News of Sergiev Posad. "Forward" – the municipal socio-political newspaper of the Sergiev Posad region"

Protection of the Holy Mother of God

According to church tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to those praying in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople during a time of mortal danger. The Mother of God spread her omophorion over people, and this event was an intercession and consolation for all Orthodox Christians.

In the IX-X centuries, the capital of Byzantium was often subjected to militant raids by barbarians, and all this ended, as a rule, with a bloody massacre.

And this time it was exactly that. Therefore, most of the inhabitants of the city rushed to the temple to pray. And at four o'clock in the morning, the local holy fool Andrei and his disciple, blessed Epiphanius, had a wonderful vision. In the sky they saw the Mother of God walking through the air, illuminated by heavenly light and surrounded by angels. The Blessed One was accompanied by Saint John the Baptist and the Apostle John the Theologian with a host of saints.

Kneeling down, the Blessed Virgin began to pray with tears, and remained in this for a long time. Then, approaching the throne, she continued her prayer. At the end of it, she took off the veil from her head and spread it over the people praying in the temple, protecting them from enemies, visible and invisible. The Mother of God shone with heavenly glory, and the cover in her hands shone "more than the rays of the sun." Saint Andrew contemplated the wondrous vision with trepidation and asked Epiphanius, who was standing nearby: “Do you see, brother, the Queen and Lady, praying for the whole world?” He replied: “I see, holy father, and I am horrified.” The Mother of God asked her Son to accept the prayers of all people who call on His Name and resort to Her intercession.

Saints Andrew and Epiphanius, who were honored to contemplate the praying Mother of God, “for a long time looked at the veil spread over the people and at the glory of the Lord shining like lightning; as long as the Most Holy Theotokos was there, apparently there was also a veil; after Her departure, it also became invisible, but, taking it with Her, She left the grace that was there.

Thus, the intercession of the Virgin protected the city and its inhabitants. A storm that rose on the sea scattered the ships of the barbarians, saving the inhabitants of Constantinople from inevitable death.

In Blachernae Church, the memory of this wondrous appearance of the Mother of God has been preserved. In the 14th century, the Russian pilgrim clerk Alexander saw in the temple an icon of the Mother of God praying for the world, painted from the words of St. Andrew. However, at present the Greek Church does not know such a holiday. Miraculously, the veneration of this feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos passed to Russia.

An interesting question here is who were these bloodthirsty barbarians who besieged the Byzantine capital. Some historical information speaks of the Saracens. However, a number of scientists believe that these were the squads of the Russian princes Varangians Askold and Dir.

The famous historian of the Church Professor Anton Kartashov cites the text of Patriarch Foto, which chronologically confirms that the events could take place in 866, which means that they were the attacks. There is also information that Saint Andrei was a slave of a rich dignitary and a birth he was Slav.

About Russian princes of Ascold and Die is known not only as cruel barbarians. There is information that after an unsuccessful campaign to Constantinople, Rusi sent to the emperor of Byzantium and Patriarch of the Ambassador to send Christian missionaries to Kyiv. And once militant pagans Askold and Deer took Holy Baptism by the end of their lifesty. Many of their warriors were baptized, and some of the people. This event is sometimes called the first baptism of Russia.

It is worth noting that the Pokrov holiday rather soon let his roots in Russian land. In the domestic prologue of the XII century, it contains a record of establishing a special holiday in honor of this event: "Becota ,, Ever hearing – crumbs; Cao terrible and merciful vision and the sake of the hope and intercessors of our, to be without a festival. Werexotech, but not without a holiday, the holy cover is yours, preparing. "

In Russia, the temples in honor of the Intercession of the Virgin began to build already in the XII century. One of the most ancient and beautiful – cover on the nerve. His holy blessing prince Andrei Bogolyubsky was erected. There is an assumption that it was he who distributed the tradition of celebrating the Intercession in our country. In the novelo in the XII century, there was also a monastery of the Intercession of the Mother of God (the so-called Zorinsky monastery). In Moscow in the XVI century on the main square of the country, the Cathedral of the Mother of God, the Cathedral of the Mother of God (known as the Temple of Vasily Blessed) was built.

The paths of the Lord are non-defined … Former persecutes and tormentors Christians sometimes become the most zealous followers of Christ, ready to go for him even to death. Our ancestors did not accept the Christian faith for a long time, but adopted, perceived it, one can safely say, the whole depth of their compassionate heart. And here the suffering of the Virgin Mary about her son, her humility and humility of the Word of God merge internally.

The Mother of God has a special intercession in front of the Lord for people. Especially for those who live according to the Word of God. In the Russian Church, almost every day one of the images of the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored. Each of them has its own intercession history. On the holiday of the cover of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we celebrate all these images together. As a special patronage of the Virgin Mary over our country.