Miraculous Iberian icon of the Mother of God. Value in the history of the monastery of the same name and Russia

From historical sources it is known that in the tenth centuryin the Iversky monastery on Mount Athos there appeared the miraculous Iverian icon of the Mother of God, the value of which in the life of the monastic monastery is enormous. For many centuries she became a treasure and a talisman, a defender of enemies and an assistant in all endeavors. The sacred image has other names - Gatekeeper, Goalkeeper, Portaitis.

There is a distinctive feature by which the icon of the Iberian Mother of God is easily recognized. Photo of the shrine allows you to view the wound on the right cheek of the Virgin and a trickle of blood.

Icons are designed for people to prayand asked for intercession and help. The saints who are depicted on them are the direct intermediaries between man and God. The images of Christ and the Virgin are especially venerated. The faces of the Virgin Mary are many, and they all have their names and purposes.

And yet, among them the Iberianthe icon of the Mother of God, the significance of which is the storage of the house, protection from enemies, the protection of women, healing of bodily and spiritual ills. The history of this shrine begins with the time of Christ. It is believed that it was written by the apostle Luke - the first icon painter, who captured the sorrowful face of the Virgin with the Child Christ in his arms.

Wonderful story Iberian Icon of the Mother of God

According to Christian legends, in Asia Minor, nearfrom the city of Nicaea, lived a widow. The woman was pious and believing, she also instilled the Christian faith in her only son. In her house and kept this icon. In those days Emperor Theophilus ruled the country, who persecuted Christians in every possible way.

Once the imperial overseers came into the house. One of them noticed the image and pierced it with a spear. When the icon-bearer saw blood flow from the right cheek of the Virgin, he was horrified, fell to his knees and asked for forgiveness. After believing, he decided to save the miraculous icon and advised the woman how to do it.

Praying, the widow came to the beach at night andlet the shrine in the waves. She swam and after a while was nailed to the Iveron Monastery, which is on the Holy Mountain. At night, the monks noticed an unusual glow in the sea, from which a pillar of fire rose up to the sky. Such a miracle lasted for several days. Finally, the monks decided to find out what it was and swam closer to the boat.

The appearance of the icon in the Iversky Monastery

Seeing a wonderful icon, the monks tried to gether out of the water, but they failed. It was not given into the hands, but swam further, as soon as they approached. Returning with nothing to the monastery, the monks gathered in the church and began to pray to the Mother of God for help in finding her image.

At night, the Mother of God appeared in a dream to the elder Gabrieland told him that she wanted to give her image of the monastery of Iberia. In the morning the monks went to the seaside by the cross. Gabriel entered the water, and received the face with reverence. A wonderful image with honors and prayers was placed in the monastery church.

Further with the icon there were other miracles. In the morning she was on the wall above the gates of the Iberian monastery. The monks placed her several times in the temple, but the next day they were again found over the gates. The Mother of God once again dreamed of the monk Gabriel and opened her will to her: she does not want to be guarded, but she will be the guardian and protector of the monastery, and while her image is in the monastery, the grace and mercy of Christ will not be wasted.

The monks built the gateway in honor of Our Ladythe church and placed there a miraculous image. Many years later the widow's son came to the monastery and learned his family relic. For more than ten centuries the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God has been here, the value of which is very great, because it is the keeper of the monastery. His name was given to the image by the name of the monastery, where it is till now. A silver salary was made for the icon. Only the faces of the Virgin and the Child remained open. There are many cases when the Mother of God came to the aid of the monks, relieving hunger, disease and many barbarians trying to seize the holy abode.

Iversky Monastery

Iversky monastery is one of the 20 holy monasteries,located on Mount Athos, located on the peninsula of the same name in Greece. It was founded by Georgians, and the Monk Gabriel was also a Georgian by nationality.

The name has Georgian roots, according to the ancientthe name of their country (Iberia). Now it's a Greek monastery. The Greeks call him Ibiron, and Portaitissoy is called the holy image of the Iberian icon of the Mother of God. The meaning of this word sounds like "Gatekeeper" in Russian.

Currently, there are about 30novices and monks. Twice a year, on solemn dates (the Assumption Day and on the second day after Easter), processions are held with the removal of the main shrine of Iviron from the monastery (litany). The procession around the monastery is made, and then the procession goes to that place on the beach, where the miraculous icon was a monastic brotherhood.

It is striking that the holy image can carryAnyone who wants to attend is male spectators (women are not allowed into the monastery). Portaitissu endure in any weather, and nothing happens to it. It is not an invaluable rarity, which can only be viewed from a distance. Greeks refer to the miraculous image as a shrine, and not as a museum exhibit.

Iberian icon of the Mother of God. Importance in Russian History

Lists (copies) of a wonderful icon, the first of whichwere brought to Russia even under Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich, were especially revered in Russia. The relics from Athos were met in Moscow by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself, surrounded by a large crowd of Orthodox.

One of the lists was sent to Valdai, wherethe Iberian monastery was founded. The second was placed over the Moscow Voskresensky Gates, through which all the guests and the kings themselves entered the city. There was a ritual: going on a campaign or returning from it, the tsarist persons were bound to bow to the Mother of God, asking for her protection and patronage.

The common people had free access toVoskresensky gate, and the Goalkeeper became one of the most revered icons, the intercessor of Muscovites. Another list was taken to the homes of those who could not come to pray. After the October revolutionary upheavals, the chapel was destroyed.

In 1994, a new chapel was laid at the Voskresensky Gate, and a new list of the Iberian icon that has come from Athos is now kept in it.

He who deeply believes finds protection and comfort from the miraculous Iberian Mother of God.

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