On Thursday, October 14, 2022, Christians will celebrate the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This great Orthodox holiday is rich in traditions and signs. On Intercession it is customary to attend services and pray. It is believed that the Mother of God hears all prayers addressed to her.
On October 14, you can read a prayer at the icon of the Mother of God. It is best to pray to the icon of the Intercession, but any other icon of the Mother of God will do.
Prayer of the Mother of God before Her Icon “Protection”
Iconography: Introduction to the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary Dates: XIX century. The end of the 19th century. Icon painting school or art center: Palekh school of icon painting Material: Wood, gesso, tempera. Dimensions of the icon: height 44.6 cm, width 37.2 cm. The icon depicts a scene of a multi-figure composition of the Entry of the Virgin Mary into the temple. Inv. No. GMPI 1692612. DI-86-I. © State Museum of Palekh Art.
First prayer
Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the highest powers, Heaven and earth Queen, our city and country, Almighty Intercessor! Accept this song of praise and thanksgiving from us, Thy unworthy servants, and lift up our prayers to the Throne of God of Thy Son, that He may be merciful to our iniquities, and add His grace to those who honor Your all-honorable name and with faith and love those who worship Your miraculous image. For we are not worthy of mercy from Him, unless You propitiate Him for us, O Lady, for all things are possible for You from Him. For this reason we resort to You, as to our undoubted and speedy Intercessor: hear us praying to You, overshadow us with Your all-powerful protection, and ask God for Your Son: to be our shepherd We give zeal and vigilance for souls, the city ruler wisdom and strength, we judge truth and impartiality , a mentor is reason and humility, a spouse is love and harmony, a child is obedience, patience to those who are offended, fear of God to those who are offended, complacency to those who mourn, abstinence to those who rejoice, but to all of us the spirit of reason and piety, spirit mercy and meekness, the spirit of purity and truth. To her, Most Holy Lady, have mercy on Your weak people; Gather those who are scattered, guide those who have gone astray, support old age, bring up young chastity, raise children, and look upon us all with the gaze of your merciful intercession, raise us up from the depths of sin and enlighten us Our heart's eyes are to the sight of salvation, be merciful to us here and there, in the land of earthly coming and at the terrible judgment of Your Son; Having ceased in faith and repentance from this life, our fathers and brothers created eternal life with the Angels and with all the saints. For you are, Lady, the Glory of Heaven and the Hope of the earth, You, according to God, are our Hope and Intercessor of all who flow to You with faith. We pray to You, and to You, as the Almighty Helper, we commit ourselves and each other and our whole life, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Second prayer
My Most Blessed Queen, my Most Holy Hope, friend of the orphaned and strange, Intercessor, protection of the needy and embittered, see my misfortune, see my sorrow: overcome temptation from everywhere I am, but there is no intercessor. You yourself help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange, guide me as I am lost, heal and save me as I am hopeless. I have no other help, no other intercession, no consolation except You, O Mother of all who mourn and are burdened! Look upon me, a sinner and in the bitterness of my being, and cover me with Your most holy omophorion, that I may be delivered from the evils that have befallen me, and I will praise Your praised name. Amen.
Troparion
voice 4:
Today we brightly celebrate the people of good faith/ by Your coming, O Mother of God, in the fall,/ and looking to Your Most Pure Image, touchingly with the verb:/ cover us with Your honorable Protection,/ and the hut Save us from all evil,/ praying to Thy Son, Christ our God,// save our souls.
Kontakion
voice 3:
The Virgin stands today in the church, / and from the faces of the saints she invisibly prays to God for us, / The angels and the bishops worship, / the apostles and the prophets rejoice // for our sake the Mother of God prays to the Eternal God.
Greatness
We magnify Thee,/ Most Holy Virgin,/ and honor Thy holy Protection:/ For Saint Andrew saw Thee in the air,// praying for us to Christ.
Foreign greatness
We magnify You,/ Most Holy Virgin,/ Mother of Christ our God, // and we glorify Your Protection all-gloriously.
Foreign greatness
We magnify Thee,/ Most Holy Virgin,/ Mother of Christ, our God,/ who stretches out her hand to the Son, and prays for peace,/ and with her honest omophorion protects // the city and people from the enemies of shih.
Strong protection and help for children and grandchildren, Akathist to the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Chosen by the eternal King, who exceeded every creature, heaven and earth, to the Queen, who sometimes came to the Blachernae Church to pray, offering worthy worship with thanksgiving, as if in the darkness of existence, we resort under Your luminous omophorion with faith and tenderness.
You, who have an invincible power, free us from all troubles, and let us call to You:
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Ikos 1.
The Archangel and the multitude of angels, with the Forerunner, the Theologian and all the saints, co-presented You, His Queen, in the Church of the Blachernae and, touched by Your prayers for the whole world, having heard, cried out in surprise:
Rejoice, eternal favor of God the Father without beginning; Rejoice, most pure receptacle of God, the flightless Son.
Rejoice, chosen dwelling place of God the All-Holy Spirit; Rejoice, unceasing wonder of the heavenly ranks of angels.
Rejoice, all-threatening deterrence of the dark forces of hell; Rejoice, even in the air the many-eyed cherubim meet.
Rejoice, She who is praiseworthy will be ascribed to the six-crylations of the seraphim; Rejoice, even as we, earthlings, gratefully bow to Her most blessed cover.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 2.
Saint Andrew and Epiphanius saw You in the church in the air for Christians praying to God, knowing that You are the Mother of Christ our God who ascended into heaven, and, falling to the ground, joyfully bowed down to Your all-blessed protection, calling: Alleluia.
Ikos 2.
You are the misunderstood mind, O Virgin Mother of God, in protecting Orthodox people, for this reason our enemies do not know how strong the prayer of God to the Mother is. We, who know well about Your all-powerful intercession, call to You with tenderness:
Rejoice, most merciful consoler of all those who mourn and are burdened; Rejoice, never-sleeping teacher of all the lost and blinded.
Rejoice, thou who quickly quenches the righteously driven wrath of God against us through Thy prayer; Rejoice, taming our evil passions with an omnipotent wave.
Rejoice, strong awakening of sleeping consciences; Rejoice, easy overcoming of lawless skills.
Rejoice, for whose sake hell groans and the souls of malice tremble; Rejoice, even for the sake of it the gates of heaven are opened to all of us.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 3.
The power of the Most High overshadows with faith and reverence those who resort to Your all-honorable protection: You alone, the Most Holy and Most Pure Mother of God, have come, that every request of Yours may be fulfilled.
Therefore, every age of the faithful praises You and Your Son, calling: Alleluia.
Ikos 3.
Having an infinite wealth of mercy, you extend your helping hand to the entire end of the earth, the Lady: to the sick - healing, to the suffering - weakness, to the blind - sight, and to everyone you give everything according to their every need, crying out with gratitude:
Rejoice, indestructible fortress and fence of Orthodoxy; Rejoice, the first adornment of holy temples and altars.
Rejoice, the surest protection of piety; Rejoice, everlasting companion of compassionate city rulers.
Rejoice, invincible commander of the leaders and armies of Christians; Rejoice, holy mirror of truth to the unbearable judges.
Rejoice, perfect in understanding of teachers and teachers; Rejoice, blessing of the homes and families of the pious.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 4.
Through the storm of many troubles, you help us, O Lady, who are possessed: stand before the altar of the Lord, lifting up your hand and praying, so that the Lord, the King of glory, will look upon our unworthy prayer and listen to the petitions of those who call on your holy name, and those who call to your Son: Alleluia.
Ikos 4.
Having heard the Lord God of Joshua praying and commanding the sun, he will take revenge on the enemy.
The Lord Jesus, the chosen chamber of the Holy Spirit, also hears Your prayers now.
Likewise, we, sinners, relying on Your protection, We dare to say to You, like the Mother of God:
Rejoice, illuminated by the mental Sun and enlightening us with an unstoppable light;
Rejoice, having enlightened the whole earth with the radiance of Your most pure soul.
Rejoice, in the purity of Your body
the whole heaven rejoiced; rejoice,
protection and provision of the holy abodes of Christ.
Rejoice, cheerfulness and admonition of the faithful shepherds of the Church; Rejoice, teacher of God-fearing monks and nuns.
Rejoice, undisturbed calm of the reverent elders; Rejoice, secret joy of pure virgins and widows.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 5.
Moses, the seer of God, is sometimes in the army against Amalek, when he lifts up his hand, Israel prevails, and when he lets down his hand, then Amalek is victorious, strengthened by those who support him, defeat the enemy.
But You, O Mother of God, having raised Your hand in supplication, even though you are supported by no one, You always defeat the enemies of the Christians, and You are an invincible shield for us, crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos 5.
Having seen Thee, the saints assembled in the air in the Church of the Blachernae, extending prayers to the Son and God, joyfully with the archangels and angels hurriedly singing a grateful song to Thee.
We, stronger than Moses’ hands, strengthen Your hand and cry out tenderly:
Rejoice, Her only hand will support us all, Her love and mercy towards us;
Rejoice, we cannot stand before the enemy, visible and invisible.
Rejoice, you who drive away the dark horde of our passions and lusts; Rejoice, Divine Fire - holding Christ in His hand and igniting us, cold ones.
Rejoice, for those who wage war on the flesh through chastity have been crowned with a fair amount; Rejoice, those who strive in fasting and silence for ever-present conversation.
Rejoice, quick comforter to those who are exhausted from despondency and sadness; Rejoice, you who provide the grace of humility and patience.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 6.
Saint Roman the Sweet Singer appeared as a preacher of Thy inexhaustible grace and mercies, when in a dream he received from You a scroll of books for consumption: therefore he became wise and began to sing intelligently to Thy glory, and to write praises to the saints, crying out with faith: Alleluia.
Ikos 6.
Thou hast dawned from the true Sun of righteousness, O Virgin Mary of God, enlightening all with the wisdom of God, Thy Son, and bringing to the knowledge of the truth those who call Thee:
Rejoice, thou who gave birth to Christ in the flesh by the Power of God and the Wisdom of God; Rejoice, thou who has put to shame the foolish wisdom of this age, and has taught those blinded by it to the right path.
Rejoice, guardian of the holy faith and Orthodox dogmas; Rejoice, destroyer of wicked heresies and pernicious schisms.
Rejoice, foreseen secret and inconvenience, who leads all the good, and as it befits, telling; Rejoice, you who disgrace false seers and vain fortune-telling.
Rejoice, in the hour of perplexity you put a good thought in your heart; Rejoice, you who redeem yourself from harmful undertakings and meaningless wishes.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 7.
Although the long-suffering All-Seer, the Lord, revealed the unsearchable abyss of His love for mankind, He chose You as His only Mother, and created You for people’s insurmountable protection: so that even if someone from them and the righteous judgment of God appears worthy of condemnation, Your sovereign cover is still preserved for repentance, calling: Alleluia.
Ikos 7.
Thou didst show wondrously Thy deeds in Thy Most Pure Mother, O Lord, when the wonderful omophorion in Her hand, shining more than a ray of sunshine, appeared, covering the people who are in the Church of the Blachernae.
Having heard about such a sign of Her merciful intercession, I was overcome with horror and joy and kept saying:
Rejoice, omophorion not made by hands, like a cloud, spread over the whole world; Rejoice, O Eternal Bishop, Your Son, holding the sign on Your hand.
Rejoice, you who manifest this new mercy and new grace in the Orthodox Church; Rejoice, pillar of cloud, covering us all from the temptations and enticements of the world.
Rejoice, pillar of fire, showing us all the path of salvation in the darkness of sin; Rejoice, obvious strengthening of the apparent piety of the ascetics.
Rejoice, secret admonition of God’s servants in the midst of the world; Rejoice, and me, naked of good deeds, not leaving behind Your cover and grace.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 8.
It is marvelous that You appeared from heaven in the Blachernae church, the angels hastened, the apostles glorified the face of the saints and saints, and the wives of the holy class, the Forerunner bowed down with the Theologian, and the people in the church cried out with joy: Alleluia.
Ikos 8.
The Lord, ruling over all above and below, saw You in the church, His Mother standing and praying to Him with tenderness, saying: “Ask, My Mother, I will not turn away from You, but I will fulfill all Your requests and I will teach you all to sing thanksgiving to You”:
Rejoice, O ark of the covenant, in which is kept the sanctification of the entire human race; Rejoice, most holy one, in whom the Bread of eternal life is preserved for those who hunger for righteousness.
Rejoice, all-golden vessel, in which is prepared for our sake the flesh and blood of the Divine Lamb; Rejoice, you who accept those left by doctors into your all-powerful hands.
Rejoice, you who lift up those weakened in body, but not in spirit and faith, from the bed of illness; Rejoice, you who give new and better meaning to those who destroy the mind from illness.
Rejoice, you who wisely trouble us on the obstinate path of sin and passions; Rejoice, touching cruelty of our unrepentant heart.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 9.
All praiseworthy angelic nature brings to You, the true Mother of God and Intercessor of all who flow to You, knowing that with Your indestructible protection you rejoice the righteous, intercede for sinners, deliver the needy and pray for all the faithful, calling: Alleluia.
Ikos 9.
The multi-proclamation branches, like dumb fish, are perplexed as to how to praise according to the heritage of the great feast of the all-honorable Protection of Your Protection: everything spoken about You by them is not sufficient for a single calculation of Your bounties. We, seeing Your countless benefits, cry out with joy:
Rejoice, you who protect us from the plague and all-destruction of mortals; Rejoice, preserving the cities and weights from sudden vibrations of the earth.
Rejoice, you who raised up from the flooding of waters and from drowning with a strong hand; Rejoice, thou who deliverest from the fiery dew of Thy prayers.
Rejoice, who supplies you with the Bread of Life from hunger of soul and body; Rejoice, you who take away the strikes of lightning and thunder from our head.
Rejoice, thou who savest from the invasion of foreigners and secret murderers; Rejoice, thou who protectest half-blooded ones from domestic strife and enmity with peace and love.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 10.
Save any human race from the charms of the enemy, the lover of mankind, the Lord, Your Mother, has given to us help, protection and protection on earth, so that you may be a consolation to the sad, joy to the sorrowing, an intercessor to the offended, and may you raise everyone from the depths of sin, singing: Alleluia.
Ikos 10.
“O Heavenly King,” said the All-Immaculate Queen standing in the air with the angels in prayer, “receive every person who prays to You and calls on My name for help, so that thinness and unheardness may not depart from My face.” Having heard this all-good prayer, the congregation of saints cried out in gratitude:
Rejoice, thou who crownest farmers with pure hands and hearts with blessed fruits; Rejoice, I will buy help and righteous rewards for all who do.
Rejoice, nationwide denunciation of perjury and unrighteous acquisitions; Rejoice, sudden help to those in need along the way, on land and waters.
Rejoice, you who gladden childless parents with the fruits of faith and spirit; Rejoice, invisible teacher of motherless orphans.
Rejoice, strong intercessor of those in captivity and exile; Rejoice, ever-watchful guardian of those in chains and prison.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 11.
We hear the all-tender singing and warmly listen to Your prayer for us, we ask You, Virgin Mother of God, do not despise the voice of Your servants: for we run to You in adversity and sorrow and before You in our troubles we shed tears, calling: Alleluia.
Ikos 11.
Like a light-receiving lamp, burning in prayer, seeing You in the air, the Blachernae Church, in agreement with the multitude of people who were in it, exclaimed: “Where do I get this, that the Mother of my Lord may come to me?” Saint Andrew and Epiphanius warmly pray to You, calling :
Rejoice, unenvious giver of all spiritual and physical gifts; Rejoice, faithful intercessor who begins the repentance of sinners.
Rejoice, ever-present supporter of those who fight the passions and attacks of the enemy; Rejoice, invisible taming of the cruel and bestial rulers.
Rejoice, secret peace and joy for the meek and suffering slaves; Rejoice, all-desired accomplishment of good marriages.
Rejoice, quick and painless resolution for mothers giving birth; Rejoice, at the hour of death, our only helper.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 12.
Ask us for Divine grace from Your Son and God, extend a helping hand to us, drive away from us every enemy and adversary, and pacify our lives, so that we do not perish violently, without repentance, but accept us into eternal shelter, our Patroness, so that we joyfully call You : Alleluia.
Ikos 12.
Singing Your sovereign protection, we all praise You, as our steadfast intercessor, and we worship You, who prays for us: we believe and hope that You have asked Your Son and God for eternal and temporal goodness, to all who cry out to You with love:
Rejoice, strong intercession of the whole universe; Rejoice, sanctification of all earthly and heavenly elements.
Rejoice, blessing of all seasons; Rejoice, all slander and temptations from the world, the flesh and the devil that find themselves trampled underfoot.
Rejoice, unforeseen reconciliation of bitterly warring people; Rejoice, unknown correction of unrepentant sinners.
Rejoice, you who do not reject the despised and rejected by all; Rejoice, you who snatch away the desperate from the pit of destruction.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
Kontakion 13.
Oh, all-sung Mother, most pure Lady, Virgin Mother of God!
I lift up my spiritual and physical eyes to You, I stretch out my relaxed hand to You and cry out from the depths of my heart: look upon the faith and humility of my soul, cover me with Your all-powerful omophorion, so that I may be delivered from all troubles and misfortunes, and at the hour of my death, O All-Blessed One, appear to me and deliver the torment prepared for the sake of my sins, so that I may take out the call of worship: Alleluia.
This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos and the 1st kontakion.
Ikos 1.
The Archangel and the multitude of angels, with the Forerunner, the Theologian and all the saints, co-presented You, His Queen, in the Church of the Blachernae and, touched by Your prayers for the whole world, having heard, cried out in surprise:
Rejoice, eternal favor of God the Father without beginning; Rejoice, most pure receptacle of God, the flightless Son.
Rejoice, chosen dwelling place of God the All-Holy Spirit; Rejoice, unceasing wonder of the heavenly ranks of angels.
Rejoice, all-threatening deterrence of the dark forces of hell; Rejoice, even in the air the many-eyed cherubim meet.
Rejoice, She who is praiseworthy will be ascribed to the six-crylations of the seraphim; Rejoice, even as we, earthlings, gratefully bow to Her most blessed cover.
Rejoice, our Joy, cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion.
About family and children
Prayer
Most Blessed Lady, take my family under Your protection. Instill in the hearts of my husband and our children peace, love and intransigence to all that is good; Do not allow anyone from my family to experience separation and difficult parting, to premature and sudden death without repentance. And save our house and all of us living in it from fiery ignition, thieves’ attacks, all evil circumstances, various types of insurance and diabolical obsession. Yes, and we, individually and separately, openly and secretly, will glorify Your Holy Name always, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Briefly about the origin of the holiday
This church celebration has long been loved in Rus', called the House of the Virgin Mary. Her intercession and help were always specifically asked for on this autumn day. The clear sky, the color of Her clothes, and the white snow covering the earth, ready for winter, are reminiscent of the cloth spread over the people. Such is the Veil.
The origin of this holiday, so deeply felt by the Russians, is Byzantine.
Defender of Christians
According to most sources, on October 1 (Old Art.), 910, in the Church of the Mother of God, located in Blachernae, a locality of Constantinople, the Most Pure One appeared in the air to Blessed Andrew (according to some sources, originally from the Slavs) and his disciple. This was during a special, repentant prayer to Her - after all, this was not the first time that the city was besieged by barbarians. And it was not the first time that prayer in this very place, where the venerable Belt of the Mother of God and other relics associated with Her were kept, saved people.
On that day, bliss. Andrew saw the Mother of God surrounded by many saints and angels. Among those who entered with Her through the gates of the temple, he noticed the prophets and Apostles. She slowly moved towards the altar, and then fell on her knees before the throne with a tearful prayer for the people. Rising, the Most Pure One removed the cloth from the head, and then spread it over the worshipers.
And although the whole city soon learned about what the saint had seen, and the enemies were defeated, the Byzantines never developed a special church veneration for the holiday. But in Rus' it was known already from the first centuries after Epiphany.
In Rus'
Since ancient times, traditions known to the Russian Church say: the barbarians who besieged the capital of Byzantium were the Slavs. In addition, Russian sources cast doubt on the year of the event that determined the celebration. Chroniclers believe that the miracle in Blachernae happened about 50-60 years earlier - around 860. This opinion is also shared by some church historians. For example, A.V. Kartashev quotes the words of Patriarch Photius regarding the siege of the city:
“Do you remember that dark and terrible night when the life of all of us was ready to set with the sunset and the light of our existence was swallowed up by the deep darkness of death? Do you remember that unbearably sad hour when barbarian ships sailed to us, breathing something fierce, wild and murderous... When, raising our hands to God, all night long we asked Him for mercy, placing all our hopes on Him, then we got rid of misfortune , then we were honored with the abolition of the disasters that surrounded us. Then we saw the storm dissipate and saw the wrath of the Lord depart from us. For we saw our enemies departing, and the city, which was threatened with plunder, was delivered from destruction ... "
According to the Russian version, the Kyiv princes, Askold and Dir, unsuccessfully attacked the capital of Byzantium. It was after the miraculous manifestation of the power of God that they returned to Constantinople, but peacefully: to receive Baptism.
Traditions
The holiday, so beloved by Russians, has many different traditions.
Memory of the Dead
One of the long-standing traditions of the Intercession, which now remains in some dioceses of the Russian Church, is Intercession Parental Saturday. It dates back to the ancient pagan tradition of commemorating ancestors, but acquired new meaning from the 16th century.
It was on the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, on October 1, 1552, that the decisive assault on the city of Kazan took place by the troops of Ivan the Terrible.
However, initially there was no special day of remembrance for the soldiers who died during the capture of the city. This was noticed in the early 1590s. Ermogen, then Metropolitan of Kazan (later Patriarch, Hieromartyr). He asked Patr. Job to introduce such a day of remembrance along with the commemoration of the Kazan martyrs for the faith.
On February 25, 1592, a day of remembrance was established for those killed during the capture of the city. The decree of Patriarch Job says:
“For all Orthodox soldiers killed near Kazan and within Kazan, a memorial service should be performed in Kazan and throughout the Kazan Metropolis on the Saturday after the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.”
This Parental Saturday is still celebrated by believers of the Kazan diocese, as well as by the parishes of the dioceses of Vyatka, Izhevsk and Yekaterinburg.
Trade fairs
The celebration took place at the end of all field work. Therefore, autumn fairs were always timed to coincide with Intercession, where neighboring peasants brought their harvest. One of the largest was the Intercession Fair in Kharkov. And in Siberia there has been such a fair since the 19th century. known in the village of Tomsk province, with the same name as the church celebration - Pokrovskoye.
Nowadays, Orthodox Christians in different regions of Russia are trying to revive this tradition, and, in addition to the actual sale of various goods, fairs are accompanied by folk festivals and festivities. Today, similar fairs and festivals are held regularly:
- in Tambov; here this tradition was born more than 300 years ago and is associated with the cathedral church of the Intercession; Moreover, in 1637, the city itself was founded on the day of the holiday; the tradition of fairs has been revived since 2011;
- in the city of Irbit (Ural); in 2022, the festival “Pokrovsky festivities in the Urals” was held here;
- in the M.A. Sholokhov Museum (Bokovsky district, Rostov region) - the so-called “Karginskaya Fair” after the name of the Cossack village where the museum is located.
Weddings
Since ancient times, the Veil has been associated with wedding rituals - apparently in consonance with the custom of covering the head of a married woman with a scarf. Therefore, it was on this holiday that weddings were held. Then they prayed:
- about marriage - young girls;
- about family well-being – those who have already started a family.
And, of course, the prayer to the Mother of God was mandatory before the wedding feast.
Iconography
Protection of the Mother of God Dates: XIV century. End of the 14th century (around 1399) Icon painting school or art center: Novgorod school. Origin: from the Church of the Intercession of the Animal Monastery in Novgorod. Material: Wood, tempera. Dimensions of the icon: height 151 cm, width 126.5 cm. The composition of the icon belongs to the “Novgorod” type and is its earliest example. The distinctive features of this type are the following: angels hold the veil over Our Lady Oranta; above her head is a waist-length image of Christ blessing him; to the right and left of her figure are the faces of saints and angels; below, in the center, are the closed Royal Doors, flanked on the left by John the Baptist, John the Theologian and the apostles, and on the right by Andrew the Fool, Epiphanius and the martyrs. Inv. No. 11170. © Novgorod State United Museum-Reserve. Literature: Icons of Veliky Novgorod of the 11th - early 16th centuries. M., Project authors L.V. Nersesyan and S.V.Obukh. M. 2008. No. 15. P. 197-199. (description by E.V. Gladysheva)
The icons of the holiday are of Russian origin: after all, the Greeks did not celebrate the Intercession. It is assumed that the basis for the icons of the Intercession were the so-called “akathist” images of the Mother of God, as if they were illustrations of the chants of the Most Pure One.
Usually the icons depict:
- in the upper part there is the Most Pure Mother with an outstretched cloth, surrounded by saints, prophets, and apostles;
- at the bottom of the icon is the blessed one. Andrey with his disciple Epiphanius, as well as St. Roman Sladkopevets, creator of the Akathist to the Mother of God.
There are also other versions of the Intercession, where the Mother of God is depicted alone. But a white, outstretched cloth is an obligatory element of these holy images.
One of the most famous such icons since the 1990s. became famous as a miracle worker in the St. John's Monastery in St. Petersburg. Painted on canvas at the beginning of the 20th century, it was transferred to the revived monastery after years of godlessness. Soon the miracle of the renewal of the holy image occurred.
Folk superstitions for the holiday
Some superstitions arose on the Feast of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but they have nothing to do with the sacred holiday. Among the superstitions, the most popular are:
- On this day we could find out what kind of winter awaits us. Fallen leaves and flying cranes indicate that it will be quite cold in winter.
- A guy who is in a close relationship with his beloved on this day is likely to stay with her for a long time.
- It was considered a good thing to complete preparations for winter before October 14th.
