How To Use The NAB Religious Program

HOW TO USE THE NAB RELIGIOUS PROGRAM 

The goal of Antiochian Women everywhere should be to continually strive for spiritual growth – in their churches, homes, workplaces, and leisure activities.

It is recommended that these programs be sent to each Chapter President (either via the Diocesan President or Diocesan Religious Coordinator) so they can be used on the local levels – either in a group or individually.  Many women may feel more comfortable in a private setting rather than in a large group.

The NAB Religious Program will also be placed on the Antiochian Archdiocese’s website under www.antiochian.org/women.

If these religious programs are used in a group setting, the following activities are recommended:

1.         Lectures – The women’s organization should invite their priest or a lay person to attend their meeting.  Present them with a topic – suggested either by the NAB or from the local women – in order for them to prepare.  Clergy may address women’s prayer lives, while lay persons can speak on a number of social/welfare issues (counseling services, right to life issues, etc.).

2.         Retreats – These events may be held one or more times throughout the year depending on the size of the parish.  The retreat may be held at an off-site location (monastery, conference facility), or on the church grounds over the course of a weekend.  Topics should be chosen that meet the needs of the women (again, either via the NAB or suggestions from the local chapter).

3.         Discussion Groups – These groups may be informal and based either on the NAB’s suggestions or ones of the local women’s choosing. 

            Feel free to discuss:

                        The lives of Women Saints and the importance of their works

                        Establishing a prayer life in the home

                        Bible passages relating to women

                        Feast days relating to the Theotokos

            A “discussion group” may also include an “Orthodox Book Club” (where both wives and their husbands are invited). 

 Abbreviations for Titles of Women Saints

Sophia Newsletter (Religious Program)

Download the March-April 2008 Sophia Newsletter.

Download the January-February 2008 Sophia Newsletter.

Download the November-December 2007 Sophia Newsletter.

Download the September-October 2007 Sophia Newsletter.

1,003 Martyrs at Nicomedia

Commemorated on February 7

The 1,003 Martyrs at Nicomedia were servants of four dignitaries, Bassos, Eusebius, Eutychius and Basilides, who suffered for Christ with their wives (January 5) in the year 303 during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305).

After the martyric death of their masters, the servants decided to follow their example, and confessed themselves as Christians before Diocletian. Swayed neither by persuasion nor promises nor rewards, 1,003 men, women, and children were cut down by soldiers who formed a tight circle around them so that none of them remained alive.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

40 Women Martyrs at Heraclea, in Thrace

Commemorated on September 1

The 40 Holy Virgins and St. Ammoun the Deacon were from Adrianopolis in Macedonia. Deacon Ammoun was their guide in Christian faith. They were captured by Baudos, the pagan governor, and were tortured because they would not offer sacrifice to idols.

The holy martyrs endured many cruel torments, which were intended to force them to renounce Christ and worship the pagan gods. Later, they were sent to Heraklea in Thrace to appear before the tyrant Licinius. However, the valiant martyrs remained unshakeable.

St. Ammoun and eight of the virgins were beheaded, ten virgins were burned, six of them died after heated metal balls were put into their mouths, six were stabbed with knives, and the rest were struck in the mouth and stabbed in the heart with swords.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Afterfeast of the Meeting of Our Lord in the Temple

Commemorated on February 3

On this first day of the Afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord, the Church commemorates the righteous Simeon and Anna, the prophetess. The following words are ascribed to Christ in Ode 9 of the Canon: “I am not held by the Elder; it is I Who hold him, for he asks Me for forgiveness.”

Troparion (Tone 1) –

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of grace!

From you shone the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.

Enlightening those who sat in darkness!

Rejoice, and be glad, O righteous elder;

You accepted in your arms the Redeemer of our souls,

Who grants us the Resurrection.

Kontakion (Tone 1) –

By Your nativity, You did sanctify the Virgin’s womb,

And did bless Simeon’s hands, O Christ God.

Now You have come and saved us through love.

Grant peace to all Orthodox Christians, O only Lover of man!

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

An Unknown Girl in Alexandria

Commemorated on March 3

She was from a wealthy house, having a good father who suffered and had a difficult death, and an evil mother who had an easy life, died in peace and was buried with honor.

In uncertainty whether to live by the example of her father or mother, this maiden had a vision, in which the state of her father and of her mother were shown to her. She saw her father in the Kingdom of God, and her mother in darkness and torment. She decided to devote her whole life to God, and, like her father, follow the commandments without regard to any opposition or misfortune that she might have to endure.

She followed the commandments of God to the end, with His help, and was made worthy of the Kingdom of heaven, in which she was reunited with her beloved father.

From the Prologue by permission of www.abbamoses.com

Commemoration of our God-bearing Fathers and Mothers Who Shone Forth in Asceticism

Commemorated on March 8

On this day, we commemorate all the righteous and God-bearing Fathers and Mothers, both known and unknown, who shone forth in asceticism. With these two weeks of Meatfare and Cheesefare, the Church gradually eases us into the full fasting of Great Lent.

The holy ascetics were virtuous men and women who contended against the devil and their own passions. By examining their lives and their struggles against the enemy, we take courage from the victory they have achieved, and are inspired to imitate their God-pleasing conduct. They also teach us that fasting is not merely abstinence from food, but involves refraining from inappropriate speech and unseemly actions.

Since these holy ascetics shared the same human nature that we have, their example is an encouragement to us as we embark on our own spiritual struggles. Their lives are a model for us to follow as we seek to acquire and practice the various virtues and to turn away from everything evil. If we undertake these same struggles of prayer, fasting, and good works, we shall receive from God the same rewards as they did.

Most of the holy ascetics commemorated today have their own separate Feast Days during the year, while some are remembered only on this day.

Troparion (Tone 8) –

Only Creator, with wisdom profound, You mercifully order all things,

and give that which is needed to all men:

Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep,

for they have placed their trust in You, our Maker and Fashioner, and our God.

Kontakion (Tone 8) –

With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of Your servants,

where there is neither sickness nor sorrow, and no more sighing,

but life everlasting.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Commemoration of the Weeping Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" at Novgorod

Commemorated on November 27

The Icon of the Mother of God “Of the Sign” depicts the Most Holy Theotokos with prayerfully uplifted hands, and the Divine Infant at Her bosom in a mandorla (or sphere). This depiction of the Mother of God is regarded as one of the very first of Her iconographic images. In the mausoleum of St. Agnes at Rome is a depiction of the Mother of God with hands raised in prayer with the Infant Christ sitting on Her knee, which is ascribed to the fourth century. There is also an ancient Byzantine icon of the Mother of God “Nikopea” from the sixth century, where the Most Holy Theotokos is seated upon a throne and holding in Her hands an oval shield with the image of the Savior Emmanuel.

Icons of the Mother of God, known as “The Sign,” appeared in Russia during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and were so called because of a miraculous sign from the Novgorod Icon in the year 1170. In that year, the allied forces of Russian princes marched to the very walls of Novgorod. For the people of Novgorod, their only remaining hope was that God would help them. Day and night they prayed, beseeching the Lord not to forsake them. On the third night, Bishop Elias of Novgorod heard a wondrous voice commanding that the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos be taken out of the Church of the Savior’s Transfiguration on Ilina Street, and carried along the city’s walls.

While the icon was being carried, the enemy fired arrows at the procession, with one of the arrows piercing the iconographic face of the Mother of God. Tears trickled from Her eyes, and the icon turned its face towards the city. After this divine Sign, an inexpressible terror suddenly gripped the enemy. They began to strike one another, and taking encouragement from the Lord, the people of Novgorod fearlessly gave battle and won the victory.

In remembrance of the miraculous intercession of the Queen of Heaven, Archbishop Elias established a feast day in honor of the Sign of the Mother of God, which the Russian Church celebrates to the present day. Hieromonk Pachomius the Logothete, who was present at this festal celebration, composed two Canons for this Feast.

On other Novgorod Icons of the Sign, the miraculous events of 1170 were depicted. For 186 years afterwards, the wonderworking icon remained in the Church of the Savior’s Transfiguration. In 1356, it was transferred to a church built in Novgorod in honor of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “of the Sign,” which became the Cathedral of the Monastery of the Sign.

Numerous copies of the Sign Icon are known throughout the world. Many of them were also glorified by miracles in local churches, and were then named for the place of the appearance of the miracle.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Conception of Our Most Holy Theotokos by St. Anna

Commemorated on December 9

St. Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, was the youngest daughter of the priest Nathan from Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi. She married St. Joachim, who was a native of Galilee. St. Anna was childless, but after twenty years, through the fervent prayer of both spouses, an angel of the Lord announced to them that they would be the parents of a daughter Who would bring blessings to the whole human race.

The Orthodox Church does not accept the teaching that the Mother of God was exempted from the consequences of ancestral sin (death, corruption, sin, etc.) at the moment of her conception by virtue of the future merits of Her Son. Only Christ was born perfectly holy and sinless. The Holy Virgin was like everyone else in Her mortality, and in being subject to temptation, although She committed no personal sins. She was not a deified creature removed from the rest of humanity. If this were the case, She would not have been truly human, and the nature that Christ took from Her would not have been truly human either. If Christ does not truly share our human nature, then the possibility of our salvation is in doubt.

The Conception of the Virgin Mary by St. Anna took place at Jerusalem. The many icons depicting the Conception by St. Anna show the Most Holy Theotokos trampling the serpent underfoot. There are also icons in which St. Anna holds the Most Holy Virgin on her left arm as an infant. On St Anna’s face is a look of reverence. A large ancient icon, painted on canvas, is located in Russia. From ancient times this Feast was especially venerated by pregnant women.

Troparion (Tone 4) –

Today the bonds of barrenness are broken,

God has heard the prayers of Joachim and Anna.

He has promised them beyond all their hopes,

To bear the Maiden of God

By whom the Uncircumscribed One was born as mortal man,

Who commanded an angel to cry to Her:

Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with You!

Kontakion (Tone 4) –

Today the universe rejoices,

For Anna has conceived the Theotokos through God's dispensation,

For she has brought forth the One who is to bear the Ineffable Word!

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

Celebrated on November 21

According to Holy Tradition, the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple took place in the following manner. Her parents, Sts. Joachim and Anna, praying for an end to their childlessness, vowed that if a child were born to them, they would dedicate it to the service of God. When the Most Holy Virgin reached the age of three, her parents decided to fulfill their vow. They invited their relatives and acquaintances, and dressed the All-Pure Virgin in Her finest clothes. Singing sacred songs and with lighted candles in their hands, virgins escorted Her to the Temple. There the High Priest met the handmaiden of God. In the Temple, fifteen high steps led to the sanctuary, which only the High Priest could enter. (Because a Psalm was recited on each step, Psalms 119/120-133/134 are called “Psalms of Ascent.”) It seemed that the child could not make it up this stairway. But just as She was placed on the first step, strengthened by the power of God, She quickly went up the remaining steps and ascended to the highest one. The High Priest led the Most Holy Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest entered once a year to offer a purifying sacrifice of blood. All those in the Temple were astonished at this most unusual event. After entrusting their child to the Heavenly Father, Joachim and Anna returned home. The All-Holy Virgin remained in the rooms set aside for virgins located near the Temple.

The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos is shrouded in deep mystery. However, there are accounts in Church Tradition that during the All-Pure Virgin’s stay at the Temple, She grew up in a community of pious virgins, diligently read the Holy Scripture, occupied Herself with handicrafts, prayed constantly, and grew in Her love for God.

From ancient times, the Church has celebrated the Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. Indications that the Feast was observed in the first centuries of Christianity are found in the traditions of Palestinian Christians, which say that the Empress Helen built a church in honor of the Feast of the Entry. In the fourth century, St. Gregory of Nyssa also mentioned this Feast. In the eighth century, Sts. Germanus and Tarasius, Patriarchs of Constantinople, delivered sermons on the Feast of the Entry.

The Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple foretells God’s blessing for the human race, the preaching of salvation, and the promise of the coming of Christ.

Troparion (Tone 4) –

Today is the preview of the good will of God,

of the preaching of the salvation of mankind.

The Virgin appears in the temple of God,

in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all.

Let us rejoice and sing to her: Rejoice,

0 Divine Fulfillment of the Creator's dispensation.

Kontakion (Tone 4) –

The most pure Temple of the Savior;

the precious Chamber and Virgin;

the sacred Treasure of the glory of God,

is presented today to the house of the Lord.

She brings with her the grace of the Spirit,

therefore, the angels of God praise her:

“Truly this woman is the abode of heaven.”

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise

Commemorated on March 9

The Church reminds us of Adam’s expulsion from Paradise as the Orthodox faithful begin Great Lent. God commanded Adam to fast (Gen. 2:16), but he did not obey. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden and lost the life of blessedness, knowledge of God, and communion with Him, for which they were created. Both they and their descendents became heirs of death and corruption.

Let us consider the benefits of fasting, the consequences of disobedience, and recall our fallen state. Today, we are invited to cleanse ourselves of evil through fasting and obedience to God. Our fasting should not be a negative thing nor a mere abstention from certain foods. It is an opportunity to free ourselves from the sinful desires and urges of our fallen nature, and to nourish our souls with prayer, repentance, to participate in church services, and partake of the life-giving Mysteries of Christ.

At Forgiveness Vespers we sing: “Let us begin the time of fasting in light, preparing ourselves for spiritual efforts. Let us purify our soul, let us purify our body. As we abstain from food, let us abstain from all passion and enjoy the virtues of the spirit….”

Kontakion (Tone 6) –

Master, Teacher of wisdom,

Bestower of virtue,

you teach the thoughtless and protect the poor:

Strengthen and enlighten my heart.

Word of the Father,

let me not restrain my mouth from crying to you:

Have mercy on me, a transgressor,

O merciful Lord!

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Flight Into Egypt of the Holy Family

Commemorated on December 26

It is through the Gospel of St. Matthew where Egypt is often identified as the place of refuge that the Holy Family sought in its flight from Judea: “When he [Joseph] arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Matthew 2:12-23).

St. Nikolai Velimirovic relates the following story: The holy family, fleeing into Egypt, were accosted by robbers, one of whom, seeing the Christ Child, was amazed at His supernatural beauty and said, “If God were to take human flesh Himself, He would not be more beautiful than this child!” The robber told his companions to take nothing from the family. In gratitude, the Mother of God told him, “This Child will reward you richly for having spared Him today.” Thirty years later, it was this robber who was crucified at Christ’s right hand, and was granted to hear the words, “Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.”

By permission of abbamoses (www.abbamoses.com) & www.orthodoxwiki.org

Forefeast of the Annunciation

Commemorated on March 24

A forefeast (also known as prefeast) is a period of time preceding certain major feasts of the Christian year during which the Church anticipates the approaching festival. The liturgical life of the Church reflects this anticipation by foreshadowing the feast in the divine services celebrated during the forefeast.

The Forefeast of the Annunciation is celebrated the day before the actual feast.

Troparion (Tone 4) –

Today is the prelude of joy for the universe!

Let us anticipate the feast and celebrate with exultation:

Gabriel is on his way to announce the glad tidings to the Virgin;

He is ready to cry out in fear and wonder:

Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with You!

Kontakion (Tone 8) –

You are the beginning of salvation for all of us on earth, Virgin Mother of God.

For the great Archangel Gabriel, God's minister, was sent from heaven to stand before you to bring you joy:

Therefore, we all cry to you: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Forefeast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos

Commemorated on November 20

The Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple has only one day of prefeast. The hymns for today praise St. Anna for bringing her daughter, the living temple of God, to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The three Old Testament readings at Great Vespers refer to the Temple. The first lesson (Exodus 40:1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35) refers to the arrangement of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation (a portable sanctuary which was carried by the Israelites in their wanderings). The second lesson (III Kings/I Kings 7:51; 8:1, 3-7, 9-11) describes the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. The third lesson (Ezekiel 43:27-44:4) speaks of the gate of the sanctuary which faces east. God enters through this gate, which is shut so that no one else can enter by it.

Troparion (Tone 4) –

Today Anna bequeaths joy to all instead of sorrow

by bringing forth her fruit, the only ever-Virgin.

In fulfillment of her vow,

today with joy she brings to the temple of the Lord

the true temple and pure Mother of God the Word.

Kontakion (Tone 4) –

Today the universe is filled with joy

at the glorious feast of the Mother of God,

and cries out:

"She is the heavenly heavenly tabernacle."

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God

Commemorated on September 8

The Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God, occupies an unique place in the Russian Orthodox Church. On the icon is depicted the Theotokos, and the Hypostatic Wisdom, the Son of God incarnate of Her.

Sophia ponders the Son of God, about Whom in the Proverbs of Solomon it says: “Wisdom has built a house for herself, and has set up seven pillars” (9:1). These words refer to Christ, the Son of God, Who in the Epistles of St Paul is called “Wisdom of God” (1 Cor.1:30), and the word “house” refers to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, of Whom the Son of God is incarnate.

The arrangement of the icon bears witness to the fulfillment of this prophecy. On the Kiev icon of Sophia is a church, with the Theotokos in a robe with a veil on her head, under an archway of seven pillars. The palms of Her hands are outstretched, and her feet are set upon a crescent moon. She holds the Pre-eternal Christ Child, blessing with Her right hand, and holding the Infant with Her left.

On the cornice of the entrance are inscribed the words from the Book of Proverbs: “Wisdom has built a house for herself, and has set up seven pillars.” Over the entrance are depicted God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. From the mouth of God the Father issues the words: “I am the affirmation of Her footsteps.”

Along both sides are depicted the seven Archangels with outstretched wings, holding in their hands symbols of their duties. On the right side: Michael has a flaming sword; Uriel has a lightning flash hurling downwards; and Raphael has an alabaster vessel of myrrh. On the left side: Gabriel has a lily blossom; Selaphiel has a scale; Jerudiel has a royal crown; and Barachiel has flowers on a white shawl.

Under a cloud with the crescent moon, serving as a footrest for the Mother of God, is a staircase with seven steps (depicting the Church of God on earth). Those standing on the seven steps are the Old Testament witnesses of the manifestation of Wisdom, the Forefathers and the Prophets. On each of the seven steps are inscribed: faith, hope, love, purity, humility, blessedness, and glory. The seven steps of the staircase are set upon the seven pillars, on which images are inscribed, and their explanations taken from the Apocalypse.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Areovindus"

Commemorated on February 10

The origins of this unusual icon, in which the Most Holy Theotokos is depicted without Christ, are unknown. The bright red color of her outer garment inspired the name Areovindus, or “Fire Appearing” (“Fiery Vision”).

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Assuage My Sorrows" Translation to Moscow

Commemorated on January 25 (also on September 25 and October 9)

The “Assuage my Sorrows” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was glorified at Moscow by many miracles in the second half of the eighteenth century, particularly during a plague in 1771. The icon had been brought to Moscow by Cossacks in 1640 in the reign of Tsar Michael and placed in the church of St. Nicholas.

Once, after a fire and the rebuilding of the temple, the icon was carelessly put in a bell tower. However, the abundant mercies manifested by the Mother of God would one day bring about a renewed veneration of this holy icon.

The Feast of the wonderworking icon on January 25 was established in 1760 to commemorate the healing of a sick woman who had seen the icon in a vision. A voice instructed her to go to the church of St. Nicholas in Moscow where she would find this icon. “Pray before it, and you will receive healing.”

She obeyed and went to Moscow, where she found an icon, darkened by age and dust, in the church’s bell tower. When the sick woman saw the face and inscription, she cried out, “It is She!” The woman, who previously had been unable to move her arms and legs, walked out of the church on her own after a Molieben was served before the icon on January 25.

The icon was placed in an honored place in the church, and later a chapel was built in its honor. The services and the Akathist in honor of the icon date from this period. Copies of the “Assuage my Sorrows” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos are to be found in churches in Moscow and other cities. The icon is also commemorated on September 25 and October 9.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Comfort" or "Consolation"

Commemorated on January 21

The Vatopedi “Comfort” or “Consolation” Icon of the Mother of God is in the old Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos, in the Church of the Annunciation. It was called “Vatopedi” because near this monastery Arcadius, the son of Emperor Theodosius the Great, fell off a ship into the sea, and by the miraculous intercession of the Mother of God he was carried to shore safe and unharmed. He was found sleeping by a bush, not far from the monastery. From this event the name “Vatopedi” (“the bush of the child”) is derived. The holy Emperor Theodosius the Great, in gratitude for the miraculous deliverance of his son, embellished and generously endowed the Vatopedi Monastery.

On the Vatopedi Icon, the Mother of God is depicted with Her face turned towards Her right shoulder. This is because on January 21, 807, She turned Her face towards the abbot of the monastery, who was standing near the holy icon, about to hand the keys of the monastery to the porter. A voice came from the icon and warned him not to open the monastery gates, because pirates intended to pillage the monastery. The Holy Child then placed His hand over His Mother’s lips, saying, “Do not watch over this sinful flock, Mother, but let them fall under the sword of the pirates.” The Holy Virgin took the hand of Her Son and said again, “Do not open the gates today, but go to the walls and drive off the pirates.” The abbot took precautionary measures, and the monastery was saved.

In memory of this miraculous event, a perpetual lamp burns in front of this wonderworking icon. Every day a Canon of Supplication is chanted in honor of the icon, and on Fridays the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. On Mt. Athos, this icon is called “Paramythia,” “Consolation” (“Otrada”), or “Comfort” (“Uteshenie”).

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Czestochowa"

Commemorated on March 6

The wonderworking Czestochowa Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is to be found in a Roman Catholic monastery at Yasna Gora near the city of Czestochowa, Petrov Province, in present-day Poland. It is believed to be one of the seventy icons written by the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. Tradition says that the icon was taken from Jerusalem when the Romans conquered the city in 66 AD, and was hidden in a cave near Pella. The icon was given to St. Helen when she visited the Holy Land in 326, and she brought it back to Constantinople with her.

In the eighth century, the icon traveled to various places, including Galicia, Bavaria, and Moravia. The founder of the city of Lvov, Prince Leo, brought the icon to Russia and placed it in the Belz Fortress. Many miracles took place before the holy icon.

Prince Vladislav of Opolsk acquired the icon when the Poles captured southwestern Russia. At the time that Vladislav ruled Poland, the Tatars invaded Russia and appeared before the gates of the Belz Fortress. The prince ordered that the icon be placed atop the city walls as the Tatars began to attack. Blood began dripping from the icon where it had been struck by an arrow, and those who witnessed it were amazed at the sight. The Tatars retreated when a dark haze covered them, and many died.

Following this miraculous event, Prince Vladislav planned to place the icon in his castle in Opolsk, Poland. As preparations for the transfer were being made, Vladislav was overcome with an inexplicable fear. He began to pray before the holy icon, and that night was told in a vision to take the icon to Yasna Gora near Czestochowa. Vladislav built a monastery at Yasna Gora in 1382 and gave the icon to an order of Roman Catholic monks.

Many years later, followers of Protestant leader John Hus attacked Czestochowa and plundered the monastery. When they attempted to carry the Czestochowa Icon away in a cart, the horses refused to move, held back by some invisible power. One of the Hussites became angry and threw the icon on to the ground, while another stabbed the face of the Virgin with his sword. The first man was struck dead, while the hand of the second man shriveled up.

The other invaders also suffered from God’s punishment. Some of them died on the spot, while others became blind. Although many of the monastery’s treasures were stolen by the Hussites, the wonderworking Czestochowa Icon was left behind.

King Carl X Gustav of Sweden occupied most of Poland in the seventeenth century, and his forces remained undefeated until they fought a battle near the monastery where the icon was kept. With the aid of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Poles were able to overcome the invading Swedes. At Lvov, King Jan Casimir officially decreed that the Mother of God was the Queen of Poland, and that the nation was under her protection.

Many miracles have been worked by the Czestochowa Icon, and are recorded in a book which is kept at the Czestochowa Monastery. Copies of the icon are found in many Orthodox and Roman Catholic monasteries. Some of these copies are venerated across Russia: in the village of Pisarevkain in the Volhynia Province, at Verhnaya Syrovatka in the Kharkov Province, at Tyvrov in the Vinits Province, and in the Kazan Cathedral at St. Petersburg.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Elets-Chernigov"

Commemorated on February 5

The Elets-Chernigov (Chernigov Spruce Tree) Icon of the Mother of God appeared on a spruce or fir tree near Chernigov in the year 1060, in the time of Prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich, as was recorded in the Synodikon of Bishop Zosimus Prokopovich of Chernigov (1655-1657). The icon was placed in a church built in honor of the Elets-Spruce Icon of the Mother of God. While living an ascetical life on the Boldino Heights, St. Anthony gave his blessing to found a monastery at this place.

In 1238, the monastery was pillaged by the Tatars, but the icon was hidden inside the monastery walls. In 1470, Prince Simeon Olelkovich of Kiev restored the monastery, and the icon was placed in the church.

The ultimate fate of the icon is unclear. According to one tradition, a descendant of the Chernigov princes, Baryatinsky, carried the icon to Moscow in 1579, when Chernigov fell into the hands of the Polish King Stephen Bathory. In 1687, Prince Daniel Baryatinsky was returning from a campaign in the Crimea. While in Kharkov, he fell seriously ill, and before his death bequeathed the Elets Icon to the nearby Kharkov Dormition church.

According to another tradition, the icon vanished from the monastery when it was sacked in the seventeenth century by the forces of Sigismund III. In 1676, Prince Constantine Ostrozhsky presented the Elets Monastery with a copy of the Elets Icon of the Mother of God, brought from Vladimir by the Kozel brothers. At the same time, Archimandrite Joannicius (Golyatovsky) was restoring the monastery and had described numerous miracles of this icon in his book, “Skorbnitsa” (“Consoler” or “Treasury”), published in 1676 in Novgorod.

There is still another Elets Icon of the Mother of God, also appearing in 1060. It received its name because it appeared in the city of Elets, in a cathedral church dedicated to the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. The feast day of this icon was set for January 11.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Enthroned"

Commemorated on March 2

The “Enthroned” (or “Reigning”) Icon of the Mother of God appeared on March 2, 1917, the day of Tsar Nicholas II’s abdication, in the village of Kolomskoye near Moscow, Russia.

In February 1917, an elderly woman named Eudokia saw the Mother of God in a dream telling her to go to Kolomskoye to find a large blackened icon in a church. After this vision occurred to her three times, Eudokia went to Kolomskoye to search for the icon with the priest Nicholas.

In the basement of a church, they found the icon and started wiping off the accumulated dust. They were then able to see the Most Holy Theotokos wearing a crown and sitting on a throne. Immediately, Father Nicholas celebrated a service of Thanksgiving and an Akathist.

News of the icon’s discovery spread throughout Russia, and there were several miracles of healing from physical and mental infirmities. As time went by, the icon renewed itself and became brighter and brighter.

Since the icon was revealed just as the Tsar abdicated, many people believed that the Queen of Heaven had assumed royal authority over the Russian land, and so the icon became known as the “Enthroned” (or “Reigning”) icon. Upon additional research, it was learned that the icon had come from the Ascension Convent in Moscow. In 1812, before Napoleon’s invasion, this icon and others were sent to the Church of the Ascension in the village of Kolomskoye for safekeeping. Apparently forgotten, the icons were never returned to Moscow.

A Service and Akathist to the “Enthroned” Icon were composed with the assistance of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (+1925). Many copies of the icon were venerated throughout Russia, but these were confiscated by the Soviets. The Service and Akathist to the icon were also forbidden to be served.

The original icon is said to be in the Novodevichy Museum in Moscow, and there is a copy in the Church of the Kazan Mother of God in Kolomskoye.

The “Enthroned” or “Reigning” Icon, which belongs to the Panachranta type, shows the Theotokos seated on a throne with Her Son.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Iveron"

Commemorated on February 12

During the reign of Emperor Theophilus in the ninth century, the Byzantine Empire raged with the heresy of iconoclasm. In accordance with the emperor’s command, thousands of soldiers pillaged the empire, searching every corner, city, and village for hidden icons.

Near the city of Nicaea lived a pious widow who had concealed an Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Before long, the soldiers discovered it, and one of them thrust his spear into the image. However, by God’s grace, his terrible deed was overshadowed by a miracle as blood flowed forth from the wound on the face of the Mother of God. Upon seeing this, the frightened soldiers quickly fled.

The widow spent the whole night in vigil, praying before the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. In the morning, according to God’s will, she took the icon to the sea and cast it upon the water. The holy icon stood upright on the waves and began to sail westward.

Time passed, and one evening in the year 1004, the monks of the Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos beheld a pillar of light, shining upon the sea like the sun. The miraculous image lasted several days, while the fathers of the Holy Mountain gathered together, marveling at the site. Finally, they descended to the edge of the sea, where they beheld the pillar of light standing above the Icon of the Theotokos. But when they approached it, the icon moved farther out to sea.

At that time, a Georgian monk named Gabriel was working at the Iveron Monastery. The Theotokos appeared to the fathers of the Holy Mountain and told them that Gabriel alone was worthy to retrieve the holy icon from the sea. At the same time, She appeared to Gabriel and told him, “Enter the sea, and walk out upon the waves with faith, and all will witness my love and mercy for your monastery.”

The monks of Mt. Athos found Gabriel and led him down to the sea, chanting hymns, and censing with holy incense. Gabriel walked out upon the water as though upon dry land, took the icon in his arms, and obediently carried it back to shore. This miracle occurred on Bright Tuesday.

While the monks were celebrating a paraklesis of thanksgiving, a cold, sweet spring miraculously gushed forth from the ground where the icon stood. Afterwards, they took the icon to a church and set it down in the sanctuary with great reverence.

However, one of the monks who came to light a lamp the next morning discovered that the icon was no longer where they had left it. In fact, it was hanging on a wall near the entrance gate. The disbelieving monks took it down and returned it to the sanctuary, but the next day the icon was again found at the monastery gate. This miracle recurred several times, until the Most Holy Virgin appeared to Gabriel, saying, “Announce to the brothers that from this day they should not carry me away. For what I desire is not to be protected by you; rather I will overshadow you, both in this life and in the age to come. As long as you see my icon in the monastery, the grace and mercy of my Son shall never be lacking!”

Filled with exceeding joy, the monks erected a small church near the monastery gate to glorify the Most Holy Theotokos and placed the wonder-working icon inside. The holy icon came to be known as the “Iveron Mother of God” and, in Greek, Portaitissa. By the grace of the miraculous Iveron Icon of the Theotokos, many miracles have taken place and continue to take place throughout the world.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Kursk Root"

Commemorated on November 27 (also on September 8)

The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God “Of the Sign” is one of the most ancient icons of the Russian Church. In the thirteenth century during the Tatar invasion, when all of Russia suffered, the city of Kursk, ravaged by the Horde of Batu, fell into desolation.

One day, on the outskirts of the city, a hunter noticed the ancient icon, lying on a root, facing downwards towards the ground. The hunter lifted it up and saw that the image of the icon was similar to the Novgorod “Znamenie” Icon. As the hunter lifted the holy icon from the earth, a spring of pure water gushed up from where the icon had lain. This occurred on September 8, 1259. The hunter decided not to leave the icon in the forest and instead found it a resting place in a small chapel. Soon inhabitants of the town of Ryl’a heard about this, and living not far away, began to visit the place of the appearance for venerating the new holy image.

The people eventually transferred the icon to the town of Ryl’a and put it in a new church in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. However, the icon did not remain there for long. It disappeared and returned to its former place of appearance in the forest. The people of Ryl’a repeatedly retrieved the icon, carrying it back to the city, but the icon continued to return to its former place. Everyone then realized that the Theotokos preferred the place of the appearance of Her Icon.

The special help granted by the Mother of God through this icon is connected with important events in Russian history: The war of liberation of Russia during the Polish-Lithuanian incursion in 1612, and the 1812 Russo-Franco War against Napoleon’s armies.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "of the Akathist"

Commemorated on March 27

There are other icons of this name which are commemorated on January 12 (Hilandar Icon “Of the Akathist”), and October 10 (Zographou Icon “Of the Akathist”).

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Of the Sign"

Commemorated on March 28 (also on November 27)

The actual account of the Icon of the Sign is to be found on November 27. Today’s commemoration may be for a wonder-working copy of the original icon.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hear"

Commemorated on November 9

The Icon of the Mother of God, “Quick to Hear,” is an ancient wonderworking icon, and is located on Holy Mt. Athos at the Docheiariou Monastery. The monastery’s tradition suggests that the icon was written during the tenth century, in the time of St. Neophytus. In 1664, the cook, Nilus, came into the kitchen at night with a burning torch. He heard a voice from the Icon of the Mother of God which hung over the door, warning him in the future not to walk with a torch and not to darken the icon with soot. The monk thought that it was a prank by one of his monastic brothers, so he disregarded the warning and continued to walk into the kitchen with the sooty torch.

Suddenly he fell blind. With fervent repentance, Nilus prayed before the Icon of the Mother of God, begging forgiveness. When the brethren heard what had happened, they placed a lamp before the icon, and censed it each night. Again, Nilus heard the wondrous voice saying that he had been forgiven, and that his sight would return. The All-Pure One commanded him to announce to all his brothers that She was the protector and guardian of the monastery. ”Let them and all Orthodox Christians come to Me in their necessities, and I shall not forsake them. All their petitions will be granted by My Son, because of My intercession with Him. My icon shall be called ‘She who is Quick to Hear,’ for I shall speedily fulfill the petitions of those who hasten to it.” The Most Holy Theotokos then fulfilled and continues to fulfill Her promise of quick help and consolation for all those who come to Her with faith.

In Russia, copies of the wonderworking Athonite image “She who is Quick to Hear” were always venerated with great love and fervent prayer. Many of them were glorified by miracles. In particular, there were cases of healing from the plague and from demonic possession.

In 1938, the Docheiariou Monastery presented a copy of the wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” to the Russian Spiritual Mission at Jerusalem.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Rescuer of the Drowning"

Commemorated on December 20

The village of Lenkovo near Novgorod, Russia once had a church dedicated to the Synaxis of the Most-holy Theotokos, which is why the place is still known as “Bogoroditchniy” (meaning “belonging to the Theotokos”). During the Polish incursion in the 17th century, the town of Lenkovo and its church were completely destroyed. A new church, dedicated to the Holy Archangel Michael, was erected, and housed the miraculous Icon of the Mother of God. According to tradition, the Icon of the Mother of God was brought to this church from the former Church of the Theotokos. The historical account of its appearance and glorification related the following.

In the Desno River, directly across from the hill on which the church was later built, there was an extremely dangerous whirlpool which even the most experienced sailors found difficult to cross. Quite often, enormous barges loaded down with grain would become victims of the abyss: the powerful swirling waters would carry them and their passengers away. It was at that dangerous site that the Icon of the Mother of God came to rest on the riverbank and was found. The pious believers, who discovered the Most-immaculate Icon, installed it on a site facing the whirlpool. Some time later, the Church of the Theotokos came into being on that site. Ever since that time, those who journeyed on the Desno River made it their practice to stop at the Village of Lenkovo, go ashore and enter the church. After fervent prayer before the Icon of the Mother of God, they would cast lots to see who would remain on board the barge and steer it across the dangerous whirlpool. Their companions would continue on foot. Evidently, the good will of the Mother of God rested on the site ever since the nearby church in her name was erected. It was noted that from the time of the appearance of the Icon of the Mother of God, mishaps to sailors were rare, and later completely ceased.

The Icon of the Most-Immaculate Lady was greatly revered by the populace in the area of Lenkovo, and drew a multitude of faithful, especially those who often had to endure the perils of the waters, to pray before it.

The “Rescuer of the Drowning” Icon of the Mother of God, which was famous for many other miracles, came to be revered not only in area of Lenkovo, but far beyond, especially in large port cities throughout Russia.

In the 18th century, the Icon was transferred to the Monastery of the Savior’s Transfiguration, where it remained until the Russian Revolution in 1917. History does not record what happened to the Miraculous Icon.

On May 22, 2003, the Church of the “Unexpected Joy” Icon of the Mother of God was consecrated. After this event, Sergei Babushkin, a pious Christian, gave the rector of the monastery an antique exact copy of the Lenkovo Icon of the Mother of God. The restored antique copy of the Miraculous “Rescuer of the Drowning” Icon once again returned to Novgorod to the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior. It was with the return of the Icon that the revival of the monastery began.

By permission of www.wikipedia.org

Icon of the Mother of God "Seeker of the Lost"

Commemorated on February 5

From time immemorial, the Russian people, with faith in the all-powerful help of the Most Holy Theotokos, considered the title “Seeker of the Perishing” to refer not only to those who were dying, but to those whose souls were in danger of spiritual death.

There are no reliable accounts of the origin of the icon, “Seeker of the Perishing.” There are, however, several wonderworking icons of this name, through which the Theotokos showed forth Her mercy to people on the very brink of death.

In the mid-eighteenth century, in the village of Bor, Russia, a pious peasant, Thedotus Obukhov, lost his way in a blizzard on the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. His horse became exhausted and paused on the edge of an impassable ravine. Not seeing any way to save himself, Obukhov lay down in his sleigh, where he began to freeze to death.

In these terrible moments, he prayed with all his being to the Queen of Heaven for help, and he vowed that if he was rescued he would have a “Seeker of the Perishing” icon painted and donate it to the local church. She heard his prayer and helped him. A certain peasant in the nearby village heard a voice outside his window saying, “Take him.” He went out, saw the half-frozen Obukhov on his sleigh, took him into his home, and nursed him back to health. When he recovered, Obukhov immediately fulfilled his vow and commissioned a copy of the icon from the Church of St. George in the city of Bolkhov. From that time, the Bor “Seeker of the Perishing” Icon was glorified by many manifestations of grace and miracles.

There are other “Seeker of the Perishing” Icons. One manifested itself in 1770 in the village of Malizhino and delivered the people from cholera three times. There was another in the village of Krasnoe, and another from Voronezh and Kozlov. In 1835, at the Moscow Alexandrov Orphanage Institute, a church was consecrated in honor of the “Seeker of the Perishing” Icon.

Of particular interest is the “Seeker of the Perishing” Icon located in the Church of the Glorious Resurrection in Moscow. This icon had been transferred from the Church of the Nativity of Christ to the Palashevska. Its final owner was a widower who was on the verge of complete poverty. Fervent prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos saved him from despair and arranged matters for his daughters. This man felt that he was not worthy to have this wonderworking icon in his house, so he gave it to the church.

In 1812, this same church was pillaged by the invading French armies. After their retreat, the desecrated icon was found broken into three pieces among the rubble. With the finding of the icon, numerous miracles of healing took place. Brides entering into marriage pray before this icon that their marriage might be a happy one. People come to it, overwhelmed by drunkenness, perishing in poverty, suffering in illness, and they turn to the Icon in prayer as to a Mother with Her perishing children.

The Queen of Heaven sends down help and support for all – “Seek us who are perishing, O Most Holy Virgin, chasten us not according to our sins, but as you are merciful in your love for mankind, have pity, deliver us from hell, sickness and necessity, and save us” (Troparion, Tone 4).

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Seraphim-Ponetaevka"

Commemorated on November 27

The Seraphim-Ponetaevka Icon of the Mother of God “of the Sign” was written in the year 1879 by the nuns of the Seraphim-Ponetaevka women’s monastery, not far from Arzamas. The monastery was named after St. Seraphim of Sarov by the founder of the monastery, a sister of the Diveyevo community.

Six years after it was written, the icon became known for its numerous miracles and became the chief holy item of the monastery. When the sisters were praying during the services, they noticed distinct changes in the countenance of the Mother of God. Her All-Pure face became bright and life-like. Numerous pilgrims thronged to the icon, and many were healed from blindness and crippling diseases. In all, about seventy instances of healing were noted.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon courtesy of Russian Orthodox Calendars (www.days.pravoslavie.ru)

Icon of the Mother of God "Sokolsky"

Icon Not Available

Commemorated on February 1

This weeping icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was in the church of the Theological Academy at the Sokolsky Monastery in Romania.

After Divine Liturgy on February 1, 1854, tears were observed on this icon. Bishop Philaret (Skriban), the rector of the seminary, took the icon from its frame in order to examine it. After wiping the tears from the icon with a cloth, he put it back in the frame. The bishop asked everyone to leave the church, then locked the doors. Later, when he returned to the church for Vespers with the students and teachers, tears were flowing from the icon once again. In a short time, news of the miracle spread throughout Romania, and pilgrims flocked to the monastery to venerate the icon.

Reports of the weeping Sokolsky Icon also spread to Russia, and some people believe that the weeping icon mentioned in Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” (Chapter 11) could have been based on the Sokolsky Icon.

Tears continued to flow from the icon each day, or sometimes at intervals of two, three, or four days. Many people witnessed the icon weeping, or at least they saw the traces of the tears, and were convinced that a genuine miracle was taking place.

During the Crimean War (1854-1856), the commanding officer of the Austrian army heard about the Sokolsky Icon and sent a colonel to investigate. The astonished colonel actually saw the icon weeping himself.

Thirty-five years after the icon began weeping, Bishop Melchizedek (one of the first witnesses of the miracle), recalled how he had speculated about the reason for its tears. He knew that weeping icons had appeared at various times and places before this, and that such events always seemed to foretell approaching calamity for the Church or the country.

The bishop’s observation proved correct in the case of Romania’s Sokolsky Icon. Austrian soldiers occupied the district of Moldavia during the Crimean War, causing great hardship for its inhabitants. The Sokolsky Monastery, a center of spiritual life for a hundred years, was suppressed and its monks were scattered. The seminary, along with the Sokolsky Icon, was moved to another, unknown location.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon of the Mother of God "Stabbed"

Icon Not Available

Commemorated on January 21

The “Stabbed” Icon of the Mother of God (Greek: “Esphagmeni” or Slavonic: “Zaklannaya”)