One of the most touching, most amazing icons. Its spiritual meaning is in the boundless love of the Mother of God for people. She "vouches" to the Lord for us sinners. We have sinned. And worthy of punishment, death. And the Mother of God is looking for how to protect us with saving grace, to lead us to repentance. We still do not think about correction, but She already testifies to the Lord about our desire to repent. There is an amazing inscription on the icon! Its meaning is that the Lord promises the Mother of God (“gives her hand”) that He will always listen to Her prayers for us, for the entire human race.
The icon of the Mother of God “The guarantor of sinners” is named after the inscription preserved on the icon: “ I am the guarantor of sinners to my Son...».
The origin of this image is unknown. On the icon “Guide of sinners”, the Mother of God is depicted with the Infant on her left hand, Who holds Her right hand with both of His hands, as is done when obtaining consent. By this, the Son of God, as it were, assures the Most Holy Theotokos that he will always heed Her prayers for sinners. The heads of the Mother of God and the Child are crowned with crowns.
“Guide of sinners” means the Guarantor, or Mediator for sinners before the Lord Jesus Christ. The name of the icon serves as an expression of the boundless love of the Most Holy Theotokos for the sinful human race, which She showed at all times.
For the first time, this image became famous for miracles in the Nikolaevsky Odrin Monastery near the city of Karachev, Oryol province, in the middle of the 19th century. The ancient icon of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners" did not enjoy proper veneration due to its dilapidation and stood in the old chapel at the monastery gates. But in 1843, it was revealed to many residents in dreams that this icon was endowed, according to God's Providence, with miraculous power. The icon was solemnly transferred to the church. Believers began to flock to her and ask for the healing of their sorrows and illnesses. The first to be healed was a paralyzed boy whose mother fervently prayed in front of this shrine. The icon became especially famous during the cholera epidemic, when many terminally ill people who came to her with faith, she brought back to life.
In 1848, due to the diligence of the Muscovite Dimitry Boncheskul, a copy of this miraculous image was made and placed in his house. Soon he became famous for the outflow of healing world, which gave many people recovery from serious illnesses. This miraculous list was transferred to the church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki, in which a chapel was built at the same time in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners."
In front of the icon of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners" they pray for deliverance from epidemics and plague, for healing in relaxing the body with insomnia, loss of appetite and deprivation of any members.
The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners" is located in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki (m. "Park Kultury", Leo Tolstoy St., 2).
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of her icon "Guest of Sinners"
My Blessing Queen, My Most Holy Hope, Guarantee of sinners! Behold, poor sinner, before Thee! Do not leave me, abandoned by everyone, do not forget me, forgotten by everyone, give me joy, to the ignorant of joy. Oh, my troubles and sorrows are heavy! Oh, my sins are immeasurable! Like the darkness of the night is my life. And there is not a single strong help in the sons of men. You are my only hope. You are my One Cover, Refuge and Affirmation. I boldly stretch out my weak hands to You and pray: have mercy on me, All-good, have mercy, have mercy on the redeemed Blood of Your Son, quench the sickness of my much-sighing soul, tame the rage of those who hate and offend me, restore my fading strength, renew, like eagles, my youth , do not let you weaken in doing the commandments of God. With heavenly fire, touch my troubled souls and fulfill my shameful faith, unfeigned love and well-known hopes. May I always sing and glorify You, the Blessed Intercessor of the world, our Protection and Guarantor of all of us sinners, and I bow down to Your Son and Savior our Lord Jesus Christ, with His Beginningless Father and the Life-giving Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
