Icon of the Mother of God "Listener": what helps, prayer

The well-known icon of the Mother of God “The Listener” is also called “Epakusa”, which is translated from Greek as “answering prayers”.

Icon Name History

According to Orthodox tradition, the monk Kosma (Cosma) labored in the Zografsky monastery. In his youth, the bride was married to him, but the aspiration of the young Bulgarian man to God was stronger than worldly joys, and he fled to the Holy Mountain to become a monk. He knew Greek, and on Athos he was readily accepted. Cosma was a pious, zealous monk. Once at the Annunciation in the church of the Vatopedi Monastery, he saw a beautiful woman who walked freely among the monks and made orders. His heart was embarrassed, because women are forbidden to visit Mount Athos. Where did she come from and why didn’t they drive her out? But when Kosma returned to his Zografsky monastery and told about what he had seen to his spiritual father, he was not surprised, but began to question about the appearance and behavior of the woman. And only from a conversation with the old man Cosma was amazed to learn that he had seen the Most Holy Heavenly Queen - the Mother of God.

Once, being alone in the temple, Cosma offered the Mother of God an ardent prayer. He asked to indicate the path of salvation. As soon as the monk prayed, the Mother of God responded. He heard Her voice asking the Son of Jesus Christ to teach the monk the saving way. And then an answer was heard, indicating the path of silence.

Cosma heeded the Divine instruction and, taking the priest's blessing, went into the wilderness. Having become a hermit, he lived in a cave and spent his life in hard deeds. Cosma possessed the gift of vision. One day, two laborers from the Hilandar monastery came to visit him. In parting, they heard a warning from Cosmas: he advised them to break a pumpkin vessel with wine, which the monks hid in the forest. The hermit saw that a snake crawled into the vessel. The monks obeyed the saint and marveled at his foreknowledge, glorifying both thanks to God and St. Cosmas for saving life.

We will also tell you about another case of the insight of Cosmas and his clear inner vision. On one of the Holy Weeks, shortly before Easter, he saw in the air how the demons tormented the soul of the Hilandar abbot and sent a messenger to the monastery with a request to pray for the deceased. In Hilandar they marveled and did not believe, because the hegumen had just been alive and even intended to serve the liturgy. But it turned out that the abbot actually suddenly died in his cell.

The Lord helped the hermit in everything. One day Cosma became seriously ill and, weakened by carnal misery, desired fish. Suddenly, to the cave where the saint lived, an eagle descended from heaven and laid down a fish. Kosma offered God thanksgiving prayers, cooked the fish, but before the meal he heard a voice commanding partially to leave it to the hermit Christopher, the owner of the fish, who was hiding nearby. The next day, Christopher came to visit the hermit, and he was very surprised to learn that yesterday the eagle carried off the fish of this hermit.

Shortly before the death of Cosmas, he was honored with the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, who warned him of the impending trial - for three days Cosmas was tormented by demons after God's permission. Having stood the test with Christian patience, he accepted the sacrament and peacefully surrendered to God

The Hermit of Cosmas was counted among the saints. The icon, in which the Monk Cosma heard the voice of the Mother of God and received Divine revelation, was called the “Listener” because the Heavenly Intercessor heard the monk's prayers and was not slow to respond.

Copies of the “Listener” icon

In the Kiev region, in the village of Fasovaya, Makaryevsky district, there is an old list with a zographic icon. In 1999, the icon was revealed to the world: a resident of this village, one of the parishioners, transferred the image of the Virgin to the St. Nicholas Church. During the liturgy, a miraculous renewal of the image took place: it was previously darkened and faded from old age, and now all the colors have been updated, it became clear that there is an undeniable resemblance to the Zoghaf “Listener”. On the icon, the artist depicted a lily in the hand of the Mother of God, apparently in order to emphasize Her purity and purity.

There is also a copy in the recently opened Orthodox Church in Ashgabat. It was created at the beginning of the 20th century on Mount Athos and in the middle of the last century fell into the St. Nicholas Cathedral of Ashgabat (according to God's mysterious craft and there, in the village of Fasovaya, the Virgin Mary revealed miracles in the St. Nicholas Cathedral icon), where she was kept until June of this year.

Help to worshipers at the miraculous icon

There are many cases when, according to the faith of worshipers, the Virgin sent them help and protection from troubles. It is believed that the icon "Listener" should pray suffering from cancer, spinal diseases and other health problems, childless families and people addicted to alcohol. The Mother of God through the icon “Listener” from the village of Fasovaya, by her grace, helped in healing from drunkenness a person whose sister prayed for this while visiting St. Nicholas Church. Another case of miraculous help is also known: a daughter was sent to a priest who had not had children for several years. He and mother prayed fervently at the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, “The Listener,” and She soon responded to their prayers.

One girl who was going to Greece, the priest blessed the image of the Virgin "Listener". Arriving there, the girl met a young man who decided to visit Mount Athos. After meeting, young people fell in love and got married.

A woman from Ashgabat really wanted to visit her daughter in Moscow, but she did not have money for the trip. She prayed at the Ashgabat Icon of the “Listener” and, leaving the temple, met a man who helped her resolve monetary difficulties.

The Orthodox resident of Turkmenistan was cured of a terrible injury due to the mercy of the Mother of God. Father, a former parishioner of St. Nicholas Church in Ashgabat, where the icon "Listener" was then located, brought his son, who injured his spine. The young man attached himself to the image, and soon began to attend the temple on his own.

So in what does the icon of the Mother of God "Hearing Aid" help? In search of a spouse, family problems and health problems, difficulties at work and other situations. At the behest of the soul, in these and other cases, one can read prayers from the icon of the Mother of God, “The Listener”. The Virgin Mary never rejects sincere prayers.

How to pray at the icon of the Mother of God "Listener"?

It is necessary to distinguish faith from superstition and remember that Orthodox Christians pray to the one who is depicted in the icon, and not the icon itself.

There is an akathist at the icon of the Mother of God, “The Listener” and prayer from it. You can see the text in the image below.

Also at the icon you can read other prayers of the Mother of God (“Theotokos, Virgo, Rejoice,” “It is worthy to eat,” “The Most Honorable Cherub”) and pray in your own words.

Icon Location

Where is the miraculous image currently located? Now, as at the time of the miraculous events that gave him the name, the image of the Virgin "Listener" is in the Zograph monastery on Mount Athos.

Celebration day

Day of the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God "Listener" - October 5 (September 22 according to the old style). This day is also the day of memory of the Monk Cosmas of Zografsky.

Temples named after the icon of the "Listener"

In June 2017, the fourth Orthodox church was opened and consecrated in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. He received a name in honor of the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Listener”. It also has a copy of the icon. According to the testimonies of those who saw the Ashgabat “Listener”, a wonderful fragrance emanates from it.

Iconography of the image

Below is a photo of the icon of the Mother of God "Listener". Virgin Mary is depicted to the waist. In her arms is the baby Jesus with a folded scroll in one hand and raised to bless the other.

The iconographic type of icon is Hodegetria (Mother of God holding a baby in her arms). The “Hearing Woman” is similar to another icon of the Mother of God - the “Akathist” Hilendarskaya, on which the Mother of God also holds the Mother of God with a blessing right hand and a scroll. But, unlike the “Listener”, on the “Akathist” the Mother of God is depicted in full growth, sitting on the throne. The aforementioned image of the Mother of God “Akathist” resides in the Hilendarsky monastery on Mount Athos.

When do you need to pray to the Mother of God?

Every time, feeling anxiety for your beloved people or heartache, being in dangerous or difficult circumstances, in illness, you can pray to the Mother of God.

She will hear a plea for help not only at the icon, but also in any place, wherever the prayer is. The Heart of She Who saw the death of her beloved Son and the Lord Jesus Christ is open to all sorrows and to any person calling on Her holy help.