Holy Anna. Church of St. Anne. Icon of Saint Anne

Very often, referring to the icons of St. Anne or with the prayer for help and protection, the ignorant believers are not exactly sure with which Anna they are trying to establish contact. This leads to the fact that prayers remain unheard, and their faith is questioned. Let's look at all the famous saints with the name Anna, as well as the areas of their patronage.

Saint Anna, mother of the Virgin

In memory of the holy righteous Anna are dedicated on December 22, August 7 and September 22 on a new style. Saint Anna comes from the family of Aaron, and her husband, St. Joachim, comes from the house of King David himself, from where, according to ancient traditions, the Messiah was to come. The married couple lived in Nazareth and monthly gave part of the income for the construction of the temple of Jerusalem, as well as donations to the poor.

Unfortunately, God did not give a pair of children to a very old age, which the spouses were incredibly sorrowful about. It is known that for Jews, childless families are considered the most unfortunate, and infertility is called the heavy punishment of God. However, the saints did not give up and prayed fervently for the appearance of the offspring. Joachim went to the desert and spent 40 long days praying for a miracle, Anna blamed herself for their misfortune, she also asked the Lord to give her a child, making a promise to bring him as a gift to God.

The prayers of the spouses were heard, an angel came down to them and announced the fulfillment of a miracle. Thus, in Jerusalem, the couple had a daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to legend, the holy righteous Anna died in a very old age in Jerusalem before the Annunciation. The first temple in honor of the saint was built in Deutter, and its ascent is celebrated on August 7. Saint Anne's prayers are raised when infertility, as well as in case of complications during pregnancy, to find a healthy offspring. Like Saint Anne, Mary, her daughter, began to live a godly life and was blessed with the joy of bringing forth Jesus Christ, our savior.

Princess Anna Kashinskaya

Among the Russian saints, Anna Kashinskaya occupies a special place. It is known that every saint has this or that virtue, which the believers who pray to them can give. The virtue of Anna is patience - one of the most valuable qualities of Christians, without which further spiritual development is impossible.

Saint Anne's lot fell to a lot of sorrows. All her life she dedicated to God, eventually becoming a nun. Great-grandfather Saint, Basil of Rostov, gave his life for faith, refusing to change Orthodoxy. Saint Anna Kashinskaya also lived at a time when Christians were subjected to all sorts of persecutions: during the times of the Horde yoke.

All the misfortunes that befell Anna and her family, just do not find it. It all started with the death of her father. Then the grand prince's palace with all the property was destroyed by fire. After some time, Anna's husband, Mikhail, became seriously ill. Death bypassed him, but touched the first-born of the couple - their daughter Theodore died in infancy. Finally, the misfortune befell Prince Michael: the Horde tortured him to death, trying to force him to accept his idols.

Trials and sorrows of the princess

On this test of faith and patience the saint did not end. One by one, her close and dear people died: first her eldest son, who was trying to avenge the death of his father, then the second son and grandson were killed during the uprising in Tver. After that, Anna decided to go to a nun, going to her own monastery. There she devoted the rest of her life to prayers for comforting the souls of her family and friends, and also for the liberation of the Russian land.

In 1368, Saint Anna Kashinskaya died and was buried in the Assumption Monastery. For a long time her tomb remained without due attention, but rumors of miracles from the relics of the saint reached the Patriarch, and they were decided to open. However, after the death, the troubles did not leave the saint, and soon she began to be considered a symbol of schismatics, as a result of which she was stripped of her status as a saint for 230 years. The first cathedral of St. Anne was built in St. Petersburg in 1910.

St. Anne Kashinskaya pray before important undertakings, as well as facing troubles and temptations. To her coffin also come before marriage and before the adoption of monasticism. Saint Anna - the patroness of orphans and widows - blesses every Christian soul who has turned for help.

Righteous Anna the Prophetess

The holy righteous Anna, daughter of Fanuel, was a woman of extraordinary virtue. Having married early, but having lived with her husband for only 7 years, she devoted the rest of her life to God, followed a strict fast and prayed tirelessly. For her restrained and modest life, and also for her unshakable faith, the saint was awarded the gift of foresight. It is noteworthy that she was the only woman named the Prophetess in the New Testament.

At the age of 84, Saint Anna the Prophetess was honored to see Jesus in one of the temples of Jerusalem. The baby was brought to be consecrated to God, and Anna, together with Simeon the God-servant, proclaimed him the Messiah.

In memory of Saint Anna are dedicated on February 3 and 16, as well as on September 10. This saint is considered the patroness and protector of babies. If your child is sick, contact with sincere prayer to the icon of St. Anne - and you will see a real miracle. Also, Saint Anna the Prophetess helps to heal from infertility, sorrow and temptations. Girls born with this name should carry an icon of the saint in order to be protected from all evil and temptations.

Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem

The main church, dedicated to St. Anne, is, of course, in Jerusalem, in the place where Anna gave birth to Mary. The church was built in 1142, however it was perfectly preserved, contrary to expectations. Queen Melisande supported construction in every possible way, being a spiritual follower of St. Bernard Clervovsky. For her good deeds, the Queen was honored to be buried in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin.

In 1187, the crusaders were expelled from Jerusalem, and many churches suffered destruction, but the church of St. Anne resisted. In 1856 the church was donated to Napoleon III for help in the Crimean War, and then was transferred to the "White Fathers" - the monastic brotherhood.

Later, the church was restored by M. Maus, who restored the spirit of the Crusader era. In 1954, Philippe Kappelen, the French sculptor, built the main altar. On both sides of it, as well as on the pediment depicts the most important events in the life of Mary: the introduction to the Temple, teaching, the Annunciation and others. Also worthy of attention is the underground crypt, which you can descend from the basilica. It is considered to be the main holy place of the church.

Miracles occur even when you leave the church. Not far from the shrine, at the Sheep Gate, there is another noteworthy place: a reservoir where once Jesus performed a miracle of healing. The water from the font was considered sacred, and many sick people sent from the temple expected divine healing here.

Miraculous Source

A small Ukrainian village Onishkovtsy is always ready to receive guests: here is the famous healing spring, which helped a lot of people get rid of their ailments. The source is located near the monastery of St. Anna's Righteous One, and therefore bears her name. Gradually flowing into a small lake, he bestows healing from infertility, so hundreds of women come to St. Nicholas' nunnery in order to ask for a miracle.

According to ancient legends, the holy lake of Anna arose not without divine help. First in its place was built a church, which was destroyed during the invasion of the Tatars. After some time it was restored, and the place was marked by the appearance of the image of St. Anne. The icon was brought to the temple, but the next day found that she moved to the place of appearance. This miracle happened several times, after which a chapel was built on this place. Some time later the holy spring also scored .

In times of total atheism, the church was again destroyed, and the source was covered with earth and covered with concrete slabs. However, the sacred water broke through, and the peasants cleared the place for the return of the lake.

Now on the site of the lake a whole bathhouse has been built, with separate booths for men and women. It is noteworthy that the temperature of the lake does not change, regardless of the season. In summer the water does not heat up, but does not freeze in winter ...

Gothic cathedral in Vilnius

This church is considered a true masterpiece of the late Gothic. The small cathedral looks so fragile and miniature that it attracts much more enthusiastic looks than the huge church of St. Bernard behind it. Who exactly and in what period of time he built this cathedral is not exactly known, but he looks so dazzling that Napoleon himself wanted to transfer him to Paris.

Now the famous church of St. Anne is considered one of the symbols of Vilnius. If you look at the main facade of the cathedral, you will find the letters "A" and "M", which may mean "Ave Maria" or "Anna Mater Maria". According to some experts, the facade composition imitates the pillars of the Gediminovich, whose tops are 3 small turrets.

In the 19 th century, near the church was built a bell tower, made in pseudo-Gothic style. Now near the church there is a beautiful park where people can sit in the shade of trees or lie on the grass, enjoying the beauty of the cathedral. For tourists there are special excursions lasting one and a half or 3 hours, including Russian guides.

Church in Augsburg

The church, together with a small monastery, was erected in the very center of the city in 1321, after which it was restored and reconstructed many times. By 1420, thanks to donations, the monastery of St. Anne twice exceeded its original area. The Jewelers' Chapel was built, and then the Fugger's Chapel. It belonged to one of the most influential families of the city and was practically the first building in the Renaissance style.

One of the sights of the church is the Museum of Martin Luther. His story dates back to 1518, when Luther arrived in the city for a theological conversation with the cardinal himself. As a result of this meeting, the papal legate planned to arrest the leader of the partisans. However, after the meeting, Luther secretly left the city. In 1551, a new history of the temple began, where the school was opened, and then the school of St. Anne. A little while later the city architect erected a new building for the gymnasium with a library and a church tower with a spire.

Ornaments of the Church

In the 16th century the church became the owner of a unique collection of paintings that can be seen there to this day. Some of the works of art belong to the hand of the great German master Lucas Cranach the Elder. As for the artistic component of the decoration of the temple, there is something to see both pilgrims and ordinary tourists who do not belong to the Christian faith. First, it is necessary to pay attention to the murals on the ceiling, made in the styles of rococo and baroque. Numerous frescoes and moldings depict such great events as the Day of Judgment, the Crucifixion and the Sermon on the Mount.

Built entirely for donations, the Jewelers' Chapel was expanded and decorated with frescoes depicting King Herod. According to the plot, the king addresses the warlocks with a request to find out the whereabouts of Jesus. Also, the frescoes depict Jesus himself, the Magi, the saints Elena, George and Christopher.

Athos monastery of St. Anne

In Greece is one of the most popular places of pilgrimage dedicated to St. Anne. Athos monastery has a miraculous icon, patronizing motherhood. It is known that thousands of people after prayers before the icon received children, and Saint Anne helped them. The icon stands here from ancient times, as evidenced by an old lamp with an egg standing near the icon.

It turns out that this lamp was presented to the skete by the Turkish sultan more than 200 years ago! The history of this gift is extremely interesting. The fact is that Sultan Limnu was childless, and, as mentioned earlier, infertility among Muslims is like a curse on the whole family. The time passed, the sultan gradually grew old, but there was still no hope of finding the offspring. Then he heard rumors that in the Athos monastery there is a miraculous icon that helps parents to find children. And the sultan did not hesitate to send generous gifts to the monastery with a request to bring him holy water and oil from the lamp.

However, the pilgrims thought: "How do we give the shrine to a man who does not even profess Christianity?" And they poured the oil. However, the Sultan believed in the power of the icon and again demanded of the pilgrims execution of his request. Being confused, the pilgrims went to the fathers of the monastery for advice. "What do we do? They asked. "If we do not comply with the request of the Sultan, he will execute us!" And the fathers answered: "Then take him to a simple oil and ordinary water."

It was decided to do so. Believing in the miraculous power of the icon, the sultan drank ordinary water from a stream and began to pray desperately, for Saint Anne was his last hope. The icon really helped, and soon a miracle happened: the Sultan received a long-awaited son! Filled with gratitude, the sultan sent a lamp, adorned with a precious stone. However, soon the thieves stole the stone, and the sultan sent in his place a silver egg.

For the prayer to gain strength ...

Many people refuse to believe in God only because they do not receive answers to their prayers. But what if it is the fault of the worshipers themselves? The fact is that very often we are too focused on our own sorrows to pay homage and attention to the greatness of the Lord we are addressing. When we focus only on our own needs, our prayer becomes invalid. The main condition for the success of any prayer is the trust in the love and power of God who wants to help us.

For the prayer to be strong, it is necessary to consider it in the light of the grace of God, then we can ascend to it, and prayer will be heard. Learn to "meet" with God in every prayer. After all, we crave meeting with loved ones and relatives, and from God we most often just want something. However, God is not like a seller. He gives goodness to those who really believe and are hungry for the presence of the Lord in their lives.

On the example of the Sultan, one can judge that it is not so much the faith of a person as the sincerity of his prayers and motives. Therefore, even if the "unfaithful" sincerely turn to God and ask him to participate in his life, the Lord will respond to his prayers.