"Three Hands" - the icon of the Mother of God. The meaning and history of the icon

The life path of the defender of Orthodoxy and icon-veneration of John Damascene was not simple. It was thanks to him that the history of the appearance of such a miraculous image as the Three Hands became known. The icon of the Mother of God, whose importance for the Orthodox world can not be belittled, has for centuries helped many lay people who believed in its power in difficulties.

Leo Isaurus (Byzantine emperor) in 717 began severe persecution of those who reverently treated sacred objects. In that year the icons were massed and destroyed, their defenders tortured and put to death. Only outside the Byzantine territories, and this in the Muslim Damascus, holy images fearlessly revered because of the intercession of the Monk John. At that time he served as an adviser to the city ruler.

Icon of the Three Hands. The history that preceded its appearance

John Damaskin for a time carried his good mission, but at some point he was accused of treason to the state. The man was slandered before the local caliph. The emperor ordered to cut off his right hand, and then hang it on the main square of the city for intimidation. Toward evening, when the wrath of the ruler had subsided, the monk asked for intercession, and with a severed hand he shut himself up in his private cell. Who knew that this tragic moment will become a prerequisite for the fact that the world will be presented with such a unique shrine as the Three Hands. The icon of the Mother of God helps today many suffering throughout the world.

The saint gave himself up to long and tearful prayers before the face of the Most Holy Theotokos. He put a severed brush to his joint and asked her to heal his hand. In his delicate dream, with the good news, the Lady herself came and informed him of the healing of the hand - henceforth she had to serve him to glorify God's name.

The miracle that has come

After the monk woke up, he felt his brush and found her unharmed. John was incredibly touched, and with a deep gratitude to Heavenly Lady composed a praising and thankful song for her mercy. It is called "It rejoices in You, Blessed, every creature". Later, in liturgical practice, they began to use it as a sign of the liturgy dedicated to St. Basil the Great.

To somehow leave the memory of the miracle that happened, the monk to the bottom of the image, through which he received healing, put his hand made of silver. This is how the Three Hands (the icon of the Mother of God) got its name.

God works in mysterious ways

John's healing quickly spread throughout Damascus. Khalifa is a miracle of wisdom. He, realizing his guilt, asked the saint to conduct state affairs again, but the monk decided to give all his strength to the service of God. John was allowed to retire to Jerusalem to the Lavra of Sava the Sanctified. There he accepted his loneliness. With him was taken and icon Troeruchitsa (photo You can see in the article).

The further destiny of a unique creation

The miracle-working image remained in Jerusalem until the 13th century. When the monastery was visited by Saint Sava, the icon of the Troucicus, blessed by the Archbishop of Serbia (the history of its appearance has reached even today) was presented according to the special will of the Mother of God.

During the Ottoman invasions, and this is already in the 15th century, so that the precious gift survived the destruction, the pious Serbs completely transferred it to the guardianship of the Queen of Heaven. The most valuable image was laid on the donkey. By no one an animal led to the holy mountain Athos. There it stopped at the gates of the Hilandar Monastery, which was founded in the 13th century by the famous Serbian ruler Stefan (Simeon). The monks accepted this great gift from God. The Three Hands (the icon of the Mother of God) was installed on the altar of the local cathedral church. Since that time, an annual procession is being performed to her.

The unconditional will of the Lady

Once there was such a case. After the hegumen gave his soul to God, the brethren could not elect a new chapter, there was no unanimity. Their troubles were not pleasing to the Mother of God, and then she personally resolved their dispute. When the monks came for the morning service, they saw that the icon of Troučuchice, the story Which does not cease to surprise, was on the hegumen place instead of the altar.

The monks attributed this "miracle" to someone else's secret deed. They brought the image back to its original place. However, in a rather the situation repeated, although the doors were sealed. Soon the will of the Lady was manifested through the well-known recluse of the monastery. He said that in his vision the Mother of God told him: in order that there should be no disagreement between the brethren, she herself will take on this function and will manage the monastery, and the hegumen place will take its icon.

Miracles are visible

It was from that moment to the present time, obeying the will of the Queen of Heaven, Hilandar monastery does not choose a special hegumen. Here, a hieromonk-governor, head of monastic affairs, is treated. During the service he is always near the Hegumen place, where the Troeruchitsa is located. The icon of the Mother of God, the significance of which is very great for all Orthodox, has been keeping peace and harmony for centuries in the walls of the monastery.

The brotherly believes: when applying to the miraculous image, one can receive a blessing personally from the Mother of God, who is their Heavenly Father Superior. Her face more than once protected the Hilandar monastery from foreign invasions. According to the testimony of the Turks themselves during the Russian-Turkish wars, the face of the monastery often appeared unreachable for the weapons and people of the face of the mysterious Wife. This is how each time about his patronage reminded Troeruchitsa. The meaning of the icon for the monastery was always incredibly great.

How can it help?

Repeatedly the miracle of the icon of Troučuchice was shown to the world. What helps This face? First of all, it promotes the healing of diseases of the hands, legs, eyes. If you read the prayer dedicated to him, you will lose yearning, apathy and sorrowful thoughts. The image of the Mother of God protects the craftsman. He also gives strength to work in the household. The icon is celebrated twice a year: June 28 / July 11, as well as on July 12/25.

How does the Three Hands protect?

From the threatening well-being of the house and all its inhabitants, Troeruchitsa will protect. The icon of the Mother of God, the significance of which is to bring salvation and grace to people, also contributes to the increase of well-being. She is praying for requests for personal healing and recovery of loved ones.

In the summer of 1889, typhus fever raged in Kiev . The Monk Jonah, who went down in history as the founder of the Holy Trinity Monastery on Timiryazevskaya Street, decided to serve a prayer before the miraculous image. On the same day the sea stopped.

A unique list of Troučuchice is still kept in the monastery. Already in the 90 years of the 20th century, the relics of Jonah were reburied on the territory of the monastery. According to the believers, they helped to heal a woman who had a burn of her hand with acid the day before.

Value

Upon closer examination of the icon, you can see that right in the center is the baby Jesus Christ. He sits in the arms of the Mother of God and as if blessing with his right hand every one who is before him. The Lady points to him as the path to salvation. Traditionally, this is how the icon of Troučuchice is portrayed, which means the following: everyone has a window to the mountain world open. We can communicate directly with him, and according to our faith we will be rewarded. Hence comes the realization that the Hodegetria is not just a talisman or a charm.

The emergence and special reverence of the unique shrine as an important spiritual witness is closely connected with the most complicated historical period of Christianity. Such a phenomenon as iconoclasm began with the fact that people were confronted with a distorted understanding of the shrines. Images were broken off from the images, the paint was scraped off, and also worshiped not the very prototype, but only, as Fr. Pavel Florensky, "the physical reason."

I need to read the icon, but to give my love and believe it follows the person who looks at the person. If the relation to the holy face is appropriate, then through him also the favor of the one who is shown in paints by the blessed hand of the icon-painter will appear. With such an inner filling, one should approach such an image as the Three Hands (the icon of the Mother of God), the meaning of which is indescribably great. Its task is to bring to everyone the following: the hand of John of Damascus is an eternal testimony that, under the command and guidance of the Lady, those who gave themselves to the service of the Heavenly Father can come to salvation.

What else is unique about the icon?

The hand from silver to the image of the Lady was enclosed by the Monk John Damascene. This gesture of his gratitude for the healing of the severed brush during the iconoclasm. Since that time, all lists of faces are performed with an attached hand, which is sometimes depicted as the third hand of the Virgin.

If you have any difficulties in any activity, then here is the first assistant-the icon of Troeruchitsa. What helps the image yet? Of course, the Mother of God favors everyone involved in needlework or any manual labor. Before her face pray for healing, if there are diseases of the hands, feet. The icon preserves and strengthens the welfare of the family, protects people with bad thoughts.

In Russia Troeruchitsa became known from the 17th century, and in 1661 her list was presented as a special gift to the Patriarch of Moscow Nikon. Today, various copies of the miraculous icon that help people in their petitions are distributed throughout the country. In Moscow, a well-known list of the image of the Holy Virgin is in the Assumption Church on Taganka.

Orthodox reverence for the icon of the Three Hands, and according to their faith they receive from the Pure, rich and great mercies. Honored lists of the image could be found in many temples: Trehsvyatitelskom, Simeonovsky and Borisoglebsky in Tver, in the Shenkursky Trinity Convent of the Diocese of Arkhangelsk, in the Zhomen Sukhotinsky Women's Monastery of the Diocese of Tambov, in the village of. Sazhin diocese of Perm and elsewhere.