The miraculous icon of the mother of God "three-handed". "Three-handed" icon of the Mother of God

It is imperative to have a home to remind you of immortality, John of Kronstadt wrote about this. Translated from Greek, an icon means an image. It is, as it were, a visual link that helps to turn to God and the saints, while they pray not to the icon, but to the one who is depicted on it.

One of the many revered and miraculous images is an unusual image of the Mother of God, called the "Three-handed". As you can see in the photo, her amazing feature is the presence of a third hand in the image.

Historycreation

There are three stories of her origin. Depending on them third hand depicted as belonging to the Mother of God or as an independent element. Icon possesses healing power and great value ... The day of its celebration takes place on July 11 and 25.

Icons depicting Mother of God with Jesus, include to type ("Guides")... Usually on them the Baby is to the left of the Mother, but on the "Three-handed", on the contrary, he is on the right. The third hand on the image looks very unusual and is depicted either flesh-colored, like the hand of the Virgin, or silver or dark.

There are very different opinions about the origin of the icon. So, some compare it with the image of ancient multi-armed deities or argue that the three hands are a reminder of the Holy Trinity. This is certainly not the case. As it really was, no one will say with certainty, but they have survived to this day three ancient legends.

About John of Damascus

The most widespread legend begins in the 8th century. The Byzantine emperor Leo III the Isaurian declared a struggle against icons and the worship of all heavenly inhabitants. Christian icons were equated with pagan idols and were ruthlessly destroyed. Beyond this, it was lost great amount such cultural monuments as sculptures, mosaics and frescoes, images of saints. People who tried to protect them were punished and even killed.

Mansour ibn Serzhun was one of the few who opposed the destruction of icons. As an advisor to a ruler in Muslim Damascus, he defended shrines so that people could worship them. He also wrote letters and treatises denouncing the heresy of fighting icons. These actions supported Christians and greatly annoyed Leo, as an active supporter of iconoclasm. But Mansour was the son of a high official and held a high position in Damascus, so that he was outside the imperial influence.

Then the emperor, with the help of his subjects, forged a letter in which John allegedly offers him an alliance to conquer Damascus. The letter was sent to the Damascus caliph, and he was so angry at the alleged betrayal that he immediately deprived his minister of all privileges and, in addition, ordered to cut off his right hand and put it on public display to warn others. The saint miraculously escaped death by hanging, but when the ruler's anger subsided a little, he gave the severed hand to the martyr.

No matter how bad and painful it was for the bleeding monk, he did not despair, but began to pray for help in front of the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary with the Child. He asked for an opportunity to continue working for the glory of God. And then at night he dreamed of the Mother of God and promised healing, and in the morning the severed hand was in place. Only a scar remained in memory of the event.

John was sincerely grateful for the miracle. According to the old tradition of making offerings to shrines as a token of gratitude, he attached a hand cast from silver to the frame of the icon in front of which he prayed. It is this icon that will later be called "Three-handed". The third hand served as a recognition that the hand returned to him - God's mercy and does not belong to him. He also took a vow of service to the Lord and the Mother of God and wrote a song of thanks, which can still be heard on Basil the Great.

The miracle that occurred enlightened the caliph, he admitted the mistake and asked John to return to public service... But he realized that now his destiny is to serve the Lord. He went alone to the Jerusalem Lavra, taking only the icon with him. There he was tonsured a monk with the name John. His day of remembrance is December 4.

The icon was in Jerusalem until the 13th century, until it was presented to Saint Sava and transported by him to Serbia. When in the XV century. Ottoman invasions began to try to protect the shrine, it was transferred to the care of the Heavenly Forces. There was no other way how to put the image on the donkey and let the animal go. The animal, led only by God, reached the center of Orthodox Christianity, the holy Mount Athos, and stopped at the door of the Hilendar monastery, founded two centuries before the events. The monks took the icon and placed it on the altar. From that time to the present day, it has been sacredly kept and guarded there. Religious processions are performed to her every year.

Although the image was taken from Serbia, few traces of its veneration have survived in the territory close to it. So, in the temple of the village of Karan there is an amazing image of the Most Holy Theotokos in full height, in which she holds the Baby on her right hand, and points to him with two left ones.

About the icon painter

More ancient legend says that the "Three-handed" appeared in the monastery in a different way. The artist who worked on the icon was surprised to find that the Mother of God, painted by him, miraculously appeared a third hand at the bottom of the image. Twice he washed this hand, until the third time he received a dreamy vision with the Mother of God, who ordered to leave everything as it is. The artist strove for naturalness, but it was on this icon that a miracle was to be reflected.

Mother of God and the robbers

Albeit occasionally, but you can hear the third version. It says that one day young Mary had to save herself with Jesus from the robbers. She ran to the river, but in order to quickly get across by swimming, she needed both hands, and she held the Baby. Then she applied for God's help and a third hand was sent down to her, with the help of which she was saved.

Meaningimage

The position of the figures on the icon is such that the Holy Child is in the middle of the image in the hands of the Mother bowing her head towards him. He does a blessing gesture, and the hand of the Mother of God points to her son as the path to salvation... The value changes slightly depending on the position of the hand.

• John's hand testifies to the mercy and grace of the Mother of God condescending to those who love the Lord.
• In the icons depicting a hand belonging to the Queen of Heaven, its meaning is revealed in the troparion dedicated to the image. Two hands are needed to support the Baby, and the third gives cover and protection to people... It is worth noting that the Synod was very dissatisfied with this method of depiction, as it considered it unnatural. There was even a ban on depicting saints with elements that did not correspond to the truth.

Over time, people realized that the meaning of the "Three-handed" in the edification the need to serve the Lord and believe in a miracle... She gives hope for help Heavenly Forces in response to contacting them. "According to your faith be it unto you."

Wonders

The first miracle associated with the icon took place shortly after the death of the abbot of the Hilendar monastery. The monks could not come to a unanimous decision about who should become the new abbot. And then the Mother of God intervened in their confusion. Once, at a morning service, the monks were surprised to find that the icon "Three-handed" had disappeared from the altar and was in the place of the head of the monastery. Confident that someone had transferred it, the brethren returned the image to its place, but the next day he again occupied the post of hegumen. Surprised, as it seemed to them someone's stubbornness, the monks took the icon to the altar and sealed the doors. But, despite this, the next morning the icon again found itself in the abbot's place.

The situation was resolved by the monastery recluse. In a vision, the Mother of God came to him, announcing her decision to independently manage the flock, as a sign of which the icon would take the place of the head of the monastery.

Since then, this the monastery is ruled by the Queen of Heaven... There is no position of hegumen, he is replaced by the hieromonk-governor. It is located near the abbot's place, which is occupied by an icon of the XIV century. Kiss the hands in the image asking for blessings for the service. It is she, or rather, the Mother of God depicted on it, that preserves peace and order in the monastery walls.

In connection with such amazing story, for this monastery the icon has a special, great meaning, blesses and directs. The Heavenly Abbess patronized the monastery and protected it from enemy invasions. During the Russian-Turkish war, both sides of the conflict more than once saw how a mysterious female image appeared above the monastery walls right in the air, not harmed either from weapons or from attempts to reach out to the face.

Also the icon showed miracles of healing... V late XIX centuries, a prayer service before the miraculous icon stopped typhus in Kiev. Now this image is kept in the church of the Holy Trinity Monastery. Also, the miracles of healing were manifested by the relics of Jonah, reburied in the monastery. A pilgrimage to them cured the acid-burned hand of a woman.

Where can I find copies of the icon

The oldest copy is in the Troyan Monastery in Bulgaria. It is believed that it was the "Three-handed" who protected him, since he never closed, even during the times of persecution. Her hands in the image are covered with three silver sculptures on a frame.

In Russia, the icon has been revered since the 17th century, when its list was presented to the Moscow Patriarch Nikon. Unfortunately, that image has disappeared, and a copy of it, made in the middle of the 19th century, is kept in the museum. The image was so unusual that a tablet had to be hung next to it explaining its origin, so as not to embarrass the parishioners. Since then, a huge number of people have bowed to the amazing image, including the family of Tsar Nicholas II. Now this icon is rarely found on the home iconostasis. But in some temples there are miraculous copies of it. Below are the most famous ones.

• In the Moscow Svyato-Danilov Monastery there is an image of the 17th century. The image is famous for curing the restorer's weak eyesight.
• In the Bryansk region there is an image painted by Artemy Fedorov and Afanasy Ivanov in early XVIII c, famous for his miracles. The third hand on it was written belonging to the Mother of God.
• In the Yekaterinburg Church on the Blood.
• In the Moscow church named after the Three-Handed Icon.
• In the Moscow Dormition Church and the Trinity Cathedral.
• In the Tryokhsvyatitelsky, Borisoglebsky and Simeonovsky churches of Tver.
• In Troitsky nunnery Arkhangelsk.
• In the Tambov convent.

Despite its low prevalence, it works wonders. This is how important the Three-Handed Icon is.

What helpsicon

Any true believer can get help through the Three-Handed. Most often, they turn to her to protect the family from enemies and hang an icon in the house. But they also turn to the Mother of God with the following requests:

• well-being in marriage;
• about the stability of welfare;
• for help from diseases, especially with injuries, injuries, operations, burns of the skin, hands, feet, as well as with eye and infectious diseases;
• for the health of loved ones;
• to get rid of melancholy, anxiety and mental anguish;
• to strengthen mental strength;
• to help and give strength in handicrafts, crafts (especially surgeons) and household work.

Prayer

Before the icon, you can turn prayers to God and his Mother. Many akathists are dedicated to the wonderful image. Below is one of them.

“O Most Holy Lady, the Lady of the Theotokos, who showed a great miracle to St. John of Damascus, as if he showed true faith and hopelessness! Hear us, Thy sinful servant (names), before Thy miraculous icon, fervently praying and asking for Thy help: do not reject this prayer of many for the sake of our sins, but, like Mother of mercy and generosity, deliver us from diseases, sorrows and sorrows, forgive what we have done sins, fill the joy and gladness of all those who honor Thy holy icon, may we joyfully sing and glorify with love your name, as Thou art chosen from all generations, blessed forever and ever. Amen".

Three-handed icon

There is the Tradition of the Church, but there is folk legends that somehow penetrate the church fence. For earthly church life, which bears the imprint of our imperfection, this is a familiar phenomenon.

Usually, the Church copes with these legends, rejects some of them, and some churchgoers, since even fictional events can carry an edifying meaning and thus reveal some higher truth. But some contrary to church doctrine folk legends emerge from time to time, no matter what.

Icon Three-handed

In this case, we will talk about the "three-handed" version of the famous "Three-handed" icon of the Mother of God.

Having met such an image, an inexperienced viewer experiences a certain surprise.

After all, the icon of the Virgin has three hands! What does that mean? And here there are two options - to get into the special literature or to invent your own version, more or less intricate, depending on your imagination. For example, I had to deal with a situation when people inclined to the "wisdom of the East" immediately drew a parallel with the many-armed eastern deities. And this explanation sounds no more and no less ridiculous than "three hands symbolize the Holy Trinity."

But if we compare this image with the original kept in the Khilandar monastery, we will see a significant difference: the “third” hand is not written on the icon, but is made of metal and superimposed on the surface of the image.

Icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" and its meaning

Church tradition connects this patch with the life of the great saint.

The Monk John of Damascus (Damascus), lived in the 7th-8th centuries in Syria conquered by the Arabs and was a Syrian by origin. His worldly name was Mansur ibn Serjun. He came from a fairly noble family and served in the tax administration of the Arab Caliphate (later tradition called him almost a vizier). Later, Mansur retired to a monastery and became known as a theologian and hymnographer. Tradition recorded in the 9th century conveys the following story.

Venerable John Damascene, an icon by Archimandrite Zinon

The hagiographer says that, being the son of a high-ranking official, after his death, John of Damascus inherited his position at the court of the caliph and even rose higher, becoming the first adviser of the caliph - albeit against his own will, since he inclined towards a solitary monastic life.

When the persecution of icons began in the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Leo III, John Damascene composed a letter against the heresy of the iconoclasts, which quickly spread throughout the Christian world.

The angry emperor Leo decided to slander John before the caliph. By his order, the court scribes wrote a letter on behalf of Damascene, forging his handwriting, in which he allegedly called on the emperor to attack Damascus, while a peace treaty was in force between the Caliphate and Byzantium. Leo III forwarded the false letter to the Caliph along with assurances of strict adherence to the peace treaty. The Caliph believed, was angry with his minister and ordered to chop off his hand, allegedly writing a "treacherous letter", and hang it in Damascus in the market for everyone to see.

The slandered John begged the Caliph to give him his hand. After his long prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God, his hand grew. Seeing such an undoubted miracle, the caliph recognized the integrity of Saint John and agreed to let him go to the monastery, which he tirelessly asked. In memory of this miraculous healing, John Damascene made a model of his hand from silver and, in gratitude, attached it to the icon, through which he was healed by the prayers of the Mother of God.

This is what the legend says. And the icon called the "Three-handed", which is kept in the Khilandar Athos monastery, is considered exactly the one before which St. John prayed.

We can say that both the tradition and the connection of St. John with the Athos icon are not indisputable things. Historians and art critics have their own arguments here. For example, it can be noted that the Athos "Three-handed" does not in any way refer to the time of St. John. However, there is essentially no contradiction here.

Throughout Christian history, many miraculous healings by prayer have been recorded in front of this or that icon. And to this day, in different parts of the Christian world, there is a custom, as a sign of gratitude, to hang a miniature in the form of a healed organ from an icon. The custom, of course, is not indisputable, especially since exactly the same existed in ancient paganism. And yet, this explains a lot.

Lists of the miraculous Hilandar icon multiplied and spread. But copying did not always guarantee quality performance. And now, after some time, lists appeared on which the silver patch hand began to be depicted as alive. And then the not particularly thinking godmaz wrapped this hand in the Mother of God mophorium. And this variant has also spread thoughtlessly in many copies.

The Church tried to combat this violation of the canon, the Synod issued decrees, but habit and superstition are difficult to eradicate. And even now, when so many books on Christian iconography have been published, thoughtless godmothers continue to replicate a meaningless third hand. But I am glad that against the background of these handicrafts there are also excellent examples of modern icon painting.

The story of the miraculous image Mother of God"Three-handed" is closely connected with the fate of the defender of Orthodoxy and the veneration of the holy icons of St. John of Damascus. In 717, the Byzantine emperor Leo the Isaurian began fierce persecution of icon worshipers. The icons were burned, smashed, and their defenders were put to torment and death. Only outside the Byzantine lands, in Muslim Damascus, they still continued to openly venerate icons thanks to the intercession of St. John, who served as an adviser to the ruler of the city. However, soon the Monk John was accused by the emperor of high treason and was slandered before the local caliph. They were ordered to cut off his right hand and hang it in the town square for intimidation. Towards evening, when the governor's anger had subsided, the monk interceded before him and, taking the severed hand, shut himself up in his cell. The saint prayed long and tearfully in front of the icon of the Mother of God, placing the severed hand to the joint and asking the Lady to heal her hand. In a subtle dream, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him, bringing the joyful news of the healing of the hand, which from now on he was to use to glorify the name of God. Waking up, the monk felt his hand and saw it safe and sound. Touched by a feeling of deep gratitude to the Heavenly Lady for Her mercy, Saint John composed a song of thanks to the Mother of God “In Thee rejoices, grace-filled, every creature”, which in later liturgical practice began to be used as a sponsor in the liturgy of Saint Basil the Great. Also, wishing to leave the memory of the miracle that had happened, the saint put a hand made of silver to the lower part of the icon, through which he received healing, which is why this image received the name "Three-handed".

The news of John's healing immediately spread throughout Damascus. Enlightened by a miracle, the caliph realized his guilt and asked John to again take over the affairs of state, but the saint had already decided to devote all his strength to the service of God. He withdrew to the Lavra of Sava the Sanctified in Jerusalem and accepted monasticism there. There he also took with him the miraculous icon of the Mother of God.

The holy image was constantly in Jerusalem until the 13th century, when Saint Sava arrived at the monastery. By the special will of the Mother of God, the future Archbishop of Serbia was given the miraculous icon as a blessing. In the 15th century, during the Ottoman invasion, wishing to save the precious gift from destruction, the pious Serbs entrusted it to the care of the Queen of Heaven herself. The icon was placed on a donkey, and the animal, not led by anyone, came to the holy Mount Athos and stopped at the gates of the Khilandar monastery, founded in the 13th century by the Serbian ruler Stephen (Simeon). The Khilandar monks accepted the image as a great gift from above and placed it in the altar of the cathedral church, and since then, the icon has been replaced annually. procession.

Once, after the death of the hegumen, the brethren, starting to elect a new one, could not come to an agreement in any way. The troubles of the brethren were not pleasing to the Mother of God, and She herself took part in their dispute. Having gathered for the morning service, the monks found miraculous image standing not in the altar, but in the abbot's place. Attributing this to someone's secret actions, the monks returned the icon to its place, but in the following days it was repeated even with the doors sealed. Soon the will of the Mother of God was revealed through the famous monastery hermit, who reported that in a vision the Mother of God had told him Her will: to eliminate the disagreements of the brethren, She Herself would take the abbot's place with Her icon and would directly manage the monastery.

From that time to the present day, according to the will of the Queen of Heaven, in the Khilandar monastery, no special abbot is chosen from the brethren, but only the hieromonk-governor, who is in charge of the monastic affairs. During the service, he stands at the abbot's place where the miraculous icon of the Three-Handed Mother of God is placed. Applying to the icon, the brothers sacredly believe that they receive a blessing from the Mother of God Herself, their Heavenly Abbess.

The miraculous image has repeatedly defended the Khilandar monastery from alien invasions. In the era of the Russian-Turkish wars, according to the testimony of the Turks themselves, a mysterious Wife, inaccessible to people and weapons, often appeared over the walls of the monastery.

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Video about the Khilandar Monastery on Mount Athos.

Iconography

From an iconographic point of view, the image of the Mother of God "Three-handed" refers to the type of Hodegetria, with the Child sitting on the right hand. At the bottom of the icon, under right hand Our Lady, depicted human brush, part of the icon's silver setting. The image of the Mother of God is almost devoid of movement: Her head is slightly turned to the Son, with her left hand She points to the Infant Jesus Christ, as to the Path of salvation. The head of the Infant is removed from the head of the Virgin Mary, but His gaze is invariably turned to the Mother. The back side of the icon depicts St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

In the "Journey to Athos" by His Grace Porfiry, the "Slavic Serb appearance" of the images of the Mother of God and the Child is especially noted. There is an opinion, one of the first expressed by N.P. Kondakov, that the icon "Three-handed", kept in the Khilandar monastery, is not of deep antiquity. Kondakov refers the image to XIV century, judging by his letter and such an insignificant but eloquent detail as a small orb in the left hand of the Infant Jesus, which testifies, according to the scientist, "to the late origin of the icon or to the later correspondence." As a substantiation of his opinion, Kondakov cites a record about the Khilandar Mother of God of the confessor and elder of the monastery Nikanor, compiled by him in 1685. According to this testimony, the icon of the "Three-handed" "by its own beck and miracle came to eat from the God-protected city of Skopia, who sometimes reigns in it Balgar<…>". Based on this record, Kondakov suggests that the image could have been created "after 1377, when the Khilandarians received a courtyard in Skopia"

Lists with icons

In Russia, the Khilandar Icon of the Three-Handed Woman has been venerated since ancient times. By request Holy Patriarch Nikon, on June 28, 1661, a list of the image of the Three-Handed was delivered from Athos to Moscow, which served to establish the second celebration of the icon in honor of its meeting on Moscow land. The icon was placed by Patriarch Nikon in the Resurrection monastery founded by him in Istra, called New Jerusalem, from where copies of the icon began to be distributed throughout Russia. Many of them were glorified by miracles and therefore became especially revered among the people.

Due to the large number of miraculous lists from the Khilandar shrine, their lengthy descriptions cannot be given here.

Video about the icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed"

Photos and images in order of appearance: Public Domain; Public Domain; Public Domain; Public Domain; Public Domain;

Miraculous icon Three-handed

Icon of the Three-handed. Prayer.

V Orthodox faith the miraculous icon "Three-handed" has a very essential... Celebration of the image on July 11 and 25. The icon depicts the Mother of God, on whose right hand the Infant God is located and blesses everyone in front of him with the right hand. And the Mother of God points to the baby Jesus Christ as if showing the way to salvation. Below on the icon, under the right hand of the Mother of God, there is still a human hand. Some lists of the Mother of God ascribe to her a third hand. The meaning of the icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" is based on the severed hand, which testifies that people serving God can receive salvation.

The history of the appearance of the image is connected with the Monk John of Damascus, who was accused of treason to the state. By order of the Emperor, they cut off his right hand and wanted to hang him in the square, but then they pardoned him. John asked for a long time from the icon of the Mother of God for help, so that Higher power restored his hand. After long prayers, the Virgin Mary appeared to him at night and said about the healing of his hand, and John must use his hand to glorify God. This event formed the basis for the appearance of the "Three-handed" icon.

Icon "Three-handed" meaning, what helps. The main meaning of the icon is in its protective abilities. To protect your family from negativity, from problems, you need to place it at home. The image of the Mother of God also helps believers to get support, hope in difficult life situations... Among the artisans, "Three-handed" is considered the patroness. If people are sick, then the icon has a special meaning for them.

Prayers in front of the image help sick people to recover, helps to heal from ailments. History remembers that prayers in front of the icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" helped to save many people from serious diseases, from typhoid, and not only from physical diseases, but also from mental ones. The image helps women praying if they want to strengthen their marriage or marry good husband... Likewise, the face helps to heal in case of diseases of the legs, arms, eyes. Prayers in front of the icon will help to get rid of sorrowful thoughts, apathy, melancholy.

Only a deeply religious person who, with a sincere heart, love and faith, turns to the icon in prayer, can receive help from the Three-Handed Icon. Not only the icon itself is considered miraculous, but all the lists that are in numerous churches.

In Russia, the icon "Three-handed" has been known since the 17th century. A list of this icon was presented as a gift to Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in 1661. Copies miraculous icon who also help believers in their prayers are found throughout the country in temples. In the capital of Russia, Moscow, you can pray to the list of the image of the Holy Mother of God in the Assumption Church on Taganka.

Magnification of the Icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed"

How did the icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" appear?

There has been a period in the complex history of the Christian church that has remained as one of its most painful episodes. Iconoclasm is a heretical movement that came to Byzantium at the beginning of the 8th century. It is connected with the name of the native of the Asian Minor city of Germanicia, Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, who based his iconoclastic position on lines from the book of Exodus Old Testament"... do not make yourself an idol and any image of what is in heaven above, ... do not worship them and do not serve them" (Ex. 20: 4-5), obviously not realizing the greatest difference between the fact that there is a Christian icon and what is a pagan idol, and what is the gap between these two phenomena. During this period, many cultural monuments of that time were destroyed - icons, painted altars, frescoes, mosaics, sculptural statues of saints, which were also unconditional shrines for true Christians. From the costs of the Old Testament consciousness, the Eastern Church suffered great spiritual and cultural losses.

In fact, iconoclasm became a very serious obstacle in the development of Christianity, since it did not leave a person the opportunity for personal communication with the Lord and all His saints, for an icon is an image, a shrine that has the Holy Spirit, which consecrated the prototype of the saint that is depicted on it. or the Lord Jesus Christ and the Queen of Heaven themselves.

Leo III the Isaurian, otherwise - Isaur, ascended the throne in 717. From that moment until his death in 741, and a century later, Christendom was in a state of struggle between the supporters of iconoclasm and icon-veneration, until 843, when all the decrees on veneration of icons adopted at the VII Ecumenical Council were recognized at the church council. where the adherents of icon veneration won a victory and the iconoclasts were finally excommunicated from the Church. At the same council on March 11, they proclaimed and performed a new rite of proclaiming eternal memory to the zealots of Orthodoxy and anathematizing heretics, which is now being performed Orthodox Church on the Week of Orthodoxy - the first Sunday of Great Lent.

The history of the amazing miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which in type goes back to Hodegetria, with the only difference that the Divine Infant sits on Her right hand, and not on Her left hand, is associated with the name of the songwriter, zealot of faith and veneration of holy icons of St. John of Damascus - his name was given by his place of residence and ministry in the city of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Many do not know - where does this third, like a silvered hand come from, and does it belong to the Mother of God? The third hand of the "Three-handed" is depicted on the icons as darker in tone or lighter, but not in the bodily color characteristic of a living hand.
Saint John of Damascus was born in 680 into a family that professed Christianity. Father, Sergius Mansur, served as a treasurer at the caliph's court; after his death, Saint John took up the court position of minister and governor.
When the period of iconoclasm came, the Monk John Damascene made considerable efforts to prevent the spread of this dangerous and harmful heresy. He owns three treatises, united by the title "Against those who condemn holy icons." The content of these works was so convincing, wise, inspired by the Holy Spirit, made such an impression even on some iconoclasts, leading them to doubt their position that Leo the Isaurian was furious. He needed to destroy the author of the treatises. But since John Damascene occupied a high position at the court of the caliph himself and was not a Byzantine subject, the emperor could not arrest or execute him. So it was impossible to calm the Monk John, in whom the Byzantine tsar found a serious adversary, otherwise than by cunning. Slander and forgery - that was best tools in this case, and he did not disdain them. By his order, a letter was drawn up allegedly on behalf of John of Damascus, in which he proposed to the emperor a plan for the conquest of Damascus, and attached to it his answer, full of hypocritical flattery. Slander, as you know, is a terrible thing, the caliph was angry and ordered to deprive the monk saint of all his regalia, to cut off his right hand and hang it on the main square of the city for the edification of everyone.
The monk's physical suffering was great. But even greater are spiritual sufferings, for he was slandered and undeservedly disgraced. On the same day, John, through his comrades, conveyed a letter to the Caliph, where he wrote that his illness was increasing, but he had no peace of mind as long as his right hand was exposed to shame for everyone. The Caliph, obviously remembering the previous merits of his courtier and his father, ordered the return of the hand to John. On the same night, the Monk John put his hand to the place where it had been cut off, fell on his knees before the icon of the Mother of God and, weeping, prayerfully asked Her to return his right hand, not just to be healed, but to regain the opportunity to work in defense of Orthodoxy. and the thought, set forth in writing, to resist heresies. So in prayer and tears, he was forgotten in a dream. But on the verge of sleep and reality, he saw the bright face of the Mother of God, bending over him, and heard Her wonderful voice - She promised him healing, but since then all his labors with this hand must be given to Her.

After that, the Monk John, exhausted by the pain of mental and physical, fell fast asleep, and the next morning, waking up, he did not feel pain, and then he saw that his hand belonged to him as before, only a thin scar remained.

In an outburst of love and gratitude to the Queen of Heaven for a quick and miraculous healing, Saint John Damascene created the song of the Mother of God “In Thee rejoices, grace-filled, every creature”, which later entered the liturgy of Basil the Great, which is served during Great Lent. And as a symbol of eternal service to his Redeemer, he attached a silvered hand to Her icon - by this he seemed to admit that this hand, cut off and returned to him, did not belong to him, but to the One who performed the miracle of healing his spirit and body. This is how this most wonderful of the icons - "Three-handed", appeared.

When the caliph learned what had happened, saw a miracle, which was evidence of the innocence of the Monk John, he asked for forgiveness and wanted to return to the saint everything that he had taken from him, but he thanked him and refused. He distributed wealth to the needy and together with adoptive brother Cosmas, whom he took into his family as a child and with whom he grew up and was brought up together, went as a simple novice to the monastery of Sava the Sanctified.

Here John Damascene received monastic tonsure, then the patriarch called him to Jerusalem, ordained him a priest and invited him to serve in the pulpit, but the monk, preferring a simple monastic life, very soon returned to the monastery of Saint Sava and continued his written works for the glory of God, serving to her Intercessor and Redeemer. To him, the current divine services owe the creation of many church hymns and spiritual books. In 754, at the Cathedral of Constantinople, where the preponderance of forces was on the side of the iconoclasts, he was thrown into prison and tortured. However, the Mother of God did not leave the one whose hand was faithful to Her during all the days of the saint's life and was imprinted on one of Her sacred images. The Monk John Damascene did not perish, but returned to his monastery, to the icon "Three-handed", with which he did not part until his blessed death in 784 at the age of 104.

How the icon got to the Serbian monastery on Athos

The Monk John of Damascus passed away, but the amazing procession of the "Three-handed" continued. In the XIII century, the icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" ended up in Serbia, being donated to Saint Sava of Serbia. When the Ottoman conquest of the eastern Christian world began and the Turks attacked Serbia, the shrine, in order to save it from desecration, the monks, trusting the mercy of God, put it on the donkey and sent it to wander wherever they looked. And so, miraculously, without encountering any obstacles, the donkey came from Serbia to the Athos monastery of Khilandar, founded in the 13th century by the Serbian ruler Stephen (Simeon), where the monks gladly received it and put it on the altar in the main cathedral. Since then, a procession of the cross has been performed at the place where the icon was found.

Here, through the icon "Three-handed", the Mother of God again revealed her wonderful will. Some time after the icon arrived at the monastery, the abbot died. The brethren began to choose a new abbot, but the monks could not make a single decision. Once, when everyone came to the morning service, at the place where the abbot met them, there was an icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed". The image was taken to its original place, and in the morning next day she again stood in the abbot's place. To make sure that this was not someone's strange joke, the monks sealed the doors to the altar, and the next day the "Three-handed" again stood in the abbot's place. Then the monks realized that this was the will of the Mother of God herself, and the monk, a former long time in the shutter, but came out of the shutter in order to witness the appearance to him in the night of the Most Pure. The all-benign Queen said that from now on She would herself rule the abode. Since then, there is no abbot in the Khilandar monastery, and in order to receive a blessing, as it should be before any business, the monks go to the icon to venerate her blessed hand, while the affairs of the monastery are controlled by the hieromonk-governor.

In time Russo-Turkish wars The Khilandar monastery was under the protection of the Three-Handed Mother of God. The Turks themselves testified that a heavenly Female image appeared over the walls of the monastery, and this frightened the Ottoman invaders, famous for their fearlessness and zeal in battle.

Icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" in Russia

To Russia "Three-handed", or rather, a list with ancient icon, brought on June 28, 1661 at the request of Patriarch Nikon and placed in the Resurrection Monastery in New Jerusalem. Now there is a copy of that icon, made in 1854. There are two more lists in Moscow - in the Trinity Cathedral of the Holy Danilov Monastery and in the Assumption Church of the Bulgarian courtyard.

What a miracle happened

The very appearance of the icon is associated with a miracle. John Damascene, in a heartfelt prayer before the image, turned to the Mother of God with a request for healing. His hand, with its wrist cut off, was again unharmed. In memory of what happened, he attached a silver brush to the image, and since then the icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" has become known throughout the Christian world as a healing one. The fact that her lists also become miraculous is confirmed by the stories of people who received help from her. So, in one St. Petersburg church there are records, according to which already in our time the icon "Three-handed" helped to heal a hand with torn tendons without surgery, thanks to the mother's prayer in front of this icon, the child's umbilical hernia disappeared. In a Moscow church, three women cried and prayed before the icon for the salvation of a dying man, and he recovered. There are many cases confirming miracles from the Three-handed icon of the Mother of God.

Wherever the "Three-handed" icon of the Mother of God appeared, miracles took place. The Moscow Church of the Assumption, in which she was located, was not closed even during Soviet power... With the image that is in the Moscow Danilov Monastery, interesting story happened in the 1980s. The icon was returned from the museum to the monastery, but before that it needed restoration. The short-sighted master who worked with her suddenly regained his sight.

The meaning of the icon

When looking at the icon, we see that the center of the composition is occupied by the Infant Jesus Christ, sitting in the arms of the Mother of God. It is as if he blesses with his right hand the one who is in front of the image. The Mother of God points to Christ as the path to Salvation. This is a typical image of Hodegetria, but the very appearance and great veneration of the Three-handed icon, which is closely connected with a difficult period in the history of Christianity, serve us as an important spiritual and historical evidence that the icon is not a talisman, not a talisman, but a window to the heavenly world. with whom we can communicate, and it will be given to us according to our faith. The very phenomenon of iconoclasm began with this misunderstanding: people scraped paint from icons, broke off pieces, worshiped not the prototype, but that which Fr. Pavel Florensky called it "a physical cause." We honor the icon, but we give our love and believe to that person, that person who looks at us from it and through it. And if we treat her like this, then through the icon the benevolence of the person who is shown in paints by the hand of the blessed icon painter will be shown to us. The hand of the Monk John of Damascus is an eternal testimony of how, at the behest of the Mother of God, salvation and grace come to those who devote themselves to serving God under Her supreme guidance.