What does the burning bush icon mean? How does the icon help and what do they pray to the “Burning Bush” for? What to pray for in front of the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush”

« Burning bush" is a mysterious phrase, upon hearing which it is difficult to imagine something specific. In fact, it is a thorn bush, which became famous thanks to the divine illumination, which we are told about Old Testament. In memory of this event, the Burning Bush icon was painted. Meaning, what it helps with, and why it helps unburnt, you can find out if you read to the end.

History and appearance of the icon

The image of Kupina first appeared in the 14th century. Monks brought it to Moscow from Palestine. And they told this story: this image He appeared to the Mother of God on the rock of Horeb, under which stood a green thorn bush. And nothing foreshadowed trouble. But the bush suddenly caught fire with a strong flame. It was burning, yeah didn't burn out. The flame consumed the plant, but there was no harm to it.

At that moment, the prophet Moses was walking past, tending sheep. He saw this miracle and heard the voice of the Angel of God, who called him to go to the rulers of Egypt and ask them to allow them to take out those who had been tortured by bullying. local residents Israelis. For which he promised to create many miracles in Egypt.

The Lord gave Moses a staff and said that if they don’t believe you, throw it on the ground and then it will turn into a snake, people will see this miracle and will follow you. But the Egyptian Pharaoh only became even more embittered towards the people of Israel and forced them to work harder. Then God sent various troubles to Egypt: he turned all the water into blood and people could not drink it, and sent hordes of frogs that filled the entire palace and houses. He sent swarms of flies that did not give anyone peace or life. And he created exactly 10 such disasters.

Pharaoh finally gave in and let the Israelites leave Egypt. In honor of such a miraculous phenomenon, an icon was soon painted, and the name was given to it - Unburnt. Because of that bush that Moses saw that was never burned.

Now this icon is located in Khamovniki, where the Church of the Burning Bush was built and consecrated.

Image of the icon

The icon of the Burning Bush is drawn in the form eight-pointed star made of two rhombuses with concave edges.

The first diamond - bright red symbolizes fire, the second - indicates the bush itself, which remained green after the fire. In the center there is a Virgin with a baby in her arms, in right hand which is a staircase. Not only the ladder is visible in the Virgo’s hands, but also that same wonderful bush. The staircase symbolizes the descent of the son of God to earth. A mountain is depicted next to the stairs as a symbol of ascent. A large number of angels, which can be seen on the icon both here and there, symbolize the elements and gifts of the Holy Spirit: the gift of wisdom, miracles, giving, teaching and others.

The spirits themselves can also be considered:

• Spirit of the Lord is drawn with Jesus Christ in his hands, and on his head is a crown,
• Spirit of Wisdom holds the gate in his hands,
• Spirit of the Fortress- dressed like a knight, with a sword in his hands.

IN Orthodox calendar The day of veneration of the icon is September 17. This is the day of remembrance of Moses and Kupina.

Miracle of the Burning Bush Icon

During its existence, the icon created many miracles, which were reported by witnesses from different places and at different times.

• In Sinai, where it happened miraculous phenomenon Moses, there is the Catherine Monastery, near which grows that same bush, a little like a raspberry. Shoots sprouted from its withered twig and gave life to another bush of the same kind, which does not exist anywhere else in the world. Pilgrims who come here to worship the great miracle can take with them a leaf or twig of a bush.
• In 1822, fires raged endlessly in the city of Slavyansk. The image of the Mother of God with the Unburnt appeared to one of the residents, and immediately a woman was found who started the arson.
• In 1196, in the village of Yuzha-Nikolskoye, one of the residents decided to light the stove with logs, which he bought from the city utility service. When the fire flared up, he saw the image of the Virgin Mary in the oven. His wife grabbed a trowel and pulled the log out of the stove. It had the imprint of an icon. After cooling the log outside and wiping it with a cloth, they were surprised - the icon was like new, it wasn’t even charred. The couple took the icon to the Yuryev Monastery, where it was mounted on a large board and began to be venerated in this form. In 2001, the icon was stolen. Its current location is also unknown.
• In 2010, terrible fires were burning in the same Yuzhsky district. A terrible threat loomed over the village of Mosta. The fire came close to the temple. The abbot walked around the procession with the Burning Bush and in an instant the wind changed and the fire went away from the village.

Having connected these events together, you involuntarily begin to believe in the miracle-working of the icon. Mother of God Burning Bush.

How to pray in front of an icon

Prayer, This one-on-one conversation between a person and God, through which you can speak out yourself and turn to God for help. Not everyone knows what words to use and how to do it in order to be heard.

• You need to pray not to the icon itself, not to the object, but to the image depicted on it. Mentally imagine this image as if it were alive.
• You can read the prayer in your own words; if you find yourself in a critical situation, you won’t even remember the text of the prayer.
• Standing in front of the icon, cross yourself; this is done to attract God’s grace.
• You can ask for anything, but usually each saint has his own strengths.
• After you have finished the prayer service, you need to kiss the icon, thereby expressing your respect to God.
• After finishing the prayer, cross yourself 3 times.
• You need to pray with a pure heart and bright thoughts. Forgive everyone who offended you. Forget everything bad.
• If you perform a prayer service outside the church, it is better to be left alone with the image; after all, this is a personal matter for everyone.
• There is no need to say your words out loud, do it silently.

To contact the icon of the Burning Bush, you need to know how it can help people.

Icon of the Burning Bush: meaning

For a long time people have resorted to the image of the Holy Mother of God. In what cases can this icon help us?

Considering the history of the appearance of the icon, people began to ask her for help in such situations:

1. It is hung at home to protect it from fires.
2. She is asked to help those who protect others from harm. People of such professions as military and firefighters, doctors and pilots often turn to her
3. During the war, soldiers and commanders ask her for protection.
4. People believe that a miraculous fire can cleanse them of their sins.
5. Patients ask for relief from mental illnesses.

Now we know why it was consecrated and why this icon of the Burning Bush is famous, its meaning, how it helps people, how and where it appeared for the first time. And to believe or not to believe in what happened is a personal matter for each of us.

Video about the Burning Bush

In this video, Yulia Malova will tell you what the meaning of the Burning Bush icon is, how to correctly read the akathist to the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The icon of the Burning Bush depicts the Mother of God; she had the sinless conception of Jesus Christ. This icon, with the image of the patroness, is one of the Old Testament prototypes of the appearance of the Mother of God. The miraculous image protects the house from fires and various negative natural phenomena and criminals.

Many Orthodox Christians wonder what the Burning Bush icon helps with and what its significance is. But to get results, you need to pray correctly in front of it, hang it in right place. What the true meaning of the card is will be described below.

Description of the icon

The image on the icon consists of two rhombuses, they are concave inward, the edges of the figure form an eight-pointed star, which is also the base. One of the diamonds depicts the Mother of God, who survived the fire, her face shown on a green background. The second rhombus symbolizes fire; it is made in bright red colors.

In the center of the shrine is the image of the Mother of God herself, who holds her child in one hand, and with the other hand she grabbed a small ladder. Looking carefully at the image, you can see the sacred plant itself - the Burning Bush.

In this image, the staircase is a symbol of the descent of the son of God onto the sinful earth; near the stairs you can see a mountain, which was drawn as a symbol of ascension.

This icon depicted enough a large number of various angels, they symbolize:

• wisdom;
• talent;
• teaching;
• giving;
• miracles.

IN different parts The icon depicts three spirits, each of them has its own role. The Spirit of the Lord - the artists depicted him with a large crown on his head and with Jesus in his hands. Another spirit has a gate in its hands. The third spirit has a knightly appearance, he is depicted with a sword in his hands, symbolizing protection and patronage.

Miraculousness of the icon

Over the entire period of its existence, the shrine has performed a large number of miracles; there are many stories about them different stories, each of them is impressive in its own way. Even a person who does not believe in miracles begins to believe in them.

In Sinai, where the Catherine Monastery was built and still stands today, this same thorn bush, which is depicted in the icon, grew. Its structure is similar to the most common raspberry bush. There was a dried twig on it, at one moment it began to sprout shoots, thereby giving life to a new plant, this does not exist anywhere else in the world. Anyone can come and pray to this miracle and take with them a twig or leaf from a bush.

Almost three hundred years ago in the city of Slavyansk there were constant fires in residential buildings; local residents did not understand why this was happening, who was doing it, and how to deal with it. However, one of the many local residents suddenly saw the face of the Mother of God appear in his eyes, and literally immediately the residents of this city discovered a woman who was setting fires.

At the beginning of the 12th century, in the small village of Yuzha-Nikolskoye, a man purchased a log from a specialized service to light the stove in his house. When the fire began to flare up in the oven, the man saw the image of the Mother of God. At the same moment, he and his wife pulled the log out of the oven and extinguished it. Having looked closely, they saw the imprint of the icon on a piece of wood and wiped it with a rag. The family's surprise knew no bounds when they saw new icon no signs of burning. Married couple decided to give the icon to the monastery, which was located in a neighboring settlement, where local craftsmen embedded it into a board huge size and worshiped her. Unfortunately, in 2001, the icon was stolen by unknown persons, and to this day no one knows where it is.

In 2010, terrible fires burned near the village of Mosta; after a while, the fire could have engulfed the entire village. The flames came almost close to the church, one of the priests took this Unburnt Icon with him and began to pray, its significance for the village was incredibly important, after just a few minutes the wind changed direction, and the fire went in the other direction from the village.

In one village there was a strong fire, one of the people saw lonely standing woman with an icon. The fire was over, and from most of the houses only embers remained, but the house in front of which this woman stood was strangely untouched.

Meaning and image of Saint

Since ancient times, people have gone to the Queen of Heaven, prayed and asked her for help, she helped in resolving various complex life situations. Considering the long history of the Burning Bush icon, its significance is very great in Orthodox world, we can say with confidence that it helps in many different situations:

• in ancient times, during wars, commanders often asked for help from this icon to protect their soldiers in battle;
• The face of Our Lady protects firefighters, doctors, pilots, and military personnel. The icon protects believers from burns, rash actions, injuries and other things;
• Orthodox Christians often believe that the Burning Bush can deliver from committed sins;
• the image of the Mother of God is often used as a talisman for one’s home from all sorts of misfortunes;
• People suffering from mental illnesses often ask this icon for help in order to get rid of them.

The meaning of this icon lies entirely in its iconography. This image of the Mother of God sums up the idea of ​​the Mother of God-Church-Sophia.

History of the Burning Bush icon

WITH early centuries Christianity already knew this image. Initially, the Burning Bush icon depicted a bush in which the face of the Mother of God was visible, and in front of the plant was the prophet Moses.

Much later, around the 16th century, an image appeared that is familiar to every peasant to this day. Two rhombuses, in the center there is an oval medallion, and in it is the Mother of God with a child in her hand.

After some time, a ladder began to appear more and more often on the chest of the Mother of God, which went from earth to heaven; Patriarch Jacob saw it. In this case, the ladder means the Mother of God herself; she lays it from earth to heaven.

Where is the Holy Image located?

The oldest icon that has survived to our time was painted at the end of the 17th century. It can be found in the Armory Chamber in the Kremlin.

In the small settlement of Suksun has been located for many years ancient cathedral, erected in honor of Peter and Paul, it houses a very ancient icon. The image has a rather interesting fate.

In a neighboring village, a man in a river quite by chance saw a sacred image, he went to the temple, which was located very close to the village of Tokhtarevo and gave them this image. In honor of this event, a beautiful cathedral was erected on the site of the temple. For quite a long period, the icon was located in this very place, but at one point it moved and ended up in the cathedral, which was erected in the village of Suksun. In honor of this event, to this day there are Crusades with a divine face to the place where he was found many years ago.

IN Sosnovy Bor there is a church of the same name, where there is also an icon to this day, to which a large number of Orthodox Christians come to pray.

In Ulyanovsk, a miraculous image of the Mother of God was painted especially for the Holy Mother of God Neopalimovsky Cathedral. The cathedral was built in the twentieth century, during which time many different, incredible events took place. TO today A lot of records have accumulated about the miracle that this image performed. An incredibly large number of people who asked for healing from various diseases became healthy. This testifies to another miraculous action of the icon.

What do they pray for in front of the Burning Bush icon?

This icon best conveys the image of the Mother of God; it shows Her entire essence and life on this sinful earth, virgin birth, and then the birth of the Lord. It is important to note that the Mother of God herself remained innocent, she was strong, and did not succumb to earthly temptations.

When a person prays in front of this icon, he can ask for divine protection and patronage. People with dangerous professions (police, firefighters) most often ask for help. If you need to ask that a house be protected from fire, you need to place the Burning Bush Icon of the Mother of God in it; its significance is very great for every home.

Heartfelt prayer protects a person’s home not only from disaster, but also from unwanted guests who can bring harm to the owner of the premises. Representatives of Christianity sincerely believe in the miraculous nature of this icon. She can heal sick people and admonish those who pray from all kinds of earthly temptations and from bad thoughts.

Soldiers and their commanders who are in military conflict zones often pray in front of the icon. Prayers before the Mother of God can give the one who prays peace of mind and a bright future.

Summarizing all of the above, it can be noted that they pray in front of the icon:

• people who have dangerous professions;
• people with serious illnesses;
• people who want to protect their home from fire and evil people;
• people at war.

Prayer to the Burning Bush icon

“To the Queen of Heaven, our Lady, Lady of the Universe, Most Holy Theotokos, undefiled, unglamorous, imperishable, most pure, pure Ever-Virgin, Mary Bride of God, Mother of the Creator of creation, Lord of glory and Lord of all! Through you the King of kings and Lord of lords has come and appeared to us on earth. You are God's mercy incarnate. You are the Mother of Light and Life, just as you once carried Him in Your womb and in Your arms You had the Child, the Word of the Eternal, God, and so you have always carried Him with You. For this reason, according to God, we resort to You, as if to an unbreakable wall and intercession: look with mercy, O all-sung Mother of God, on our fierce anger and heal our souls and bodies of illness: drive away from us every enemy and adversary, deliver from famine, pestilence, from plagues, from many waters and harmful airs, and from sudden death; and like the three youths in the cave of Babylon, preserve and keep us, so that, like the people of God of old, all good things will come to us who honor Thee; Let all those who hate us be ashamed and put to shame, and everyone will understand that the Lord is with You, O Lady, and God is with You. In the days of autumn, bring us the light of Thy grace, and in the darkness of the night, enlighten us with light from above, making everyone useful: turn our sorrow into sweetness and wipe the tears of Thy servants who have sinned and are in need, fulfilling all their requests for good; You can do everything you want, Mother of the Word and Life. The Father has crowned the Daughter, the Son has crowned the Virgin Mother, the Holy Spirit has crowned the Bride, so that you may reign like a queen, standing at the right hand of the Holy Trinity, and have mercy on us as you wish, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

“Oh, Most Holy and Most Blessed Mother of our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ! We fall down and worship You before Your holy and most honorable icon, with which You have performed wondrous and glorious miracles, saving our homes from fiery flames and lightning thunder, healing the sick, and fulfilling every good request of ours for the good. We humbly pray to You, O omnipotent Intercessor of our race, to grant us the weak and sinners Your maternal participation and care. Save and preserve, O Lady, under the shelter of Your mercy, the Holy Church, this monastery, our entire Orthodox country, and all of us who fall before You with faith and love, and tenderly ask with tears for Your intercession. She, the All-Merciful Lady, have mercy on us, overwhelmed by many sins and not having boldness towards Christ the Lord, ask Him for mercy and forgiveness, but we offer to You for supplication His Mother in the flesh: But You, All-Good One, stretch out Your God-receiving hand to Him and intercede for us before His Goodness, asking us for forgiveness of our sins, a pious, peaceful life, a good Christian death, and a good answer at His terrible Judgment. At the hour of the terrible visitation of God, when our houses are set on fire, or we are frightened by lightning thunder, show us your merciful intercession and sovereign help: may we be saved by your omnipotent prayers to the Lord, the temporary punishment of God here, and we will inherit the eternal bliss of paradise there: and with everyone let us sing to the saints the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the worshiped Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Your great mercy to us, forever and ever. Amen".

When is Holy Face Day

On September 17, the church celebrates the day of the miraculous image; according to the old style, this day falls on September 4. It is September 17 that is considered the day of remembrance of the thorn bush (bush) and Moses. On this day, an akathist is held in the church and prayer services are held.

Where to hang the Burning Bush icon in the house

As has already become known, this icon saves from fire. The Burning Bush must be present in the house. There are no exact rules for where to hang the Burning Bush icon, however, its meaning is very important; for a long time it has been customary to hang this image above the entrance to a living space. The face of the Mother of God was considered the guardian of the family hearth and well-being of the family.

When Napoleon's army was leaving the plundered and burned Moscow, before leaving it, one of the soldiers visited the Novodevichy Convent and approached the priest. This man was a Pole by nationality, he gave Alexy Vvedensky (the priest of this monastery) a robe from the “Burning Bush” icon. The soldier said that when he took the icon, he was constantly tormented by his conscience and unbearable melancholy. By giving it away, the soldier received the desired peace and tranquility.

The image of the Burning Bush is found not only in the countries of the former CIS, but throughout Europe and North America. European Protestants during the Reformation chose the thorn bush as their symbol.

On September 17, the church celebrates the day of the miraculous image; according to the old style, this day falls on September 4. It is September 17 that is considered the day of remembrance of the thorn bush (bush) and Moses. On this day, an akathist is held in the church and prayer services are held.

One of the Old Testament prototypes pointing to the Mother of God was the burning bush - that bush that Moses saw burning in the fire, but not being consumed. This bush marked the immaculate conception of the Mother of God of Christ from the Holy Spirit. Having been a Mother, She remained a Virgo: before Christmas, Virgo, at Christmas, Virgo, and after Christmas, Virgo.

One can give another interpretation to the prototype of the burning bush: the Mother of God, having been born on a sinful earth, remained unconditionally pure, not involved in sin, and did not know lawlessness. In church hymns this Old Testament symbol is heard: “Just as a bush is not scorched, so, O Virgin, have you given birth.” In the stichera for the Annunciation it is sung: “Rejoice, burning Kupino.”

Pious Christian zeal tried to consolidate this idea in an artistic image, and this is where the icon of the “Burning Bush” arose.

Description of the icon

The image on the icon consists of two rhombuses, they are concave inward, the edges of the figure form an eight-pointed star, which is also the base. One of the diamonds depicts the Mother of God, who survived the fire, her face is shown on a green or blue background. The second rhombus symbolizes fire; it is made in bright red colors.

In the center of the shrine is the image of the Mother of God herself, who holds her child in one hand, and with the other hand she grabbed a small ladder. Looking carefully at the image, you can see the sacred plant itself - the Burning Bush.

In this image, the staircase is a symbol of the descent of the son of God onto the sinful earth; near the stairs you can see a mountain, which was drawn as a symbol of ascension.

This icon depicted a fairly large number of different angels, they symbolize:

Wisdom;
talent;
teaching;
giving;
miracles.

Three spirits are depicted in different parts of the icon, each of them has its own role. The Spirit of the Lord - the artists depicted him with a large crown on his head and with Jesus in his hands. Another spirit has a gate in its hands. The third spirit has a knightly appearance, he is depicted with a sword in his hands, symbolizing protection and patronage.

Miraculousness of the icon

Throughout its existence, the shrine has performed a large number of miracles; there are many different stories about them, each of them impressive in its own way. Even a person who does not believe in miracles begins to believe in them.

In Sinai, where the Catherine Monastery was built and still stands today, this same thorn bush, which is depicted in the icon, grew. Its structure is similar to the most common raspberry bush. There was a dried twig on it, at one moment it began to sprout shoots, thereby giving life to a new plant, this does not exist anywhere else in the world. Anyone can come and pray to this miracle and take with them a twig or leaf from a bush.

Meaning and image of Saint

Since ancient times, people have come to the Queen of Heaven, prayed and asked her for help, she helped in resolving various difficult life situations. Considering the long history of the Burning Bush icon, its significance is very great in the Orthodox world, we can say with confidence that it helps in many different situations:

In ancient times, during wars, commanders often asked for help from this icon to protect their soldiers in battle;

The face of the Mother of God protects firefighters, doctors, pilots, and military personnel. The icon protects believers from burns, rash actions, injuries and other things;

Orthodox Christians often believe that the Burning Bush can deliver from committed sins;

The image of the Mother of God is often used as a talisman for one’s home against all sorts of misfortunes;

People suffering from mental illnesses often ask this icon for help in order to get rid of them.

The meaning of this icon lies entirely in its iconography. This image of the Mother of God sums up the idea of ​​the Mother of God-Church-Sophia.

Where to hang the Burning Bush icon in the house

As has already become known, this icon saves from fire. The Burning Bush must be present in the house. There are no exact rules for where to hang the Burning Bush icon, however, its meaning is very important; for a long time it has been customary to hang this image above the entrance to a living space. The face of the Mother of God was considered the guardian of the family hearth and well-being of the family.

Conclusion

Monk the Burning Bush has very strong miraculous properties. It was repeatedly noticed that calls for help to this image yielded amazing results. During severe fires, houses can be preserved, sick people incredibly become healthy, and much more.

By Burning Bush we mean a thorn bush that is on fire, but cannot be burned. This is very ancient and strong icon, which depicts the image of the Mother of God.

Just as the bush does not burn without burning, so the Virgin gave birth to you.
Rejoice, Burning Bush.

Stichera for the Feast of the Annunciation

Ancient Sinai. When you look from its top at the intricately twisted rocks, mighty, dark crimson, scorched by Divine fire, you begin to understand that great and terrible, truly cosmic event that has timeless significance.

It was here that the prophet Moses received the tablets of the Covenant from God, and there, not far from Sinai, near Mount Horeb, he saw a bush bush - burning and unburnt - and heard the voice of God, predicting the birth of Christ.

The memory of that fateful event was immortalized by the earth itself in stone: thousands of pilgrims find stones with a crystalline image of the branches of this bush. Nearby, at the foot of Sinai, is the most beautiful monastery in the world in the name of St. Catherine, founded in the 6th century. Neither Muhammad, nor the Arab caliphs, nor Napoleon began to destroy this monastery. It has never been closed, and for one and a half millennia this candle of Orthodoxy has been burning, burning and not burning out.

The altar of the monastery cathedral is located just above the roots of that same burning bush. Behind the altar is the chapel of the Burning Bush. Thousands of pilgrims flock here to visit the shrines. Not far away in the garden, a new powerful bush rose from the same shoot. Here, in the Egyptian desert, the type and the fulfilled prophecy came together.

The bush bush became one of the Old Testament prototypes of the Mother of God. The bush burns and does not burn - the Virgin gives birth and remains Ever-Virgin, born on sinful earth She herself remains eternally Most Pure. The “Burning Bush” icon is an image with a truly cosmic sound. It sums up the Orthodox concept of the Mother of God-Church-Sophia in all the beauty of Her timeless and universal significance.

The composition of the icon is formed by two four-pointed stars, superimposed on one another, in the center of which, in a medallion, is the Mother of God with the Child Christ in bishop's vestments. On the chest of the Most Pure One there are symbolic images: a ladder (the vision of the holy Patriarch Jacob of a ladder “established on the earth and reaching to heaven” as a prototype of the Mother of God) and a chamber (house). In the rays of the first star, of blue color, the Angels are depicted - the rulers of the elements, in the rays of a fiery red star - the symbols of the holy evangelists: Angel (Matthew), Eagle (John), Taurus (Luke) and Lion (Mark), mentioned in the Apocalypse. Around the stars in two-petalled clouds are Angels - the spirits of Wisdom, Reason, Fear and Piety; Archangels: Gabriel with a branch of the Annunciation, Michael with a rod, Raphael with an alabaster vessel, Uriel with a fiery sword, Selafiel with a censer, Barachiel with a bunch of grapes - a symbol of the Blood of the Savior. In the corners of the icon are visions of the prophets: the appearance of the Burning Bush to Moses in the form of the Mother of God “The Sign” in a burning bush, to Isaiah - Seraphim with a burning coal in tongs, to Jacob - a ladder with Angels, to Ezekiel - a closed gate.

The Mother of God gathered the whole world around the Eternal Child - the forces of earth and heaven. It is precisely this, collected together, that God conceived of the Universe in His Wisdom; it is with this that the chaotic, centrifugal forces of death and decay must be defeated. Thus, another image appears next to Kupina - the image of Sophia, the Divine will, the Creator’s eternal plan for creation.

This sign of the Divine will in the form of an eight-pointed radiance on the icon has been known since ancient times. We see exactly the same eight-ray radiance emanating from the Savior on the Transfiguration mosaic in the altar of the Cathedral of the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai. Many icons of the “Burning Bush” became famous for their miracle-working. One of the oldest is in the altar of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin and was brought to Third Rome in 1390 by Palestinian monks. According to legend, it was written on the stone of the very rock at the foot of which the prophet Moses saw a burning bush. Another miraculous image, also originating from the Kremlin, from the Holy Entrance of the Faceted Chamber, was kept in the Moscow Church of the Burning Bush, which disappeared in 1930; only its name remained in the name of Neopalimovsky Lane, and lines from Andrei Bely’s poem “First Date”:

It used to be: the gray-haired church
Burning Bush,
Crouching in a white snowstorm,
Flashes at me from the silence;
In front of the thoughtful icon case -
Unquenchable lantern;
And falls lightly
Under the light there is a pink snowball.
Neopalimov Lane
The blizzard is boiling with pearl barley;
And Our Lady in the alley
He looks thoughtful with tears.

There also stood another, small icon of the “Burning Bush”, donated here in 1835: it also depicted a man crouched in prayer before the Mother of God. An ancient handwritten service to the “Burning Bush” was also kept in this temple, with an explanation that in Sinai there is a custom to sing this service during a strong thunderstorm, “when lightning is terrible.” As if in memory of this destroyed temple in Moscow, it is now built new temple in the name of the “Burning Bush”, on the far northern outskirts of the capital, in Otradnoye. Of the other most revered lists, we will name the images in the Trinity Church in the city of Slavyansk, Kharkov province and in the village of Kubenskoye, Vologda province.

Recently, the chapel of the “Burning Bush” also appeared on Prechistenka, adjacent to Moscow’s Neopalimovsky Lane - it was this image of the Most Pure One that again began to be patronized by Moscow firefighters who had been stationed here for a long time. The very name of this image gave rise to a popular belief according to which it protects those who worship it from fire, and there is a lot of evidence of how the “Burning Bush” kept houses and huts unharmed in the midst of huge conflagrations, “fire storms” that tormented our pious ancestors.

I often remember Sinai, the sunrise on the top of the holy mountain and the stones that every pilgrim takes from there - fiery in color and with the silhouette of thorn branches imprinted on them, burning and not being burned. This is a living reminder of that great and powerful Divine fire when God speaks to man - a fire that scorches the infidels and warms the souls of the righteous with a wondrous radiance.

The celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “The Burning Bush” takes place on September 4, old style.

Troparion, tone 4

Even now, as the Creator of miracles and of all creation, the Creator of Her holy icon glorified many miracles, bestowing it on the faithful for healing from illness and for protection from fiery incineration. For this reason, we cry out to the Most Blessed: Hope of Christians, deliver those who trust in You from severe troubles, fire and thunder, and save our souls, as the Merciful.

Prayer

O Most Holy and Most Blessed Mother of Our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, we fall down and worship You before Your holy and most honorable icon, with which you work wondrous and glorious miracles, save our homes from fiery flames and lightning thunder, heal the sick, and fulfill all our good requests for the good. We humbly pray to You, O omnipotent Intercessor of our race: grant us the weak and sinners Your maternal sympathy and care. Save and preserve, O Lady, under the shelter of Your mercy, the Holy Church, this monastery, this city, our entire Orthodox country, and all of us who fall to You with faith and love, and tenderly ask with tears for Your intercession.

She, the All-Merciful Lady, have mercy on us, overwhelmed by many sins and not having the courage to ask Christ the Lord for mercy and forgiveness, but we offer You to Him for supplication, His Mother according to the flesh: But You, All-Good One, stretch out Your God-receiving hand to Him , and intercede for us before His goodness, asking us for forgiveness of our sins, a pious, peaceful life, a good Christian death, and a good answer to Last Judgment His. At the hour of the terrible visitation of God, when our houses are set on fire or we are frightened by lightning thunder, show us your merciful intercession and sovereign help: may we be saved by your omnipotent prayers to the Lord, we will escape God’s temporary punishment here and we will inherit the eternal bliss of paradise there: and with everyone Let us sing to the saints the most honorable and magnificent name of the worshiped Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and Your great mercy to us, forever and ever. Amen.

The Burning Bush Icon combines beauty and mystery - every detail depicted on it is endowed with a deep hidden meaning, calling to abandon the worldly and think about the spiritual. Therefore, a prayer addressed to the Mother of God icon “The Burning Bush” can cleanse the soul of the prayer book, help him bring repentance and feel Divine Grace.

In fact, a bush is an ordinary thorn bush. But the unusual thing is that he became famous thanks to the divine illumination, which is spoken of in the Old Testament. In memory of the miracle, the Burning Bush icon was created.

History and appearance of the icon

The image was first revealed in the 14th century in Palestine and was transferred by monks to Moscow. According to legend, he appeared on the rock of Horeb, and a thorn tree grew under it. It happened that it caught fire. The flame was very strong and it literally “ate” the plant, which did not care for flint.

At this time, the prophet Moses was passing by the fire, tending sheep. Having witnessed the miracle, he heard an angelic voice calling him to urgently go to the Egyptian rulers and beg them to withdraw the Israelis, tormented by the cruel local population.

Icon "Burning Bush"

The prophet was given a staff. The Almighty ordered him to throw his staff to the ground if Moses was not believed. If this happens, the staff will immediately turn into a snake. Having seen the miracle, the Egyptians will believe the prophet and follow him. But something else happened: the Pharaoh of Egypt became even more angry with the Israelites and forced them to work even more. Then God intervened and sent a lot of troubles to the country: the water was turned into blood - thereby people began to experience extreme thirst, hordes of slimy frogs filled the houses of local residents and government palaces, and huge flocks of flies gave no rest. And then the pharaoh had mercy and freed the exhausted captives. In memory of the miraculous event, an icon was painted - precisely because of the bush that the prophet saw, which was destroyed by the flame. Now this miraculous image is kept in Khamovniki, and a church has been consecrated in its honor.

Iconography

The icon depicts an octagonal star, consisting of a pair of acute-angled quadrangles with concave ends. The first is painted red and resembles the flame that engulfed the bush that Moses saw. The second has a green color, which indicates the natural color of the bush, preserved in the fire. In the middle of the star is the Most Holy Mary with the Child of God in her arms. The corners of the red quadrangle are crowned with the symbolism of the four evangelists. The upper edge of the ladder is leaning against the shoulder of the Virgin Mary. This signifies that it was through the Mother of God that Jesus Christ descended onto the sinful earth, and He raises all those who believe in Him to Heaven.

“Burning Bush” icon of the Mother of God. Gallery of Shchigry icons

The second version of the image: the Queen of Heaven is depicted in the light of a flame that burns, but does not scorch Her. And the ancient icons show the chronology of events: the Mother of God rises above a green thorn bush engulfed in fire with her Son in her arms. The prophet Moses kneels next to a burning bush.

Undeniable miracles

For my centuries-old history The existence of the icon and prayers before it created many miracles.

• Near the Catherine Monastery in Sinai, where it happened significant events, the same bush grows that looks like a raspberry. Its dried branch sprouted, and another bush was formed. This does not exist anywhere else in the world. Pilgrims visiting the monastery can take with them a branch or leaf of a bush.
• In 1822, Slavyansk was engulfed in fires caused by arson by intruders. No matter how hard we searched, we could not find the arsonists. But one day the Mother of God appeared to a believing woman in a dream and warned that the fires would stop when the city artists painted the “Burning Bush” icon. The parishioner told a local clergyman about the vision, who blessed the artists to paint the image. And soon a prayer to the Burning Bush icon began to sound under the church vaults. A miracle happened, and on the same day the culprit of the arson was found - a townswoman suffering from dementia. Moreover, she admitted to the atrocities herself.

Initially, the “Burning Bush” was depicted as a burning bush with the image of the Mother of God enclosed in it

• In the Yuzhsky district, a man flooded the stove with logs. The fire flared up and the image of the Mother of God appeared in its flame. The log was immediately taken out of the oven, and, as it turned out, the imprint of the icon shone on it. He wasn't even charred. The man took the icon to the monastic monastery and in this form they began to reverently venerate it.
• In the summer, fires raged in one of the areas and the fire began to approach the local church. The abbot, having prayed, took the icon and performed procession. The fire immediately moved away from the temple and the village.

Rules of prayer

Prayer is a personal conversation between a person and God, through which the prayer book turns to the Almighty for help or thanks Him. How to do it right?

• you need to pray not to the icon, but to the Face depicted on it - you need to imagine the image of the Mother of God as if it were alive;
• You can read the text of the prayer according to the prayer book, but it is not forbidden to use your own words (a person who finds himself in a critical situation is unlikely to remember the standard text in a panic);

Icon of the Mother of God “Burning Bush”

• standing before the Face, you need to sign yourself with the Cross three times (this is done to attract Divine Grace);
• the request can be anything, but it is important that it does not violate the Commandments of God;
• the words of the prayer must be pronounced quietly or silently, with sincere feeling and without a drop of pretense;
• you cannot be distracted by extraneous thoughts and conversations, you must think only about what is asked;
• monotonous reading of a prayer with the thought of “reading it faster” will not bring any benefit;
• after saying the prayer, it is advisable to venerate the icon with your lips and kiss it (this is how the prayer book expresses his respect) and apply the Sign of the Cross 3 times;
• if a person quickly does not get what he wants, then he should not be upset and lose faith - he must continue to pray, and then the prayer book will be rewarded with a high reward from Above.

During prayer, the heart and thoughts must be pure, all offenses must be forgiven.

What else you need to know about Orthodox prayer:

Prayers before the icon

Prayer 1

Queen of Heaven, our Lady, Lady of the Universe, Most Holy Theotokos, undefiled, unblasphemous, imperishable, most pure, pure Ever-Virgin, Mary Bride of God, Mother of the Creator of creation, Lord of glory and Lord of all! Through you the King of kings and Lord of lords has come and appeared to us on earth. You are God's mercy incarnate. You are the Mother of Light and Life, just as you once carried Him in Your womb and in Your arms You had the Child, the Word of the Eternal, God, and so you have always carried Him with You. For this reason, according to God, we resort to You, as if to an unbreakable wall and intercession: look with mercy, O all-sung Mother of God, on our fierce anger and heal our souls and bodies of illness: drive away from us every enemy and adversary, deliver from famine, pestilence, from plagues, from many waters and harmful airs, and from sudden death; and like the three youths in the cave of Babylon, preserve and keep us, so that, like the people of God of old, all good things will come to us who honor Thee; Let all those who hate us be ashamed and put to shame, and everyone will understand that the Lord is with You, O Lady, and God is with You. In the days of autumn, bring us the light of Thy grace, and in the darkness of the night, enlighten us with light from above, making everyone useful: turn our sorrow into sweetness and wipe the tears of Thy servants who have sinned and are in need, fulfilling all their requests for good; You can do everything you want, Mother of the Word and Life. The Father has crowned the Daughter, the Son has crowned the Virgin Mother, the Holy Spirit has crowned the Bride, so that you may reign like a queen, standing at the right hand of the Holy Trinity, and have mercy on us as you wish, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 2

Oh, Most Holy and Most Blessed Mother of our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ! We fall down and worship You before Your holy and most honorable icon, with which You have performed wondrous and glorious miracles, saving our homes from fiery flames and lightning thunder, healing the sick, and fulfilling every good request of ours for the good. We humbly pray to You, O omnipotent Intercessor of our race, to grant us the weak and sinners Your maternal participation and care. Save and preserve, O Lady, under the shelter of Your mercy, the Holy Church, this monastery, our entire Orthodox country, and all of us who fall before You with faith and love, and tenderly ask with tears for Your intercession. She, the All-Merciful Lady, have mercy on us, overwhelmed by many sins and not having boldness towards Christ the Lord, ask Him for mercy and forgiveness, but we offer to You for supplication His Mother in the flesh: But You, All-Good One, stretch out Your God-receiving hand to Him and intercede for us before His Goodness, asking us for forgiveness of our sins, a pious, peaceful life, a good Christian death, and a good answer at His terrible Judgment. At the hour of the terrible visitation of God, when our houses are set on fire, or we are frightened by lightning thunder, show us your merciful intercession and sovereign help: may we be saved by your omnipotent prayers to the Lord, the temporary punishment of God here, and we will inherit the eternal bliss of paradise there: and with everyone let us sing to the saints the Most Honest and Great Name worshiped Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and Your great mercy is upon us, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer 3

Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord Most High, Intercessor and Patroness of all who resort to You! Look down from Your holy heights upon me, a sinner, falling before Your miraculous face: hear my humble prayer and offer it before Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: beg Him to enlighten my dark soul with the light of His Divine grace, and deliver me from all needs, sorrows and illnesses, may he grant me a quiet and peaceful life, physical and mental health, may he calm my suffering heart and heal its wounds, may he instruct me in good deeds, may he cleanse my mind from vain thoughts, may he guide me to fulfill His commandments, will deliver you from eternal torment and will not deprive you of His Heavenly Kingdom. Oh, Most Holy Theotokos, You are the “Joy of all who mourn,” hear me, too, who mourns. You, called “Quenching of Sorrow”, quench my sadness too. You are the “Burning Bush,” save the world and all of us from the harmful, fiery arrows of the enemy. You are the “Seeker of the Lost,” do not allow me to perish in the abyss of my sins. According to Bose, all my hope and hope is in You! Be my Patroness in temporary and eternal life and an Intercessor before Your beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Teach me to serve Him with faith and love and reverently honor You, Most Holy Mother of God, Most Blessed Mary! I entrust myself to your holy prayers until the end of my days. Amen.

Prayer 4

Oh, Most Holy Virgin Mother of the Lord, Queen of Heaven and earth! Hear the much-painful sighing of our soul, look down from Thy holy height upon us, who with faith and love worship Thy most pure image. We are immersed in sins and overwhelmed by sorrows, looking at Your image, as if You were alive and living with us, we offer our humble prayers. The imams have no other help, no other intercession, no consolation except You, O Mother of all who mourn and are burdened. Help us the weak, satisfy our sorrow, guide us, the erring, on the right path, heal and save the hopeless, grant us the rest of our lives in peace and silence, grant us a Christian death, and at the terrible judgment of Your Son, appear to us as an intercessor of mercy, and always We sing, magnify and glorify Thee, as the good Intercessor of the Christian race, with all those who have pleased God. Amen. Oh, Mother of God, Burning Bush, protect me from human misfortune, from the lord’s punishment, from unquenchable fire, from arrogant death, from eternal torment and cover me with Your Heavenly robe. Amen.

Meaning of the image

In what cases can Our Lady of the Burning Bush intercede?

People pray for intercession from the Queen of Heaven in such situations:

• to save the home from fire;
• to help people who themselves protect people from harm: firefighters, doctors, pilots, sailors;
• during military operations to protect the lives of military personnel;
• for healing from psychiatric illnesses.

In fact, you can turn to the “Burning Bush” in any case. It is important that a person believes in help from Heaven.

Where to place the miraculous Face

Any icon must be placed in the Red Corner of the room. This Corner should be the most beautiful, it should be visible when entering the room. Usually it is considered the eastern corner, which is located diagonally from front door. It is from the East that the sun rises. IN Orthodox churches the altar is also located to the East and parishioners pray, facing that direction.

Burning Bush Russia, second half of the 19th century

Holy images are prohibited from being placed next to a TV, bright posters, wall calendars, clocks, paintings, photographs, figurines and other decorative decorations: porcelain dogs, gift cups and other decor. Thus, the icons are likened to the idols of our time.

Central place on home iconostasis should occupy

The day of veneration of the holy image of the Burning Bush is set on September 17. Miraculous icons, who rest in the Kremlin Cathedral and in Khamovniki, millions of Christian believers from all over the world come to venerate and venerate.

Video about the icon “The Burning Bush”