On Christmas, we glorify the birth of the Savior, and immediately after him we praise His Mother On this day, Orthodox believers thank the Mother of God in hymns for the priceless gift, the Savior.
Remember also Joseph the Betrothed, King David and Jacob, son of Joseph, who accompanied the family to Egypt.
The story of the family’s flight to Egypt is at the center of the holiday. The Holy Family had to leave Bethlehem after an angel appeared to Joseph. He said King Herod was plotting to kill the baby Jesus. The family must escape from Herod’s soldiers in Egypt. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy written in the book of Hosea: «And he called my Son out of Egypt.»
In the Gospels there is no information about the life of the family in Egypt, but the Holy Tradition tells many stories about the miracles performed there. Echoes of these legends found their place in church hymns. For example, the beating of infants and flight is mentioned in a kondak written by Roman Sladkopevets, in an akathist dedicated to the Virgin there are lines that in Egypt the light of truth
I drove the darkness away from the lies.
The first theologians always combined the praise of the born Savior with the praise of His Mother. Examples of this we find in the works of Blessed Augustine, Epiphany of Cyprus, Ambrose of Milan, which date back to the 4th century. The official Cathedral of the Virgin as a church holiday is mentioned in the 7th century, in the rules of the 6th Ecumenical Council, which lasted for 2 years: 680 and 681.
Icons dedicated to the holiday began to appear in Russia by the 14th century. In the center of the image depict the Mother of God. She sits on the throne, holding Jesus in her arms. At the top, angels sing praise, and around the Mother of God stand praising the Lord, the shepherds and the magi. Often, there are depictions of the Church Fathers.
However, in the most ancient, 14th century icon from Pskov, the Mother of God holds not the baby Jesus, but his image. This is the only icon known to us with such a composition. There.
There are allegorical images of the Desert and the Earth, in the form of two women. The icon also depicts Saint Nicholas and Martyr Barbara and a group of 3 men in white robes.
Scientists cannot come to a common interpretation of this image, which is so different from the canonical.
In our time, the icons of the Cathedral of the Virgin follow the canonical rule. Before them pray for the strengthening of the family, easy childbirth. The Cathedral of the Most Holy Mother of God is a good reason to come to the service to thank the Mother of God for her service, for her sacrifice and desire to fulfill God’s will.
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