Many Orthodox icons use deep symbolism. Although in Orthodoxy it is customary to pray, repent and ask for something in front of images. However, images such as the Tree of Life icon provide not only a prayerful mood, but also food for thought. Direct allegory of imagery allows the believer to understand various concepts more deeply. Such speculation and intelligibility of the Tree of Life icon develops spiritually.
Also, this image is often called the grapevine icon, since here the grapevine tree, which represents the church, is used as a symbol.
In the center is Spas, which is like the base of the vine. Various branches branch off from it, and these branches are the apostles, the Virgin Mary and other gospel characters.
Looking at the Tree of Life icon , Its meaning becomes completely clear: the church is like a living organism that includes an entire community. Of course, it begins with a relatively small number of people: Christ himself and the holy ascetics. However, the church then begins to consist of the community of all Christians, that is, all people of this faith constitute the so-called body of Christ.
People in the church are united with each other, they are interconnected like ampelos (grapevine in Greek) and everyone can act in one way or another. For example, the one who chooses a heavenly existence is raised by his own branch upward and reaches the limit of Heaven. Anyone who, on the contrary, strives for nothing, becomes a dry branch, which is eventually separated from the tree in order to be burned.
In addition, the icon of the Tree with Christ gives a hint of the family tree, which represents the genealogy of each individual person.
Only in this image is a family understood as a Christian church and community in which people are related to each other.
This is the property of Christianity, which erases any boundaries and differences between people and allows everyone to enter the Kingdom of God.
The meaning of the Tree of Life icon indicates the opportunity for a believer to better understand his own involvement in the church. Before this image, any prayers are offered to Christ. It is also possible to pray to the Holy Trinity or the Holy Spirit in front of this image.
Icon of the Tree of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Compositionally, this option is practically no different from the previous one, but here the basis is the Tree of the Virgin Mary. In the center there is a scene of the birth of Christ, and on the branches there are various images of the Blessed Virgin.
The name of the icon “Mountain Jerusalem” is also used, which indicates the resurrection and the opportunity for every believer to find himself in the Heavenly Jerusalem. To do this, you just need to keep the commandments on earth. Then, after the end of times, the righteous will ascend there. The Heavenly City itself is depicted on one of the edges of the image, hidden behind a haze.
You should also consider the meaning of the icon of Mount Jerusalem, where the central part is occupied by the scene of the birth of the Savior. This event focuses attention and is central in every sense, only thanks to this the rest became possible. On the branches there are various images of the Virgin Mary with the baby; they invite the believer to look at different variations of the relationship between the Mother of God and the baby.
Also symbolically, this diversity indicates various options for the relationship between the believer and the Lord. The soul strives for the Lord different ways and establishes a full range of relationships. It was thanks to the birth of Christ that these relationships became not only possible, but also make it possible to gain the Kingdom of Heaven.
As a rule, a prayer to the Tree icon Holy Mother of God pronounced in solitude. Therefore, a small space in the house is often set aside for this, which allows you to move a little away from the hectic world and turn to the image. Each image that contains the icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary helps in something separate.
Therefore, prayer in front of this icon can be used to receive a wide variety of benefits.
Prayers before the icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary
Prayer 1
My Blessing Queen, my hope, Mother of God, Friend of the orphans and the strange, the Representative of the grieving, the Joy of the offended, the Patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it as if you will: for I have no other help except You, no other Representative, no good Comforter, only You, O Mother of God, for you will preserve me and cover me forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 2
O Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord Most High, Intercessor and Protector of all who resort to You! Look down from Thy holy height upon me, a sinner (name), who falls before Thy most pure image; hear my warm prayer and offer it before Your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; beg Him to illuminate my gloomy soul with the light of His Divine grace, to deliver me from all need, sorrow and illness, to grant me a quiet and peaceful life, physical and mental health, to pacify my suffering heart and heal its wounds, to guide me for good deeds, may my mind be cleansed from vain thoughts, and having taught me to fulfill His commandments, may He deliver me from eternal torment and may He not deprive me of His Heavenly Kingdom. O Most Holy Theotokos! You, “Joy of all who mourn,” hear me, the sorrowful one; You, called “Quenching of Sorrow”, quench my sorrow; You, “Burning Kupino”, save the world and all of us from the harmful fiery arrows of the enemy; You, “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 Tyabo. Be a temporary Intercessor for me in life, and an Intercessor for eternal life before Your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Teach me to serve this with faith and love, and to reverently honor You, Most Holy Mother of God, Most Blessed Mary, until the end of my days. Amen.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, a strange and at the same time powerful icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary appeared on the shelves of Orthodox stores and church shops, and a little later in online stores. Its strangeness lies in its unusual and completely unusual image for Russian Orthodox icon painting, which combines 16 main miraculous icons The Most Holy Mother of God and the Eternal Child in. In my own way appearance The icon of the Tree of the Blessed Virgin Mary resembles a family tree, however, if you understand its structure. It becomes clear that everything grows from the center of the tree.
Christian icon of the Tree of Life of the Mother of God - meaning and spiritual meaning.
In the center of the icon of the Tree of the Mother of God the great Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem is depicted - the Most Pure Virgin Mary sits next to the manger in which the Divine Infant lies. This event is the basis and foundation of everything that is in the Christian faith. This is the birth of not only Jesus, our Lord, but also the birth of the Virgin Mary, as the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, this is the birth of a new faith, the period of man’s coming to God, his creator.
Under the image of the Holy Birth there is an icon, which in Christianity is a symbol of the purest and most unconditional love between the Mother of God and the Child, depicting their inextricable connection - the “Sweet Kiss” icon.
The image of the Most Pure Mother of God is very strong in the soul of the Russian person. The Mother of God is considered the intercessor of the Russian land in Heaven and our patron saint. Therefore, on both sides of the icon of the birth of the Lord we see those icons of the Mother of God that are known to every Russian person, glorified by their . Among them are the icons of the Vladimir, Kazan, Smolensk, Pochaev Mother of God, the famous revered icons Quench My Sorrows, the Inexhaustible Chalice, the Goalkeeper and others.
The icon of the Tree of the Blessed Virgin Mary presents the main iconographic types:
- The Sign, or Oranta;
- Hodegetria, or Guide;
- Tenderness.
The icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary does not have its own day of celebration, nor does it special occasions when you need to pray specifically to this icon. The image itself is a composite image. And you need to pray to each individual icon depicted in the branches of the tree, or to the Mother of God and the Infant God as a whole.
Author Icons Tree of the Blessed Virgin Mary also unknown. However, her appearance at the beginning of the 21st century, in difficult transitional times for Russia, is evidence that the Mother of God still patronizes the Russian land, protects it, showing us the path to God.
Orthodox believers know many images of the Most Holy Theotokos, but even now new ones continue to appear.
One of these is the icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary. It combines 16 different images of the Virgin Mary, which describe her walk after the birth of the Savior. The author of the image is unknown, which does not prevent the icon from remaining one of the most revered among Orthodox believers.
History and plots of the icon:
The Icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary is one of the “youngest” images. It appeared at the beginning of the 21st century and can already be found on the shelves of any church store. The main feature is a collective plot, which depicts 16 faces of the Virgin Mary in the form of a family tree. In all images, the Mother of God holds the baby Christ in her hands, which symbolizes the hope sent to this world by the Heavenly Father.
Compositionally, the icon is divided into separate groups:
- 7 images on the right.
- 7 images on the left.
- Icon of the Vladimir Mother of God. Under the image you can see the outlines of Heavenly Jerusalem.
- The birth of Christ is central.
- The Holy Trinity- the upper part of the icon.
There is no change of generations on the tree - only Jesus and the Virgin Mary are depicted. Each face represents a fruit connected to a tree.
The central image - the Birth of Christ - differs from others in its larger size. The Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted sitting in front of a manger in which lies a baby, overshadowed by heavenly light. The image symbolizes not only the Birth of God, but also the coming of Christians to the deliverer and intercessor for help and support.
We should also talk about the image depicted right before Christmas - “Sweet Kiss”. Its distinctive features:
- The baby and mother touch cheeks.
- Mother and child are entwined in a tight embrace.
- Christ is depicted not in a static pose, but with one arm around his mother’s neck.
“Sweet kiss” is a symbol of the inextricable connection of the Mother of God with the Savior, meaning his impeccable pure love for people.
In addition to these images, the icon contains especially revered icons of the Mother of God:
- Smolenskaya
- Mammal
- and others
The main idea of the icon is that the Most Holy Mother of God is a multifaceted personality, as shown by the images of various icon painters united in a single vault. Her whole life is branches big tree, the main fruit of which is the birth of the Savior into this world. Many people pray to different icons, and her goal is to unite them all.
When should you pray to an icon?
In prayer, you should turn to all 16 images, not forgetting that they are all united and the Heavenly Father dominates over them. You can pray to the “Tree” when:
- You need a comforter and protector.
- Seeking protection from evil spirits and heart troubles.
- You need healing for physical and mental wounds.
- Do you want to receive reinforcement of strength in the spiritual struggle?
- Ask for protection for your family and home.
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Relatively recently, at the beginning of the 21st century, the icon of the Tree of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in the history of iconography. It can be found in many church shops and on the shelves of Orthodox stores. It is a collective image, since it depicts 16 miraculous faces of the Virgin Mary, which describe Her as the Queen of Heaven after the birth of the Savior Jesus. In appearance, the shrine resembles a family tree, only there is no change of generations. Having understood its structure, it becomes clear that everything grows from the very center of this tree.
Icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary and its meaning
In the very center of this amazing icon is an image of the Nativity of Jesus in Bethlehem. Next to the manger in which the Divine Infant lies, the Virgin Mary sits.
It is this event, the great Birth of the Eternal Child, that is the basis of the Christian faith, and everything that is in it. This is the birth of not only our Lord Jesus Christ, but also the birth of the Most Pure Virgin as the Queen of Heaven, the birth of faith and the coming of Christians to their creator - God.
The image of the inextricable connection between the Mother of God and the Child is depicted in the image of the “Sweet Kiss”, which is located in front of the image of the Holy Nativity. It is a symbol of unconditional and pure love. The love of the Virgin Mary for the Son of God, the love of God for people.
Since the image of the Virgin Mary Intercessor is strong in the soul of a Christian, on both sides of the Holy Birth one can see the faces of the Mother of God, known to every believer for their miraculous appearances:
- Iverskaya
- Smolenskaya
- Chernigovskaya
- Quick to Hear
- Tikhvinskaya
- Unshakable Chalice
- The Omen
- Quench my sorrows
- Mammal
- Donskaya
- Pochaevskaya
- Worthy to eat
Three main types of iconography are represented on this holy image of the Tree:
- Oranta or Sign
- Guidebook or Hodegetria
- Tenderness
Since the holy image is a composite image, prayer in front of the icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary is directed as a whole to the Most Pure One and the Son of God, or to each individually depicted Her face. There are no special occasions when it is necessary to turn to this particular image, and it does not have its own day of veneration.
The author of this image is also unknown, but its appearance at the beginning of the 21st century, in a difficult and transitional period for our country, indicates that the Mother of God still intercedes and patronizes the Russian land, pointing and instructing on the path of God.
Icon of the Tree of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what it helps with
Since this holy image consists of many miraculous faces of the Most Holy Theotokos, they pray before Her images in a wide variety of life situations, handling any worldly problems. The Icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary helps everyone who comes with a pure heart and a petition coming from the very soul.
- They come to the Mother of God for consolation in sadness and sorrow.
- They ask for intercession from enemies, evil intentions.
- The icon helps to heal even serious illnesses and heals the body and soul of a Christian believer.
- Gives strength to overcome worldly difficulties, strengthens the spirit and faith in the Lord.
- Protects the family hearth from quarrels and adversity, protects children from undesirable acts.
Prayer to the icon of the Tree of the Virgin Mary helps a person to repent of what he has done and guides him on the true path. As the first intercessor of every sufferer on earth, the Most Pure Virgin Mary will hear, comfort and bless. Here are some prayers addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Prayer 1
“My Blessed Queen, my hope, Mother of God, Friend of the orphans and the strange, the Representative of the grieving, the Joy of the offended, the Patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it as if you will: for I have no other help except You, no other Representative, no good Comforter, only You, O Mother of God, for you will preserve me and cover me forever and ever. Amen".
Prayer 2
« O Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord Most High, Intercessor and Protector of all who resort to You! Look down from Thy holy height upon me, a sinner (name), who falls before Thy most pure image; hear my warm prayer and offer it before Your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; beg Him to illuminate my gloomy soul with the light of His Divine grace, to deliver me from all need, sorrow and illness, to grant me a quiet and peaceful life, physical and mental health, to pacify my suffering heart and heal its wounds, to guide me for good deeds, may my mind be cleansed from vain thoughts, and having taught me to fulfill His commandments, may He deliver me from eternal torment and may He not deprive me of His Heavenly Kingdom. O Most Holy Theotokos! You, “Joy of all who mourn,” hear me, the sorrowful one; You, called “Quenching of Sorrow”, quench my sorrow; You, “Burning Kupino”, save the world and all of us from the harmful fiery arrows of the enemy; You, “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 Tyabo. Be a temporary Intercessor for me in life, and an Intercessor for eternal life before Your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Teach me to serve this with faith and love, and to reverently honor You, Most Holy Mother of God, Most Blessed Mary, until the end of my days. Amen".
And do not forget, not only to ask the Virgin Mary for help and intercession, but also to thank the Lord God, the Mother of God and the patron saints for always being there and helping you.
God bless you!
In this video you will hear a prayer song for the help of the Mother of God:
The “Tree of Life” icon is quite rare and not as common as many others. Its second name is “Spas the True Vine.” It depicts Jesus Christ in the middle of a vine with branches extending from a central pillar. The Mother of God and the disciples of Christ are located on them. The meaning of the icon may not be clear to an uninitiated person.
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Jerusalem+ Bethlehem
The icon is deeply edifying. In this case, the Tree symbolizes the Church, Holy Bible. Jesus Christ is placed in the center, representing the ideal image of a Christian. And the apostles close to him symbolize the people closest to him and those who have known the faith. Also on the branches are small leaves, which in turn symbolize other people whose task is to spread the Christian faith.
There is also an interpretation that the depicted Tree, like the Church, does not stand in one place, but is constantly evolving. And each person must make his or her own contribution to this development. Specifically, to spread love and wisdom to all people. The icon is also a symbol of fertility and immortality (like an ever-growing Tree).
As a rule, in front of this icon, people pray with gratitude to God that he protects them from the numerous temptations in the world and gives them eternal life. When praying in front of the icon, you should wish for fertility. If you want your children to grow up in reverence for adults, then you should also turn to this icon. Different religious traditions use different prayers (and even several). Therefore, it is better to clarify the text with a clergyman.
The best place to buy the Tree of Life icon is in Jerusalem. There are many retail outlets in the city and its suburbs where this can be done. In addition, I will show you proven places where icons are made by truly professional craftsmen. You can choose either a simple icon without additional decorations, created from simple materials. Or using precious metals and jewelry. It all depends on your desire and financial capabilities.
It is also convenient to buy an icon in Jerusalem because you can consecrate it here with your own hands (you yourself illuminate it on the stone of Confirmation where the body of Jesus lay when he was taken down from the cross).. The main thing is, come to Israel, and I will have an interesting and useful time I guarantee you!
Dear tourists! If for any reason you cannot come to Israel, then just write to me and I will ask the seller to contact you to discuss the purchase and shipping. Accordingly, the icon or cross purchased by you will be illuminated in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher before sending (Ask the forefather for a photograph or a short video of the consecration as evidence :))
Important!!! Dear tourists, I do not sell icons or crosses :) you can ask any questions about prices, quality, etc. directly to the seller (in Russian) who will contact you. I can only introduce you (physically if you come and virtually if you write :))
