Day of the Icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hear"

The celebration in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” was established in the 17th century and, according to the new style, falls on November 22 The date is due to the personal appeal of the Mother of God with the promise to grant ambulance help to all those in need and deserving of it The prototype of the icon, which has survived to this day, was painted at the behest of the Monk Neophytos, abbot of the Dochiar monastery in the 10th century It is located on the legendary Mount Athos - witness to many miracles and keeper of unique holy relics But the icon, which became known as the “Quick to Hear”, did not show its power immediately, but centuries later - in 1664 In those days, this icon was placed at the entrance to the refectory And monk Nil, whose duties included serving there as a cellarer, on duty often walked past the icon, lighting his way in the dark with torches or splinters One day he heard a woman’s voice asking him not to smoke his bright face But I thought it was a prank on one of the monks and did not attach any importance to what happened After a while, he heard this voice again But this was no longer a simple warning - Neil immediately lost his sight Understanding came too late But the monk sincerely repented, humbly accepted the punishment, told the rest of the brethren his story and began to beg for mercy before the icon The monk's deep repentance was accepted by the Mother of God After a while, specifically on November 9th according to the old style, the same voice turned to him with words of forgiveness and the gift of healing The promise of an ambulance to all who applied was the main order, which was fulfilled, and the icon acquired its name The brotherhood of monks, in honor of this kindness, began to rebuild the monastery: the entrance to the refectory was moved, and the place where the icon was located was turned into a chapel A special position was created - the most distinguished of all the hieromonks had to constantly remain next to the image, performing a troparion - a short prayer This is still observed today The lamps standing in front of the image are evidence of healings and assistance provided, as well as a journal in which all miraculous events that occurred after the conversion are recorded In addition to the restoration of vision, other beneficial actions are known, in particular healing from illnesses The Quick Hearer also provides assistance to everyone who is confused and looking for a way out of a difficult situation The iconography has its own distinctive features Further lists from the prototype also represent the “Hodegetria” type of image, but the crown over the head of the Mother of God is a later addition In Russia, veneration of the icon has spread since the 19th century The most famous and, by the way, the most different image from the original source is the St Petersburg list called “Nevskaya Skoroposlushnitsa” The Mother of God is depicted on it without the baby Jesus - this was the vision of the one who painted the icon This image was created on Mount Athos by order of Prince Sergei Alexandrovich and became a prayer icon of the Romanov dynasty Today this face is kept in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and the celebration in honor of the icon is one of the main locally revered ones Other famous lists, Lyutikovsky, Eleonsky, Kozmodemyansky, and Moscow, are no less revered In the churches of the same name, a solemn divine liturgy is served and a procession of the cross is organized Miracles from holy icons are an integral part of Christian Orthodoxy, and the example of the “Quick to Hear” is one of these