The
Theotokos is considered by Orthodox Christians to be the Abbess of all the
monasteries on Mount Athos. She oversees the welfare of the monasteries as well
as the monks who have dedicated their lives to imitating her through humility,
obedience and purity. One way she has manifested her divine protection
throughout the Holy Mountain is through her many wonderworking icons in the
various monasteries and churches. The most famous and celebrated icon of the
Theotokos on the Holy Mountain is without a doubt the icon known as "Axion
Estin".
The
church that houses the icon of Axion Estin is in Karyes, the capital of Mount
Athos, in a church called Protaton. It is called Protaton because it was the
first church built on the Holy Mountain in 843 AD by Saint Athanasios the
Athonite ["Protaton" means "the first"]. The iconography of
the church seen today was done in the 13th century by the renowned iconographer
Emmanuel Panselinos.
To show
that the Theotokos is the head of the monasteries of Athos, the icon of Axion
Estin is seated on a throne of the church. It is named after the hymn we chant
following the communing of the faithful of the Holy Gifts in the Divine
Liturgy, but the initial lines of the hymn itself has an angelic origin that
was revealed to a monk in the tenth century by the Archangel Gabriel himself.
The miracle took place near the Skete of Protaton, in the vicinity of the
Sacred Monastery of Pantokrator in the cell of a monk and his novice. (The rest
of this wondrous tale can be read here.)
It was
after this miraculous occurrence that the icon of the Theotokos was transferred
to the church in Protaton. The cell where the miracle happened is known today
by the name "Axion Estin" as well. The miracle took place on June 11,
982 on a Sunday. The miraculous brick on which was transcribed the hymn of
Axion Esti was transferred to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and displayed
for veneration by the faithful in the imperial palace Church of Saint Stephen.
From then on the hymn Axion Estin became a staple within the Divine Liturgy and
other services of the Church. The icon is especially celebrated with
festivities and a procession on Bright Monday after Pascha and many miracles
take place on this day.
The icon
itself is a bit faded, but covered in a silver sheath to protect it. It has
been recently restored and is now in good condition. It bears the inscription
"Μήτηρ Θεού Καρυώτισσα" or "Mother of God Kariotissa". Its
origins are probably from Constantinople and is of the Panagia Eleousa type
first painted by the Apostle Luke.
On
October 3, 1913 after an all-night vigil in the Protaton church, the
self-governed region of the Holy Mountain became part of the Greek state after
a decree was signed by the Abbots of the monasteries in the presence of and
after doing a prostration before the miraculous icon of Axion Estin. This was
done according to the international treaties of London (1913), Bucharest
(1913), Neuilly (1919), Sèvres (1920) and Lausanne (1923). The Decree,
"made in the presence of the Holy Icon of Axion Estin", stated that
the Holy Mountain recognised the Kings of Greece as the lawful sovereigns and
"successors on the Mountain" of the Roman "Emperors who
built" the monasteries and declared its territory as belonging to the then
Kingdom of Greece.
On the
one thousand year anniversary of Mount Athos in 1963, the icon of Axion Estin
left the Holy Mountain for the first time to be venerated in Athens by
thousands of faithful. In 1985 it was brought to Thessaloniki aboard a military
ship and received there with the same honors as a Head of State.
During
the Greek Revolution of 1821, before the great catastrophe that took place on
the island of Chios, the Turks pillaged the monasteries of the island of their
wealth. One day a Turk happened upon two Greeks who were trying to save the
treasures as he was holding an icon of the Theotokos. He told the Greeks:
"Take this Mariam" (the Turks call the Virgin "Mariam").
The Greeks didn't understand why the Turk was giving them the icon. He went on
to say: "I tried with my sword to cut this icon in pieces so as to throw
it in the fire, but every time I went to chop it nothing would happen to the
icon. I looked carefully at the icon and I noticed it smiled at me. I
understood your faith is great and this icon should not be destroyed. Take the
icon and put it in your church."
In tears
the two Greeks signed themselves with the sign of the Cross and they took the
icon and hid it in a bag taking it to their homeland in Reizdere, Asia Minor.
They placed the icon in the Monastery of Saint Nicholas and it soon became
known for its miraculous properties.
Of its
many miracles, the following is told:
There was
a sick woman who sought healing from the Holy Virgin and vowed an offering of
her bracelets in return. She was healed. But she lived a distance from Reizdere
and it made it difficult to go and make her promised offering. This thought
occupied her conscience after the miracle.
One day
the healed woman noticed her bracelets were missing. She thought someone stole
them. At that time she left for the monastery and meant to give an offering of
money for the worth of the bracelets. She told the abbess of all that happened
and she lead the woman to the icon of the Holy Virgin. With amazement and tears
she looked up at the icon and saw her two bracelets which were found in front
of the icon a few days before. The Holy Virgin helped fulfill the vow on behalf
of the woman.
The
faithful Greeks did not abandon this icon neither during the exile of 1914 when
they brought the icon with them to Chios, or even during the genocide of the
Greeks in 1922 when they were permanently exiled to Greece.
During
the Genocide of 1922 a man by the name of Barouma hid the icon in his furnace
after he risked his life trying to save it. This Barouma became a monk on Mount
Athos where he lived the rest of his life with the icon. Eventually the icon
was brought to Chios and then Lemnos. Eventually the Greeks who had come from
Reizdere wanted to bring it with them to Crete so they boarded the boat with
their beloved icon. As they passed the Holy Mountain the monks requested that
the icon stay with them, but the citizens of Reizdere could not part with their
icon. It was brought with them to Ierapetra, Crete.
In
Ierapetra the icon continued to work miracles for the inhabitants. Eventually a
church was built in its honor named Panagia Eleousa. The story of this icon
demonstrates the great faith of the Greeks of Asia Minor, the grace of holy
icons, and the care the Theotokos shows to the needs of her beloved faithful.
Axion Estin (Greek)
Άξιον
εστίν ως αληθώς μακαρίζειν σε την Θεοτόκον, την αειμακάριστον και παναμώμητον
και μητέρα του Θεού ημών. Την τιμιωτέραν των Χερουβείμ και ενδοξοτέραν
ασυγκρίτως των Σεραφείμ την αδιαφθόρως Θεόν Λόγον τεκούσαν, την όντως Θεοτόκον,
Σε μεγαλύνομεν.
Axion Estin (English)
It is
truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever blessed, and most pure, and the
Mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more
glorious than the seraphim. Without corruption thou gavest birth to God the
Word. the true Theotokos, we magnify thee.
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Ye hosts
of the Fathers of Mount Athos, gather today, and shout with a voice of
jubilation, leaping for joy, and faithfully keeping feast: For, behold, the
praise of the most pure Theotokos wondrously and awesomely is sung by the
Angel; and therefore, as the Mother of God, we glorify her name.
Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
All of
Athos keepeth feast this day in gladness; for it wondrously received from an
Archangel's holy hand the hymn whereby thou hast ever been praised as the
Mother of God, as is truly meet.
Source: johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/06/miracles-of-icon-of-axion-estin.html
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