Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected joy. Icon of the prayer of the Mother of God, unexpected joy

Today, December 22, is the day of the “Unexpected Joy” icon. The history of this image is amazing and the lessons that can be learned from it are amazing. We read about the seven facets of the miracle of unexpected joy.

history of the holiday

Not everyone knows the history of the “Unexpected Joy” icon, and therefore we will briefly present it. A certain sinful man prayed daily before the image of the Virgin Mary with the Child, and then went on to commit nasty lawlessness. And then one day the images on the icon suddenly seemed to move, and the Savior’s wounds opened, and blood gushed out of them, as on the Cross. Seeing this, the man fell in fear and cried out: “Oh, Lady, who did this?” The Mother of God answered: “You and other sinners are crucifying My Son again, like the Jews.” This man prayed for mercy, and the Mother of God interceded for him, repeatedly begging the Lord to forgive this sinner. After four petitions, the Lord finally agreed, and the sinful man changed his life forever. This story-parable became the basis and plot of the icon “Unexpected Joy”.

Inadvertent

The word “accidental” has acquired in modern language the meaning “accidental, unintentional,” and therefore the icon “Unexpected Joy” evokes associations among many with joy that visited a person by accident, as if without his will and participation. But such an understanding is opposite to the meaning of this icon. It seems that for a better understanding the name of the icon should be written in three words: “Unexpected joy.” A joy that was no longer counted on, hoped for, or expected. Joy, not deserved by something and not sent for something, but given by the grace of God and the fervent prayer of the Mother of God.

Habit

The story of the miracle of unexpected joy is also a story of habit. After all, the lawless man, saying prayer day after day in front of the image of the Mother of God, got used to his prayer, got used to saying: “Hail, Most Gracious Mary...” - and, it seems, did not penetrate too deeply into the meaning of these words. Otherwise, they would have gotten stuck in his throat and could not have been uttered, because every day he committed some kind of lawlessness. Only the terrible miracle that this praying man received was able to open his eyes to himself, to his habit of both prayer and lawlessness, and help him to fear his deeds and change them once and for all.

Terrible holiday

It is not for nothing that the sin that a man named Nikita committed is not mentioned in the story about him. Silence, especially in spiritual literature, is sometimes no less important than what is said. Why is sin not named? Because, probably, it can be a different sin, any sin - and therefore, the sin of each of us. And if you think that our sins really crucify the Savior every time, and every time we sin, “we become participants in the passions of Christ, we ourselves inflict this suffering, we join the ranks of those who betrayed Christ, who condemned Him, who crucified Him, or those who, out of cowardice and fear, did not even intercede with a word for Him,” then the holiday of “Unexpected Joy” is truly terrifying.

Making sense of death

In comprehending this parable - the parable of unexpected joy - it is important to remember that the miracle did not happen only because the lawless man prayed. Yes, prayer played a very important role here: it both revealed to a person his sinfulness and served as a reason for the forgiveness of this person. However, the parable does not end with forgiveness; it tells us that this man completely corrected his life and lived piously until the end of his days. That is, real repentance occurred - a change of consciousness. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh gives the following example: “If one of our relatives, friends, or just a stranger were killed for us, how could we forget it? If we were guilty of someone’s death and met face to face with his mother - could we simply say: “I’m sorry!” We would have to live in such a way as to justify this forgiveness, and justify and comprehend this death.”

Love of the Mother of God

Of course, one of the most important lessons of the parable of Unexpected Joy is a lesson about the mercy of God and the endless love of the Mother of God for people. After all, how could She, seeing that her Son was being crucified again, that blood was gushing from his wounds, still beg him to have mercy on this sinner? And not just once, but several times. Here is how Saint Dmitry of Rostov tells about this: “Then She began to pray to the Son: “My blessed Son, for the sake of My love, have mercy on this sinner.” But the Son answered: “Do not be angry, My Mother, because I will not listen to You.” And I prayed to the Father, so that the cup of suffering would pass from Me, and He did not listen to Me.” Then the Mother said: “Remember the one who fed You and forgive him.” The Son answered: “And the second time I prayed to the Father for the cup, and I did not listen to Me again.” Mother: “Remember My illnesses that I endured with You when You were on the Cross in body, but under the Cross I was wounded in the womb, for the weapon passed through My soul.” The Son answered: “And for the third time I prayed to the Father, so that the cup would pass by, but did not deign to listen." And even despite such an answer, the Mother of God continues to pray to Him.

Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”

The icon is named so in memory of the healing of one sinner. A certain lawless man spent his life in sins, but he used to bow before the image of the Mother of God and bring her the Archangel’s greeting: “Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with You." Once, getting ready to go on a sinful deed, he, without even thinking about his blasphemous act, again turned to the Mother of God with prayer. Suddenly, fear and trembling overwhelmed him: the Mother of God appeared alive on the icon, and the Divine Infant had ulcers on his arms, legs and sides, and blood flowed from there.

Falling to the ground, the sinner cried out: “Oh, Lady, who did this?” “You and other sinners,” the Mother of God answered him, “you are crucifying My Son again. You call Me merciful, why do you insult Me with your lawless deeds?” Shocked to the depths of his soul, with a contrite heart, the repentant sinner prayed to God for the forgiveness of his sins and asked the Mother of God to beg Her Son to forgive him.

Since then, the former sinner began to live a pure and godly life. Thus, the Mother of God gave the sinner the unexpected joy of forgiveness and remission of sins, and these events served as the reason for painting the image “Unexpected Joy.” It depicts a man on his knees praying before the image of the Mother of God with Her Eternal Child. The first words of the story “A certain lawless man...” are usually placed under the image.

Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”

There are known surviving miraculous copies of the “Unexpected Joy” icon, for example, in Moscow churches: in the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Obydenny Lane and in the church in honor of the “Unexpected Joy” icon of the Mother of God in Maryina Roshcha.

The iconography of the icon arose on the basis of the story of St. Demetrius of Rostov about a thief who received the unexpected joy of forgiveness of sins, included in his work “The Irrigated Fleece,” dedicated to the glorification of the icon of the Mother of God from the Chernigov Ilyinsky Monastery (published in Chernigov in 1680). According to the story, the icon depicts a sinner kneeling before the image of the Mother of God with the Child Christ in her arms. Under the image of the Mother of God on the pedestal is written a text from the story, beginning with the words: “A certain lawless man...”.

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” was in the royal rooms of the Kremlin palace. After 1817, it was moved to the Church of the Annunciation on the Zhitny Dvor near the Kremlin wall; The icon became one of the most famous Moscow shrines.

After the church was closed in 1918, the icon was saved by believers. The now revered icon “Unexpected Joy” from the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Obydenny Lane in Moscow probably comes from the Church of the Annunciation on Zhitny Dvor (according to another version, from the Church of Constantine and Helena near the Kremlin wall).

Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”

Celebration

Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”

Prayer before the icon

Prayer in front of the icon and knowledge of the events that are associated with the birth of the image inspire a person to moral rebirth, and prayer for loved ones helps those in despair find unexpected joy and gives hope for a sudden joyful deliverance from troubles and sorrows, if they are present in their life.

With her holy intercession through our prayers before the icon of Her “Unexpected Joy,” the Mother of God protects us from all sorrows and troubles that may be in our lives, since, as it is said in the kontakion (see section “How to pray in front of an icon”), we do not have there is no other hope, no other help than Her. Unexpected joy - one that we no longer expected or expected. The icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”, the prayer to the Mother of God in front of it will protect from diseases, especially those related to hearing, and here we mean not only physical, but also spiritual hearing - to the extent that we hear the Lord and His answer to prayers through the Mother of God and the saints.
And a prayer to the Mother of God in front of the “Unexpected Joy” icon will protect you from many misfortunes. This list of sorrows is expressed in a lengthy, heartfelt prayer to Her. In all sorrows - separation of spouses, lost relatives, in hardships, in salvation from slanderous slander, in all difficult situations, you can ask the Mother of God in front of Her icon “Unexpected Joy” for protection. For example, when praying for those sailing at sea or traveling on land in any difficult conditions, it is worth asking Her icon “Unexpected Joy” to protect them from danger, asking for their speedy and successful return.

Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” helps to find peace of mind and inner spiritual strength. As Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva wrote in “Poems about Moscow”:

To Unexpected Joy in the Garden
I will bring in a foreign guest.

The domes of red will shine,
The sleepless bells will ring,

And at you from the crimson clouds
The Virgin Mary will drop her veil,

And you will rise, filled with wondrous powers...
“You won’t regret that you loved me.”

Prayer in front of this icon helps us get everything that we have wanted for so long, that we no longer expected to receive, each according to our own desire: for a priest it can be the repentance of a sinner in the flock and the salvation of his soul, for someone asking for the forgiveness of sins it can be forgiveness. It helps parents in cases where it is necessary to bring some sense to children who have lost their way or gone down a vicious path. At the request of people, someone finds lost loved ones, someone reconciles with someone with whom reconciliation seems impossible, and much, much more happens, even a seeming failure can turn into a happy accident.

It is believed that prayer in front of the “Unexpected Joy” icon helps in healing from diseases, especially those associated with deafness. Here, physical deafness is probably subconsciously associated among believers with spiritual deafness, with the loss of moral guidelines, which obviously manifests itself at the bodily level.

Also, prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected joy” helps to find just such a joy, the most amazing, because it is unexpected, sudden. It is known that during the Great Patriotic War, many women in the rear prayed in front of this icon (there is information about this) for the men of their family who were missing, and others even for the fallen, after the funeral. And unexpected joy happened - the information about the death turned out to be erroneous, the fighter returned home.
Many believers know: ask Her icon “Unexpected Joy” for everything that your soul grieves about, and She, the Intercessor, helps everyone who comes with faith and prayer, even in what seems almost impossible, returning lost hopes.

Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”

Troparion, tone 4

Today, faithful people spiritually triumph, glorifying the zealous Intercessor of the Christian race and flowing to Her Most Pure Image, we cry out: Oh, Merciful Lady Theotokos, grant us unexpected joy, burdened with many sins and sorrows, and deliver us from all evil, praying to Your Son, Christ Our God, save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 6

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

First prayer

Oh, Most Holy Virgin, the All-Blessed Son of the All-Blessed Mother, the Patroness 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 beg Thy Son and our God, so that all of us with faith and tenderness who worship before Thy celibate image will grant unexpected joy for each need: as a shepherd to the church - holy zeal for the salvation of the flock; 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 bitterness - a complete abundance of these; for the faint-hearted and unreliable - hope and patience; in the joy and contentment of those living - 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 God's mercy. Oh, Most Holy Lady!
Have mercy on all who honor Your All-Honorable Name, and show everyone Your all-powerful protection and intercession; abide in piety, purity and honest living until their last death in goodness; create evil good things; guide those who are lost 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, invisible help and admonition were sent down from heaven; save from temptations, seductions and destruction; protect and preserve from all evil people and from enemies visible and invisible; floating float; for those who travel, travel; Be the Nourisher for those in need and hunger; be the Cover and Refuge for those without shelter and shelter; Give clothes to the naked; for those offended and suffering from untruths - intercession; invisibly justify the one who suffers slander, slander and blasphemy; expose slanderers and slanderers before everyone; Unexpectedly grant reconciliation to those who are bitterly at odds, and to all of us - love, peace and 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 them to each other and establish an indestructible union of love for them; to mothers and children giving birth, grant permission quickly; educate infants, young ones to be chaste, open their minds to the perception of all useful teachings, instruct the fear of God, abstinence and hard work; Protect from domestic strife and enmity of half-bloods with peace and love.
Be the Mother of motherless orphans, turn them away from all vice and filth and teach them everything good and pleasing to God; those who have been seduced into sin and uncleanness, having revealed the filth of sin, bring them out of the abyss of destruction.
Be the Comforter and Helper of widows, be a rod of old age.
Deliver us all from sudden death without repentance, and grant us all a Christian end to our lives, painless, shameless, peaceful, and a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ.
Having ceased in faith and repentance from this life, create with the angels and all the saints the lives; to those who died a sudden death, beseech 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; may they lead Thee to heaven and earth as a steadfast and unashamed Representative of the Christian race, and 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.

Second prayer

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. - Tuesday of Holy Week, February 25, April 13, May 6, October 26
- April 16, January 13.
- April 17.
- April 17, October 17.

Copyright © 2015 Unconditional love

The Orthodox icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” has an amazing history and the ability to help all stumbled and confused people. She instructs on the true path and forgives sins. Find out what to ask for from the image of the Mother of God.

History of the icon of the Mother of God

The icon appeared in the 18th century and reflects a repentant sinner, in front of the face of the Most Holy Theotokos with his son in his arms. Recognized from the stories of Dmitry of Rostov, who prayed every day before the holy image, and then committed the evil he had planned. One day, the sinner had a vision that the ulcers and wounds on the body of the baby Jesus were bleeding, as if he were on the cross for crucifixion. The man, in horror, turned to the Mother of God for an answer, to which he heard her speech, in which she spoke about the suffering of her son, which he endures for all human sins.

Dmitry Rostovsky persistently begged the Mother of God for forgiveness and asked Jesus Christ to pray for him. Having agreed, she turned to her son, and was refused twice. The third time she said that she would lie with the sinner in the lap of Christ until he forgives his sins. And only then did the Savior agree to help the man, pointing to his wounds and ordering him to venerate the bleeding wounds from the crucifixion. After the Divine vision, Dmitry of Rostov got rid of all unclean thoughts and took the true path, strengthening his faith in God.

The icon illustrates everything that happened. In the left corner there is a picture of a sinner, sometimes ribbons with prayers come from his mouth, and in the right corner there is a Virgin Mary with a baby whose wounds are bleeding and clothes are torn.

What to ask for the “Unexpected Joy” icon

The image of the Mother of God protects from all troubles and misfortunes. People turn to the icon when it seems that there is no one to expect help from. She helps in difficult life situations and in solving complex issues.

People who have strayed from the right path and are unable to come to terms with their own conscience turn to the image with prayer.

Parents pray to the “Unexpected Joy” icon for their children, so that they choose the right destiny and do not give up on God.

The image patronizes people who made mistakes in life and committed terrible sins in the past, but sincerely repented and turned to God.

They ask the holy icon, in accordance with the name, for unexpected joy, for example, the birth of children or a meeting with the chosen one. And also about miraculous healing and resolution of difficult life situations.

Prayer to the icon “Unexpected Joy”

“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"

Remember, the icon will only help those whose thoughts are pure and whose prayers are sincere. She is able to show you the right path if you are ready for this yourself and help a believer who needs an Orthodox miracle. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

Orthodox believers especially venerate her, calling her protector, intercessor, and helper. Almost every day in churches, according to the calendar of Orthodox dates, one or another icon of the Mother of God is remembered with a prayerful request. Twice a year, on May 14 and December 22, the miraculous image “Unexpected Joy” is celebrated. Please note that both words in the title are capitalized, because Joy refers to the Most Pure Virgin herself. What does unexpected joy mean? — the one they didn’t expect, didn’t expect. Such an unexpected heartfelt feeling once touched a sinner.

How was the image “Unexpected Joy” revealed?

The exact date and place of appearance of the icon is unknown; it became widespread less than three centuries ago.

It is surprising that an icon is usually called miraculous after it has performed numerous miraculous healings and phenomena. Only the image “Unexpected Joy” precedes a wonderful event. Saint Dmitry of Rostov mentions it for the first time in his work “Irrigated Fleece”. This book was written by the Saint to glorify the locally revered Holy Mother of God Icon of the Elias Monastery in the city of Chernigov.

The last chapter described the following story: one unrighteous man lived wickedly, but always treated the Most Holy Theotokos with special reverence. One day he was about to commit lawlessness once again, and as usual, he said the words of prayer, addressing him with an angelic greeting: Rejoice, full of grace. Suddenly the icon seemed to become alive; instead of joy, sorrow was reflected on its face. She held in her arms the Infant of God, whose shirt was torn and bleeding wounds opened on his arms, legs and under his ribs. The wicked man was amazed at what he saw. He bent down and knelt down, asking who could do this to our Lord Jesus Christ.

The answer he received floored him. The Mother of God replied that this was the work of his hands and other sinful people who crucified her Son again and again. The sinner prayed for a long time, without receiving forgiveness twice. The Mother of God together with him asked the Divine Child for help. For the third time, after the heartfelt repentance of the wicked man and the desire of the Mother of God to pray with him at the feet of the Son, the Lord said that the law commands that the Son honor the mother, let it be as she says. The forgiven one kissed the icon, falling unconscious. Having come into himself, he felt unprecedented joy in his heart, hope for forgiveness for his actions. The man was reborn spiritually and began to lead a righteous life.

This event formed the basis for painting the icon “Unexpected Joy”. It received an incredible response in the hearts of believers; by the end of the 18th century, a copy of the miraculous image was in almost every Orthodox church. It can still be found today in many churches; it is especially revered in Moscow in the Church of Elijah the Prophet. Initially, this icon was kept in one of the Kremlin churches, in the mid-20th century it was transported to Sokolniki, and since 1959 it has been in the Elias Church of Elijah; it is known that Patriarch Pimen often prayed in front of it.

What type of Mother of God icons does it belong to?

On the icon “Unexpected Joy” the Mother of God is depicted with the Infant Christ in her arms, this is a type that, translated, means a Guide, she, pointing with one hand at her Son, asserting which way a Christian should go. The unique image differs from most canonical images. This is not just an icon, but an iconographic composition (an icon within an icon).

The action takes place in the temple. In the lower left corner there is a man who knelt in prayer before the image of the Mother of God. Sometimes the letters from his mouth are depicted as ribbons to show his earnest prayer. The head of the Queen of Heaven is slightly tilted, her gaze is indirect, directed at the person praying. She points to the Son with one hand, and holds Him with the other as if on a throne. The Divine Infant has wounds from which blood flows, one hand is raised, it blesses all believers. A number of theologians classify “Unexpected Joy” as a type of akathist icon.

Below the image are words from the book of the Saint of Rostov: A certain lawless man. Think about it, after all, each of us daily commits lawlessness, sins: discussing, despondent, shouting, swearing, being proud, performing seemingly harmless actions, thereby becoming an accomplice in this distant history, again and again crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ, the way out is in repentance, hope for forgiveness and prayer help.

What should she pray for?

Often a person finds himself in a critical situation when he can only rely on God’s help. Then they pray to the Mother of God, asking her to cling to the heart of her Son and ask for spiritual joy, help in business, strengthening in faith, for the return of the lost and the preservation of children.

Parents prayerfully ask the Mother of God for their children, so that they are healthy, follow the right path in life, for their confirmation in faith, for spiritual and physical insight. The image of the Mother of God helps spouses to establish peace and mutual understanding, eliminate divisions, and reconcile those at war. This icon is approached with a request to protect from enemies and spiteful critics. Through prayers from the image of “Unexpected Joy” many healings and miracles occur, but most often people receive healing from deafness. This means not only a physical illness, but also a spiritual one: the inability to hear the words of Holy Scripture, loved ones. Cases have been established when women prayed for a quick marriage, for the return of their husbands from the battlefield, from a trip, they received help, prayer is effective against serious adversity, unjust accusations.

There are several prayer rules that are read depending on life circumstances. When time allows, it is better to read the full text of the prayer or even an akathist. There is a lot of evidence that reading the akathist helps infertile women: despite the diagnosis, they get the opportunity to experience the joy of motherhood.

Prayer for pregnancy to the Mother of God in front of the icon “Unexpected Joy”:

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.

If there is a lack of time, you can limit yourself to a short call to the help of the Mother of God the Virgin Mary. The clergy emphasize that the main thing is that the prayer comes from a pure heart. It is important to first say the words of prayer, after which formulate a petition in your own words.

Prayer (short):

To the Mother of God and the Queen, chosen from all generations, who sometimes appeared to a lawless man to turn him away from the path of wickedness, we offer a song of thanksgiving to Thee, the Mother of God: But You, who have unspeakable mercy, free us from all troubles and sins, let us call to Thee: Rejoice, you who give unexpected joy to the faithful.

Troparion:

Today, return to the people who glorify the zealous Intercessor of the Christian race, and who flow to Her most pure image, we cry out to the Lord: Oh, Merciful Lady Theotokos, grant us unexpected joy, burdened with many sins and sorrows, and deliver us from all evil, praying to Your Son, Christ God ours, to save our souls.

What does the name of the icon say?

Unexpected joy is an image that reminds us that forgiveness of sins is possible with heartfelt repentance and prayer. A joyful feeling does not immediately fill a person; he read the prayer and immediately became happy, no. After heartfelt labor and repentance (remember that Jesus Christ did not immediately forgive the sinner), when it would seem there is no more strength, forgiveness comes, and at the same time, unexpectedly, the heart becomes light and joyful. The icon teaches you to remain true to your word. A person, after repentance and received forgiveness, does not go further to lawlessness, but begins to lead a righteous life.

It is no coincidence that according to legend, the first to go to heaven with Christ was a robber who sincerely repented. No matter what circumstances happen in life, the Most Holy Theotokos becomes the first intercessor of every person. And you need to be able to notice joy in every moment. It is that there is a family, children, a favorite job, that you can hear birds singing and admire nature, it is that there is hope for healing, help, eternal life, there is a heavenly Intercessor ready to help everyone to her to the person who applied.

Rejoice, granter of unexpected joy to the faithful!

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. 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 it is, the highest example of the attitude towards the execution by those in power of the laws they themselves publish. 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.