From whom did the Virgin Mary give birth? The story of the life of the Virgin Mary and Akathist to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The image of the Mother of God is special for Russia. Of course, in many Christian countries (and throughout Christian culture) the Virgin Mary enjoys great veneration, but it was in Rus' that for many years this image was not only actively cultivated, but also repeatedly allowed believers to find protection and hope. Many people know the Kazan and Vladimir icons of the Virgin Mary, but there are many other wonderful images.

The Mother of God is present not only in the temple, but also on the home altar. As the scriptures say, she is valued above all angelic ranks.

Iconography of the Virgin Mary

There are four main directions in how the Virgin Mary is depicted with a baby in her arms on icons; if you study these varieties, it will not only become easier to classify each individual icon, but also to delve into the deep meaning of what is depicted.

  • Oranta. This type can be easily identified by open hands Mother of God, who are raised to heaven. This variety is also often associated with the virtue of faith. The Mother of God gave birth to the Savior, who came to heal all humanity, and the Orthodox believe in this fact.
  • Hodegetria. In this icon of the Virgin Mary, the meaning indicates the virtue of hope. The baby is in the arms of the mother, who points at him with one hand, thus seeming to attract the viewer's attention. And indeed, everyone should turn their gaze (including their spiritual eyes) to Christ. This is where the meaning of this message lies. Christ in this icon blesses Mary with one hand and with this symbolic gesture blesses all believers. In his other hand he has a scroll, which symbolically points to the Gospel - a book that also leads to salvation.
  • Eleusa. This icon of the Holy Virgin Mary contains the virtue of love. The plot is practically no different from the previous one, only Mary and the baby gently press their cheeks to each other. This symbolizes loving communication, but again we are not just talking about earthly caresses with a child. In Christ, divine truth is represented here, and the figure of Mary symbolizes the soul (or simply an individual person) that communicates with divine authorities. Thus, this icon communicates love for the Most High, love for Christ.
  • Akathist type. As the name implies, akathists are used here, as well as other hymns dedicated to the Mother of God. In accordance with a certain text, different symbols appear on the image, which embody the various epithets given to the Virgin Mary.

Additionally, it should be noted various variations, which appeared over time and the development of culture. Often, some details were added to the original icon of the Virgin Mary from which the copy was made.

For example, there is famous story John of Damascus, who received a great gift from the Mother of God - after his hand was cut off, his hand grew back, and he was again able to glorify the Almighty. It was thanks to this that the so-called Three-Handed Ones began to appear. There, the Virgin Mary is depicted with a third hand, which recalls the said miracle.

There are a considerable number of icons (including miraculous ones) dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which were subjected to desecration (icons were chopped and pierced during the period of iconoclasm) and it was in this situation that miracles were revealed. For example, the Iverskaya icon bled, just like the Czestochowa icon. Each of these icons retains characteristic defects.

Particularly noteworthy is the Russian icon painting tradition and in particular the works of Andrei Rublev, which are still highly revered to this day and contain enormous spiritual treasures. After all, as you know, the icon uses not only a schematic image according to established canons, the icon painter also captures prayer experience and sublime spiritual experiences. Andrei Rublev was able to especially clearly reflect some subtle and even slightly ephemeral substances on the flat image of the icon, which is why they have attracted believers so much for many centuries.

It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the image of the Virgin Mary for the former, modern and future Rus'.

These icons are part of the history of the country, the history of this land, and often active participants in events through various miracles that the Lord showed.

Prayers

First prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God All-Tsaritsa

O most pure Mother of God, All-Tsarina! Hear our much-painful sigh before Your miraculous icon, brought from the Athos inheritance to Russia, look upon Your children, those suffering from incurable ailments, who fall to Your holy image with faith! Just as a winged bird covers its chicks, so You, now and ever-living being, have covered us with Your multi-healing omophorion. There, where hope disappears, awaken with undoubted Hope. There, where fierce sorrows prevail, Appear with Patience and Weakness. There, where the darkness of despair has settled in the souls, let the ineffable light of the Divine shine! Comfort the faint-hearted, strengthen the weak, grant softening and enlightenment to hardened hearts. Heal Your sick people, O all-merciful Queen! Bless the minds and hands of those who heal us; may they serve as an instrument of the Almighty Physician Christ our Savior. As if You are alive and present with us, we pray before Your icon, O Lady! Extend Your hand, full of healing and healing, Joy to those who mourn, Consolation to those in sorrow, so that with miraculous help we soon receive, we glorify the Life-Giving and Indivisible Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Second prayer before the icon of the Mother of God

All-merciful, venerable Mother of God, Pantanassa, All-Queen! I am not worthy, but come under my roof! But as a merciful and gracious Mother of God, say the word, may my soul be healed and my weak body strengthened. You have an invincible power, and all your words will not fail, O All-Tsaritsa! Beg for me! You begged for me. May I glorify Your glorious name always, now and forever. Amen.

Troparion, Tone 4 before the icon of the Mother of God

With the joyful image of the honest All-Tsarina, with the warm desire of those seeking Thy grace, save, O Lady; deliver those who come running to You from circumstances; Protect Your flock from every adversity, always crying out for Your intercession.

Despite the fact that in the holy book of Christians, the Bible (the New Testament), there is little information about the words and deeds of the Virgin Mary, Her wonderful image and special respect for it are found throughout the world, continuing to this day with inexplicable force to attract believers and atheists in the most different corners globe. We again turn to this beautiful, luminous topic, because we consider it the most worthy of the topics that we can raise, and to which a person is obliged to pay attention, due to his limited understanding of the essence of the hidden processes of the universe. Even though many people live in earthly and perishable things, and I still can’t accept what they don’t see, even though conversations about spirituality and deep feelings cause distrust and detachment, however, even the most ingrained opinion and extinguished interest can be convinced and ignited with interesting and obvious facts, because facts are a stubborn thing.

Yes, Maria "most likely somewhere exists," both believers and skeptics will quietly agree with me. Yes, for some reason it is revered throughout the planet. Yes, perhaps there is something more behind this than the ordinary status of a canonized saint. But what next? And then the facts!

MARIA...

Isn’t it amazing that in Catholicism she is revered as the immaculate Virgin Mary, in the Orthodox tradition the Most Holy Theotokos, and in Islam, in the holy book of Muslims, the Koran, She is noted as the only and most worthy of all earthly women. In confirmation, I will quote from the Koran: “The angels said: “O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you and elevated you above the women of the worlds" (Quran 3:42-43)." The following follows from this, given that the total number of followers of the two leading world religions of Christianity and Islam is more than 3.8 billion (2.3 + 1.5, respectively), a good half of the Earth’s population knows about Mary and to one degree or another expresses his respects.

Doesn’t it look unique that with the image of Mary, on some subconscious and spiritual level, many residents, regardless of age, religious affiliation and nationality, associate the purest, kindest, most ideal ideas about human nature, thanks to which, people are convinced , The Virgin Mary rightfully occupies a special, honorable place in the divine “heavenly” hierarchy. And the point is not how high her hierarchical level is and how close she is to God; for some reason, no one doubts that she is a great spiritual being who has been providing invisible support to suffering humanity for centuries. Probably, many of us, in difficult moments of life, came to Her most pure image, asking for help and consolation.

Don’t you, dear readers, also find it surprising that no matter what changes the evolving society has undergone over two millennia, no matter how history has been rewritten to suit someone’s interests, the authority of the Virgin Mary still remains unshakable and unshakable?

APPEARANCES OF THE VIRGIN

Don't you think it's amazing and strange that the most a large number of evidence of miraculous healings, visions and phenomena of a supernatural nature - when compared with all canonized saints combined - is again associated precisely with the Virgin Mary. The historical chronicle is literally filled with Her miracles, it’s hard to deny. To be fair, note that neither Buddha, nor Mohammed, nor Jesus, nor saints and prophets come to people in moments of the most difficult trials, but for some reason it is the Virgin Mary. There is even a specially created website (http://miraclehunter.com) that collects confirmed and unconfirmed facts about the appearance, visions and revelations of St. Mary in different times. Here is a map from this site that displays the geography and chronology of Mary’s apparitions to certain inhabitants of the Earth. Pay attention to the end of the 20th century.

FACTS OF THE APPEARANCE OF THE VIRGIN MARY...

The name of the Mother of God, the name of the icon or place of appearanceA countryDate of Apparition Who saw
Zaragoza Spain 39 Jacob Zavedeev
Anastasiopol Byzantium 601 Theodore Sikeot
Blachernae Church Byzantium 2 October 910 Andrey Yurodivy
Virgin Mary of Walsingham England 1061 Richeldis de Favershe
Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God Russia 1155 Andrey Bogolyubsky
Trinity-Sergius Lavra Russia 1385 Sergius of Radonezh
Our Lady of Healing France 1515 Anglèze de Sagazan
Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexico

 12 December 1531 Juan Diego
Kazan Mother of God Russia July 8 1579 Matrona Onuchina
Lo France from May 1664 to 1718 Benoit Rancourel
Wonderful medallion, Rue du Bac 140, Paris France 1830 Ekaterina Labure
Sarov Russia November 25 1831 Seraphim of Sarov
Rome Italy January 20th 1842 Alphonse Ratisbon
Virgin Mary of La Salette France September 19, 1846 Maxime Giraud and Melanie Calvat
Lourdes France 11 February au 16 July 1858 Bernadette Soubirous
Our Lady of Pontmain France January 17, 1871 Eugenia Barbedet, Joseph Barbedet.
Gitterzwald Poland du 27 juin 1877 au 16 septembre 1877 Justyna Szafrynska, et Barbara Samulowska
Our Lady of the Sovereign Russia end of February 1917 peasant of the settlement of Pererva, Bronnitsy district, Evdokia Adrianova
Virgin Mary of Fatima Portugal from May 13 to October 13, 1917 Lucia dos Santos, Francisco Marto and his sister Jacinta
Boren Belgium November 29, 1932, January 3, 1933 Fernande, Gilberte et Albert Voisin, Andrée et Gilberte Degeimbre
en:Our Lady of Banneux Belgium January 15, 1933 – March 2, 1933 Marietta Beko
Amsterdam Netherlands 1945 -
L "Il-Bouchard France from 8 to 14 December 1947 four small children
Bethania Venezuela de 1940 au 5 January 1990 Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini
Our Lady of Garabandal Spain from 1961 to 1965 four girls aged 11 and 12: Maria Loli Mason, Jacinta Gonzalez, Maria Cruz Gonzalez, Conchita Gonzalez
Our Lady of Zeytun Egypt from April 2, 1968 to May 29, 1971 hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of Egyptians and foreigners, Christians and Muslims
Our Lady of Akita Japan from July 6 1973 to October 13, 1973 nun Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa
London Great Britain 1985 Patricia Meneses
Kibuye Rwanda from November 28 1981 to November 28, 1989 Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukazimpaka, Marie Claire
Tskhinvali, armed conflict 2008 South Ossetia August 2008 many people who saw the silhouette of a woman during battles

RECOGNIZED AND UNRECOGNIZED APPEARANCES OF THE VIRGIN.

FLYWAY OF AN ICON OF THE VIRGIN AROUND MOSCOW IN DECEMBER 1941.


The story of how on December 8, 1941, on the orders of Stalin, a flyover was made of the besieged by fascist troops on the outskirts of Moscow with Tikhvin icon Holy Mother of God, Orthodox writer Nikolai Blokhin told the world. This message amazed many and was distributed in a large number of publications across the media. mass media. According to some, this story proves that Stalin was a leader of secret faith, that he was transformed during the war, and that the Mother of God helped him. However, there were also many objections to this matter; military historians and church ministers began to conduct their investigations, proving that the myths about religious processions and signs arose around everyone major battles, they say, all this is fiction. I won’t say anything, because I don’t know for sure. I would only like to note that after the “flight of the icon of the Mother of God around Moscow”, in December 1941, a turning point in the entire Second World War took place, the capital of the USSR survived and for the first time a counter-offensive began, which later developed into the final Victory over Nazi Germany.

As a modest observer, I would like to note a very strange weather phenomenon associated with an unnaturally sharp warming on December 8 in the central region of Russia. For some reason, critics do not pay attention to the fact that in two days the temperature in the region rose from -29 to +1 0 C (!). Specifically, the difference during one day alone was 24 degrees. Have you seen this in your lifetime, dear reader? I found an archived weather service for CIS cities in the 19th-20th century: www.thermo.karelia.ru, where you can see a report for the city of Tambov (for some reason there is no Moscow), and I provide a screenshot as proof:

IMAGE OF MARY OF GUADALUPE IN LATIN AMERICA.

Residents of Latin America sacredly honor the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, who is considered the patroness of both Americas and is respectfully called “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” And the cult of veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe began with the modest Indian Juan Diego, who lived near Mexico City. On December 9, 1531, as a Catholic convert, he hurried past Tepeyac Hill to attend morning mass at church, but unexpectedly heard beautiful singing. Deciding to be curious about where this voice (or voices) was coming from, he climbed to the top of the hill and saw a shining cloud. In the cloud, Juan Diego saw a beautiful young woman who looked more like the girls of his tribe than a white-skinned Spanish woman.

The lady called herself the Virgin Mary and asked to build a temple at the site of her appearance so that everyone could honor her Son, Jesus Christ. But bad luck! The priests did not believe Juan, deciding that the Mother of God could not appear to some Indian without a soul (previously, the Spaniards believed that the indigenous population of Latin America did not have a soul, which means that Indians could be killed without a twinge of conscience).

But the Mother of God did not retreat. One day, when Juan Diego went to get a priest for his sick uncle, the Virgin Mary Once again appeared to the unfortunate Indian and ordered him to collect all the flowers that he could find on the hill. The young man obeyed, although nothing grew on the hill. But suddenly he saw a rose bush growing on a rock. “Here is My sign,” said the Virgin Mary. “Take these roses, wrap them in your cloak and take them to the bishop.” This time he will believe you." Arriving at the bishop, Juan Diego unwrapped his cape, where there were roses, and everyone saw on the cloth the Virgin Mary standing on the new moon, surrounded by stars and the Sun. After this, the priests repented of their unbelief, and Juan Diego's uncle, who was dying, was miraculously healed. All this convinced the indigenous people of Mexico, who continued to worship their gods, that Christianity was true faith. And after the appearance of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, almost 6 million Indians independently converted to Catholicism. Thus the baptism of Latin America took place.

APPEARANCE OF MARY IN LOURDES, FRANCE, 1858.


In 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to a simple village girl from the French town of Lourdes. 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, who did not shine with intelligence, actually became the messenger of the dogma of the Catholic Church about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette and her other children were sent by her parents to fetch branches for kindling. To get to the grove, where they could collect these same branches, the children had to cross a small stream. Bernadette's friends quickly completed this task, but the girl was left standing undecided whether to cross the stream or not.

Without waiting for her decision, the children left Bernadette alone. When the girl finally decided to cross the cold stream, she suddenly saw a golden cloud that floated out of the cave on the other side of the stream. A woman of unearthly beauty stood on a cloud... The first time Bernadette did not dare to follow beautiful lady, however, for all the other 18 apparitions, the shepherdess not only followed the stranger, but also talked to her. At first, the girl thought that this was the soul of one of the village residents who had died a year earlier, but later she realized that the Virgin Mary herself was talking to her.

FATIMA APPEARANCE OF THE VIRGIN MARY.

It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to three children from the Portuguese town of Fatima in 1917, but some researchers claim that these apparitions continued from 1915 until the end of 1917. The Virgin Mary left three predictions for three children - two sisters Lucie and Jacinta and their brother Francisco - that were not immediately revealed. Firstly, the children were not believed at first. When Jacinta told her parents about her meetings with the beautiful Virgin, she was ridiculed, and Lucia was even beaten. The headman, interrogating the children together and separately, could not get a confession that all these meetings and predictions were an invention of the children themselves.

We have written about this several times, read on our website in the articles “The Fatima Apparition of the Virgin Mary and the Prophecy of Saint Malachi”, “Predictions about the Last Pope”.

APPEARANCE OF THE VIRGIN IN ZEITOUN, EGYPT, IN 1968.

APPEARANCE OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN JAPAN, IN THE TOWN OF AKITA.

The Most Pure Mother of God appeared to people not only in Europe. In the early 70s of the last century, the Virgin Mary appeared in Japan, in the small town of Akita. The Mother of God was seen by the deaf nun Agnes Sasagawa Katsuko. At the age of 19, after an unsuccessful operation, she lost her hearing and was bedridden for 16 years. The doctors just shrugged their shoulders. They were powerless to help the girl. A deaf patient was transferred from hospital to hospital. And in one of the hospitals, she met with a Catholic nurse, who told the unfortunate woman about Christian faith. Thanks to the nurse, Agnes's condition improved, and in 1969 she decided to enter a monastery and devote herself to God. True, 4 months after the tonsure, the woman’s condition worsened again, and only holy water from a source in Lourdes helped the nun get back on her feet.

The first time Agnes saw the Virgin Mary was on June 12, 1973 during prayer. Brilliant mysterious rays came out of the Monstrance. Agnes saw these rays for several days, and then a stigmata in the shape of a cross formed on her left palm. The pain was unbearable, but the nun held firm, answering the sisters who consoled her that the wound on the hand of the Blessed Virgin Mary was much deeper. The amazed sisters decided to go into the chapel and discovered the same wound on the statue of the Virgin Mary... But the miracles in Akita did not end there. That same evening, Agnes, praying to the image of the Mother of God, heard the first message. The Virgin Mary told the nun that she would soon be healed and called on all the sisters to pray for people in order to atone for their sins and stop the wrath of the Heavenly Father.

The Mother of God appeared to Agnes several more times, calling her to patience and perseverance. She predicted the nun not only her future fate, which included persecution and ridicule, but also the fate of the Japanese people, in particular the deadly tsunami in March 2011. 10 years after the appearance of the Virgin Mary, Agnes’s hearing returned and she finally recovered. After humiliating examinations of the sisters who witnessed the miraculous phenomenon, the Roman Catholic Church nevertheless recognized this fact as genuine, although before the investigation, more than 500 people, including both Christians and Buddhists, saw the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Akita monastery exuded blood, sweat and tears.

APPEARANCES OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN BOSNIA, IN 1981.

For the first time, information about Medjugorje became known in the summer of 1981, when six local young children (4 girls and 2 boys) announced that the Virgin Mary appeared to them, who introduced herself as the “Mistress of the World.” There is evidence that these phenomena continue to this day. In them, the Virgin Mary conveys short messages - she calls believers to conversion, prayer and peace. To date, three witnesses to the apparitions receive messages from Mary daily, while the other three receive messages only once a year. Phenomena occur systematically - at the same time. Interestingly, four of the witnesses live in Medjugorje, while the other two live in Italy and the USA. Despite these circumstances, they all continue to hear and see Mary.

THE MIRACLE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD IN THE SKY OVER SUFFERING NANEVIA, 2015.

Christians living in the Nineveh Valley, partially occupied by IS, report the miracle of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to them. On the evening of December 21, 2015, eyewitnesses located in various areas of the cities of Alcash and Ankawa witnessed unusual phenomenon: in the completely dark night sky a bright red figure lit up, which did not go out for several minutes. The fiery image shocked the local residents: according to the majority of the believing Ninevites, the light figure was nothing more than the silhouette of the Blessed Virgin Mary, well known to Christians from iconography and church sculpture. The miraculous event caused a wide resonance in the Christian society of Iraq.

HOW MANY PHENOMENA ARE REMAINED UNACCOUNTED?

The miracle happened on December 16, 1890 in house No. 1 on Voskova Street in St. Petersburg. A terminally ill boy turned to heaven with a prayer, after which the Mother of God appeared to him with instructions to go to the other end of the city to see her miraculous icon. She was then in the church on Obukhov Defense Avenue. He did so, and after praying miraculous icons, the paralyzed boy returned home on his own feet. When he grew up, he became a monk in the parish of the Most Holy Theotokos, established in this house. Now he is not there, but the memory of the appearance of the Mother of God to the child has been preserved to this day.

The miracle happened on December 16, 1890 in house No. 1 on Voskova Street. A terminally ill boy turned to heaven with a prayer, after which the Mother of God appeared to him with instructions to go to the other end of the city to see her miraculous icon. She was then in the church on Obukhov Defense Avenue. He did so, and after praying at the miraculous icon, the paralyzed boy returned home on foot on his own feet. When he grew up, he became a monk in the parish of the Most Holy Theotokos, established in this house. Now he is not there, but the memory of the appearance of the Mother of God to the child has been preserved to this day.

How many apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained unaccounted for? official statistics? Tens, hundreds, thousands?

EPITHETS...

Now let's see how great is the grateful, laudatory series of names and epithets given to her, the Most Holy Theotokos, in the Russian Orthodox tradition of akathists and prayers. And this list is far from complete.

United by proper name:

  • Maria,
  • Mariam,
  • The Virgin Mary,
  • Our Lady,
  • Mother of God,
  • Mother of God,
  • Seide Mariam (Lady Mariam in Islam),
  • Mother,
  • Mati,
  • Bogomati,
  • Mother of Light,
  • Mother of the world
  • Madonna,
  • Mother...

Holiness and purity are noted in the following titles:

  • Holy
  • Holy,
  • Good,
  • Offering
  • Most pure,
  • Beautiful,
  • Blessed One,
  • Blessed Mary,
  • Strong,
  • Lady,
  • Benevolent,
  • Gracious,
  • Virgo,
  • Maiden,
  • Ever-Virgin,
  • Ever-Maiden,
  • Immaculate,
  • Bride of God,
  • Innocence,
  • Innocence and Help,
  • Patronage,
  • Most Pure Mother,
  • Mother of God,
  • Tenderness,
  • Joy,
  • All-merciful,
  • Responsive, Merciful and Compassionate,
  • Undefiled, Unglamorous, Imperishable,
  • Glorious...

And Her power and strength are expressed in the following words:

  • Lady,
  • Queen,
  • Intercessor,
  • Madam,
  • Assistant,
  • Handmaid,
  • Intercessor,
  • Intercessor,
  • Prayer book,
  • Comforter,
  • Superior,
  • Hope,
  • Guidebook,
  • Hope and Refuge,
  • Intercession and Help,

Akathists of the Most Holy Theotokos, filled with figurative comparisons:

  • Our Holy Lady Theotokos,
  • Queen of heaven and earth,
  • Protection of all who come running to You,
  • Burning bush,
  • Light-receiving candle,
  • The mountain is not cut by hands,
  • Unbreakable wall
  • Intercessor and Helper of the world,
  • Life-giving Source,
  • Most Pure Mother,
  • The bride is not a bride,
  • Unexpected joy
  • Strong helper to the human race,
  • Helper and supporter of life and salvation,
  • The most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim,
  • Deliverer from sorrows,
  • Ambulance Assistant,
  • Heavenly Intercessor,
  • Great Panagia,
  • Satisfying sorrows
  • Zoryanitsa, Red Maiden, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
  • Mother Most Holy Theotokos,
  • Blessed Virgin Mary,
  • Mother of God, Unfading Color,
  • All-generous Mother of the philanthropic Lord,
  • God's Chosen Lady,
  • One purest soul and body,
  • The One who surpasses all purity, chastity and virginity,
  • One who has completely become the abode of the complete grace of the all-holy Spirit,
  • The most insubstantial forces,
  • Friend of the orphaned and strange to the Representative, mourning Joy,
  • Offended by the Patroness,
  • this list goes on and on...

Great elders, prayer books and simply ordinary people for centuries weaved into Her praises the purest and most sublime, the most best words Russian language! Isn't this a miracle?! As an example, Saint Andrew of Crete gives a list of Old Testament prototypes of the Mother of God: “With how majestic names She is adorned, and how expressively she is shown in many places of Scripture. So, wanting to talk about her, it calls it a maiden, a quarrel, a prophetess, then - a marriage chamber, the house of God, the Church of the Holy, the second skin, the holy meal, the purebin, the golden censer, the saints of the saints, the glory of the glory, the golden stem, the ark. of the Covenant, the Priestly Rod, the Royal Scepter, the Diadim of Beauty, the Vessel with the Anointing Chrism, the Alabaster, the Candlestick, the Incense, the Lamp, the Lamp, the Chariot, the Bush, the Stone, the Earth, Paradise, the Country, the Field, the Source, the Lamb...”

Incredible, isn't it? And it's all about one person!

ICONS...

At this religious segment of the story, the ever-hurrying reader may pause somewhere and doubt; in this case, I have a few questions in store for him:

  • Has there ever existed in history (and in what religion) such a true saint, whom people would so generously sing in their prayers?
  • Has there ever been such a true saint in history (and in what religion), who would have shown so many miracles of his Presence and support to people?
  • Has there ever existed in history (and in what religion) such a true saint, whom iconography would depict in such rich abundance and diversity? In the calendar of only Russian Orthodox Church About 260 revered and miraculous icons of the Mother of God are mentioned; in general, more than 860 (!!!) names can be counted.

I admit, I feel a certain awe just from writing these lines. And whoever She is, or the mother of Jesus, or His devoted ascetic Mary Magdalene - and we are inclined, not without reason, to believe that this is so... now it doesn’t matter, the point is different - Her presence, support and Love bestowed upon all of us so clearly, obviously (!), that the proper, seemingly logical response step, ours with you, - Hey, - Love!.. But for some reason we continue to run, rush, sin, problematic - preoccupied and chilled, paying attention to others... And Maria is still waiting... And will she wait? Who should I ask about this?.. Myself!

Isn’t there a charmingly incomprehensible mystery in those amazing and, judging by historical artifacts, indisputable evidence that confuses learned men, that the most holy image of Her with a baby in her arms was well known to ancient people long before the advent of Christianity as a religion, and this is what we are talking about wrote in detail in the article “The Cult of the Mother of God,” presenting the most complete photo collection of materials on the Internet. Look at the photo, who can explain this? Let's say historians have agreed, but let us - people - remain adequate!

PEOPLE...

Oh Maria! How much unearthly warmth and spiritual affection your radiant image gives us! There are so many who turn to You with hope... and whom You helped!

MARIA!

O most beloved, most beautiful of women! The most caring of mothers! The most devoted of friends! Your mercy has no boundaries. Holy Face Yours is protected by closed eyelashes. Your quiet steps have left divine traces in the hearts of many of us - they awaken, beckon, tenderly call to Father's house. Why does my chest feel so warm when I mention You? Why do tears inevitably flow during a heartfelt call? Why again and again, despite our ignorance and animal rabid savagery, do you continue to knock on our door? dark house, willing to bring a ray of light to help? What is the greatest secret hidden in Your charm, in your spiritual achievement and service?

Yes, today many things seem like an outlandish fairy tale and there are countless reasons for ridicule, but can an outside opinion shake, doubt, or shake a true believer, a true Muslim? When God - Allah - comes first, everything else falls into place.,

10.05.2015

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother of the Savior. In Christianity, she is considered the Mother of God, as well as one of the greatest saints. The name Mary in Hebrew sounds like Mariam, and can have different meanings, including - bitter, rebellious, beloved by the Creator.

The fact is that many scholars who study the sacred scriptures trust the meaning of “beloved” most of all, and attribute this word to ancient language Egyptians, which is explained by the presence of the Jewish people in African country for several centuries.

Early Mary is unknown to anyone

Almost nothing is known about Mary’s early life; in the Gospel the story about Mary begins from the moment when the Archangel Gabriel comes to her in Nazareth, who tells her that she has been given the honor of being chosen, after which she must give birth to the Messiah. It is known that Mary became engaged to Joseph in those years, but remained a virgin, as evidenced by the words spoken by Mary - “How can I have a child if I don’t know my husband?” The angel explained to her that the light and power of the Creator would descend on her, after which Mary agreed, saying: “Let it be as you say.” After this event, Mary decided to visit her close relative Elizabeth, to whom the Archangel also came and said that she would have a son, although she was barren and was many years old. Elizabeth had a son, John the Baptist.

When Mary was next to Elizabeth, she sang a song of praise to her, the Bible says that it resembles the song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, one of the revered prophets. Upon returning to Nazareth, her husband learned that Mary would have a child, after which he decided to let her go and not tell anyone. But Archangel Gabriel appeared to him too, telling him about the Great Secret itself.

Maria had to flee the city

In those years, the population census was taking place, and the family was from the line of David, so they had to flee to Bethlehem. Soon a baby, Jesus, was born in the stable. Next came the wise men to the birthplace, who learned about the birth of Christ and walked in the direction of the Star in the sky. The shepherds saw Joseph, Mary and her child. Eight days later, the ritual of circumcision was performed and the baby was named Jesus. Forty days later, the husband and wife went to the Temple to perform a cleansing ritual in accordance with the law and dedicate the child to God. They sacrificed four birds. When this ritual was being performed, Simeon, the elder in the Temple, decided to tell the future of the child to everyone present, after which he said that Mary would participate in the suffering of Jesus.

Mary was close to Jesus for many years. It is a well-known fact that when Mary asked her son to turn water into wine, a wedding was taking place in Cana at that time. Then she stayed with Christ in Capernaum. After Christ’s execution, she also had to be in place, and Jesus told John to always be with his mother. After Christ ascended into heaven, she, along with those who were next to the Savior, waited for the Holy Spirit. They managed to see the descent of the Spirit, which took on a different form; it was fire. Further, nothing is said anywhere about Mary’s life.

The Virgin Mary is the holiest of all women

Before the Council of Nicaea was held in the fourth century, clergy and figures, including Justina Martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, Cyprian and many others, argued that Mary's role in the redemption of mankind was undeniable. If we talk about the divine motherhood of the Virgin Mary, then she is considered the most great women of all that existed on Earth. According to scientists, in order to become the Mother of God, Mary needed to be awarded great divine favor. In Catholicism, the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary is considered as a logical condition that prepares the Virgin Mary herself for the coming of the Messiah.

Mary was saved from vice

If we talk about Pope Pius, he said that the Holy Virgin Mary became her even before the moment of the Immaculate Conception occurred, everything consisted of an exceptional gift of grace. This suggests that the mother of the Savior was from the very beginning protected from sin, which alienates any creature from God, since the time of the first man, when the Fall occurred.

Note: glass fiber reinforced concrete is often used to decorate churches and temples. This is great composite material which are much stronger than ordinary concrete. Read more about it on the website http://rokoko.ru.


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The Virgin Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God) is a Jewish woman from Nazareth, according to the mother of Jesus Christ. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke describe Mary as a virgin, and Christians believe that she conceived a son as an immaculate Virgin by the Holy Spirit. The miraculous birth occurred when Mary was already betrothed to She married Joseph and accompanied him to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

Icon Mother of God"Tenderness of Seraphim of Sarov"

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

Mentions of the Virgin Mary in the Bible.

The Virgin Mary is mentioned several times in the New Testament. More often Immaculate Virgin Maria is mentioned in Gospel of Luke. She is mentioned by name 12 times. All references are related to the birth and childhood of Jesus.

Icon of the Mother of God "Tikhvin"

Gospel of Matthew mentions her name six times, five of them in connection with the infancy of Jesus and only once (13:55) as the mother of the adult Jesus.

Gospel of Mark calls her by name once (6:3) and refers to her as the mother of Jesus without calling her by name in 3:31 and 3:32.

Gospel of John mentions her twice, but never by name. The Gospel says that the Virgin Mary accompanied Jesus when He began His miracles in Cana of Galilee. The second reference says that the Virgin Mary stood at the cross of Jesus.

IN Acts it is said that the Apostles, Mary and the brothers of Jesus gathered in the upper room after the Ascension of Jesus.

IN John's Revelation a woman clothed with the sun is described. Many believe that this is a description of the Virgin Mary.

Genealogy of the Mother of God.

There is little mention in the New Testament of the origins of the Virgin Mary. John 19:25 says that Mary had a sister.

Standing at the cross of Jesus were His Mother and His Mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

It is semantically unclear from this phrase sister of His Mother, Mary of Cleopas, Is this one person or two different women? . Jerome believes that this is one person. But the historian of the early second century, Hegesippus, believed that Mary of Cleopas was not the sister of the Virgin Mary, but her relative on the part of Joseph the Betrothed.

According to the author of the Gospel of Luke, Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zechariah, and thus came from the line of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. Others believe that Mary, like Joseph, to whom she was betrothed, was from the house of David.

Biography of the Virgin Mary.

The Immaculate Virgin Mary was born in Nazareth in Galilee. After her betrothal to Joseph (betrothal is the first stage of a Jewish marriage), the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced to her that she would become the mother of the promised Messiah. After the first expression of disbelief at the announcement, she replied: “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” Joseph the Betrothed planned to calmly separate from her, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him “do not be afraid to accept Mary your wife, for what is born in Her is from the Holy Spirit.”


Betrothal of Mary to Joseph. I. Chernov 1804-1811

The angel, in confirmation of his words, also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth, previously barren, conceived by the grace of the Lord. Mary went to the house of her relative, where she saw with her own eyes Elizabeth’s pregnancy and completely believed in the words of the angel. Then the Virgin Mary made a speech of gratitude to the Lord, which is known as the Magnificat or doxology of the Virgin Mary.

After staying three months in Elizabeth's house, Mary returned to Nazareth. According to the Gospel of Luke, Joseph, Mary's husband, was ordered by the Roman Emperor Augustus to return to his hometown of Bethlehem to take the Roman census there. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger, since there was no room for them in any inn. On the eighth day, Mary's baby was circumcised according to Jewish law, and named Jesus, which in Hebrew means "Yahweh is salvation."

After the days of purification had passed, Jesus was carried to Jerusalem to be presented before the Lord, as custom required. The Virgin Mary sacrificed two turtle doves and two pigeon chicks. Here Simeon and Anna prophesied about the future of the baby. After visiting Jerusalem, the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed, together with the baby Jesus, returned to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared to Joseph at night and warned that King Herod wanted to kill the baby. The Holy Family fled at night to Egypt and remained there for some time. After the death of Herod in 4 BC. BC, they returned to the land of Israel, to Nazareth in Galilee.

Virgin Mary in the life of Jesus

According to the New Testament, at the age of twelve, Jesus is separated from his parents upon returning from the Passover celebration in Jerusalem, but the presence of his mother is still traced in His earthly life.

Bible scholars have much debate about why Jesus separated from his parents, and in particular from his Mother, since the fate of his earthly father is unknown, Joseph is mentioned in last time in the Bible when Jesus was 12 years old. Some point to conflict within the Holy Family. Several quotes from the Bible really prove this point. The Gospel of Mark describes the moment:

And His Mother and His brothers came and, standing outside the house, sent to Him to call Him.

The people were sitting around Him. And they said to Him: Behold, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters are outside the house asking You.

And he answered them: Who are my mother and my brothers?

And looking around at those sitting around Him, He said: Behold My mother and My brothers;

for whoever does the will of God is My brother, and sister, and mother. ()

Quote attributed by the Gospel of Mark to Christ: “ There is no prophet without honor, except in his own hometown, among their relatives and in their own home ". Also proves the possibility of conflict.

If there was a conflict in the Holy Family, then the reason for it could be the family’s lack of faith in Christ as the son of God.

American biblical scholar Bart Ehrman believes that "there are clear indications in the Bible not only that Jesus' family rejected his message during his public ministry, but that He, in turn, rejected them publicly."

The Virgin Mary was present when, at her suggestion, Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding at Cana, turning water into wine. The Virgin Mary was also at the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The moment described in the Gospel when Mary embraced the dead body of her son is a common universal motif in art, and is called “pieta” or “pity”.


After the Ascension of Jesus, we find one single mention of the Virgin Mary in Acts. After this there is no mention of Mary. Her death is not recorded in Scripture, but Catholic and Orthodox traditions believe that her body was taken to heaven. Belief in the bodily Ascension of the Virgin Mary - dogma Catholic Church and many others.

Data about the Virgin Mary from apocryphal texts.

The following biographical information is taken from apocryphal literature.

According to the apocryphal Gospel of James, Mary was the daughter of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. Before Mary's conception, Anna was barren and was far from young. When the girl was three years old, she was brought to the Jerusalem Temple.

According to apocryphal sources, at the time of her betrothal to Joseph, Mary was 12-14 years old, and Joseph was 90, but these data are unreliable. Hippolytus of Thebes claimed that Mary died 11 years after the Resurrection of Jesus and died in 41.

The earliest surviving biographies of the Virgin Mary are Life of the Virgin Mary created in the 7th century by Saint Maximus the Confessor, who considered the Virgin Mary a key figure in the early Christian Church.

In the 19th century, the so-called House of the Virgin Mary was found in a house near Ephesus in Turkey. It was found based on the visions of Anna Catherine Emmerich, an Augustinian blessed nun from Germany. The nun, 2 years before her death, during one of the many visions of the Mother of God, received detailed description places where Mary lived before her Assumption.


According to legend, the Blessed Virgin Mary retired to Ephesus during the persecution of Christians along with John the Theologian. In 1950, the House of the Virgin was reconstructed and turned into a chapel.

Virgin Mary in Orthodoxy

The Orthodox tradition has accepted the doctrine of virginity. According to this doctrine, the Virgin Mary “conceived a virgin, gave birth to a virgin, remained a virgin.” Hymns to the Mother of God are an integral part of worship in the Eastern Church and their positioning within the liturgical sequence indicates the position of the Mother of God after Christ. IN Orthodox tradition, the order of listing the saints begins with Our Lady, followed by angels, prophets, apostles, Church fathers, martyrs, etc.

One of the most beloved Orthodox akathists is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Five of the twelve great church holidays in Orthodoxy are dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

  • Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a holiday dedicated to the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 21.

  • Introduction to the Temple

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple- a holiday dedicated to one of the events in the life of the Virgin Mary. Her parents Jochim and Anna brought their daughter to the Temple at the age of three, as they had previously vowed to dedicate the child to God. The holiday is celebrated on December 4th.

  • Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The holiday is celebrated exactly 9 months before the birth of Christ. The day is dedicated to the appearance of an angel who announced to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of God on Earth.

Orthodox holiday celebrated on the day of the death of the Virgin Mary. According to the apocrypha, the Virgin Mary died on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. There now is the Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the apocrypha “The Tale of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God,” the apostles were carried on clouds from all over the world to the deathbed of the Mother of God. Only the Apostle Thomas was delayed for three days and did not find the Virgin Mary alive. He wanted to say goodbye to the Virgin Mary. At his request, the tomb of the Virgin Mary was opened, but the body was not there. Therefore, it is believed that the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven. The Dormition of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 28.


  • Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated on October 14. The basis of this Orthodox holiday there is a legend about the appearance of the Mother of God to the holy fool Andrew. This happened in Constantinople, which was besieged by enemies. The people in the temple prayed to God for salvation from the barbarians. Saint Andrew the Fool saw the Mother of God praying for the salvation of the people of Constantinople. Then the Mother of God took the veil from her head and covered the people who were present in the temple with it, thereby protecting them from visible and invisible enemies. The cover of the Mother of God sparkled brighter than the rays of the sun. It is believed that the Mother of God saved Constantinople.

Veneration of the Mother of God in the Orthodox Church.

The prerequisites for the exaltation of the Virgin Mary by all peoples (tribes) are given in the Bible itself, where it is said on behalf of the Virgin Mary:

... My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoices in God, My Savior, that He has looked upon the humility of His Servant, for from now on all generations will bless Me; that the Mighty One has done great things for Me, and holy is His name ().

In chapter 11 of the Gospel of Luke, the words of a woman from the people are quoted:

...blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts that nourished You!

Moreover, John the Theologian in the Gospel of John testifies that Jesus performed the first miracle at the request of his mother, therefore the Mother of God is revered as an intercessor for the human race. Exists great amount icons of the Mother of God. Many of them are considered miraculous.

Humanity has been waiting for its Savior for a very long time. Also in Old Testament God promised that the Savior would come into this world through a woman, but without male seed. The Virgin Mary voluntarily agreed to this, although at that time it was very dangerous, including for life. The Virgin Mary had enough faith, spiritual strength and humility to take this step. The Mother of God knew from the very beginning that the earthly ministry of her Son would end quickly and tragically. As a mother, she endured the worst to save humanity.

Mariology - the doctrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mariology is the theological study of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. Christian Mariology seeks to connect Holy Bible and the traditions and teachings of the Church about the Virgin Mary in the context of social history.

There are various Christian views on the role of the Virgin Mary in Christianity, from complete veneration of Mary in the Roman Catholic Church to a minimized role of Mary in Protestant evangelical theology.

A significant number of publications in this area were written in the 20th century by theologians Raimondo Spiazzi (2500) and Gabriel Roccini (900). The centers of modern Mariology are the Pontifical Institute of Mariology and the Pontifical Academy of Mariology.

The Orthodox Jews of Jerusalem were irreconcilable in their hostility to the teachings of Christ. Does this mean that Jesus was not a Jew? Is it ethical to question the Virgin Mary?

Jesus Christ often called himself the Son of Man. The nationality of the parents, according to theologians, will shed light on the Savior’s belonging to one or another ethnic group.

According to the Bible, all humanity came from Adam. Later, people themselves divided themselves into races and nationalities. And Christ, during his lifetime, taking into account the Gospels of the Apostles, did not comment on his nationality in any way.

Birth of Christ

The country of Judea, the Son of God, in those ancient times was a province of Rome. Emperor Augustus ordered a study. He wanted to find out how many inhabitants there were in each of the cities of Judea.

Mary and Joseph, the parents of Christ, lived in the city of Nazareth. But they had to return to their ancestral homeland, Bethlehem, to add their names to the lists. Once in Bethlehem, the couple could not find shelter - so many people came to the census. They decided to stop outside the city, in a cave that served as a refuge for shepherds during bad weather.

That night Mary gave birth to a son. Having wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes, she put him to sleep where they put feed for livestock - in the manger.

The shepherds were the first to know about the birth of the Messiah. They were tending flocks in the vicinity of Bethlehem when an angel appeared to them. He broadcast that the savior of humanity had been born. This is a joy for all people, and the sign for identifying the baby will be that he lies in a manger.

The shepherds immediately went to Bethlehem and came across a cave, in which they saw the future Savior. They told Mary and Joseph about the angel's words. On the 8th day, the couple gave the child a name - Jesus, which translated means “savior” or “God saves.”

Was Jesus Christ a Jew? Was nationality determined by father or mother at that time?

Star of Bethlehem

On the very night when Christ was born, a bright, unusual star appeared in the sky. Magi who studied the movements celestial bodies, went after her. They knew that the appearance of such a star spoke of the birth of the Messiah.

The Magi began their journey from eastern country(Babylonia or Persia). The star, moving across the sky, showed the sages the way.

Meanwhile, the numerous people who came to Bethlehem for the census dispersed. And Jesus' parents returned to the city. The star stopped over the place where the baby was, and the wise men went into the house to present gifts to the future Messiah.

They offered gold as tribute to the future king. They gave incense as a gift to God (incense was still used in worship back then). And myrrh (fragrant oil with which they rubbed the dead), as for a mortal person.

King Herod

The local king, subordinate to Rome, knew about the great prophecy - a bright star in the sky marks the birth of a new king of the Jews. He called to him the magicians, priests, and soothsayers. Herod wanted to know where the baby Messiah was.

With deceitful speeches and deceit, he tried to find out the whereabouts of Christ. Having not received an answer, King Herod decided to exterminate all the babies in the area. 14 thousand children under the age of 2 were killed in and around Bethlehem.

However, ancient historians, among others, do not mention this bloody event. This may be due to the fact that the number of children killed was much smaller.

It is believed that after such an atrocity, the wrath of God punished the king. He died a painful death, eaten alive by worms in his luxurious palace. After his terrible death, power passed to the three sons of Herod. The lands were also divided. The regions of Perea and Galilee went to Herod the Younger. Christ spent his life in these lands for about 30 years.

Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, beheaded his wife Herodias to please the sons of Herod the Great did not receive the royal title. Judea was ruled by a Roman procurator. Herod Antipas and other local rulers obeyed him.

Mother of the Savior

Parents of the Virgin Mary for a long time were childless. At that time it was considered a sin; such a union was a sign of God's wrath.

Joachim and Anna lived in the city of Nazareth. They prayed and believed that they would definitely have a child. Decades later, an angel appeared to them and announced that the couple would soon become parents.

According to legend, the Virgin Mary The happy parents swore that this child would belong to God. Until the age of 14, Maria, mother, was raised Jesus Christ, in temple. From a young age she saw angels. According to legend, the Archangel Gabriel looked after and protected the future Mother of God.

Mary's parents died by the time the Virgin had to leave the temple. The priests could not keep her. But they also felt sorry for letting the orphan go. Then the priests betrothed her to the carpenter Joseph. He was more of the Virgo's guardian than her husband. Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, remained a virgin.

What was the nationality of the Mother of God? Her parents were natives of Galilee. This means that the Virgin Mary was not a Jew, but a Galilean. By confession, she belonged to the Law of Moses. Her life in the temple also points to her upbringing in the faith of Moses. So who was Jesus Christ? The nationality of the mother, who lived as a pagan in Galilee, remains unknown. The mixed population of the region was dominated by Scythians. It is possible that Christ inherited his appearance from his mother.

Father of the Savior

For a long time, theologians have been debating whether Joseph should be considered the biological father of Christ? He had a fatherly attitude towards Mary, he knew that she was innocent. Therefore, the news of her pregnancy shocked the carpenter Joseph. The Law of Moses severely punished women for adultery. Joseph was supposed to stone his young wife.

He prayed for a long time and decided to let Mary go and not keep her near him. But an angel appeared to Joseph, announcing an ancient prophecy. The carpenter realized how much responsibility he had for the safety of the mother and child.

Joseph is Jewish by nationality. Can he be considered the biological father if Mary had an immaculate conception? Who is the father of Jesus Christ?

There is a version that the Roman soldier Pantira became the Messiah. In addition, there is a possibility that Christ was of Aramaic origin. This assumption is due to the fact that the Savior preached in Aramaic. However, at that time the language was widespread throughout the Middle East.

The Jews of Jerusalem had no doubt that the real father of Jesus Christ existed somewhere. But all versions are too dubious to be true.

Image of Christ

A document of those times describing the appearance of Christ is called the “Epistle of Leptulus.” This is a report to the Roman Senate, written by the proconsul of Palestine, Leptulus. He claims that Christ was of medium height with a noble face and good figure. He has expressive blue-green eyes. The hair, the color of a ripe walnut, is combed in the middle. The lines of the mouth and nose are impeccable. In conversation he is serious and modest. He teaches gently and in a friendly manner. Scary in anger. Sometimes she cries, but never laughs. A face without wrinkles, calm and strong.

At the Seventh Ecumenical Council (8th century), the official image of Jesus Christ was approved. The Savior should be painted on the icons in accordance with his human appearance. After the Council, painstaking work began. It consisted of reconstructing a verbal portrait, on the basis of which a recognizable image of Jesus Christ was created.

Anthropologists claim that the icon painting uses not the Semitic, but the Greco-Syrian thin, straight nose and deep-set, large eyes.

In early Christian icon painting they were able to accurately convey the individual, ethnic features of a portrait. The earliest image of Christ was found on an icon dating from the beginning of the 6th century. It is kept in Sinai, in the monastery of St. Catherine. The face of the icon is similar to the canonized image of the Savior. Apparently, the early Christians considered Christ a European type.

Nationality of Christ

There are still people who claim that Jesus Christ is a Jew. At the same time, a huge number of works have been published on the topic of the non-Jewish origin of the Savior.

At the beginning of the 1st century AD, as Hebraic scholars found out, Palestine split into 3 regions, which differed in their confessional and ethnic characteristics.

  1. Judea, led by the city of Jerusalem, was inhabited by Orthodox Jews. They obeyed the law of Moses.
  2. Samaria was closer to Mediterranean Sea. The Jews and Samaritans were long-time enemies. Even mixed marriages between them were prohibited. In Samaria there were no more than 15% of the Jews from total number residents.
  3. Galilee consisted of a mixed population, some of whom remained faithful to Judaism.

Some theologians claim that the typical Jew was Jesus Christ. His nationality is beyond doubt, since he did not deny the entire system of Judaism. But he just disagreed with some of the tenets of the Mosaic Law. Then why did Christ react so calmly to the fact that the Jews of Jerusalem called him a Samaritan? This word was an insult to a true Jew.

God or man?

So who is right? Those who claim that Jesus Christ is God? But then what nationality can one demand from God? He is beyond ethnicity. If God is the basis of all things, including people, there is no need to talk about nationality at all.

What if Jesus Christ is a man? Who is his biological father? Why did he receive the Greek name Christ, which means “anointed one”?

Jesus never claimed to be God. But he is not a person in the usual sense of the word. His dual nature was the acquisition of a human body and a divine essence within that body. Therefore, as a man, Christ could feel hunger, pain, anger. And as a vessel of God - to create miracles, filling the space around you with love. Christ said that he does not perform healings on his own, but only with the help of a Divine gift.

Jesus worshiped and prayed to the Father. He completely submitted himself to His will last years life and called on the people to believe in One God in heaven.

As the Son of Man, he was crucified for the salvation of people. As the Son of God, he was resurrected and incarnated in the trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Miracles of Jesus Christ

About 40 miracles are described in the Gospels. The first happened in the city of Cana, where Christ, his mother and the apostles were invited to a wedding. He turned water into wine.

Christ performed the second miracle by curing a patient whose illness lasted 38 years. The Jews of Jerusalem became embittered with the Savior - he violated the rule about the Sabbath. It was on this day that Christ worked himself (he healed the sick) and forced another to work (the sick man carried his own bed).

The Savior raised the dead girl, Lazarus and the widow's son. He healed a demoniac and calmed a storm on Lake Galilee. Christ fed the people with five loaves after the sermon - about 5 thousand of them gathered, not counting children and women. Walked on water, healed ten lepers and the blind of Jericho.

The miracles of Jesus Christ prove his Divine essence. He had power over demons, illness, death. But he never performed miracles for his own glory or to collect offerings. Even during interrogation by Herod, Christ did not show a sign as evidence of his power. He did not try to defend himself, but asked only for sincere faith.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ

It was the resurrection of the Savior that became the basis for a new faith - Christianity. The facts about him are reliable: they appeared at a time when eyewitnesses of the events were still alive. All recorded episodes have slight discrepancies, but do not contradict each other as a whole.

The empty tomb of Christ indicates that the body was taken (by enemies, friends) or Jesus rose from the dead.

If the body had been taken by enemies, they would not have failed to mock the disciples, thus stopping the emerging new faith. Friends had little faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ; they were disappointed and depressed by his tragic death.

Honorary Roman citizen and Jewish historian Josephus mentions the spread of Christianity in his book. He confirms that on the third day Christ appeared alive to his disciples.

Even modern scientists do not deny that Jesus appeared to some followers after death. But they attribute this to hallucinations or other phenomena, without challenging the authenticity of the evidence.

The appearance of Christ after death, the empty tomb, the rapid development of a new faith are proof of his resurrection. There is not a single known fact that denies this information.

Appointment by God

Already from the first Ecumenical Councils, the Church unites the human and divine nature of the Savior. He is one of the 3 hypostases of the One God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This form of Christianity was recorded and declared official version at the Council of Nicaea (in 325), Constantinople (in 381), Ephesus (in 431) and Chalcedon (in 451).

However, disputes about the Savior did not stop. Some Christians argued that Jesus Christ is God. Others argued that he is only the Son of God and is completely subject to his will. The basic idea of ​​the trinity of God is often compared to paganism. Therefore, disputes about the essence of Christ, as well as about his nationality, do not subside to this day.

The cross of Jesus Christ is a symbol martyrdom in the name of atonement for human sins. Does it make sense to discuss the nationality of the Savior if faith in him can unite different ethnic groups? All people on the planet are children of God. Human nature Christ stands above national characteristics and classifications.