To the readers of the Kommersant newspaper – Kommersant Newspaper No. 191 (7392) dated 10/14/2022
[ad_1]
Protection of the Holy Mother of God
On October 14, 910, an event occurred in the Blachernae Church of the besieged Constantinople, which was recorded in the historical annals and the lives of the saints. The inhabitants of the capital of Byzantium, facing the threat of destruction by the barbarians, together with the emperor and the patriarch, gathered in the temple in order to “with one mouth and one heart” beg God to save their city and people from destruction. During the All-Night Vigil before Sunday afternoon, early in the morning, Blessed Andrew, a fool for Christ, with his disciple Epiphanius saw under the vaults of the temple on the clouds the Most Holy Virgin Mary surrounded by angels, apostles and saints. In the blaze of the Divine Light, the Mother of God descended, entered the altar, prayed, and went out to the pulpit (from the Greek ἄμβων – elevation), where, according to custom, the Gospel was read at the service. Taking off Her veil sparkling with heavenly beauty, She spread it over all the worshipers, covering with Her omophorion (from the Greek ὠμοφόριον, lit.: worn on the shoulders) all the inhabitants of Orthodox Byzantium. And a miracle happened – the enemy ships retreated, the enemies fled, Constantinople was saved.
Over time, in the Greek Church, the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos lost its popularity. In Russia, he gained popular love. Already in the 12th century, thanks to the right-believing Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, magnificent churches were built (for example, the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl), the holiday was overgrown with customs and traditions of cultural life, and the Intercession Monasteries were opened. Since that time, Russia has been called the “House of the Most Holy Theotokos”, because the following words are heard in the troparion of the holiday: “Cover us with Your sacred Veil and deliver us from all evil …”
Indeed, under the protection of the Most Pure Mother of God, the Orthodox faith grew, although the history of our land knows terrible and tragic periods, therefore the heavenly intercession of the Mother of God through the appearance of her icons, the instructions of Russian saints in difficult periods of our history is evidence of the special care of the Most Holy Theotokos for the Russian Land.
But why does the Mother of God allow trials for our people? Just as She stood at the Cross of Her Son, without uttering a word, neither with a cry, nor with tears, without betraying her suffering, believing that after the crucifixion of Christ His Resurrection would come, the Blessed Virgin Mary is waiting for our repentance and sincere prayer for the healing of passions and lusts . And we, the disciples of Christ, partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and confessing Him as True God and True Man, must remember the repentant thief who was the first to enter Paradise. We must restore catholicity as a way of life. We were divided by mammon (that is, the power of wealth), let us renounce him, because according to the Holy Scriptures it is impossible to serve two gods: God and mammon (Matt. 6:24). Let us reject the power of money, lies and violence, and, as more than 1000 years ago, with the whole world, with repentance and prayer, we will come to the temple. And the Protection of the Most Pure Mother of God will appear over us and reconciliation will come with God, with each other and within ourselves.
Let love triumph! Happy holiday to all of you, with the Protection of the Most Holy Lady of our Mother of God!
[ad_2]
Source link
