How does prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovitsk help? Icon of the Zhirovichi Mother of God, what they pray for and ask for Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God, what they pray for
In the Orthodox tradition, there are many so-called miraculous images, that is, images of saints, the Mother of God or Christ that appeared miraculously, without the participation of people.
This includes the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God, which appeared not thanks to the icon painter or any other person, but by the grace of the Lord.
This image is of high value and is revered throughout the Orthodox Church, but especially in Belarus, on whose territory it appeared to people.
How the Zhirovitsk Icon appeared
A legend full of miracles and amazing events is associated with this image. The discovery dates back to 1470, when his shepherds were walking on the lands of the Lithuanian treasurer Alexander Soltan. They saw a bright light in the forest that came from a pear tree.
Having approached and waited a little, the shepherds were able to see a miraculous image that appeared on a tree and was made on jasper, the size of a small palm. As a result, the Zhirovitsky icon ended up with Soltan himself, who did not pay much attention to this image and put it in a casket. Only after the icon disappeared and appeared again on a tree did he decide to build a temple there to venerate the miraculous image.
The temple was created and people almost immediately began to find out how the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God helps, turning to the new relic. Various healings were recorded and even the resurrection of a girl who was taken to the icon for blessing, but was not taken due to illness.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the first temple, which was built where there was a pear tree, burned down and the icon was considered lost, but after some time a second discovery occurred when, in fact, a burning candle and an icon were discovered on the ashes. The Yavlensky Temple was built there, which still exists today. However, now the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God is kept in the Assumption Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was built in the early 17th century from stone.
Zhirovitsky shrines
To this day, residents of Zhirovichi try in every possible way to honor the holy image and objects and phenomena associated with it. To this day, the root of the same pear tree on which the icon appeared has been preserved on the territory of the Assumption Church. It is located right under the altar and from there comes a small spring, which provides holy water used by believers for various religious purposes.
In addition, the same stone still remains, but from which the icon was found again. According to history, at first the children were walking where the first temple used to be and on a stone they saw the image of a beautiful woman, who was clearly not an ordinary person. Then the children told the adults in their village about this and after that the adults saw the candle and the newfound image.
This stone is located in the Temple of Manifestation and is the basis for the altar throne. On the surface of the stone there remained the imprint of the hand of the Most Holy Theotokos, who appeared to children there many centuries ago.
A large number of pilgrims still flock to these shrines.
People who want to receive spiritual education also come there. There is a seminary on the territory, representing one of the most developed educational centers of the modern Orthodox Church.
What does an icon help with?
The educational significance is also emphasized in the akathist for this icon. It indicates how the Zhirovitsk Icon helps and, in particular, talks about “mentoring pious youth.” Thus, the prayer to the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God can be used by every young person who wants to develop righteousness in himself and choose the path of the true Orthodox faith.
Miracles of the Zhirovitsk Icon
In fact, this holy image showed people a considerable number of miracles, but from modern evidence one should note the appearance of the Virgin Mary during the Second World War. The fascist troops captured Zhirovichi and placed their own ammunition in the churches, then the Most Pure Virgin appeared to them. Representatives of the German army wanted to eventually blow up the churches, but they failed.
Also, the Soviet pilots who had to bomb this territory told a lot of interesting things. In particular, they talked about how the temples turned out to be completely invisible from the cockpit, although, based on the map, they were located directly below them.
Prayers to the Zhirovitsk Icon
O Most Merciful Lady, Virgin Mother of God! With my lips I will touch Your shrine, or with these words I will confess Your generosity, which is revealed to people: for no one, flowing to You, leaves empty and is not heard. From my youth I sought Thy help and intercession and was never again deprived of Thy mercy. See, O Lady, the sorrows of my heart and the ulcers of my soul. And now, kneeling before Your most pure image, I offer my prayers to You: do not deprive me of Your all-powerful intercession on the day of my sorrow and on the day of my sorrow intercede for me. Do not turn away my tears, O Lady, and fill my heart with joy. Be my refuge and intercession, O Merciful One, and enlighten my mind with the dawning of Your light. And I not only pray to Thee for myself, but also for the people who flow to Thy intercession. Preserve the Church of Your Son in goodness and protect it from the malicious slander of the enemies who rise up against her. Send Thy help to our archpastors in the apostolate and keep them healthy, long-living, rightly ruling the word of the truth of the Lord. As a shepherd, ask God, Your Son, for zeal and vigilance for the souls of the verbal flock entrusted to them, and for the spirit of reason and piety, purity and Divine truth to be sent down to them. Ask in the same way, Lady, from the Lord for wisdom and strength from those in power and the ruler of the city, from the judges truth and impartiality, and from everyone who flows to You, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. I also pray to Thee, O Most Merciful One, to cover our country with the shelter of Thy goodness and deliver it from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that all who live in it will live a quiet and serene life in love and peace and enjoy eternal blessings through Thy prayers Having inherited, they will be able to praise God together with You in Heaven forever. Amen.
The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most extraordinary icons in the history of its discovery in Orthodox Christianity. The beginning of the appearance of the icon is associated with a story that occurred in the Principality of Lithuania in the town of Zhirovitsy in 1470. The peasants found an icon of the Mother of God hanging on a pear tree in the forest and gave it to the owner of this forest, Prince Alexander Soltan. He hid the icon in a casket, but the next day miraculously reappeared in the forest. The prince saw this as a sign and ordered a temple to be built at the site of the appearance of the image. The temple existed for several years, but burned down during a fire. All residents no longer hoped that the Orthodox icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God was intact. And then a miracle happened. The children saw an unharmed icon standing on a stone with a candle burning next to it. In honor of the found icon, a new temple was built. The icon is made on jasper. It depicts the image of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms. Around the circumference of their halos is a wreath of wonderful flowers. The day of veneration of this extraordinary icon is considered.
The meaning of the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God
In the middle of the 16th century, a monastery was created at the temple in Zhirovitsy. The confrontation between the brotherhood of monks and Uniates ended with the fact that in 1613 the monastery was captured by Uniate monks, who owned it until 1839. Revered by Polish kings, the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God was solemnly crowned in 1730. In 1839 the monastery was returned to the Orthodox. During the First World War, the icon had to visit Moscow, and already in 1920 it was returned to the monastery. Currently, the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Minsk Diocese.
The gracious help of the Orthodox icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God
Since ancient times, there has been a lot of evidence about the miracles performed by the Zhirovitskaya Mother of God icon. At the site of the appearance of the icon, there are sources that have... People who were in difficult life situations, as well as those overcome by serious illnesses, received help in mental and physical healing. They pray to the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God during persecution of Orthodoxy, against fires, during doubts and against any infirmity.
Where to buy the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God
The Mother of God, glorified by the Church, stands at the head of all saints, and therefore her image is the most revered among believers. It is not surprising that people want to buy the icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God - a protector from many troubles. The presence of icons in our home, regardless of the artistic style in which they are made, brings light and purity into our lives. Recently, works embroidered with beads have become an excellent realization of the beauty of the icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God. Using the most daring color schemes, this type of craftsmanship fully reveals the beauty and purity of the image of the Virgin Mary. Bead embroidery can be bought either in a church shop or made to order.
Akfist text in front of the icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovitskaya
Having the wealth of mercy unspeakable, You did not reject Your chosen ones in great sorrow. When the temple, where Your most honorable icons were, was given over to fire, You, the All-Good One, the Comforter, having preserved them undamaged from the fire, again showed them on the stones near the temple, which was burned by fire. People, behold such a miracle, hurriedly sing a song of praise to You: Rejoice, unburnt Bush, preserving Your most honorable image in the fires; Rejoice, sorrowful people, who did not deprive Thy miraculous icon. Rejoice, covering Christians with the shelter of Your wing; Rejoice, through Thy intercession protecting Thy shrines. Rejoice, who once again showed Your most honorable image on the stone; Rejoice, through Thy admonition we have established our feet on the stone of faith. Rejoice, for the indestructible wall of our refuge is Your treasure; Rejoice, for I have known You as the beneficial Protectress. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.
Icon of the Mother of God “Zhirovitskaya”
The Zhirovitskaya or Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God is an icon of the Mother of God that appeared in Zhirovichi (Slonim district, Grodno region, Belarus). It is considered miraculous in the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church (including the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church). One of the most revered shrines in Belarus. At the site of the appearance of the icon stands the Zhirovichi Monastery.
The icon is round oval in shape, carved on jasper, and measures 5.7×4.1×0.8 cm. It is similar to a cameo or breastplate icon. An image of the Mother of God and Child in low relief on an oval jasper plate with a slight narrowing towards the top; the icon's turnover is smooth. The shades of jasper itself are green and dark red. Mixing these colors optically creates the impression of an ocher color. The jasper icon underwent restoration: it was split into pieces and was glued together with wax. Previously, the icon had the inscription: “The most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption” (not preserved). The Mother of God in the icon is represented with the Infant Christ on her right hand, holding her left hand to her chest, Her uncovered head is bowed strongly to the right and touches the head of the Son. The baby in a short chiton, which leaves his bent knees open, is depicted clinging to the Mother, his right hand is directed towards Her, his head is thrown back. The halos are elliptical in shape; the maforia of the Mother of God has dynamic folds; Greek letters, traditional for this type of icons, are distinguishable in the designation of Their names.
Among the Belarusian miraculous icons, the Zhirovichi icon is the only one made in flat relief on stone. The Zhirovichi icon belongs to the iconographic type of Eleus (Tenderness), reflecting the idea of the Mother of God's intercession. The iconography of Tenderness developed in ancient Coptic art of Egypt.
The appearance of the icon of the Mother of God “ZHIROVITSKAYA” occurred in 1470 in the town of Zhirovitsy, Grodno district (now Belarus). In the forest belonging to the Orthodox Lithuanian nobleman Alexander Soltan, the shepherds saw an unusually bright light penetrating in the form of a flame through the branches of a pear tree. The shepherds came closer and saw on a tree a small icon of the Mother of God in a radiant glow. The shepherds took her to their master. However, the nobleman did not attach much importance to the shepherds’ story, but he took the image and locked it in a casket.
Finding of the Zhirovitsk Icon
The next day, guests gathered at Alexander Solton’s place, and the owner decided to show them the find, but there was no icon in the casket. After some time, the shepherds again found the image of the Virgin Mary in the same place and again brought it to their master. This time, Alexander treated the icon with greater reverence than before, and vowed to build a temple at the site of the appearance of the icon of the Mother of God. Soon a small wooden church was built, and the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was transferred to it.
OK. In 1560, the temple burned down, despite the efforts of the residents to put out the fire and save the icon. All the parishioners thought that she was dead. But one day, peasant children, returning from school, saw a wonderful phenomenon: a Virgin of extraordinary beauty, in a radiant radiance, sitting on a stone near a burnt temple, and in Her hands was an icon, which everyone already considered burnt. The children hurried to return and tell their family and friends about the vision. Everyone accepted this story about the vision as a Divine revelation and, together with the priest, went to the mountain. On the stone, next to a lit candle, stood the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God, which was not at all damaged by the fire. For some time, the icon was placed in the house of the local parish priest, and the stone itself was fenced off. When a new stone church was built, a miraculous icon was placed there.
In the beginning XVI century, a monastery arose at this temple. In 1613 the monastery passed to the Greek Catholics and was in their hands until 1839.
From ser. XVI century Jan Soltan began construction of a stone temple. However, construction was unexpectedly stopped due to the transfer of Zhirovichi as a mortgage to the Kobrin Jew Itshak Mikhalevich and the transition of the heirs of the Salta family to Protestantism. In 1605, the Mstislav castellan Ivan Meleshko became the owner of Zhirovichi. He and his wife Anna and the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lev Sapieha became the founders of the Uniate monastery. The first abbot of the Basilian male Zhirovichi monastery was Josaphat Kuntsevich, the future Uniate Archbishop of Polotsk. The monastery soon became widely known thanks to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God.
When in June 1660 the troops of the Lithuanian hetman Pavel Sapieha and Stefan Charnitsky won at Polonka, the victory was attributed to the miraculous patronage of the Mother of God, especially revered in Zhirovichi.
In the 18th century The fame of the Zhirovichi icon increased due to the discovery of a copy of the icon in Rome. In 1718, renovations began at the Roman Basilian residence, during which a fresco copy of the Zhirovichi icon was discovered in the sacristy. In 1719, the fresco was restored by L. G. da Cava, a student of the Roman artist V. Lomberti; A pictorial copy of it was made and sent to Zhirovichi (probably disappeared during the First World War). Mikhail Zagorsky (sub-stoly of Mstislav), who received healing from the Roman icon, donated a silver robe and crowns.
On September 13, 1730, the fresco was transferred to the main altar of the chapel in the name of the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God - the chapel in the name of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus.
In 1726, by a resolution of the papal chapter, which examined more than 200 miracles of the Zhirovitsky icon, the decision was approved for its coronation, which took place on September 8, 1730. On the eve of the coronation holiday, three processions of pilgrims from Vilno, Minsk, and Mir came to Zhirovichi. A regiment of Janissaries belonging to Radziwill took part in the procession from Mir. For 8 days, solemn divine services were held in the Zhirovitsky Monastery, during which about 140 thousand people received communion. Directly at the coronation of the icon, 38 thousand believers were present. Roman Catholic monks - Benedictines, Franciscans, Carmelites, Dominicans - took part in the nightly services together with Uniate priests. Bazilian Skalsky wrote a song glorifying the icon in Polish, “Zhirovichi Love Krinitsa.”
Within the city of Slonim, along the road leading to Zhirovichi, 6 triumphal arches were built. The arches were built with funds from: 1) Basilians and residents of the Slonim district; 2) Metropolitan Afanasy Sheptytsky; 3) Ludwig Potey - governor of Vilnius; 4) Radziwillov - Jerome and Nicholas); 5) Mikhail Vishnevetsky - Chancellor and Great Hetman of Lithuania; 6) magnate family Sapega.
Zhirovitskaya icon on the pediment of the monastery, depicting praying shepherds
The Assumption Church was decorated with seven large oval painting compositions depicting the miracles of the Zhirovitsk Icon. 2 golden crowns (made in Rome by the labors of the procurator of the Basilian Order Benedict Trulevich and consecrated by Pope Benedict XIII) were placed on the icon by the Uniate Metropolitan of Kiev Afanasy Sheptytsky, co-served by Bishops of Vladimir-Brest Theophilus Godemba-Godebsky and Turov-Pinsk Georgy Bulgak. Expenses associated directly with the coronation itself were borne by the widow of Carol I Stnisław Radziwill, Anna Katarzyna, the mother of the papal ambassador who delivered the crowns for the coronation.
All this time, the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God was venerated by Catholics. In 1744, the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Augustus III came to the Zhirovichi icon and prayed in front of it. In 1784, the last king of Poland, Stanislaw August Poniatowski, prayed before her.
In 1839, the monastery was returned to the Orthodox and became the first place for the restoration of Orthodox worship in the Western Russian region. But the glory of the Zhirovichi icon did not fade. Evidence of this is the numerous literature and chants glorifying the miracles of the Virgin Mary of Zhirovichi.
During the First World War, in 1915, the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God, in a silver frame and with other valuables, was transported to Moscow, to the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, and after its closure - to Catherine’s Military Medical Center. men's monastery in Vidnoye, Moscow region.
In January 1922, through the efforts of Zhirovichi Archimandrite Tikhon Sharapov, the icon was again returned to Zhirovichi (according to legend, he took it out in a jar of jam), but without a salary. The monks of the Pochaev Lavra, in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, made an icon case for the Zhirovitsky icon in 1922, in which the image was kept until 2008, until it received a new icon case.
In 1938, crowded religious processions were held with the Zhirovitsk Icon in the cities and villages of Western Belarus. All funds collected from donations were used to repair the Assumption Church of the Zhirovitsky Monastery. Even despite all the persecution by the Polish, and especially the Soviet authorities in the 20-70s. XX century, pilgrimages to the miraculous Zhirovitsk Icon did not stop.
The Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God is located in the iconostasis on the left midnight side of the Royal Doors of the main church of the monastery - the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God.
The first known written retelling of the legend of the Zhirovitsky icon is written in 1622 by the Zhirovitsky monk Theodosius in the Old Belarusian language, “History or the story of people of great faith, worthy of faith about the miraculous image of the Most Holy Virgin Mary of Zhirovitsky in the Slonim Povet, completely greedy, briefly written and with considerable insight and the pains of the much sinful Father Fedosy, collected with diligence.”
In 1622, the book “History, or stories of people worthy of trust about the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Virgin Mary of Zhirovichi” was published in Vilna. The book was republished in Vilna in 1625, 1628, in Suprasl in 1629, 1653, 1714. In 1639, “The Story of the Miracle-Working Icon of the Zhirovichi Virgin Mary” was published. In 1644, the king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Vladislav IV, and his wife Cecilia Renata spent two days in Zhirovichi. In the same year, a new book about the Zhirovichi icon, A. Dubovich’s “Connection of the Earth’s Planets,” was published. In 1719, a book by priest Ignatius Volodko “The Most Holy Virgin of Zhirovichi” was published in Rome, and in 1729 a book by canon Isidore Nardi “Historical news about a copy of the icon of the Virgin of Zhirovichi” was published. In the second half. XVIII century Several more books about the icon are being published. Currently, the bibliography is very extensive.
There are many written and oral testimonies of miracles and healings performed. At the site of the appearance of the icon, as well as next to it, there are springs considered miraculous.
Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Zhirovitsk they pray during persecution of Orthodoxy, in doubt, for deliverance from fires, in case of any bodily weakness.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon, called “Zhirovitskaya”
Oh, Most Merciful Lady, Virgin Mother of God! With my lips I will touch Your shrine, or with these words I will confess Your generosity, which is revealed to people: for no one, flowing to You, leaves empty and is not heard. From my youth I have sought Your help and intercession, and I would never again be deprived of Your mercy. See, O Lady, the sorrows of my heart and the ulcers of my soul. And now, kneeling before Your most pure image, I offer my prayers to You. Do not deprive me of Your all-powerful intercession on the day of my sorrow, and on the day of my sorrow intercede for me. Do not turn away my tears, O Lady, and fill my heart with joy. Be my refuge and intercession, O Merciful One, and enlighten my mind with the dawning of Your light. And I pray to You not only for myself, but also for the people who flow to Your intercession. Preserve the Church of Your Son in goodness, and protect it from the evil slander of the enemies who rise against it. Send Thy help to our archpastors in the apostolate, and keep them healthy, long-living, rightly ruling the word of the truth of the Lord. As a shepherd, ask God your Son for zeal and vigilance for the souls of the verbal flock entrusted to them, and to send down upon them the spirit of reason and piety, purity and divine truth. Ask the same way, Lady, from the Lord for wisdom and strength from the rulers and city rulers, from the judges for truth and impartiality, and from all who flow to You the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. I also pray to Thee, O Most Merciful One, to cover our country with the shelter of Thy goodness, and deliver it from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that all who live in it may live a quiet and serene life in love and peace, and enjoy eternal blessings through eternal prayers Having inherited yours, they will be able to praise God together with you in heaven forever. Amen.
Troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon called “Zhirovitskaya”
Troparion, tone 5
Among the many icons depicting the Mother of God, Zhirovitskaya occupies a special place. How does this healing image help? And why is he singled out among other icons?
Description of the icon and the history of its appearance
The image is applied to jasper, which has a semicircular shape. Its size is small, it easily fits on the chest, which is why it is called the “chest icon”. The back of the canvas is absolutely smooth, the front combines red and green colors. In the center is the Blessed Virgin Mary holding her child in one hand. The other palm is on the chest.
She bowed her head towards her child with love and tenderness, lightly touching him. Little Christ is dressed in a short chiton, his legs are bare. Crowns are depicted above the heads of the mother and baby. On the sides are written in Greek the names of those depicted on the canvas.
The icon was first discovered back in the 15th century near the village of Zhirovitsy in Belarus. Local shepherds who were walking their flock suddenly noticed an unusual glow coming from one of the trees. Approaching the branches of the tree, they saw a canvas that emitted light. The shepherds gave the icon to the Lithuanian prince Alexander Soltan. He, not knowing what to do with this find, hid it in one of the rooms. A few days later he noticed that the icon had disappeared.
They found her again in the same place among the foliage of the trees. Then the prince built a small church next to the tree where the image was found. After standing for quite a while, the church was destroyed by fire, but the icon survived. She again found herself in a completely different place, on the mountain. There was a lit candle next to her.
The prince ordered to build a temple here and call it Zhirovitsky. Now every year on May 20 the feast of the Zhirovitsk Icon is celebrated.
Most often, those who are sick and in need of healing bow and pray before her image. The main thing is that the request comes from a pure heart and with soul. Then the Mother of God will definitely send healing.
You can pray for help in other cases.
- If you have a problem and you cannot find a way to solve it, pray to the Zhirovitsk Icon. A solution will be found immediately.
- Faith in the Lord has weakened, and turmoil has appeared in your soul. This image will help you find peace of mind.
- Pray in front of the image if you want to save your home from fire and other disasters.
- Do you dream of giving up smoking, alcohol and drugs? The most sincere prayer of the Mother of God of Zhirovitskaya will help you.
- The Mother of God provides great help to women in labor. Take the icon with you to the maternity hospital, and childbirth will be easy and without complications.
This is Zhirovitskaya. We have already learned what it helps with. There are special prayers that are read before her image. If you don’t know these words, you can simply ask from the heart, without doubting the healing power of the image, to help you. And your words will definitely be heard.
Icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovitskaya appeared in 1470 in the town of Zhirovitsy Grodno region. In the forest that belonged to the Orthodox Lithuanian nobleman Alexander Solton, the shepherds saw an unusually bright light penetrating through the branches of a pear tree that stood above a stream under the mountain. The shepherds came closer and saw on a tree a small icon of the Mother of God in a radiant glow. The shepherds reverently took the icon and took it to Alexander Solton. Alexander Salton did not attach much importance to the shepherds’ message, but he still took the icon and locked it in a casket. The next day, guests came to Salton, and the owner wanted to show them the find. To his surprise, he did not find the icon in the casket, although he had seen it shortly before. After some time, the shepherds again found the icon in the same place and again took it to Alexander Solton. This time he treated the icon with great reverence and vowed to build a church in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos at the site of the apparition. A village soon appeared near the wooden temple and a parish was formed. Around 1520, the temple completely burned down, despite the efforts of the residents to put out the fire and save the icon. Everyone thought she was dead. But one day, peasant children, returning from school, saw a wonderful vision: a Virgin of extraordinary beauty in a radiant radiance was sitting on a stone near a burnt temple, and in Her hands was an icon, which everyone considered to be burnt. The children did not dare to approach Her, but they hastened to tell their relatives and friends about the vision. Everyone accepted the story of the vision as a Divine revelation and, together with the priest, went to the mountain. On a stone near a lit candle stood the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God, not damaged at all by the fire. For a while, the icon was placed in the priest's house, and the stone was fenced off. When the stone temple was built, a miraculous icon was placed there. Subsequently, a monastery arose near the temple. His brotherhood led the fight for Orthodoxy against union and Latinism. In 1609, the monastery was captured by the Uniates and remained in their hands until 1839. During all this time, the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God was revered by both Uniates and Catholics. In 1839, the monastery was returned to the Orthodox and became the first place for the restoration of Orthodox worship in the Western Russian region. During the First World War, the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God was transported to Moscow, and in the early 20s it was returned to the monastery. Nowadays it is located in the cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The icon is deeply revered for its gracious help.
Kontakion of the Mother of God in front of Her icon called “Zhirovitskaya”
voice 4
Who confesses Your greatness, / Most Holy Virgin, / Who gave birth to the Creator of all, Christ God? / For you are one, Mother and Virgin, / Most Blessed and Most Glorified, / our hope, the source of goodness, / refuge for the faithful and salvation for the world.
Greatness
We magnify Thee, Most Holy Virgin, and venerate Thy venerable icon, which Thou hast glorified since ancient times in the monastery of Zhirovitsk.
Troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon called “Zhirovitskaya”
voice 5
Before Your holy icon, Lady, / those who pray are honored with healing, / receive the knowledge of true faith / and the Hagarian invasions are reflected / Likewise, for us who fall to You, / ask for remission of sins, / enlighten our hearts with thoughts of piety / and offer up a prayer to Your Son / about the salvation of our souls.
A special troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon, called “Zhirovitskaya”
voice 2
He who demands help from You, do not despise, O Lady, / and open an abyss of mercy to everyone / who flocks to Your wholesome icon. / Assuage our worldly sorrows, O All-Generous One, / and from this deplorable vale / leave Your faithful to eternal joy: / For you are all gainers of hope and affirmation, / mercy is the source, protection and salvation of our souls.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon, called “Zhirovitskaya”
O Most Merciful Lady, Virgin Mother of God! With my lips I will touch Your shrine, or with these words I will confess Your generosity, which is revealed to people: for no one, flowing to You, leaves empty and is not heard. From my youth I sought Thy help and intercession and was never again deprived of Thy mercy. See, O Lady, the sorrows of my heart and the ulcers of my soul. And now, kneeling before Your most pure image, I offer my prayers to You: do not deprive me of Your all-powerful intercession on the day of my sorrow and on the day of my sorrow intercede for me. Do not turn away my tears, O Lady, and fill my heart with joy. Be my refuge and intercession, O Merciful One, and enlighten my mind with the dawning of Your light. And I not only pray to Thee for myself, but also for the people who flow to Thy intercession. Preserve the Church of Your Son in goodness and protect it from the malicious slander of the enemies who rise up against her. Send Thy help to our archpastors in the apostolate and keep them healthy, long-living, rightly ruling the word of the truth of the Lord. As a shepherd, ask God, Your Son, for zeal and vigilance for the souls of the verbal flock entrusted to them, and for the spirit of reason and piety, purity and Divine truth to be sent down to them. Ask in the same way, Lady, from the Lord for wisdom and strength from those in power and the ruler of the city, from the judges truth and impartiality, and from everyone who flows to You, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. I also pray to Thee, O Most Merciful One, to cover our country with the shelter of Thy goodness and deliver it from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that all who live in it will live a quiet and serene life in love and peace and enjoy eternal blessings through Thy prayers Having inherited, they will be able to praise God together with You in Heaven forever. Amen.
Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of her icon called “Zhirovitskaya”
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- Ten Commandments of God in Orthodoxy
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