November: Day 27: Teaching 1:
Feast of the Sign of the Mother of God
(The Power of the Intercession of the Mother of God)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Feast of the Sign of the Mother of God
(The Power of the Intercession of the Mother of God)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. Among the ancient icons of the Mother of God is also the icon of Her Sign, in whose honor the present feast was established. The All-Good Lord was pleased to glorify this Holy Icon in various countries of our fatherland with many signs and miracles, of which one, the most ancient and striking, became the beginning of the present feast.
In the year 1170 A.D., the Grand Prince of Suzdal, Andrei Georgievich, having unjustly formed an alliance with many Russian princes against Novgorod, sent his son Mstislav with numerous united troops to conquer this city. Pressed on all sides by the siege, the inhabitants of Novgorod soon saw that only God could deliver them from the disasters threatening them. Day and night, the open churches of God were filled with sobs and prayers for heavenly help. On the third night, the virtuous Archbishop of Novgorod, John, stood before the icon of the All-Merciful Savior in prayer for deliverance from the evils that had befallen him. Finally, his prayer was accepted by God: the archshepherd heard a voice commanding him to take the icon of the Mother of God from the Church of the Lord and Savior on Ilyina Street and place it on the city wall. The overjoyed Saint sent selected persons from his clergy to bring the icon of the Mother of God to the cathedral church. But, despite all their efforts to raise the icon of our Lady, it remained motionless. Having learned of this, the Archbishop himself went to the indicated church and fell in tears before the icon of the Mother of God. During the prayer service, when the song was proclaimed: "The unashamed intercession of Christians...," suddenly the Holy Icon of our Lady moved of its own accord. The people standing by cried out in horror: "Lord have mercy!" The archshepherd took the Holy Icon in his hands and carried it to the city wall. Meanwhile, the attacking enemies made a terrible attack on the city. One of the arrows they fired struck the Holy Icon and the face of the Mother of God turned to the city. Tears flowed from the eyes of the Most Pure One onto the Saint's phelonion. Suddenly darkness covered the enemies; terror seized their hearts; in confusion they began to strike one another, the besieged rush upon them and completed the defeat. In remembrance of this event, the song to the Mother of God is now proclaimed: “Having acquired you as an invincible wall and source of miracles, your servants, O Most Pure Mother of God, cast down the host of the enemy. Therefore we pray to you: grant peace to your city and great mercy to our souls.”
The powers and miracles of the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God were manifested not only in Novgorod, but later in other countries of our vast fatherland, especially in the regions of Kursk and Tobolsk. Great benefits from it were also manifested in the capital city of Moscow. The ancient family of the Romanov boyars, according to the ancient praiseworthy custom of choosing one of the saints of God as the patron of the house, made the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God their family patron. And what then? The Mother of God, after the severe trials sent down by Providence to the Russian land, having returned Kitay-Gorod in Moscow, which had been in Polish hands, to the Russians (October 22, 1612), a month and five days later - on the very feast of Her Sign icon - hands over to the Russian militia the sacred Kremlin, in which the young Michael Feodorovich was held captive with his mother, elevates this eminent youth to the throne of Russia and, under the scepter of his successors, extends far the borders of our fatherland and exalts the Russian kingdom. Truly, She is "the indestructible wall of the kingdom and the honorable crown of pious kings" (Akathist).
II. a) What can be stronger than the intercession of the Mother of the Lord? Moses stretched out his hands to heaven in ancient times on the mountain during the battle, and by his prayer victory was granted to Israel over Amalek. And now, not on earth, but in heaven, and not a servant of God, but the Most Holy Mother of the Lord Herself stretches out Her most pure hands for those who flee under Her protection.
These most pure hands of the Mother of God are extended for everyone who comes to Her with faith. What could be more comforting and instructive than this vision? For whom would these most pure hands, raised to Her Son, not plead? No matter what sins weigh upon our souls, no matter what misfortunes surround us, the intercession of the heavenly Intercessor will powerfully deliver us from every evil.
But may these most pure hands, now extended by Her for us, not condemn us! The most honorable cherubim and the most glorious seraphim intercede for us the unworthy even in the radiant heaven! How can we, sinners, not pray for ourselves on this dark earth? Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
b) But the Queen of Heaven, filled with love, does not always send Her help to everyone as clearly as to the besieged Novgorodians. Their misfortunes were great and innumerable, but at the same time their prayer was ardent and tireless, an unceasing appeal to the mercy of the Mother of God. In difficult times, they did not only grieve over the misfortunes of war, but undoubtedly wept with ardent tears over those sins of theirs that caused these misfortunes, and brought sincere repentance for them. So we, Christians, calling upon our Lady, who is inexhaustible in Her generosity, must bring Her repentance with prayer, a pure heart and love for a virtuous life. Only in this way can we gain the favor of the Most Immaculate; then the manifestation of Her mercy towards us will be visible to us.
III. Most Holy Mother of God, save us and protect us from enemies visible and invisible.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
