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SEPTEMBER 1)
The Icon of Chernihiv-Gethsemane. On
this day, a miraculous Chernihiv Icon is celebrated in Moscow at the Skete
of Gethsemane. 4)
The Miraculous Icon “The Bush Unconsumed by Fire.”
This beautiful Icon represents the Mother of God amidst a Burning
Bush, recalling that of Moses. She holds a ladder, representing the fact that She is a
Ladder leading people from Earth to Heaven, through the Incarnation of Her
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. On
Her chest is a representation of the Prophet David, Her Ancestor and
Prophet of the Incarnation. Sometimes
an Icon of St John of the Ladder appears on the Ladder held by the
Theotokos. She is surrounded
by the Seven Archangels: Sts. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Barachiel, Salaphiel
and Yehediel. The four
representations of the Gospel writers also appear in the eight-pointed
Star. Four Old Testament
Prophets and Patriarchs also appear:
St Moses and the Unburning Bush.
St Jacob and his Ladder, St Isaiah and St Ezechiel.
A miraculous Icon is enshrined in Kharkiv.
This Icon protects against fire and this is why it is so popular to
have a copy in one’s kitchen. Icons
placed in kitchens often became miraculous as people spend so much time
there and can pray as they work. St
Theophilus of the Kyiv Caves often led monks to his kitchen to sing a
moleben to a miraculous Copy of the Czestochowa-Belz Icon he placed there. 5)
The Kyiv-Bratska Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated on this day.
Originally in Vyshorod near Kyiv, it was taken away during the
Tatar raids and returned to the Kyiv-Bratsky Monastery whence its name.
This icon was highly venerated by St Theophilus the fool for
Christ’s sake who lived in the nineteenth century.
He was a monk at that monastery for many years before he became a
monk at the Kyivan Caves Lavra. 8)
Miraculous Icons of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
The Icon of St. Sophia of Kyiv is venerated on this day.
Enshrined in the Cathedral-Sobor of St Sophia, it is on the right
hand side of the Iconostasis. It
depicts the Mother of God standing with arms upraised and the Christ-Child
on Her Chest. Prophets and
Apostles flank Her together with seven pillars which mystically represent
the qualities of Divine Wisdom. This
is the Patronal Icon of St Sophia of Kyiv.
Miraculous Icons of the Nativity celebrated today include that of
Lukianovka, Putyvl and many other Shrines.
Also on this day are celebrated Icons of the “Sign” which
depict the Mother of God with a representation of Christ on Her Chest.
The most famous one is that of the Sign of Novhorod, a Ukrainian
Icon, which helped the residents fight off an attack by the Suzdalians.
It is also a Weeping Icon. Another
Icon of the Sign is that of St Alypius of the Kyivan Caves, an Icon of
rare spiritual depth and beauty, very much like that of Vyshorod and
others. It is difficult
to stand before this Icon and not want to weep onself!
Other great Icons celebrated today include that of Kholm, protected
in this century by Metropolitan Ilarion Ohienko himself when he was
elevated to the episcopate in Kholm.
The Pochayiv Icon is also celebrated today.
Perhaps the greatest Icon of the Kyivan Tradition, the Pochayiv
Icon is the Patronal Icon of Volyn and western Ukraine.
The pilgrimage to Pochayiv is also very famous.
There are two miraculous Icons of Pochayiv.
The second one shows the Footprint of the Mother of God and was
given to Pochayiv by the people of Kyiv when in the nineteenth century a
cholera outbreak was stopped through Her intercession.
The Icon of Domnik in Chernihiv is also celebrated today as is the
Icon of Iziaslav near Minsk. There
are many locally venerated Icons honoured today:
Mezhyrich, Tikhomli, in the vilages of Hroziv and Maykiv and in
Pashyn. In Podilia, there are
celebrations called “Otpusti” in Torkiv, and in Proskuriv.
Many of these Icons are honoured and venerated not only by Orthodox
Christians, but also by other Christians as well. 11)
The Icon of Kaplunivka-Kazan, which withstood the fires of King
Charles of Sweden’s army, is celebrated today. 12)
The Icon of Dubovych is celebrated today and is a miraculous Copy
of the Czestochowa-Belz Icon. At
Hoshiv, another such miraculous Copy is also celebrated. 13)
The miraculous Icon of Lesna is honoured today and is noted for its
more than 500 miracles that have been officially acknowledged.
Other miraculous Icons honoured today include that of
ChestnoKhrestna, Onyshkivska, Loretska and the Icons of Zhaborintsi and
Vihovska in Volyn. 18)
The Icon of Molchensk is celebrated today and is enshrined in the
Putyvl Monastery. It depicts
the Mother of God with a Ladder and has been glorified by many miracles. |
