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Icon of the Burning Bush - meaning, what it helps with.

Icon Mother of God"BURNING BUSH"

Icon of the Mother of God " Burning bush́» - one of the most complex in composition and symbolic interpretation of the Mother of God icons. This icon depicts the Mother of God through one of Her Old Testament prototypes - the burning bush, i.e. the unburnt bush in which God appeared to Moses.

According to the book Old Testament“Exodus”, when the people of Israel were still in Egyptian captivity, Moses, tending sheep, led his flock far into the desert and came to the mountain of God Horeb, which today is called Sinai, or also the mountain of Moses, since on this mountain God gave the prophet the Ten Commandments .

Moses saw the Angel of the Lord appearing from the middle of a thorn bush, which was burning, but was not consumed, and went to see this miracle. And then he heard the voice of God, telling him not to come close and to take off his shoes, for Moses was standing in a place that was holy land. The Lord spoke with Moses for a long time about his destiny - to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery. He awarded him the gift of miracles and prophecy, and since Moses did not have the gift of eloquence necessary to proclaim the word of God, God appointed Moses' brother Aaron as his assistant.

St. Catherine's Monastery is one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world. Founded in the 4th century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai (biblical Horeb)

On the Sinai Peninsula, at the foot of Mount Sinai stands St. Catherine's Monastery , founded in the 6th century. Neither Muhammad, nor the Arab caliphs, nor Napoleon began to destroy this monastery, which was never closed. Its inhabitants are Greek Orthodox monks. A bush of this amazing plant still grows there.

On the territory of the monastery grows the Burning Bush - a bush in the flame of which, according to the Old Testament, God first appeared to the prophet Moses. It is believed that this is the only thorn bush of its kind in the entire Sinai Peninsula...

According to legend, this is the same one Burning Bush bush . This plant has amazing biological features. Botanists classify it as a member of the Rutaceae family. Russian name- ash tree, found over a vast territory from the Mediterranean to Far East, in particular in Crimea. Its leaves and trunk are dotted with glands that evaporate essential oils. If you bring a light to it when the weather is clear and windless, it will flare up stronger and seem to run along the branch without causing damage to it. This is the only bush of its kind in the entire Sinai Peninsula, and not a single attempt to plant its shoot elsewhere was successful!

In 324, Emperor Constantine's mother Helen ordered the construction of a chapel on the site of the burning bush. The altar of the monastery cathedral is located just above the roots of that same burning bush. Behind the altar - Chapel of the Burning Bush .

The bush was transplanted a few meters from the chapel, where it continues to grow. There is no iconostasis in the chapel, which hides the altar from the faithful, and pilgrims can see under the altar the place where Kupina grew. It is marked by a hole in a marble slab, covered by a silver shield with chased images of a burning bush, the Transfiguration, the Crucifixion, the evangelists, St. Catherine and the Sinai monastery itself.

Pilgrims enter this Holy place without shoes, remembering the commandment of God given to Moses: “Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”(Exodus 3:5). The chapel is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, and some of the icons hanging in it are painted on this theme.

Theological interpretation

Burning bush. Late XVIII V. Moscow. Epiphany Cathedral. At the bottom of the icon are the words from the troparion and the date of renewal: “The imams have no other help. The imams have no other hope than You, the mistress. Help us, we rely on You and we boast in You. We are Your slaves. Let us not be ashamed. Renewed in April 1835 Day 2."

In the New Testament, the Burning Bush and the events associated with it received a new, deeper theological interpretation. This is a very important parallel - we honor the Mother of God with the Burning Bush, as the Unmarried Bride - by Her immaculate conception from the Holy Spirit, bringing fiery Light. The same Divine Light shone around Her Son on the sacred Mount Tabor, as it once did around the burning bush on the sacred Mount Sinai, when God the Father spoke from it to Moses, because another former name of the monastery of St. Catherine was Transfiguration.

She lived her entire earthly life before her Dormition in divine purity, unburned by that Divine flame, about which Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh once said that “God imparts combustion, but does not feed on matter” and preserves the integrity of the spiritual and physical of that which this flame touches . She accepted the Holy Spirit into Herself, and found herself untouched by His flame, which burned away every impurity, for God was in Her.

Iconography

The meaning of the Burning Bush icon lies in its iconography. This is a truly cosmic-sounding image. It sums up the Orthodox concept of the Mother of God-Church-Sophia in all the beauty of Her timeless and universal significance.

The plot of the icon is based on a church hymn, where the Mother of God is compared with the Burning Bush, which Moses saw on Mount Horeb (Ex. 3: 1-5). The burning bush is a bush engulfed in flames, but not burnt, interpreted by theologians as prototype of the Mother of God and the incarnation of the Son of God.

That same burning bush can be seen with difficulty, but in right hand Mother of God; there is also a stone, a ladder, and a mountain with the Heavenly Jerusalem, behind the walls of which Christ is depicted in the royal crown. Several Old Testament images are used here, almost all of them are further revealed in the scenes presented along the edges of the icon.

The image has been known since the early centuries of Christianity. Initially, the “Burning Bush” was depicted as a burning bush with an image of the Mother of God enclosed in it (usually in the type of the Sign or Oranta) and the prophet Moses kneeling in front of it.

Later, already in the 16th century, a rather complex symbolic and allegorical image was formed in the form of an octagonal star surrounding a half-length image of the Mother of God and the Child Christ.

The center of the composition is an oval medallion with the image of the Mother of God - Hodegetria the Guide. On Her chest is often depicted a ladder, which the holy patriarch Jacob saw, leading from earth to Heaven itself. She is also associated with the Mother of God, who is Herself - the ladder along which the path to heaven is laid. Here we see an image of the chamber as the home of the Infant Christ. Four green rays indicate a bush, i.e. bush, four red rays - the red flame of a burning bush. On some icons of the “Burning Bush” the letters A.D.A.M are added to the ends of the outer rays. This detail is based on a Greek legend, according to which the Archangels compiled the name of the first person according to stars taken from the four corners of the world: Archangel Michael - from the East the letter “A” from the star “Anatoli”, Archangel Gabriel - the letter “D” from the Western star “Disis” ”, Archangel Raphael - the letter “A” from the Northern star “Arktos” and Archangel Uriel - the letter “M” from the Southern star “Messembria”.

The rays of blue (or green) color depict the service of the angels of the Mother of God and worship heavenly powers miraculous birth God from the Virgin. She is surrounded by archangels and angels of the elements: thunder, lightning, dew, wind, rain, frost and darkness. Each angel holds a corresponding “attribute”, such as a cup, a lantern, a cloud, a sword, a torch, a closed ark (frost), a naked figure (wind). The number of angels and their distribution around the Mother of God varies according to the choice of the icon painter. The angels of the luminaries and heavenly elements are taken from the Apocalypse, which lists the angels of stars, clouds, lightning, hail and earthquakes. The symbols of the holy evangelists mentioned in the Apocalypse are usually written in the fiery red rays: Angel (Matthew), Lion (Mark), Taurus (Luke) and Eagle (John). Around the stars in two-petalled clouds are the angels-spirits of Wisdom, Reason, Fear and Piety; Archangels: Gabriel with a branch of the Annunciation, Michael with a rod, Raphael with an alabaster vessel, Uriel with a fiery sword, Selafiel with a censer, Barachiel with a bunch of grapes - a symbol of the Blood of the Savior. Above is the Old Denmi, below is Jesse (or the tree of Jesse - like the genealogy of Jesus Christ). In the corners of the composition there are visions of the prophets: in the upper left - Moses' vision of the Burning Bush in the form of the Mother of God of the Sign in a burning bush, in the upper right corner - Isaiah's vision of Seraphim with a burning coal in tongs, below, on the left - Ezekiel's vision of the closed gates, on the right - Jacob's vision - stairs with angels.

The Mother of God gathered the whole world around the Eternal Child - the forces of earth and heaven. It is precisely this, collected together, that God conceived of the Universe in His Wisdom; it is with this that the chaotic, centrifugal forces of death and decay must be defeated. Thus, another image appears next to Kupina - the image of Sophia, the Divine will, the Creator’s eternal plan for creation.

Miraculous images

One of the most ancient icons of the Mother of God known in Rus', the “Burning Bush” was brought to Moscow by Palestinian monks in 1390 and, according to legend, was written on the stone of the rock where Moses saw the mysterious bush. This shrine was placed in the altar of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The icon is attributed miraculous power protection from fire “fire scorching”. In Sinai, the service to the icon is sung during severe thunderstorms; in Russia they surrounded the icon during fires, protecting neighboring buildings from fire.

Another miraculous image, also coming from the Kremlin, from the Holy Hall of the Faceted Chamber, was kept in Moscow Church of the Burning Bush in Khamovniki , destroyed in 1930, of which only the name remains in the name of Neopalimovsky Lane. Her story is connected with the following legend. Tsar Feodor Alekseevich's groom, Dimitri Koloshin, a wealthy man, especially respected the icon of the Mother of God of the Burning Bush, which stood in the holy vestibule of the royal Palace of Facets, and every time he came to the palace and left, he prayed fervently before it; finally he wished to build a temple in her name next case. One day, having innocently fallen under the wrath of the tsar and not hoping to justify himself before him, Koloshin began to pray with even greater zeal before the icon of the “Burning Bush,” asking the Queen of Heaven to protect him; the prayer was soon answered. The Mother of God appeared to Tsar Feodor Alekseevich in a dream and declared the groom innocent; the tsar ordered Koloshin's case to be investigated and, finding him innocent, released him from trial and returned his former disposition towards him. In gratitude to his Deliverer, Koloshin begged the Tsar for an icon of the “Burning Bush” and built a temple in her name.
When there was a strong fire in Moscow, this icon was carried around the houses of the parishioners of the Neopalimovskaya Church, and they all survived the fire. In general, those living in this parish noticed that there were very rarely fires in it, and even those were very insignificant, despite the fact that this place was built up mainly with wooden houses.

Amazing event with the chasuble of this icon . In 1812, the French kidnapped her. Before they left Moscow, he came to the priest of the Novodevichy Convent, Fr. A Polish soldier gave Alexy Vvedensky the chasuble from the Burning Bush icon, asking him to return it to the church from where it was taken. The soldier admitted that since he stole the robe, he could not find peace and was tormented by unbearable melancholy.

In 1835, another image of the “Burning Bush” was donated to the church in Khamovniki. It depicted a man kneeling in prayer before the Mother of God. An ancient handwritten service to the “Burning Bush” was also kept in this temple with an explanation that in Sinai there is a custom to sing this service during severe thunderstorm, “when lightning is scary.”Along with the disappearance of the temple, these shrines were also lost.

In modern times, the miraculous image of the “Burning Bush” became especially famous after the events of 1822 in the city of Slavyansk, Kharkov diocese. That year, powerful, devastating fires from arson began to occur in the city, but numerous attempts to discover the arsonist were fruitless. Once upon a time, a pious old woman named Belnitskaya was revealed in a dream that if the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” was painted and a prayer service was served in front of it, then the fires would stop. The icon was immediately painted the best masters, and after the Liturgy a prayer service was performed before her. On the same day, a new fire broke out, in which the arsonist, the crazy girl Mavra, was detained. After this, the fires stopped, and the grateful residents of Slavyansk built an expensive icon case for the Burning Bush icon with the inscription: "In memory of 1822 for saving the city from fire." Since then, veneration of the icon, and especially its Slavic list in the Church of the Resurrection, strengthened in this region and far beyond its borders. On September 12, 2008, the President of Ukraine signed a decree establishing a new professional holiday - the Day of the Rescuer of Ukraine - on the day of the celebration of the Burning Bush icon of the Mother of God.

Before the icon Holy Mother of God“The Burning Bush” pray for deliverance from fire and lightning, from severe troubles, and for the healing of ailments.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Temple Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory

When copying, please provide a link to our website

Troparion, tone 4
Who in the fires of the burning bush, / seen in ancient times by Moses, / prefigured the mystery of His incarnation from the Virgin Mary who was not made of art, / who is now like the Creator of miracles and the Creator of all creation / Her holy icon glorified with many miracles, / bestowing it on the faithful for the healing of illnesses / and in protection from fire ignition. / For this reason, we cry out to the Most Blessed: / Hope of Christians, deliver those who trust in You from cruel troubles, fire and thunder, / and save our souls, // like the Merciful.

Troparion, voice of the same
In the bush, burning with fire and unburnable, / showing Moses Your Most Pure Mother, Christ God, / who received the fire of the Divine without burning in her womb / and remained incorruptible after the Nativity. / With your prayers, deliver us from the flames of passions / and save Your city from fiery incinerations, // for You are Most Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8
Let us purify the feelings of our souls and bodies, / so that we may see the Divine sacrament, / figuratively revealed to the great prophet Moses of old by the bush, / which burned with fire and was not consumed, / in the same of Your seedless Nativity, Mother of God, / we confess the foretelling and, reverently worshiping You / and the One who was born from You I will save ours, with fear we cry out: Rejoice, O Lady, protection, refuge, and salvation of our souls.

Prayer of the Mother of God before the icon of Her Burning Bush
Oh, Most Holy and Most Blessed Mother of our sweetest Lord Jesus Christ! We fall down and worship You before Your holy and most honorable icon, with which You have performed wondrous and glorious miracles, saving our homes from fiery flames and lightning thunder, healing the sick, and fulfilling every good request of ours for the good. We humbly pray to You, Omnipotent Intercessor of our race, to grant us the weak and sinners Your maternal participation and care. Save and preserve, O Lady, under the shelter of Your mercy, the Holy Church, this monastery, our entire Orthodox country, and all of us who fall to You with faith and love, and tenderly ask with tears for Your intercession. She, the All-Merciful Lady, have mercy on us, overwhelmed by many sins and not having boldness towards Christ the Lord, ask Him for mercy and forgiveness, but we offer to You for supplication His Mother according to the flesh: But You, All-Good, stretch out Your God-receiving hand to Him and intercede for us before His Goodness, asking us for forgiveness of our sins, a pious peaceful life, a good Christian death, and a good answer at His terrible Judgment. At the hour of the terrible visitation of God, when our houses are set on fire, or we are frightened by lightning thunder, show us your merciful intercession and rusty help: may we be saved by your omnipotent prayers to the Lord, the temporary punishment of God here, and we will inherit the eternal bliss of paradise there: and with all the saints let us sing the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the worshiped Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Your great mercy and mercy towards us, forever and ever. A min.

Program from the series "SANCTIES" - THE BURNING BOOK.

Icon of the Mother of God “Burning Bush”- one of the most complex in composition and symbolic interpretation of the Mother of God icons. This icon depicts the Mother of God through one of Her Old Testament prototypes - the burning bush, i.e. the unburnt bush in which God appeared to Moses.

According to the book of the Old Testament "Exodus", when the people of Israel were still in Egyptian captivity, Moses, tending sheep, led his flock far into the desert and came to the mountain of God Horeb, which today is called Sinai, or also the mountain of Moses, since on this mountain God gave the prophet the Ten Commandments.

St. Catherine's Monastery is one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world. Founded in the 4th century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai (biblical Horeb)

On the Sinai Peninsula, at the foot of Mount Sinai stands St. Catherine's Monastery, founded in the 6th century. Neither Muhammad, nor the Arab caliphs, nor Napoleon began to destroy this monastery, which was never closed. Its inhabitants are Greek Orthodox monks. A bush of this amazing plant still grows there.

On the territory of the monastery grows the Burning Bush - a bush in the flames of which, according to the Old Testament, God first appeared to the prophet Moses. It is believed that this is the only thorn bush of its kind in the entire Sinai Peninsula...

According to legend, this is the same one Burning Bush bush. This plant has amazing biological features. Botanists classify it as a member of the Rutaceae family, the Russian name is ash tree, and is found over a vast territory from the Mediterranean to the Far East, in particular in the Crimea. Its leaves and trunk are dotted with glands that evaporate essential oils. If you bring a light to it when the weather is clear and windless, it will flare up stronger and seem to run along the branch without causing damage to it. This is the only bush of its kind in the entire Sinai Peninsula, and not a single attempt to plant its shoot elsewhere was successful!

Interior of the Chapel of the Burning Bush

Pilgrims enter this holy place without shoes, remembering the commandment of God given to them by Moses: “ take off the shoes from your feet: for the place on which you stand is holy ground."(Exodus 3:5). The chapel is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, and some of the icons hanging in it are painted on this theme.

Theological interpretation

Burning bush. End of the 18th century Moscow. Epiphany Cathedral. At the bottom of the icon are the words from the troparion and the date of the renovation: “The imams have no other help. The imams have no other hope, except for You, the mistress. Help us, we rely on You and boast in You. We are your slaves. Let us not be ashamed. Resumed on April 1835, 2nd day.”

Iconography

That same unburnt bush can hardly be seen in the right hand of the Virgin Mary; there is also a stone, a ladder, and a mountain with the Heavenly Jerusalem, behind the walls of which Christ is depicted in the royal crown. Several Old Testament images are used here, almost all of them are further revealed in the scenes presented along the edges of the icon.

Our Lady of the Burning Bush. End of the 16th century. Solovetsky Monastery

The rays of blue (or green) color depict the service of the angels to the Mother of God and the worship of the heavenly powers to the miraculous birth of God from the Virgin. She is surrounded by archangels and angels of the elements: thunder, lightning, dew, wind, rain, frost and darkness. Each angel holds a corresponding “attribute”, such as a cup, a lantern, a cloud, a sword, a torch, a closed ark (frost), a naked figure (wind). The number of angels and their distribution around the Mother of God varies according to the choice of the icon painter. The angels of the luminaries and heavenly elements are taken from the Apocalypse, which lists the angels of stars, clouds, lightning, hail and earthquakes. The symbols of the holy evangelists mentioned in the Apocalypse are usually written in the fiery red rays: Angel (Matthew), Lion (Mark), Taurus (Luke) and Eagle (John). Around the stars in two-petalled clouds are the angels-spirits of Wisdom, Reason, Fear and Piety; Archangels: Gabriel with a branch of the Annunciation, Michael with a rod, Raphael with an alabaster vessel, Uriel with a fiery sword, Selafiel with a censer, Barachiel with a bunch of grapes - a symbol of the Blood of the Savior. Above is the Old Denmi, below is Jesse (or the tree of Jesse - like the genealogy of Jesus Christ). In the corners of the composition there are visions of the prophets: in the upper left - Moses' vision of the Burning Bush in the form of the Mother of God of the Sign in a burning bush, in the upper right corner - Isaiah's vision of Seraphim with a burning coal in tongs, below, on the left - Ezekiel's vision of the closed gates, on the right - Jacob - stairs with angels.

The Mother of God gathered the whole world around the Eternal Child - earthly and heavenly forces. It is precisely this, collected together, that God conceived of the Universe in His Wisdom; it is with this that the chaotic, centrifugal forces of death and decay must be defeated. Thus, another image appears next to Kupina - the image of Sophia, the Divine will, the Creator’s eternal plan for creation.

Miraculous images

Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

One of the most ancient icons of the Mother of God known in Rus', the “Burning Bush” was brought to Moscow by Palestinian monks in 1390 and, according to legend, was written on the stone of the rock where Moses saw the mysterious bush. This shrine was placed in the altar of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The icon is credited with the miraculous power of protection from “fiery scorching” fire. In Sinai, the service to the icon is sung during severe thunderstorms; in Russia they surrounded the icon during fires, protecting neighboring buildings from fire.

Church of the Mother of God of the Burning Bush Icon. 1882

Another miraculous image, also coming from the Kremlin, from the Holy Hall of the Faceted Chamber, was kept in Moscow Church of the Burning Bush in Khamovniki, destroyed in 1930, of which only the name remains in the name of Neopalimovsky Lane. Her story is connected with the following legend. Tsar Feodor Alekseevich's groom, Dimitri Koloshin, a wealthy man, especially respected the icon of the Mother of God of the Burning Bush, which stood in the holy vestibule of the royal Palace of Facets, and every time he came to the palace and left, he prayed fervently before it; finally he wished to build a temple in her name on the next occasion. One day, having innocently fallen under the wrath of the tsar and not hoping to justify himself before him, Koloshin began to pray with even greater zeal before the icon of the “Burning Bush,” asking the Queen of Heaven to protect him; the prayer was soon answered. The Mother of God appeared to Tsar Feodor Alekseevich in a dream and declared the groom innocent; the tsar ordered Koloshin's case to be investigated and, finding him innocent, released him from trial and returned his former disposition towards him. In gratitude to his Deliverer, Koloshin begged the Tsar for an icon of the “Burning Bush” and built a temple in her name.

When there was a strong fire in Moscow, this icon was carried around the houses of the parishioners of the Neopalimovskaya Church, and they all survived the fire. In general, those living in this parish noticed that there were very rarely fires in it, and even those were very insignificant, despite the fact that this place was built up mainly with wooden houses.

Amazing event with the chasuble of this icon. In 1812, the French kidnapped her. Before they left Moscow, he came to the priest of the Novodevichy Convent, Fr. A Polish soldier gave Alexy Vvedensky the chasuble from the Burning Bush icon, asking him to return it to the church from where it was taken. The soldier admitted that since he stole the robe, he could not find peace and was tormented by unbearable melancholy.

In 1835, another image of the “Burning Bush” was donated to the church in Khamovniki. It depicted a man kneeling in prayer before the Mother of God. An ancient handwritten service to the “Burning Bush” was also kept in this temple, with an explanation that in Sinai there is a custom to sing this service during a strong thunderstorm, “when lightning is terrible.” Along with the disappearance of the temple, these shrines were also lost.

In modern times, the miraculous image of the “Burning Bush” became especially famous after the events of 1822 in the city of Slavyansk, Kharkov diocese. That year, powerful, devastating fires from arson began to occur in the city, but numerous attempts to discover the arsonist were fruitless. Once upon a time, a pious old woman named Belnitskaya was revealed in a dream that if the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” was painted and a prayer service was served in front of it, then the fires would stop. The icon was immediately painted by the best masters, and after the Liturgy a prayer service was performed in front of it. On the same day, a new fire broke out, in which the arsonist, the crazy girl Mavra, was detained. After this, the fires stopped, and the grateful residents of Slavyansk built an expensive icon case for the Burning Bush icon with the inscription: “In memory of 1822 for saving the city from fire.” Since then, the veneration of the icon, and especially its Slavic copy in the Resurrection Church, has strengthened in this region and far beyond its borders. On September 12, 2008, the President of Ukraine signed a decree establishing a new professional holiday - the Day of the Rescuer of Ukraine - on the day of the celebration of the Burning Bush icon of the Mother of God.

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Burning Bush” they pray for deliverance from fire and lightning, from severe troubles, and for the healing of ailments.

Program from the series “SANCTIES” - THE BURNING BOOK.

On September 17, the church celebrates the day of the miraculous image; according to the old style, this day falls on September 4. It is September 17 that is considered the day of remembrance of the thorn bush (bush) and Moses. On this day, an akathist is held in the church and prayer services are held.

One of the Old Testament prototypes pointing to the Mother of God was the burning bush - that bush that Moses saw burning in the fire, but not being consumed. This bush marked the immaculate conception of the Mother of God of Christ from the Holy Spirit. Having been a Mother, She remained a Virgo: before Christmas, Virgo, at Christmas, Virgo, and after Christmas, Virgo.

One can give another interpretation to the prototype of the burning bush: the Mother of God, having been born on a sinful earth, remained unconditionally pure, not involved in sin, and did not know lawlessness. In church hymns this Old Testament symbol is heard: “Just as a bush is not scorched, so, O Virgin, have you given birth.” In the stichera for the Annunciation it is sung: “Rejoice, burning Kupino.”

Pious Christian zeal tried to consolidate this idea in an artistic image, and this is where the icon of the “Burning Bush” arose.

Description of the icon

The image on the icon consists of two rhombuses, they are concave inward, the edges of the figure form an eight-pointed star, which is also the base. One of the diamonds depicts the Mother of God who survived the fire, her face is shown in green or blue background. The second rhombus symbolizes fire; it is made in bright red colors.

In the center of the shrine is the image of the Mother of God herself, who holds her child in one hand, and with the other hand she grabbed a small ladder. Looking carefully at the image, you can see the sacred plant itself - the Burning Bush.

In this image, the staircase is a symbol of the descent of the son of God onto the sinful earth; near the stairs you can see a mountain, which was drawn as a symbol of ascension.

This icon depicted enough a large number of various angels, they symbolize:

Wisdom;
talent;
teaching;
giving;
miracles.

IN different parts The icon depicts three spirits, each of them has its own role. The Spirit of the Lord - the artists depicted him with a large crown on his head and with Jesus in his hands. Another spirit has a gate in its hands. The third spirit has a knightly appearance, he is depicted with a sword in his hands, symbolizing protection and patronage.

Miraculousness of the icon

Over the entire period of its existence, the shrine has performed a large number of miracles; there are many stories about them different stories, each of them is impressive in its own way. Even a person who does not believe in miracles begins to believe in them.

In Sinai, where the Catherine Monastery was built and still stands today, this same thorn bush, which is depicted in the icon, grew. Its structure is similar to the most common raspberry bush. There was a dried twig on it, at one moment it began to sprout shoots, thereby giving life to a new plant, this does not exist anywhere else in the world. Anyone can come and pray to this miracle and take with them a twig or leaf from a bush.

Meaning and image of Saint

Since ancient times, people have gone to the Queen of Heaven, prayed and asked her for help, she helped in resolving various complex life situations. Considering the long history of the Burning Bush icon, its significance is very great in Orthodox world, we can say with confidence that it helps in many different situations:

In ancient times, during wars, commanders often asked for help from this icon to protect their soldiers in battle;

The face of the Mother of God protects firefighters, doctors, pilots, and military personnel. The icon protects believers from burns, rash actions, injuries and other things;

Orthodox Christians often believe that the Burning Bush can deliver from committed sins;

The image of the Mother of God is often used as a talisman for one’s home against all sorts of misfortunes;

People suffering from mental illnesses often ask this icon for help in order to get rid of them.

The meaning of this icon lies entirely in its iconography. This image of the Mother of God sums up the idea of the Mother of God-Church-Sophia.

Where to hang the Burning Bush icon in the house

As has already become known, this icon saves from fire. The Burning Bush must be present in the house. There are no exact rules for where to hang the Burning Bush icon, however, its meaning is very important; for a long time it has been customary to hang this image above the entrance to a living space. The face of the Mother of God was considered the guardian of the family hearth and well-being of the family.

Conclusion

Monk the Burning Bush has very strong miraculous properties. It was repeatedly noticed that calls for help to this image yielded amazing results. During severe fires, houses can be preserved, sick people incredibly become healthy, and much more.

By Burning Bush we mean a thorn bush that is on fire, but cannot be burned. This is very ancient and strong icon, which depicts the image of the Mother of God.

In Orthodoxy, icons of the Mother of God are the most common, because the Mother of God always protects us. Icons are, first of all, the protection of your home from all evil and evil spirits.

The image of the “Burning Bush” should be in every home. It will save you from problems of any kind, strengthen your faith and give you happiness. This great gift for birthdays, weddings, name days. If someone close to you is moving to new apartment or a house, “The Burning Bush” will also be very useful.

History and description of the icon

“The Burning Bush” is one of the most complex icons in terms of artistic execution. She is unique and recognizable from general set all icons with the Mother of God. The Virgin Mary is depicted with the baby Jesus Christ, but this image is unusual. To understand why, we must turn to the Old Testament.

Moses received the 10 commandments at the foot of Mount Sinai. He saw a burning bush that did not burn, but was engulfed in flames. This flame was so bright that it was painful to look at. An angel of the Lord came out of this flame and told the prophet about the 10 commandments, as well as what he needed to do, what his purpose was.

The image of a fireproof bush (this is how “Burning Bush” is translated) is expressed in a large content of red. Mother Intercessor and Baby Jesus are depicted in the middle, at the intersection of two rectangles forming an eight-pointed star. The corners of this star depict Mount Sinai, Jacob's Ladder, and several other important places and events from the Old Testament. Directly on the “fiery” side are angels, reminiscent of how Moses saw one of them emerging from the flames. By the way, now in the very place where, according to legend, Moses met an angel and saw a burning bush, there is a monastery. This is one of the most ancient monasteries in the world, and it is still active. A huge number of pilgrims come from all over the world there in order to look at the bush, which, as the abbots say, grows from shoots belonging to that very fireproof bush.

It is unknown when the icon was acquired or created, but historians are absolutely sure that it was the 4th or 5th century, that is early period spread of Christianity. In Rus' it became known only in the 15th century. This image of the Virgin Mary is shrouded in mystery and is one of the most unusual.

What does an icon help with?

The Burning Bush is a miraculous image. Throughout history, this icon has saved people from imminent death or the evil eye. It is believed that this icon should be in any home, because it saves the home from fires. She helps families become stronger and stronger. “The Burning Bush” strengthens faith and gives people hope for a bright future.

Where is the icon

You can pray before this icon for the health and salvation of the soul in any church where it is available. There is a temple dedicated to the “Burning Bush” in Ivanovo, four churches in Moscow, one each in Syzran, Bryansk, Kyiv, St. Petersburg, and Arkhangelsk.

Date of celebration of the icon

Icon celebration day church calendar— September 17, new style. This is an immovable date, so it remains the same every year. Be sure to read the prayer for sleep before the “Burning Bush” on this day, if you are unable to visit the temple.

Prayer before the icon

“Most Holy and Blessed Mother of God, I fall before You and pray to You before Your holy icon, which is known for its miracles, saving our house from fire and thunder, healing ailments and fulfilling our requests. We humbly pray to You, Virgin Mary: help us and take part in our life, keep us under your protection, the Orthodox Church, the city, our entire Orthodox land and all of us who come to You with faith and love, asking for Your help. We ask You, Mother, to pray for us to Jesus Christ, Your Son. Blessed One, beg him for forgiveness for us sinners, for peace in our home. When the time comes for the Last Judgment, be with us and help us avoid eternal torment for our deeds. Help me inherit eternal bliss in Paradise, next to all the holy fathers. Amen".

Happiness and spiritual strength will not leave you if you have this icon at home, if you believe in its power. There are many icons that should be in your home, but on this list, perhaps, one of the first lines is occupied by the “Burning Bush”. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

17.09.2017 05:32

The shrine “Fragrant Flower” is a well-known image of the Mother of God in Orthodoxy. The icon of the Blessed Virgin has a special meaning...

Many believers know that the Mother of God is pure and immaculate, because the conception of Jesus was sinless. Therefore, Orthodox Christians treat this shrine with such reverence and attention. The miraculous icon “Burning Bush” is another imprint of the Holy One, which has its own special purpose.

History of the icon

The history of the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” » famous for many wonderful and truly amazing events. This image is known to us today like this, with many symbols, with various figures, but initially only a burning bush was painted on the shrine, in which the Mother of God was imprisoned, and the prophet Moses bowing before the plant. A stronger and deeper image of the icon from the fire arose at the end of the 16th century, imbuing it with all sorts of meanings.

One of the most ancient icons of the Virgin Mary, the Burning Bush, is in the Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow. It got there thanks to monks from Palestine, who in 1390 returned the shrine to the place where, according to legend, Moses noticed the wondrous bush. In 1812, during the war with Napoleon, the precious robe of the shrine was stolen, but soon the soldier returned it to the priest, since from the moment of the theft he was tormented by unbearable melancholy.

Another icon of the “Burning Bush” is located in the Slavic Church of the Trinity. It was she who then, in 1822, saved the entire city from an uncontrollable element - fire. At that time, the number of fires and arson in the town increased greatly. Houses after houses were burning, and one day in a dream one resident of Slavyansk had a vision that the bad weather would stop immediately after the painting of the shrine. The woman reported this to the archpriest, who immediately ordered the creation miraculous icon. The “Burning Bush” was created, and after another arson, the culprit of all the troubles was found, who almost destroyed the whole city due to lack of wisdom. Thus, the image of the Blessed Virgin saved the locals from the raging fire, in gratitude for which they built an ark for her, signing ““In memory of 1822 for saving the city from fire.”

Meaning of the icon

For believers, the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” is very important, the meaning of which is contained in the iconography of the face of the Most Holy One. The image of the Holy One comes in various variations of Her image, but the favorite remains the one where there are many symbols that general population and create the image of the Mother of God the Protector, protecting all humanity.

The central image of the shrine is the Virgin Mary herself, who holds the Son of God in her left hand, and clasps the ladder with her right hand, which symbolizes the descent of Jesus Christ to the sinful earth. Near the stairs there is a mountain, which on the contrary means ascension. The diamonds behind the main image are concave inward, and their edges form an eight-pointed star. One of them, green (dark blue), which is closer to the Mother of God symbolizes the fire experienced, and the second, behind, larger, indicates the flame itself in red. In addition, if you look closely at the icon, you can find the plant after which the icon of the Virgin Mary “Burning Bush” is named.

Also on the Burning Icon there are three spirits: the Lord with a crown and with Jesus Christ, a spirit with a gate and a spirit with a sword, which symbolically depicts protection and amulet. There are many angels around the Blessed Virgin, each of which has a unique meaning, for example: the angel of wisdom, teaching, offering, giving.

How does the Burning Bush icon help?

As already mentioned, the “Burning Bush” icon has come to the rescue more than once during fires, but this is not the only thing the Holy Face helps with. The Heavenly Queen will never leave those in need without support.

The icon saves the hearth from misfortunes and with its flame saves people from committing sin. She patronizes those whose profession is to save and protect people's lives: firefighters, doctors and military personnel.

In addition, the miraculous image helps to recover from mental illness and injuries inflicted on the body in the form of burns and other injuries.

Where to hang an icon at home

Since the “Burning Bush” saves people from misfortune, there must be an icon in the house. Certain rules, where to hang the shrine, but traditionally it is customary to place it above front door to a house or apartment.

It is at the entrance that the “Burning Bush” icon protects the entire room, and therefore the entire family that lives there, because the Mother of God is the guardian family well-being.

Prayer to the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Icon”

The celebration of the miraculous image dates back to September 17 (4), when the day of remembrance of the prophet Moses and the bush that did not burn in fire is celebrated.

At this hour, an akathist and prayer are read in churches in front of the Burning Bush icon. However, prayer before the shrine does not tolerate restrictions and it is believed that calling on Holy Virgin necessary in difficult times, and not on the designated day on the calendar. You should approach the Mother of God only with good intentions: to protect, preserve, preserve. This may concern both family well-being and the lives of loved ones. Therefore, while praying to the Burning Bush icon, you need to sincerely ask for the protection of those whose profession puts you in danger, saying the following words:

Oh, Most Holy and Most Blessed Mother of our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ! We fall down and worship You before Your holy and most honorable icon, with which You have performed wondrous and glorious miracles, saving our homes from fiery flames and lightning thunder, healing the sick, and fulfilling every good request of ours for the good. We humbly pray to You, O omnipotent Intercessor of our race, to grant us the weak and sinners Your maternal participation and care. Save and preserve, O Lady, under the shelter of Your mercy, the Holy Church, this monastery, our entire Orthodox country, and all of us who fall before You with faith and love, and tenderly ask with tears for Your intercession. She, the All-Merciful Lady, have mercy on us, overwhelmed by many sins and not having boldness towards Christ the Lord, ask Him for mercy and forgiveness, but we offer to You for supplication His Mother in the flesh: But You, All-Good One, stretch out Your God-receiving hand to Him and intercede for us before His Goodness, asking us for forgiveness of our sins, a pious, peaceful life, a good Christian death, and a good answer at His terrible Judgment. At the hour of the terrible visitation of God, when our houses are set on fire, or we are frightened by lightning thunder, show us your merciful intercession and sovereign help: may we be saved by your omnipotent prayers to the Lord, the temporary punishment of God here, and we will inherit the eternal bliss of paradise there: and with everyone let us sing to the saints the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the worshiped Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Your great mercy to us, forever and ever. Amen.

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