Christianity is one of the three world religions. It is based on the teachings of the God-man Jesus Christ. According to Christian doctrines, Christ atoned for the sins of mankind through his death and opened the way for him to reunite with God. Jesus came to the world thanks to the immaculate conception of an earthly woman whose name is Mary.
Virgin Mary and her earthly path
The Most Holy Theotokos was a girl from Nazareth. The story of her conception of her Son is amazing. Without the participation of the earthly man, through the Holy Spirit, a new life was born in her womb. Thus, the Blessed Virgin became the mother of Jesus Christ. She is one of the most revered saints in the Christian religion. All believers worship the image of the Virgin, captured on the icons. In Christian temples there are more than one hundred. Some of them are more common, such as Kazan or Iverskaya, but few have heard of others. The latter is the icon of the "Threefold."
What pray in front of different icons
Actually, it’s not so important which icon you pray in front of. The main thing is with what heart you do it. After all, in fact, a person brings prayers not specifically to the icon, but to the image that stands behind the image on it. You need to pray with faith in the heart, while having pure thoughts.
Only then will prayer be heard. Nevertheless, there are generally accepted recommendations as to what the Mother of God should ask about before this or that icon. For example, in front of the icon “Grace of Heaven” people ask the Virgin Mary to be instructed on the true path leading to the Kingdom of Heaven; the “Tsaritsa” icon helps cancer patients to be healed; In front of the Fadeless Color icon, it is customary to pray for the granting of a righteous life and the resolution of family problems. The Blessed Virgin Mary is our patroness, helping all those who suffer, and the prayer of everyone who sincerely believes in the Grace of God will be heard.
The Thrilling Icon
Among all the other icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there is one very interesting one, which, perhaps, not everyone has heard of. It is not traditional. This icon depicts a three-year-old girl with huge brown eyes in a blue tunic with a snow-white lily in her hand. The girl's hair is loose, her head is uncovered.
Evidence that this image is considered an icon is a halo and an inscription. Otherwise, it could be taken as a picture, so it does not fit into the framework of icon painting. This icon depicts the little Virgin Mary at the age of three. Its name is taken from the canon of the Feast of the Introduction to the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It refers to the word "three years old," because it was at this age that the introduction of the little girl into the House of God took place. Even as a child, the Virgin already had such greatness and spiritual maturity that experienced clergymen bowed before her.
History of the Icon
The icon of the Mother of God “Tripartite” was painted not so long ago with the blessing of a nun from a monastery in the Ukrainian city of Rivne. Her prototype was a postcard that was brought from Jerusalem. There are also sources claiming that this icon is Catholic. The white lily in the child’s hand is a sign of purity and integrity. A blue tunic symbolizes virginity. According to many critics, the icon of the little Virgin is just a plot depicting the events of the Feast of Entry into the Temple.
In the iconography of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is absent.
Why the icon is prohibited for distribution in the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
The ban on its use and distribution is due to the fact that it is not an Orthodox icon. She is considered only as a picture depicting a little girl. From the point of view of icon painting, it does not coincide with the canonical patterns and is completely unconventional. The blue tunic on the girl is the only attribute taken from iconography.
On traditional Orthodox icons, the Virgin, regardless of age, is depicted with her head covered. According to some clergy, this view lacks many details that reflect the essence of the events. The icon “Tripartite,” whose meaning for Orthodox Christians is ambiguous, reflects the age of the Virgin, but spiritual beauty, according to many, is not fully shown on it. The vocation of iconography is the disclosure of the height and grandeur of the feat of the Mother of God, her spiritual maturity, and only traditional Orthodox icons fulfill this mission in full. The icon "Three-Fold" to icon painting in its traditional sense has a weak relationship. She is knocked out of the general channel.
The Tripartite Icon: what do they pray before it?
Since the image of the little girl depicted on this icon is associated with motherhood, the prayers that are born when she sees her correspond to this feeling. Most often, women who want to get pregnant and have a baby turn to her, but for some reason they do not succeed. It is this icon that touches their innermost feelings in their souls, and they believe that when they appeal to the Blessed Virgin Mary through this image, their prayers will certainly be heard. Also, this image is popular with already held mothers with young children. In this case, mothers ask for their babies health, chastity and long life. They especially like to put the “Triadous” on the head of the crib, because they believe that then their children will be under the auspices of the Most Holy Theotokos, and she will protect them from all troubles.
Opinions of the clergy regarding the icon "Threefold"
Ministers of the Church are ambiguous about this image. It is clear that the “Triumphant” is absent in iconography and cannot be considered an Orthodox icon. However, many parishioners are interested in how they relate to this image if it was presented to them, for example, or just really like it. Is it worth keeping it at home or not? Many priests are inclined to believe that there is definitely nothing wrong with this image; therefore, they cannot forbid to keep the icon “Tripartite” at home. But they advise to treat her accordingly. The priests propose to consider it as an artistic illustration of the events of those days, and in this they see nothing wrong. However, they still advise to pray in front of the icons that are accepted and distributed in all Orthodox churches.
How to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary
When we turn to the Most Holy Theotokos through prayer, we must first remember that we honor not a certain icon, but the image that stands behind it.
That is, we do not turn to the icon, but directly to the Virgin Mary, her image only helps us to better feel the spiritual connection. The icon "Tripartite" should not be an exception in this regard either. If this image inspires you to the right spiritual thoughts, you can store it at home. The main thing is that you should be pure in heart and thoughts, believe in God's Grace. Only faith and love can work miracles. Whatever the icon, if you are not a deeply religious person, it is unlikely that something will help you. Improve yourself spiritually, never stop in your development, work on yourself - and you will certainly be heard in your prayers.