The memory of the Meeting of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Righteous Elizabeth. Kissing the Mother of God and the Righteous Elizabeth. Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos
The icon of Elizabeth the Wonderworker was painted in late XIX century. Now she is under the patronage of the Cathedral of the John the Baptist Monastery. This shrine was brought here on January 6, 2002 from the Church of the Holy Apostles Paul and Peter, which is located near the Yauza River. Other shrines were also transported from there to the monastery: ancient image The Holy Prophet, Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord John, along with a hoop, as well as the image of the abbess of Constantinople, located on the icon.
Where is the icon kept?
Many believers are interested in the question: “Where is the icon of St. Elizabeth kept?” The church of the Holy Apostles Paul and Peter, famous for most believers, was not persecuted after the revolution in the first half of the 20th century and worked throughout its existence. Soviet Union. Thanks to the efforts of the ministers of the church, many valuable shrines have been preserved in their original form to this day, including the icon of the martyr Elizabeth. In the 90s of the last century, the Ivanovo monastery was opened and consecrated, several Christian shrines from the Church of the Holy Apostles Paul and Peter. The famous icon of Elizabeth was also sent there.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, one of the first to be restored and opened to parishioners was the Church of the Reverend Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna. This joyful event happened in 1995. It was moved there icon of the same name. Not so long ago, the icon of the martyr Elizabeth was restored and placed in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which is located on the territory of the John the Baptist Monastery.
In the convent of John the Baptist, a temple was built in honor of St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker. Funds for the construction of the building were allocated according to the will of the late philanthropist Elizaveta Zubacheva-Makarova. The woman was named after the great martyr of the same name. Blessed the opening of the temple of St. Philaret of Moscow.
Description of the icon
Now about how the icon of St. Elizabeth looks like. This shrine was made on zinc, like many similar icons created at that time by artists. The image of the abbess is made in soft pink, greenish and blue shades. The saint is depicted in full height. She stands on the shore of a reservoir, beyond which one can see low mounds. The woman is wearing a red scarf on her head. The same color is painted and the ground under her feet. The body of St. Elizabeth (it can be seen in the photo of the icon in the article) is covered by a green mantle. Blue skies are depicted above Elizabeth's head.
There are no symbols of the hegumen's power in the image, however, the prayerful-focused face of the great martyr and the restrained soft appearance show our eyes an unceasing prayer appeal and standing before the Lord and his spiritual authority. Elizabeth depicted on the icon seems to be asking for protection from the Almighty for those who pray for her help.
The right hand of the martyr is bent and pressed to her chest in the region of the heart. This symbolizes that all her love is directed to God and people. In the left hand of the saint is a scroll with a prayer for all those who ask for blessings in front of her. Depicted on the icon grand duchess Elizabeth asks the Almighty for forgiveness of human sins and peace after the souls of the dead go to the terrible judgment.
The picturesque shrine has the following dimensions:
- height - 71.12 cm;
- width - 13.34 cm.
Salvation of the icon during the revolution
Icon of St. Elizabeth was painted for the new cathedral. The monastery near the cathedral did not work for long, after which it was closed in 1918, when the revolution began in Russia. A concentration camp was organized on the territory adjacent to the sacred Christian building, but the fearless ministers of the church continued to serve even under pain of death. Thanks to their efforts, parishioners visited the cathedral to appeal to God until 1927.
In order to save the holy icon of Elizabeth from desecration, in 1923 it was transferred to the church of St. John the Baptist. The relic was placed in the main altar under glass framed with a chased gold border.
As a result of the actions of the new Russian government, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was closed in 1927. The monks left the building, taking church utensils and the icon of the Martyr Elizabeth, and went to Serebryanniki to continue their service to God.
Priests and pilgrims persecuted by the authorities found their refuge in the church of the Holy Trinity. After this sacred place was also closed, the icon of Elizabeth (you can see it in the photo in the article) was handed over to the priests who held prayers in the church of Saints Peter and Paul.
Surviving documents about the life of the saint
Believers call the discovery a miracle and a special gift. complete history life of Saint Elizabeth. Only one document has survived - the Florentine manuscript, from where you can learn about all the life sufferings of the great martyr. A valuable relic was discovered in the middle of the 20th century, and several decades later the first edition of the life of the saint was published. It was written and sent for printing to a printing house by a Catholic scholar and hagiographer, a member of the Bollandist congregation Francois Alkenom.
Who are the Bollandists
The Bollandist Society is made up of monks with academic degrees. They devoted their lives to researching ancient documents to find out the details of the life of saints who once lived in Europe. The founder of this ancient society is John Bolland, who organized it in 1643.
Elizabeth's Great Gift
Many people who believe in God are interested in what is the meaning of the icon of St. Elizabeth and what was her help to people. Almost 20 years ago, the historian A. Vinogradov translated the life of St. Elizabeth from Greek into Russian. After that, the John the Baptist Monastery released printed edition this text in 2002. According to the published book, Elizabeth the Wonderworker is the patroness of female monasticism. During her lifetime, she knew how to heal people from many diseases and ailments. The woman was a vessel of the Holy Spirit, from which grace comes out, helping to give goodness and healing from torment. Even now, according to the clergy, kissing the icon of St. Elizabeth helps people get rid of many diseases.
It is written in the Life that the daughter, given to her parents by God himself, knew how to help believers burdened with grief and torment from illness. Even before conception, the parents came up with the name of the future saint, Elizabeth. At a young age, the girl received the status of abbess in the monastery of St. George, which was built in Constantinople. Before her, the place of abbess there was occupied by an aunt on her father's side. The Great Martyr became abbess thanks to Saint Gennady, who at that time was Patriarch of Constantinople.
Many believers are wondering: how does the icon of Elizabeth help people? Thanks to the humility of a woman, her sincere faith and monastic life according to the strict commandments of God, she has early age the gift of healing appeared. The girl coped with the most terrible diseases who tormented the people around her, she also knew how to cast out demons, saw revelations and predicted the future. Worshiping the holy icon in the church now, the sufferer will get rid of torment and find peace of mind.
Elizabeth's predictions
What else does the icon of St. Elizabeth help with? The nun had the gift of foresight. So, during her lifetime, she predicted a terrible fire in Constantinople, which was quickly extinguished thanks to the power of prayers addressed to the Lord. Also, the woman was able to save one of the houses of the city from a large snake that killed many human lives.
The saint gave special help to ladies who suffered from profuse and incessant female bleeding. Also, a woman could heal people from blindness. On the eve of death, the angels informed the nun about the imminent death. After this providence, she began to actively prepare for her last day life, giving instructions to others. Many women come to the icon to pray during health problems associated with the conception of a child.
Miracles after the death of the saint
Many want to know the answer to the question of what is the significance of the icon of Elizabeth in the church. After her death, the holy martyr continued to work miracles, helping to heal people and cast out demons. Saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker, who is the patroness of the John the Baptist monastery, prays for the souls of believers to this day.
The woman, numbered among the saints by the church, even before her conception in the womb of her mother, was connected by spiritual kinship with the holy Prophet John. Their unity took place after death, after the revival of the two churches of St. Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist.
The official biography of the Great Martyr
The Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna was born into the family of Ludwig IV. Her mother, Princess Alice, was the daughter of English queen Victoria. There were 7 children in the family. One of the daughters, whose name was Alexandra, having reached the age of majority, became the Russian Empress.
The daughters of Duke Ludwig IV were brought up in the family according to the old English traditions. The upbringing was carried out by the mother, who established a strict schedule for the girls. Despite the high title of the head of the family, the family tried to live modestly, their food was the most ordinary, like that of ordinary citizens of the country. Ludwig had no servants, and his daughters did all the housework. They cleaned the house, stoked the fireplace, washed clothes, cooked food. Saint Elizabeth later said that at home she was taught everything that an independent woman needs to know.
The girls' mother tried to raise her children on the basis of Christian commandments, putting love for their neighbors into their hearts, and taught them to help people in need. The parents of Elizabeth Feodorovna distributed most of their property for charitable purposes. In addition, the mother often took her daughters to hospitals, shelters for the homeless, as well as to homes for the elderly and disabled. The women were taken there. huge bouquets flowers and handed them out to others.
Elizabeth's hobbies
The future great martyr adored nature since childhood. She had a gift for painting, which is why she spent all her free time behind the canvas and with a brush in her hands. Most often, the girl painted flowers. She also loved listening to classical music. All relatives and acquaintances who knew the future great martyr emphasized her religiosity and love for her neighbors. The girl tried in everything to resemble Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, in whose honor she bore her name.
Grief in the family
In 1873, a misfortune occurred in the family of Ludwig IV - having fallen from a horse, his three-year-old son Friedrich crashed to death right in front of his mother. Heartbroken parents 3 years after the tragedy overtook a new misfortune - a terrible epidemic of diphtheria began in their hometown. Then all the brothers and sisters of Saint Elizabeth fell ill. At that difficult time, mother had to spend several sleepless nights in a row over the beds of their children, in order to somehow alleviate their suffering. Despite all the efforts of the parents, their four-year-old daughter Maria soon died, followed by the death of Duchess Alice, who was barely 35 years old.
At that difficult time, Elizabeth's childhood ended, she turned to God with prayers. The girl decided to devote her life entirely to faith. As a child, she did her best to comfort her beloved parents, and younger brothers and she replaced her sisters as best she could with her mother, who found it difficult to manage all the household chores alone.
Husband's murder
On February 5, 1905, the husband of Elizabeth Feodorovna, Prince Sergei Alexandrovich, was killed by a terrorist Ivan Kalyaev's bomb. After three days of mourning, the widow went to prison to meet with the criminal. There she declared that she did not hold a grudge for the grief caused to her, and gave the man a Bible. Then the princess went to Emperor Nicholas II with a request to pardon the terrorist, but it was immediately rejected.
Participation in the construction of temples
On February 10, 1909, the princess, who had not taken off her mourning for 4 years and spent almost all her time in prayers, gathered 17 sisters to organize the construction of the temple. She took off her mourning attire and donned her monastic attire.
The first temple at the expense of Elizabeth Feodorovna was built and consecrated on September 9, 1909. The official opening of the building was timed to coincide with the celebration of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Soon the second temple was built, which was designed by the architect A. Shchusev. The painting of the walls and ceiling in the new building was carried out by the artist M. Nesterov.
Another Orthodox church, thanks to the efforts of the princess, was built in the city of Bari (Italy). The relics of St. Nicholas the World of Lycia are now kept within its walls.
Charitable work of the saint
At the end of 1909, Elizabeth received patients at the Marfo-Mariinsky hospital at the monastery, trying to help them get rid of their suffering. Her work ended late at night. After that, she prayed earnestly, and devoted only 3 hours a day to sleep. If a seriously ill person tossed about on the bed or moaned, she would not leave him, spending several days in a row with him. Patients who were cured leaving the walls of the medical institution could not hide their tears, parting with the kind and affectionate mother Elizabeth, the abbess of the monastery.
The murder of Elizabeth Feodorovna
At the beginning of 1918, the princess and her entourage were forcibly transported along railway to the city of Perm, where they were taken into custody. After several months of imprisonment, the woman was transferred to the outskirts of Alapaevsk, where she sat in captivity for about six months. The abbess of the monastery spent all her time in prayer. Feeling the imminent death, she prepared for death, saying goodbye to her cellmates and asking the Almighty for forgiveness for people.
On the night of July 5, 1918, the nun, along with other members of the imperial family, was thrown into a deep mine shaft. The Great Martyr fell not to the bottom of the pit, as the tormentors expected, but to a ledge about 15 meters deep. Later, during excavations, the body of John Konstantinovich was found next to it. A woman after falling from a height received multiple fractures and severe bruises. Despite the injuries she received, she tried to alleviate the suffering of her neighbor here. Her body was found folded for sign of the cross fingers.
Burial of the remains of a nun
The body of the abbess of the Marfo-Mariinsky monastery in 1921 was taken from the RSFSR to the holy land in Jerusalem, where he was placed in the tomb of the church of St. Mary Magdalene.
In 1981, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to canonize all the new martyrs who were abroad, for this they had to hide their graves. To carry out such an operation, a special commission was created in Jerusalem, led by Archimandrite Anthony (before baptism he bore the name Grabbe). At that time he was the head of the Russian Spiritual Mission.
All the tombs of the martyrs were placed in front of the Royal Doors. At that moment, a miracle happened: when Archimandrite Anthony, by the providence of God, was left alone near the dead, suddenly a noise was heard. One of the many coffins shook, its sealed lid began to open. The late Elizabeth emerged from the stone tomb as if alive. She approached the dumbfounded priest and asked for his blessing. After Father Anthony blessed the saint, she returned to her place, leaving not a single trace behind. The lid of the coffin slammed shut behind her.
When the time came to unpack the stone tombs of the saints, the priests witnessed another inexplicable miracle. During the opening of the stone coffin with the body of the princess, the church was filled with a pleasant smell. Later, the clergy will tell that jasmine and honey wafted strongly from the tomb. When examining the body of the martyr, it turned out that it had hardly decomposed.
As the legend says, the icon Mother of God"Sweet Kiss" ("Glycofilus") was written by the Evangelist Luke himself during the life of the Mother of God. She is currently in Athos monastery Filofey. This was preceded by a dramatic story that took place in the first half of the 9th century, during the time of iconoclasm.
The history of the icon "Sweet Kiss"
When the Byzantine throne was occupied by the iconoclast emperor Theophilus, he ordered the destruction of all icons. The wife of his entourage Simeon, Victoria, venerated the icon and hid it in her chambers. When her husband demanded that the icon be burned, she prayed and set it free on the waves of the sea.
On the waves, this icon sailed to Athos, to the monastery of Philotheus, and a religious procession is still held to the place of its acquisition on Easter Monday.
For more than a thousand years of being in the monastery, the Glycofilus icon has performed many miracles. So, in one married couple from Praor, the wife suffered from infertility, but when the husband offered up a passionate prayer before the icon of the Mother of God "Sweet Kiss" , then the oil from the lamp burning in front of the icon helped: he anointed his wife and himself with oil, and in the same year a son was born to them.
Another miracle was the return of the kidnapped and the remorse of the criminal. This happened in 1801. The Glycophylus icon was decorated with gold pieces hung from the oklad. One pilgrim was seduced by them and kidnapped, after which he boarded a ship and tried to escape. However, although a fair wind was blowing, the ship stopped close to the shore and did not move further. When they discovered the loss, they began to search everywhere, including sending a boat to the ship. The kidnapper, seeing the miracle, repented and returned the stolen, and the ship continued sailing.
Another miracle happened already in the 20th century, when Greece was under German occupation. The monastery almost ran out of wheat, and it was decided not to receive any more pilgrims. Only Elder Father Savva opposed this decision and persuaded the brethren to abandon it. When there was very little flour left, he again persuaded them to bake bread from the leftovers and distribute them not only to the monks, but also to the laity, trusting in the mercy of the Blessed Virgin. When this was done, a ship carrying wheat moored at the pier, and the captain offered to exchange part of it for firewood. So the Mother of God again took care of her children.
The icon "Sweet Kiss" is of particular importance for those who pray for the protection of children from illnesses and dangers, for their inclusion in true faith, about respect for parents and strengthening their spirit in the event of life problems.
The celebration is on Easter Monday.
Another name for this icon is “The Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Righteous Elizabeth” (meeting means meeting). According to the gospel tradition, after the Annunciation - the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary hurried to Elizabeth, sister her mother. The childless Elizabeth and her husband, the priest Zachary, were already in old age, but the Lord gave them a son, the future John the Baptist, with whom Elizabeth was pregnant at that moment.
The ancient icon painter, whose brush belongs to the icon "Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth", depicted these holy women with babies in their wombs; the later icon "Kissing the Mother of God" simply depicts their embrace. When meeting with the Virgin Mary, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and glorified Mary as the Mother of the Savior.
This icon is prayed for the patronage of the Mother of God and for the gift of healthy and strong children.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos before Her icon "Sweet Kiss" or "Glycofilus"
Accept, O All-Mighty, Most Pure Lady, Lady of the Theotokos, these honest gifts, the only one applied to You, from us, Your unworthy servants, chosen from all generations, the highest being of all creatures of heaven and earth. For the sake of Thee, for the sake of Thee, the Lord of hosts be with us, and by Thee we will know the Son of God, and we will be honored with His Holy Body and His Most Pure Blood. Blessed are you also in childbirth, God-blessed, the brightest of the Cherubim and the most honest of the Seraphim. And now, All-holy Mother of God, do not stop praying for us, Your unworthy servants, to deliver us from every advice of the evil one and from every circumstance, and keep us intact from every poisonous pretense of the devil. But even to the end, by Your prayers, keep us uncondemned, as if by Your intercession and help we save, glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship for everything in the Trinity One God and we send all to the Creator, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos before Her icon "The Meeting of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Righteous Elizabeth"
Troparion, tone 4
Blessed Virgin / and Mother of the All-Pure, / having received the annunciation from the Archangel, / with diligence thou hast ascended into the Mountain, / and, kissing Thy south, the all-honorable Elizabeth, / the Mother of the Lord was called from this, / and glorified the Lord Tyan in women, / / and blessed is the Fruit of your womb.
Kontakion, tone 3
Thou art truly blessed, / Holy Virgin Mary, / and exceeding all praise, / as from Thee the Sun of Truth proclaims, / / Christ our God.
2009
Tell me about Jerusalem?
Where to find worthy words?
How holy was united with Him!
Mountains, stones - honor and praise to you!
If in the temple: the singers sing
And prayers of reading resound
Here, the stones will cry out.
Here the shrines speak for themselves.
If you are on Holy Land,
Do not look for another hearth,
In Gorny you live in a monastery,
You stay at home!
Elderly Elizabeth
Here she prayed, saying to God:
"How can I give birth to
At my age, the first child?
When the angel preached
Words to the Pure Virgin about Christ,
Mariam got up from work
And with care I went here.
Elizabeth got excited
Went out to look at the path.
“Who comes to me from distant places?
Whose figure am I allowed to see?
The meeting was a miracle of God -
After all, only a voice sounded,
As in the womb John jumped,
This is how he met his God!
When, in 1865, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) was appointed head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission to Jerusalem, he began vigorous activity in acquiring land in Palestine. Russia is indebted to him for the fact that by the end of the last century, a number of places connected with the gospel events were saved for Orthodoxy and became Russian. Among them is the Palestinian village of Gornyaya, otherwise Ain-Karem Hill - the scene of one of the most precious gospel narratives - the meeting of the Virgin Mary with the righteous Elizabeth. Archimandrite Antonin acquired it in 1871.
Situated on a mountain terrace, this area is immersed in the greenery of vineyards and olive orchards. It is no coincidence that the Arab village of Ain Karem, which was located here before, means "Source of Vineyards" in translation. Here lived the parents of John the Baptist, here the greatest of those born of women saw the light. An hour's walk away is the desert, where the Forerunner matured spiritually before he went out into the world preaching repentance. It was here that the wondrous Mother of God came from the gorges and stony paths after the Archangel Annunciation to reveal the heavenly secret proclaimed to Her by the blood of Righteous Elisabeth. “In the days of her, Miriam arose, went to Gornyaya with diligence, to the city of Judah, and entered the house of Zechariah, and kissed Elizabeth”(Luke 1:39-40).
"City of Judas in the Upper" - a mountainous area in the southern part of Palestine, called Judea. On the site of the house of Zechariah and Elisabeth, where the inspired conversation took place, transmitted to mankind by the Evangelist Luke (Luke 1, 39-56), a community arose through the efforts of Archimandrite Antoninus, which grew into the Gornensky Monastery.
To highlight the gospel visit of the Mother of God of the Forerunner in the Gornensky monastery in 1883, a special holiday was established, which is not found in any other monastery: “Kissing the Mother of God and the righteous Elizabeth”. In memory of this event, Archimandrite Antonin wrote a troparion:
“The brideless virgin and the all-honorable Mother, having received the Annunciation from the Archangel, with diligence thou hast ascended into the Mountain, and kissing the south of Your honorable Elizabeth, the Mother of the Lord from this was called thou, and magnified the Lord who magnified Thee. Blessed are You in women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb!”
The holiday starts March 30th church calendar, on the fifth day after the Gabriel Annunciation. From the Trinity Church of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, the icon of the Annunciation is brought to Gornyaya, and the sisters carry the icon of the Kiss out of the monastery to meet it. After their meeting, the united religious procession carries the most precious burden along the winding paths of the “Mountain Country”. The icon is sent to the Kazan Church in commemoration of the journey that the Blessed Virgin made here two thousand years ago.
The icon of the Annunciation is set up in the hegumen's place, dressed in a blue robe to the floor, like a monastic mantle. The abbot's rod is placed nearby. For three months the icon has been in the Gornensky monastery in memory of the three-month stay of the Most Honorable with Her relative. These months the Mother of God is the Abbess of the monastery. The place of the earthly abbess behind the icon. The sisters take the blessing first from the Annunciation shrine and only then from the mother and the priest.
On the Nativity of John the Baptist, which is also solemnly celebrated in the Gornensky Monastery, the icon is taken back to the Mission. During the year, every Wednesday, an akathist chant in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is performed here and the Hornen troparion is sung to the feast.
From the book of Anna Ilinskaya "Blessed Lyubushka"
Fragrance of Gornei
The second annunciation in Gornei is the celebration of the coming of the Mother of God to Ein Karem, to the place where the holy righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of St. John the Baptist, lived. This celebration is a week after the Annunciation. Established by the Holy Synod in 1883 at the request of Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) on April 12, new style. In distant Russia there is snow, here is the radiance and fragrance of spring. It is only necessary to imagine that gospel spring when Holy Virgin I heard the good news at the source in Nazareth, brought along with a white lily by the archangel Gabriel. He announced the birth of the Son of God by the Virgin Mary. He said that her relative Elizabeth, despite her advanced years, was expecting a child. The Holy Virgin decided to go to Elizabeth. She did not tell anyone about what the archangel announced to her. I needed a reason to go to Ein Karem, and I had it. The Virgin Mary worked for the Temple in Jerusalem, embroidered covers, knitted rosaries. Usually She simply handed over her work with someone, but then she asked to go Herself. Moreover, Easter was approaching. Saint Joseph the Betrothed, convinced that She was not going to Jerusalem alone, let Her go.
“But Mary arose in these days, and went with haste to the hill country, to the city of Judah, and entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And she said: Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb! And whence is it to me that the Mother of the Lord should come to me?
We do not know whether the Holy Virgin waited for the birth of John, whether she held him in Her holy arms, but according to the time it turns out: the Nativity of St. John is July 7 of the new style. When you think about his life, you are amazed at his courage, prayerfulness, in general, his image is so great that it fits only in the heart, and is inaccessible to the mind. After all, he remained completely an orphan in the smallest years. They killed their father, and he and his mother fled from Herod, hiding in a cave. Soon Saint Elizabeth also died. The mountain roe deer nursed the baby, the Angels lulled him, taught him to read and write, the Holy Scriptures.
How did such a baby live alone? - the pilgrim asks who knows who, standing with others at the saint's cave. - No mother, no father. - And she herself answers: - But it's better than without Angels.
The Blessed Virgin went for water to the source, which is called the source of the Virgin Mary. Now the source is under the roof, there is a parking lot nearby, and it is very difficult to imagine how the Blessed Virgin came here for water, keeping in Her heart the words that escaped from it: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, that He looked upon the humility of His servant..." (Luke 1:47-48).
The icon of the Annunciation is brought from the Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Mission to the source. Here is the first prayer service. The bells start ringing. The icon is carried in their arms, first the abbess with one of the sisters, then, in turn, the sisters. They walk on a carpet of flowers. The bells don't stop.
The icon is brought into the temple, placed in the center on a special pedestal. Above the icon is a white-blue heavenly cover. Near the icon is the abbot's baton. From that day on, entering the temple, the sisters first take a blessing from the Mother of God, then from the abbess. So three months. This is a symbol of those three months that the Blessed Virgin lived here.
Annunciation in the Holy Land
The feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos occupies a special place in the series of celebrations of the church year. But it is especially dear for the believing heart to meet him exactly where this event took place, called by the words of the church hymnography "the main thing of our salvation." Evangelist Luke, outlining the circumstances of the Annunciation, narrates: “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to the Virgin, betrothed to a husband named Joseph, from the house of David; the name of the Virgin: Mary. The angel, having entered to Her, said: Rejoice, Blessed One! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:26-28).
Twenty centuries have passed since the time when the voice of the heavenly herald sounded authoritatively on Earth, signifying the coming coming of the Son of God into the world. During this time, dozens of generations have changed, cities have been built and fallen into oblivion, empires have arisen and collapsed. The appearance of the Holy Land has changed beyond recognition. Many places mentioned in the Gospel are now known only from archaeological finds, but Nazareth lives on. Every year on the feast of the Annunciation, many Orthodox pilgrims from all over the world gather here to participate in the celebrations.
According to church tradition, the Annunciation took place at the only source in the city, where the Virgin Mary, like other local residents, drew water for household needs. In the 18th century, an Orthodox church was erected over the spring in the name of the Archangel Gabriel. It is in it that on the day of the holiday the Patriarch of Jerusalem usually celebrates the Liturgy, co-served by the Greek and Arab clergy, as well as representatives of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.
Most of icons in the iconostasis of the temple - Russian writing. The contribution of our pious ancestors to the maintenance and decoration of this holy place was very significant, which is well known and remembered by the inhabitants of modern Nazareth. A significant part of them - about 17 thousand people - are Orthodox Arabs, who make up the largest community in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. On the day of the holiday, up to 5 thousand pilgrims are added to them, of which at least one third are our compatriots. Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Greek speech then can be heard here literally at every step. A small ancient temple can be overcrowded to such an extent that it is extremely difficult not only to enter it, but also just to look. Indigenous people, following the kind-hearted traditions of oriental hospitality, give way to guests. They themselves are content with watching the broadcast of the service in the cultural center next to the temple. Whole families of smartly dressed people who came to the holiday sit in orderly rows in front of a screen specially installed indoors. In the first row - the most honorable and respected representatives of the authorities and the city community. They mostly pray while sitting, but at the most solemn moments of the liturgy, in particular when singing the “Symbol of Faith”, the prayer “Our Father”, they stand up. There are not enough places here for everyone, so many dozens of people still have to stand.
Almost everyone present at the service takes communion. Confession for those wishing to partake of the holy mysteries of Christ takes place right in the churchyard at the entrance to the temple. The Jerusalem Patriarchate has Russian-speaking clerics, and among the Russian and Ukrainian pilgrims there are clergymen, turning to whom you can confess in your native language.
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After the liturgy, according to tradition, a religious procession is performed, which is a very unusual and very colorful sight. Not only clergy and pilgrims take part in it, but also Orthodox scouts from among the local youth. Scouting in Palestine is a legacy of the British Raj. Arab scouts adopted from their English predecessors not only the form, but also the traditions of using musical instruments, therefore, the prayer procession through the streets of the city takes place under a deafening drumbeat and militant singing of bagpipes. The musicians are followed by columns of Arab teenagers of both sexes in protective uniforms and red berets, then - clergy, including the Patriarch of Jerusalem, in blue "Mother of God" robes, as well as representatives of the city authorities. Numerous pilgrims close the procession with the singing of “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice!”.
Pilgrims often end their visits to Nazareth by worshiping the place where the house of Righteous Joseph once stood, under whose shelter the Blessed Virgin lived. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of this house in the thickness of the earth at a depth of many meters. Above them now stands the Franciscan Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest catholic church in the Middle East. In the bypass gallery of the temple there are images of the Mother of God with the Child, made by Christian artists. different countries, with a characteristic national flavor.
The continuation of the celebration of the Annunciation in the Holy Land is the unique holiday "The Coming of the Mother of God in the Mountain City of Judas", celebrated in the Russian women's Gorny Monastery in Ain Karem. The once poor outlying village of Ain Karem is now within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. Church tradition connects this place with the visit of the Blessed Virgin to her relative, the righteous Elizabeth. It was here, having heard the Archangel gospel, “having risen Miriam ... go to the mountain with diligence, to the city of Judah” (Luke 1: 39). She lived in the house of the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth for three months, leaving shortly before the birth of Saint John the Baptist.
The history of the foundation of the Russian Gornensky convent directly related to the events described in the Gospel. Plot of land on a mountainside in Ain Karem in the second half 19th century was redeemed by the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin). Father Antonin considered it his special goal to acquire the holy places of Palestine for Russia in order to make them more accessible to our pilgrims. It was Archimandrite Antonin who initiated the founding of a women's community in Ain Karem of Russian pilgrims who wanted to asceticize in the Holy Land, which was later transformed into a monastery.
The first stone church in the Gornensky monastery was consecrated on March 30, 1883, precisely in honor of the meeting of the Mother of God with the righteous Elizabeth. Later, in connection with the special veneration of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God by the inhabitants, the temple was named Kazan. At the request of Archimandrite Antonin, the Holy Synod, by decree of August 5, 1883, established a special holiday - the Kissing of Mariino, or the Coming of the Mother of God to the Mountain City of Judas. The celebration was determined to be celebrated annually five days after the Annunciation - March 30, if this day does not fall on Holy Week. Otherwise, it is postponed to Thursday bright week.
The holiday begins with the fact that in the afternoon the icon of the Annunciation is transported from the Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission to Ain Karem to the source of the Mother of God. The shrine is accompanied by the clergy of the mission, led by its chief. Previously, the nuns of the Russian Ascension Monastery on the Mount of Olives accompanied the icon of the Annunciation. Unfortunately, this pious tradition, which united the inhabitants of two Russian monasteries in the Holy Land, was interrupted after the transfer of the Gornensky Monastery to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1948, and the Olivet Monastery to the Russian Church Abroad. With the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion, and most importantly, with the replenishment of the Monastery of Olives with new young sisters, it may be gradually revived. It is thanks to the reunification of the two branches of the once divided Russian Orthodox Church in 2008, for example, for the first time in recent history The Gorny celebrations were led by the hierarch of ROCOR, Archbishop Mark of Berlin.
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Towards the icon of the Annunciation, monastics and pilgrims come out of the monastery with bouquets of flowers in their hands, who carry the ancient icon “The Kissing of the Mother of God with the Righteous Elizabeth”. When two shrines meet at the source, a prayer service is performed in front of them, and then the procession to the monastery, located much higher on the mountain, begins. The procession is accompanied bell ringing and the incessant singing of the troparion of the feast by the sisters, composed by the same Archimandrite Antoninus:
Virgin Blessed and Mother All-Pure,
received from the Archangel the annunciation,
with diligence thou hast ascended into the Mountain,
and kissing your yuzhika, all-honorable Elizabeth,
Thou hast been called the mother of the Lord from this,
and magnified the Lord who magnified Thee:
Blessed are You in wives,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Starting from the monastery gates, the path followed by this solemn spiritual procession is paved with a path of fresh spring flowers and herbs. A flower carpet in the form of a circle was carefully laid out by the hands of the sisters and in front of the entrance to the Kazan Church. The icon of the Annunciation is placed here on a special elevated place, and the abbot's rod is placed next to it, signifying that the Queen of Heaven Herself takes over the management of the monastery.
According to the decree of the Holy Synod, the service of the feast was to be performed entirely according to the Annunciation chapter of the Typicon, including the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Additions to it were the stichera of the holiday, as well as the troparion and kontakion, compiled by Father Antonin (Kapustin). When the Gornensky Monastery was under the jurisdiction of the ROCOR, the order of the Holy Synod was canceled by Metropolitan Anastassy, and on the feast day they celebrated the liturgy Presanctified gifts. Only in 1956, the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Pimen, addressed His Holiness Patriarch Alexy with a special report with a request to restore the old synodal decree. His Holiness Patriarch this request was granted.
The icon of the Annunciation, in commemoration of the three-month stay of the Mother of God visiting the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, remains in the Gornensky monastery also for three months, until the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, which is patronal feast monastery. On this day, after the liturgy, the sisters and pilgrims escort the icon of the Annunciation back to the Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.
These celebrations, celebrated annually in the Holy Land, provide the believers with abundant spiritual comfort, vividly and vividly reminding them of the circumstances under which 2,000 years ago the good news about the salvation of the human race from sin, damnation and death.
Olga Kiryanova
06 / 04 / 2009 Photo by the author
The holiday, established in 1883 in the Holy Land, is traditionally held only in the Gornensky monastery, located, according to legend, on the very land where the holy righteous Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of St. John the Baptist, lived.
The Mother of God lived in the mountainous country for three months, and the meeting of the Most Pure One with the holy righteous Elizabeth was reflected in the Gospel of Luke: “And she entered the House of Zechariah, and Elizabeth kissed” (Luke 1:40).
The sisters and workers of the Gornensky monastery decorated with fresh flowers the icon cases of two icons “The Kissing of the Mother of God and the Righteous Elizabeth” and collected four flower carpets connected to each other by neat grass paths around the temple in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
According to the existing tradition, the abbess of the monastery Abbess George (Shchukin), together with the sisters, met the miraculous icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos brought from the Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem at the source of the Mother of God located outside the monastery.
After a prayer service to the sound of bells and church hymns, a crowded religious procession with a miraculous image went to the Kazan Church of the Gorny Convent. The transfer of the icon and the procession were led by Metropolitan Timothy of Vostra, invited to the celebrations, from the Jerusalem Patriarchate. The procession was attended by Archbishop Dimitry of Tobolsk and Tyumen, Archbishop Veniamin of Vladivostok and Primorsky, Archimandrite Isidore, head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, and many pilgrims to the Holy Land Orthodox clergy.
All the way to this procession, symbolizing the journey of the Mother of God and Her coming from Nazareth to the Mountain City of Judah, was decorated on the territory of the monastery with green grass and flowers.
Since the celebration fell on the Bright Week, the miraculous icon was covered with a pink robe to the floor, like a monastic mantle, and placed together with the abbot's rod strengthened at its base in the center of the Kazan temple. This icon will remain in it for three months - until the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist in remembrance of the event that it was for such a period that the Most Holy Theotokos visited the righteous Elizabeth.
After a while, already dressed in a blue robe miraculous icon will take the hegumen’s place in the temple, and for all 90 days the Mother of God will be called in the Gornensky monastery “Abbess of the monastery”. The place of the earthly abbess of the monastery will be next to the icon. During this period, monastics and pilgrims take a blessing first from the Annunciation shrine and only then from Mother George and the priests.
Archbishop of Tobolsk and Tyumen Dimitry, who headed evening worship, upon its completion, on the square in front of the temple, on behalf of the diocese, he donated to the Gornensky Monastery two large icons in an icon case - the image of the Most Holy Theotokos "Abalakskaya" and "The Cathedral of Saints Who Resplendent in the Siberian Land", written in the icon-painting workshops of Tobolsk. These icons will adorn the Church of All Saints Who Resplendent in the Russian Land, which has been the architectural dominant of the Gorny Convent since 2007.
The head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Isidore, and Abbess George, in their response, heartily thanked Vladyka Dimitry for the valuable icons, and the choristers of the Tobolsk Seminary and Gornensky Monastery sang spiritual hymns.
Archbishop Veniamin of Primorsky and Vladivostok expressed his impression of the past holiday, called the “Second Annunciation” in this monastery: more joy. And I, too, personally, along with everyone, rejoice that I have come here to meet the Most Holy Theotokos, who, more than two thousand years ago, undertook a journey from Nazareth to Gorne. This holiday enters the heart and soul and brings us endless joy.”