Since ancient times, people in their activities have sought the protection of higher forces. In ancient times, they turned to pagan gods for help, and later to saints. It so happened that both the gods and the saints had their own “specialization” regarding certain professions. The patrons of trade were no exception. Every nation has defenders responsible for its successful outcome.
More information about the gods and the most powerful patron saints in trade will be described below.
The Romans
In times of polytheism, which is characteristic of most peoples, each natural phenomenon and each sphere of human activity had its own defenders and patrons. Often, some gods of different nations had similar responsibilities.
In ancient Rome, the patron god of trade was Mercury, the son of the main autocrat, Jupiter, and Maya, the goddess of spring. He appeared in the Roman pantheon after trade relations with other countries began to develop. At first he was responsible only for the grain trade.
Outwardly, Mercury was portrayed as a young attractive man who had a tight wallet and good manners. The attributes that distinguished him from other gods were a hat, winged sandals and a caduceus wand.
The Romans respected Mercury for its hard work and patronage of merchants. At the same time, resourcefulness, cunning and a tendency to deception were forgiven to him. The latter led to the fact that he was also considered the patron saint of scammers and thieves. Those who were convicted of deception came to the temple of Mercury, doused themselves with holy water, thereby washing away the guilt.
The Greeks
Hermes became the patron saint of commerce, who had much in common with Mercury. He was also the son of the main god, Zeus, from childhood he was clever and cunning. And it was also considered the patron of not only merchants, but also fraudsters.
Like Mercury, Hermes was the messenger of the gods, a guide to the realm of the dead souls of the dead, the patron saint of sailors and travelers. These characters also had differences. Hermes was also called the patron of various sciences and the god of astrology.
As a sign of veneration for this patron of commerce, the Greeks installed herms at the crossroads. They were columns having a phallic shape. This was due to the fact that God was famous for his love of loving. The column was crowned with an image of the head of Hermes.
The Slavs
They have a god of profit and the patron of commerce - this is Veles. He was second in the hierarchy after Perun, the main deity of the Slavs. From the cunning, theft-prone, dapper Hermes and Mercury, he had striking differences. Outwardly, he was presented as a large, hairy, shaggy man. Sometimes he performed in the guise of a bear.
Initially, Veles was considered the patron saint of shepherds, farmers and hunters, as well as any everyday affairs, among which trade gradually stood out. Later, he was the god of just such an affluence that was earned only by honest labor.
It was believed that this Slavic god of trade was very careful to ensure that the laws and conditions of the contracts were respected. He patronized honest merchants, and punished scammers.
Next, it will be told about the holy patrons of trade in the Christian religion.
Nikolai the Miracle Worker
This is the patron saint of commerce in Christianity, who has also contributed to travel success. In the life of St. Nicholas, who was Bishop of Myra, there is the following episode.
When a great famine occurred on the territory of Lycia, Nicholas created a new miracle to save its inhabitants from starvation. One of the merchants loaded a large batch of bread onto the ship in order to sail westward. At night he had a dream in which he saw St. Nicholas. And he ordered him to deliver bread to Lycia. At the same time, he said that he buys all the cargo, and gives three gold coins as a deposit.
The next morning, the merchant was very puzzled to find three gold coins clasped in a fist. The merchant fulfilled the command from above, delivering bread to Lycia, and the hungry people were saved. He told the locals about his vision, and according to his description they recognized their archbishop - St. Nicholas.
On Russian soil, the churches of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were most often put up by merchants on the trading floors. It was also done by sailors and explorers. All of them revered the saint as the patron saint of commerce and all those who wander on the sea and on land.
A prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker is pronounced in the following cases:
- I need help in doing business: things are going badly and there is no profit.
- They want to avoid poverty or bankruptcy.
- They are asked to send success and success in business matters, starting a business.
John of New Sochava
This martyr lived in Trapezund in the 14th century. This city was located on the border of Assyria and Armenia, on the Black Sea. It was a convenient trading port. The main occupation of its inhabitants is navigation, trade and fishing. John was engaged in trade, was a pious man, merciful to the poor and firm in the Orthodox faith. It is also the patron saint of trade in Orthodoxy. His icon is prayed by believers engaged in commerce in order to achieve prosperity in their work.
The story of the saint’s death is as follows. Once John sailed on a ship of foreigners, where the boss was an opponent of the Orthodox faith. The captain saw the immaculate virtuous life of Sochavsky, his prayer, fasting, mercy for those who were in need on the ship or were sick. And that made him indignant. He had fierce debates with John about faith. All this ultimately led to the martyrdom of the latter.
The death of John
Since the saint was a well-read and wise man, he always defeated a foreigner in disputes. When the ship came ashore near the city of Belgrade, John was betrayed into the hands of its ruler in order to persuade the righteous to renounce the Orthodox faith and accept paganism.
After refusing to do this, the soldiers severely beat him with batons: everything around him was stained with blood. John was chained and thrown into prison. The next day, the torture continued until the warriors began to exhaust. Then, tying him to the ponytail, the martyr was dragged along the city streets, where a crowd threw stones at him. After that, his head was cut off with a sword.
Holy relics
The body of St. John, having thus accomplished his suffering feat, lay on the ground unburied. And at night a miracle happened. The bright light of the lamps was lit above him, chants sang by three luminiferous men were heard, and a pillar of fire ascended over the honest relics of the great martyr.
After this, the relics of John were stored in a local church on the altar at the Holy See for more than 70 years. Various miracles began to occur from them. When rumors of this reached Alexander, the great governor of Moldova and Wallachia, the relics were transferred to the capital of this state - Sochav.
Prayers are read to John Sochavsky:
- For successful trading and other business.
- On the sale of land or home.
Ustyug miracle worker
So called the righteous Procopius of Christ - holy fool and saint, another patron of trade in Orthodoxy.
He was from a noble Prussian family, lived in Lubeck and was successfully engaged in merchantry. After the death of his father in one of the battles, Procopius left East Prussia. Having loaded all his wealth on the ship, in 1243 he arrived in Veliky Novgorod, where one of the branches of the Hanseatic League was located.
He was captivated by the splendor of many churches and monasteries, the beauty of worship. They were struck by the melodious ringing of bells, the piety of the people and their zeal for church services. Procopius visited the church of Hagia Sophia, other churches and monasteries. After that, he had a desire to imitate a monastic feat.
And then he handed out all the property bequeathed by his father and his goods to poor people and the poor, and he donated part of the wealth to Varlaamo-Khutynsky Monastery, which was founded shortly before that, in 1192. Then Procopius went to the Monk Varlaam. He joyfully accepted him as the new son of the Orthodox Church. Varlaam christened the former merchant and became his mentor.
Soon, the pious life of Procopius became known both in Novgorod and its environs, and many people began to turn to him for a blessing. After the Novgorodians began to venerate him for a righteous life, he became a holy fool, did not sleep at night and constantly prayed to the Lord. Then he retired from Novgorod to Veliky Ustyug, where at the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God he lived alms on the porch, dressed in rags. Blessed slept, as a rule, on bare earth, on stones or on a pile of garbage.
The miracle of St. Procopius
According to the life, he predicted a natural disaster in the form of a strong storm with a thunderstorm, forest fires, tornadoes of great destructive power. They were the result of a meteorite incident that occurred 20 kilometers from Veliky Ustyug.
A week before this event, the blessed one began to walk through the streets of the city and, with tears, urged his inhabitants to pray and repent. Thus, he wanted the Lord to have mercy on them and not subject the city to the fate that befell Sodom and Gomorrah.
The righteous did not cease to warn of the impending judgment of God for a whole week, but no one believed him. When a terrible storm nevertheless broke out, the Ustyuzhans rushed to the cathedral church, which was the most fortified and safe place in the city. There they saw Procopius, he prayed for the salvation of the city and its inhabitants.
He lived in foolishness for 60 years, and after his death he was counted among the saints. At the same time, he became the first to be glorified by the Church in the guise of holy fools. In front of the icon of the miracle worker Procopius, prayers are also read as before the patron saint of commerce.
Joseph Volotsky
To the question of entrepreneurs about which icon of the patron of trade and entrepreneurship to put a candle and pray, another answer has recently appeared. In 2009, businessmen found a new patron saint. Patriarch Kirill declared the patron saint of Orthodox entrepreneurs and business executives the Monk Wonderworker Joseph Volotsky.
What caused the choice of the Patriarch? Joseph's talent manifested itself not only in theology and church service, but also in economic affairs. He lived in the late 15th - early 16th century. He founded a monastery in Volokolamsk, which very quickly began to flourish in economic terms. This was a manifestation of the credo of St. Joseph, who believed that the expansion of the economic, material capabilities of the Church would be used by her for good purposes.
Worked and walked in rags
Joseph Volotsky not only talented led the monks, built the economy of the monastery, but also worked on an equal basis with others. As it is said in his life, he was skilled in every human deed: he cut down a forest, sawed and chopped, dragged logs.
In his appearance, Joseph was no different from others: he walked in a simple rags, wore bast shoes woven from wood bast. He, along with other choristers, sang on the choir, prayed, preached, leaving the church last.
Many Russian monasteries took the experience of Joseph Volotsky as a guideline. Figuratively, he is called the leader of the Russian monastic economy, and not only the monastic. Those who want to get patronage in trade matters are advised to read before the icon:
- Troparion.
- Kondak.
- Prayer to St. Joseph of Volotsk.