The
Pskov-Pechersk Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God (also called “The Tenderness
Icon of the Mother of God”) is famous for defending the city of Pskov and the
Pskov Caves monastery several times. When the people prayed to the Theotokos
while standing before this icon, she protected the city and the monastery. She
first protected them from an invading army in 1581 (celebrated on May 21.) She
also protected the city and monastery in 1812 during the invasion by Napoleon
(celebrated on October 7.)
In Pskov
Caves icon of the Theotokos of Tenderness, the Virgin Mary holds the Christ
child in her arms so that His right side is next to her heart. Christ’s left
arm hugs across her veil, and His right arm is under the veil and his fingers
hug her neck. In this way, both the Theotokos and Christ show us their
tenderness, comfort, and love.
The
Theotokos wears her veil over her head. In icons, a woman’s veil is a symbol of
her purity. In this icon, the Theotokos’ veil and robe flow past her shoulders
and across the body of the Christ child, symbolizing her pure love.
On the
veil on her forehead we see a star, and also one on her shoulder. The star
represents the Star of Bethlehem when Christ was born from the Virgin Mary. The
shape of each star is also a Cross with four points. There is a square at the
center of the star. The four points of the Cross and the square are there to
remind people of the four corners of the earth illuminated by Christ who came
into the world through the Holy Theotokos.
Within
each star, also in a cross design are four symbols that are called firebrands,
the symbols of God’s Uncreated Light, which is also called the Divine Fire. The
Divine Fire is God’s love. The Theotokos brought this love to us by giving
birth to Christ.
The stars
and crosses are always painted in gold. Gold represents the Holiness of God’s
Divine Light. The golden braid at the edges of her veil and robe shows that the
Theotokos is filled with the Divine Light.
In this
icon, the Theotokos’ veil is painted blue. Blue is a symbol of Heaven and
Eternity. In the Virgin Mary Heaven and earth met when she accepted to become
the Mother of Christ our God. When He became incarnate through her, the Cross
became his destiny from the first moment of His conception. He died upon the
cross and rose from the dead to make it possible for us to have Eternal Life
with Him in Heaven.
In this
icon of the Theotokos, her eyes are sad. She does not look toward us. She looks
away to behold the world of Eternity. She had heard, on the fortieth day after
Christ’s birth, the words of Saint Simeon: “a sword shall pierce your own
soul.” (Luke 2:35). She knows who her Son is and what will happen to Him when
he grows up. The “sword” that will pierce her soul is the sadness she will feel
when she sees her Son, Christ die on the Cross. Christ’s cheek is pressed to
His mother’s cheek.
Christ’s
eyes look toward His mother, comforting her in her sadness. He will say to her
many years later, “Do not cry for me, Mother, when you see me in the tomb.
Because I, your Son, whom you conceived in your womb without seed, will rise
from the dead and be glorified.” (Odion 6, from the Great Saturday Canon). This
reminds us that although Christ died on the Cross (commemorated on Good
Friday), we rejoice with the Theotokos on the day of Christ’s Resurrection
(Pascha). It all became possible through love.
In the
icon, Christ is a small child, but He wears a robe in the style of an adult and
a “girdle” with golden threads around his waist and over his shoulder. The
golden threads are like rays of the sun, because Christ is the Sun of
Righteousness, the Giver of Light.
The
Theotokos’ hand is outstretched to touch the upper edge of Christ’s girdle,
which shows that she guides the people and leads us to Christ.
The
Theotokos always hears everyone who prays for her intercession (her prayers to
God to help us). She does this because of love. Just as she cradled the Christ
child in her arms giving Him all her love and comfort, she loves everyone who
loves Christ, just as God the Father loves us. Christ tells us this, “for the
Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I
came forth from God.” (John 16:27)
The
Theotokos, by her example of tenderness, teaches us to also treat one another
with tenderness and love. What does she want us to understand about tenderness?
Tenderness
is not weakness. Tenderness shows the strength of love. Christ teaches and
commands us to love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your
neighbor as yourself.” (Gospel of Luke 10:27)
Source: https://stmichaeljermyn.org/files/CHURCH%20SCHOOL/TendernessIconOfTheotokos.pdf
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