Changes

Jump to: navigation, search

Protection of the Mother of God

6,140 bytes added, 13:47, March 22, 2013
m
ro
[[Image:Protection.jpg|right|frame|Protection of the Theotokos]]The '''Protection of the Mother of God''' is one of the most beloved [[feast ]] days on the [[Church calendar|Orthodox calendar, especially ]] among the Slavic peoples, commemorated on [[October 1]]. The feast is celebrated additionally on [[October 28]] in the Greek tradition. It is also known as the feast of the '''[[Virgin Mary]]'s Cerement'''. In most Slavic languages the word "cerement" has a dual meaning of "veil" and "protection."
The feast day celebrates In most Slavic languages the appearance word "cerement" has a dual meaning of "veil" and "protection." The Russian word ''Pokrov'' (Покров), like the Mother of God at Blachernae Greek ''Skepi'' (VlahernaΣκέπη) in the tenth century, has a complex meaning. First of all, it refers to a cloak or shroud, but it also means protection or intercession. At For this reason, the end name of St. [[Andrew the Fool-for-Christ|Andrei (Andrew feast is variously translated as the '''Veil of Constantinople)]] [[Fool-for-Christ|Yurodivyi]]Our Lady'''s life (d. around 936; [[feast day]]: [[October 2]]), a group the '''Protecting Veil of people saw the Mother Theotokos''', the '''Protection of God, St. [[John the Baptist]]Theotokos''', and several other saints during a vigil in or the Church '''Intercession of Blachernae, nearby the city gatesTheotokos'''.
==The Theotokos approached feast==The feast day celebrates the center appearance of the church, knelt down and remained [[Mother of God]] at Blachernae (Vlaherna) in prayer for a long timethe tenth century. Her face was drowned in tearsAt the end of St. Then she took her veil [[Andrew the Fool-for-Christ|Andrei]] (cerementAndrew of Constantinople) off [[Fool-for-Christ|Yurodivyi]]'s life, he, with his [[disciple]] St. Epiphanius, and spread it over the people as a sign group of protection. During the timepeople, the people in the city were threatened by a barbarian invasion. After the appearance of saw the Mother of God, St. [[John the danger was averted Baptist]], and several other [[saints]] and [[angels]] during a vigil in the Church of Blachernae, nearby the city gates. The Blachernae Palace church was spared where several of her [[relics]] were kept. The relics were her robe, veil, and part of her belt that had been transferred from bloodshed and sufferingPalestine during the fifth century.
The Theotokos approached the center of the church, knelt down and remained in [[prayer]] for a long time. Her face was drowned in tears. Then she took her veil (cerement) off and spread it over the people as a sign of protection. During the time, the people in the city were threatened by a barbarian invasion. After the appearance of the Mother of God, the danger was averted and the city was spared from bloodshed and suffering.
 
==Celebration of the feast==
The Protection is commemorated most fervently in Slavic churches, probably because St. Andrei was a Slav. The first celebration of the Theotokos's cerement in the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] dates back from the 12th century and today is celebrated throughout the Orthodox Church.
The feast day commemorating the [[miracle]] is celebrated with an [[All-Night Vigil]], with many of the same elements as occur on [[Great Feast]]s of the Theotokos. However, this feast has no [[afterfeast]]. ==Sources Russian usage==The Russian ''[[Primary Chronicle]]'' noted that the intercession of the Theotokos was needed for the protection of the people of Constantinople when a large fleet of the pagan Rus, led by Askole and Dir, was threatening Constantinople. The invading fleet was defeated and the event remembered. Strangely, the feast came to be considered a very important feast by the Slavic Orthodox Churches but not by the Greeks. A twelfth century Russian chronicle describes the establishment of the intercession as a special feast day honoring the event. Within a few centuries churches began being named in honor of the Protection of the Mother of God. [[Image:St Basil Cathedral.jpg|thumb|right|200pxl|Pokrovsky Sobor (St Basil Cathedral) Moscow]] Among these churches two that are world famous are: in Moscow, the ''Cathedral of Intercession upon a Moat'' (Russian: Храм Покрова "на рву," ''Cathedral of the Pokrov upon a moat''), which is popularly known as the [[St. Basil's Cathedral (Moscow)|St. Basil's Cathedral]] and in Bogolyubovo near Vladimir, the ''Church of Intercession upon the Nerl River'' (Russian: Церковь Покрова на Нерли, ''Tserkov Pokrova na Nerli''). The Moscow cathedral was built in the mid 1500s by Tsar Ivan IV and external linksthe Bogolyubovo church was built in 1165 by Prince Andrew Bogoliusky. In [[Novgorod]], the [[Monastery]] of the Intercession of Our Lady (Zverin Monastery) was also built during the twelfth century. ==Greek usage==* In recent years, the Feast of the Protection has become associated with thanksgiving for the deliverance of the Greek nation from the Italian invasion of 1940. These events are commemorated in Greece in a national holiday known as "Ochi Day" or "No Day," referring to the response of the Greek leader Metaxas to Mussolini's ultimatum. In recognition of this, and because of the many miracles of the Holy Virgin which were reported by Greek soldiers during the [[w:Greco-Italian War|Greco-Italian War]] of 1940-1941, the [[Holy Synod]] of the [[Church of Greece]] elected in 1952 to transfer the Feast from October 1 to [[October 28]].<ref>Great Synaxaristes: {{el icon}} ''[http://www.mgrsynaxarion.gr/gr/sid/1007/sxsaintinfo.aspx Μνήμη Ἁγίας Σκέπης τῆς Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου].'' 28 Οκτωβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.org</TheVeilref>  The [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] also provides for this usage in its parishes in Greece and in the Greek diaspora, and it is generally observed now throughout the Greek-speaking world.html The Miracle observance includes the chanting of a [[Doxology]] incorporating hymns recognizing the Protection of the Virgin Mary at Theotokos over the Greek nation, as well as the [[kontakion]] "[[O Champion Leader]]." ==About the icon==Two different events that took place four hundred years apart are combined in this one icon. Both events took place in the former Church of Blachernae in Constantinople . The [[icon]] of the feast, Protection of the Mother of God, shows the [[Theotokos]] standing above the faithful with her arms outstretched in prayer and draped with a veil. On both sides of her are [[angels]]. On the lower right of most icons of this feast, are saints Andrew and his disciple Epiphanius who saw this vision of the Mother of God, with the twelve apostles, bishops, holy women, monks and martyrs, spreading her veil in 911 Aprotection over the [[congregation]]. St. Epiphanius is wearing a tunic under his cloak and gestures in astonishment at the miraculous appearance, while St. Andrew, [[Fool-for-Christ]], is dressed only in a cloak.  Below the Theotokos, in the center of the icon, stands a young man with a [[halo]], he is clothed in a [[deacon]]'s [[sticharion]]. In his left hand, he is holding an open scroll with the text of the [[Kontakion]] for [[Nativity of the Theotokos|Nativity in honor of the Mother of God]]. This is St.D[[Roman the Melodist|Romanus the Melodist]], the famous [[hymnographer]] whose feast is also celebrated on the same day, [[October 1]]. He is with his choir attended by the [[Leo VI|Emperor Leo the Wise]] together with the Empress and the Patriarch of Constantinople.* ==Hymns==[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 4) [http://groupsoca.yahooorg/FStropars.comasp?ID=102824]:Today the faithful celebrate the feast with joy:illumined by your coming, O Mother of God.:Beholding your pure image we fervently cry to you::"Encompass us beneath the precious veil of your protection;:deliver us from every form of evil by entreating [[Christ]],:your Son and our God that He may save our souls." [[Kontakion]] (Tone 3) [http://groupoca.org/arbibleFStropars.asp?ID=102824]:Today the Virgin stands in the midst of the Church:and with choirs of saints she invisibly prays to God for us.:Angels and [[bishop]]s worship,:apostles and prophets rejoice together,:since for our sake she prays to the pre-eternal God. ==References==<div><references/message></24863 News itemdiv> ==Sources==*[http: Bulgarian Orthodox Church Celebrates //www.mgr.org/TheVeil.html The Miracle of the Virgin Mary's Cerement Today (1 October 2005)at the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople in 911 A.D.]* [http://wwwocafs.oca.org/FSlivesAllSaintsPrintFeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&M=10&DFSID=1 102824 The Protection of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary] ([[OCA]])*Makarios, ''The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church (Volume 1)'', Ormylia: 1998, pp. 249-250 [ISBN 9608560373] ==External links==* [http://www.ec-patr.org/afieroma/churches/show.php?lang=en&id=02 The Church of Panagia of Blachernæ]* [http://www.angelfire.com/nv2/carthusian/Akathist/protection.html The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos of All Protection]* ''[[httpw://www.patriarchate.org/ecumenical_patriarchate/chapter_4/html/blachernae.html The Church Protection of the Mother of God|The Protection of Panagia the Mother of BlachernaeGod]].'' Wikipedia.
[[Category:Feasts]]
[[Category:About Icons]]
 
[[ro:Acoperământul Maicii Domnului]]
18,161
edits

Navigation menu