Memory of Saints Athanasius and Cyril takes place in the Orthodox Church on January 31 according to the new style. These two Saint of Alexandria are remembered on the same day, since each of them worked hard to establish the dogmatic teaching of the Church and defend Christianity from heretical teachings.

Saint Athanasius the Great
Saint Athanasius the Great was born around 298 in Alexandria. Precise information about the origin of the saint has not been preserved, but it is known that his episcopal consecration took place quite early, when the future saint was not yet thirty years old. During the First Ecumenical Council in 325, Athanasius the Great, then still in the rank of deacon, attended the meetings of the council as the bishop's secretary and took an active part in the drafting of the Nicene Creed. In addition, he participated in Christological disputes, insisting on the consubstantiality of the nature of Christ.

Soon after the completion of the Council, the Bishop of Alexandria died, and Athanasius was appointed in his place. During his episcopal service, Saint Athanasius the Great did a lot to combat the Arian heresy, which was widespread in the 4th century in the Roman Empire, and enjoyed the support of the emperor himself. This led to the fact that Archbishop Athanasius caused discontent at the imperial court, and numerous intrigues of his opponents led to the fact that in 335 he was condemned by the Council of Trier on ridiculous charges and sent into exile. After the death of the emperor, Athanasius the Great returned to the See of Alexandria he occupied, but a few years later he was again forced to leave his place of ministry and go into hiding. At the end of his life he managed to return to Alexandria, where he continued his episcopal service until his death in 373.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria
It is known about Saint Cyril that he was born in 376 and came from a rich and noble family of Alexandrian Christians, which allowed him to receive an excellent secular education. Cyril’s family was closely connected with the Alexandrian hierarchy, which could not but affect his deep faith and devotion to the Church. What interested him most was the study of the Holy Scriptures and Orthodox teaching, and for this he is in youth began to live in a monastery, where he spent about six years, and then was ordained first as a deacon and then as a priest. He was assigned to preach sermons, and he proved himself to be a talented preacher, which brought him great fame. After the death of his uncle, Archbishop Theophilos of Alexandria, Cyril was unanimously chosen as his successor.

The main task of Saint Cyril was the fight against the heresy of Nestorianism, which arose around the middle of the 5th century and had a large number of followers. In his literary works and sermons, Cyril of Alexandria denounced this teaching as completely contrary to the spirit of Orthodoxy. In addition, during his administration of the See of Alexandria, another schismatic movement arose among Christians, Novacianism. One of the main provisions of this heresy was that mortal sins could not be forgiven by the Church. Followers of Novatianism insisted that in order to cleanse the sinner it is necessary to perform the Sacrament of Baptism again.

During his episcopal ministry, Cyril of Alexandria wrote a large number of theological works that had great value for the development of Christian teaching and the establishment of basic dogmatic truths. His theological and apologetic works laid the foundation for the Antiochian theological school.

A joint celebration has been established for Saints Athanasius and Saints Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria, as a sign of deep gratitude to the Holy Church for many years of tireless work in establishing the dogmas of the Orthodox faith and zealously defending them from heretical teachings.

Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria

Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, great father of the Church and pillar of Orthodoxy, was born around 297 in the city of Alexandria into a family of pious Christians.

He received a good secular education, but acquired even deeper knowledge through diligent study of the Holy Scriptures.

From adolescence the future great saint Athanasius became known to the Patriarch of Alexandria, Saint Alexander (Comm. May 29 (June 11) under the following circumstances. One day a group of children, among whom was the youth Athanasius, was playing on the seashore. The Christian children decided to baptize their pagan peers. The youth Athanasius, whom children elected "bishop", performed baptism, exactly repeating the words he heard in church during this sacrament. All this was observed from the window by Patriarch Alexander. Then he ordered the children and their parents to be brought to him, talked with them for a long time and, making sure that the baptism performed by the children in the game was in everything in accordance with church charter, recognized baptism as valid and supplemented it with confirmation.

From that time on, the Patriarch supervised the spiritual education of young Athanasius and over time added him to the clergy, first as a reader, and then ordained him to the rank of deacon. In this rank, Saint Athanasius accompanied Patriarch Alexander in 325 to the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.

At the Council Saint Athanasius spoke out with a refutation of the heresy of Arius. This speech was approved by the Orthodox fathers of the Council, and the Arians - open and hidden - hated Athanasius and persecuted him throughout his life.

After the death of Saint Patriarch Alexander, Saint Athanasius was unanimously elected as his successor to the See of Alexandria. He refused for a long time, considering himself unworthy, but at the insistence of the entire Orthodox population he had to agree, and at the age of 28 he was ordained bishop and placed at the head of the Alexandrian Church.

Saint Athanasius ruled the Church for 47 years, experiencing many persecutions and tribulations from his opponents during this period. Several times he was expelled from Alexandria and hid from the Arians in deserted places, since they repeatedly attempted to kill the Saint.

Saint Athanasius spent more than 20 years in exile, then returning to his flock, then again being exiled. There was a moment when he remained the only Orthodox bishop, yet other bishops deviated into heresy. At false councils of Arian bishops, he was declared deprived of his episcopal rank.

Despite many years of persecution, the Saint continued to firmly defend the purity of the Orthodox faith and tirelessly wrote letters and treatises against the Arian heresy.

When Julian the Apostate (361 - 363) began the persecution of Christians, his anger first fell upon Saint Athanasius, who was revered as a great pillar of Orthodoxy. Julian intended to kill the Saint in order to deal a crushing blow to Christianity, but soon he himself died ingloriously. Mortally wounded by an arrow during the battle, he exclaimed in despair: "You have won, Galilean".

After the death of Julian, Saint Athanasius ruled the Alexandrian Church for seven years and died in 373, at the age of 76.

Preserved numerous creations Saint Athanasius: four "Words", directed against the Arian heresy, as well as letter to Epictetus, Bishop of the Corinthian Church, about the Divine and human nature in Jesus Christ, 4 letters to Bishop Serapion of Tmuit about the Divinity of the Holy Spirit and His equality with the Father and the Son - against the heresy of Macedonius.

Other works of an apologetic nature in defense of Orthodoxy have also been preserved, including letter to Emperor Constantius. Known

Icons and prayers

Find out who is your Guardian Angel and Intercessor Icon

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It turns out that each of us has our own Guardian Angel and our own intercessor icon, which is given from birth. If you don’t yet know who protects and protects you, then our article is for you!

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Those born from December 22 to January 20

protect icon Mother of God“Sovereign”, and their guardian angels are Saint Sylvester and Saint Seraphim of Sarov.

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Icon of the Mother of God “Sovereign”

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Before Your Sovereign Icon
I stand, embraced in prayerful trepidation,
And Your royal face, crowned,
Draws my tender gaze towards Him.
In a time of unrest and inglorious cowardice,
Treason, lies, unbelief and evil,
You showed us Your Sovereign Image,
You came to us and meekly prophesied:
"I myself took the scepter and the orb,
I myself will hand them over to the King again,
I will give the Russian kingdom greatness and glory,
I will nourish, console, and reconcile everyone."
Repent, Rus', unfortunate harlot...
Wash away your desecrated shame in tears,
Your Intercessor, Heavenly Queen,
He pities you and protects you, the sinner.

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S. Bekhteev

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Icon of the Mother of God "Sovereign"

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Before the icon Holy Mother of God“Sovereign” pray for truth, heartfelt joy, unfeigned love for each other, for peace in the country, for the salvation and preservation of Russia, for the protection of the throne and the state, for deliverance from foreigners and for the granting of healings of body and soul.

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Born from January 21 to February 20

are guarded by Saints Athanasius and Cyril, and will be protected by the icons of the Mother of God “Vladimir” and “Burning Bush”.

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The “Vladimir” Icon of the Mother of God has been revered as miraculous for several centuries. Before her they prayerfully ask the Mother of God for healing from bodily ailments, in particular heart disease and of cardio-vascular system. People turn to her for help during disasters, when they need protection from enemies. Before Vladimir icon In all centuries they prayed to the Mother of God for the preservation of Russia. Every home should have this icon, because it reconciles those at war, softens people’s hearts, and helps strengthen faith.

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Icon of the Mother of God “Vladimir”

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The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior dined with the Most Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all generations will bless Me. May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with this icon.” In 1131, the icon was sent to Rus' from Constantinople to the holy prince Mstislav († 1132, commemorated April 15) and was placed in the Maiden Monastery of Vyshgorod - the ancient appanage city of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga.

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Icon "Burning Bush"

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Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Burning Bush” they pray for deliverance from fire and lightning, from severe troubles, and for the healing of ailments.

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The icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” is depicted in the form of an octagonal star, consisting of two sharp quadrangles with concave ends. One of them is red, reminiscent of the fire that surrounded the bush seen by Moses; the other is green, indicating the natural color of the bush, which it retained when engulfed in fiery flames. In the middle of the octagonal star, as if in a bush, the Most Pure Virgin with the Eternal Child is depicted. At the corners of the red quadrangle there are depicted a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle, symbolizing the four evangelists.

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In the hands of the Most Pure Virgin is a ladder, leaning its upper end against Her shoulder. The ladder means that through the Mother of God the Son of God descended to earth, raising to Heaven all who believe in Him.

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It used to be: the gray-haired church
Burning Bush,
Crouching in a white snowstorm,
Flashes at me from the silence;
In front of the thoughtful icon case -
Unquenchable lantern;
And falls lightly
Under the light there is a pink snowball.
Neopalimov Lane
The blizzard is boiling with pearl barley;
And Our Lady in the alley
He looks thoughtful with tears.

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For those born from February 21 to March 20

the intercessor is the icon of the Iveron Mother of God.

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Their guardian angels are Saints Alexius and Milentius of Antioch.

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The history of the Iveron Icon can be traced back to the first century, when, out of indescribable love for people, the Mother of God blessed the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke to paint its image during the days of Her earthly life.

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The Monk John of Damascus wrote: “The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, at the time when Holy Mother God still lived in Jerusalem and lived in Zion, painted Her Divine and honest image on a board with picturesque means, so that subsequent generations and generations could contemplate her, as in a mirror.

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When Luke presented this image to Her, She said: “From now on all generations will bless Me. May the grace and power of the One born of Me and Mine be with you.” and Tradition attributes to the brushes of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke from three to seventy icons of the Mother of God, including the Iveron icon.

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Icon of the Mother of God "Iverskaya"

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Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Iverskaya” they pray for deliverance from various misfortunes and for consolation in troubles, from fire, for increasing the fertility of the earth, for deliverance from grief and sadness, for the healing of physical and mental ailments, in difficult circumstances, for help to farmers

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Born from March 21 to April 20

need to ask for protection icons of the Kazan Mother of God, and they are protected by Saints Sophronius and Innocent of Irkutsk, as well as George the Confessor.

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We do not know by whom and when the icon of the Russian Mother of God Hodegetria was painted, which translated from Greek means “Guide”. The image of the Kazan Mother of God belongs to this type of icon.

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An ancient Russian monk-icon painter, inspired by the image of the Byzantine Hodegetria, which is believed to have been painted by the Evangelist Luke during the life of the Mother of God, paints his own version of this icon. Its iconography, compared to the Byzantine one, is slightly changed. The Russian version can always be recognized by its barely noticeable warmth, softening the regal severity of the Byzantine originals.

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Icon of the Mother of God “Kazan”

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The Kazan Mother of God and her holy, miraculous, saving icon (she returns sight to the blind, gives strength to the weak) are considered practically official intercessors, defenders of Russia from external and internal enemies.

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It is also popularly believed that prayer before Orthodox icon The Mother of God protects and frees the praying person from his visible and invisible enemies, i.e. from evil people and from evil spirits...

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Born from April 21 to May 20

will be protected by the icons “Supportress of Sinners” and the Iveron Mother of God.

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Saints Stephen and Tamara, Apostle John the Theologian are their guardian angels.

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The icon received its name from the inscription preserved on it: “I am the Helper of sinners to My Son...”. Many miraculous healings occurred from the miraculous image.

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Surety of sinners means Surety for sinners before the Lord Jesus Christ. Before the miraculous image of the Mother of God, “Helper of Sinners,” they pray for the granting of repentance, in despondency, despair and spiritual sorrow, for the healing of various ailments, for the salvation of sinners.

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Icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners”

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For the first time this image became famous for miracles in Nikolaev Odrina monastery Oryol province in the middle of the last century.

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The ancient icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners”, due to its dilapidation, did not enjoy proper veneration and stood in the old chapel at the monastery gates. But in 1843, it was revealed to many residents in dreams that this icon was endowed, according to God's Providence, miraculous power.

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The icon was solemnly transferred to the church. Believers began to flock to her and ask for healing of their sorrows and illnesses. The first to receive healing was a relaxed boy, whose mother fervently prayed in front of this shrine. The icon became especially famous during the cholera epidemic, when it brought back to life many terminally ill people who flocked to it with faith.

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If your birthday is from May 21 to June 21

need to ask for protection icons of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost”, “Burning Bush” and “Vladimir”. Protected by saints Alexei of Moscow and Constantine.

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According to legend, the icon of the Mother of God “SEEKING THE LORD” became famous back in the 6th century in the Asia Minor city of Adana, saving the repentant monk Theophilus from eternal death, who subsequently achieved the highest spiritual perfection and was glorified by the Church as a saint.

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The name of the icon arose under the influence of the story “On the repentance of Theophilus, the steward of the church in the city of Adana” (7th century): praying before the image of the Mother of God, Theophilus called it “Recovery of the Lost.”

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Icon "Recovery of the Dead"

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Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Seeking the Lost” they pray for the blessing of marriage; people come to her with a prayer for liberation from vices, Mothers come with petitions for perishing children, for the health and well-being of children, for the healing of eye diseases and blindness, for toothache, for fever, for the disease of drunkenness, for headaches, for the admonition of those who have fallen away from the Orthodox faith and the return of the lost to the Church.

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For those born from June 22 to July 22

intercessors are icons of “Joy of All Who Sorrow” and the Kazan Mother of God.

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Saint Cyril is their guardian angel.

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“The Joy of All Who Sorrow” is one of the most popular and widely revered miraculous icons of the Mother of God in Imperial Russia, which has a number of significantly different iconographic options. Many sick and mourning people, prayerfully turning to the Mother of God through Her miraculous image, began to receive healing and deliverance from troubles.

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Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”

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According to custom, the Mother of God is depicted according to the words of the prayer addressed to her. “Helper of the offended, hopeless hope, intercessor of the poor, consolation of the sad, nurse of the hungry, clothing of the naked, healing of the sick, salvation of sinners, help and intercession of Christians for all,” - this is what we call the image embodied in the icons “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”

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Queen of heaven and earth, consolation to those who mourn,
Heed the prayer of sinners: in You are hope and salvation.

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We are mired in the evil of passions, we wander in the darkness of vice,
But... our Motherland... Oh, incline your all-seeing eye to it.

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Holy Rus' - your bright home is almost dying,
We call to You, Intercessor: no one else knows about us.

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Oh, do not leave Your children who grieve Hope,
Do not turn Your eyes away from our sorrow and suffering.

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Born from July 23 to August 23

They are guarded by Saint Nicholas the Pleasant and Elijah the Prophet, and the icon “Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos” protects them.

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In Orthodox Rus', the word “pokrov” means both veil and protection. On the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Orthodox people they ask the Queen of Heaven for protection and help.

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In Rus', this holiday was established in the 12th century by Holy Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Having learned that Saint Andrew, the Fool for Christ's sake, saw the Mother of God holding Her veil over the Orthodox, he exclaimed: “Such a great event cannot remain without celebration.”

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The holiday was established and immediately accepted by all the people in the joyful conviction that the Mother of God tirelessly keeps Her cover over the Russian land. I've been fighting all my life Grand Duke Andrey is against discord and disunity of his land. He firmly believed that the cover of the Mother of God would protect Rus' “from arrows flying in the darkness of our division.”

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Icon "Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary"

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The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos is great Orthodox holiday in memory of miraculous phenomenon Our Lady in the Blachernae Church in 910 during the siege of Constantinople. The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos is a sign of the grace of God covering us, strengthening us, and preserving us.

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The icon depicts a procession to heaven through the clouds, to the Savior. The procession is led by the Mother of God, holding a small veil in her hands, and behind Her are a host of saints. The icon symbolizes the prayer of the entire Heavenly Church for the human race.

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For those born between August 24 and September 23

You should ask for protection at the icons “Burning Bush” and “Passionate”.

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Their guardian angels are Saints Alexander, John and Paul.

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The “Passionate” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos received its name because near the face of the Mother of God two Angels are depicted with the instruments of the Lord’s passion - a cross, a sponge, a spear. The holy image was glorified during the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich.

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Icon "Passionate"

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“When you pray before that image with faith, you and many others will receive healing.”

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Those born between September 24 and October 23

must seek protection at the icons of the Pochaev Mother of God, “The Burning Bush” and “The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.” They are protected by Saint Sergius of Radonezh.

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The honest and life-giving Cross of the Lord was found in 326 in Jerusalem not far from the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In memory of this event, the Church established a holiday on September 14/27. The legend of the finding of the Cross of Christ is closely connected with the lives of the saints Equal to the Apostles Helen and Konstantin.

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The Savior showed the life-giving power of His Cross through the revival of the deceased, to whom the Cross was attached. When the Cross was found, in order to give everyone gathered for the celebration the opportunity to see the shrine, the patriarch erected (raised) the Cross, turning it to all cardinal directions.

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Icon "Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord"

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Now for us the cross is a sacred, most important and most expensive symbol. More than two billion people on earth (more precisely, 2 billion 100 million - that’s how many Christians there are on the planet) wear it on their chests as a sign of their involvement in the true God.

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Two thousand years ago in Palestine, and in many other places, the cross was just an instrument of execution - just like the electric chair is now in America. And Mount Golgotha ​​near the city walls of Jerusalem was a common place for carrying out death sentences.

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About three hundred years have passed since the death on the cross and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity, despite severe persecution, spread more and more throughout the entire earth, attracting both the poor and the rich, the powerful and the weak. Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, his father was a pagan, his mother, Queen Helena, a Christian.

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After the death of his father, Constantine had a war with the ruler of the city of Rome. On the eve of the decisive battle, when the sun began to set, Constantine and his entire army saw a cross in the sky, with the inscription “This way you will win.” In a dream, at night, Constantine also saw Christ with a cross.

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The Lord ordered him to make crosses on the banners of his troops and said that he would defeat the enemy. Constantine fulfilled God’s command, and having won the victory and entered Rome, he ordered a statue with a cross in his hand to be erected in the city square.

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With the accession of Constantine, the persecution of Christians ceased, and the emperor himself was baptized shortly before his death, because he considered himself unworthy to accept this sacrament earlier.

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For those born between October 24 and November 22

Saint Paul - Guardian Angel. The icons of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” and “Jerusalem” protect them.

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The history of the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” goes back more than a millennium. According to legend, it is contemporary with the founding of the Athonite Dochiar monastery and was written in the 10th century with the blessing of the founder of the monastery, the Monk Neophytos. It is believed that the icon is a copy of the revered image of the Mother of God, located in the city of Alexandria. The icon received its name, now known throughout the Orthodox world, later - in the 17th century, when a miracle occurred from it.

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In Rus', the miraculous Athonite icon “Quick to Hear” has always enjoyed great love and veneration, because it became famous for its miracles. Particularly noted were cases of healing from epilepsy and demonic possession; she provides quick help and consolation to all who come to Her with faith.

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Icons of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”

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In front of this icon they pray for spiritual insight, for various infirmities, for cancer, for help in childbirth and for feeding with milk, for children. And first of all, they pray to the Quick to Hear when they do not know how best to act, what to ask for, in confusion and bewilderment.

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According to the pious Tradition of the Church, some of the ancient

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their miraculous images The Mother of God were painted by the first icon painter, the holy apostle and evangelist Luke, during the earthly life of the Ever-Virgin. These include Vladimir, Smolensk and other icons.

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It is believed that the image of the Jerusalem icon was also painted by the Apostle Luke, and this happened in the Holy Land, in Gethsemane, in the fifteenth year after the Savior’s ascension to heaven. In 453, the image was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople by the Greek king Leo the Great. In 988, Tsar Leo VI presented the icon as a gift to Grand Duke Vladimir when he was baptized in the city of Korsun (present-day Kherson).

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Saint Vladimir bestowed Jerusalem icon Mother of God to the Novgorodians, but in 1571 Tsar Ivan the Terrible moved her to Moscow to the Assumption Cathedral. During Napoleon's invasion in 1812, this icon of the Mother of God was stolen and taken to France, where it remains to this day.

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Icon of the Mother of God “Jerusalem”

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Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Jerusalem they pray in grief, sadness and despondency, for healing from blindness, eye diseases and paralysis, during a cholera epidemic, for deliverance from the death of livestock, from fire, during relaxation, as well as during an attack by enemies.

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Born from November 23 to December 21

should ask for intercession from the icons of the Mother of God “Tikhvin” and “The Sign”.

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Saint Nicholas the Pleasant and Saint Barbara are their guardian angels.

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Tikhvin icon The Mother of God is considered the patroness of babies, she is called the children's. She helps children in illness, calms the restless and disobedient, helps them choose friends, and protects them from the bad influence of the street. It is believed to strengthen the bond between parents and children. Helps women during childbirth and pregnancy. Also, people turn to the Mother of God in front of Her Tikhvin icon with prayer when there are problems with conception.

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Icon of the Mother of God "Tikhvin"

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One of the most revered shrines in Rus'. It is believed that this image was created by the holy evangelist Luke during the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Until the 14th century, the icon was in Constantinople, until in 1383 it unexpectedly disappeared from the Blachernae Church. According to the chronicle, in the same year in Rus' the icon appeared before the fishermen on Lake Ladoga near the city of Tikhvin. The miraculous Tikhvin Icon from the Tikhvin Monastery is currently kept in Chicago in the USA.

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Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”

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The Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” became famous in the 12th century, at a time when the Russian land was groaning from civil strife. The Vladimir-Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, in alliance with the princes of Smolensk, Polotsk, Ryazan, Murom and others (72 princes in total), sent his son Mstislav to conquer Veliky Novgorod. In the winter of 1170, a huge militia laid siege to Novgorod, demanding its surrender.

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After fruitless negotiations, the Novgorodians refused to surrender, and the battle began. The defenders of Novgorod, seeing the terrible strength of the enemy and exhausted in the unequal struggle, placed all their hope in the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos, since they felt the truth was on their side.

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Before the Novgorod Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Sign” They pray for an end to disasters, for protection from enemy attacks, from fires, for protection from thieves and criminals and for the return of what was lost, for deliverance from the plague, for the pacification of warring parties and deliverance from internecine warfare..

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In every home it is desirable to have the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (Goalkeeper), which protects the house from enemies and ill-wishers.

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Iveron Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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- one of the most famous and revered in the Orthodox world. According to legend, Iveronskaya was written by the Evangelist Luke, for a long time was in Asia Minor Nicaea, and from the beginning of the 11th century. permanently resides in the Iveron Monastery on Holy Mount Athos (in honor of which it received its name)

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Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Iverskaya Goalkeeper”

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Not far from the Iverskaya monastery on seashore a miraculous spring has been preserved to this day, flowing at the moment when the Mother of God set foot on Mount Athos; this place is called Klimentova pier. And it was to this place that the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, now known to the whole world, miraculously, in a pillar of fire, appeared across the sea.

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The veneration of this image is evidenced by the fact that the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain alone wrote four canons to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.

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Here is what the famous Russian pilgrim-pedestrian of the 18th century Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky writes about “The Goalkeeper”:

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“In this beautiful church, at the inner gates of the monastery, in the iconostasis, instead of the usual Mother of God, there is a certain holy and miraculous icon, named by the ancient monks Portaitissa, that is, the Goalkeeper, extremely terribly transparent, with great feathers, holding Christ the Savior on her left hand , blackened on the face for many years, both completely showing the image, everything except the face is covered with silver-plated gilded clothing, and in addition, dotted with valuable stones and gold coins, from various kings, princes and noble boyars given for many of her miracles, where and Russian tsars, queens and princesses, emperors and empresses, princes and princesses, I saw gold coins and other gifts hanging with my own eyes.”

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Family icon

This is an icon depicting the namesake saints, all family members. A family icon is a shrine that connects all family members and unites their spirit. A family icon is part of a family heritage that is passed down from generation to generation.

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The presence of a family icon in the house brings the family together, strengthens their faith, and helps in various family matters. The spiritual power of such an icon lies in its conciliarity; when offering their prayers, each family member prays not only for themselves, but also for their parents, children and loved ones.

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IN Lately The tradition of the family icon is being revived everywhere. On a family icon, the patron saints of family members are depicted all together. Here, as if outside of time, saints gather who pray for this clan, for this family.

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Among them may be the patron saints of parents who have already passed away - the founders of the clan. To paint such an image, the names of each saint are selected, and rare saints are also found.

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Faith is just that: it doesn’t need proof. Nevertheless, over the past two thousand years, so much evidence has been collected for each episode gospel history, that only... a not very informed person can doubt that all this actually happened.

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Performing a miracle, that is, fulfilling a prayer, first of all depends on the faith of the person praying. If the one who pronounces a prayer with his lips does not have a conscious and heartfelt appeal to God, then even in front of the miraculous icon itself, the prayer will remain fruitless...

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The Christian name Cyril, which is not popular these days, has a very rich history and powerful spiritual patrons. Its origin is ancient Greek, literally translated means “lord” or “lord”. Men bearing this name should know about their patron and remember the need to honor St. Cyril's day.

Righteous people named Kirill

The Orthodox Church, starting from the 4th century, included three dozen righteous people who bore this name and lived in the territory of Byzantium, the Western Roman Empire and Russia. One of the first in this personage is Cyril, the patriarch of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. He was glorified approximately in 451. Our most famous compatriots are St. Kirill of Radonezh, father of Sergius of Radonezh, who took monastic vows at the end of his life, and Kirill of Belozersky. Saint Cyril is the founder of the idea of ​​enlightened monasticism and the comprehensive social service of the church.

Most often, boys at baptism are called by an ancient Christian name in honor of St. Cyril, the enlightener of the Slavs. Each saint must have his own iconographic image. Celebration day heavenly patron is called the day of the Angel. And the heavenly patron himself is sometimes called a guardian angel. This term is conditional and not entirely correct. This is a completely different personal non-material entity. One of the manifestations of reverence for one’s heavenly patron is prayer through his iconographic image. An icon is a window into upper world. It should promote a person’s internal concentration.

Beware, fetishism

In reality, a completely different picture emerges. On countless websites it is proposed to purchase icons of saints and the Virgin Mary from detailed instructions, what exactly does this or that image help with. Moreover, you can meet supposedly competent believers who will advise who should pray and in what cases. This reduces the sublime meaning of the icon to an ordinary object of religious cult. The reasons are both the ignorance of the clergy and the banal desire for profit: clients pay for results. In some churches you can see a price tag similar to offers in the secular service sector, offering to serve a prayer service to a saint with almost a guaranteed result: about a lost item, about a successful search for a groom, so that your teeth don’t hurt, etc. This is also facilitated by the incompetence of believers, who They identify the holy image with a medicine in a pharmacy. I bought paracetamol, swallowed it - and it became easier. A very harmful misconception that can lead to negative consequences over time. After all, fire can not only warm you, but also severely burn you. You can have huge treasures with you all your life and not be able to use them correctly. A huge number of icons will not add grace, but, on the contrary, a careless and unworthy attitude towards them can be punished. The sacred image requires appropriate veneration. You should know that prayer in front of any icon can help alleviate any trouble.

An icon should not be treated like a book or photograph stored on a shelf that can be used from time to time. If you have acquired a holy image, then even the smallest icon requires an appropriate reverent attitude. When venerating icons of saints, you first need to study the earthly life of the archetype. It brings us closer together inner world praying man with heavenly patron. On the other hand, a person located in another dimension is located somewhat in a special way to the microcosm of earthly man, who shows reverent attention to her.

Icon of the heavenly patron

You should definitely have in your house an icon of your heavenly intercessor, that is, the saint in whose honor the person is named. Don’t just store it somewhere in a sideboard behind glass, like some kind of souvenir. When looking at an icon, you should daily pray to the patron, at least briefly. It is also preferable to show attention to a righteous person who is close in occupation - a patron. labor activity. For example, Saint Cyril, the enlightener of the Slavs, due to the labors he endured during his earthly life, is traditionally considered the patron saint of teachers and students. Just like an apologist ancient church, Patriarch of Alexandria Kirill earned the fame of a great preacher and writer. The icon of St. Cyril, the guardian angel and patron of Orthodox theologians, enjoys reverent veneration among theologians.

Prominent Personality of the Middle East

Saint Cyril was an extraordinary church figure, and on the other hand, a typical representative of his era. Exact date his birth is unknown. He came from a noble Greek family. In Alexandria there was a kind of dynastic continuity in the hierarchy. The beginning of the tradition was laid by Patriarch Athanasius, who was succeeded by his nephew Peter. So Cyril took the department after the death of his uncle Theophilus. According to church historian Socrates Scholasticus, Cyril’s enthronement was accompanied by mass unrest in the city. Many parties fought for the throne, including heretics. It was possible to calm the citizens only thanks to the intervention of troops. Saint Cyril was a very active person and, having settled into the pulpit, began to claim the powers of a secular ruler. Then it was the call of the times. The first Christian communities were not only engaged in preaching doctrine among non-believers and spiritually nurturing their flocks, but also carried an enormous burden of social service to society.

In the 5th century, the Church struggled with numerous heretical teachings. By order of Cyril, all Novatian parishes in Alexandria were closed. Contemporaries testify that Saint Cyril not only waged an uncompromising fight against heresies and remnants of pagan ideology, but was also distinguished by aggressive anti-Semitism. The persecution of the Jews led to clashes with the Roman governor Orestes. The authority of the Egyptian See allowed the Patriarch to openly fight the heresy of Nestorius, who in 428 took the See of Constantinople. It was on the initiative of Cyril that the Third Ecumenical Council was convened, which approved the veneration of Holy Virgin Mother of God. Alexandria local Church he ruled for 32 years and died in 444. Cyril wrote many dogmatic treatises. The most outstanding exegetical works are the interpretations of the books of the Old Testament prophets, the Gospel of Luke, and the epistles

Iconographic image of Cyril of Alexandria

The tradition of Christian painting has ancient roots of Syro-Palestinian origin. It is customary to depict saints on icons in accordance with the way of their earthly life. As a rule, a pictorial image is created at the time of the canonization ceremony. Sometimes more than a dozen years pass between the death of a righteous person and his canonization, and the image on the icon may not quite correspond to the portrait likeness. Unfortunately, due to the iconoclastic heresy that raged in the 8th century on the territory of Byzantium, many ancient icons were irretrievably lost. The most ancient images depicting the great patriarch of Alexandria, Saint Cyril, have not survived either. The modern icon depicts the saint in liturgical vestments corresponding to his episcopal service. An obligatory detail of the composition is the Gospel in the hands. In accordance with the iconographic tradition, emphasizing the reverent attitude towards the Holy Scriptures, the saint holds the book not with an open hand, but through the fabric of his vestment.

Saints Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria

The memory of Saint Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, is celebrated on June 22 according to the new style. However, the church established another veneration - January 31. On this day, the triumph of Cyril is celebrated together with another outstanding teacher of the church, his predecessor at the department, Athanasius of Alexandria. The joint celebration is determined in memory of recognition of their merits and exploits in defense of the dogmatic teaching of the Church. Saints Athanasius and Cyril are two great representatives of the Alexandrian theological school. Their works have important not only for intra-church use, but also very relevant for sociologists, historians and psychologists.

Apostle of Eastern Europe

The greatest contribution to the culture of our fatherland was made by two brothers, Cyril and Methodius. Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril Before taking monastic vows, he bore the name Constantine. Him and him brother Methodius came from a pious Slavic family. Their father was a military leader in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (modern Thessaloniki). Konstantin received a brilliant classical education at the court of the emperor, for which he received the nickname of philosopher. They became famous in connection with their unprecedented educational efforts. For effective influence Christian preaching they compiled and put into circulation a new alphabet for Slavic tribes speaking related languages. After one of the creators, this monument was named Cyrillic. The brothers translated many liturgical books and the Gospel into Slavic. In order to be able to perform divine services in a dialect understandable to the Slavs, Constantine was ordained a bishop. Shortly before his death in 869, he accepted the monastic rank.

It should be noted that the clergy of the Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian and some other East Slavic churches have been using the original writing for more than a millennium. And if modern languages related peoples are already incomprehensible to each other, then the language of worship is absolutely identical. Feat preaching activities Constantine-Cyril is equated by church consciousness with the feat of the apostles, therefore, during canonization, the saint was given the title “equal to the apostles”, and the days of celebration were set at May 24 and February 27. In every Orthodox educational institution in a place of honor is the icon of St. Cyril, the guardian angel and patron of students and teachers.

Images of the enlightener of the Slavs

Artistic images of the great teacher are widespread. In Orthodox churches of Eastern Europe you can find authentic frescoes depicting St. Cyril. The icon has several canonically approved versions. Constantine-Cyril is most often depicted in the vestments of a monk-schema. he adopted a special strictness - the schema. When written together by two enlightenment brothers, Cyril is depicted only in monastic vestments. Since the saint was ordained, there are icons where he is depicted in the liturgical robes of a bishop. Invariably in the hands of the saint are either a scroll with Slavic alphabet, or an open book, most often with the first lines of scripture. Kirill died when he was 42 years old. IN modern tradition This is approximately the age he is portrayed. On the few surviving ancient icons, the Slavic guardian angel Saint Cyril is represented as an old man with a rather long beard, forked at the end.

Name day day

The Primate of the Russian Church, His Holiness Patriarch of All Rus' Kirill took this name during his monastic tonsure. A new name is given as a sign of renunciation of the past life and the beginning of a new, ascetic one, subordinate to completely different ideological principles. At the same time, the enlightener of the Slavs, Saint Cyril, became the heavenly patron of the future hierarch in monasticism. The Patriarch of Moscow sets an example of reverence for his heavenly patron. According to Christian canons, on the day of your Angel you should certainly partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. On May 24, the Orthodox world celebrates the holiday of Slavic literature and culture. On the day of his heavenly patron, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill obligatorily celebrates the Liturgy, if possible in a church dedicated to the saint. Also, every believer bearing the name Cyril, if he really wants to honor his heavenly patron, must take part in public worship on this day or at least go to the temple to light a candle.

Spiritual conversation

Regardless of whether a person believes or not, the laws spiritual world act. An analogy can be drawn with the laws of physics. Even if a person has never heard of Newton’s law and the free fall acceleration constant, universal gravity works, and those who neglect it can suffer greatly. The world of metaphysics is still waiting for its researchers and discoverers, but for now we should listen to the thousand-year experience of the church. Appeal to the saints is usually called prayer. There are canonical prayers for liturgical use, which believers can also use at home. In prayer to St. Christians turn to Cyril of Alexandria as an assistant in the defense of all truth and piety. Preserving and spreading the faith is impossible without preaching. The success of a speaker is based on talent, comprehensive education and dedication. This is how Saint Cyril, a guardian angel, appears in the church consciousness for all those striving for enlightenment. The prayer to the righteous Equal-to-the-Apostles expresses requests for help in overcoming fraternal discord between peoples and preserving fatherly traditions and traditions.

Introduction

Saint Athanasius, nicknamed the Great by the Holy Church for his outstanding virtues, for his unshakable character and for the courageous struggle he led to save Orthodoxy from the danger posed by the heresy of the Antichrist Arius, was a major historical figure of one of the most important periods in human history. It was then that the Roman Empire, realizing its inability to stifle Christianity with barbaric persecutions, was forced to recognize it and rely on it in attempts to prolong its existence. Details of the life and work of Athanasius the Great give us a clear idea of ​​that troubled era when the ancient pagan religion was already on its last legs, and the state was being rebuilt on a new religious basis - on the basis of Christianity. At the same time, there were disputes in the Church, and local and Ecumenical Councils were convened on the formulation of the dogmas of faith and the regulation of problems relating to the organization and governance of the Church.

Origin and education of Athanasius the Great

Saint Athanasius was born in Alexandria in 295 AD. from Greek Christian parents, who fed and nourished him at the sources of Christian and Greek education. From a young age, Athanasius stood out for his sharp mind, devoted love for the Church and thirst for knowledge. Having received a secular education, he continued to study theology and philosophy in more depth in the Alexandrian schools, which were then experiencing their heyday, thoroughly studied the Holy Scripture and the works of the holy fathers of the Church and church writers dedicated to it, as well as ancient Greek poets, philosophers, rhetoricians and historians, especially Homer, Plato and Aristotle. Thus, he acquired a deep knowledge of Christian and secular (ancient Greek) science and philosophy.

Simultaneously with receiving his education, Athanasius labored in a righteous life, in love and devotion to Christ, the Church and Orthodoxy, in whose name he experienced unheard-of persecution, persecution and expulsion. The following legend testifies to his boundless love for Christ and the Church: once, while still a child, playing on the seashore, Athanasius baptized several pagan children, and since he strictly followed all the rules of this Church Sacrament, the Alexandrian Patriarch Alexander the First (313-328) recognized this baptism performed by little Athanasius as valid, and took Athanasius himself under his protection, taking care of his education from then on.

Subsequently, Patriarch Alexander, highly appreciating the righteousness, learning and outstanding personal qualities of Athanasius, gave him the position of secretary of the Patriarchate, ordaining him to the ecclesiastical rank of reader. Later, at the age of twenty-four, the patriarch ordained him as a deacon. Even at a young age, Athanasius met the famous ascetic of the desert, Anthony the Great (250-355 after R.H.), lived for some time next to him, acquiring rich spiritual fruits from communicating with him. His respect and veneration for Anthony the Great was so great that he subsequently wrote a detailed life of the great ascetic of the desert.

Battles for Orthodoxy, persecution and persecution

In 318, when Athanasius the Great was 23 years old, the heresy of Arius arose in Alexandria, declaring in his sermons and books that Christ was not God, but a creation of God. Three years later, this heresy appears in philosophical guise, beginning to gather crowds of followers around itself and shake the foundations of the evangelical faith. On this occasion, it was decided to convene a Council in Alexandria, which happened in 321. During the Council, Athanasius, armed with theological and philosophical knowledge, provided invaluable assistance to Patriarch Alexander in the fight against the false teachings of Arius.

However main battle Orthodox faith against the heresy of Arius occurred several years later, at the First Ecumenical Council, convened in 325 after A.D. in the Bithynian city of Nicaea. The young hierodeacon Athanasius took part in this Council, accompanying the elderly Patriarch Alexander and “the abbots serving with him” (Socrates Scholasticus. Church. Story. I 25). There Athanasius, thanks to his learning and, above all, ardent faith, became the most courageous and invincible warrior for Orthodox faith against the attacks of the “Antichrist Arius”. It was he who mainly struck down the disease of Arianism, supporting with all his theological and philosophical learning and oratory the term “Consubstantial” (with the Father) for the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ. Based on the teachings of St. Athanasius, the Council formulated the first seven members of the Creed, beginning with the words “I Believe...”. (The remaining five members of the Creed were formulated at the Second Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople in 381 AD). Thus, the name of Athanasius has since become a symbol of Orthodoxy in its struggle against the attacks of the Arians, many of whom occupied high leadership positions.

The First Ecumenical Council so greatly strengthened the glory and influence of Saint Athanasius that already three years later, that is, in 328 after R.H., when the elderly Patriarch of Alexandria Alexander the First (313 - 328 after R.H.) reposed in the Lord. ), he, at the age of thirty-three, ascended the patriarchal throne by “the verdict of the whole people,” as Gregory of Nazianzus accurately notes in his “Homily to Athanasius the Great.”

Athanasius served as patriarch on the throne of Alexandria for forty-six years and throughout his long bishopric he remained the “pillar of the Church” and the greatest “father of Orthodoxy.” Immediately after his accession to the patriarchal throne, he began to actively take care of the structure of the Church. Traveling throughout his episcopal diocese, he visited Thebaid, Pentapolis, and the oasis of Ammon (Siwa) in Southern Egypt to become familiar with the needs of his flock, who greeted him everywhere with indescribable joy and love. In the cities he visited, he installed worthy bishops, among whom was Frumentius - outstanding man, possessed of ardent missionary ardor. Athanasius ordained him bishop of Aksum and provided him with all possible assistance and support in his work to spread Christianity in Abyssinia.

Meanwhile, Arius, despite the fact that he was deposed by the First Ecumenical Council, together with his followers caused a lot of grief to Saint Athanasius and did not cease to sow confusion in the Church. Athanasius's active work in solving church issues in his vast diocese, his special interest in the spread of Christianity in Abyssinia, his unsurpassed theological, philological and philosophical scholarship and education, the strength of his personality and the inflexibility of his character, as well as the boundless respect on the part of his flock, worried the leader heretics Arius and his associates. They concluded that by remaining on the patriarchal throne of Alexandria, Athanasius could deal the death blow to their heresy.

For this reason, the Antichrist Arians began to lay slander against the saint, trying, with the help of intrigues and intrigues, to throw him off the patriarchal throne. He, keeping his convictions firm and unchanging and his faith in the Divine nature of Jesus Christ unshakable, endured with extraordinary courage the cruel persecution of his opponents and their wicked intrigues and slander brought against him.

The Arians, who persuaded even the emperor himself to their opinion, with unprecedented dexterity weaved myriads of intrigues and slander, the falsity of which was constantly revealed, so that the intriguers themselves were ridiculed. However, these slander led to the fact that the saint was deposed from the patriarchal throne five times, and out of the forty-six years of his patriarchal service, he spent sixteen in exile.

The reason for the fierce polemics of the Arians against Saint Athanasius was the fact that the saint refused to accept Arius into the bosom of the Church, despite his confession of faith, which he presented in 330 or 331 to Constantine the Great, where the most crafty heretic, of course, studiously avoided talking about his heretical and false views of Jesus Christ. Constantine the Great, despite all the respect and admiration he had for Athanasius the Great for his uncompromising character, learning and courage, fell under the influence of the Arians' machinations against the saint and convened in 335 after A.D. Council in Caesarea Palestine to study the charges against Athanasius. The council eventually met in the Phoenician city of Tire.

To be continued…

Translation from Modern Greek: editors of the online publication “Pemptusia”.