Among the icons of the Mother of God there are miraculous icons that confirmed the divine power of healing a suffering person who turned to the icon of the Mother of God for help with the help of Orthodox prayer. History has brought to us a lot of evidence of the miraculous power of the “Helper of Sinners” icon. In this icon, the face of the Mother of God exudes boundless love for everyone who knelt before her in prayer of repentance. It is interesting that the inscription on the back of this shrine reads: “I am the Helper of sinners to My Son...”. In modern language, this phrase means that the Mother of God is the surety before Jesus Christ, our Lord God, for all who repent of their sins. Turning to this face, a lost soul in darkness, or someone suffering from a physical illness, or his relatives, truly works miracles, which were noticed back in the middle of the 19th century in the St. Nicholas Monastery. The image of the Virgin Mary helped during the cholera epidemic, during the Great Patriotic War and in cases of serious illness. It is no coincidence that in 1998 a petition was sent to the Patriarch of All Rus' to include this face in the list of miracle workers.
What is the meaning of the prayer “Helper of Sinners”?
The prayer before the icon of the “Helper of Sinners” of the Mother of God can be read in cases where a person’s soul is darkened by such sins as:
- despondency, despair (depressive worldview);
- loss of hope, trust in God;
- disappointment in life, in oneself and in people;
- discord and conflict in family and relationships;
- in pride, manifested in the refusal to see the highest will of God in everything;
- in violation of God's commandments: “do not make yourself an idol,” “do not covet your neighbor’s wife,” etc.;
- in the sin of acquisition and love of money.
And also the sincere prayer “Helper of Sinners” heals from physical illnesses and ailments, especially if they are associated with mental disorders or caused by a lack of spirituality in the life of the sick person. The main condition when turning to the face of the Mother of God in front of this shrine is sincere repentance of one’s sins for the one who asks for intercession before God, and the desire to cleanse himself through prayer from dirt and defilement.
Description of the icon
By the nature of the image, the “Keeper of Sinners” icon can be attributed to the iconographic type “Hodegetria” (“Seeker of the Path”).
The Mother of God is depicted in a scarlet robe, which symbolizes Her image of the Queen of Heaven; She and the Baby Jesus often wear crowns on their heads.
A distinctive feature of this icon is that the Child holds both hands on the right shoulder of the Mother of God; this gesture is not found in other images of the Mother of God. Most copies of the icon bear the inscription from which it gets its name.
Prayers before the icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners”
Troparion, tone 4
Now all despondency falls silent / and the fear of despair disappears, / sinners in the sorrow of their hearts find consolation / and are illuminated with light by Heavenly love: / today the Mother of God stretches out her saving hand to us / and from His Most Pure Image he speaks, saying: / I am the Helper of sinners to My Son ,/ This one gave Me a hand for them to hear Me take out./ Moreover, people, burdened with many sins,/ fall at the foot of Her icon, crying out with tears:/ Intercessor of the world, Helper of sinners, / beseech the Savior of all with your motherly prayers, / that the Divine with all-forgiveness will cover our sins/ and the bright doors of heaven will open to us,// For you are the intercession and salvation of the Christian race.
Translation: Now all sadness calms down and the fear of despair disappears, sinners receive consolation in the hardships of the heart and are brightly illuminated with Heavenly love, because today the Mother of God gives us a saving hand and from Her Most Pure Image tells us: “I am an Intercessor for all sinners before my Son, He promised Me for them that He would always hear Me.” Therefore, people burdened with many sins, fall at the foot of Her icon, crying with tears: “Intercessor of the world and Intercessor for sinners, beseech the Savior of all with Your Motherly prayers, so that with Divine forgiveness He will forgive our sins and open the bright doors of heaven to us. Because You are the protection and salvation of all Christians.”
Troparion, tone 3
To You, the ever-flowing source of mercy/ and the Helper of sinners, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God,/ falling, sorrowing, we cry out to You:/ save us from troubles, O Lady,// and mother to Your progress secretly ask for eternal salvation for all of us.
Translation: To You, the ever-flowing source of mercy and Intercessor for sinners, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, bending our knees in sorrow, we cry: “Save us from troubles, Lady, and through Your maternal intercession ask for eternal salvation for us all.”
Kontakion, tone 1
Honest dwelling that was / of the ineffable nature of the Divine / above words and above the mind / and you are the Helper of sinners, / giving grace and healing, / like the Mother of all who reigns: / pray to Thy Son him // receive mercy for us on the Day of Judgment.
Translation: Being the revered dwelling of the ineffable Divine nature, above words and beyond understanding [above understanding] and sinful, You are the Intercessor, giving grace and healing, as the Mother of the One who reigns over all, pray to Your Son that we may receive mercy on the Day of Judgment.
First prayer
Oh, Most Blessed Lady, Protector of the Christian race, refuge and salvation of those who flow to You! We know, truly we know, that we have sinned greatly and have been angry, O Most Merciful Lady, the Son of God was born in the flesh of You: but I have many images before me of those who angered His kindness: publicans, harlots and other sinners, to whom forgiveness of their sins was given, for the sake of repentance and confession. Thou art, therefore, imagining the images of those who have pardoned my sinful souls, and at the great mercy of God, which I have received, looking, I have dared, even I, a sinner, to resort with repentance to Your compassion . O All-Merciful Lady, give me a helping hand and ask Your Son and God with your motherly and most holy prayers for forgiveness of my grave sin. I believe and confess that He Whom You gave birth to, Your Son, is truly Christ, the Son of the Living God, Judge of the living and the dead, rewarding each according to his deeds. I again believe and confess that You are the true Mother of God, the source of mercy, the consolation of those who mourn, the recovery of the lost, a strong and unceasing Intercessor to God, who loves the Christian race dearly. ́nsky, and the Helper of Repentance. Truly, there is no other help and protection for a person than You, Most Merciful Lady, and no one was ashamed of trusting in You, and by You begging God, no one was left behind. For this reason I pray to Your innumerable goodness: open the doors of Your mercy to me, who have lost my way and fallen into the depths of the depths, do not disdain my filthiness, do not despise my sinful prayer , do not leave me, the accursed one, for an evil enemy is looking to kidnap me into destruction, but beg the one who was born for me from You, Your merciful Son and God, may He forgive my great sins and deliver me from my destruction: for even I, with all who have received forgiveness, will sing and glorify the immeasurable mercy of God and Yours - unshameful intercession for me in this life and in the endless eternity. Amen.
Second prayer
My Most Blessed Queen, My Most Holy Hope, Helper of Sinners! Behold, a poor sinner stands before You! Don’t leave me, abandoned by everyone, don’t forget me, forgotten by everyone, give me joy, who knows no joy. Oh, my grievous troubles and sorrows! Oh, my sins are immeasurable! Like the darkness of the night is my life. And there is not a single strong help in the sons of men. You are my only Hope. You are my only Cover, Refuge and Affirmation. I boldly stretch out my weak hand to You and pray: have mercy on me, O All-Good One, have mercy on Your Son redeemed by the Blood, quench the pain of my much-sighing soul, tame the rage of hatred Those who offend and offend me, restore my fading strength, renew my youth, like an eaglet, allow yourself to weaken in keeping the commandments of God. Touch my troubled soul with heavenly fire and fill me with unashamed faith, unhypocritical love and known hope. May I always sing and praise You, the Most Blessed Intercessor of the world, our Protector and Supporter of all of us sinners, and I worship Your Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, with His Beginning Father and the Life-giving Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Divine face of the Virgin Mary
It should be noted that the sacred meaning that was embedded in the presented miraculous image of the Mother of God is a reflection of the very essence of the heavenly service of the Queen of Heaven as an Intercessor and Patroness for the entire Orthodox people. The upper location of the Virgin Mary is displayed on the iconography of the face and, as a rule, it depicts images and figures of the Infant God and the Queen of Heaven, framed with twelve stars (six stars are located on one side and the other).
The All-Tsarina herself is represented on the divine face from the waist up, hugging the Son of God with her left hand, and extending her right hand to Him with a request for help. The Divine Infant responds with an Orthodox gesture to the Mother’s prayer: with both hands he took hold of her hand in such a way that the thumb of the Virgin Mary was in his right hand, and in the left hand was the small and one of the middle fingers of the next one. With such a gesture of consent, the Savior assures the Mother of God that he will always listen to her prayers offered for sinful people.
The Lord and the Virgin Mary have golden crowns on their heads, decorated with precious stones and pearls, which in turn indicates that the divine face is of South Russian origin. The miraculous image in the four corners has a scroll image with inscriptions that show the path to endless joy.
Also read: Prayer to admonish your husband
When is the best time to say prayers?
The greatest effect from reading prayers in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners” is achieved on the days of veneration of this icon, which according to the Orthodox calendar are celebrated three times a year:
- The first day falls on Thursday of Pentecost;
- The second is March 20 (March 7, old style);
- The third is June 11 (May 29, old style).
But even in case of spiritual burden, you can turn to the face of the Mother of God on this icon at any time, in a temple, monastery or at home. Such prayer is the best way to communicate with God through the intercession of the Mother of God, who never refused her help to those who resort to her in difficult times.
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History of the icon
Judging by the iconography, the icon is ancient, but the time and place of its composition are unknown. The only thing that can be guessed is its origin from Little Russia or Belarus, since their iconography is characterized by the presence of crowns on the heads of the Mother of God and the Child Christ.
The icon of the Mother of God “Intercessor of Sinners” was discovered in Russia in 1843 in the Oryol province. She was in the chapel at the gates of the Odrino-Nicholas Monastery, and her power was revealed by the Mother of God to several residents at once, after which miraculous healings immediately followed: one little boy was healed of paralysis, another of paralysis, a blind three-year-old girl regained her sight.
The fame of the miraculous icon immediately spread throughout the surrounding area, and it was transferred to the cathedral church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, where crowds of believers gathered to pray in front of the “Intercessor of Sinners” icon, asking for healing and forgiveness of sins.
After the revolution, the icons were distributed among parishioners, and finally, at the end of the 20th century, the icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners” came to Ukraine, which at that time was already an independent state, and was in a private collection. We had to raise a considerable amount of money to buy the icon and return it to the walls of the Nikolo-Odrinsky Monastery, which happened in 1996.
No less interesting is the history of the copy of the miraculous icon “Support of Sinners”. In 1846, the priest of the monastery was sent to Moscow to prepare a suitable robe for the icon. He stayed in the house of a pious parishioner, who, in gratitude, received a copy of the icon from the monastery. Miraculously, this specimen began to flow myrrh, and the sick, anointed with this myrrh, were healed.
The miraculous copy was donated in 1848 to the Moscow Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki; prayer before him was accompanied by numerous healings, which were officially recorded
Currently, the icon “Supportress of Sinners” is in the Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki in Moscow, and a copy of it is also in the Orthodox Church of the Deposition of the Robe in Leonovo.
