Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God

I remembered the monologue of Prince Myshkin from the novel by F. Dostoyevsky "Idiot", where he reflects on atheists. You listen to them, he says, and like all speak correctly, they reason correctly, and "not about that." Indeed, it is difficult to argue with a logical and balanced mind. He will lead a lot of examples, lay out all the facts, prove the unprovable. But quite another thing - the soul. It is difficult to describe in words. It is impossible to talk about it. It does not give in to logic, there are no laws in it. Because in her are hidden infinity and love. In it you just have to believe. Deep. Silently. Truly. It is difficult and easy at the same time. It's hard because there's a lot of fuss. Our eyes are used to seeing. Our ears are accustomed to hearing, and their hands to do. It is difficult for us to stop and drop these habits. It is difficult for us to let go of our body, to renounce it, to recognize that it is our temporary refuge, that the world is just an illusion. It is difficult for us to recognize as real what we can not reach and touch .... But God helps us in this too. He sends us icons - a material embodiment of the soul, near which we can stand still and come into contact with the unknown, but existing. The Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is one of those great shrines sent to us by the Creator. Let's talk about it in more detail. Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God

It was 1240 year. Fleeing from the Tatar-Mongol invasion, two Orthodox monks go to Volyn. Here among the dense forests they find refuge - a small cave in the Pochaevskaya mountain. These lands were mostly uninhabited. As time went. The solitary life of the monks was held in earnest prayer for the deliverance of the Russian land from ruin and suffering. One day, one of them, after long prayers, ascended the mountain and saw the image of the Virgin. She stood on a rock embraced by a bright flame. He immediately called another monk, and they two witnessed a miraculous phenomenon. At this time the shepherd John Bosoy passed nearby. He saw from a distance an unusual glow. He went up the mountain and along with the monks fell to his knees and began to glorify God and the Mother of God. The phenomenon soon disappeared. However, the stone on which the Virgin stood, became an eternal confirmation of Her descent - it left a trace of Her right foot. Since then, this stone is a source of healing water. Many pilgrims come every year to drink holy water and fill it with their vessels, and the imprint is still full, and the water does not go away. The news of the miraculous phenomenon spread to all the ends of the Orthodox land. The glory of the holy mountain spread. First a small chapel was built. And over time, the stone Holy Assumption Church and the monastery were built, which becomes the center for Orthodox believers in the western lands of Russia - the Pochaev Lavra. How does this tradition relate to the miraculous icon? Yes, indeed, the events described took place long before it appeared in these places, but nothing happens by chance. Different phenomena, our actions, words and decisions are the inseparable links of one chain, which leads us to even greater miracles or, on the contrary, to disappointments. It all depends on what kind of thoughts we have inside. Directly the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God appeared in the walls of the Lavra in the following way. In the middle of the 16th century a certain landowner Anna Goiskaya lived in Volhynia. She was a deeply religious person. Once the Greek Metropolitan Neophyte visited her. Presumably he was returning from Moscow and stopped at the house of the landowner to visit the monastery and bow to the Feet of the Mother of God. The hostess of the house accepted him cordially, and for her sincere hospitality, in blessing he bestowed upon her the old icon of the Mother of God. Nowadays it is the icon of Pochaiv's icon of the Mother of God.

Anna Tikhonovna put a precious image in the house chapel. However, I soon noticed that the icon emanates an unusual light and miracles of various kinds occur. Thanks to her lame brother Goiskoy Phillip forever got rid of his illness. We can say that this is the first recorded fact that the Pochaev icon of the Mother of God helps. And then the true Orthodox believer decided to give it to the Pochaev monks for eternal storage. She created the so-called "fundus record", in other words - a gift, according to which she and her descendants are obliged to provide the monastery with everything necessary and to help the monks guard the icon. The same grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who in the future will refuse to take the decision, will be anathema and damned. Feel the will of God-fearing landowner happened to her nephew - Andrei Firley. By faith he was a Lutheran, and to his liking, cruel and powerful. He robbed the monastery and brought the icon home, where he kept it for about 20 years. Once during one of the feasts, he invited his wife to dress in the clothes of Orthodox monks and instead of glorifying the Virgin loudly shouting blasphemy. So they did for the fun of the guests. The punishment came immediately - an awful illness began to torment the woman. Disposal came only when Andrew returned the icon back to the monastery ... Icon of Pochayiv Mother of God: meaning

The icon is in Pochaev Lavra for hundreds of years. It is known that only in the 110 years of its location among the Uniates was recorded about 539 miracles. However, it is not difficult to assume that even for this short time relative to history, not all was recorded in the annals. Miracles continue even now. Something remains in the memory of people, some facts pass by. But it does not matter, because the believer's soul does not really need these proofs. We come to the icon at the behest of the heart to share with the Creator our joy or sorrow, ask for blessings and help, because He is our only abode. Therefore, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually come to the holy spring and to the miraculous icon. They pray for the healing of all kinds of ailments, from blindness, for release from captivity, for the cessation of wars, about the admonition of those who refused faith ...