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Icon of the Mother of God unintentional joy for what they ask. Icon "Unexpected joy

The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Unexpected Joy" is one of the many miraculous images of the Virgin Mary, revered by the entire Russian Orthodox Church. In contrast to the icons of the Mother of God not made by hand, which historically appeared in various places in Russia, the image "Unexpected Joy" is completely man-made. Historians date the painting of the icon to the 18th century.

The iconography of the image is based on the story of St. Demetrius of Rostov about a repentant sinner who took the righteous path thanks to the help of the Mother of God. In his work "The Watered Fleece", dated 1683, the saint tells the story of a sinner man who was engaged in robbery and other deeds that are not only sinful, but also prohibited by civil law. Before committing atrocities, the sinner had the custom of praying to the Mother of God. Once the Virgin Mary appeared with the Divine Infant to a robber. The sinner saw that the infant Christ had bloody sores on the arms and legs, as well as in the place where the body of the Savior was pierced with a spear. The robber asked the Mother of God about the reason for the appearance of ulcers. The Virgin Mary replied that sinners crucify Christ again and again with their crimes.

Imbued with a sense of repentance, the sinner began to pray to the Mother of God before Christ for the forgiveness of sins. After prayers to Christ of the Most Pure Mother of God, the Savior commanded the sinner to kiss the bloody sores. At the same time, Christ said that it is proper to honor the Mother, therefore, for the sake of her prayers, man's sins will be forgiven.

In this way, the repentant sinner received the remission of sins from the Lord. It changed his life. From now on, the robber embarked on the path of righteous life and repentance.

The iconographic plot of the Unexpected Joy image is based on the image of a praying sinner in front of the icon of the Mother of God.

According to the pious tradition, before this image of the Mother of God, parents pray for the discipline of their children. In addition, believing Christians turn to the Mother of God with a request for spiritual admonition, and the very remembrance of the story of St. Demetrius of Rostov encourages a person to remember the great mercy of God to people, because according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church there is no unforgiven sin except unrepentant sin.

Celebrations of the icon of the Virgin Mary "Unexpected Joy" are held on May 14, June 3 and December 22 in a new style.

Some icons of the Mother of God are considered not made by hands (they appeared in certain places), other images could be painted by holy people about any events or miracles. The Three-Handed Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos refers to man-made images that have their own history.

The history of the "Three-handed" icon of the Mother of God dates back to the 8th century. This icon is associated with the great ascetic of the Christian Church and the outstanding theologian John Damascus.

John Damascene is known for many theological works, but one of his main creations are treatises in defense of icon veneration. For his special zeal in defending the veneration of icons, Saint John endured torment.

The holy ascetic was a Syrian subject, he served at the palace of the Caliph of Damascus. It was from there that John wrote three treatises in defense of the veneration of icons, which infuriated the emperor of Byzantium Leo III the Isaurian. The enraged emperor could not punish the saint himself, since the latter was not a citizen of Byzantium. However, Leo the Isaurian wrote a forged letter on behalf of Saint John and handed it over to the Caliph of Damascus. In the letter, John allegedly wanted to render his assistance to the emperor of Byzantium in the capture of the Syrian capital. The prince of Damascus gave orders to cut off John's right hand, with which Saint John allegedly wrote a traitorous letter. The hand was cut off and hung up for all to see in a public place.

After being punished, the saint was sent to prison, and in the evening the severed hand was returned to him. In captivity, the Monk John Damascene prayed before the icon of the Mother of God for healing, putting his brush to the severed hand. The saint asked the Mother of God for healing so that he could re-write his treatises in defense of the veneration of icons. After intensified prayers, the ascetic fell asleep. In a dream the monk saw the Virgin Mary saying to him: “Behold, your hand is healed; sorrow no more and fulfill what you promised me in prayer. "

If God were just, say the holy fathers, we could not hope for forgiveness. On the pages of the Old Testament Scripture, the Lord appears as a formidable Judge and Accuser, punishing the slightest crime against the Law, and today the earth does not open up under inveterate sinners. Why this happens is explained by an instructive story, shown in a pictorial image known as the Unexpected Joy icon.

Miracles from miraculous icons are carefully studied and recorded. They also entered the Holy Trinity Ilyinsky Monastery near Chernigov. In 1662, the first miracle was recorded from the icon of the Mother of God, painted by the monk Gennady. Tears flowed from the eyes of the Blessed Virgin holding the Infant God in her arms for 10 days. All Chernigov "looked with great horror" at the crying Virgin.

The miracle of the icon of the Mother of God of Ilyinsko-Chernigov became famous and has come down to the present thanks to St. Dmitry of Rostov.

Interesting. St. Dmitry Rostovsky is a church writer and educator who has written many books, including the lives of saints, sermons on faith and repentance, discourses on gospel stories and God's miracles.

The resurrection of the youth

Traveling through the monasteries of Little Russia, St. Dimitri wrote the book "Irrigated Fleece", based on stories of miracles from the Chernigov Mother of God. The stories were accompanied by teachings. One of the chapters, "The Dew of the Resurrection," tells about a boy who died suddenly. There was no illness or other reasons that spoke of the approach of death. The hieromonk of the Ilyinsky Monastery, who was then nearby, advised the parents to pray before the miraculous icon of Chernigov.

Saint Dmitry of Rostov

The parents went to the monastery and fell to the Intercessor. And a miracle happened: the child came to life. No one expected such happiness, although they believed in the mercy of the Mother of God. To the story of the resurrection of the youth, which took place in April 1679, Saint Dmitry added a parable, on the basis of which the icon "Unexpected Joy" was written.

About other icons:

Parable of St. Demetrius and writing a new image

A certain sinner had the custom of praying to the Blessed Virgin with the words of the Angelic greeting "Virgin Mary, rejoice", setting off on his lawlessness. Once, kneeling in front of the icon and going to say the usual prayer, he saw a terrible vision: blood flowed from the feet and hands of the Infant God, and the Mother of God herself seemed to him alive.

"Who did it, Lady?" - the sinner shouted in horror. “You and those like you are constantly hurting My Son, like the Jews on the Cross, with their iniquities,” replied the Mother of God. Instantly repenting, the man began to pray for forgiveness, but the Lord did not look in his direction. Then he called to the Mother of God: "May not my sins prevail in Your mercy, Lady, ask the Lord for me!"

Icon "Unexpected Joy", Pokrovsk

The Mother of God turned to the Son with a prayer for forgiveness for the sinner. The Lord answered Her, like a Son, with reverence: "I cannot forgive, for I endured his iniquity for a long time." With fear, the petitioner who watched this was completely desperate of his salvation. Then the Most Pure One got up and wanted to fall on her knees before Christ: "I will lie at Your feet until this man receives forgiveness!" The Lord did not allow this to happen, saying that although He is God, He honors His Mother and is ready to fulfill Her prayers. The forgiven sinner rushed to kiss the ulcers of the Lord, which immediately dragged on and the vision ended.

After reading the "Irrigated Fleece", an unknown artist painted an icon based on a parable, where a person prays to the Mother of God, calling it "Unexpected (unexpected) joy".

The connection between the miracle and the parable is obvious: just as the parents of the deceased youth did not expect to see him alive, so the sinner from the parable did not expect forgiveness from the Lord. But through the prayers of the Intercessor of the Theotokos, everyone received what they asked for, which became "an unexpected joy" for them.

Meaning of images

Interesting. The image of "Unexpected Joy" is unusual in that the Most Holy Virgin and the Lord are depicted addressing a sinner and are inscribed in the interior of the church. By the type of iconography, the image of the Mother of God resembles the Ilyinsko-Chernigov, only there is no royal crown on the head of the Mother of God. This means Her humility in prayer to the Lord.

The Lord, depicted as a Child, does not hold a scroll in his hand, but shows his hands with traces of ulcers to the kneeling sinner. The chiton will be thrown off, wounds on the rib and legs are visible. According to the Gospel, Christ received four wounds when He was crucified on the cross, and the fifth, in the rib, when the guards wanted to make sure of the death of the condemned man.

Icon "Unexpected Joy" in the church dedicated to her in Maryina Roshcha

On the old copies of the icon, there is always a thrown back curtain in the background - a symbol of the church royal gates, the heavenly entrance, which has opened slightly for the sinner. The red color of the veil is a symbol of resurrection.

The sinner himself is dressed in a green tunic. Green is the color of the earthly, human world. In such clothes, they portrayed the Old Testament prophets who were righteous, but did not know Divine grace, only foreseeing the coming of Christ. The praying sinner is not yet forgiven, but expects forgiveness and renewal of life.

Inscriptions on the icon

The text of the parable, executed in illegible Church Slavonic script, is placed in the field under the image of the Mother of God. Usually, the initial words are placed: "A man is a certain lawless person whose name is the daily rule to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos ...", sometimes the name "Unexpected joy of the Most Holy Theotokos" is written.

Radonitsa in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" in Maryina Roshcha

It is believed that the word sanctifies the image, it must be included in the composition. Due to the lack of space for the text, it is placed in a highly abbreviated form, symbolizing the whole inscription. Sometimes the words of the sinner are written on large images: "Oh, Lady, who did this?" and the answer of the Mother of God "You and other sinners by their sins ...", in the lines directed from the sinner to the Mother of God.

Location of the icons "Unexpected Joy" and miracles

Vladimirsky Cathedral in Kiev. The miraculous image of the 19th century. has been in the cathedral since the Great Patriotic War. The Mother of God and the Lord are depicted in royal crowns. Unfortunately, now Vladimir Cathedral is in the hands of schismatics.
"Burning Bush" in Khamovniki (before the revolution). The oldest known list was kept here. In 1838, on Easter week, he miraculously healed a woman who suffered from complete deafness. Anisya Stepanova could not even hear the bell ringing. After the service "Unexpected Joy" to the Mother of God, Anisya heard the singing of the Easter troparion and the deafness went away. In 1930, the temple was destroyed, and the miraculous image was lost.
The Tretyakov Gallery contains a unique icon "Unexpected Joy" (1st half of the 19th century), where the main picture is overlaid with 120 small images of other miraculous icons of the Mother of God. The central image carries the main meaning: the Lord forgives sins through the prayer of the Mother of God - the Prayer Book and Intercessor for the human race.

Icon "Unexpected Joy", private collection

Moscow, the temple of Ilya Obydenny. Here is an old icon in a beautiful metal frame, restored in 1959. Before the revolution, it was in one of the Kremlin churches, then the image was hidden from the renovationists. After the Great Patriotic War, "Unexpected Joy" was transferred to the temple of Ilya Obydenny. The robe of the icon is completely hung with rings and crosses brought by people who received healing from prayer in front of the image.
Maryina Roshcha, Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy". This temple was built in 1904 and is dedicated to the Mother of God. The image itself (written in the 19th century) appeared there later, numerous decorations on it spoke of former miracles, unfortunately, not recorded. A symbolic event took place in the temple in 2003. The priest was approached by a 90-year-old naval officer with a request for baptism. In a dream, he was commanded to be baptized and wait for death. The old man withstood Great Lent, preparing for Baptism. His death followed immediately after the performance of the Sacrament, in the temple itself.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Ryazan. In the Transfiguration Cathedral of the monastery there is "Unexpected Joy", recently glorified for miracles. The disfigured icon was found and bought at the market by a resident of Moscow, Georgy. After some time, misfortune befell him: he received a serious injury, which led to partial paralysis. Sincere prayers before the found image bore fruit, George got to his feet. For a long time he did not want to part with his beloved icon, but finally decided to give it to the Transfiguration Monastery. The board and the paint layer were restored, and a carved icon case was made. During the stay of "Unexpected Joy" in the monastery, several cases of healing from eye disease, cancer and drunkenness were recorded.
Holy Trinity Cathedral in Odessa. During the Great Patriotic War, the cathedral, closed by the Bolsheviks, was reopened by the occupation authorities. At this time, from nowhere, the icon "Unexpected Joy" appeared in it. Interestingly, one of the cathedral's side-chapels was consecrated in her name back in 1840. The parishioners of the temple were mainly women and children. Before the new image of the Mother of God, they prayed for the return of their husbands and fathers from the front. Although no high-profile miracles have been recorded, the icon is highly respected by the inhabitants of Odessa, in front of it they pray for the military who are in "hot spots".
Holy spring in the village. Zhaisk, Nizhny Novgorod region. According to legend, at this source in the XVIII century. the icon "Unexpected Joy" was found. The Murom noble princes Peter and Fevronia were hiding here. At this place, the saints granted forgiveness to the inhabitants of Murom who had driven them out, just as the Most Holy Theotokos forgave a repentant sinner. The source is located in a picturesque place, with a chapel built above it.

About other Orthodox churches in Russia:

This is not a complete list of temples under the protection of the Queen of Heaven. In the 2000s, many churches were built in honor of "Unexpected Joy", charitable institutions are named after her, and springs are consecrated. This image of the Virgin can be found as a revered icon in other churches.

Important. Before the image of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" they pray in difficult life situations, when hope has run out. During the war, mothers prayed for their sons, who received "funerals", later it turned out that the letters were sent by mistake and the soldiers returned alive.

There is nothing impossible for the mercy of the Mother of God, but first of all, before prayer, it is necessary to remember and realize your sins, from which the wounds of the Lord bleed.

In 1683, St. Dmitry of Rostov the Wonderworker created a wonderful work - one of the most amazing books in Russian patristic literature, "The Irrigated Fleece." He wrote it in honor of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, inspired by the miraculous healings that took place with the icon of the Mother of God in the Chernigov St. Ilyinsky Monastery in the 17th century. There, before each miracle of healing, tears appeared on the image of the Mother of God. Saint Dmitry compared this event with the Old Testament story about how the Divine dew, through the prayer of Gideon, sprinkled the fleece 1. Among the 24 miracles, one is described that prompted the iconographers of the 18th century to write an icon dedicated to the miracle of the Mother of God, of which the Intercessor showed many to the world, and each of them can be called an unexpected joy. But the icon with the name "Unexpected Joy" has its own miraculous story.

Dmitry Rostovsky begins the story of this miracle with the words: "A certain lawless man .." A certain sinful man who led a very vicious lifestyle, nevertheless, was cordially attached to the Heavenly Queen and experienced trembling reverent love before Her. And although he could not deny himself a sin - apparently, he was too weak-willed, he prayed daily before Her icon and recited in prayer the words of the Archangel Gabriel, which he said to the Virgin Mary in his appearance before Her: “Rejoice, grace-filled!” When he brought her the message about the future of Her Mother of God.

It so happened that, getting ready for a sinful work, he stood in front of the icon to pray before going out. Then he felt a strange heart and bodily thrill, the image on the icon seemed to move, breathe, and the sinner saw with horror how terrible wounds opened on the arms and legs and in the right side of the Baby sitting on Her lap, from which blood flowed in streams.

The man fell in front of the icon with a cry of horror, asking the Mother of God who did it. To which he was given the sorrowful answer of the Mother of God, that sinners, like him, day after day crucify and crucify Her Son with their sins, and hypocritically they call Her merciful, insulting Her motherly love with their iniquities.

Hearing this, the sinner, in whom, apparently, a particle of faith and purity was preserved, prayed to the Queen of Heaven, calling Her the Lady, so that the measure of his sins would not exceed Her goodness and mercy. He began to pray to the Mother of God to intercede for him before the Son.

For the first time, the Lady turned to His Son, but He refused Her to atone for the sinful deeds of her intercessor.

The second prayer appeal to the Mother of God by St. Dmitry of Rostov is described at length and very instructive. On the icon of the Mother of God, depicted inside the icon "Unexpected Joy", the one in front of which the sinner kneeling before Her image is depicted, we see the Hodegetria, with whom the Child sits on Her lap. As the saint writes, the Intercessor seated the Son separately and wanted to fall prostrate before Him, but the Son exclaimed, stopping Her: "What do you want to do?" The Mother of God replied that she would lie at the feet of His Son until He forgave the repentant sinner. To this, the Lord told Her that the Law commands the Son to honor the Mother, but the truth requires that the One who issued the Law himself honor it and fulfill It. He said that He is the Son of His Mother, and therefore must honor Her, listening to her prayers to Him. Therefore, let it be as Mother wants. The sinner will be forgiven, but let him first kiss His wounds.

Shocked by what he saw, the sinner got up, happily kissed the wounds of the Infant, they immediately closed, and the vision stopped. Here he experienced both awe at the greatness of what he saw, and great joy, from which he wept with cleansing tears. Again he fell to the icon, praying to the Most Pure One and Her son to preserve the gift of seeing their sins and begging for pardon. From that hour on, the soul of this man turned away from sin, and he began to lead a virtuous and godly life. It should be noted that the saint does not indicate what kind of sin accompanied the life of this person, leaving the reader to see his own sins and vices in himself and with faith and power to pray for healing from them.

What a miracle happened

Since the 18th century, when the first copy of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” was created, a variety of miracles have occurred from these icons - the sick, especially those who have lost their hearing, were healed, and with the return of spiritual hearing, hearing and physical returned. Prayers before this icon helped desperate parents, whose children went astray and went, as they say, along a crooked path.

Many miraculous healings take place in front of the icons of the Lady, but the most magnificent, undoubtedly, is the healing of the human soul, its salvation through a deep spiritual change.

We're just people. And they are not sinless. Let's admit it. But if we are able to see our reflection in the figure of the sinner on the icon "Unexpected Joy", and, seeing ourselves from the outside, we begin to understand what distress we are in, this is not a catastrophe. This is a miracle. And this is wonderful if suddenly a person realizes that he is doing something that urgently requires prayer for himself, following the example of a sinner from the story of St. Dmitry, a petition for the salvation of his soul, for otherwise there will be no joy in life, especially unintentional. like the Lord's grace, which is given in such a way - in a hopeless way ... And the Mother of God, again and again for each of those who are ready for a change of soul and desired it, is ready to prostrate before her son. Queen of Heaven - just think about it! - decides to kneel down again for our sins. And when the miracle of human insight happens, the Divine history will repeat itself within history, opening the veil of the true ones, as they should be among us, created in His image and likeness, the perfect relationship of the Mother and the Son and the relationship of the Son to His unlimited power, paradoxically limited by His own Law ...

The meaning of the icon

By its type, the icon "Unexpected Joy" refers to Hodegetria - a guide to Christ, all ancient images are executed in the Byzantine style. A sinner is kneeling before the icon, holding out his hands to it. Sometimes from his lips, in the form of ribbons, icon painters depicted the text of prayers addressed to Her. Under the image of the icon of the Mother of God, inside the common icon, there are the initial words from the description of this miracle in the "Irrigated Rune" - "A certain lawless man ..."

Hodegetria "Unexpected Joy" once again testifies that all who wish to be forgiven sincerely will be forgiven. Moreover, in the story of St. Dmitry of Rostov it is said that the repentant sinner prayed for the granting of a vision of his sins, and this does not mean that he was going to lead a vicious life again. The saint points out to us that any person is sinful - this is our dual nature, but if a sin suddenly, unfortunately, due to human weakness, is accomplished, then, seeing it in the face, we get the opportunity of repentance and, possibly, complete repentance, which will become another the step of salvation in the spirit.

And other! The sinner was enlightened in spirit when he saw that the Mother of God was ready to kneel before the Son for every sinner who cried out to Her for mercy. However, this is not the only thing that causes shock in this amazing story. The height of the relationship between Mother and Son is a stunning example of true - already heavenly! - the relationship between the Mother and the Son, which gives us an understanding of why the Lady is our first Intercessor and Intercessor to the Lord. This is how one should relate to the Mother, how to honor Her. The Lord Himself, the Almighty King, cannot fail to fulfill Her prayers, because the intercession comes from the Mother, whose request He cannot resist only because She is His Mother.

How many conclusions can we draw for ourselves! Such a reassessment of values, a revision of the soul from time to time is simply necessary. From the events that became the inspirational source for the painting of the icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy", learning the icon and its history, we are enriched morally. Comparing our own life in our family, we see: this is what the respect of children for their parents and respect of parents for the status of their grown children should be like. To the status not only social - the status of an adult who should be relieved of parental tyranny, which often drags on for a very long time.

Further, we are given an example of reverence for the law, first of all by the lawmakers themselves - another sore subject of our society. Here it is, the highest example of the attitude towards the execution by those in power of the laws they themselves issue. The Law established by the Lord commands the Mother to be honored, and since He has established this Law, then, first of all, the Legislator Himself is obliged to follow it. Christ is the model of the true attitude to power, He Himself is evidence of the exceptional decency of the Ruler, which is so difficult to meet on earth.
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1 “Rejoice, the watered Fleece, the hedgehog Gideon, the Virgin, before the sight” - akathist to the icon “Unexpected Joy”. The sign of wool and dew, given by God to one of the judges of Israel, Gideon. Old Testament. Book of Judges of Israel. Ch. 6, pp. 36–40.

Once upon a time I dreamed of a child for a very long time, but nothing worked out for me. As time went. My beloved person constantly pushed me for treatment. I went to hospitals, gave a lot of money for treatment, and nothing worked for me. Once I met a friend of my age and was stunned by the news that she gave birth to a daughter. Although this married couple also had problems with the child and she told me: “Find the miraculous icon” Unexpected joy. She is somewhere in Moscow and pray to her. As you can see, this icon helped us ”. As time went on, I did not dare to search (probably everything in life is predetermined and everything happens at the right time. how everything turned out to be simple.It turns out there is a temple of Elijah the Prophet not far from the Cathedral of the Savior, and it is there that you can pray to this miraculous icon. Seeing this icon, I was amazed at how much warmth and faith in the best comes from it. Your soul is purified, you begin to believe that what I lost hope for a long time. I asked and it was given to me. A month later I got pregnant. It was a miracle that happened to me. A miracle that I dreamed of. My miracle recently turned 2 years and 4 months old and I don’t forget to thank God and the Mother of God for giving me the joy of motherhood.If you have some secret desire or you have lost faith, be sure, if you are in Moscow, visit the Temple of Elijah the Prophet and worship this icon.

So what is this icon. Where does such power come from? What is the history of the creation of this icon?

In 1683, St. Dmitry of Rostov the Wonderworker created a wonderful work - one of the most amazing books in Russian patristic literature, "The Irrigated Fleece." He wrote it in honor of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, inspired by the miraculous healings that took place with the icon of the Mother of God in the Chernigov St. Ilyinsky Monastery in the 17th century. There, before each miracle of healing, tears appeared on the image of the Mother of God. Saint Dmitry compared this event with the Old Testament story of how the Divine dew, through the prayer of Gideon, sprinkled the fleece. Among the 24 miracles, one is described that prompted the iconographers of the 18th century to write an icon dedicated to the miracle of the Mother of God, of which the Intercessor showed many to the world, and each of them can be called an unexpected joy. But the icon with the name "Unexpected Joy" has its own miraculous story.

For the first time, the Lady turned to His Son, but He refused Her to atone for the sinful deeds of her intercessor.

By its type, the icon "Unexpected Joy" refers to Hodegetria - a guide to Christ, all ancient images are executed in the Byzantine style. A sinner is kneeling before the icon, holding out his hands to it. Sometimes from his lips, in the form of ribbons, icon painters depicted the text of prayers addressed to Her. Under the image of the icon of the Virgin, inside the common icon, there are the initial words from the description of this miracle in the "Irrigated Rune" - "A certain lawless man ..."

Prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" helps to find peace of mind and inner spiritual strength. As Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva wrote in Poems about Moscow:

To Unexpected Joy in the Garden
I will bring a foreign guest.

Hearts will stir up the domes,
Sleepless bells will ring

And on you from crimson clouds
The Mother of God will drop the veil,

And you will rise, full of wondrous powers ...
- You do not regret that you loved me.

Prayer in front of this icon helps to receive everything that we have longed for, which we no longer hoped to receive, each according to his own desire: for a priest, this can be the repentance of a sinner in his flock and the salvation of his soul, for those who pray for forgiveness of sins, forgiveness. It helps parents in cases where it is necessary to reason with children who have gotten out of hand, who have gone on a vicious path. At the request of people, someone finds lost loved ones, someone reconciles with someone with whom reconciliation seems already impossible, and much, much more happens, even an apparent failure can turn into a happy accident.

It is believed that praying in front of the icon "Unexpected Joy" helps in healing from diseases, especially those associated with deafness. Here physical deafness is probably subconsciously associated among believers with spiritual deafness, with the loss of moral guidelines, which is obviously manifested at the bodily level.

Also, a prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" helps to find just such a joy, the most amazing, because it is unexpected, sudden. It is known that during the Great Patriotic War, many women in the rear prayed in front of this icon (there is information about this) about the men of their family who disappeared without a trace, and others even about those who died after the funeral. And unexpected joy happened - the information about the death turned out to be erroneous, the fighter returned home. Many believers know: ask Her icon "Unexpected Joy" for everything the soul grieves for, and She, the Intercessor, helps everyone who flows with faith and prayer, even in what seems almost impossible, returning lost hopes.

Prayer in front of the icon and knowledge of the events that are associated with the birth of the image inspire a person for moral rebirth, and prayer for loved ones helps the desperate to find unexpected joy and gives hope for a sudden joyful deliverance from troubles and sorrows, if they are present in their lives.

December 22, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy". This image appeared in the 18th century and became one of the most revered in Russia.

1. In 1683, St. Dimitri of Rostov wrote the essay "The Watered Fleece", in which he described 24 cases of miraculous healing in front of the icon of the Mother of God, which took place in the Chernigov St. Ilyinsky Monastery in the 17th century.

2. The work had a huge resonance, it was it that pushed the icon painters of the 18th century to write the image "Unexpected Joy".

3. Legend has it that one person had the habit of praying every day in front of the image of the Mother of God, and then go and do an evil deed. After another prayer, the wounds on the hands of the infant Christ opened and blood flowed from them. The sinner began to pray persistently to the Mother of God, and on the third day he was forgiven.

4. The icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" refers to the type of Hodegetria (guidebook).

5. No one knows exactly when the first copy of the icon appeared and by whom it was written. Chronicles testify that by the end of the 18th century, almost every temple had its own list.

6. The icon "Unexpected Joy" is a unique phenomenon in icon painting. It depicts a dynamic plot. The sinner on his knees turns to the image of the Mother of God in the temple. This is one of the exceptional cases when an icon painter depicted an icon in an icon.

7. Another difference from the traditional image of Hodegetria is that the Mother of God does not bow over the baby. Her face and the face of Christ are turned towards the sinner. This artistic technique reflects the essence of the miracle - the appeal of the Mother of God and the Son of God to the praying person.

8. Most likely, the icon "Unexpected Joy" depicts the Ilyinsky icon of the Mother of God, lost in 1918, during the occupation of Chernigov by German troops.

9. “Unexpected Joy” should be understood in the meaning of joy, which they did not hope for and which they did not expect, the joy given by the Mother of God.

10. The Mother of God herself is called joy in the title, therefore both words are written with a capital letter.

11. There are at least 8 especially revered copies of the Unexpected Joy icon.

12. The most revered image of "Unexpected Joy" until 1917 was in the Church of the Burning Bush in Khamovniki. It was donated to the temple in 1835 according to the bequest of Alexandra Kunitsyna. In 1930, the temple was demolished by the Bolsheviks, the further fate of the icon is unknown.

13. The miracle of healing is attributed to the now lost image. In 1838, the icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" returned the hearing to the widow Anisya Stepanovna.

14. One of the miraculous images "Unexpected joy" is preserved in the church in the name of Elijah the Prophet. He was rescued in 1928 from the Constantine-Eleninsky Church in the Taininsky Garden of the Kremlin and secretly transported to a small church in the Second Obydensky Lane.

15. The icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy", kept in the temple of Elijah the Prophet, in 1959 was presented with a rich Riza. This was done with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I.

16. Another miraculous copy is in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" in Maryina Roshcha.

17. There is an akathist (“non-edible singing”) dedicated to the icon “Unexpected Joy”. It was adopted in 1901 by the censors of the Synodal Commission.

18. The icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" is prayed in those cases when the hope of solving the problem by ordinary means is no longer possible and one can only hope for the intercession of the Mother of God.

19. The icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" is also prayed for the return home of missing relatives.

20. In the Orthodox tradition, on May 14, June 3 and December 22, there is a celebration in honor of the Unexpected Joy icon of the Mother of God.

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