There are more than a hundred images dedicated to the Mother of God, each of which is written in honor of some miraculous event that occurred through the prayers of the Virgin and the mercy of the Lord. The icon "Guest of Sinners" is that shrine, the history of which, unfortunately, no one knows.

Finding an image

For the first time, the icon of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners" was found in the Oryol region. Despite the great discovery, people did not honor this image, which required serious restoration, and did not transfer it to the temple. And only after the Mother of God repeatedly came to the locals in a dream, speaking about the healing power, the shrine found its place in the church.

Many miracles took place around the image. The first to be healed was a boy who suffered from epileptic seizures. After that, many people who had severe incurable diseases came to the icon.

For the mercy of the Mother of God, shown to needy and suffering people, it was decided to erect a cathedral in honor of the image of the "Guide of Sinners". The significance of the icon in the life of the Russian people increased every day.

The patronal feast of the image "Guest of Sinners" is celebrated twice a year - on March 20 in honor of its acquisition and on June 11, which became the day of the icon's abundant myrrh-streaming.

"Help of sinners". The meaning of the icon

This shrine, found in the Orlovsky Monastery, is truly unique in its kind. On the image, the Blessed One folded her hands in the form of a gesture that can be called “guarantee”. So the Virgin Mary shows that she vouches for all sinners who vow to no longer do deeds indecent to God. The infant Jesus Christ squeezes the Mother's hand as a sign that her prayer for the world will be heard by them. The Mother of God herself is dressed in golden clothes, and her head, covered with an omophorion, is crowned with a royal crown - as a true ruler of heaven. The icon "The guarantor of sinners", the photo of which is presented in this article, is considered one of the most beautiful images of the Blessed Virgin.

Miracles of the Image

The icon "Guest of Sinners" has brought many miracles to this world. Once, a wealthy woman who suffered from an incurable brain disease was healed at her image. All the Mothers in need of intercession, who came after these miraculous healings, began to notice that the icon began to stream myrrh. People collected this priceless oil and lubricated their sore spots and, oddly enough, recovered.

The icon "Guest of Sinners" helped the Russian people in the end of the 19th century, terrible for the whole world, when cholera was raging in Europe. The inhabitants of Moscow gathered to read an akathist in front of the miraculous image, which subsequently protected Russia from such a terrible scourge.

The temple, built in honor of the image of the “Guest of Sinners”, the Nikolo-Khamovnichesky Cathedral, was not closed even after the Bolsheviks got power in the country. The rector of the temple organized a procession with an icon around the church, praying to the Mother of God for intercession. Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, the temple remained intact and unharmed, and besides, it continued to function.

With the advent of the icon, real miracles began to happen in the temple - at night, outside the window opposite the image, real flashes of light appeared, resembling a star. This was repeated more than once, so the rector of the cathedral turned to Metropolitan Filaret for advice. In the answer, it was written that it was impossible to take the icon from the temple, as well as forbid people to pray in front of the icon. At that time, the Russian people, having heard a lot about miracles, came to look at the bright flashes taking place near the image. The unbelievers, to whom the police belonged, were sure that he came from the included lamps. But even in pitch darkness, wonderful flash stars continued to appear. Skeptics began to insist on another version - the moonlight is to blame for everything. But even during the dark nights, the great miracle continued to amaze the Muscovites. On June 10, everything stopped, and the icon "Guide of Sinners" so abundantly streamed myrrh that all the local residents had enough of this sacred oil - myrrh.

An interesting fact is that the image of the Most Holy Theotokos is not decorated with a robe, although there were many who wanted to make it for the miraculous icon. According to legend, one of the permanent benefactors of the temple in Khamovniki had a vision in which the Mother of God wished to leave her image without a chasuble.

Help us, Holy Mother of God!

In front of the image of the Mother of God "The guarantor of sinners", people pray for the grant of health to them. This is especially true for seriously ill people who have lost all hope of healing. But the Blessed Virgin heals not only the body, but also the soul of a person. Therefore, in moments of despair and despondency, a believer can always offer a prayer to our heavenly intercessor, receiving peace and hope in return.

Where to buy a shrine

The icon "Guest of sinners" is one of the most significant for the Russian people. That is why it can be purchased in all church shops and stores. It doesn’t matter what the image will be - a small and inexpensive icon or a shrine in a frame embroidered with pearls - the Mother of God will pray for everyone who truly believes in her.

Recently, it has become very popular to purchase icons to order, choosing the right size and material - for example, embroidery with beads or gold threads. The price of such a masterpiece will be rather big, since manual work costs at least 4-5 thousand rubles. When ordering such work, be aware that this is not a decoration and not part of the old interior of your home. An icon is, first of all, an intermediary between you and God or a saint, it is an opportunity to directly address them in prayer. A beautiful expensive image of the Mother of God has a place to be if by doing so you show your reverence for the heavenly powers. And most importantly - do not forget to come to the temple with a hand-made icon and ask the ministers of the church to help you consecrate it.

Calling out to heaven

The prayer to the icon "Guest of Sinners" begins with the words "My queen, my most holy hope." And indeed, the higher forces become the only ray of light and faith for disadvantaged people. Further in prayer, we ask for forgiveness for all our sins with which we offend our Lord by not keeping the commandments. “Like the darkness of the night, my life,” we say. In prayer, the believer asks not only for himself, but also for his enemies: “Loosen the anger of those who hate and offend me.” And in the end, we will definitely praise our Lord. This prayer, read from the heart with faith in the heart, has great power. Of course, you should not hope for a miracle by praying once to the Mother of God and continuing to do obscene deeds to God. For the Lord, our correction is important, leading its way from repentance - the first stage of healing.