Orthodox holiday of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Icon “Cathedral of Our Lady” and its riddles

The Orthodox Church, on the day after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, turns with songs of praise and gratitude to the Mother of God, who became the chosen instrument of Providence and gave birth to the Savior.

Holy Virgin Mary is the one who gave birth to the Savior, and that is why the holiday is set on January 8, immediately after His Birth.

Story

Feast of the Cathedral Holy Mother of God has ancient origin, its establishment refers to early times Christian Church. Already in the 4th century, Epiphanius of Cyprus, as well as Saint Ambrose of Milan and Blessed Augustine, in their teachings on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, combined praise of the born God-man with praise of the Virgin who gave birth to Him.

The official indication of the celebration of the Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the day after the Nativity of Christ can be found in rule 79 of the VI Ecumenical Council, held in 681.

On the celebration of the Council, the memory of those who were close to the Savior in the flesh is celebrated - St. Joseph the Betrothed, King David (the ancestor in the flesh of Jesus Christ) and St. James, the brother of the Lord, the son from the first marriage of St. Joseph the Betrothed.

Saint James, together with his father Joseph, accompanied the Mother of God and the Infant Jesus during their flight to Egypt.

According to the Gospel, after the Magi left Bethlehem, where they worshiped the newborn Savior and brought the gifts of the East, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, commanding him that he, along with the newborn baby Jesus and His Mother, should flee to Egypt and remain there until as long as he is commanded to return from there, since Herod wants to destroy the Baby. Joseph got up, took the Child and His Mother at night and went to Egypt.

Joseph the Betrothed, being an 80-year-old man, with the blessing of the high priest, accepted the Virgin Mary in order to preserve her virginity and purity. And although he was betrothed to the Most Pure One, his entire ministry was to protect the Mother of God.

The Prophet David was in the flesh the ancestor of the Lord and Savior, because, as it should have been, the Savior, the Messiah, came into the world from the line of David. And the Apostle James is called the brother of God because he was the eldest son of Joseph the Betrothed - from his first marriage. Jacob was a very pious man and after the Resurrection of Christ he was elected primate of the Jerusalem Church.

Traditions

In the old days in Rus' it was believed that the holiday of January 8th was even more important for women than the Nativity of Christ, since it was associated with the Mother of God. People believed that if a pregnant woman or her husband, even because of emergency If they work on this day, their child will be born with physical disabilities.

On the Mother of God, women began to carol (walk from house to house with congratulations, sing carols). They visited midwives, gave them communion with dinner, and also held dinners and memorial services for the dead. There is a belief that on the night of January 8, all the dead come to the temple and the deceased priests preside over the service.

Also by church calendar On January 8, the martyr Euthymius, St. Constantine, St. Evarest and icons are honored Mother of God, which are called “Three Joys”, “Merciful” and “Blessed Womb”.

"Gracious"

According to legend, the icon was painted by the holy evangelist Luke. It got its name “Kikkotis” from Mount Kykkos on the island of Cyprus. Here she is in the imperial monastery, in the temple built in her honor.

Before arriving on the island of Cyprus, the miraculous image of the Mother of God, by the will of God, wandered for a long time. At first he was in one of the first Christian communities in Egypt. When persecution of Christians arose here, the Kykkos icon was sent in 980 to Constantinople. But on the way the ship was captured by the Saracens.

However, the wicked enemies of the Christian faith were also captured by the Greeks, by whom the image was nevertheless delivered to Constantinople. Here the Kykkos Icon was kept in the royal palaces until the beginning of the 12th century. The image was then transported to the island of Cyprus.

The miraculous "Kykkos" icon of the Mother of God has a remarkable feature: it is unknown from what time, it is half covered with a veil from the upper left corner to the lower right, so that no one can or dares to see the faces of the Mother of God and the Divine Child. The image of the Mother of God on the icon is a type of Hodegetria, as is the image of the Smolensk icon of the Mother of God. The head of the Virgin Mary is crowned.

"Blessed Womb"

Until 1924, this icon was in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin; at present its location is unknown. The Barlovsky copy of this icon appeared on December 26 (January 8, new style) 1392, in memory of which a celebration was established on this day.

The image was brought to Moscow from the city of Bari, where it was at the tomb of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, hence the other name of the icon - “Barlovskaya”.

There are other icons of the Mother of God, known as the “Blessed Womb”. One of them is somewhat similar to the “Help in Childbirth” icon, and on the other the Mother of God is depicted wearing a crown, and the Eternal Child with an uncovered head. At the top there are images of two angels, with one hand supporting the crown on the head of the Most Pure Virgin, and with the other, a decoration in the form of a chain descending in a semicircle near the face of the Mother of God.

"Three Joys"

At the beginning of the 18th century, a certain pious painter brought from Italy a copy of an icon depicting the Holy Family. He left this image in Moscow with his relative, the priest of the Trinity Church on Gryazi. Subsequently, the priest donated the image brought to him to his parish church. Here the icon was placed on the porch, above the entrance to the church.

The Icon of the Mother of God of the “Three Joys” became famous for its miraculous help to one unfortunate woman who placed all her trust in the Mother of God.

Tradition says that one day a certain noble woman suffered three difficult trials in a short period of time - her husband was slandered and sent into exile, her estate was taken away, and her son was captured in the war.

The woman prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos for a long time, shedding tears; in a dream she heard a voice commanding her to find the icon of the Holy Family and pray in front of it. After a long search, she found this icon in the Moscow Trinity Church on Pokrovka.

The prayer of the unfortunate woman before the holy icon was heard, and soon her three sorrows turned into three joys: her husband was acquitted and returned from exile, the estate was given back, and her son was released from captivity. This is where the name of the icon came from - “Three Joys”.

In the icon, the Mother of God is depicted with the Eternal Child on her lap. On Her right hand stands Elder Joseph, and on Her left is John the Baptist, looking at the Infant God with love.

Prayer

O Most Holy Virgin, all-good Son of the all-good Mother, patroness of the reigning city and holy temple of this temple, faithful intercessor and intercessor to all who live in sins, sorrows, troubles and illnesses! Do not despise the prayers of us, Thy unworthy servants, and beg Thy Son and our God, that He may grant to all of us, who with faith and tenderness worship before Thy miraculous image, joy according to our every need: to those in sorrow and sorrow, consolation, to those in need, mercy, to those in great distress. unexpected healing and strengthening. O Most Holy Lady, have mercy on all who honor the all-honorable Your name and show to everyone Your omnipotent protection and intercession: make haste in every work pleasing to Your Son; Destroy every evil deed; in bewilderment and difficult and dangerous circumstances, invisible help and admonition were sent down from heaven. Bring up infants, young ones to be wise, open their minds to accept every useful teaching. Protect and preserve from domestic warfare and from enemies visible and invisible. Preserve marriages in love and like-mindedness, and protect your brothers and sisters from enmity with peace and love. And give to all of us love, peace and piety, and health with long life. Having ceased in faith and repentance from this life, create a life with the angels and all the saints, so that everyone in Heaven and on earth will lead You as our steadfast and shameless Representative of the Christian race, and, leading, glorify You and Your Son, with His Beginning Father and by His Consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The material was prepared based on open sources

About the Feast of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the same day, believers remember Saint Joseph the Betrothed and King David, from whose tribe were (descended according to the flesh) the Mother of God and Joseph the Betrothed. This is also the day of remembrance of Saint James, the brother of the Lord from the first marriage of Saint Joseph - he, James, later one of the first of the Lord's apostles among the seventy, was with the family during the flight of the Holy Family with the Infant Christ to Egypt from the persecution of King Herod.

The Mother of God became the vessel from which the Savior of mankind was born. She, who gave birth to her Son, the Lamb of God, who began his earthly journey in a den - a cave that served as a stall for livestock, gave Him up to suffer on the cross for all of us who believed in Him. With his precious Crucifixion, He turned the cross of torment and sorrow, a symbol of the most shameful execution among the Jews, into the Life-Giving Tree, and physical death, trampling hell, into the possibility of Resurrection in the flesh, which is available to everyone who trusts Him and follows Him.

The holiday was established in the first centuries of Christianity - Epiphanius of Cyprus, Saint Ambrose of Milan and Blessed Augustine, speaking about the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, in their first sermons and teachings combined praise of the Lord, His Incarnation into man with praises of the Most Pure Blessed Virgin. The final celebration of the day of the Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established at the Sixth Ecumenical Council, convened in 691, in its 79th rule.

Today the Church glorifies the Most Pure One for Her maternal feat, for the example of unparalleled humility before God given to us in Her person, for her unspeakable maternal suffering and the joy of her eternal presence after Her Dormition at the throne of our Lord Jesus Christ. It started with Her new era spiritual history of humanity. All of Her earthly life and suffering became the guarantee of Christ's Easter, through Her, together with the Infant God, came the fulfillment of prophecies about the Messiah and the future Good News about eternal life, which is possible for all who believe in the Son of God - the Son of Man.

Some signs and customs associated with the holiday

But, as everywhere else, national cultural roots could not disappear without a trace with the advent of Christianity. They were preserved in the form of rituals, folklore holidays, merging with the Orthodox church cultural tradition, which enriched and spiritually ennobled the folk tradition, giving it a deeper sound: Honey and Apple Spas, Christmas carols, Maslenitsa, where every day is the beginning of preparation for Lent, Easter, Trinity... All holidays contain a special, our, Russian national spirit. The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, too, in the old days was not only a spiritual holiday, but also a suitable joyful occasion for the preservation of certain customs and rituals.

In the old days, on this day, rural women baked pies and took them with them, going to church to “treat” the Most Pure One, and celebrated a special women’s holiday - “women’s porridge.” The women cooked delicious porridge, they took pies, homemade lard, meat for cabbage soup and flour and went to visit the midwives, so that those in the house would have wealth, so that the one who welcomes a newborn into the world would never need anything. It is not difficult to see a symbolic parallel in this, a veiled hint that the Blessed Virgin herself received the newborn Christ-child. In addition, the midwives were given canvases or towels so that the birth she took would be successful and easy. It was a woman's business, that's why unmarried girls, no men were allowed to participate in the holiday.

A little about the iconography of the icon dedicated to the holiday and other icons of the Mother of God

The most famous icon of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary comes from Serbia; it has been known in Russian iconography since the 14th century. Art historians consider this image to be a symbolic version of the “Nativity” icon, since its composition and the biblical characters present on it are close to the “Nativity” icon. It is also believed that the icon of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an illustration for the Christmas stichera written by St. John of Damascus, “What shall we bring,” since it accurately conveys the content of the stichera, which sings about all the gifts brought to His cradle: singing praising the Mother of God and the Child of God - from the angels, the star of Bethlehem - from heaven, gifts - from the wise men and amazement - from the shepherds. Here below are depicted those who sang the event of the Nativity, and the Mother of God, and the Fathers of the Church.

The Orthodox iconography of the Mother of God icons is very large and varied. There are more than 860 names in the iconography of the Mother of God icons, and those commemorated in the Russian calendar Orthodox Church- about 260 miraculous and revered images of Her. Usually the Virgin Mary is depicted in a purple maforia - a robe married woman, the purple color is the color of the royal affiliation of the Mother of God, on the maforia there are three stars located on the head and shoulders, and under the maforia the Most Holy One is dressed in a blue tunic.

We come to Her icons and pray to the Most Pure One before them. But She also speaks to us from the icons. Icon “Softening Evil Hearts” (Semistrelnaya)- Her indication to us of the need for peace and harmony among ourselves, for every discord - tribal, family, any - like a sharp arrow, pierces Her loving heart, because now, after the Incarnation, we and Her children are forever quarreling among themselves to the great sorrow of our common Heavenly Mother.

Much to pray for Kazan Icon of the Mother of God- one of the main icons of Russia, in whatever troubles those praying turn their gaze to the Mother of God, but especially in front of this icon they ask for deliverance from vision problems. In front of her, since she belongs to the Hodegetria-Guide type, as in front of any other icon of this type, for example, the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, they pray for help on the upcoming journey.

Before icon “Inexhaustible Chalice” they ask for relief from the disease of drug addiction, alcoholism and smoking, for resolution of housing problems, and in general they ask for prosperity in the house. And before the image of the Virgin Mary "Quick to Hear"- about the successful delivery of pregnancy and the birth of healthy children. They also pray for spiritual insight, especially in moments when a person is at a loss and does not know what to do. The Mother of God is addressed to the Mother of God in front of Her “Quick to Hear” icon in all cases when especially quick and effective help is needed in Her prayer to the Son. Also, the Mother of God, through her icon “Quick to Hear,” gives help in curing various diseases, even oncological ones.

Has a very powerful healing effect Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”("Pantanassa") She is known throughout the world as a cancer healer. The very name of the icon - “All-Mistress”, “All-Mistress” - speaks of its special, all-encompassing power. Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The All-Tsarina” they pray for healing from fatal diseases, most often from cancer, for deliverance from witchcraft and conspiracies, and parents whose children are addicted to drugs and alcohol turn to the Mother of God in front of Her icon “The All-Tsarina” for help.

According to legend, the first icon of Eleus - the Tenderness - was painted during the earthly life of the Mother of God by the Evangelist Luke, who entered the house of the Most Holy Theotokos. He depicted the Most Pure One on the tabletop at which the Holy Family was eating. One of the most famous and revered variants of Eleusa in Russian traditions is. In sorrows and temptations, they read prayers and akathists before her, praying to the Mother of God for the humility of those at war, for the softening of evil hearts, as well as for the healing of physical and mental illnesses.

Before any icon of the Mother of God we can ask for everything, but everyone who finds Her iconographic image in the history of its creation or acquisition, it carries Her commandment to us, which we can especially ask for precisely in front of this image. Therefore, the great many famous icons of the Mother of God are evidence of Her many all-encompassing love and attention to us and readiness for help and intercession.

But, remembering Her maternal feat, let us not forget to thank Her and praise Her for giving the world the Eternal God Jesus Christ, thereby opening for us the time of the New Testament, and, as they say, in one of the prayers, through Her Incarnation taken the whole human race for adoption.

Troparion of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, tone 4
Most Pure Mother of God, Mother of God, Thy venerable Cathedral is adorned with many different kindnesses, gifts are brought to Thee, O Lady, by many worldly people, Break our sinful bonds with Thy mercy and save our souls.

Kontakion of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, tone 6
Who was born before the star from the Father without a mother, on earth without a father was incarnated today from You. In the same way, the star preaches the good news to the sorcerer, while the angels and the shepherds sing your indescribable Nativity, O Blessed One.

Prayer - Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos
Theotokos, Virgin, rejoice, blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

There are a huge number of icons in Christianity that have their own unique history. The image of the “Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary” also belongs to such icons, although it is dedicated to a holiday or event.

“Cathedral” is translated as a gathering or mass meeting. This is one of the most common icons in Catholicism and Orthodoxy. You can read prayers in front of it or take it with you on a long journey. It is not necessary to leave it at home, because in its help this image is universal and unique.

History of the icon

“The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary” is a holiday, and one of the most ancient in Christianity. This is the meeting of all the saints, prophets, angels and martyrs next to the Virgin Mary on January 8th. Even ordinary people on this day the Mother of God is remembered, because she gave the world the Savior. This is the post-celebration of the Nativity of Christ. And it was for this day that this icon was painted.

There are several versions of the icon, because each of them was created in different times. Newer images contain only saints and prophets, but many older ones contain entire stories about life path Jesus Christ, as if this is a look into the future, because the Virgin Mary knew what awaited her son from the very beginning.

This icon can be an excellent gift for Christmas. You can give it to your mother, wife, sister, or you can buy it for your home. It is necessary to place it so that the Mother of God “sees” as much as possible.

This icon is often placed on the facades of churches. It is, for example, on the southern facade of the Church of the Mother of God in the village of Glinkovo, which is located in the Sergiev Posad district of the Moscow region. The point is that this image does not have specific purpose. He only points out the importance of the Mother of God in the birth of Christ.

What does an icon help with?

This is an icon with a unique versatility. The Mother of God will always help you find your mood and lead you on the right path in business. At home with such an icon, quarrels will be extremely rare. It will help in relationships between children and parents, as well as between husband and wife. Making general decisions for the family will be much easier. At the beginning of our era, when Christianity was just emerging as world religion, this icon was even miraculous. Many images helped people heal from illnesses and find meaning in life.

Before this icon you can and should read following prayers: “Living Help”, “Our Father”, “Creed”. This image is a symbol of most holidays associated with the Mother of God - Presentation, Intercession, Transfiguration, Christmas. If everything is bad in your personal life and if you are constantly visited by negative thoughts, you can read another prayer: “Holy forefathers, martyrs and all those close to our Lord, help us sinners to see the real world, so that sadness and spiritual weakness will recede forever and ever. Forgive us, gracious Mother Intercessor, as we ignore our sins. As if we doubt our faith and do not notice our dark deeds. Help us find happiness and transform our home with kindness and love. Amen."

Read this prayer every day if you feel overwhelmed by sadness. Be sure to purchase this icon for your home so that it protects your walls from any evil beginning.

One of the greatest twelve holidays, the Nativity of Christ, is the day of this icon. More precisely, her day is January 8, the time of remembrance of Mother Intercessor. This date is the day of veneration of the icon. Don't forget to visit church on this day if you have time and opportunity. Pray to all the saints and to the Mother of God, without whom there would be no Nativity of Christ. Don't forget to congratulate all mothers on this holiday. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

07.01.2018 05:32

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During the celebration of the Council of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Orthodox world turns to the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Savior, with songs of praise and gratitude.

Sputnik Georgia asked what kind of holiday the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is and what its essence and history are.

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The holiday is called the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because on this day the Saints who are directly related to the feast of the Nativity of Christ are venerated.

There is a peculiarity in the annual liturgical circle - on the day after the great holiday, the memory of the Saints who served this event is celebrated.

In the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, not only the Mother of God is venerated - on this day they remember Joseph, an elder who swore before God that he would preserve the virginity of the one who would give birth to the Savior of all things and for a long time helped the Virgin Mary.

Joseph was the first to see the child - Jesus Christ, he helped her escape to Egypt from Herod and his minions. He also sacrificed much so that Christ could fulfill the prophecies and fulfill his destiny.

On the feast of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary, they also remember King David, who was a direct relative of Christ, and Saint James, brother of the Lord, who was the son of Saint Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage.

Saint James, together with his father Joseph, accompanied the Mother of God and the Infant Jesus during their flight to Egypt.

History and traditions

The Feast of the Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the establishment of which dates back to the early times of the Christian Church, has ancient origins.

Epiphanius of Cyprus, Blessed Augustine and Saint Ambrose of Milan already in the 4th century, in their teachings on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, combined praise of the born Savior with praise of the Virgin Mary who gave birth to Him.

The instruction to celebrate the Council of the Most Holy Theotokos on the day after the Nativity of Christ was written down in Rule 79 of the VI Ecumenical Council, held in 681.

Icon "Our Lady of Vladimir" (1652. Front side of the double-sided icon. Simon Ushakov)

The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rus' was considered even more important for women than the Nativity of Christ, since it is associated with the Mother of God. In the old days they believed that if a pregnant woman or her husband worked on this day, even out of extreme necessity, their child would be born with physical disabilities.

On the feast of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary, women went from house to house with congratulations and sang carols - Christmas songs, visited midwives and gave them communion with dinner.

There is a belief that on the night of January 8, all the dead come to the temple, and the deceased priests lead the services, so on this day dinners and memorial services were held for the dead.

According to the church calendar, on January 8, the martyr Euthymius, St. Constantine, St. Evarest and eight icons of the Mother of God, including the icon called “Merciful,” are also honored.

Gracious

The icon of the Mother of God was painted, according to legend, by the Holy Evangelist Luke. The icon received the name “Kikkotis” (Dwelling in Kykkos) from Mount Kykkos, on the island of Cyprus. The icon is located in the imperial monastery, in the temple built in its honor.

The miraculous image of the Mother of God wandered for a long time before arriving on the island of Cyprus. At first he was in one of the first Christian communities in Egypt. When persecution of Christians arose there, the Kykkos Icon was sent to Constantinople in 980, but on the way the ship was captured by the Saracens.

In turn, the enemies of the Christian faith were captured by the Greeks, who took the image to Constantinople, where the Kykkos icon was kept in the royal palaces until the beginning of the 12th century.

Then the image was transported with great honors to the island of Cyprus, where it was placed in a temple built for it. A monastery gradually formed around the temple.

Many miracles began to be performed from the miraculous image of the Mother of God “Merciful”, therefore, from ancient times to this day, people obsessed with various ailments flock to the monastery from all sides and receive healing through their faith.

Not only Christians, but also non-Christians believe in the miraculous power of the Holy Icon.

The mercy of the Most Pure Mother of God and all those who suffer is inexhaustible, and truly the name “Merciful” is inherent in Her image.

On the icon, the image of the Mother of God is a type of “Eleusa”, the face Holy Mother of God tilted to the left, the Infant of God supports with his hand the edge of the maforium of the Mother of God, and in his joined hands is a Greek scroll.

Copies of the miraculous image "Merciful" appeared in Rus' in the 17th century - in the Moscow Zachatievsky convent one of the most famous and revered lists resided and was its main shrine.

The miraculous list was transferred after the destruction of the monastery in the 20s of the last century to the nearby Church of the Prophet Elijah in Obydensky Lane.

When monastic life in the monastery began to revive, the icon of the Mother of God “Merciful” returned in 1999 to its original place. Prayer before this icon strengthens and spiritually comforts all who turn with faith and hope to the Lady of Heaven.

Prayer

O Most Holy and Blessed Mother of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, Merciful Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary! Falling before the saints and the miraculous icon Yours, we humbly pray to You, our Good and Merciful Intercessor: listen to the voice of our sinful prayers, do not despise the sighs from the soul, seeing the sorrows and misfortunes that have befallen us, and like a truly loving Mother, trying to help us helpless, sad, fallen into many and serious sins and to those who ever anger our Lord and Creator, pray to Him, our Representative, not to destroy us with our iniquities, but to show us His philanthropic mercy. Ask us, O Lady, from His goodness, bodily health and spiritual salvation, a pious and peaceful life, fruitfulness of the earth, goodness of the air, well-timed rains and a blessing from above for all our good deeds and undertakings, and as of old you mercifully looked upon the humble praise of the novice of Athonite. , who sang a song of praise to You before Your Most Pure Icon, and You sent Archangel Gabriel to him to teach him to sing the heavenly song, with which the angels of the mountain glorify You, graciously accept our prayer now fervently offered to You, and bring it to Your Son and God, may He be merciful He will be a sinner for us, and He will add His mercy to all who honor Thee and worship Thy Holy Image with faith. O All-Merciful Queen, All-merciful Mother of God, stretch out your God-bearing hands to Him, in His image, as if you were carrying a baby, and beg Him to save us all and deliver eternal destruction. Show us, O Lady, Your generosity: heal the sick, comfort the sorrowing, help the needy: make us all prosperous to bear the yoke of Christ in patience and humility, grant us a pious end to this earthly life, receive a Christian shameless death, and inherit the Heavenly Kingdom, through Your maternal intercession to To Christ our God, who was born of You, and to Him with His Originless Father and the Most Holy Spirit, befits all glory, honor and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The material was prepared based on open sources

This day, like other similar days, is called a cathedral because, unlike individual holidays in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, such as Her Conception, Her Nativity, Her Annunciation and numerous holidays in honor of Her miraculous icons, on this day a general ( cathedral) celebration in honor and praise of the Mother of God. This holiday was established to be celebrated immediately after the Nativity of Christ because the Most Holy Virgin is revered primarily as the One from whom God the Son was born and became incarnate - our Savior Jesus Christ.

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Russian north, end of the 17th century)

Icon of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Rostov-Suzdal school, mid-15th century)

The miraculous icon “Rejoices in You...” was painted in the mid-16th century and was in the Solovetsky Monastery for many centuries. Nowadays it is an exhibit in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery. The icon is dedicated to the holiday called the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is celebrated on January 8, the day after the Nativity of Christ.

"He rejoices in You"
The name of the icon is given from the first words of the hymn dedicated to the Mother of God: “O Blessed One rejoices in You...” The Most Holy Theotokos is depicted in garden of paradise against the backdrop of a multi-domed temple - a symbol of Heavenly Jerusalem. At the foot of the throne on which the Mother of God sits with the Eternal Child, the author of the hymn is depicted - St. John of Damascus, hymn writer (December 17, New Style), in whose hands is a scroll with the text of the hymn. Below is a host of Orthodox saints praising the Mother of God.

Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Rejoices in You

“Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God” is the most revered image of the Mother of God in Rus'. Byzantium. XII century

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir is the greatest shrine of the Russian land. Three times she showed the miracle of saving Moscow from the Tatar-Mongol defeat. These facts of the miraculous protection of the Russian people from destruction were even included in the works of historians Klyuchevsky and Solovyov. The icon came to us from Byzantium. According to legend, it was written by the Apostle Luke on boards from the table at which the Last Supper took place. The Mother of God herself saw her and said: “May my grace and strength abide with this image.” This icon is very strong and very ancient; now it resides in the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, which is part of the State Tretyakov Gallery. To this shrine everyone Orthodox man must bow. Come to Moscow, pray in front of the icon and venerate it.
Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos
"Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You, blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls."
Church Slavonic writing

Icon with image various types icons of the Virgin Mary

Prayer to the Mother of God
O Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord Most High, Intercessor and protection of all who resort to You! Look down from Thy holy height upon me, a sinner, falling before Thy most pure image; hear my warm prayer and offer it before your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; beg Him to illuminate my gloomy soul with the light of His Divine grace, to deliver me from all need, sorrow and illness, to grant me a quiet and peaceful life, physical and mental health, to pacify my suffering heart and heal its wounds, to guide me for good deeds, may my mind be cleansed from vain thoughts, and having taught me to fulfill His commandments, may He deliver me from eternal torment and may He not deprive me of His Heavenly Kingdom. O Most Holy Theotokos! You, O Joy of All Who Sorrow, hear me who mourns; You, called the Satisfaction of Sorrow, assuage my sorrow; You, Kupino the Burning, save the world and all of us from the harmful fiery arrows of the enemy; You, the Seeker of the Lost, do not allow me to perish in the abyss of my sins. According to Bose, all my hope and hope is in Tyabo. Be my Intercessor in temporary life and in eternal life before Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Intercessor. To you, Most Holy Mother of God, Most Blessed Mary, reverently honor you until the end of my days. Amen.