boy grace and the ability to understand science. Later he became the great saint and preacher of Russia, to whom all the poor and unhappy people flocked, finding consolation.

You can pray to the saint in front of his icons, which are very common in the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the relics lie in the Ioannovskaya Stavropegial Convent in St. Petersburg.

Other saints:

You can also pray to other icons to gain new knowledge, understand the structure of the world, and comprehend divine laws. For example, to his patron saint, in whose honor the student is baptized. Helpers also include:

Nicholas the Wonderworker, who, like Matrona, helps all those who come with a sincere request, regardless of what the person praying asks for;
John of Kronstadt. This preacher lived at the turn of the century, devoted a lot of energy to serving people, helping them take the right path;
Cyril and Methodius help distinguish true science from false teachings.

Holy saints of God patronizing students

Time to start learning

Today, the younger generation faces many temptations and spiritual dangers that were unknown just a few decades ago. The flow of information brings with it both useful and harmful. In this regard, it is necessary to take special care to instill in children the desire to learn, recognize and revive our traditions, and honor their elders. Everyone involved in the training and education of the younger generation should work on this.

Therefore, on these September days, churches remind us that studying is a lot of work and encourage us to master and improve knowledge with diligence and perseverance, with God’s help. And for parents and teachers - so that they do not humiliate or insult even the most careless child, but with great patience and self-denial help all children in their studies.

With our requests, we often turn to those saints who patronize a certain area of a person’s life. Among the holy saints of God there are those who are addressed during the days of teaching .

Since ancient times, the patrons of schoolchildren and students are the holy Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, the holy martyr Tatiana and, of course, our intercessor and patroness the Most Holy Theotokos.

REVEREND SERGIUS OF RADONEZH – PATRON IN STUDY ACHIEVEMENT

Vision to the youth Bartholomew. Mikhail Nesterov, 1890

One of these holy saints of God is St. Sergius of Radonezh . It is to this saint that students often resort.

From the life of the monk it is known that in childhood he had great difficulty in learning. After the fervent prayer of the youth Bartholomew (the worldly name of the saint) “for the gift of book understanding,” God sent him an angel in the form of an elder monk, who, in response to the prayers of the youth Bartholomew, raised his prayers to God and, blessing the youth, promised him success in his studies.

When meeting with Bartholomew’s parents, the monk prophetically predicted: “Your son will be great before God and people. It will become the chosen abode of the Holy Spirit.” From then on, the future saint easily read and understood the contents of books. This episode in the life of Sergius serves as the basis for special prayers to him by many generations of pupils and students.

However, there is no specific algorithm for how to pray to St. Sergius or any other saint for academic success; every prayer of one who turns to the saint from a pure heart will be heard. Those who know the troparia and prayers that were created by hymnographers to address the saints of God can use them; those who do not know these special prayers can address them in their own words.

IMAGE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD “ADDING MIND” - ABOUT UNDERSTANDING

Icon of the Mother of God “Addition of Mind”

The Icon of the Mother of God “Addition of Mind” has the grace of bestowing wisdom, reason and good knowledge, helping to educate children, healing weakness of mind and damage to the mind.

The history of this icon is complex and amazing. According to legend, it was written in the difficult 17th century for the Russian Orthodox Church by an icon painter who, during the schism, could not understand for himself the meaning of the reform and determine which liturgical books were true - old or new. He suffered for so long in this choice that he was afraid of losing his mind and began to fervently pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for admonition. Whether in a dream or in a waking vision, he received an answer to his prayer - a promise to heal him if he vowed to paint an icon of the Queen of Heaven in the image in which She would appear to him. The icon painter fulfilled his vow and depicted what he saw in the iconographic type of image “Adding the Mind.”

There is also information that its prototype was the Loretan (or Loretz) statue of the Mother of God, carved from cedar, according to legend, also by the Apostle Luke, and kept in a small house in the Italian city of Loreto. This holy house used to stand in Nazareth and was associated with the earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos: she was born in it and lived in her youth.

And when in the 13th century the Turks began to seize the eastern lands, Christians took the shrine to Europe, and the Bishop of Loreto had a vision of the Queen of Heaven, who said to him: “My son, My humble home in Nazareth, where I was born and spent my youth, is coming to your shores.” " And then both the holy house and the cedar statue were brought to Loreto: miraculously, it became the iconographic prototype of the Orthodox icon “Addition of Mind.”

HOLY RIGHTEOUS JOHN OF KRONSTADT – PRAYER OF FAITH OF A MEEK BOY

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt was born on October 19, 1829. The weak child quickly grew stronger and became a healthy boy. When the time came to study, the parents collected their last money and enrolled the boy Vanya in the Arkhangelsk Parish School.

Studying was difficult for him: he understood and remembered poorly. This circumstance extremely upset and embarrassed the good boy, since he realized how difficult his teaching was for his parents.

He was painfully tormented by the thought of his native home, of the poverty there, and it seems that at that time he learned to feel with particular pain the need of others, to ache for the poverty and misery of others; He dreamed most of all that when he grew up, he would bring his father and mother out of poverty and help everyone.

Van developed a painful sensitivity to suffering. School wisdom turned out to be even more difficult for him than initial learning. There was no affectionate help from his mother around him, the teachers cared little about helping their students. School business was going badly. He worked all day and still did not have time.

Therefore, driven by ardent faith in God, he one day, going to bed, especially fervently prayed to God, asking the Lord to enlighten his mind to the understanding of the teaching. The meek and humble boy’s prayer of faith was heard, and the Lord abundantly poured out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on him.

MARTYR TATIANA – PATRONESS OF STUDENTS

Holy Martyr Tatiana

This saint has been considered in Rus' for hundreds of years the patroness of all students and teachers, education and enlightenment. In fact, we don’t know much about the holy martyr Tatiana: a girl lived in Rome in the 3rd century and was a deaconess - an ancient church rank that meant merciful or, as they would now say, social service to others. She confessed herself to be a Christian and, having endured suffering, accepted the crown of martyrdom.

Prayer

Oh, holy martyr Tatiano , bride of your Sweetest Bridegroom Christ, lamb of the Divine Lamb, dove of chastity, clothed in suffering like royal robes, counted among the heavenly faces, now rejoicing in eternal glory, promised to God from her youth as a holy servant of the Church, observing chastity and more loving all the good things of the Lord! We pray to you and we ask you: listen to the request of our hearts and do not reject our prayers. Grant purity of body and soul, inhale love for Divine truths, lead us onto a virtuous path, ask God for angelic protection for us, heal our wounds and bodily ulcers, grant patience in suffering, heal sinful ulcers, protect our youth, grant painless and comfortable old age , help in the hour of death. Remember our sorrows and grant us joy. Visit us, who are in the prison of sin, instruct us quickly in repentance, kindle the flame of prayer, do not abandon us, the orphans, and glorifying your suffering, we send praise to the Lord of hosts, always, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

SAINTS CYRILL AND METHODIUS – FOR THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE MIND

Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius

There is no point in retelling the lives of these illustrious saints here; we only note that the eternally glorious and memorable works of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius in the compilation of Slavic letters, in the administration of the Slavic language during worship, in the translation of sacred books into their native Slavic language laid the foundation for the spiritual and civil greatness of the Slavs , their moral and civic identity.

By translating sacred books and liturgical services into the native Slavic language, they laid the foundation for our eternal salvation, and in this regard, Saints Cyril and Methodius are not only our teachers and apostles, but also fathers: they revived us spiritually, teaching us through their labors to know the One True God.

Therefore, these saints are also addressed with prayers for help in teaching .

But this does not mean that this is the entire list of saints to whom you can turn with prayer for successful studies.

Everything also depends on the difference of each person, on spiritual needs, on his disposition towards this or that saint... If a person is close to St. Nicholas or any other saint of God, or the saint in whose honor he was named at Baptism, then it is impossible to forbid to him for success We must also not forget about our Guardian Angels!

Mercy from our Lord Jesus Christ to all those teaching and learning!

Student's daily prayer before class

Most gracious Lord, bestow upon us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, bestowing meaning and strengthening our spiritual strength, so that, by heeding the teaching taught to us, we may grow to You, our Creator, for glory, and as our parent for consolation, for the benefit of the Church and the Fatherland.

Prayer from the prayer service on the eve of the start of the school year

Lord our God and Creator, who has adorned us, people, with His image, taught Your chosen ones Your law, so that those who listen to Him marvel; who revealed to children the secrets of wisdom, who bestowed upon Solomon and all who seek it - open the hearts, minds and lips of these Thy servants (names) in order to understand the power of Thy law and successfully learn the useful teaching taught by them for the glory of Thy Most Holy Name, for the benefit and structure of Thy Holy Church and understanding of Thy good and perfect will. Deliver them from all the snares of the enemy, keep them in the faith of Christ and purity all the time of their life, - may they be strong in mind and in fulfilling Your commandments, and so those who are taught will glorify Your Most Holy Name and be heirs of Your Kingdom, - for You, God, are strong in mercy and good in strength, and all glory, honor and worship is due to You, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.