History of the appearance of the image
The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God has an interesting history of origin. As the legend says, back in 1470, shepherd children grazing a flock in a meadow noticed a bright light emanating from a pear tree. Approaching the source of light, the young shepherds noticed an icon on the branches of a tree. A bright glow emanated from a small image that could fit in children's hands. Having removed an icon depicting the Mother of God and the Child of God from the tree, the shepherds took it to the Lithuanian treasurer Alexander Soltan, since these lands belonged to an Orthodox nobleman.
The holy face was discovered on a pear tree
The Lithuanian treasurer, without paying much attention to the find, sent the holy image into a small casket. The next day, the Orthodox nobleman received noble guests in his house. Suddenly remembering yesterday’s discovery, the nobleman decided to show the shrine to his guests. However, the icon was not in the casket. A few days later, the holy face was again discovered on the pear tree, where shepherd children first saw it.
In place of the pear tree, the Lithuanian treasurer built a wooden church, where the shrine was installed. In 1560 there was a fire and the temple was completely destroyed. Local residents thought that the icon had burned in the fire. Imagine their surprise when one day the village children, returning from school, witnessed an extraordinary vision. The Virgin was sitting on a stone near the burnt temple with an icon in her hands. When the priest and local residents arrived at the mountain, they discovered an image of the Mother of God and the Child of God on the stone. There were no signs of fire on the icon.
Since this event happened in the Belarusian village of Zhirovichi, the holy face was named the Zhirovichi (years later - Zhirovitskaya) icon of the Mother of God.
History of the shrine
The story of how this beautiful Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God came into being is considered one of the most miraculous in the entire history of the Christian faith. At the end of the 15th century, it was discovered in the forest by simple shepherds. The icon inexplicably ended up on the branches of a pear tree. This happened near the small town of Zhirovitsy, on the territory of Belarus. As a symbol of the place where the icon was discovered, beautiful flowers are painted around the halos of the Virgin Mary and the Savior.
The icon was named Zhirovitskaya in honor of the settlement near which it was found. After its discovery, the shepherds handed over the icon of the Mother of God to the owner of those territories, Alexander Soltan, a nobleman of Lithuanian origin. Initially, this man did not attach any importance to it; he did not even imagine that the find could be valuable. For this reason, he simply put it in his chest and locked it there.
Zhirovitsky Monastery in Belarus
The very next day, an amazing thing happened: the icon was again found in that same place; the nobleman no longer found it in the casket. This event was interpreted in this way: the Mother of God herself wants a temple to be built in the place where the icon has already been found twice. A small wooden church appeared there in her honor.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the church was completely burned, but the icon again became the object of a miracle. No one even thought that it could survive after such a fire. After some time she was found. It was located on one of the stones on the mountain, under which the same church had previously been. A church candle was burning in front of the face depicted on the icon. After some time, another temple and a monastery were erected on this site.
Over the following years, the holy image of the Mother of God and Savior managed to see many more places and cities, but returned to the church at the Zhirovitsky monastery.
Features of iconography
The iconographic type of the holy face is “Merciful” or “Tenderness”. The basis is a fragment of semi-precious jasper. The shape of the image is oval with a slight narrowing at the top. The Child Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are depicted in dark red and green shades. This combination resembles the color of ocher.
Over the years of its existence, the icon has undergone several restorations. The integrity of the image was restored by applying wax. Unfortunately, over time, the inscription glorifying the angels was lost.
Description and meaning of the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God
The iconographic type “Tenderness” is characterized by the image of the Mother of God with the Child of God in her arms. The head of the Mother of God is tilted to the right side - towards the Son of God. Baby Jesus pressed his face to his Mother. With his left hand He gently hugs the Virgin Mary’s neck. The baby is dressed in a short tunic, His knees are bare.
Halos are characterized by an elliptical shape. The image preserves Greek letters denoting the names of the Virgin Mary and Her Son.
The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God carries a deep meaning. The Most Pure Virgin Mary reveals the Son of God to people. To find the true path in life, you need to know faith in Jesus Christ.
The icon is made on a fragment of semi-precious jasper
What do they pray for and what does the holy face help with?
You can read prayers before the face of the Mother of God and Her Son, depicted on the Zhirovitsk Icon, in the following cases:
- for congenital and/or acquired pathologies of acute and chronic forms;
- with addiction to alcohol, tobacco and drugs, gambling;
- with complete or partial amnesia;
- in case of various natural disasters and natural anomalies that threaten the life and health of people and animals, as well as the destruction of housing;
- for a quick and safe birth;
- to make the right decision when faced with difficult choices;
- to overcome indecision, fear and doubt;
- to gain faith in yourself and the Heavenly Powers;
- for guidance on the true and righteous path.
Hearing the sincerity in the words of the person asking, the Most Pure Virgin Mary protects and guides on the true path. The holy face helps restore lost faith in one's own strength. The miraculous image protects from troubles and misfortunes, improves health and helps to recover from even the most severe illnesses.
The shrine with the faces of the Mother of God and the Infant God protects from troubles and troubles
Prayers before the image
People turn to the Zhirovitskaya icon with the image of the Mother of God in prayer with a variety of requests. They pray and offer:
- requests for healing;
- prayers for strengthening faith;
- about help in finding the right path;
- about getting rid of doubts.
There are many cases in which prayer in front of this icon helped people and again taught them to believe in miracles and enjoy every moment of life.
- The fragments of stones taken from the monastery saved the life of a woman and her newborn baby.
- Thanks to the fact that relatives prayed for the woman’s health in front of the shrine, she fully recovered from consumption.
- One day a boy was healed while singing a funeral chant. All thanks to the fact that the mother fervently read the prayer before the face of the Mother of God.
- The icon helped the man get rid of a serious illness, due to which he could not move and lost almost all his physical strength.
- One elderly woman was completely cured of rheumatism due to the fact that her joints were anointed with oil that burned in a lamp standing in front of the holy face.
- A poor woman's son was diagnosed with a brain cyst. She prayed in front of the shrine and even brought the boy to that same temple several times. After the first visit, his health improved noticeably, and after 5 visits, doctors examined him and found no malignancy.
Healings in front of the shrine
Christians who believe in the Lord God and the Most Pure Virgin Mary often call the Zhirovitsky icon healing. In the history of the holy image, there are hundreds of miraculous acts and healings inexplicable to science.
A woman dying during difficult childbirth was given a piece of stone, specially brought from the Assumption Zhirovitsky Monastery. And a miracle happened: the woman in labor not only survived, but also gave birth to a completely healthy baby.
Desperate to save a young woman dying of consumption, the relatives fell to their knees before the Zhivoritskaya icon and prayed to the Mother of God. The sincerity of the prayer was heard - the patient was healed of a serious illness.
The bibliography of the holy image records many cases of miraculous healings from migraines, memory loss and autoimmune diseases.
During World War II, fascist troops entered the Belarusian village of Zhirovichi. The Nazis placed their ammunition in the Temple of God. One day the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them. Frightened by what they saw, the Germans wanted to blow up the temple with ammunition, but all their attempts were unsuccessful. The walls of the temple survived.
Soviet pilots said that, flying over the village of Zhirovichi, they did not see the monastery. There is an opinion that this is how the holy face protected the house of God from enemies.
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.
Location of the icon
During the First World War, the holy face was moved to Moscow. For some time the Zhirovitsk Icon was in the capital of Russia. And only in the 20s the shrine was returned to its native temple. Today, the icon of the Mother of God “Zhirovichi” is located in the cathedral located on the territory of the Assumption Zhirovitsky Monastery (Grodno region, Belarus).
The official date for the celebration of the miraculous image falls on May 20.
Holy Dormition Zhirovitsky Monastery
Cathedral on the territory of the monastery
The miraculous image of the Mother of God in the Cathedral
Prayer to the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God
“Oh, Most Merciful Lady, Virgin Mary! 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 the all-powerful passage of Your sacrament 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 dawnings of Your light. And I pray to You not only for myself, but also for the people who flow to Your intercession. Keep the Church of Your Son in goodness, and protect it from the evil slander of the enemies who rise up against her. Send Thy help to our archpastors in the apostolate, and keep them healthy, long-lived, and 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 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 blood of Thy goodness, and deliver us from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that all who live in it may live in love and peace, a quiet and serene life They will live, and having inherited the blessings of eternal prayers through Your prayers, they will be able to praise God together with You in heaven forever. Amen".
You cannot use the power of the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God against someone. Any bad thought or request will return to the one asking. Be pure and open in your speeches to the Mother of God and the Lord God.
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Akathist to the Zhirovitsky Mother of God
Kontakion 1
To the chosen Queen and Lady from all generations, let us offer a song of praise, as the Intercessor and Intercessor of the Christian family. You, as a good Representative before God, beg Your Son and our Lord to grant us the inheritance of constant comforts, so that we cry out for you in joy: Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, intercede for our and all joyful intercession.
Ikos 1
Archangel Gabriel, sent to you from heaven, the spotless Virgin, tells you: Rejoice, the Blessed Lord is with you! We, through the grace of God through you, will praise you with songs of chintz; Rejoice, chosen before these centuries 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, unflying mountain, who has drawn forth the fountain of living waters. Rejoice, flower-bearing Paradise, who brought forth the Sacred Tree of Life. Rejoice, God-delighted Mother, who gave birth to satisfaction in heaven and earth; Rejoice, overshadowed by the power of the Almighty, Sacred Class, Savior of the world, vegetated. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, intercede for our and all joyful intercession.
Kontakion 2
Seeing Your faithful children despondent in the troubles of everyday life and demanding heavenly support from You, You, Mother of God, are the hope of Christians, with your amazing action on the tree of Your holy icons, the monastery of Zhirovitsky, You filled their sad hearts with readiness and entertainment, so that they all cry out in gratitude to You to the Almighty: Hallelujah.
Ikos 2
With the mind, without in any way understanding the secrets of the Amazing action in the tree of Your icon, Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin, hid the Bolyarin Soltan in the ark of Your most honest appearance, revealed by You. Indeed, Your mercy, Virgin Mother of God, through a great action in this tree of this icon, you brought it to its senses; undoubtedly they will always recognize the talent of mercy given to the peoples by You, and in amusement they will cry out: Rejoice, O thou inexhaustible well of joy; Rejoice, fragrant blossom of unspeakable delicacies. Rejoice as the tree of existence, reliable religious delight; Rejoice, the state is easy for absolutely everyone who sees it. Rejoice, who in no way deprives those who have gone astray of Your grace and mercy: Rejoice, who overshadows absolutely all who flock to Your icon with Your protection. Rejoice, I will communicate the prayers of absolutely all those who are yearning; Rejoice, Mother of mercy, abundant. Rejoice, most merciful Queen of heaven, intercede for our and always cheerful intercessors.
Kontakion 3
Through the power of admonition about the appearance of Your miraculous icon, the enlightened Bolyarin Soltan knew that this image was quickly sent down from God by You for the joy of the sick, and, piteously they ascend about their own foolishness, the erection of a cathedral on the site of the given action, undoubtedly always society, offering prayers to the Almighty in it, give constant praise about You: Hallelujah.
Ikos 3
Having the indescribable wealth of mercy, you cannot in any way reject Your chosen ones in the great sorrow of the present. When, for the cathedral, when without Your honorable icons, was given over to the flame, Your mercy, the All-merciful One, the Comforter, preserved from the flame intact, was still discovered in the stone near the cathedral, burned by the flame. After all, people, having beheld such a miracle of nature, hastened to sing a chick of praise to you: Rejoice, burning Bush, who has not been scorched in the fire by preserving your most honest appearance; Rejoice, sorrowful people, Your miraculous icon did not take away. Rejoice, covering Christians with the blood of Your wing; Rejoice, Thy intercession protects Thy shrines. Rejoice, Thou who hast yet revealed Thy most honorable form in stone; Rejoice, having confirmed our feet on the stone of religion through Your admonition. Rejoice, as if the indestructible wall of our refuge was for You; Rejoice, as if you were a blessing to the powerful Patroness of Thee. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our troubles and all joyful protection.
Kontakion 4
In a storm of attractions and seductions, more than Your faithfulness, those who pray before Your miraculous icon find peace and sincere jubilation. Your mercy, True Virgin, Guide of Christians, instructing them in just ways and helping them to understand the essence of earthly existence, undoubtedly all God praises the Creator with a red song, singing to Him: Hallelujah.
Ikos 4
Those who have heard that the image You have shown as a gift of amazing things is overabundant, with faith and hope in Your compassion they flow to her and, enriched by the abundance of Your bounties, sing the following praise to You: Rejoice, Mother of mercy, pouring out many bounties to Christians; Rejoice, you who bring joy to the whole world. Rejoice, holy refuge of devotees; Rejoice, Giver of constant comforts. Rejoice, Delighter of our misfortunes; Rejoice, strong uprising of absolutely all who have fallen. Rejoice, O weakening Intercessor and strengthening; Rejoice, there is joy in our torments. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our troubles and all joyful protection.
Kontakion 5
More than the godlike star that shone from the sunrise, you existed, O Most Holy Virgin, when in radiant splendor you appeared in the form of a wife of beauty, ineffable to the children, indicating the position of the action of your most honorable icon, beautifully preserved by you from the flame. You in no way took away even these small ones of Your goodness, instructing them about Your great mercy, undoubtedly imitating the children of Israel who exclaimed to Christ: Glory, they will sing praises to the Lord about You. Hallelujah.
Ikos 5
Having seen the unusual and most glorious miracle of nature revealed by Your icon, (Most Holy One, when a certain maiden Ira, who was in illness, having moved in veneration of Your shrine, died on the way, and when foreigners were initiated to perform the order of her burial in front of Your icon, she rose again, all people with trepidation exclaimed: Rejoice, Thou who brought the Speech of being into the flesh; Rejoice, Who through Thy prayers raised Thy soulless slave. Rejoice, O ark of our existence, preserving us from the flood of death; Rejoice, Thou most luminous mind, Who bestows upon us the delicacies of existence with eternal study. Rejoice, Thou through Thy icon the springs of wondrous, famous things revealing to us; Rejoice, who drives away the abyss of inhuman circumstances with reverence. Rejoice, who encourages those who pray with incomprehensible signs; Rejoice, who visits You with maternal generosity of absolutely everyone who resorts to You. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our troubles and all joyful protection.
Kontakion 6
Preachers of Thy goodness, who appeared all flowing to Thy wholesome icon, Lady. Thou shalt not turn away anyone in any way from theirs, who in warm prayer stretch out their own hands to her, undoubtedly, having comprehended the power of the miraculous gift You show in her, they will cry out to the Lord in a grateful song: Hallelujah.
Ikos 6
To the shining rays of light, the path of life overshadowing the good of morality, appeared the most honorable monastery of Zhirovitsk, built before the shelter of Thy shrine, the Mother of God. The real shelter of the heroic deeds of monastics, and the establishment of divine understanding for young people, illumine the land of Lithuania with glimpses of the true knowledge of God, undoubtedly all of You, the mind of the Holy One, will sing in songs of praise: Rejoice, O Mother of God, illumination of the incomprehensible; Rejoice, O dawn of the heavenly body that never sets. Rejoice, ladder that leads to heaven; Rejoice, you who make fools wise with spiritual intellect. Rejoice, O planter of piety in our state; Rejoice, intelligent Leader in comprehending the teachings of Christ. Rejoice, you who perfectly nourish the souls of devotees; Rejoice, you who feed the faithful with the milk of wisdom. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our troubles and all joyful intercession.
Kontakion 7
Those who want to pay veneration to Your icon, which shone with numerous miracles, visited the house of Zhirovitskaya not only more beautifully, but also the kings of the earth, falling to Your most pure image, Lady, and expecting great and rich mercies from You, I bring You a song of praise and sing to God: Hallelujah .
Ikos 7
You have discovered a truly marvelous idea. Mistress, by Thy right hand, when the house of Zhirovitsk is commendable and was fenced off from Orthodoxy by pressure, by Thy intercession we will still give ourselves over to the Orthodox people. For this reason, all right-wing religion fans flocked to Your most pure Type with joy in a hurry: Rejoice, in sad circumstances our strong refuge; Rejoice, a peaceful home for those who seek salvation. Rejoice, O apostles of the faith of Christ to the Planter; Rejoice, the depths of God's clever phrases to the Teacher. Rejoice, lamp of the Three Solar Radiations, illuminating us with truth; Rejoice, hot pillar, showing us the way of the right religions. Rejoice, our protection from unwholesome theories; Rejoice, the soul of harmful theories should fight. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our troubles and all joyful intercession.
Kontakion 8
Strange and most glorious miracles, and only having recognized in You, Mother of God, return Yours, as if not only with Your icon you show favorable talents to them, but also to the waters of the spring, in the area of the action of Your icon that flowed, the talent to heal ailments, having undoubtedly given everything, great and Receiving abundant favor from You, they will sing the song of praise to God: Hallelujah.
Ikos 8
All those who resort to Your protection do not retreat from You in any way and are in no way heard; Your mercy, Mother of God, who took the sorrows of motherhood next to the cross of Your Son, weighs the weight of our sorrows. Therefore, to You, Mother, in the most experienced sorrow, as if the community of sorrow and torment of Your Son, we ask this: Rejoice, unreliable hopes; Rejoice, sad pleasure. Rejoice, quenching our sadness; Rejoice, you who give pleasure to the whole world. Rejoice, in troubles, a hand of support is presently soon blown; Rejoice, you who show us motherly feelings and compassion. Rejoice, through Your prayers before the Almighty we are our Intercessor; Rejoice, great protector in adversity. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our petition and all joyful protection.
