Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos before the icon “Unexpected Joy”
Oh, Most Holy Virgin, All-Blessed Son, All-Blessed Mother, Patroness of the city of Moscow, of all who live in sins, sorrows, troubles and illnesses, Faithful to the Representative and Intercessor! Accept this prayer song from us, Thy unworthy servants, offered up to You, and like the sinner of old, every day many times before Thy honest icon who prayed, You did not despise, but granted it This gave him the unexpected joy of repentance and you bowed your Son to the many and zealous towards Him intercession for the forgiveness of this sinner and the lost, so even now do not despise the prayers of us, Thy unworthy servants, and beg Thy Son and our God, and all of us, with faith and tenderness, bowing before in Your wholesome image, bestows unexpected joy for every need: for a sinner mired in the depths of evil and passions - all-effective admonition, repentance and salvation; to those in sorrow and sorrow - consolation; to those who find themselves in troubles and embitterment - complete abundance of these; for the cowardly and unreliable - hope and patience; To those who live in joy and abundance - unceasing thanksgiving to God the Benefactor; to those in need - mercy; for those who are sick and long-term and abandoned by doctors - unexpected healing and strengthening; for those who were waiting for the mind from an illness - the return and renewal of the mind; departing into eternal and endless life - memory of death, tenderness and contrition for sins, a cheerful spirit and firm hope in the mercy of the Judge. Oh, Most Holy Lady! Have mercy on everyone who honors Your honorable name, and show everyone Your all-powerful protection and intercession; abide in piety, purity and honest living until their last death in goodness; create evil blessings; guide those who have gone astray to the right path; Make progress in every good work and that which is pleasing to Your Son; Destroy every evil and ungodly deed; in bewilderment and difficult and dangerous circumstances, those who find invisible help and admonition are sent down from Heaven; save from temptations, seductions and destruction; protect and preserve from all evil people and from enemies visible and invisible; float to those who swim; travel to those who travel; Be the Nourisher for those who are in need and hunger; for those who do not have shelter and shelter, provide cover and refuge; Give me clothes to the naked; for those offended and unjustly persecuted - intercession; invisibly justify those who suffer slander, slander and blasphemy; expose the slanderers and blasphemers before everyone; Grant unforeseen reconciliation to those who are bitterly at enmity, and to all of us love, peace and piety and health with long life. Keep your marriage in love and like-mindedness; spouses, in the enmity and division of existence, die, unite to each other and establish for them an indestructible union of love; to mothers and children giving birth, grant permission quickly; raise the babies; Be chaste for young people, open their minds to the perception of every useful teaching, instruct them in the fear of God, abstinence and hard work; protect from domestic strife and enmity of half-bloods with peace and love. Be the Mother of motherless orphans, I will turn them away from all vice and filthiness and teach them all that is good and pleasing to God, but those who have been seduced into sin and impurity have fallen, having taken away the filth of sin, they will perish from the abyss. whitewash out. Be the Comforter and Helper of widows, be the rod of old age, deliver us all from sudden death without repentance, and for all of us the Christian end of our lives, painless, shameless, peaceful and a good answer to Grant a more terrible Judgment of Christ. Having ceased in faith and repentance from this life with the Angels and created lives for all the saints who died by sudden death, the mercy of your Son begged, and for all those who have fallen asleep, who have no time Fathers, begging for the repose of your Son, be a constant and warm Prayer and Intercessor , so that everyone in Heaven and on earth leads You, as a firm and shameless Representative of the Christian race, and, leading, glorify You and Your Son, with His Beginning Father and Consubstantial by His Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
In what cases do you turn to “Unexpected Joy”
The Mother of God is the protector of all who need her protection. Usually, she is asked for peace of mind in everyday affairs, for the birth of a child for couples who cannot conceive, for forgiveness of sins, for creating a strong family and for quickly finding a soul mate. Our Lady is indeed also the mother of all Orthodox Christians. She protects them from troubles, wards off sinful forces, and gives happiness to those in need.
Prayer in front of the icon gives internal cleansing to a person. Every day, even the most faithful Orthodox Christian can succumb to sinful temptations. Often, the anger that accumulates inside a person prevents healing. Such hardships can manifest themselves in the form of malice, anger, and envy. Our Lady helps such people, makes their lives brighter and purer.
To those who ask for the birth of children, she gives a child who is not susceptible to disease. Children do not know grief and live a happy life. In repentance, the Mother of God removes the burden of sinfulness from the human soul. There have been cases when fervent prayer helped to find a missing person. Her power is truly limitless.
Remember that prayer should come from the heart, and not from mechanical reading. If you need the help of the Higher Powers, be confident in their capabilities, believe in them and then you will get what you deserve. The name “Unexpected Joy” means help even in the most difficult life situations. Sincere prayer, according to the Orthodox, gives a person the opportunity to be heard by the Lord.
What does the icon give?
The loss of morality and spirituality manifests itself on the physical level. Malice, envy, hatred, having settled in the human heart, bring with them diseases and illnesses. People in their blindness do not understand that spiritual cleansing is directly related to physical healing.
The “Unexpected Joy” icon gives inner joy and peace. How does it help believers? Find the true path, your purpose in life. Find unexpected joy that was not expected. At different times, women prayed for husbands who went missing during travel or war. And they returned home.
It is necessary to tell the image what the soul is sad about. And then the miraculous icon “Unexpected Joy” will help. Prayer for pregnancy in front of the image has more than once helped to acquire a long-awaited child. Our Lady consoled parents whose children had followed a sinful path.
The icon brings a happy occasion, even if there is no hope for joy. Even misfortune can turn into success - that’s where the “Unexpected Joy” icon helps. Prayer for the gift of children will help you get pregnant or find a child who needs parental warmth and affection. It also happens: in despair, the couple takes the baby from the shelter, and after some time it turns out that pregnancy has occurred. The important thing here is not to abandon your first child, but to love, educate and raise him as your own.
The history of the appearance of the icon of the Mother of God Unexpected joy
When a person cannot find himself or children go the wrong way, prayers in front of the icon of Unexpected Joy help those who are lost cope. The prayers of mothers for their beloved children are especially strong. Thanks to repentance and petitions from a pure soul, people regain peace of mind and are healed of the diseases that plague them. And those who have lost each other meet even after many years.
Icon of the Virgin Mary with a baby and a begging man - Unexpected joy appeared many years ago. It was first mentioned in the work of the Rostov saint - Irrigated Fleece. The text spoke of a man who could not bear his burden of sin. Every time he promised himself to stop, but he could not do it. After each such violation of his promise, he prayed to the Mother of God, asking him to deliver him from sin.
One day, before committing his sin again, a man turned to the icon. When he wanted to leave the room, he noticed that the Mother of God turned to him, and the baby began to show wounds that were bleeding. The man was amazed that the Mother of God heard about his request. He felt peace of mind, and after that he did not return to his sinfulness. It was this story that became the reason for painting the healing icon.
Icon – Unexpected Joy
The most famous image is located in the Church of Elijah the Prophet, which is located in Moscow. Several copies were made from this icon, which also showed their power and worked miracles. Every day people come to the image and turn to Higher powers with their problems.
How else can you pray to “Unexpected Joy”
Akathist and prayer are used for church or home rules. There are short, easy-to-remember prayers to the Mother of God that should be known by heart and repeated mentally at work, in transport, in church in front of an icon. Simple texts can be learned with children.
There are no other imams of help, no other imams of hope except You, Lady, help us! We hope in You and boast in You, for we are Your servants, let us not be ashamed
Open the doors of mercy for us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You, for You are the salvation of the Christian race
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You! Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
The story of the acquisition of the icon “Unexpected Joy”
The icon “Unexpected Joy” (“God’s Joy”, “Unexpected Joy”, “Unexpected Joy”, “Accidental Joy” - it is called differently among the people) is a visual reflection of the story of Metropolitan Demetrius of Rostov, who was later canonized.
Dmitry Rostovsky is not only a prominent religious figure, but also the author of numerous sermons and spiritual books. In one of them, “Irrigated Fleece” (published in 1863), Dmitry described the story that formed the basis of the plot of the “Unexpected Joy” icon.
... One sinner was very pious - a strange combination, but one that often occurs in our lives, right? Before every bad act, he fervently prayed and asked for blessings in front of the icon of the Mother of God.
This went on for quite a long time until the sinner received a miraculous vision. He dreamed of a living Mother of God with a divine offspring. On the limbs of Jesus there were gaping wounds (as after crucifixion), from which blood oozed.
The sinner asked the Mother of God in horror: what happened to Jesus? And the Ever-Virgin told him that people crucify Christ again and again, multiplying his torment with every sinful act.
The man felt repentance, burst into tears and asked the Mother of God to beg the Savior to forgive his sins. The Virgin Mary turned to Jesus twice, but he refused. And only the third time did he agree to have mercy on the sinner out of respect for the immaculate parent who wanted to fall at his feet.
The sinner kissed the wounds of Christ, woke up and felt an unprecedented surge of joy, as he realized that he was saved. Since then, the man led a pious life, prayed sincerely and did not sin.
The story of a sinner who received salvation after kissing Christ’s wounds is often reflected directly on the icon. An excerpt from it is placed directly under the image of the Virgin Mary holding Christ on her knees. Sometimes it is replaced by the text of a prayer.
The first image, “Unexpected Joy,” was created by an anonymous icon painter approximately in the 18th century. Many copies were made from it, some of which became miraculous.
The Miracle of Forgiveness
In simple and artless language, Dmitry Rostovsky tells about an ordinary sinner, a lawless man, who, despite his obscene life, loved to come to the icon of the Queen of Heaven. His daily words to his Mother are imbued with reverent love.
Once again, getting ready for a lawless task, he prayed and felt inner excitement. Looking at the icon, I saw wounds on the body of the Holy Child, from which blood flowed.
The sinner was frightened, he knelt down in horror with the question: who did this? The Mother of God answered that sinners ask her for forgiveness every day, but continue to commit their iniquities, insulting the Mother’s love for the Son by interceding for them. And they daily crucify their Lord by continuing to sin. They insult the Son’s love for the Mother by the fact that he cannot refuse her anything.
The sinner prayed and begged to forgive him, promising that he would no longer commit lawlessness. He pressed his lips to the icon and the wounds of the Child - and they closed and stopped bleeding. The sinner believed in the miracle and began to lead a righteous life.
Prayer for health
Prayers for health sometimes provide healing from the most incurable diseases. There are facts according to which the icon “Unexpected Joy” gave relief from deafness. Prayer for the birth of a child will bring a long-awaited child. The icon of a young mother will provide a successful resolution of the burden.
The image saves you from mental illnesses - it will support you in despondency and melancholy, anxiety and despair. Will help in a painless death in case of a serious illness. He will send you courage and protect you from death without repentance.
The icon “Unexpected Joy” will give you strength in faith and hope for mercy. Prayer for the gift of children will help bring home an orphan in need of love and care, or bring news of a long-awaited pregnancy.
What to pray for
Attention!
Consistency in prayer pleases God, but one should think about whether what is being asked is really so necessary? Will the fulfillment of desire bring new delusions and sins? To any petition, believers add the words “if God wills.” Having received the priest’s blessing, you can order a prayer service to the “Unexpected Joy” icon. During prayer, you should distract yourself from your problems and try to understand the meaning of the words being spoken. The canonical (accepted in the Orthodox Church) text turns the mind of the person praying to the “root of evil” - unrepentant sins.
Meaning of the image
The meaning of the “Unexpected Joy” icon is clear to any person who is at least somewhat knowledgeable in Christian morality. The image recalls the great feat of the Savior, who atoned for all human sins with his suffering. We pray often, but we continue to commit unseemly acts, mistakenly believing that prayer replaces a righteous life.
The icon means that the Lord expects from us not only prayers, but also plausible actions. Anger, drunkenness, theft, greed, adultery, and so on - all these are sins that multiply the suffering of Christ. We, the ungrateful, sin – the Savior accepts an additional bit of torment.
Nevertheless, there is an Intercessor in heaven who begs the Lord to spare sinners. And no matter what we do, we should ask her for protection. She will beg the Divine Son for forgiveness and salvation, but we must also try in the future not to make a sad contribution to the suffering of the Redeemer.
Our Lady hears all our prayers. Absolutely everyone can receive forgiveness. The main thing is sincere repentance and the desire for a righteous life.
Iconography
The image of the “Unexpected Joy” icon resembles an artistic canvas with a dynamic plot. In addition to the Virgin Mary and her son, it depicts that same sinful man who experienced unexpected joy. The entourage is God's temple visible in the background. The iconographic type is Hodegetria, that is, “Guide” or “Showing the way.”
A kneeling man looks at the Virgin Mary holding her divine son in her arms. He is confused and amazed by the wonderful vision. The Ever-Virgin and the Savior also look at the pilgrim. Their views are reproachful, but kind: this is how loving parents look at their children who have caused trouble.
The hand of the Mother of God points to Christ, as if pointing the way to salvation. Wounds and ulcers are visible on the body of Christ, testifying to his suffering; his clothes are torn. Under the image of the Savior and his Most Pure Mother there is a text (either an excerpt from the book “The Irrigated Fleece” or a prayer).
“Unexpected Joy” is the most dynamic and poignant image of all existing icons of the Virgin Mary. The person praying identifies himself with the repentant pilgrim, imbued with his feelings: first with fear, then with repentance, and in the end with unearthly joy from the forgiveness received.
The icon looks quite modern: we remember that it was created relatively recently. What is a couple of centuries compared to the history of Christianity that is two millennia long?
