Icon of the Mother of God “Burning Bush”- one of the most complex in composition and symbolic interpretation of the Mother of God icons. This icon depicts the Mother of God through one of Her Old Testament prototypes - the burning bush, i.e. the unburnt bush in which God appeared to Moses.

According to the book of the Old Testament "Exodus", when the people of Israel were still in Egyptian captivity, Moses, tending sheep, led his flock far into the desert and came to the mountain of God Horeb, which today is called Sinai, or also the mountain of Moses, since on this mountain God gave the prophet the Ten Commandments.

Moses saw the Angel of the Lord appearing from the middle of a thorn bush, which was burning, but was not consumed, and went to see this miracle. And then he heard the voice of God, telling him not to come close and to take off his shoes, for Moses was standing in a place that was holy land. The Lord spoke with Moses for a long time about his destiny - to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery. He awarded him the gift of miracles and prophecy, and since Moses did not have the gift of eloquence necessary to proclaim the word of God, God appointed Moses' brother Aaron as his assistant.

St. Catherine's Monastery is one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world. Founded in the 4th century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai (biblical Horeb)

On the Sinai Peninsula, at the foot of Mount Sinai stands St. Catherine's Monastery, founded in the 6th century. Neither Muhammad, nor the Arab caliphs, nor Napoleon began to destroy this monastery, which was never closed. Its inhabitants are Greek Orthodox monks. A bush of this amazing plant still grows there.

On the territory of the monastery grows the Burning Bush - a bush in the flames of which, according to the Old Testament, God first appeared to the prophet Moses. It is believed that this is the only thorn bush of its kind in the entire Sinai Peninsula...

According to legend, this is the same one Burning Bush bush. This plant has amazing biological features. Botanists classify it as a member of the Rutaceae family. Russian name– ash tree, found over a vast territory from the Mediterranean to Far East, in particular in Crimea. Its leaves and trunk are dotted with glands that evaporate essential oils. If you bring a light to it when the weather is clear and windless, it will flare up stronger and seem to run along the branch without causing damage to it. This is the only bush of its kind in the entire Sinai Peninsula, and not a single attempt to plant its shoot anywhere else has been successful!

In 324, Emperor Constantine's mother Helen ordered the construction of a chapel on the site of the burning bush. The altar of the monastery cathedral is located just above the roots of that same burning bush. Behind the altar - Chapel of the Burning Bush».

Interior of the Chapel of the Burning Bush

The bush was transplanted a few meters from the chapel, where it continues to grow. There is no iconostasis in the chapel, which hides the altar from the faithful, and pilgrims can see under the altar the place where Kupina grew. It is marked by a hole in a marble slab, covered by a silver shield with chased images of a burning bush, the Transfiguration, the Crucifixion, the evangelists, St. Catherine and the Sinai monastery itself.

Pilgrims enter this Holy place without shoes, remembering the commandment of God given to Moses: “ take off the sandals from your feet: for the place on which you stand is holy ground."(Exodus 3:5). The chapel is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, and some of the icons hanging in it are painted on this theme.

Theological interpretation

Burning bush. End XVI II century Moscow. Epiphany Cathedral. At the bottom of the icon are the words from the troparion and the date of the renovation: “The imams have no other help. The imams have no other hope, except for You, the mistress. Help us, we rely on You and boast in You. We are your slaves. Let us not be ashamed. Resumed on April 1835, 2nd day.”

In the New Testament, the Burning Bush and the events associated with it received a new, deeper theological interpretation. This is a very important parallel - we honor the Mother of God with the Burning Bush, as the Unmarried Bride - by Her immaculate conception from the Holy Spirit, bringing fiery Light. This same Divine Light shone around Her Son on the sacred Mount Tabor, as once around the burning bush on the sacred Mount Sinai, when God the Father spoke from it to Moses, because one more former name Monastery of St. Catherine - Transfiguration.

She lived her entire earthly life before her Dormition in divine purity, unburned by that Divine flame, about which Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh once said that “God imparts combustion, but does not feed on matter” and preserves the integrity of the spiritual and physical of that which this flame touches . She accepted the Holy Spirit into Herself, and found herself untouched by His flame, which burned away every impurity, for God was in Her.

Iconography

The meaning of the “Burning Bush” icon lies in its iconography. This is an image with a truly cosmic sound. It sums up the Orthodox concept of the Mother of God-Church-Sophia in all the beauty of Her timeless and universal significance.

The plot of the icon is based on a church hymn, where the Mother of God is compared with the Burning Bush, which Moses saw on Mount Horeb (Ex. 3: 1-5). The burning bush is a bush engulfed in flames, but not burnt, interpreted by theologians as prototype of the Mother of God and the incarnation of the Son of God.

That same burning bush can be seen with difficulty, but in right hand Mother of God; there is also a stone, a ladder, and a mountain with the Heavenly Jerusalem, behind the walls of which Christ is depicted in royal crown. Several Old Testament images are used here, almost all of them are further revealed in the scenes presented along the edges of the icon.

The image has been known since the early centuries of Christianity. Initially, the “Burning Bush” was depicted as a burning bush with an image of the Mother of God enclosed in it (usually in the type of the Sign or Oranta) and the prophet Moses kneeling in front of it.

Later, already in the 16th century, a rather complex symbolic and allegorical image was formed in the form of an octagonal star surrounding a half-length image of the Mother of God and the Child Christ.

The center of the composition is an oval medallion with the image of the Mother of God - Hodegetria the Guide. On Her chest is often depicted a ladder, which the holy patriarch Jacob saw, leading from earth to Heaven itself. She is also associated with the Mother of God, who is Herself - the ladder along which the path to heaven is laid. Here we see an image of the chamber as the home of the Infant Christ. Four green rays indicate a bush, i.e. bush, four red rays - the red flame of a burning bush. On some icons of the “Burning Bush” the letters A.D.A.M are added to the ends of the outer rays. This detail is based on a Greek legend, according to which the Archangels compiled the name of the first person according to stars taken from the four corners of the world: Archangel Michael - from the East the letter “A” from the star “Anatoli”, Archangel Gabriel - the letter “D” from the Western star “Disis” ”, Archangel Raphael - the letter “A” from the Northern star “Arktos” and Archangel Uriel - the letter “M” from the Southern star “Messembria”.

Our Lady of the Burning Bush. End of the 16th century. Solovetsky Monastery

The rays of blue (or green) color depict the service of the angels of the Mother of God and worship heavenly powers the miraculous birth of God from the Virgin. She is surrounded by archangels and angels of the elements: thunder, lightning, dew, wind, rain, frost and darkness. Each angel holds a corresponding “attribute”, such as a cup, a lantern, a cloud, a sword, a torch, a closed ark (frost), a naked figure (wind). The number of angels and their distribution around the Mother of God varies according to the choice of the icon painter. The angels of the luminaries and heavenly elements are taken from the Apocalypse, which lists the angels of stars, clouds, lightning, hail and earthquakes. The symbols of the holy evangelists mentioned in the Apocalypse are usually written in the fiery red rays: Angel (Matthew), Lion (Mark), Taurus (Luke) and Eagle (John). Around the stars in two-petalled clouds are the angels-spirits of Wisdom, Reason, Fear and Piety; Archangels: Gabriel with a branch of the Annunciation, Michael with a rod, Raphael with an alabaster vessel, Uriel with a fiery sword, Selafiel with a censer, Barachiel with a bunch of grapes - a symbol of the Blood of the Savior. Above is the Old Denmi, below is Jesse (or the tree of Jesse - like the genealogy of Jesus Christ). In the corners of the composition there are visions of the prophets: in the upper left - Moses' vision of the Burning Bush in the form of the Mother of God of the Sign in a burning bush, in the upper right corner - Isaiah's vision of Seraphim with a burning coal in tongs, below, on the left - Ezekiel's vision of the closed gates, on the right - Jacob - stairs with angels.

The Mother of God gathered the whole world around the Eternal Child - earthly and heavenly forces. It is precisely this, collected together, that God conceived of the Universe in His Wisdom; it is with this that the chaotic, centrifugal forces of death and decay must be defeated. Thus, another image appears next to Kupina - the image of Sophia, the Divine will, the Creator’s eternal plan for creation.

Miraculous images

Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

One of the most ancient icons of the Mother of God known in Rus', the “Burning Bush” was brought to Moscow by Palestinian monks in 1390 and, according to legend, was written on the stone of the rock where Moses saw the mysterious bush. This shrine was placed in the altar of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The icon is attributed miraculous power protection from fire “fire scorching”. In Sinai, the service to the icon is sung during severe thunderstorms; in Russia they surrounded the icon during fires, protecting neighboring buildings from fire.

Church of the Mother of God of the Burning Bush Icon. 1882

Another miraculous image, also coming from the Kremlin, from the Holy Hall of the Faceted Chamber, was kept in Moscow Church of the Burning Bush in Khamovniki, destroyed in 1930, of which only the name remains in the name of Neopalimovsky Lane. Her story is connected with the following legend. Tsar Feodor Alekseevich's groom, Dimitri Koloshin, a wealthy man, especially respected the icon of the Mother of God of the Burning Bush, which stood in the holy vestibule of the royal Palace of Facets, and every time he came to the palace and left, he prayed fervently before it; finally he wished to build a temple in her name on the next occasion. One day, having innocently fallen under the wrath of the tsar and not hoping to justify himself before him, Koloshin began to pray with even greater zeal before the icon of the “Burning Bush,” asking the Queen of Heaven to protect him; the prayer was soon answered. The Mother of God appeared to Tsar Feodor Alekseevich in a dream and declared the groom innocent; the tsar ordered Koloshin's case to be investigated and, finding him innocent, released him from trial and returned his former disposition towards him. In gratitude to his Deliverer, Koloshin begged the Tsar for an icon of the “Burning Bush” and built a temple in her name.

When there was a strong fire in Moscow, this icon was carried around the houses of the parishioners of the Neopalimovskaya Church, and they all survived the fire. In general, those living in this parish noticed that there were very rarely fires in it, and even those were very insignificant, despite the fact that this place was built up mainly with wooden houses.

Amazing event with the chasuble of this icon. In 1812, the French kidnapped her. Before they left Moscow, he came to the priest of the Novodevichy Convent, Fr. A Polish soldier gave Alexy Vvedensky the chasuble from the Burning Bush icon, asking him to return it to the church from where it was taken. The soldier admitted that since he stole the robe, he could not find peace and was tormented by unbearable melancholy.

In 1835, another image of the “Burning Bush” was donated to the church in Khamovniki. It depicted a man kneeling in prayer before the Mother of God. An ancient handwritten service to the “Burning Bush” was also kept in this temple with an explanation that in Sinai there is a custom to sing this service during severe thunderstorm, “when lightning is scary.” Along with the disappearance of the temple, these shrines were also lost.

In modern times, the miraculous image of the “Burning Bush” became especially famous after the events of 1822 in the city of Slavyansk, Kharkov diocese. That year, powerful, devastating fires from arson began to occur in the city, but numerous attempts to discover the arsonist were fruitless. Once upon a time, a pious old woman named Belnitskaya was revealed in a dream that if the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” was painted and a prayer service was served in front of it, then the fires would stop. The icon was immediately painted by the best masters, and after the Liturgy a prayer service was performed in front of it. On the same day, a new fire broke out, in which the arsonist, the crazy girl Mavra, was detained. After this, the fires stopped, and the grateful residents of Slavyansk built an expensive icon case for the Burning Bush icon with the inscription: “In memory of 1822 for saving the city from fire.” Since then, veneration of the icon, and especially its Slavic list in the Church of the Resurrection, strengthened in this region and far beyond its borders. On September 12, 2008, the President of Ukraine signed a decree establishing a new professional holiday - the Day of the Rescuer of Ukraine - on the day of the celebration of the Burning Bush icon of the Mother of God.

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Burning Bush” they pray for deliverance from fire and lightning, from severe troubles, and for the healing of ailments.

Troparion, tone 4
Who in the fires of the burning bush, / seen in ancient times by Moses, / prefigured the mystery of His incarnation from the Virgin Mary who was not made of art, / who is now like the Creator of miracles and the Creator of all creation / Her holy icon glorified with many miracles, / bestowing it on the faithful for the healing of illnesses / and in protection from fire ignition. / For this reason, we cry out to the Most Blessed: / Hope of Christians, deliver those who trust in You from cruel troubles, fire and thunder, / and save our souls, // like the Merciful.

Troparion, voice of the same
In the bush, burning with fire and unburnable, / showing Moses Your Most Pure Mother, Christ God, / who received the fire of the Divine without burning in her womb / and remained incorruptible after the Nativity. / With your prayers, deliver us from the flames of passions / and save Your city from fiery incinerations, // for You are Most Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8
Let us purify the feelings of our souls and bodies, / so that we may see the Divine sacrament, / figuratively revealed to the great prophet Moses of old by the bush, / which burned with fire and was not consumed, / in the same of Your seedless Nativity, Mother of God, / we confess the foretelling and, reverently worshiping You / and the One who was born from You I will save ours, with fear we cry out: Rejoice, O Lady, protection, refuge, and salvation of our souls.

Program from the series “SANCTIES” - THE BURNING BOOK.

You should conduct a dialogue with the Lord in church or at home. Also, do not forget that there must be at least one icon in the red corner.

Believers are told to pray, and the more often the better, mainly saying words of thanksgiving to the Lord for the gift of life. The “Burning Bush” icon is also suitable.

But with this icon there are a number of nuances that should be reviewed, starting with history and ending with the places where you can meet the Mother of God.

And what does this icon protect from?

The icon is famous for its help:

• in case of fires, various injuries;
• in battles and in the army for recruits;
• in regression of the degree of mental illness;
• safe at home from accidents.

How did the icon appear?

The icon appeared in 1822. One day, in one city, severe fires began to appear due to arson, devastating everything in their path. Attempts to find the culprit were fruitless. Unexpectedly, providence appeared to the pious elderly woman Belnitskaya at night. It read: “the fire will stop if they paint the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush”” and serve a prayer service. The icon was painted instantly by professionals.

And after some time a new fire broke out. That's when they caught the offender - a crazy girl. After which the fires completely stopped disturbing the population. People made a golden frame for an icon with a speech of praise to the Holy Face. Many years later, the tradition of praying to the icon to save one’s house from fire remained.

Also known is the most ancient history the origin of the icon, which was also mentioned in the Bible. Moses, a shepherd, was tending sheep near Mount Sinai and saw fire on the horizon. As he approached the fire. There was a thorn bush burning there, but not physically smoldering. Then the Lord emerged from the fire, speaking instructions to Moses on how to free the Israelites from the yoke. Then a great event happened - humanity received the Ten Commandments.

In our century, the monastery of St. Catherine was erected near this bush and every believer should visit it.

Prayer from fire

Holy Mother of God! Through you the Lord will descend and appear to people. You are peaceful. Why do we come to You as an indestructible wall: see mercy, all-encompassing, for our strong anger and heal us materially and spiritually from all misfortunes: take rude people away from the enemy, deliver us from poisoning and from exhaustion, and from accidental death; Let those who hate everything become ashamed and afraid before the flame, so that everyone will understand that if the Lord is not with You, O Lady, then with You and with us.

In the autumn time, bestow upon us Your gratitude, in the darkness, dedicate us to the dead and fallen with a sacred ray from the sky, necessary and terrifying to all: exchange our tears for happiness and protect us from tears, Your sinful servants, who fulfill all promises for the good of peace and love.

ABOUT, Holy Mother of God! We bow to your knees and to your wonderful image, may your deeds be wondrous and wonderful, from the devilish and all-consuming fire that killed our crops and native places, who healed the illness of the Lord’s servants and fulfilled every noble request of ours for the good of the world and the holy spirit. As we die, we pray to You, our mighty protector.

Shelter and protect, Lady, under Your wing the church, as well as the entire country. Lady All-Merciful, forgive us, who cast many sins into the world and do not have the courage to be rude to Christ the Lord, and forgive Him. And when the day of the terrible coming of God into the kingdom of mortals comes, when all our houses are set on fire, show us Your merciful wing and Your friendliness. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, may Your great selflessness descend upon us forever. Amen.

Do you want to see the icon with your own eyes?

To date, many painted images of the Mother of God have been irretrievably lost. But the most preserved ancient image, now he is in the Armory Chamber in the Kremlin.

The Holy Face can also be found in other temples listed below:

• Cathedral of Peter and Paul (in the Urals);
• Neopalimovskaya Church (in the Leningrad region);
• Holy Mother of God Neopalimovsky Cathedral (in Ulyanovsk).

At the intersection of Yurlovsky Proezd and Dezhnev Ave. in Otradnoye, a temple was built for the “Burning Bush” icon. In the middle of the hall in the temple there is an icon. In the center of the image is a drawing of the image of the Mother of God next to the symbolic attribution. The entire image is enclosed in a star with eight points.

Now any believer can enter into fellowship with the Lord in this temple and pray for the well-being, protection and safety of your home and your loved ones.

The Burning Bush icon worked many miracles. It is believed that it protects people from many troubles. The meaning of the Burning Bush icon as an image that protects believers from various misfortunes has been known for a long time.

On the day of her veneration, September 17, 2019 (September 4, old style), special prayers are read in churches in front of the Burning Bush icon.

This is the Troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon called the “Burning Bush”.

Troparion, tone 4.
And in the bush, burning with fire and unburnable, Moses showed Thy Most Pure Mother, O Christ God, the fire of the Divinity, unburnt in her womb, and remaining incorruptible at Christmas: Through those prayers, deliver us from the flame of passions and preserve Thy city from the fiery incinerations, for He is Many-Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8.
Let us purify the feelings of our souls and bodies, so that we may see the Divine sacrament, figuratively revealed in ancient times to the great prophet Moses by the bush that burned with fire and was not consumed, in the same of Your seedless Nativity, Mother of God, we confess the foreshadowing and, reverently worshiping You and our Savior born from You, with We cry out in fear: Rejoice, O Lady, protection, refuge, and salvation of our souls.

The meaning of the Burning Bush icon is difficult to overestimate. Sincere prayers in front of the Burning Bush icon help people find a way out of the most difficult life situations.

What to pray for in front of the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush”

Queen of Heaven, our Lady, Lady of the Universe, Most Holy Theotokos, undefiled, unblasphemous, imperishable, most pure, pure Ever-Virgin, Mary Bride of God, Mother of the Creator of creation, Lord of glory and Lord of all! Through you the King of kings and Lord of lords has come and appeared to us on earth. You are God's mercy incarnate. You are the Mother of Light and Life, just as you once carried Him in Your womb and in Your arms You had the Child, the Word of the Eternal, God, and so you have always carried Him with You. For this reason, according to God, we resort to You, as if to an unbreakable wall and intercession: look with mercy, O all-sung Mother of God, on our fierce anger and heal our souls and bodies of illness: drive away from us every enemy and adversary, deliver from famine, pestilence, from plagues, from many waters and harmful airs, and from sudden death; and like the three youths in the cave of Babylon, preserve and keep us, so that, like the people of God of old, all good things will come to us who honor Thee; Let all those who hate us be ashamed and put to shame, and everyone will understand that the Lord is with You, O Lady, and God is with You. In the days of autumn, bring us the light of Thy grace, and in the darkness of the night, enlighten us with light from above, making everyone useful: turn our sorrow into sweetness and wipe the tears of Thy servants who have sinned and are in need, fulfilling all their requests for good; You can do everything you want, Mother of the Word and Life. The Father has crowned the Daughter, the Son the Virgin Mother, the Holy Spirit the Bride, so that you may reign like a queen, standing at the right hand of the Holy Trinity, and have mercy on us as you wish, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

What does the Burning Bush icon mean?

Bush is a burning but not consumed thorn bush, in which the Lord appeared to the prophet Moses in the desert near Mount Sinai. Hearing the voice of God, Moses learned that the Israelites would soon be freed from Egyptian captivity.

The image of a bush has many meanings in Christianity. Thus, it symbolizes the immaculate conception of the Mother of God of Christ. In the center of the icon is an image of the Mother of God and Child, who, as a rule, holds various symbolic attributes in her hands.

How does the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” help?

It is believed that it protects against fires in the house and helps to heal from physical and mental illnesses.

What do they pray for in front of the Burning Bush icon of Our Lady? Christians believe that the fire of the bush can cleanse those who pray from their sins. People turn to her to protect themselves and loved ones from the evil actions and intentions of their enemies.

Every year in Jerusalem, on the Holy Land, on the eve of the celebration Happy Easter, the blessed fire descends to the earth to Orthodox Christians.

The bright Divine flame has the miraculous property of burning majestically and not causing harm to those who truly believe in our Savior.

Description of the icon

Since the image of the “Burning Bush” is very ancient, the images may differ with the development of Orthodoxy.

Most often, the icon shows two elongated rhombuses, superimposed on one another. In the center of the composition, in a green diamond, symbolizing the bush itself, the Mother of God appears with the Child of God in her arms.

The secondary diamond in red means the fire that surrounds the Mother of God, but does not scorch Her. In the corners, in the form of a lion, angel, eagle and calf, the faces of the evangelists mentioned in the Apocalypse are allegorically inscribed.

The diamonds are crowned with genre scenes in which the archangels hold in their hands various things symbolizing gifts. The composition is completed by images of prophets in the corners of the icon, who inform Christians about miracles that have come to earth.

Meaning of the icon

Taking a closer look at the icon, you can see many symbols that are deciphered quite easily. On the icon of the “Burning Bush” the Image of the Mother of God is multifaceted, but we can say with confidence that Her feat of motherhood summarizes an incredible number of believers.

Since ancient times, people have worshiped the Mother of God, asked for protection and patronage, therefore The Mother of God, engulfed in fire, but not harmed by it, appears as the Protector of the human race. from earthly elements, fires and disasters.

The angels surrounding the Mother of God give humanity lessons of courage, teaching and wisdom, the ability to give and forgive, humbly accept the blows of fate and remain merciful. In a complex, but at the same time understandable image, one simple meaning is intertwined - She is the center of attraction for human sins and She is the guarantee of victory over troubles.

The history of the appearance of the icon is considered one of the most ancient, which is narrated in Old Testament.

One day, a shepherd, while grazing a flock of sheep, saw the reflections of a distant fire. Curious about the incident, he approached the flames and saw an incredible sight. The majestic thorn bush was engulfed in fire, but did not burn.

Suddenly, in a burning bush, the Lord appeared before the eyes of Moses with instructions for liberating the people of Judah from slavery to the Egyptians.

Concluding the message, the Lord told the timid shepherd about the ten most important commandments that true Christians must follow. Having received the gift of the skill of a prophet and wonderworker, Moses carried the covenants of God to the people.

Later, near the growth of a wonderful bush, a chapel was built. Hundreds of Christian believers and pilgrims come to the holy place every day to admire the miracle of the Lord and strengthen your faith in Him.

What does the icon help with and what do they pray to the “Burning Bush” for?

The main meaning of the image of the Mother of God on the “Burning Bush” icon is the command to keep the soul pure from fiery Gehenna, and to burn it out with the help of Divine fire sinful passions and vices.

The extensive meaning of the symbols allows you to turn to the Mother of God for support and help in various everyday situations: The image patronizes firefighters.

• About healing from various chronic bodily diseases, about the retreat of mental anguish and suffering.
• About protecting the house and the inhabitants living in it from robbery and the criminal plans of insidious people.
• About the deliverance of sins, dirty thoughts and ungodly thoughts.
• About granting success in career ladder service and academic students.
• About not taking a rash step and a deliberate decision to eradicate the problem.

People noble profession, whose duty calls to save the victims and victims of natural Disasters, the image of the Mother of God protects them and their wards from injury.

Rescuers, firefighters, emergency and police officers, military and civilian doctors receive help when turning to the Mother of God.

Defenders of the Fatherland, military personnel, pilots are especially protected by Her, as people called to save human lives. In hot spots, military personnel pray for protection in battle or to be saved from captivity.

Since the image of the Mother of God is inextricably linked with fire, Her invisible presence protects, first of all, from fires. There are known cases when procession with an icon around the city prevented the appearance of fire when an emergency fire danger was declared. The Mother of God also protects the person praying during the elements, in particular thunderstorms with lightning.

Where is the icon placed?

It is better to place the icon opposite the entrance.
There are no special strict rules for placing an icon in the Church Charter. The image can be placed next to the already present faces in the house. But more often the holy icon is installed above front door premises, or opposite it.

Thus, everyone who enters will be invisibly under the supervision of the Mother of God, whose stern gaze will put to shame anyone who is planning something bad towards the owners of the home.

It is believed that an icon installed near the entrance protects all rooms, and, consequently, all household members, since mother of God serves as the keeper of the family hearth.

Prayers

First Prayer

O Most Holy and Most Blessed Mother of Our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, we fall down and worship You before Your holy and most honorable icon, with which you work wondrous and glorious miracles, save our homes from fiery flames and lightning thunder, heal the sick, and fulfill all our good requests for the good.

We humbly pray to You, O omnipotent Intercessor of our race: grant us the weak and sinners Your maternal sympathy and care. Save and preserve, O Lady, under the roof of Your mercy, the holy Church, this monastery, this city, our entire Orthodox country and all of us who fall to You with faith and love and tenderly ask with tears for Your intercession.

She, the All-Merciful Lady, have mercy on us, overwhelmed by many sins and not having the courage to ask Christ the Lord for mercy and forgiveness, but we offer you to Him for supplication, His Mother according to the flesh. But You, All-Good One, stretch out Your God-receiving hand to Him and intercede for us before His goodness, asking us forgiveness of our sins, a pious, peaceful life, a good Christian death and a good answer to Last Judgment His.

At the hour of the terrible visit of God, when our houses are set on fire or we are frightened by lightning thunder, show us your merciful intercession and sovereign help, so that we may be saved by your omnipotent prayers to the Lord, we will escape God’s temporary punishment here and we will inherit the eternal bliss of paradise there and with all the saints Let us sing the most honorable and magnificent name of the worshiped Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Your great mercy towards us, forever and ever. Amen.

Second prayer

Queen of Heaven, Our Lady, Lady of the Universe, Most Holy Theotokos, undefiled, unblasphemous, imperishable, Most Pure, Pure Ever-Virgin, Mary Bride of God, Mother of the Creator of creation, Lord of glory and Lord of all!

Through you the King of kings and Lord of lords has come and appeared to us on earth. You are God's mercy incarnate, You are the Mother of Light and Life, as you once carried Him in Your womb, and in Your arms You had the Child, the Word of the Eternal, God, and thus always have Him with You.

For this reason, according to God, we resort to You, as if to an unbreakable wall and intercession: look with mercy, O All-sung Mother of God, on our fierce bitterness, and heal the souls and bodies of our illnesses, drive away from us every enemy and adversary, deliver us from famine, pestilence, ulcers from many waters and harmful airs, and from sudden death; and like the three youths in the cave of Babylon, preserve and keep us, so that, like the people of God of old, all good things will come to us who honor Thee; Let all those who hate us be ashamed and put to shame, and everyone will understand that the Lord is with You, O Lady, and God is with You.

The subject of our study in this article will be the icon of the Burning Bush, what it helps with, and we will now tell you how to pray and read in front of it.

The history of the icon and what is depicted on it

• Once upon a time, Moses saw a bush on Mount Horeb that was shrouded in flames. Interestingly, this bush remained unharmed after the fire was extinguished. It was later called the Burning Bush. And later people began to go to this bush and pick branches from it, which then protected the home from fires.
• Later it was found out that this plant was sacred and an icon was painted in honor of it, which depicted the Mother of God, who is in the center of the icon. And around the Mother of God was depicted an eight-pointed star, formed from two rectangles with curved sides and pointed corners. The red color in the icon is a symbol of the fire that enveloped the bush. A green color- this is the natural color of the sacred bush.

Where to hangicon of the Burning Bush?

How does this icon help and how to pray in front of it?

“Lord Almighty, deliver us, your people, from the fiery scourge. Let the fiery tongues not touch our forests and fields. May there be calm and peace in globe is going on. Yes, no trouble will touch us. Guide people on the true path, but don’t let someone start a fire on purpose. Protect nature from fires and destruction. Let everything around you be green and beautiful. Amen!"

• This icon can protect firefighters. It will be useful for them to keep it both at home and at work. Even in a fire truck you can place a small Burning Bush icon. It is usually their wives and mothers who pray for the health of firefighters.
• The icon also helps to get rid of one’s sins and black thoughts. As church ministers say, a prayer addressed to the Burning Bush icon will help burn out everything bad from the human soul with holy fire.

This is the meaning of the Burning Bush icon, why it helps, we told you and we hope that this icon will bring you a lot of benefit.