From ancient times in Russia it was customary to bow and ask for protection and help before holy images. They heal, save, help and revive those who pray earnestly for this, because those who ask always receive. Many such icons are great, but those who are famous for their miracles are especially revered. These include the Miracle-working icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Three Joys. Today we’ll talk about this miraculous image.
Icon of "Three Joys"
An interesting story is the appearance of a particularly revered shrine in Russia. A long time ago, at the beginning of the 18th century, during the reign of Tsar Peter I, a fashion appeared for young people to get education abroad. A young Russian painter was sent to Italy to study, and upon graduation, he brought with him the exact image of the Catholic Icon of the Mother of God, the Holy Family, with him to his homeland. Scientists believe that the original of this icon was written by Raphael himself, the great creator and embodiment of artistic style and taste. A young artist, educated in the best Western traditions, presented the holy image to the priest of the church of the Trinity Life-Giving on Gryazekh. He was his relative, and, in turn, gave lists of the icon to the temple. For some time nothing was heard about her, but 40 years later the first miracle happened.
Three joys in joy
Legend has it that one noble, respectable lady from an aristocratic society fell into a difficult life situation, suffered heavy losses. She had three troubles at the same time. So, her beloved husband was slandered and imprisoned. The family estate was taken away, and her only son was taken prisoner on the battlefields. An unhappy woman everywhere sought help in overcoming evil rock. She earnestly and sincerely prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos, asking her for protection and help with pleas and tears. Every night, she turned to her for advice, until one day, in a dream, she heard a voice telling her to find the icon of the Holy Family and pray before the holy image. For a long time the unhappy woman wandered through the
churches of Moscow and searched for
this icon until she came to the Trinity Church on Gryazekh. There, on the porch of the Trinity Church, on Pokrovka, was the icon of the Holy Family. Falling to her knees, the venerable lady prayed fervently beside the holy image.
After some time, she received three good news: her husband was acquitted, and he finally returned home from exile, the son was released from captivity, and the family estate was returned. Since that time, this image began to be called the icon of “Three Joys”. The parishioners, praying to this image, also noticed that the joy of this icon comes in three times.
Holy face
The icon depicts the Infant God on his knees at the Blessed Virgin Mary with a white flower in her hands. To the right of the center is Joseph the Betrothed, and to the left is John the Baptist at a young age. Both look with love at the divine baby. The icon of "Three Joys" is celebrated on December 26 according to the old style (or January 8 according to the new style). Only once a year, parishioners of the Trinity Church on Gryazekh have the opportunity to especially honor their memory and ask the saints for protection and forgiveness. However, it always works: crowds of believers daily strive to bow to the holy image.
What to pray before the shrine?
Many people come to worship the image of the Virgin with a variety of requests and supplications, because it is believed that she helps in many cases. Those who find themselves in a difficult situation in a foreign land or who are in the army service in hot spots turn to the icon. An earnest prayer to the icon of “Three Joys” helps to restore what was lost, to free oneself from captivity, to be saved from the enemy. Before this, they ask for healing from an illness, for the successful resolution of an important matter. Very often undeservedly slandered sufferers or those who have lost the good acquired by honest labor pray. The image became famous for its miracles, there are many cases where the lost was returned to its rightful owner.
The mercy of the sovereign
Historians know for certain that the icon of "Three Joys" was respected and honored in the royal house of the Romanov family. One of the lists of this icon was donated to Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Emperor Alexander II. The maid of honor of the Empress Anna Fedorovna Aksakova made a gift, which after the death of Maria Alexandrovna took the icon back to herself for a while. But then she returned the icon to the Romanov dynasty, handing it to the wife of Tsarevich Sergey Alexandrovich Elizaveta Fedorovna. At the same time it was said: “I want your bride to take on the image as a blessing from your mother ...”
But not only in the rich chambers of the royal house, the icon of the "Three Joys" was held in high esteem. The common people also prayed fervently before the image and received miracles from their faith. The inhabitants of the Kuban loved the shrine very much. The Icon of the Mother of God of “Three Joys” helped the mothers and wives of the Kuban Cossacks. Thanks to sincere prayers before the shrine, their brothers, sons and husbands safely returned from military campaigns.
Lists Icons
At present, the icon of the “Three Joys” in Moscow is located on the territory of the Church of the Holy Trinity on Gryazekh at the Pokrovsky Gate. This is the oldest icon list written in the mid-19th century. It was here, in this monastery, that the holy image of the Mother of God “Three Joys” was brought from Italy, which disappeared in difficult revolutionary times and the temple was closed. The fate of the original image is still unknown.
There are two other venerable lists of the Three Joys icon. One is located in Moscow, in the Church of the Deposition in Leonov, and the second - in the house church of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, at the Sofrinsky brigade of operational designation.
When in 1992 the Trinity Church on Gryazekh was reopened, several icons were presented to the parishioners. These icons were seized at customs when they wanted to be illegally taken abroad. Among them was the icon of the Virgin "Three Joys". This is a list of Italian icons, but written in the Russian icon-painting tradition of the 19th century. In front of this icon, the lamp itself was miraculously lit, after which it was especially honored. A service is always held on Wednesdays around the image and the Akathist must read it.
Image value
The icon of the "Three Joys" is honored and loved by the people. Its significance is great for the Orthodox people. A hotly crying parishioner always receives what he asks with an open heart and pure thoughts. The image gives those who request healing from diseases, including oncological ones. Pray before him for the bestowal of children, successful marriage or marriage. The shrine returns the mind to those who have lost their reason, helps to find a way out of a difficult situation, gives a person strength. That is why the icon of "Three Joys" is so revered - the value attached to it by the Russian people is important for every believer.
Pilgrim to the rescue
The “Three Joys” icon is the second main shrine of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Gryazekh, located at the Pokrovsky Gate. You can get to the service on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Also, every Monday, a service is held to the Rev. David of Gareja, and every Thursday to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. These are two more especially revered shrines of the temple, but we will talk about them another time.