Mother of God the Wise
Before the miraculous image of the “Giver of the Mind”, they pray for success in the studies of schoolchildren and the enlightenment of the minds of adults.
There is not much intelligence
From time immemorial, the Orthodox have sacredly revered the image of the Mother of God “The Addition of the Mind” (or otherwise, the “Giver of the Mind”), although today you rarely see an icon with such an unusual name in churches. Its origin is connected with the deep faith of Russian people in the Most Holy Theotokos - an intercessor before her Son for the bestowal of spiritual blessings, the main among which is the illumination of the mind and heart with Divine Truth.
“Not those smart who have studied the sayings and writings of the ancient sages, but those whose soul is smart, who can judge what is good and what is evil,” St. Anthony the Great instructed. They say that in the old days mentally ill people came to the icon of the “Giver of the Mind”, and many of them, according to their faith, received healing from the Most Holy Theotokos.
Since ancient times, parents who noticed a weak mind in children or difficulties in mastering reading and writing invariably turned to the Mother of God for help. And today, loving mothers pray before this image for the enlightenment of their children.
The "giver of the mind" is also considered the "professional" patroness of students - it is not surprising that her celebration takes place on August 28, on the eve of the academic year. However, many adults also do not interfere with praying for the addition of the mind: as they say, there is no such thing as too much wisdom.
Unusual icon
Among other Orthodox images of the Mother of God, the icon “Addition of the Mind” looks very unusual: the Mother of God and Christ are dressed together in one long bell-shaped dalmatic cloak of red color, embroidered with gold crosses, decorated precious stones. The common attire symbolizes the inseparability of the service of the Mother of God and Her Son. In the upper corners of the icon are depicted lamps with flames, under the arch of the portico the starry sky sparkles, below you can see the city symbolizing Heavenly Jerusalem. Above the heads of the Virgin and the Infant Christ, crowned with royal crowns, three Seraphim soar, at the foot - Cherubim with outstretched wings, on both sides - Angels with lit candles.
Not only the iconography is unusual, but also the history of the image. It is believed that it was created in the 17th century by an icon painter who, during church schism for a long time I could not understand the meaning of the reform of Patriarch Nikon. He was so tormented in an effort to determine which liturgical books were true - old or new, that he was afraid of losing his mind, so he began to ask the Mother of God for enlightenment. Prayers helped him get an answer, and he fulfilled his promise to the Blessed Virgin and wrote her in the form in which she appeared to him.
Nazareth – Loreto – Moscow
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian ethnographer, archeographer, and writer Andrei Alexandrovich Titov established that the statue of the Mother of God from the Italian city of Loreto served as the prototype for the “Increase of Mind” icon. He wrote: “In Loreto there is the Holy House, or the Holy Hut, where the image of the Mother of God is placed. This image is made entirely of cedar wood, covered entirely with diamond rivieras and pearl threads. The image of the Mother of God, in general, is similar to our icon "Addition of the mind", which western origin, only remade in the "Moscow manner""
Once the Loret statue of Our Lady was kept in a small house in Nazareth, where she was born and lived Holy Mother of God. In the XIII century, when the Turks began to conquer the eastern lands, many Christian shrines were transferred from the East to Western and Central Europe. The Queen of Heaven appeared to the bishop of the city of Loreto in a vision, saying to him: “My son, My humble dwelling in Nazareth, where I was born and spent my youth, is coming to your shores.” And so it happened: both the Holy House and the cedar statue moved to Loreto. The place was not chosen by chance: historians testify that in this Italian city, a century before the transfer of the House of Our Lady, there was the Church of St. Mary in the Laurel Grove.
The Holy House in Loreto has three walls, in its eastern part there is an altar, where behind the throne under the arch there is a statue of the Virgin and Child. On their heads are precious crowns; right hand Christ blesses, and in his left hand he compresses the orb - a symbol of royal power. In Rus', the first images of the Loreto Mother of God appeared in the 16th century, shortly after the visit of the Holy Hut by Russian pilgrims. Documentary evidence of the correspondence of Pope Clement VII with Grand Duke Vasily III, who sent Yeremey Trusov “with comrades” to Italy for negotiations, has been preserved. The hospitable pope recommended that the Moscow ambassadors visit Loreto and see the ancient Christian shrines. The description of this journey under the heading “The Tale of the Church of the Holy Mother of God, in which you were born from Joachim and Anna” soon spread in numerous lists throughout Rus', and then was embodied in paints.
Guests of the city of Loreto who have visited the Sagrada Familia receive as a gift a cardboard icon “Increasing the Mind”, on which a signature is added under the Italian image: “Our Lady of Loreto. Russian icon of the 18th century. Old Slavonic inscription reads: "Icon Holy Mother of God, the Most Pure Virgin Mary, called the Key of Wisdom.
They say that in the old days, mentally ill people came to the icon “Giver of the Mind”, and many of them, according to their faith, received from of the Blessed Virgin healing.
In Moscow this miraculous image You can pray to the Mother of God in the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in Alekseevsky, next to the VDNKh metro station. According to legend, an elegant church in the “patterned” style was built in 1676-1682 as part of the complex of “travel palaces” of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on the way to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The prayer rooms of the king and queen have been preserved in the temple to this day. The image “Addition of the mind”, donated to the temple in the 18th century by a certain archimandrite, is located near the southern wall of the temple.
To the delight of the Orthodox, in Russia there is a temple where the most ancient of the known icons of the Mother of God "Addition of the Mind" is located. In the Yaroslavl region, 370 kilometers from Moscow, on the banks of the Volga, there is the ancient city of Tutaev (Romanov-Borisoglebsk) - the undoubted pearl of the Russian province. The first mention of the Church of the Intercession Mother of God, in the vernacular of Pokrovka, refers to the 17th century. It was here, in a squat one-story temple building of the refectory type, that several miraculous icons were preserved, including the image of the Virgin “Increasing the Mind”.
“Not those smart who have studied the sayings and writings of the ancient sages, but those whose soul is smart, who can judge what is good and what is evil,” St. Anthony the Great instructed. “All wisdom is from the Lord and abides with Him forever” (Sir. 1:1), says Holy Bible. King Solomon asked the Lord to grant him "an understanding heart, to ... discern what is good and what is evil" (1 Kings 3:9). Undoubtedly, in addition to human intellect, Solomon also possessed divine wisdom: “And God gave Solomon wisdom and a very great mind, and a vast mind, like sand on the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29). “Be careful: take care of your mind,” with these words the righteous John of Kronstadt expressed the essence of the patristic teaching about “intelligent doing” and keeping the mind.
The icon of the Mother of God "Giver of the mind" has long been considered
"professional" patroness of students
... Many pilgrims who come to venerate shrines in Loreto, Moscow or Romanov-Borisoglebsk return there more than once in order to thank the Mother of God for increasing intellectual abilities and enlightening the mind.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos before Her icon "Giver of the Mind"
The Most Pure Theotokos, House, Whom the Wisdom of God created for Himself, spiritual gifts to the Giver, from the world to the most peaceful mind, raising our mind and leading everyone to the knowledge of the mind! Receive prayer singing from us, unworthy Thy servants, with faith and tenderness bowing before Thy most pure image. Pray for your Son and our God, grant our power wisdom and strength, justice and impartiality to judges, spiritual wisdom, zeal and vigilance for our souls as shepherds, humility as a mentor, obedience to all of us, the spirit of reason and piety, the spirit of humility and meekness, spirit of purity and truth. And now, our all-singing Mother, give us an increase in mind, die, unite in enmity and division of being and put them in an indestructible union of love, turn all those who have erred from unreason to the light of the truth of Christ, instruct the fear of God, abstinence and industriousness, instruct the word of wisdom and soul-beneficial knowledge Grant to those who ask, autumn us with eternal joy, the most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim. We, the wondrous deeds and the many-minded Wisdom of God in the world and our life, seeing, we will eliminate earthly vanities and unnecessary worldly cares, and we will raise our mind, our heart to heaven, as if by Your intercession and help glory, praise, thanksgiving for all in the Trinity to the glorious God and we send all to the Creator, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
On August 28, the Church venerates the memory of the icon of the Mother of God “Increase of Mind”. All schoolchildren and students, as well as parents of children with mental and speech retardation, know about this image. After all, it was through prayers in front of this icon that miracles happened more than once.
The iconography of the icon of the Mother of God “The Addition of the Mind” took shape in the 16th century. significant role played Western images, where there were very complex elements and symbolism. The Mother of God and the Infant Jesus on the icon are depicted with Royal crowns, in the left hand of the Infant is the Orb. The power of Heaven is aimed at helping people. The Mother of God and Jesus are dressed in dolmatik - special robes, which also distinguishes this image from the traditional ones. The starry sky stretches over the Mother of God, and Angels fly up to her, holding lighted candles in their hands. Cherubim and Seraphim hover over the prototype of the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Tradition says that the image appeared thanks to a man who lived during the reign of Patriarch Nikon. He read books from the time of Joseph, and then switched to the books of Patriarch Nikon and could not find the answer to the question of where is salvation? The question bothered him so much that the man's mind was clouded. In horror, he prayed to the Mother of God to show him the right path. The Mother of God appeared in answer to his prayers and ordered him to paint an icon, depicting exactly his vision. The man was an icon painter. Having fulfilled this task, he was immediately healed.
Icon of the Mother of God "Addition of the mind". Open sources
Where is the icon
- The most ancient icon of the Mother of God “Increasing the mind” is located in the Yaroslavl region in the Intercession Church in the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk (Tutaev).
- Miraculous image "Addition of the mind" early XVIII century is located in the Moscow Tikhvin Church in Alekseevsky.
What helps the icon of the Icon of the Mother of God “Increasing the Mind”
- In admonishing people who are in doubt about an important matter;
- Help with studies;
- Guidance for lost souls;
- Help for people suffering from mental illness;
- In the addition of worldly wisdom;
- Help with mental retardation.
Prayers to the image of the Icon of the Mother of God “Addition of the mind”
Prayer one
O Blessed Virgin! You are the Bride of God the Father and the Mother of His Divine Son Jesus Christ! You are the Queen of Angels and the salvation of people, the accuser of sinners and the punisher of apostates. Have mercy on us too, who have seriously sinned and not fulfilled the commandments of God, who have violated the vows of baptism and vows of monasticism, and many others that we promised to fulfill. When the Holy Spirit departed from King Saul, then fear and despondency attacked him, and the darkness of despair and a joyless state of soul tormented him. Now, for our sins, we have all lost the grace of the Holy Spirit. The mind has become bustled with the vanity of thoughts, forgetfulness of God has darkened our souls, and now all kinds of sorrows, sorrows, illnesses, hatred, evil, enmity, vindictiveness, malevolence and other sins are oppressing the heart. And, not having joy and consolation, we call to You, Mother of our God Jesus Christ, and beseech Your Son to forgive us all our sins and send us the Spirit of the Comforter, as He sent Him to the apostles, but comforted and enlightened by him, we will sing to You a song of thanksgiving : Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos, who has added to our minds for salvation. Amen
Prayer two
The Most Pure Theotokos, the House, of which the Wisdom of God created for Himself, the Giver of spiritual gifts, from the world to the most peaceful mind, raising our mind and leading everyone to the knowledge of the mind! Receive prayer singing from us, unworthy Thy servants, with faith and tenderness bowing before Thy most pure image. Pray for your Son and our God, grant our power wisdom and strength, justice and impartiality to judges, spiritual wisdom, zeal and vigilance for our souls as shepherds, humility as a mentor, obedience to all of us, the spirit of reason and piety, the spirit of humility and meekness, spirit of purity and truth. And now, our all-loving, all-loving Mother, give us an increase in mind, die, unite in enmity and division of being and put them in a cous of unresolvable love, turn all those who have erred from unreason to the light of the truth of Christ, instruct the fear of God, abstinence and diligence, instruct the word of wisdom and Grant soul-beneficial knowledge to those who ask, autumn us with eternal joy, the brightest Cherubim and the most honest Seraphim. We, the glorious deeds and the many-minded wisdom of God in the world and our life, seeing, we will eliminate earthly vanities and unnecessary worldly cares, and we will raise our mind, our heart to Heaven, as if by Your intercession and help glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship for everything in the Trinity to the glorious God and Creator of all we exalt, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer three
Wisdom Mentor and sense to the Giver, the unwise Instructor and the poor Intercessor, Mother of Christ our God, affirm, enlighten my heart, Mistress, and add reason to Christ praying earnestly. You give me the word that gave birth to the Father's Word, have the boldness to ask Your Son for us. Amen.
Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God "Increase of the mind". Video
The icon of the Mother of God - "Addition of the mind" is written in a rather rare style of writing icons. The point is that in catholic church there is a similar icon made of wood, which depicts the Madonna of Loretto with a baby in her arms. This statue is made of cedar, and the crowns on the heads of the saints are painted with gold. Dolmatic - the robe in which the saints are dressed Madonna Loretto with a baby, strands of pearls and. This icon is called "Key of Understanding".
The Orthodox icon of the Mother of God "The addition of the mind" is made in the form of a picture. On her mother of god with the baby also in crowns on their heads and dressed in a dolmatic, only the crowns on the heads of the saints are royal, and the dolmatic is red, decorated with flowers and crosses. The uniqueness of this icon is that it is painted Orthodox monk, who was obsessed with madness obtained in the field of the search for truth. In moments of enlightenment, the Mother of God appeared to him, and only in these moments did he write! The monk made this icon in the Catholic style! After it was written, the monk was completely healed of his illness, and the icon became miraculous!
After painting the icon of the Mother of God - "Addition of the mind", she was placed in a church near the city of Yaroslavl, where she is still. A huge number of pilgrims from all over the world flock to her, so that the Holy Mother of God instructs them in charitable deeds, and also heals them of mental ailments.
Miracles from the icon of the Mother of God "Addition of the mind" continue to this day. Many people have become more responsible in their actions, in their deeds, in their lives. Children who constantly pray to the Virgin Mary depicted on this icon begin to think much more carefully before committing this or that act.
What helps the icon of the Mother of God "Addition of the mind"?
This icon helps, first of all, to rethink the past years and search for new opportunities. It cleanses the heart and soul and helps to tune in to new achievements.
For iconography, the image of the Addition of the Mind is a rather rare icon-painting image of the Virgin. She is depicted standing and wrapped with the baby in a bell-shaped veil with an ornament in the form of crosses. stands at the entrance to the heavenly portal, she is surrounded by angels, they have lit candles in their hands, their flame symbolizes the light of truth. In the lower part of the icon there are small houses representing Heavenly Jerusalem. Symbolic meaning image, expresses the essence of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, which opens the way for believers to Heavenly Jerusalem. Prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God Adding intelligence helps you choose the right path in life and achieve success in your studies.
Orthodox prayer to the icon Adding the mind for the healing of the mentally ill
The history of icon painting is very interesting. In the 16-17 centuries. one icon painter-monk, trying to understand Christian faith, began to read church books written before the schism and after. He tried to understand how to avoid sin and pray correctly. And he tried so hard to figure it out that his mind went haywire. During periods of enlightenment, he prayed to the Mother of God for an increase in mind. And, one day, she appeared to him in, and said, - as you see me, write an icon, and pray before it. The monk set to work, but the vision appeared and disappeared. When the Mother of God disappeared, madness again fell upon him, then the monk again began to earnestly pray and the Mother of God appeared. When the icon was painted, the mind completely returned to the monk. The image became miraculous. Prayer to the icon Adding intelligence saves mentally ill people. By faith they receive healing.
Strong prayer for the addition of the mind
In particular important periods training - before tests, tests, exams, before entering the institute, it is necessary to read a prayer in front of the Addition of the Mind icon. Christian prayer about adding the mind helps not only students to successfully acquire knowledge, but also bestows worldly wisdom, which helps to make the right decisions in difficult situations. You can pray at the icon and ask for Christian virtue for yourself and your children.
The text of the prayer in front of the icon of the Addition of the mind
The Most Pure Theotokos, House, the Wisdom of God created for Himself, spiritual gifts to the Giver, from the world to the most peaceful mind, raising our mind and leading everyone to the knowledge of the mind! Receive prayer singing from us, unworthy Thy servants, with faith and tenderness bowing before Thy most pure image. Pray for your Son and our God, grant our power wisdom and strength, justice and impartiality to judges, spiritual wisdom, zeal and vigilance for our souls as shepherds, humility as a mentor, obedience to all of us, the spirit of reason and piety, the spirit of humility and meekness, spirit of purity and truth. And now, our all-loving, all-loving Mother, give us an increase in mind, die, unite in enmity and division of being and put them in a cous of unresolvable love, turn all those who have erred from unreason to the light of the truth of Christ, instruct the fear of God, abstinence and diligence, instruct the word of wisdom and Grant soul-beneficial knowledge to those who ask, autumn us with eternal joy, the brightest Cherubim and the most honest Seraphim. We, the glorious deeds and the many-minded wisdom of God in the world and our life, seeing, we will eliminate earthly vanities and unnecessary worldly cares, and we will raise our mind, our heart to Heaven, as if by Your intercession and help glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship for everything in the Trinity to the glorious God and Creator of all we exalt, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer one
O Blessed Virgin! You are the Bride of God the Father and the Mother of His Divine Son Jesus Christ! You are the Queen of Angels and the salvation of people, the accuser of sinners and the punisher of apostates. Have mercy on us too, who have seriously sinned and not fulfilled the commandments of God, who have violated the vows of baptism and vows of monasticism, and many others that we promised to fulfill. When the Holy Spirit departed from King Saul, then fear and despondency attacked him, and the darkness of despair and a joyless state of soul tormented him. Now, for our sins, we have all lost the grace of the Holy Spirit. The mind has become bustled with the vanity of thoughts, forgetfulness of God has darkened our souls, and now all kinds of sorrows, sorrows, illnesses, hatred, evil, enmity, vindictiveness, malevolence and other sins are oppressing the heart. And, not having joy and consolation, we call to You, Mother of our God Jesus Christ, and beseech Your Son to forgive us all our sins and send us the Spirit of the Comforter, as He sent Him to the apostles, but comforted and enlightened by him, we will sing to You a song of thanksgiving : Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos, who has added to our minds for salvation. Amen
Prayer two
The Most Pure Theotokos, the House, of which the Wisdom of God created for Himself, the Giver of spiritual gifts, from the world to the most peaceful mind, raising our mind and leading everyone to the knowledge of the mind! Receive prayer singing from us, unworthy Thy servants, with faith and tenderness bowing before Thy most pure image. Pray for your Son and our God, grant our power wisdom and strength, justice and impartiality to judges, spiritual wisdom, zeal and vigilance for our souls as shepherds, humility as a mentor, obedience to all of us, the spirit of reason and piety, the spirit of humility and meekness, spirit of purity and truth. And now, our all-loving, all-loving Mother, give us an increase in mind, die, unite in enmity and division of being and put them in a cous of unresolvable love, turn all those who have erred from unreason to the light of the truth of Christ, instruct the fear of God, abstinence and diligence, instruct the word of wisdom and Grant soul-beneficial knowledge to those who ask, autumn us with eternal joy, the brightest Cherubim and the most honest Seraphim. We, the glorious deeds and the many-minded wisdom of God in the world and our life, seeing, we will eliminate earthly vanities and unnecessary worldly cares, and we will raise our mind, our heart to Heaven, as if by Your intercession and help glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship for everything in the Trinity to the glorious God and Creator of all we exalt, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer three
Wisdom Mentor and sense to the Giver, the unwise Instructor and the poor Intercessor, Mother of Christ our God, affirm, enlighten my heart, Mistress, and add reason to Christ praying earnestly. You give me the word that gave birth to the Father's Word, have the boldness to ask Your Son for us. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4:
O Glorious Mother of Christ our God, / good Giver, / save the whole universe with Your mercy, / grant us, Your servants, wisdom and understanding, / enlighten our souls with the light of Your Son, / one All-Permanent, / glorified from Cherubim and Seraphim.
Kontakion, tone 2:
Like Units enlightening us with the mind, / praise Thee, the Most Pure, / Mother of the Mind, holding the whole universe, / The beauty of the world, visible and invisible, / illuminating us with the rays of life.
