The miraculous icon of the Holy Family - its history, meaning, and in what sorrows it helps. Icon “Holy Family”: history and meaning Holy families in Orthodoxy

On January 8 (December 26, Old Art.), Orthodox believers honor the memory of the “Three Joys” icon of the Mother of God. This image shows special grace to military personnel. This is what a Russian army colonel says, who asked not to give his name in the newspaper.

On a business trip to Abkhazia, I prayed to the Mother of God every day in front of the image of the “Three Joys,” and when leaving for checkpoints, I always took the icon with me. On February 14, 2003, a report was received about the discovery of a mine at checkpoint-301 near the Ingur River. I arrived at the scene and saw that next to the refugees’ tent there was a mine with an unknown homemade fuse. The second mine was found under the bridge. Setting up a cordon and evacuating people, I found myself 15 meters from the mine, and at that time an explosion occurred. The scattering of fragments with a complete lesion at the mine is up to 200 meters, but not a single fragment hit me.

In September 2003, private A.V. was captured by bandits. Wooden. During the search, I had to travel at night through areas of operation of bandit formations, and everywhere the icon was with me and kept me safe. On October 1, 2003, after the bandit group was disarmed, the hostage was released.

In December 2003, I gave the icon to the mother of another hostage - Muscovite Alexei Vorobyov, captured in Gagra in July. The woman tried to free her son for almost six months and was in a desperate state. Negotiations with the bandits were very difficult: they demanded a huge amount of money and threatened to kill the hostage. On December 31, 2003, Alexey was released in very dangerous and difficult conditions, while all participants in the operation remained alive.

Historical reference. The image of the “Three Joys” is located in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, which is on Gryazekh (near the Pokrovsky Gate). This is a copy of the Holy Family icon, brought from Italy in the 18th century, by Raphael Santi. She became famous thanks to the following event. According to legend, one noble woman suffered three misfortunes at once: her husband was slandered and sent into exile, her estate was taken into the treasury, and her son was captured. Shocked by grief, the woman placed all her hope in the help of the Mother of God. One day in a dream, she heard a voice commanding her to find the icon of the Holy Family and pray in front of it. The woman walked around Moscow churches and found her in the Trinity Church. She prayed earnestly and soon received three good news: her husband was acquitted, her son was freed from captivity, and her property was returned. After this event, the miraculous image received the name “Three Joys.” The Mother of God always showed Her help through him and was the Intercessor of those slandered, separated from loved ones, those who lost property and the Patroness of home well-being.

In addition to the icon by Raphael, three more copies of this icon are known in the capital: the Orthodox iconographic tradition in the same Trinity Church on Gryazekh, in the regimental church of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky on the territory of the Sofrinsky operational brigade of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and in the temple in honor of the Regulation of the Honest Robe The Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae in the former village of Leonovo. In 1918, a significant number of icons from St. Michael’s Church of the Grodno diocese transferred to the Church of the Deposition of the Robe. Among them was the icon of the “Three Joys”. Before the restoration, it was located at the right choir of the main altar, and currently it is in the left aisle in front of the choir.

Three facts about the icon

1. Having become famous in Moscow, the icon of the “Three Joys” in a short time spread throughout Russia, but in the Orthodox icon-painting tradition. They began to depict the Most Holy Virgin Mary with the Divine Child and, on opposite sides of Her, the righteous Joseph the Betrothed and the prophet John the Baptist.

2. On the site of the dilapidated Church of the Holy Trinity, where the icon was kept, the current stone one was built in 1861. The main altar was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the “Three Joys” (or the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos), and the chapels were consecrated in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity and in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. After this icon, the temple was often called “Three Joys”. In December 1929 it was closed, and in 1992 it was returned to the Church, with Archpriest John Kaleda becoming rector.
Soon the icons seized at customs were transferred to this church from the Patriarchate. Among them was a lectern image of the “Three Joys” of the 19th century. It resides in the altar and is taken out during the prayer service.

3. The image of the “Three Joys” was especially revered in the Don and Kuban. Cossack women, remaining alone at home, prayed before him for the protection of their faithful from enemy bullets and captivity, as well as for their preservation of marital fidelity. In addition, as the guide to the Yasnaya Polyana museum-estate reports, father L.N. Tolstoy, Nikolai Ilyich, throughout the Patriotic War of 1812 wore under his overcoat the icon of the Virgin Mary of the Three Joys. According to legend, the famous writer himself had this same image with him during the defense of Sevastopol in 1854–1855.

Prepared by Svetlana RYBAKOVA

Iconography, like any artistic style, has its own rules and certain principles for representing saints. This genre is quite conservative, and the author cannot add his own touch. Despite this, among the numerous images you can find several icons that have some different features. The Orthodox icon “Holy Family” has a similar meaning.

It is worth noting that this image has not yet been canonized, which is why it is more considered a painting painted in a church style. This icon is especially revered in Israel, where it is found in almost all churches, and you can buy it in any store.

Meaning and prayer to the icon of the “Holy Family”

First, let's talk about why they don't want to canonize the image, since this is important information. Such a decision is associated not only with deviations from the execution technique, but with the composition itself. The thing is that in the icon, Saint Joseph hugs the Virgin Mary by the shoulders with one hand, and holds her hand with the other. Many clergy consider such details to be a symbol of marital relations between them, which is unacceptable in Orthodoxy. The Gospel indicates that the relationship between the Virgin Mary and Joseph is more similar to patronage than to an ordinary marriage.

Understanding the meaning, as well as what the Holy Family icon helps with, it is worth saying that the image is considered a powerful patron of family and marriage. It is recommended to have such an icon at home for people who would like to strengthen the connection between family members, get rid of misunderstandings and restore. The image also helps to return debts and honor to an unjustly slandered person. In front of the icon they pray for sinners and prisoners.

The Orthodox icon “The Labor of the Holy Family,” which was painted not so long ago in 1923, has its own significance. The image was written ascetically and strictly, but it was based on a completely unexpected plot. The icon depicts three people: the Virgin Mary, Jesus and Saint Joseph, working in a carpenter's workshop. It is believed that the image clearly illustrates the Tradition describing the childhood years of the Infant God. This icon is called renovationist, that is, its main task is to adapt to reality. There are other names for this icon, for example, “The Holy Family – Teacher of Labor.” In the image, the Virgin Mary is spinning the curtains of the Temple of Jerusalem, Jesus is working with a chisel, and St. Joseph is sawing a board.

This shrine is of enormous importance in the Orthodox tradition, but causes mixed reactions from many church ministers. This image has not been canonized, so it is considered more of a painting made in an iconographic style. The Holy Family icon became especially popular in Israel. In this country it can be found in any monastery, and bought in every store. By praying before the image they wish to achieve peace in the family or the inviolability of sacred marriage.

What does an image help with?

The image is more reminiscent of a painting that was made based on a plot from the Book of the Gospel. There are a colossal number of such works of art, the authors of which were the greatest masters of the brush. Many artists created paintings on biblical themes, but none of them can be called an icon (except for “The Three Joys”).

In Russia, this image is rapidly increasing its popularity.

• The image of the “Holy Family” is considered as the guardian of home comfort, family integrity and related categories of marriage.
• Lik helps in the search for the other half and removes those who want to ruin the union of a man and a woman.
• Prayers before the image help protect household members from causeless quarrels and maintain peace.
• Very often they pray to the icon for deliverance from betrayal. This is relevant for those who have already experienced such marital betrayal.
• If a person is lonely for a long time and cannot find a partner, it is necessary to turn to this person with a sincere desire.
• The image has the power to relieve everyday troubles and restore faith and hope. After the petition, the believer experiences relief in his soul and continues on his way with a light heart.
• Prayers in front of the Holy Family icon protect people in dangerous professions (military, police, firefighters).
• The image brings back people who willfully left home, and also protects the lives of those returning from distant lands.
• People often pray to the image to help sinners take the righteous path.
• The icon returns bad debts and emotional strength during great upheavals.
• “The Holy Family” restores the honor of an unjustly slandered person.

The celebration of the day of this shrine falls on January 8 (NS). A large number of believers come to praise and petition the Mother of God, Christ and Joseph. Unfortunately, the original list was destroyed in the 30s of the last century during the invasion of atheistic and cynical people.

About the canonical icons of the Mother of God:

Icon "Holy Family"

How to ask the face

An Orthodox person is obliged to live righteously and believe in the existence of the Creator, God's Son, the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God. These great personalities protect us from all kinds of adversities of material existence. It is not enough for a believer to simply ask for help; he should give thanks more often for the present.

If the Holy Family icon is kept at home, it will be a good help on the path of life.

• You should pray in front of the image according to all Orthodox canons.
• Before petitioning, confession to a clergyman is required. If you do not purify your thoughts, prayer will not be successful.
• It is recommended to memorize the text of the petition for the “Holy Family” well.
• During the reading, candles are lit, symbolizing purification by fire.
• After the prayer, you need to cross yourself three times, bow deeply and kiss the icon. There is no need to extinguish the candles.

Meaning and position in church tradition

The shrine is often brought from Jerusalem and presented in memory of the great pilgrimage. It is suitable for newlyweds who want to strengthen their marriage, as well as for a wedding anniversary.

• On the canvas, the viewer sees Christ as a child in front, and his parents are depicted behind. The figures of adults with their heads bowed serve as a kind of frame for the little Messiah.
• The Savior makes a blessing gesture with his right hand, and with his left he rushes towards the palms of Mary and the “Betrothed” Joseph. For the Orthodox method, such a production is completely atypical: a huge role is given to the relationships of many parts of the canvas, colors and directions.
• The image bestows real warmth, infallible care and mutual understanding.

The Orthodox icon “Holy Family” has not yet been canonized, because the execution technique and the compositional model itself have been subject to extensive criticism.

• The family here is depicted quite brightly and vividly, so it looks like a photo from a personal album.
• In the picture, Joseph hugs the Virgin Mary by the shoulders with his right hand, although he is obliged to be not a husband, but a patron. The man's gaze is directed at the Most Pure Virgin, but not at Jesus. The Orthodox tradition rejects such a setting of the plot in a real icon.
• When the Christ Child was born, Joseph was about 100 years old. Here he looks much younger.
• The Virgin Mary and Joseph were not married, but only became engaged. Therefore, marital relations are unacceptable here.

Holy Family. Painting by Giorgione

Some facts from history

The elderly Joseph was the guardian and support of the Most Pure Mary. The virgin received the good news of the immaculate conception even before the engagement from

The icon “Holy Family” was painted in Italy. In the Russian capital, she ended up in the 18th century with a priest from the Trinity Church. After some time, the owners donated the holy image to the parish. Here the image was placed on the porch above the entrance. Half a century later, it became famous for its miraculous achievements.

Having left a mixed impression among Orthodox Christians, the icon of the “Holy Family” gained great popularity among the people. The power of the face is aimed at returning peace and a peaceful environment to the family, as well as protection against enemies. The icon is given to both newlyweds and families who have come a long way. If you buy it in a church shop and sincerely pray, the believer will find what he wants and get rid of troubles.

Watch a video about the icon *Holy Family*

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Every believer, both in sad moments of life and in moments of joy, always turns to God's icons for support and request for protection. One of these icons is the icon of the “Holy Family”; we will look at the meaning and what it helps with in this article. This face is highly revered among Christians of all movements in different parts of the world.

The tale of the miraculous power of this image on Orthodox soil arose at the beginning of the 18th century. According to legend, hardships suddenly began to fall on the family of one noble woman: her beloved husband was exiled for a false denunciation, her son ended up in enemy captivity during the war, and the acquired estate was taken away from the treasury. The unfortunate woman, despairing of asking people for help, began to beg the Mother of God in prayer for salvation.

And one day the Virgin Mary appeared to her in a dream and pointed to the image of the “Holy Family.” After a long search for the divine face in the churches of Moscow, a woman saddened by the disaster found a copy of this icon, brought from Italy, in the Trinity Church on Pokrovka. After some time, her prayers were rewarded: the estate was returned to the mistress, her son was soon released from captivity, and her husband was acquitted and returned from exile.

The permanent biblical characters in this image are the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus Christ in her arms, and her husband Joseph the Betrothed. Also in the images of the Family, blessed Elizabeth, a relative of Mary, and Elizabeth’s son, John the Baptist, Jesus’ second cousin, can appear before us. Occasionally on the icons you can see Elizabeth's husband Zacharias and the mother of the Virgin Mary Anna.

What does the Holy Family icon mean? This Christian painting is a deified symbol of marital love and fidelity, constancy and understanding between husband and wife, and between mother and father and their child.

This is a wonderful gift for devout newlyweds on their wedding day, marriage anniversary, or the birth of a baby.

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The icon “Holy Family” helps in what troubles

The miraculous power of the icon will help resolve problems in everything that is in one way or another connected with the family hearth and the prosperity of the clan. Prayers to the Holy Family icon will help:

• find a life partner
• bring family members closer together, strengthen their relationships
• bring back lost love
• drive away the homewrecker
• protect from family discord
• protect spouses from cheating
• get rid of debts and financial dependence
• restore an honest good name, dispel false rumors about yourself
• help return criminals, prisoners, sinners and everyone leading an indecent lifestyle to the path of righteousness

But it is worth remembering that the icon of the “Holy Family” helps and blesses only legal, righteous marriages. You cannot ask Saints Mary, Jesus and Joseph to attract a married man or a married woman, or to destroy someone else’s union.

How to pray

Here is a prayer to the Holy Family icon

« Oh, Most Holy Virgin, the All-Blessed Son of the All-Blessed Mother, the protection of the capital city and the holy temple of this temple, faithful to the Representative and Intercessor of all who are in sins and sorrows! Do not despise the prayers of us, Thy unworthy servants, but pray to Thy Son and our God, that He may grant to all of us, who worship Thy miraculous image with faith and tenderness, according to each need: to the sinner - all-effective admonition, repentance and salvation; for those who are in sorrow and sorrow - consolation; for those who remain in troubles and embitterment - complete relief from them; for the faint-hearted and unreliable - hope and patience; to those who live in joy and abundance - unceasing thanksgiving to God; to those in illness - healing and strengthening. Oh, Most Holy Lady, have mercy on all who honor Your honorable name and show everyone Your all-powerful protection and intercession, protect and preserve people from visible and invisible enemies. Establish marriages in love and like-mindedness; raise the babies; Young chastity, open their minds to the perception of every useful teaching; Protect half-blooded people from domestic quarrels with peace and love, and give us all love, peace and piety, and health with long life, so that everyone in heaven and on earth will lead You as a strong and unashamed Representative of the Christian race and, this is true, glorify You and Your Son with His beginningless Father and His Consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amineb".

Where to find the Holy Family icon

Except in the Trinity Church in Moscow, where the list of it mentioned in the legend is located, this icon is not found in other churches in Russia, since it is not canonized. The original itself, brought from Italy, was lost in the 30s of the last century during robberies and pogroms of Christian sanctuaries.

Abroad, the greatest respect for the image is shown in Jerusalem. Here it can be seen everywhere - in any temple or tourist outlet. Therefore, the image is one of the main mementos that pilgrims are advised to bring home from the Holy Land.

Days of veneration of the image

For Catholics, Holy Family Day is the Sunday after the Nativity of Christ.

May God be with you!

In this video you will learn about a copy of the Holy Family icon:

On the week after the Nativity of Christ - Matthew 2:13–23 (chapter 4):

When will they<волхвы>departed, - behold, the Angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says: get up, take the Child and His Mother and run to Egypt, and be there until I tell you, for Herod wants to look for the Child in order to destroy Him. He arose, took the Child and His Mother at night and went to Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, who says: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Then Herod, seeing himself ridiculed by the Magi, became very angry, and sent to kill all the babies in Bethlehem and throughout its borders, from two years old and below, according to the time that he found out from the Magi. Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, who says: “A voice was heard in Rama, weeping and mourning and a great cry; Rachel cries for her children and does not want to be consoled, for they are not there.”

After the death of Herod, behold, the Angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in Egypt in a dream and says: Arise, take the Child and His Mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the soul of the Child are dead. He stood up, took the Child and His Mother and came to the land of Israel.

Having heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of Herod, his father, he was afraid to go there; but having received a revelation in a dream, he went into the region of Galilee and came and settled in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, that He would be called a Nazarene.

If we go back closer to the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, the first thing we learn about Joseph is the trial that befell him. His wife is pregnant - but from whom? After all, he knows that Mary is a virgin. Feeling sorry for the Virgin, who, as he thought, had lost her virginity, he wants to let her go without publicity. But his confusion is dispelled by an angel who appears to him in a dream. Joseph learns that Mary carries the Savior of the world under her heart.

It would seem that the roles change dramatically: Mary is the Mother of the Messiah, and Joseph is a mere mortal called to serve Her. But this is not entirely true. Righteous Joseph still remains the head of the family. Mary is a meek and humble wife who does not even think of commanding her husband or demanding anything for herself. Not Her, but Joseph is given revelations from the Lord in dream visions. And it is on Joseph that the burden of responsibility lies for fulfilling the commands of the Lord, for the safety of the Infant and the Mother of God.

Righteous Joseph, the Virgin Mary and the boy, and then the young man Jesus, lived together for about twenty years. We know almost nothing about these years (except for one episode recounted by the Evangelist Luke - when twelve-year-old Jesus remained in the Temple, and his parents lost Him). But from the few references to Joseph and the Blessed Virgin that are contained in the Gospel, we can understand that the members of the holy family treated each other with great tenderness, meekness and love.

Let's fast forward two thousand years. Russia, turn of the XX-XXI centuries. After decades of godlessness imposed by the authorities, many people came to churches. Suddenly feeling themselves Orthodox, neophyte husbands often try to show who is boss in the house. Someone flips through Domostroy with interest, looking for instructions on how to properly beat a wife; someone walks importantly, in decorous calm, and next to him walks a “human assistant” loaded with grocery bags; someone is concerned about earning money for the whole family, and an Orthodox wife, according to her bearded husband, should only know three Ks.

There are other families too. There the wife becomes the locomotive of churching. She explains to her husband what kind of job he should now have (best of all - as a watchman at the temple), what he should eat for lunch (vegetable oil? Completely crazy!), and also (after thorough consultations with the confessor), when and how It is permissible for a husband to touch his wife.

Some families become churchgoers and overcome the crisis. Some families leave the Church - and also overcome the crisis. But many families remain in a state where the husband or wife (it doesn’t matter who exactly) continues to play some correct role, read from the correct books.

But of course – without irony! - Right? After all, the head of the family is the husband? Yes, that's right. But this does not imply petty despotism. A wise husband is first and foremost a strategist. He will not delve into tactical details - his wife can handle this perfectly. But important decisions for the whole family are his responsibility. And he will not shift this responsibility to anyone. In everyday life, he can fully rely on his wife, and even obey her - for everything (or almost everything) goes in the direction that he himself paved.

And the wife? Assistant? Yes, sure. But an assistant is not a slave. Family, children, home - this is a huge space for creativity, for applying one’s talents, which a woman is sometimes unaware of. If your husband is behind a stone wall, then you can plant stunning gardens on the territory inside this wall!

An old truth: it is not the place that makes the man, but the man the place. A husband does not become an ideal spouse or an exemplary father just because of his position. A wife is not a bare function. The path to the ideal of a Christian family is long and difficult. But, fortunately, we have a model: righteous Joseph, the Virgin Mary, the child Jesus.