Icon of All Saints - universal image for prayer

In addition to the images depicting certain particular clerics (Jesus, the Mother of God, apostles, evangelists, martyrs and prophets), there are iconic collectives. They symbolically painted the whole of the Host of God, and praying before them, we can turn to our holy patron for help , as if it were an icon.

The essence of the name

Why is the image "Icon of All Saints" called? At the baptism every Christian gets to himself a personal heavenly protector, a patron who protects him on the path of life and to whom the person who is in church can address in prayers with any need and request. In honor of this patron, a new name is given to him. However, the icon of All Saints is an universal image, this is the essence of its name. Whatever your celestial guardian - Archangel Michael, Nicholas the Wonderworker or Mother Matron - your prayer in this manner will be heard by each of them. Ask for support at all life crossroads - and you will feel it necessarily! What prayer most often heard the icon of All Saints? Probably: "Fathers of heaven, merciful intercessors, pray to God for us!"

Description of the image

There are many different icon image lists. The oldest dates back to the 5th-7th centuries, and they were made on Athos. Here, for example, what the icon of All Saints looks like on one of the Russian samples of the 18th century: at the top is the Most Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). The father is depicted in the center, the Son is on the right, and the Spirit (in the image of the Dove) above the Wallpaper. The second row of figures, that is, somewhat lower, is the Mother of God, which is called the Lady of the Mother of God, the Intercessor of all sinners, and the Baptist John. In addition to them, the icon of All Saints, the description of which we are making, includes John the Baptist and the faces of other lambs of God.

Feast in honor of the image

In memory of All Saints - this is the day of special glorification of the icon. It is usually celebrated after the Trinity, on the first Sunday. It is also called Pentecost. For the icon of All Saints takes on a special significance on the fiftieth day after the Passover of Christ. Prayers in her honor are held all week until the 8th post-Easter Sunday. Thus, this holiday is a rolling holiday, not having a fixed calendar number.

Our Invisible Defenders

Who are they, our invisible saviors? Let's take a closer look at the photo of the icon of All Saints and reflect on the persons who look at us with austere and at the same time meekly and compassionately. Saints are people who, during their lifetime, have pleased the Lord with their actions, firmness in faith, and deeds that glorified the Most High, accomplished for His glory. After their physical death, they were taken by God to heaven, to pray before Him for our intercession.

Hierarchy of heaven

The faces of the saints are, first of all, the prophets. From God Himself they received a wonderful gift - to see the future, to see the events that must occur hundreds and thousands of years later. The most important of them is the return of the Savior to the earth. Among the prophets, Ilya is most revered (prayer to the icon of All Saints and it is effective in July-August, the 20th and the 2nd, depending on the style). In addition, Orthodox Christians respectfully respect John the Forerunner, the days of veneration of which are June 24 (July 7) and August 29 (September 11).

Apostles are messengers of God

The apostles are those people who personally knew Christ, were his disciples, accompanied the Son of God through the land of Judah, recorded his teachings. We know the 12 apostles, by name, how they knew the Living God and how they found themselves in Christ. After the death of their teacher the apostles went to different ends of the world to preach new knowledge. Among them, too, has its own hierarchy. The main, or first-rate, recognized Paul and Peter. Evangelists, ie, the compilers of the Scriptures, are Luke, Matthew, John, Mark. Some saints are equated with the apostles for the mission performed. They were not personal disciples of Christ, but in different epochs they propagated His teaching. These are the Greek kings Constantine and Elena, the Russian princes Vladimir and Olga, the Georgian enlightener Nina.

Clan of the Martyrs

Many saints depicted on the icon deserved such a great honor not only for carrying the Light of Truth to the masses, but also severely suffering for it. These include Christian martyrs. Those who have undergone terrible mockeries, outrages and tortures, are called great martyrs. This is the famous healer Panteleimon, whose image in the popular consciousness has merged with the archangel Raphael, the healer of God; And St.. George, who bears the high name of the Victorious; As well as Christian sufferers - Catherine and Barbara. The canonical texts refer to the first martyrs-Christians, that is, those who were the first of a large number of victims to bear the blow of persecution and persecution - Stefan and Fekla. A special place among the saints on the icon is occupied by confessors - Christians, who with their own righteous lives proved the justice of the covenants of God.

People of "Christ's sake"

These include the holy companions, who pleased the Lord with their deeds:

• This is so respected by both the Orthodox and the Catholics, Nicholas: endowed with great abilities, he, for the glory of God, created many miracles, for which he was given the title of Miracle-worker. John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian and others, called the teachers of the Christian Church.
• Those who became like God, that is, the monks - Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, loved by all the Orthodox people. And to this day faith in them is strong and unshakable.
• The righteous are family people, living according to the laws of Christianity and trying with all their might to keep the covenants of God. This is, first of all, the Old Testament prophets, the parents of Mary, her husband, Joseph, Peter and Fevronia of Murom and many others.
• Fools and bessrebreniki, helping others morally and financially without payment, expecting no reward, for Christ's sake: Basil the Blessed and the Mother Matrona, Xenia of Petersburg and others.

This is such an amazing - the icon of All Saints!