Orthodox spirituality is inseparable from the veneration of the Virgin - the woman who gave birth to Jesus Christ, while remaining, according to church traditions, a virgin. Currently, there are several thousand of its iconographic images. Among the most popular are the images of Tenderness, Indelible Bowl and Indestructible Wall. The last of them will be discussed below.
Icon of the Virgin "indestructible wall"
Each image of Mary has her own church name. As for the name of the icon of the Mother of God “The Indestructible Wall”, it was borrowed from the text of an ancient prayer in which Mary is called the inviolable wall in connection with the faith of Christians by virtue of her intercession before God. Moreover, this name symbolizes that boundless love for people and sacrifice that believers attribute to the Virgin as the heavenly queen.
Traditionally, prayers are offered before this icon in grief and danger, when they need help and mediation of the Mother of Christ before the Almighty. On a societal scale, such causes can be natural disasters, wars, social unrest, epidemics and other threats to the life, health and safety of citizens. Believers are convinced that the prayer to the Virgin “Indestructible Wall” can protect against all of the above. Some even claim to have miraculous healings after turning to Mary before this image.
Troparion to the Virgin "The indestructible wall"
Troparia, that is, a small prayer text, has almost every saint. Many revered icons are also involved in this tradition. There is also such a prayer - “Indestructible Wall”, since the last image is very revered. In the tradition of church singing, he sings in the fourth voice. In Russian, it sounds like this: “Today we have a zeal for the Mother of God, sinful and humble, and let us rest, calling with repentance from the bottom of our hearts: Lady, mercy, help us, for you see that we perish from many transgressions. Do not reject your slaves because we have You with one hope. "
Icon of the Mother of God “The Unbreakable Wall”: Prayer and Interpretation
A special prayer is written for this image, which emphasizes the features of the icon-painting image and its purpose. The translation of the Church Slavonic text into Russian is as follows:
“O gracious One, Our Lady, Mother of God, Eternal Virgin! Accept from us this singing of praise and thanksgiving and offer your fervent prayers to us, our unworthy ones. Forgive us by mercy for all our sins, vicious and unclean thoughts. and evil deeds.
O most holy lady, be merciful and bestowed upon everyone according to his needs: heal the sick, mourn the consolation, grant the lost to the lost, save babies, educate and instruct young men, encourage and edify men and women, support and warm the old. Be an inviolable wall to us both here and in eternal life, save us from various troubles and sorrows and from eternal torment. We, always singing your motherly love, from the bottom of our hearts send praise to your son and the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen".
Such is the Prayer of the Unbreakable Wall, which embraces almost all people on earth. Of course, in order to read it, it is not necessary to wait for some special occasion. You can express your hope for Mary’s intercession just like that, in the order of everyday prayer practice, because in its content it has more prophylactic significance than a specific request. In case of urgent need, the prayer “Indestructible Wall” can be filled or completely replaced with an impromptu request, appropriate to the situation.
General prayer to the Virgin
Along with a special prayer in front of this icon, there are prayers addressed to the Mother of God, not tied to her images. They are read before any images, and one of them, which is especially popular, we will give below in the Russian translation, because in its content it, like the prayer “Indestructible Wall”, asks for protection and help in sorrows.
"All-good my queen, my hope, Mother of God! The refuge of orphans and the intercessor of travelers, the joy of the mourners and the patroness of the offended! See my misfortune, see my grief! Help me because I am powerless, accept me because I am on the way. You know my insult - scatter it as you please, because I have no other help but you, no other intercessor, no good comforter except you, O Mother of God. Save me and protect me forever and ever. Amen! "