The couple, Joachim and Anna, came from a noble family and were righteous before God. Having material wealth, they were not deprived of spiritual wealth. Adorned with all virtues, they immaculately observed all the commandments of God's law. For each holiday, pious spouses separated two parts from their property - one was given for church needs, and the other was distributed to the poor.

With their righteous life, Joachim and Annatak pleased God that He vouchsafed them to be the parents of the Blessed Virgin, the chosen Mother of the Lord. From this alone it is already clear that their life was holy, pleasing to God and pure, since they had a Daughter, the Holiest of all saints, who pleased God more than anyone else, and the Most Honest of the Cherubim.

At that time there were no people on earth more pleasing to God than Joachim and Anna, because of their immaculate lives. Although at that time it was possible to find many living righteously and pleasing God, these two surpassed everyone in their virtues and appeared before God as the most worthy for the Mother of God to be born from them. Such mercy would not have been granted to them by God if they had not truly surpassed everyone in righteousness and holiness.

But just as the Lord Himself had to be incarnate from the Most Holy and Most Pure Mother, so it was fitting for the Mother of God to come from holy and pure parents. Just as the kings of the earth have their porphyry, made not from simple matter, but from gold-woven material, so Heavenly King He wanted to have His Most Pure Mother, in whose flesh, as in royal purple, He had to be clothed, born not from ordinary incontinent parents, as if from simple matter, but from chaste and holy ones, as if from cloth of gold, the prototype of which was the Old Testament tabernacle, which God commanded Moses to make of scarlet and scarlet cloth and fine linen (Ex. 27:16).

This tabernacle prefigured the Virgin Mary, in whom God dwelt “to dwell with men,” as it is written: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them” (Rev. 21:3). The scarlet and scarlet cloth and fine linen from which the tabernacle was made typified the parents of the Mother of God, who came and was born from chastity and abstinence, as if from scarlet and scarlet clothing, and their perfection in fulfilling all the commandments of the Lord, as if from fine linen.

But these holy spouses, by God’s will, were childless for a long time, so that in the very conception and birth of such a daughter the power of God’s grace, the honor of the Born One and the dignity of the parents would be revealed; for it is impossible for a barren and aged woman to give birth otherwise than by the power of God’s grace: it is no longer nature that acts here, but God, who defeats the laws of nature and destroys the bonds of infertility. To be born from barren and elderly parents is a great honor for the one born herself, because she is born not from incontinent parents, but from abstinent and elderly ones, such as Joachim and Anna, who lived in marriage for fifty years and had no children.

Finally, through such a birth, the dignity of the parents themselves is revealed, since after a long period of infertility they gave birth to joy to the whole world, thereby becoming like the holy patriarch Abraham and his pious wife Sarah, who, according to the promise of God, gave birth to Isaac in his old age (Gen. 21:2). However, without a doubt, we can say that the Nativity of the Mother of God is higher than the birth of Isaac by Abraham and Sarah. Just as much as the born Virgin Mary herself is higher and more worthy of honor than Isaac, so much greater and higher is the dignity of Joachim and Anna than Abraham and Sarah.

They did not immediately achieve this dignity, but only through diligent fasting and prayers, in spiritual grief and in heartfelt sorrow, they begged God for this: and their sorrow turned into joy, and their dishonor was a harbinger of great honor, and the diligent petition of the leader to receive benefits, and prayer is the best intercessor.

Joachim and Anna grieved and cried for a long time that they had no children. Once, on a great holiday, Joachim brought gifts to the Lord God in the Jerusalem Temple; together with Joachim, all the Israelites offered their gifts as sacrifices to God. Issachar, the high priest at that time, did not want to accept Joachim’s gifts because he was childless.

“We should not,” he said, “accept gifts from you, because you do not have children, and therefore no blessings from God: you probably have some secret sins.”

Also, one Jew from the tribe of Reuben, who brought his gifts along with others, reproached Joachim, saying:

“Why do you want to make sacrifices to God before me?” Do you not know that you are not worthy to bring gifts with us, for you will not leave descendants in Israel?

These reproaches greatly saddened Joachim, and in great sorrow he left the temple of God, disgraced and humiliated, and the holiday for him turned into sadness, and the festive joy was replaced by sorrow. Deeply grieving, he did not return home, but went into the desert to the shepherds who tended his flocks, and there he cried about his barrenness and about the reproaches and reproaches made to him.

Remembering Abraham, his forefather, to whom God had given a son already in old age, Joachim began to earnestly pray to the Lord that He would grant him the same favor, would hear his prayer, have mercy and take away the reproach from people from him, granting him in his old age the fruit of his marriage, as Abraham once was.

“May I,” he prayed, “have the opportunity to be called the father of a child, and not endure reproaches from people childless and rejected from God!”

Joachim added fasting to this prayer and did not eat bread for forty days.

“I won’t eat,” he said, “and I won’t return to my house; Let my tears be my food, and let this desert be my home, until the Lord God of Israel hears and takes away my reproach.

In the same way, his wife, being at home and hearing that the high priest did not want to accept their gifts, reproaching her for barrenness, and that her husband had retired into the desert out of great sorrow, cried inconsolable tears.

“Now,” she said, “I am the most unfortunate of all: rejected by God, reproached by people and abandoned by my husband!” What to cry about now: about your widowhood, or about childlessness, about your orphanhood, or about the fact that you are not worthy to be called a mother?!

She cried so bitterly all those days.

Anna's slave, named Judith, tried to console her, but could not: for who can console one whose sadness is as deep as the sea?

One day, sad Anna went into her garden, sat down under a laurel tree, sighed from the depths of her heart and, raising her eyes, full of tears to the sky, saw a bird’s nest with little chicks on the tree. This sight caused her even greater grief, and she began to cry with tears:

- Woe to me, childless! I must be the most sinful among all the daughters of Israel, that I alone am so humiliated before all the wives. Everyone carries the fruit of their womb in their hands - everyone is comforted by their children: I alone am alien to this joy. Woe is me! The gifts of all are accepted in the temple of God, and they are shown respect for their childbearing: I alone am rejected from the temple of my Lord. Woe is me! Who will I be like? neither to the birds of the air, nor to the beasts of the earth: for they too bring You, O Lord God, their fruit, but I alone am barren. I cannot even compare myself with the earth: for it vegetates and grows seeds and, bearing fruit, blesses You, the Heavenly Father: I alone am barren on earth. Woe is me, Lord, Lord! I am alone, sinful, without offspring. You, Who once gave Sarah the son Isaac in her old age (Gen. 21:1-8), You, Who opened the womb of Anna, the mother of Your prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 1:20), look now upon me and hear my prayers. Lord Hosts! You know the reproach of childlessness: stop the sadness of my heart and open my womb and make me barren and fruitful, so that we bring what I have born to You as a gift, blessing, singing and glorifying Your mercy in agreement.

When Anna cried and sobbed, an angel of the Lord appeared to her and said:

- Anna, Anna! your prayer has been heard, your sighs have passed through the clouds, your tears have appeared before God, and you will conceive and give birth to the most blessed Daughter; through Her all the tribes of the earth will receive blessings and salvation will be granted to the whole world; her name will be Maria.

Hearing the angelic words, Anna bowed to God and said:

“The Lord God lives, if a child is born to me, I will give him to serve God.” Let him serve and glorify Him holy name God is day and night all the time of his life.

After this, filled with indescribable joy, Saint Anna quickly went to Jerusalem, there to give thanks to God with prayer for His merciful visit.

At the same time, an Angel appeared to Joachim in the desert and said:

- Joachim, Joachim! God has heard your prayer and is pleased to grant you His grace: your wife Anna will conceive and give birth to you a daughter, whose birth will be a joy for the whole world. And here is a sign for you that I am preaching the truth to you: go to Jerusalem to the temple of God and there, at the golden gates, you will find your wife Anna, to whom I announced the same thing.

Joachim, surprised by such angelic news, praising God and thanking Him with his heart and lips for his great mercy, hastily went to the Jerusalem temple with joy and joy. There, as the angel had told him, he found Anna at the golden gate, praying to God, and told her about the angel’s gospel. She also told him that she had seen and heard an angel who announced the birth of her daughter. Then Joachim and Anna glorified God, who had shown them such great mercy, and, having worshiped Him in the holy temple, they returned to their home.

And Saint Anna conceived on the ninth day of December, and on the eighth of September her daughter was born, the Most Pure and Most Blessed Virgin Mary, the beginning and intercessor of our salvation, at whose birth both heaven and earth rejoiced. On the occasion of Her birth, Joachim brought great gifts, sacrifices and burnt offerings to God, and received the blessing of the high priest, priests, Levites and all the people for being worthy of God’s blessing. Then he arranged a rich meal in his house, and everyone glorified God with joy.

Her parents took care of the growing Virgin Mary like the apple of their eye, knowing, by a special revelation of God, that She would be the light of the whole world and the renewal of human nature. Therefore, they raised Her with such careful prudence as befitted the One who was to be the Mother of our Savior. They loved Her not only as a daughter, long awaited, but also revered Her as their mistress, remembering the angelic words spoken about Her, and foreseeing in spirit what would happen to Her.

She, filled with Divine grace, mysteriously enriched her parents with the same grace. Just as the sun illuminates the stars of heaven with its rays, giving them particles of its light, so God’s chosen Mary, like the sun, illuminated Joachim and Anna with the rays of the grace given to her, so that they too were filled with the Spirit of God and firmly believed in the fulfillment of the angelic words.

When the youth Mary was three years old, her parents led Her with glory into the temple of the Lord, accompanying her with lighted lamps, and dedicated Her to the service of God, as they had promised. Several years after the introduction of Mary into the temple, Saint Joachim died, eighty years old. Saint Anna, remaining a widow, left Nazareth and came to Jerusalem, where she remained near her Most Holy Daughter, praying incessantly in the temple of God. Having lived in Jerusalem for two years, she rested in the Lord, being 79 years old.

Oh, how blessed are you, holy parents, Joachim and Anna, for the sake of your Most Blessed Daughter!

You are especially blessed for the sake of Her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all the nations and tribes of the earth received blessings! It is right that the Holy Church called you Fathers of God, 3 for we know that God was born from your Most Holy Daughter. Now standing close to Him in heaven, pray that at least some part of your endless joy will be given to us. Amen.

Troparion, tone 1:

Who in legal grace was righteous and gave birth to a God-given child to us, Joachim and Anna: the same day, joyfully celebrating, the divine church honors your memory, glorifying God, who raised the horn of salvation for us in the house of David.

Kontakion, voice 2:

Now Anna rejoices, having resolved her infertility, and nourishes the Most Pure One, calling all to sing praises, who from her womb bestowed upon man one Mother and the unartful

The Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God, The Queen of Heaven is the earthly mother of Jesus Christ. There are not many references to Her in the Scriptures earthly path and absolutely nothing about what the Mother of Christ felt and thought at the time of His execution on Calvary. In the Bible, nothing distracts from the main thing - the Word of God. We tried to talk about why the Mother of God is revered in Christianity and what we know about Her earthly life.

The Virgin Mary. Childhood

According to Tradition, the Virgin Mary was born in one of the suburbs of Jerusalem. Presumably, the house in which She lived until she was three years old was located in the Old City, near the Lion Gate. The parents of the Virgin Mary were the righteous Joachim and Anna. They did not have children for a long time, so they made a vow to dedicate the child to God.

On December 4, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. At the age of three, the Virgin Mary was sent to an orphanage at the Jerusalem Temple, where She grew up and was raised. At the same time, the Virgin Mary was brought into the temple itself. The introduction to the temple was perfect unique event, because in those days a woman could not enter this building. Only the High Priests were allowed there, and not every day, but only once a year, but when he saw the Virgin Mary, the High Priest allowed Her there, obviously sensing that before him was the future animate Temple of God.

At the temple, the Virgin Mary studied, studied, grew up in a religious environment and led a righteous life. It was there that the Virgin Mary lived before her betrothal to the righteous Joseph. The modern Western Wall in Israel is part of the wall that surrounded that temple.

The Virgin Mary. Boyhood

The Virgin Mary dreamed of living at the temple and dedicating herself to God. But they could not leave her at the temple after coming of age (in those days the age of majority was 12 years old). For that time, this was an amazing decision, because the decision not to marry in order to devote oneself to the Lord became widespread later. In those days, “be fruitful and multiply” was not perceived as a blessing, but rather as a commandment and necessity. According to the laws of that time, the Virgin Mary had to return to her parents' house or get married. Then Mary was betrothed to righteous Joseph. Joseph had already reached an advanced age by that time, so the marriage was not a marriage in the full sense of the word. Joseph did not know Mary, he became more of a guardian and mentor, since after coming of age she had nowhere to go. She was left an orphan.

The Virgin Mary. good news

The Virgin Mary moved to Nazareth, to her husband's house. In those days it was a remote place, not at all where She was used to living. But it was here that an Angel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce the Good News. Righteous Joseph was a carpenter and often left home to work. An angel appeared to the Virgin Mary at that very moment. According to Tradition, Mary went to her relative, the righteous Elizabeth, the future relative of John the Baptist. She spent three months in Elizabeth's house. During this time, it became clear that the Virgin Mary was expecting a child. Joseph, having discovered that the Virgin Mary was not idle, was saddened, thinking that she had sinned and decided to secretly release her in order to protect her from shame and execution. Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream to inform him of the Divine nature of the Virgin’s conception, who did not know a husband. The angel commanded to name the Son of Mary Jesus, which means Savior, clearly denoting His Heavenly origin. Joseph was so righteous and faithful to God that he did not need additional miracles.

“He is born on earth not in order to live: for for this He did not need an earthly birth, but in order to die, in order to descend into hell itself, in order to give birth to life from death, from hell to the sons of heaven, from destruction to those saved. This is how He saves his people from their sins. The Angel did not say to Joseph: “She will give birth to you a Son,” says St. John Chrysostom, “but only said: “She will give birth to a Son,” for Mary gave birth not to Joseph, and not to Joseph, but to the whole Universe.”

Nativity

Jesus was born in a stable, in a cattle stall. To participate in the census, the Virgin Mary and Joseph, both belonging to the family of David, went to Bethlehem, but there was no place for them in the hotel, just as there was no place for the Son of God in our fallen world. The first manger for Jesus was a cattle feeder. As the Gospel of Luke says, the first to hear this news were shepherds grazing their flocks near the birthplace of the Savior. They learned great joy from the Angel of the Lord and hastened to worship the Infant God.

The angel said to them: “Do not be afraid: for behold, I bring you great joy and good news, which will be for all people, because today a Savior is born to you, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.”

The Magi Melchior, Balthazar and Gaspar also saw a star in the East and went to bring gifts to the Savior of the World.

Virgin Mary and the miracle in Cana of Galilee

On the eighth day, the Baby Jesus was circumcised according to the traditions of that time, and on the fortieth day he was brought to the Jerusalem Temple. It was there that Simeon the God-Receiver predicted future suffering to the Virgin Mary. Further in Scripture we see references to how at the age of twelve Jesus was lost during a visit to the Temple of Jerusalem and it turned out that He communicated with the priests who listened to Him. The Virgin Mary was also present at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus turned water into wine. He did this at the request of his Mother, nevertheless mentioning that “the time has not yet come.” This was the first miracle performed by Jesus.

On the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples were also invited to a wedding. And because there was a shortage of wine, the Mother of Jesus said to Him: They have no wine. Jesus says to Her: What do I and You have, Woman? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants: whatever He tells you, do it.

There were six stone waterpots here, standing according to the custom of Jewish purification, containing two or three measures. Jesus says to them: Fill the vessels with water. And they filled them to the top. And he says to them: Now draw some and bring it to the master of the feast. And they carried it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine - and he did not know where this wine came from, only the servants who drew the water knew - then the steward calls the groom and says to him: every person first serves good wine, and when they get drunk, then the worst; and you have saved good wine until now. Thus Jesus began miracles in Cana of Galilee and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
(John 2:1-11)

The most tragic moment in the life of the Virgin Mary, which is mentioned in Scripture, was the presence at Calvary, where the Mother of God looked at the execution of our Lord Jesus Christ. From the cross, Jesus says to his beloved disciple John: “Behold your mother!” Delegating the care of His earthly Mother to the Apostle John.

All the disciples gathered to say goodbye to the Mother of God before her Assumption. According to Tradition, the Virgin Mary participated in the drawing of lots in deciding whether where will he go preach each of them. The Virgin Mary did not die in our usual understanding of the word. After the Ascension of Jesus, the Virgin Mary remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian. When King Herod began persecuting Christians, the Virgin Mary retired with John to Ephesus and lived there in the house of his parents.

The Virgin Mary tirelessly prayed that the Lord would quickly take her to Himself. And then the Archangel Gabriel announced Her imminent death. Having seen the disciples of Christ, She gave up Her soul into the hands of the Lord, and immediately angelic singing was heard.

Mother of God or Holy Virgin plays a key role in Orthodox faith like the mother of Christ. The Virgin Mary, as Catholics prefer to call her, plays one of the key roles in the development of Christianity.

The life of the Most Holy Theotokos proves how important the role of the Mother of God is in Christian culture. The Mother of God is considered one of the main saints of the Orthodox Church.

The greeting of Archangel Gabriel brought Mary the news of her destiny - the birth of the Son of God.

“Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Blessed are You among wives!”

These words became the beginning of the sacrament - the immaculate conception and birth of Jesus Christ. Mary was greeted with a similar greeting by Saint Elizabeth, who learned from the Holy Spirit that before her was the Mother of God.

To find out who the Mother of God is, what her role is in Christian culture, you should read the description of the life of the Mother of God, her Dormition and the rules of veneration of the Most Pure Virgin in the Orthodox tradition.

Mother of God: mother of Jesus Christ who made significant contributions to the development of Christianity.

Life of the Virgin Mary before the birth of Jesus

Biography of the Sacred Virgin in Holy Scripture The New Testament is episodic and does not reveal anything about the birth, the introduction into the temple and other important events in the life of the Virgin Mary. The life of the Mother of God is described by Church Traditions:

• Ancient tales;
• Early Christian writings, such as the Gospel of Thomas.

Ever-Virgin Mary was born during the reign of King Herod, in the suburbs of Jerusalem.

• What were the names of the parents: Joachim and Anna.
• The parents of the Mother of God were wealthy and noble people.
• The father of the Virgin Mary, Joachim, was from a family descended from King David.
• The Mother of the Mother of God is Anna, the daughter of a priest from Bethlehem.

Having lived together for more than 40 years, Anna and Joachim remained childless.

Despite this, the couple’s faith did not fade; they accepted childlessness as God's will. The couple accepted their cross and prayed only for greater piety and the opportunity to help the weak.

After 50 years of marriage, the Angel of the Lord announced to them the imminent birth of a daughter, who was named Mary.

Chosen from the human race, the ancestors of Christ, who gave birth to the Most Blessed Virgin of God, from Whom is not according to the flesh the Son of God was born, the holy and righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anno! For those who have great boldness towards Christ God and stand before His heavenly Throne, pray diligently for us to be delivered from troubles, so that we may call to you: Rejoice, holy and righteous Fathers of God. Akime and Anno.

The Mother of the Virgin Mary took a vow to help the poor, so at the age of three she was sent to the temple to serve, where she lived and studied God’s Laws.

The Mother of God studied and lived in the temple until she was 12 years old. At this age, the girl should get married. By this time, Maria's parents had died. The marriage was prevented by the girl's vow of celibacy as a child.

Having entered adulthood, Maria:

• She couldn't live alone, otherwise she would violate the law prohibiting living unmarried girls one;
• Marry.

The priests of the temple in which Mary lived her life decided to marry her off formally. The selection of candidates was carried out according to the following considerations:

• The husband had to be a widower;
• The husband must be virtuous in order to protect the purity and chastity of his wife.

They decided to choose the spouse by drawing lots to express the will of the Lord. One of the candidates was Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth.

The draw was carried out as follows:

• The candidates gathered in the temple;
• The high priest took the staff from each of them;
• The priest returned the staff to each participant, awaiting a sign from above.

During the drawing of lots in the temple, when the priest returned Joseph's staff, the wide end of the staff was separated and transformed into a dove, which landed on Joseph's head. Thus God's will was accomplished.

At age 14, Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter who was also descended from David.

Mary's husband: Joseph, widower.

According to legend, it is known that Saint Mary resigned herself to her fate. Soon the parents of Jesus Christ learned about their destiny. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, who announced that Mary would give birth to a son, his name should be Jesus (Yeshua), which in Hebrew means “Savior”, who will save people from their sins.

Joseph left home for several months, going to work. Maria stayed at home, looked after the household and prayed for a long time. During one of the prayers, Archangel Gabriel descended to the Mother of God, announcing the impending birth of a son.

“Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”

The son, according to Gabriel, will become the savior of people on earth, for whom the Jews have been waiting for many years. The Mother of God was embarrassed by the news because she was a virgin. The angel replied that the Most Pure Virgin would suffer not from a man, but from a higher power.

The appearance of the angel was called the Annunciation and became important holiday in Christian culture. The Annunciation is celebrated on April 7.

When Joseph returned, he realized that Mary was pregnant. The old man did not immediately believe his wife, believing that the girl had been deceived and seduced. He did not blame his wife and wanted to let her flee the city in order to save her from punishment for treason. Then the angel again appeared to the carpenter and told about the immaculate conception of the Mother of God.

Shortly before the birth, a population census was announced. The people had to visit Bethlehem to take part in the census. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem. Arriving in the city, they were unable to find accommodation for the night. Then the couple stayed overnight in the shepherds’ cave.

I started my life in the cave earthly life Jesus Christ. On the night of Mary’s birth of the Son of God, the Star of Bethlehem lit up above the cave, and when they saw it, the Magi headed to the cave to greet the Son of God.

Mary gave birth to Jesus presumably between the ages of 14 and 16.

The life of the Virgin Mary after the birth of Christ

While the couple and the newborn were in Bethlehem, King Herod learned about the birth of the messenger of God. In his search for Jesus, Herod ordered the killing of all the babies living in Bethlehem. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned the old man about the approaching trouble. The couple hid in Egypt. When the danger had passed, the family returned to Nazareth.

Future life The Mother of God is described briefly in the Gospel.

Mary accompanied her son everywhere, helping to bring the Word of the Lord to people. Mary also witnessed the miracle of Christ, that is, the transformation of water into wine.

The Mother of God was on Calvary during the execution of Pilate's order to crucify Christ. The Mother of God felt the pain of her son and lost consciousness when her palms were pierced by nails.

Important events in the life of the Mother of God are described in the Gospel of Luke, who knew her closely and painted an icon from her, which became the prototype of all subsequent icons. After the death of her son, the Mother of God, together with the apostles, continued to spread the Word of God. Maria never spoke in person in front of people, except for the occasion during a visit to Mount Athos.

The Mother of God went to Cyprus, but a storm carried the ship into the Aegean Sea, to Mount Athos. The islands were the heart of pagan worship.

After leaving the ship, Mary encountered crowds of people who wanted to learn the teachings of Christ. The Mother of God told them about forgiveness, about love for neighbor and God - the essence of the teachings of Christ.

After the sermon, the people living on Mount Athos decided to be baptized. Leaving Athos, Mary blessed the people and said:

the Virgin Mary

“Behold, it is my lot to become my Son and my God! God's grace to this place and to those who abide in it with faith and fear and with the commandments of My Son; with a little care, everything on earth will be abundant for them, and they will receive heavenly life, and the mercy of My Son will not fail from this place until the end of the age, and I will be a warm intercessor to My Son for this place and for those who dwell in it.”

Assumption of the Virgin Mary

During prayer, the mother of Jesus Christ again saw Archangel Gabriel walking towards her with a branch of a paradise date. The Archangel told her that in three days the Virgin Mary’s life on earth would end. At the command of God, the apostles gathered in the Jerusalem temple. At the hour of the end of her life, Maria saw an extraordinary glow. Jesus, surrounded by angels, appeared to the Most Pure One and took her soul.

Three days later, the Apostle Thomas arrived in Jerusalem, but was not present at the burial. Thomas was deeply saddened that he could not say goodbye to the Mother of God. Having opened the cave, the apostles found the tomb empty. During evening prayer, the apostles heard angels, surrounded by whom the Virgin Mary appeared to them, saying to the apostles:

the Virgin Mary

“Rejoice! I am with you all the days!”

The day of the death of the Virgin Mary is one of the main church festivities and is called the Dormition of the Virgin Mary and is celebrated on August 28. In searching for an answer to the question of how many years the Mother of God lived, one should rely on the calculations of the ancient church fathers. The earthly life of the Holy Virgin is 72 years.

The Mother of God lived 72 years.

The Mother of God is deeply revered. There are more than 300 icons Mother of God. Cathedrals Christian states are named after the Mother of God. Since the beginning of Christianity, there have been many apparitions of the Virgin Mary, in honor of which religious processions, special prayers are said. Notable apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the Orthodox faith are:

• Appearance to Sergius of Radonezh;
• Appearance to Seraphim of Sarov;
• Appearance to Andrei Yurodivy;
• Appearance to Andrei Bogolyubsky.

Theotokos, Mother of God, Mother of God, Virgin Mary - V church tradition names of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ.

The name “Theotokos” is known among all Orthodox Slavs. The constant epithet of the Mother of God among the Orthodox Slavs is Most Holy, Most Pure, sometimes replacing her name.

The folk cult of the Mother of God differs from the church cult in being more down to earth. The Mother of God acts as a protector from troubles, evil spirits, misfortunes and suffering. She is a heavenly intercessor, sympathetic, merciful and sympathetic. Therefore, they often turn to her in prayers, conspiracies, and spells.

The Virgin Mary is considered the patroness of women in labor. And, of course, the Mother of God is the intercessor of children in this and the next world.

With the exception of Jesus Christ, there is not a single saint in Christian iconography who has been so often depicted by artists of all times as the face of the Blessed Virgin. At all times, icon painters tried to convey to the face of the Mother of God all the beauty, tenderness, dignity and grandeur of which their imagination was capable.

The Mother of God in Russian icons is always in sadness, but this sadness can be different: sometimes sorrowful, sometimes bright, but always filled with spiritual clarity, wisdom and great spiritual strength. The Mother of God can solemnly “reveal” the Child to the world, she can gently, press her Son to Herself, or lightly support Him - She is always full of reverence, worships her Divine Child and meekly resigns herself to the inevitability of sacrifice. Lyricism, enlightenment and detachment are the main features characteristic of the depiction of the Virgin Mary on Russian icons.

Only a small part of the iconography dedicated to the Mother of God - the Mother of God - is presented here.

Kazan is the most revered icon in Rus', the image of the intercessor of the entire people.

Vladimirskaya - The image of the intercessor mother in all troubles and sorrows.

Quick to Hear- pray for the Lord to hear people’s prayers.

Iverskaya - they pray for protection from enemies and ill-wishers.

Soothe my sorrows- pray for consolation in sad moments of life.

Merciful - they pray for the granting of a Divine miracle, healing.

Feodorovskaya - people pray in front of this icon during difficult childbirth.

Jerusalem - pray for family well-being, health, conceiving children.

Kozelshchanskaya - pray for the healing of orthopedic diseases,

Three-handed - pray for the healing of diseases of the hands and feet.

Look to humility- pray for healing from illnesses, oh women's health and well-being.

blessed sky- pray for the granting of God's Grace in Everyday life, help with business.

Softening evil hearts- pray to soften the hearts of those who come to you with evil thoughts.
Tenderness - mothers pray for the successful marriage of their daughters, for happiness and prosperity.

Smolenskaya - pray for help in finding the right paths in life.

Barskaya - pray for good relations in the family, for children and health.

Unexpected joy- pray for the gift of spiritual insight.

Three joys - they pray for forgiveness for their sins.

Prayer to all icons of 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 he cleanse my mind 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, Joy of all who mourn, 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 an Intercessor for me in temporary life and for 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.

PS. The popular veneration of the Mother of God is associated with the “Feasts of the Mother of God” - Annunciation - April 7th,
Dormition - August 28, Christmas - September 21, Intercession - October 14, Entry into the Temple - December 4.

The main female figure for Orthodox believers is the Virgin Mary, who was given the honor of becoming the Mother of the Lord. She led a righteous life and helped people cope with various troubles. After ascending to heaven, believers began to pray to the Mother of God, asking for help in various situations.

Virgin Mary in Orthodoxy

For believers, the Mother of God is the main intercessor before her Son and Lord. She is the woman who gave birth and raised the Savior. It is believed that nothing is impossible for the Mother of God, and people ask her for salvation for their souls. In Orthodoxy, the Virgin Mary is called the patroness of every person, since she, like a loving mother, worries about her children. More than once the appearance of the Virgin Mary occurred, which was accompanied by miracles. There are many icons, temples and monasteries created in honor of the Mother of God.

Who is the Virgin Mary?

A lot of information is known about the life of the Mother of God, which can be found in the apocrypha and in the memoirs of people who knew her during her earthly life. The following main facts can be highlighted:

1. The Holy Virgin Mary was in a specialized school at the Jerusalem Temple until she was 12 years old. Her parents sent her there, who made a vow that their daughter would devote her life to the Lord.
2. The appearance of the Mother of God was described by the church historian Nicephorus Callistus. She was of medium height, golden hair, and olive-colored eyes. The Virgin Mary's nose is oblong and her face is round.
3. To feed her family, the Mother of God had to constantly work. It is known that she was a good weaver and independently created the red tunic that Jesus wore before the crucifixion.
4. The Virgin Mary constantly followed Jesus until the end of his earthly life. After the crucifixion and ascension of Christ, the Mother of God remained to live with John the Theologian. Further life is known to a greater extent from the apocryphal “Proto-Gospel of Jacob”.
5. The death of the Virgin Mary was recorded in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, where the Catholic Church is now located. According to the apocrypha, the apostles different corners the world arrived at his deathbed, but only Thomas lingered, so at his request the tomb was not closed. On the same day, the body of the Virgin Mary disappeared, so it is believed that the Ascension of the Virgin Mary took place.

Symbols of the Virgin Mary

There are many symbols that relate to the Virgin Mary:

1. A monogram made up of two letters “MR”, which means Maria Regina - Mary, Queen of Heaven.
2. A common sign of the Virgin Mary is a winged heart, sometimes pierced by a saber and depicted on a shield. This picture is the coat of arms of the Virgin Mary.
3. The name of the Mother of God is associated with a crescent moon, a cypress tree and an olive tree. The flower symbolizing the purity of the Virgin Mary is the lily. Since the Virgin Mary is considered the queen of all saints, one of her symbols is the white rose. She is represented with five petals, which is associated with the name Maria.

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

The sinlessness of the Mother of God did not immediately become a dogma, since the authors of the first Christian texts did not pay attention to this issue. Many do not know how the Virgin Mary became pregnant, but according to legend, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven to her, and an immaculate conception occurred, thanks to which it did not pass on to Jesus Christ original sin. In Orthodoxy, the Immaculate Conception is not accepted as a dogma and it is believed that the Mother of God was freed from sin thanks to contact with Divine grace.

How did the Virgin Mary give birth to Jesus?

It is not possible to find details regarding how the Virgin’s birth took place, but there is information that it was absolutely painless. This is explained by the fact that Christ emerged from his mother’s womb without opening it or expanding the paths, that is, the Mother of God Virgin Mary remained a virgin. It is believed that Jesus was born when his mother was 14-15 years old. There were no midwives near the Mother of God; she herself took the child in her arms.

Prophecies of the Virgin Mary at Fatima

The most famous apparition of Our Lady is the Miracle of Fatima. She came to three shepherd children, and each of her appearances was accompanied by a number of inexplicable incidents, for example, the random movement of the sun across the sky was observed. During the communication, the Mother of God revealed three secrets. The predictions of the Virgin Mary of Fatima have been revealed at different times:

1. At her first appearance, the Mother of God showed the children terrible visions of Hell. She said that the First would soon end World War, but if people do not stop sinning and offending God, then he will punish them with various disasters. The sign will be the appearance of bright light at night, when it will be visible as during the day. According to some data, before the outbreak of World War II, the northern lights were observed in Europe.
2. The second appearance of the Virgin Mary brought another prophecy and it says that when everything is illuminated by an unknown light at night, it will be a sign that God is going to punish the world. To prevent this from happening, the Mother of God will come to ask for the consecration of Russia, and also for the holding of expiatory sacraments on every first Saturday of the month. If people listen to her requests, then there will be peace, but if not, then wars and new cataclysms cannot be avoided. Many believe that this prophecy speaks of the spread of communism, which was accompanied by various clashes.
3. The third prophecy was received in 1917, but the Virgin Mary did not allow its discovery until 1960. The Pope, having read the prophecy, refused to reveal it, citing the fact that it did not concern his time. The text indicates that an assassination attempt will be made on the Pope and this happened in May 1981. The Pope himself admitted that it is believed that the Mother of God protected him from death.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

There are a huge number of prayer texts addressed to the Mother of God. She helps believers cope with various problems, this is how women who want to get pregnant and get married turn to her, ask her for healing and material benefits, pray to her for children, and so on. There are several rules regarding the pronunciation of prayer texts:

1. You can turn to the Mother of God in church and at home, the main thing is to have an icon before your eyes. It is recommended to light a candle nearby to make it easier to concentrate.
2. The prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary must be said from a pure heart and with faith in her power. Any doubts are a block to assistance.
3. You can turn to the Mother of God at any time when your soul desires.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary of Lourdes

In 1992, the Pope established a holiday in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes. People turn to her for help to receive healing from illnesses. During her lifetime, the Holy Virgin healed the suffering and after that became the savior of the sick. When she was a child, the Virgin Mary, the Most Holy Theotokos, began to appear to her and taught her the rules of prayer, called her to repentance for sinful people and asked her to build a church. She showed the girl where the healing source was. Bernadette was canonized only 10 years after her death.

Strong prayer to the Virgin Mary for help

In Christianity, prayer to the Mother of God is considered the most powerful and effective. They ask her for help in different situations, the main thing is that the request is serious, because over trifles Higher power It's better not to bother. The prayer to the Virgin Mary for help should be repeated daily and even up to several times a day. You can say it out loud or to yourself. Sacred text when read regularly, it instills hope and gives strength not to give up in a difficult situation.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for well-being

A person's life is full different situations, which are not always positive. Women are the guardians of the family hearth, so representatives of the fair sex should pray for the well-being of their relatives. The Blessed Virgin Mary will help reconcile people, and another one will protect from quarrels and family destruction. With the help of the presented prayer, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from various negativity from the outside.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for health

There is a huge amount of evidence from believers who confirm that sincere prayerful appeals to the Mother of God helped to be healed of various ailments. The prayer to the Holy Virgin Mary can be said in church, but it is also recommended to place an image at home near the patient’s bed, light a candle and pray. You can say the text on, and then give the person with the disease a drink and wash it.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for marriage

Many girls who are in search of a soul mate turn to the Most Holy Theotokos so that she can convey petitions to the Lord and help establish personal life. She is considered the main intercessor of all women, helping them in love affairs. To find happiness and love, you need to read a prayer to the Virgin Mary every day until what you want becomes real. Prayer requests will not only increase the chances of meeting a worthy life partner, but will also protect the relationship from different problems and help build a happy family.

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for children

The Mother of God is the main mother for all believers, since she gave the world the Savior. A huge number of people turn to her for help, asking for their children. The blessed Virgin Mary will help guide the child on the righteous path, discourage him from bad company and give him inspiration to find himself in this world. Regular prayer to the mother will be a strong protection against illnesses and various problems.