The Mother of God is considered the patroness of Rus', but this is not the only reason why her image enjoys special veneration among the Orthodox. The Mother of God is both the Queen of Heaven and an intercessor for all of us before the Lord. We turn to Her in difficult moments of life; it is not for nothing that the icon “Quench My Sorrows” has become one of Her most revered images.
Day of celebration: February 7
The name of the icon goes back to the stichera (liturgical verses), which speaks of the Mother of God as hope for believers, who is able to “quench the sorrows” of both soul and body.
History of the image
The image “Quench My Sorrows” was written by the Evangelist Luke, who created more than one face of the Most Holy Theotokos. It is currently unknown where the original is located. It was lost after the revolution. Previously, it was stored in the city of Shklov in Belarus.
The oldest list in Russia appeared thanks to the Cossacks, who brought it to the capital in 1640. The face of the Virgin Mary was placed in the Church of St. Nicholas in Sadovniki, where records of his many miracles could also be found. They were not preserved due to a fire that happened in 1771.
Information about the healing that occurred on January 25, 1760 has been preserved to this day. This concerns one lady. She was sick for a long time and did not get out of bed. Doctors gave no hope of a cure. The patient was waiting for death. But somehow the Mother of God appeared to her in a dream and addressed the woman with these words:
After this, the lady and her relatives set off on a difficult journey for themselves. Together they found the indicated temple, but the required icon was not there. Then people turned to the priest for help, who ordered the images stored in it to be brought from the bell tower. They ended up there as a result of many reconstructions of the church.
The woman immediately pointed to “Quiet my sorrows” and crossed herself. Before that, she couldn't even raise her hand. A prayer service was held near the image. The peasant woman kissed him and rose from her knees completely healthy.
The Church of St. Nicholas was destroyed in the 30s of the twentieth century as a result of the actions of the authorities who fought against the church. The icon was moved to the Moscow church in the name of St. Nicholas in Kuznetskaya Sloboda. This is where it is kept to this day.
What does the icon “Quiet my sorrows” mean?
The amazing iconography of this shrine will take your breath away. The Queen of Heaven is depicted with her hand raised to her face, as if listening to prayers. And the face is tilted, creating the impression that the Mother of God is heeding your request. From this, hope, tenderness, joy and peace appear in the heart.
The first image of the miraculous icon “Assuage Sorrows” is mentioned in the Orthodox Church in the 17th century. The first location of the shrine was the city of Shklov in Belarus. During the revolution of the twentieth century, the famous venerable image was lost. Today it is unknown where the holy image of the Heavenly Queen resides.
The first copies of the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary were made in the second half of the 17th century and soon appeared in Moscow. And although the iconography of the image is more or less the same, you can find versions with slight differences. In some cases, the positions of the hands of the Mother of God may differ; in others, the face is turned in a different direction.
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The Divine Infant can also be depicted in different ways. Another important detail of the composition is the presence of a scroll in the hands of the Baby. Unfortunately, the inscriptions on this scroll are also different. But, despite the wide variety of iconographic paintings, each image of “Quench My Sorrows” has one common quality - a gentle, touching and calm atmosphere that is conveyed to people.
Celebration day
The veneration of this Mother of God is held on February 7/January 25. Such a day was established in 1760, when the icon began to stream myrrh. On this day, a miraculous healing of a peasant woman took place in the Church of St. Nicholas in Moscow.
Face differences
There are many lists created in the likeness of the image. Their portrait resemblance is preserved, but there are some differences. All icons have the same atmosphere - calm, tenderness and touching.
It is transmitted to those asking who resort to it. It hints that people on earth are not eternal and their problems are temporary. The features of the image include some of its details.
- The Mother of God rests her hand on her face, which can be turned in different directions.
- You can see sympathy and compassion in Mary’s eyes. She is sad because of human problems.
- The baby Jesus is depicted in different ways: lying in swaddling clothes or in the arms of his mother.
- The son is holding a scroll. It contains inscriptions addressing people, which may also differ. But the essence is always the same - this is a call to be generous, not to hold a grudge against others, not to offend anyone, etc.
The name of the icon is taken from liturgical verses to the Mother of God. They indicate that Saint Mary is hope for believers, she is able to quench their sorrows. The Most Holy One is depicted as if listening to their prayers.
Prayers before the icon
Troparion, tone 5
Assuage the sickness/ of my much-sighing soul,/ Who has quenched every tear from the face of the earth,/ For you drive away the sicknesses of men/ and destroy the sorrows of sinners,/ For all the acquisitive ones give you hope and affirmation,/ / Most Holy Mother of God.
Translation: Ease the illness of my much sighing soul, who has removed every tear from the face of the earth: for You drive away illnesses from people and stop the despondency of sinners. For in You we all have found hope and affirmation, Most Holy Virgin Mother.
Kontakion, tone 6
Do not entrust me to human intercession, / Most Holy Lady, / but accept the prayer of Your servant, / for sorrow will support me, / I cannot endure demonic shooting, / there is no protection for the imam, / below where the accursed will take refuge / we are always victorious, / and there is no consolation for the imam, Don’t you, Lady of the world,/ be the hope and intercession of the faithful,/ despise my prayer,// make it useful.
Translation: Do not entrust me to human intercession, Most Holy Lady, but accept the prayer of Your servant: for sorrow has seized me, I cannot bear the arrows fired by demons; I have no protection and nowhere to turn for the unfortunate me, struggling on all sides and having no consolation except You. Mistress of the world, hope and Intercessor of the faithful, do not despise my prayer, do something useful for me!
Prayer
Hope of all ends of the earth, Most Pure Virgin, Lady Theotokos, our consolation! Do not disdain us, sinners, for we trust in Your mercy. Quench the flame of sin in us and water our parched hearts with repentance, cleanse our minds from sinful thoughts; Accept the sigh from the soul and heart of those who bring you the prayer. Be an intercessor for us to Your Son and God, and tame His righteous rage with Your motherly prayers. Heal mental and physical ulcers, Lady Theotokos, quench the illnesses of souls and bodies, calm the storm of evil attacks of the enemy; take away the burden of our sins and do not leave us to perish until the end. For you are the builder of the human race, an ambulance in sorrow. True Mother of Christ our God, help us, Your sinful servants always, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
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Meaning of the icon
The image “Quench my sorrows” belongs to the “eleus” type. The face is characterized by such qualities as tenderness and compassion. This reflects the main intention of the author - to show the Mother of God as the intercessor of sinners.
The meaning of the image is that you should always rely on the help of a Higher Power, you just need to sincerely pray and have strong faith. If she is still weak, she needs to turn to the Lord as often as possible, who will strengthen her. The icon points to the path to achieving unity with God - acting according to his commandments.
There is no distance between mother and son in the image. This speaks of the unity of love. This should be the case among all Christians. The image reveals the essence of the Incarnation, when an ordinary woman became the mother of Christ and retained her virginity.
Saint Mary is a new creation of God and the ideal of man. You should trust her with your requests. Our Lady opens the gates on the Christian's path to Jesus.
What to listen to when you're sad
Feeling sad or hopeless is not a sin. You need to immediately turn to God’s help, and not “force” yourself with fun: • Turn to God in a special prayer, daily lighting a candle in front of the icon; • Believe in the existence of God as a Person, in the coming to earth and the Resurrection of His Son - the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray at home using a prayer book or find prayers on the Internet - the most common ones are, for example, “To the Heavenly King,” “Theotokos, Virgin,” and “Our Father.” • Reflect on your life, prepare for confession - perhaps you have committed mortal sins or yourself have caused evil to people, and now you are tormented. • Be sure to visit the temple and talk with the priest. Perhaps you have not been baptized and therefore are defenseless against evil spirits; perhaps you rarely call on the Name of God and rarely go to church. This is a reason to reconsider your life, turn to the Lord more often, learn the basics of the Orthodox faith and come to the church Sacraments of Confession and Communion. Prayer will always help • Protect yourself and your loved ones from the influence of dark spirits (after all, despondency is even called the “midday demon”); • Maintain peace, tranquility and well-being; • You entrust yourself to the protection of God - which means you are fulfilling God’s commandment about humility and trust in Him. With God's help you should be calm.
There are a number of prayers to saints, miraculous icons of the Mother of God and prayer services that have the special grace to help with depression, melancholy, mental laziness, and in certain hopeless circumstances.
List Locations
In addition to the Church of St. Nicholas, the image of “Quench My Sorrows” can be found in several other places.
- Monastery of the Deposition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow. The face has been kept there since the 18th century. Placed opposite the Kazan icon. Deeply revered by parishioners.
- Church of the Virgin Mary in Diveevo. The image came here thanks to pilgrims. Now notes with petitions are left near him.
- In the Cathedral of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
- In the Church of the Transfiguration on Bolvanovka.
These faces are also known for their miraculous powers. A temple in the name of the icon was opened in Moscow in the 21st century. The image “Quiet my sorrows” is placed above the entrance.
Divine service for January 25
The day on which the noble lady was healed was chosen for the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos. According to some reports, then the icon began to stream myrrh. On the eve of the holiday, a vigil is held in the church all night. They do this according to an old tradition.
They come to services in advance, having learned the schedule in advance, because in churches they begin at different times. You need to learn the troparia in order to sing them with everyone. After the service, they also adhere to certain rules: do not smoke, do not swear, and do not drink alcohol.
Purposes of Prayer
When a person is sad, there is no need to demonstrate your strength and fight this condition on your own. You should resort to the help of the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos.
God already understands how a person feels, so there is no point in trying to hide the true state of things. The very name of the prayer puts a person in the right mood. It differs in the following action:
- struggles with despair that prevails over other feelings;
- helps to acquire harmony, calmness, self-confidence;
- drives away bad thoughts;
- strengthens the inner core of the person praying;
- conquers destructive passions;
- strengthens faith.
The Mother of God is addressed in prayer when:
- a person needs support in a difficult situation;
- it seems that there will be no more joyful moments;
- melancholy and sadness overcome;
- faith weakens;
- the person is sick.
There will be nothing sinful if someone prays for success in a matter. The main thing is that the conversion does not contradict the commandments of God and that prohibited methods are not used.
How does the “Quench My Sorrows” icon help?
The very name of the icon explains what needs are addressed to it.
“Sorrows” here should be understood not as sadness for some reason, but as hardships and infirmities, mental and physical, and above all, despair that has taken possession of the soul, weakening of faith, overpowering by destructive passions
After praying in front of the icon, peace and harmony descend on the soul, faith strengthens, and sinful thoughts cease to torment the mind.
The icon helps in healing not only mental, but also physical ailments. You can also turn to her with a prayer for good luck in business.
Petition rules
It is better to pray in church near the icon. But such an opportunity is not always available. In this case, it is worth resorting to home prayer. First you need to prepare yourself spiritually.
Before asking, you must observe a strict fast: eat only plant foods, give up bad habits. It is very important to repent of your sins before turning to the Mother of God. Therefore, it is good for a person to confess and receive Holy Communion.
During the prayer process, the following rules must be observed:
- throw away all bad thoughts and concentrate;
- do not use a demanding tone, otherwise the request will not be heard;
- pronounce words from the heart, with good intentions, thinking about their meaning;
- pray, believing in the help of Higher powers;
- imagine a solution to the situation.
It is advisable to begin the appeal by thanking the Virgin Mary for her kindness and the miracles she performed. Next, you should ask to tame people’s shortcomings, to stand up for the family and all of humanity.
Then you can pray for yourself. It is also worth remembering about daily prayers. It is also necessary to call for help from the saint after whom the person is named. Reading the Bible is added to the appeal to the Mother of God.
You can also pray in your own words. They often ask the Mother of God not only for themselves, but also for someone close to them. It happens that a person himself does not understand that he is moving in the wrong direction, for example, he is obsessed with gambling and carnal passion.
If the thoughts of the person praying are scattered, this means that he is being tempted by a demon, who does not benefit from appeals to the Lord and the saints. Then you need to force your intentions, regain your mind and continue reading.
