Unexpected joy meaning. The meaning of the icon Unexpected Joy. Briefly from the history of the miraculous image

Unexpected joy symbolizes the highest miracle for Orthodox Christians, which they no longer hoped for in moments of despondency and loss of spiritual strength. It is something unexpected, unpredictable, sudden. A believer turns to the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” when hope has faded and faith is not enough.

The shrine is shining example physical and spiritual rebirth, when a person, giving up pride, comes to the Mother of God to thank for the joy given. The Most Pure Mother of God with the Lord Jesus Christ himself remind man of repentance. What is the significance of the icon of the Mother of God of Unexpected Joy, how does the face help and what are the rules for pronouncing prayer in front of it, read on.

The history of the miraculous image

The history of the appearance of the icon “Unexpected Joy” can be divided into two parts: the first is the appearance of the image of the Most Holy One with the Infant Christ to one of the ancient sinners; the second is the writing of a divine image.

The verbal image of the Saint was brought to life by the wonderful Russian saint Demetrius of Rostov in his work “The Irrigated Fleece.” He told in the book a story about a man who was greatly tormented by sinful passion - presumably fornication. The sinner knew that he was violating church laws, but, being a highly moral person, he constantly came to the face of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” to pray. He asked to forgive his sins, not to punish him for his weakness.

One day the man was again about to commit a deliberate sinful act, but before doing so he decided to pray at the image. He felt sincere repentance, tried to justify his destructive passion and asked the Most Holy One to keep him from rash actions. When the sinner was already leaving the shrine, he suddenly saw how the image of the Mother of God turned to him and looked at him. At the same time, blood began to flow from the Infant Christ’s wrists, ankles and side. The man was overcome with confusion and began to tremble. He asked the face: “Who did this to you, Mistress?” The sinner heard the Holy Mother’s answer that this is done to her by those who consciously follow the wrong path, committing sinful deeds. Each time the Jews crucify her son with their actions, but at the same time they want mercy and forgiveness from her.

The man repented and began to ask the Mother to forgive his actions. “Beg,” the Orthodox Christian began to repent. During the sinner's prayer, the Mother of God turned to her Son. The Infant Christ accepted the man’s petitions, forgave him, but insisted that he kiss his sores. At the moment when the forgiven one kissed the wounds on the body of Christ, he experienced joy and relief. The man received a chance from the Lord to change his life, to be cleansed from spiritual torment. Having found unexpected joy, he began to live according to God's laws.

This story did not have a visual embodiment for a long time. The image of this divine scene appeared only at the beginning of the 18th century and represented an entire iconographic composition. The icon in the lower left corner depicts a man kneeling before the image of the Virgin Mary and praying to her with the Child. Under the scene is usually written the beginning of the story by Dmitry of Rostov, the words “A certain lawless man...”, or part of the prayer to the face of “Unexpected Joy”. On the image are placed in the form of a ribbon the question of a sinner man to the Mother of God, the words of her answer, as well as what the Infant of God said. One of characteristic features face - on it the Most Holy One and her Child are depicted facing the petitioner.

The “Unexpected Joy” icon belongs to the “Guide” or “Hodegetria” type, that is, the one that leads to the Holy One. IN in this case The Mother of God is represented as a leader of people to Christ. It is her prayer for the suffering Orthodox that has highest value before the Lord. She becomes a guide, which is why sinners first turn to the Mother of God.

The veneration of the divine face takes place on May 14, December 22. The main shrine is kept in the Moscow Church of Elijah the Prophet. Several lists were copied from it, which have the same miraculous properties as the original.

How does an icon help, and who can turn to it?

A person in his life tends to follow an illusory hope. His essence is that he does not notice the small joys that make up his everyday life. Many people forget to sincerely and openly thank each day for the happiness of living, do not pay attention to loved ones, and demand excessive material wealth. A person elevates petty things that obscure his new day into a cult of obsession. The meaning of existence is instantly crossed out, Orthodox man Captured by his emotions, he lives in sin.

The meaning of the face “Unexpected joy” is in hope and admiration for God's will, he also talks about renouncing immoral deeds and sinful thoughts. Every day a person should be grateful, peaceful and grateful.

It is difficult to pray in front of an icon, forgetting pride, envy, anger and bitterness. After all, these feelings overwhelm people, but the Mother of God teaches differently. This is daily work that requires the pacification of bad thoughts and criminal acts. People are weak - they are prone to sin, but the Intercessor allows them to receive forgiveness and open the way to the right path.

What is asked of the holy image “Unexpected Joy”:

About inner balance, spiritual strength that allows you to resist worldly temptations.
About the fulfillment of the most secret dream, which they no longer hoped to realize. It's about exclusively about intangible things - forgiveness, repentance, salvation of a lost soul.
Ask the face for healing of diseases, especially for diseases of the heart system and hearing loss. In this case, heart disease and deafness are associated with a loss of moral guidelines that manifest themselves at the level of the body.
The Mother of God and the Lord help those who are looking for their loved ones. With a thin thread, the Family brings lost relatives to each other, restores trust in married couples with care. Many women turn to the image when their men are at war.
The icon protects pregnant women. This helps them bear healthy children and give birth without complications.
The meaning of the image lies in guidance on the right path and admonition. Therefore, parents whose children have gotten out of hand can turn to the Saint so that she can show them their way. There are cases when the most notorious immoral offspring realized their mistakes and confessed.
The Mother of God resolves disputes, smooths out the sharp edges of conflicts, reconciles those who have long lost hope of forgiveness, and turns failures to a happy ending.

If a person asked sincerely, from a pure heart, freeing his thoughts from the material and mortal, then the Mother of God and the Lord will definitely help him. They will give such joy, the most amazing, which will become a reward for the suffering experienced and the repentance gained.

When faced with a difficult life situation, a person, even if he is an atheist, turns to God. However, you can entrust your problems to other higher powers. For a safe resolution complex issues“Unexpected joy” (icon) will help you - what do people pray for to the Mother of God depicted in the icon? , each parishioner will have their own.

History of appearance

The icon depicts the Mother of God Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms. Open wounds can be seen on the body of the Infant God. In addition, the image shows a man who seems to be asking for something from the Virgin Mary, raising his hands to her.

The legend says that a man who suffered from sin always repented of his deeds in front of the image of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms. The sinner vowed never to repeat his mistakes. However, after some time, the man again came to the icon to confess and ask for forgiveness. After yet another repentance, the sinner noticed that bleeding wounds appeared on Jesus’ body. After this, sin no longer tempted the man.

What is it permissible to ask for?

A wonderful gift for a believer can be “Unexpected joy” (icon), which is what people pray for: well-being in the family, healing from illnesses, conceiving a child, deliverance from bad habits and much more. There are cases when hopelessly ill people, who were abandoned by official medicine, were completely cured: the deaf began to hear, the blind began to see. A woman declared infertile became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby.

You should not ask the person to cause harm. Even if you think that a person has unfairly offended you, do not ask for punishment for him. You need to be sure that if the offender is guilty, he will definitely be punished without your requests. Don't ask for money or wealth either. If you are currently looking for a job, you can ask for a good job and the opportunity to provide for your family with your work.

There are special prayers for addressing the Mother of God. Some are presented in the Old Church Slavonic language, which is inconvenient for a modern Christian. However, you can pray without knowing special texts. The believers received what they wanted even after the most ordinary appeal to the congregation in their own words.

“Unexpected Joy” (icon) - the Mother of God for centuries - helped in the fulfillment of many cherished desires? First of all, about health and simple human happiness for yourself and your loved ones.

In times of weak faith, a person turns to God only after realizing the futility of his own efforts. It is not easy to beg the Lord, feeling the burden of sins on your soul. It is even more difficult for the prayer of one who does not want to see his guilt to reach Him. While waiting for repentance, the Lord hesitates in fulfilling requests and, surrounded by unsolvable problems, a person feels despair in his soul.

Despair is a terrible spiritual state inspired by demons. You cannot give in to this feeling, which entails disbelief and madness. In case of prolonged misfortunes, there is a last refuge for the sinner - the Most Holy Theotokos.

Wanting to show people the power of Her intercession, the Mother of God revealed Orthodox Prayer to the icon “Unexpected Joy” brings hope, strength of patience and fulfills petitions that seemed useless.

In what cases do you turn to “Unexpected Joy”

The image of “Unexpected Joy” is glorified by many miracles. To a Christian believer they do not seem incredible: mercy and love for the human race are common for the Mother of God.

About miracles in Orthodoxy:

The story depicted on the icon reminds us of strong prayer Theotokos, overcoming even the righteous wrath of the Lord. But to fulfill what is asked, one condition is necessary - repentance of sins.

Virgin Mary with Jesus Christ

The very name of the icon - “Unexpected Joy” - encourages people to turn to it in a hopeless situation. But the love of Christians for this image is so great that they flock to it with any requests, with confidence that they will receive what they ask for.

Important! It is traditional to pray before the image of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in the following needs:

serious illnesses
family feuds
inability to have a child
in search of a spouse, etc.

Where to start a prayer

IN difficult situation If you want to get what you ask for, you should follow a small but constant rule. Be sure to consult with a priest to be sure that the work you are starting is pleasing to God. The blessing received will give strength to carry out prayer work when demons begin to interfere, fearing to lose the sinner’s soul.

It is necessary to examine your conscience: remember unrighteous deeds that could bring the wrath of the Lord. Be sure to go to confession and take Communion. Without communication with the Church, prayer weakens many times over. It must be remembered that the sinner depicted in the “Unexpected Joy” icon received the Lord’s forgiveness only after sincere repentance.

What to pray for

Attention! Consistency in prayer pleases God, but one should think about whether what is being asked is really so necessary? Will the fulfillment of desire bring new delusions and sins? To any petition, believers add the words “if God wills.”

Temple in honor of the icon “Unexpected Joy” in Maryina Roshcha

How else can you pray to “Unexpected Joy”

Akathist and prayer are used for church or house rules. There are short, easy-to-remember prayers to the Mother of God that should be known by heart and repeated mentally at work, in transport, in church in front of an icon. Simple texts can be learned with children.

There are no other imams of help, no other imams of hope except You, Lady, help us! We hope in You and boast in You, for we are Your servants, let us not be ashamed

Open the doors of mercy for us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, may we not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You, for You are the salvation of the Christian race

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You! Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Where to make a pilgrimage for prayer

Temple of Elijah the Everyday Prophet in Moscow. The ancient miraculous icon “Unexpected Joy”, which survived the hard times of the revolution, is kept here;
The Church of the Icon “Unexpected Joy” in Maryina Roshcha (Moscow) also has a miraculous icon of the Mother of God;
With. Pushkarka (Diveevo) - a temple in the name of the icon “Unexpected Joy”, which can be visited during a pilgrimage to the Diveevo Monastery;
men's monastery in the name of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in the village. Kolochava (Transcarpathia). Located in the Synevyr nature reserve, founded in 2002, belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church;
in any church dedicated to an icon, there is a revered image of “Unexpected Joy” to the right of the altar.

More about temples and monasteries:

Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Strogino

Watch the video about the Akathist Icon of the Mother of God

Religious reading: icon unexpected joy meaning and prayer to help our readers.

If God were fair, say the holy fathers, we could not hope for forgiveness. On the pages of the Old Testament Scripture, the Lord appears as a formidable Judge and Accuser, punishing the slightest crime against the Law, and today the earth does not open up even under inveterate sinners. Why this happens is explained by an instructive story shown in a pictorial image known as the “Unexpected Joy” icon.

Miracles that come from miraculous icons, are carefully studied and recorded. They did the same at the Holy Trinity Elias Monastery near Chernigov. In 1662, the first miracle was recorded from the icon of the Mother of God, painted by the monk Gennady. Tears flowed from the eyes of the Most Pure Virgin, holding the Divine Infant in her arms, for 10 days. All of Chernigov “looked with great horror” at the weeping Virgin.

The miracle of the Ilinsk-Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God became famous and has come down to the present day thanks to St. Dmitry of Rostov.

Interesting. St. Dmitry Rostovsky is a church writer and educator who has written many books, including the lives of saints, sermons on faith and repentance, discussions on gospel stories and God's miracles.

Resurrection of the Youth

Traveling through the monasteries of Little Russia, St. Demetrius wrote the book “Irrigated Fleece,” based on stories about miracles from Our Lady of Chernigov. The stories were accompanied by teachings. One of the chapters, “The Dew of Resurrection,” talks about a youth who suddenly died. There was no illness or other reasons indicating the approach of death. The hieromonk of the Elias Monastery, who was then nearby, advised the parents to pray before the miraculous icon of Chernigov.

The parents went to the monastery and fell to the Intercessor. And a miracle happened: the child came to life. No one expected such happiness, although they believed in the mercy of the Mother of God. To the story of the resurrection of the youth, which occurred in April 1679, St. Demetrius attached a parable, on the basis of which the icon “Unexpected Joy” was written.

Parable of St. Dimitri and writing a new image

A certain sinner had the custom of praying to the Blessed Virgin with the words of the angelic greeting “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”, going to his iniquity. One day, kneeling in front of the icon and about to say the usual prayer, he saw a terrible vision: blood flowed in streams from the feet and hands of the Infant God, and the Mother of God Herself appeared to him as if alive.

“Who did this, Lady?” - the sinner shouted in horror. “You and those like you constantly wound My Son, like the Jews on the Cross, with your iniquities,” answered the Mother of God. Instantly repenting, the man began to beg for forgiveness, but the Lord did not look in his direction. Then he appealed to the Mother of God: “Let my sins not overcome Your mercy, Lady, ask the Lord for me!”

The Mother of God turned to her Son with a prayer for forgiveness for the sinner. The Lord answered Her, like a Son, with respect: “I cannot forgive, for I endured his iniquity for a long time.” The petitioner, who watched this with fear, completely despaired of his salvation. Then the Most Pure One stood up and wanted to fall on her knees before Christ: “I will lie at Your feet until this man receives forgiveness!” The Lord did not allow this to happen, saying that although He is God, He honors His Mother and is ready to fulfill Her prayers. The forgiven sinner rushed to kiss the wounds of the Lord, which immediately healed and the vision ended.

After reading “The Irrigated Fleece,” an unknown artist painted an icon based on the parable where a man prays to the Mother of God, calling it “Unexpected (unexpected) joy.”

The connection between the miracle and the parable is obvious: just as the parents of the dead boy did not expect to see him alive, so the sinner from the parable did not expect forgiveness from the Lord. But through the prayers of the Intercessor of the Mother of God, everyone received what they asked for, which became an “unexpected joy” for them.

Meaning of images

The Lord, depicted as a Youth, does not hold a scroll in his hand, but shows his hands with traces of sores to a kneeling sinner. The tunic has been thrown off, wounds on the rib and legs are visible. According to the Gospel, Christ received four wounds when He was crucified on the cross, and the fifth, in the rib, when the guards wanted to make sure of the death of the condemned man.

On old copies of the icon there is always a drawn-back curtain in the background - a symbol of the church's royal doors, the entrance to heaven, slightly opened for the sinner. The red color of the veil is a symbol of resurrection.

The sinner himself is dressed in a green chiton. Green is the color of the earthly, human world. In such clothes they depicted the Old Testament prophets, who were righteous, but did not know Divine grace, only foreseeing the coming of Christ. The praying sinner is not yet forgiven, but expects forgiveness and renewal of life.

Inscriptions on the icon

In the field under the image of the Virgin Mary there is the text of the parable, written in illegible Church Slavonic script. Usually the initial words are placed: “A certain lawless man has a daily rule of praying to the Most Holy Theotokos...”, sometimes the title “The Unexpected Joy of the Most Holy Theotokos” is written.

It is believed that the word sanctifies the image; it must be included in the composition. Due to lack of space for text, it is placed in a greatly abbreviated form, symbolizing the entire inscription. On large images the words of the sinner are sometimes written: “Oh, Lady, who did this?” and the response of the Mother of God “You and other sinners with your sins...”, in lines directed from the sinner to the Mother of God.

Location of the “Unexpected Joy” icons and miracles

St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kyiv. Miraculous image of the 19th century. has been in the cathedral since the Great Patriotic War. The Mother of God and the Lord are depicted wearing royal crowns. Unfortunately, now the Vladimir Cathedral is in the hands of schismatics.
“The Burning Bush” in Khamovniki (before the revolution). The oldest of the famous lists. In 1838, on Easter week, he miraculously healed a woman who suffered from complete deafness. Anisya Stepanova could not even hear the bell ringing. After serving the prayer service to the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy,” Anisya heard the singing of the Easter troparion and the deafness disappeared. In 1930, the temple was destroyed and the miraculous image was lost.
The Tretyakov Gallery houses a unique icon “Unexpected Joy” (1st half of the 19th century), where the main picture is surrounded by 120 small images of other miraculous icons of the Mother of God. The central image carries the main meaning: the Lord forgives sins through the prayer of the Mother of God - the Prayer Book and Intercessor for the human race.

Moscow, Church of Ilya the Ordinary. Here is an ancient icon in a beautiful metal frame, restored in 1959. Before the revolution, it was in one of the Kremlin churches, then the image was hidden from the renovationists. After the Great Patriotic War, “Unexpected Joy” was moved to the Church of Ilya the Ordinary. The icon's robe is completely hung with rings and crosses brought by people who received healing from prayer in front of the icon.
Maryina Roshcha, Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”. This temple was built in 1904 and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The image itself (painted in the 19th century) appeared there later; numerous decorations on it spoke of former miracles, which, unfortunately, were not recorded. A symbolic event took place in the temple in 2003. A 90-year-old naval officer approached the priest with a request for baptism. In a dream he was commanded to be baptized and wait for death. The old man stood it Lent, preparing for Baptism. His death followed immediately after the completion of the Sacrament, in the temple itself.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, Ryazan. In the Transfiguration Cathedral of the monastery there is “Unexpected Joy”, which recently became famous for its miracles. The mutilated icon was found and bought at the market by Moscow resident Georgy. After some time, misfortune befell him: he was seriously injured, leading to partial paralysis. Sincere prayers before the found image bore fruit, George rose to his feet. For a long time he did not want to part with his beloved icon, but finally decided to donate it to the Transfiguration Monastery. The board and paint layer were restored, and a carved icon case was made. During the stay of “Unexpected Joy” in the monastery, several cases of healing from eye disease, cancer and drunkenness were recorded.
Holy Trinity Cathedral in Odessa. During the Great Patriotic War, the cathedral, closed by the Bolsheviks, was reopened occupation authorities. At this time, from nowhere, the icon “Unexpected Joy” appeared in it. It is interesting that in her name back in 1840 one of the chapels of the cathedral was consecrated. The parishioners of the temple were mainly women and children. In front of the new image of the Mother of God, they prayed for the return of their husbands and fathers from the front. Although no high-profile miracles were recorded, the icon is highly revered by Odessa residents; they pray in front of it for the military in “hot spots.”
Holy spring in the village. Zhaisk, Nizhny Novgorod region. According to legend, at this source in the 18th century. The icon “Unexpected Joy” was found. The Murom noble princes Peter and Fevronia were hiding here. At this place, the saints granted forgiveness to the residents of Murom who expelled them, just as the Most Holy Theotokos forgave the repentant sinner. The source is located in a picturesque place, with a chapel built above it.

This is far from full list temples under the protection of the Queen of Heaven. In the 2000s, many churches were built in honor of “Unexpected Joy”; charitable institutions are named after her, and springs are consecrated. This image of the Mother of God can be found as a revered icon in other churches.

Important. Before the image of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” they pray in heavy life situations when hope has run out. During the war, mothers prayed for their sons, for whom “funerals” were received; later it turned out that the letters were sent erroneously and the soldiers returned alive.

Nothing is impossible for the mercy of the Mother of God, but first of all, before prayer, you need to remember and realize your sins, from which the wounds of the Lord bleed.

How does the “Unexpected Joy” icon help?

Orthodox Church On May 14, June 3 and December 22, the feast of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” is celebrated. The first part of the image is a man standing in front of the icon, whose gaze and hands are turned to the Mother of God. It is located in the lower left corner. The image of the Mother of God herself belongs to the “Hodegetria” type. At the bottom there is usually either the beginning of the story about the miracle of St. Demetrius of Rostov, or part of the prayer to the “Unexpected Joy” icon. The Infant of God is depicted on the icon with open wounds on his body.

The history of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”

The legend tells of the appearance of the Mother of God with the Child of God to a man. It was described by the saint of Rostov in his work “Irrigated Fleece.” The man suffered from a sin that he could not overcome. After each violation of a promise, he asked for forgiveness from the icon of the Mother of God. One fine day, before committing a sin, the man again turned to the icon and, leaving, he noticed that the Mother of God had turned her face to him, and wounds appeared on the body of the Infant of God, from which blood flowed. This event seriously affected the man, and he felt spiritual cleansing and forgot about his sin forever. This story became the basis for painting the famous icon.

The most famous image is located in the Church of Elijah the Prophet, which is located in Moscow. Several copies were made from this icon, which also showed their power and worked miracles. Every day people come to the image and turn to Higher powers with their problems.

How does the “Unexpected Joy” icon help?

During life, a person commits different actions and experiences feelings, for example, envy, anger, etc. All this has a negative impact on internal state. By turning to the icon, a believer can find joy, peace, and find his true path and purpose. For example, in different historical periods During wars, women prayed to the image for the return of their husbands, and as a result, the desired became a reality.

To receive help, you need to read a prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”, and then state everything that lies like a stone in your soul. Many women who want to get pregnant make this request and soon the wish comes true. The icon helps to heal from various diseases; for example, there is evidence that people were cured of deafness and blindness. The icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” will help strengthen faith and give hope in better times. If you read a prayer for the family before this image, you can improve relationships, get rid of hostility, conflicts and other problems. You can pray in front of the icon about various family problems, the main thing is to do it from the heart. Lonely people can ask Higher powers help in finding your soulmate. Prayers about earthly affairs are read in front of the icon. For example, you can get protection from existing enemies, gossip and various troubles. The face will also help in solving material problems.

There are no specific rules on how to pray in front of the “Unexpected Joy” icon. The clergy say that the main thing is to do it from the heart. It is recommended to first contact the priest to receive his blessing. If the text of the prayer is difficult to remember, then you can read it from a page, but it is important to write everything yourself. It is also allowed to address the face in your own words, the main thing is to speak from the heart without any thoughts.

The prayer to the icon “Unexpected Joy” sounds like this:

This is the most important prayer for addressing this icon, but there are also other texts that are used depending on the situation, that is, taking into account what exactly needs to be asked from the Higher Powers. You can also read the Akathist to the icon “Unexpected Joy”.

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How does the Icon of Unexpected Joy help?

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The Icon of the Mother of God of Unexpected Joy and its lists represent a real miracle of physical and spiritual transformation. The image of the Saint has become a real symbol, which allows us to believe that everyone who turns to the Mother of God for help with pure thoughts and an open soul can receive bright and unexpected joy.

From this article you can find out what the image helps with, the meaning of the face, O what they pray to the icon of Unexpected Joy, when it is celebrated and more.

Briefly from the history of the miraculous image

Some of the first mentions of a divine image appeared somewhere in early XIX century, but the exact date when the image was painted remains unknown to this day. But as for the verbal image of the Saint, it appeared almost a century earlier than its present incarnation in the wonderful work of the Russian saint Dmitry of Rostov.

Whose book is based on amazing story about a repentant sinner. As a rule, on the shrine the atheist is depicted standing before the face of the Mother of God, feeling incredible repentance and after which he received God's forgiveness and a chance for a new prudent life.

How does the Unexpected Joy icon help and its meaning?

Since some of the first icons, created in the 18th century, appeared, their miraculous properties began to spread. With the help of the image of the Queen of Heaven, various healings of weak and sick people took place, and one could protect oneself from all sorts of misfortunes by turning to the Mother of God in prayer.

The meaning of the icon Unexpected Joy

All human life consists of small joys that are not always noticed by people and, in pursuit of a ghostly dream, they forget to pay attention to their loved ones and express words of gratitude to them. This is precisely why cherished dreams are not fulfilled, since they become an obsession, and this precisely does not give a person the opportunity to enjoy the new day.

Unexpected joy, the meaning and essence of her face carries hope in God’s will, as well as renunciation of immoral deeds and sinful thoughts. Gratitude should come from every day spent in peace and warmth. Repentance for bad thoughts and criminal acts, bitterness, envy and anger, which quite often overwhelm human hearts.

It’s not so hard to just come up and pray to the Holy Face, it will be much more difficult spiritual work, and daily. When you need to learn to pacify your envy and pride, not to be rude, and also to know when it is better to remain silent, teach yourself calmness and self-control, but also not forget about a friendly attitude, both towards relatives and strangers.

People by their nature are prone to weakness and sin, and if you humbly come to terms with this and call for the help of the Intercessor, then even the most fallen of people can get a chance to be forgiven.

The divine image personifies the whole essence of spiritual transformation. Hard work on oneself and said prayers will allow a person to choose the right path, the path of goodness and love.

What to pray for to the Unexpected Joy icon

Prayer before the divine image helps:

Helps to gain inner spiritual strength and mental balance;
Thanks to prayer, you can get everything that you have dreamed of for so long, but no longer hoped to receive, someone forgiveness, repentance or salvation of a sinful soul;
Prayer also helps in curing illnesses, especially hearing loss;
Our Lady will help people who have lost their loved ones to find them and return them to their loving relatives;
Pregnant women will be helped to bear a child and give birth to him healthy;
For parents whose children have gotten out of hand and have also taken an immoral path, the image will help bring them to their senses and guide them on the right path;
Resolves disputes, resolves conflicts, and seemingly failures can all turn out to a happy ending.

What a miracle the shrine performed

An ultrasound examination of Ksenia's unborn child revealed an accumulation of fluid in the heart. The expectant mother, in prayer and forgiveness, tirelessly turned to Holy Mother of God. At the next ultrasound session, doctors discovered that the fluid had practically disappeared and that the child’s life was not in danger;

About a year ago, Alla’s nose began to hurt; no ointments or other medications helped. Having gone to the Church of St. John the Evangelist, the woman was given little of the miraculous image of the Mother of God. Afterwards, Alla began to regularly smear her nose with church medicine and at the same time read a prayer service, and very soon the wound completely healed and stopped hurting.

When is the day of celebration of the miraculous image of the Mother of God

The veneration of the divine image is carried out several times a year:

May 14/May 1, old style;
December 22/December 9, old style.

Which churches and temples have a divine face

The divine shrine can be seen in the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Moscow. It was from this face that several images were written, which, like the original, are miraculous.

Every day a large number of people come to church who want to receive not only grace, but also forgiveness from the Lord. Orthodox people express all their doubts and worries in a prayer service.

Before the divine image one receives hope, peace, humility, intercession and admonition.

The image of the Saint can be found in the following churches:

Unexpected joy in Maryina Roshcha is located in the Moscow Church;
In the Grandmother's Church of the Martyrs Natalia and Adrian;
There is also an image on Obydensky Lane in the Church of Elijah the Prophet;
On the Pea Field in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord;
On the Sands in the Church of the Transfiguration;
In the Danilov Cathedral in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Word.

Prayers to the Holy Face

“O Most Holy Virgin, the All-Blessed Son of the All-Blessed Mother, the Patron of this city and holy temple, faithful to the Representative and Intercessor of all who are in sins, sorrows, troubles and illnesses! Accept this prayer song from us, unworthy of Your servants, offered to You, and like the sinner of old, who prayed many times before Your honorable icon, You did not despise him, but You gave him the unexpected joy of repentance and You bowed down Your Son to the many and zealous towards Him. intercession for the forgiveness of this sinner and lost one, so even now do not despise the prayers of us, Thy unworthy servants, and implore Thy Son and our God, and grant to all of us, who with faith and tenderness worship before Thy celibate image, unexpected joy for each need: a sinner mired in the depths of evil and passions - all-effective admonition, repentance and salvation; for those who are in sorrow and sorrow - consolation; for those who find themselves in troubles and embitterment - a complete abundance of these; for the faint-hearted and unreliable - hope and patience; for those who live in joy and abundance - unceasing thanksgiving to God the Benefactor; to those in need - mercy; those who are in illness and long illness and abandoned by doctors - unexpected healing and strengthening; for those who were waiting for the mind from illness - the return and renewal of the mind; those departing into eternal and endless life - memory of death, tenderness and contrition for sins, a cheerful spirit and firm hope in the mercy of the Judge.

O Most Holy Lady! Have mercy on all who honor the all-honorable Your name and show to everyone Your omnipotent protection and intercession: in piety, purity and honest living, keep them in goodness until the end; create evil good things; guide the erring one on the right path; Make progress in every good work that is pleasing to Your Son; Destroy every evil and ungodly deed; in bewilderment and difficult and dangerous circumstances, for those who find invisible help and admonition sent down from Heaven, save them from temptations, seductions and destruction, from all evil people protect and preserve from enemies visible and invisible; float for those who swim, travel for those who travel; Be the Nourisher for those in need and hunger; for those who do not have shelter and shelter, provide cover and refuge; Give clothing to the naked, intercession to those offended and unjustly persecuted; invisibly justify the slander, slander and blasphemy of those who suffer; expose slanderers and slanderers before everyone; To those who are bitterly at odds, grant unforeseen reconciliation and to all of us - love, peace, piety, and health with long life for each other.

Preserve marriages in love and like-mindedness; spouses who exist in enmity and division, die, unite me to each other and establish an indestructible union of love for them; Give quick permission to mothers giving birth, raise babies, teach chastity to young ones, open their minds to the perception of every useful teaching, instruct the fear of God, abstinence and hard work; Protect your blood brothers from domestic strife and enmity with peace and love; Be the Mother of motherless orphans, turn away from all vice and defilement and teach everything that is good and pleasing to God, and bring those seduced into sin and uncleanness, having revealed the defilement of sin, from the abyss of destruction; Be the Comforter and Helper of widows, be the rod of old age; Deliver us all from sudden death without repentance and grant us all the Christian death of our life, painless, shameless, peaceful and a good answer at the Last Judgment of Christ: having ceased in faith and repentance from this life with the Angels and all the saints, create a life; to those who passed away by sudden death, beg the mercy of Thy Son and for all those who have died, who have no relatives, begging for the repose of Thy Son, Thou thyself be a ceaseless and warm Prayer Book and Intercessor: that all in Heaven and on earth may lead Thee as a steadfast and unashamed Representative of the race Christian, and, knowingly, glorify Thee and Thy Son with Thee, with His Originless Father and His Consubstantial Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen".

Prayer for children

“Oh, Most Holy Virgin, the All-Blessed Son of the All-Blessed Mother, the Patroness of this city, faithful to the Representative and Intercessor of all who are in sins, sorrows, troubles and illnesses!

Accept this prayer song from us, unworthy of Your servants, offered to You: and like the sinner of old, who prayed many times before Your honorable icon every day, You did not despise, but You granted the unexpected joy of repentance, and through Your zealous intercession with Your Son for the forgiveness of the sinner Thou hast bowed thus, and now do not despise the prayers of us, Thy unworthy servants, but pray to Thy Son and our God, and to all of us, with faith and tenderness before Thy celibate image, who, according to each need, grant unexpected joy: may all in heaven and on the lands lead You as a steadfast and unashamed Representative of the Christian race, and this leading, they glorify You and Your Son with His Originless Father and His Consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen".

God bless you!

You will also be interested in watching the video about the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”.

In 1683, Saint Dmitry of Rostov, the wonderworker, created a wonderful work - one of the most amazing books in Russian patristic literature, “The Irrigated Fleece.” He wrote it in honor of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, inspired by the miraculous healings that occurred under the icon of the Mother of God in the Chernigov St. Elias Monastery in the 17th century. There, before each miracle of healing, tears appeared on the image of the Mother of God. Saint Demetrius compared this event with the Old Testament story about how the Divine dew sprinkled the fleece through the prayer of Gideon 1. Among the 24 miracles, one is described that inspired the icon painters of the 18th century to paint an icon dedicated to the miracle of the Mother of God, of which the Intercessor showed many to the world, and each of them can be called an unexpected joy. But the icon with the name “Unexpected Joy” has its own miraculous story.

Dmitry Rostovsky begins the story of this miracle with the words: “A certain lawless man...” A certain sinful man who led a very vicious lifestyle, nevertheless was heartily attached to the Queen of Heaven and felt reverent love before Her. And although he could not deny himself sin - apparently, he was too weak-willed, he prayed daily before Her icon and said in prayer the words of the Archangel Gabriel, which he said to the Virgin Mary in his appearance before Her: “Rejoice, full of grace!”, when he brought Her the news about Her future Motherhood.

It so happened that, getting ready for a sinful task, he stood in front of the icon to pray before leaving. Then he felt a strange heart and body trembling, the image on the icon seemed to move, breathe, and the sinner saw with horror how terrible wounds opened on the arms and legs and on the right side of the Baby sitting on Her lap, from which blood flowed in streams.

The man fell in front of the icon with a cry of horror, asking the Mother of God who did this. To which he was given a sorrowful answer from the Mother of God that sinners, just like him, day after day crucify and crucify Her Son with their sins, and they hypocritically call Her merciful, insulting Her maternal love with their iniquities.

Hearing this, the sinner, in whom, apparently, a particle of faith and purity remained, prayed to the Queen of Heaven, calling Her Lady, so that the measure of his sins would not exceed Her goodness and mercy. He began to pray to the Mother of God that She would intercede for him before the Son.

For the first time, the Lady turned to Her Son, but He refused Her to atone for the sinful deeds of the intercessor.

The second prayer appeal to the Mother of God by St. Dmitry of Rostov is described at length and very instructively. In the icon of the Mother of God, depicted inside the icon “Unexpected Joy”, the one in front of which a sinner is depicted kneeling before Her image, we see Hodegetria, with the Child sitting on Her knees. As the saint writes, the Intercessor seated the Son separately and wanted to fall on her face before Him, but the Son exclaimed, stopping Her: “What do you want to do?” The Mother of God replied that she would lie at the feet of Her Son until He forgives the repentant sinner. To this, the Lord told Her that the Law commands the Son to honor the Mother, but the truth demands that the One who issued the Law Himself honors it and fulfills It. He said that He is the Son of His Mother, and therefore must honor Her by listening to her prayers to Him. Therefore, let it be as Mother wants. The sinner will be forgiven, but let him first kiss His wounds.

Shocked by what he saw, the sinner stood up, joyfully kissed the wounds of the Child, they immediately closed, and the vision stopped. Here he experienced both awe at the greatness of what he saw and great joy, from which he burst into tears of cleansing tears. Again he fell to the icon, praying to the Most Pure One and Her son to preserve the gift of seeing their sins and begging for pardon. From that hour, the soul of this man turned away from sin, and he began to lead a virtuous and godly life. It should be noted that the saint does not indicate what kind of sin accompanied the life of this person, leaving the reader to see his own sins and vices in himself and to pray with faith and strength for healing from them.

What a miracle happened

Starting from the 18th century, when the first copy of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” was created, a variety of miracles occurred from these icons - the sick, especially those who had lost their hearing, were healed, and with the return of spiritual hearing, physical hearing also returned. Prayers in front of this icon helped desperate parents whose children had lost their way and went, as they say, along a crooked path.

Many miraculous healings occur in front of the icons of the Lady, but the most magnificent, undoubtedly, is the healing of the human soul, its salvation through a deep spiritual change.

We are just people. And they are not sinless. Let's admit it. But if we are able to see our reflection in the figure of the sinner on the icon “Unexpected Joy”, and, seeing ourselves from the outside, we begin to understand what a disastrous situation we are in, this is not a disaster. This is a miracle. And it’s wonderful if suddenly a person realizes that he is doing something that urgently requires prayer for himself, following the example of the sinner from the story of St. Demetrius, a petition for the salvation of his soul, because otherwise there will be no joy in life, much less unexpected, like the Lord's grace, which is given like this - unexpectedly... And the Mother of God again and again for each of those who are ready for a change of soul and desired it, is ready to fall on her face before her son. Queen of Heaven - just think about it! – he will again decide to pray for our sins on his knees. And when the miracle of human insight occurs, Divine history within history will be repeated, lifting the veil of the true, as they should be among us, created in His image and likeness, the perfect relationship of Mother and Son and the relationship of the Son to His limitless power, paradoxically limited by His own Law .

Meaning of the icon

By type, the icon “Unexpected Joy” refers to Hodegetria - a guide to Christ; all ancient images are executed in the Byzantine style. A sinner is kneeling in front of the icon, holding out his hands to it. Sometimes from his lips, in the form of ribbons, icon painters depicted the text of prayers addressed to Her. Under the image of the icon of the Mother of God inside the general icon are the initial words from the description of this miracle in the “Irrigated Fleece” - “A certain lawless man...”

Hodegetria “Unexpected Joy” once again testifies that everyone who sincerely wants to be forgiven will be forgiven. Moreover, in the narrative of St. Dmitry of Rostov it is said that the repentant sinner prayed for the gift of a vision of his sins, and this does not mean that he was going to lead a vicious life again. The saint shows us that every person is a sinner - such is our dual nature, but if sin suddenly, unfortunately, due to human weakness, happens, then, seeing it in person, we get the opportunity to repent and, perhaps, complete repentance, which will become another the stage of salvation in the spirit.

And other! The sinner was enlightened in spirit when he saw that the Mother of God was ready to fall on her knees before the Son for every sinner who cried out to Her for mercy. However, this is not the only shock in this amazing story. The height of the relationship between Mother and Son is a stunning example of the true - already heavenly! – the relationship between Mother and Son, which gives us an understanding of why the Lady is our first Intercessor and Intercessor to the Lord. This is how you should treat your Mother, how to honor Her. The Lord Himself, the Almighty King, cannot fail to fulfill Her prayer, because the petition comes from the Mother, whose request He cannot resist only because She is His Mother.

How many conclusions can we draw for ourselves! Such a reassessment of values, an audit of the soul, is periodically simply necessary. From the events that became the inspiration for painting the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”, by learning about the icon and its history, we are enriched morally. Comparing our own life in our family, we see: this is how children should respect their parents and how parents should respect the status of their grown children. To a status that is not only social – the status of an adult who must be spared from parental tyranny, which often drags on for a very long time.

We are further given an example of reverence for the law, first of all, by the legislators themselves - another sore subject in our society. Here he is, the highest example attitude towards the execution by those in power of laws issued by them. The law established by the Lord commands us to honor the Mother, and since He established this Law, then first of all the Lawgiver Himself is obliged to follow it. Christ stands as a model of a true attitude towards power; He Himself is evidence of the exceptional decency of the Ruler, which is so difficult to meet on earth.
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1 “Rejoice, watered fleece, hedgehog Gideon, Virgin, before seen” - akathist to the icon “Unexpected joy”. The sign of wool and dew, given by God to one of the judges of Israel, Gideon. Old Testament. Book of Judges of Israel. Ch. 6. pp. 36–40.