October: Day 24: Teaching 3: Feast of the Joy of All Who Sorrow Icon of the Mother of God

October: Day 24: Teaching 3:
Feast of the Joy of All Who Sorrow Icon of the Mother of God

(In All Cases of Life, Resort With Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today is the feast day of the miraculous Joy of All Who Sorrow icon of the Holy Mother of God, established in 1688 for the following reason. Euphemia, the sister of Patriarch Joachim, suffered greatly from a wound in her side and had almost no hope of recovery. One day, waking up early, she began to recite the prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me," then she ordered herself to be raised and began to call upon the Mother of God, praying to Her. During the prayer she heard a voice: "Euphemia, you have suffered for so long, why do you not resort to the common healer of all?" In the Church of the Transfiguration there is My icon of the Joy of All Who Sorrow. Call the priest of that church with this icon and let him serve a prayer service; then your illness will pass." Euphemia learned from her relatives that there was such an icon in the Church of the Transfiguration on Ordynka, and she acted in accordance with what she heard, after which she received healing.

II. The incident described prompts us to ask: do you all, beloved brethren, always pray fervently to the Mother of God? If any of you do not pray to Her, or do not pray with all your heart, I beseech you to begin to pray to Her with all fervor from this very day: for our Lady is a quick Intercessor for all Christians who resort with faith to Her protection and intercession. She does not shun anyone, She neglects no one: in order to be worthy of Her intercession, only firm faith in the power of Her prayer and humble, sincere prayer are needed.

a) What misfortune has befallen you, or sorrow of the soul: hurry quickly to prayer to our Lady, and do not seek consolation for yourself in any earthly consolations and entertainments, especially do not resort to wine to ease your grief, to forget the misfortune, as many do. Such amusements and consolations are new misfortunes, only not noticeable at first, because they are seductive.

b) Sins or passions torment you, or bad habits take possession of you, resort to the most merciful Mother of all - the Queen of the Mother of God. Pray to Her thus: All-powerful, Lady Theotokos, behold, such and such passions and sins take possession of me. You can do everything. Your prayer is omnipotent with Your Son and God. Cover, protect me from myself, from my sinful passions and habits. Wwith all my heart I wish for myself correction and salvation, but without higher help, without intercession from above I can do nothing. I take a step forward, and then retreat as much as ten steps back, so the power of the enemy pushes me away from the Lord. I am wretched, poor and destitute and blind and naked spiritually: help me, wretched and poor and blind, with all my soul I pray to You. I believe that You hear every sigh of my heart, every word that comes from my heart, and You mercifully intercede for all who earnestly seek Your help and who have not been completely deceived by sinful flattery. Intercede, save and have mercy on me, a sinner!

III. Thus let us pray to the most merciful Queen Mother of God, and we will certainly be deemed worthy of Her protection and intercession. Amen.

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.