The Inexhaustible Cup
The icon of the Mother of God
“The Inexhaustible Cup”
The revered copy of the icon
of the Mother of God "The Inexhaustible Cup" in
Saransk
The Appearance of the miracle-working
icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Cup” took place
in 1878. One peasant from the district Yefremovskiy of the
province Tulskaya, being a retired soldier, suffered from
drunkenness. He drank away his entire pension and everything
that was in his house. So finally he had grown poor. Hard
drinking caused a paralysis to his legs, but he didn’t stop.
But suddenly this degraded down man saw a wonderful dreaming.
He saw a good-looking great ascetic who said: “Go to the
Monastery of Our Lady, the Queen of Heaven in the town Serpukhov.
Find the icon “The Inexhaustible Cup” there. Send your prayer
to Her and you’ll get your body and soul recovered”. Being
paralyzed and having nobody to help and no money the peasant
couldn’t bring himself to make this long journey. The great
ascetic came to him again but the peasant was still afraid
to follow his call. And the great ascetic came to him for
the third time and ordered to fulfill his will so strictly
that the poor drunker set out on his journey immediately
on all fours. He stayed for a night in one village. The
tender-hearted old hostess made massage to his legs and
left him sleeping near the warm village stove. At night
the pilgrim felt a pleasant relief in his legs and even
could keep standing on his legs for a short time. The next
day he felt much better. So, leaning on two and then on
one stick, he reached Serpukhov.
Having come to the Monastery,
the suffering man has told about his night dreams and asked
Monastery people to hold a prayer service. But no one in
the Monastery knew about the icon of the Mother of God with
such a name (“The Inexhaustible Cup”). But somebody supposed
if it could be the icon hanging in the passage leading from
the Cathedral to the vestry. There really was an image of
a cup on that icon. Much to everyone’s surprise the inscription
“The Inexhaustible Cup” was found at the back side of the
icon! The newly found holy image was brought to the temple
and the brethren hold a prayer service in the face of it.
The former drunker returned from Serpukhov absolutely healthy.
He recovered not only from the pain in legs but he also
recovered from the unconquerable passion to alcohol.
News about the miraculous
glorification of the icon of the Mother of God got spread
very fast not only iin Serpukhov but all around Russia as
well. People suffering from alcoholism and their relatives
sent their prayers to the Mother of God asking Her for release
from the baneful disease and many of them came back again
to thanked Our Lady, the Queen of Heaven for Her mercy.
Very soon the veneration of the icon of the Mother of God
“The Inexhaustible Cup” exceeded the bounds of the Monastery.
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The
miracle-working icon of the Mother of God
"The Inexhaustible Cup" in Serpukhov
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What does this icon present? According to the Christian
iconography, it belongs to one of the ancient images of
the Mother of God – “Orante”. But the infant God is presented
as standing in the cup. What was the godly idea of the
one who painted the Mother of God? Undoubtedly it refers
to the holy Mystery of the Eucharist. The cup with the
benedictive infant God is the Cup of the Eucharist shedding
to the believers all blessings granted to the sinful humanity
by the vicarious deed of our Lord Jesus Christ. This Cup
is really inexhaustible, as the Holy Lamb "He is
forever eaten yet is never consumed". And the Mother
of God with Her sinless hands upraised like a powerful
high-priest with intercession brings to God this sacrifice
– Her immolated Son, who took the Flesh and Blood from
Her sinless Bloods and put it to the Heaven Sacrificial
altar for the salvation of the World and She feeds the
believers with it. According to the icon-painting plot
and idea the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible
Cup” is very similar to Nicaean icon which got to be known
by its miracles in 304s. The Fathers of the First Ecumenical
Council decreed singing "Your womb became a Heavenly
Table, bearing the Heavenly Bread - Christ our God"
in front of it.
Nowadays the Holy image of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible
Cup” is venerated by Orthodox people as Miracle-working.
It is kept in Pokrovskiy Temple of Vysotskiy Monastery.
In front of this Holy image they daily hold the prayer
service with blessing of water and akathist, after which
they commemorate the names of those who suffer from alcoholism.
The copies of the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible
Cup” can be usually seen not only in the houses of the
believers but also in many temples and monasteries. One
of such venerated copies is presented in the St. John
the Theologian Macarovka Monastery. After numerous request
of parishioners who’s relatives suffer from alcoholism
and drug addiction, the Father superior of the Monastery
the Hegumen Lazar (Gurkin) asked for the blessing of Varsanofiy,
the Archbishop of Saransk and Mordovia to make a copy
of the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God “The
Inexhaustible Cup”. The intension of Hegumen Lazar was
blessed by the Hierarch and in summer 2001 the copy of
the icon was ordered in the Vysotskiy Serpukhov monastery.
Several months passed and on December, 17 the rural dean
of Makarovka monastery and the spiritual father came to
Serpukhov. The holy image was sanctified by the brethren
in the Cathedral of the Monastery’s Father superior Kirill
(Kostikov) and after that the newly painted icon was put
on the miracle-working icon. In the morning of the next
day the brethren brought the icon to Saransk. The hieromonachs
and all believers of Saransk and the suburb solemnly met
the icon with the religious procession. To the ringing
of the church bell and troparion singing the holy image
was brought to the Holy Gates where the Monastery’s brethren
and the Father superior already gathered. The icon was
placed in the temple and the very first prayer service
was hold to the gladness of all people who gathered in
the church. The Hegumen made a respective speech and congratulated
the parishioners on that holy day. After that everybody
had a chance to kiss the holy image and get the blessing
of the Mother of God.
Since that time every Sunday at 8 a.m. people of the
St. John the Theologian monastery hold the prayer service
in the face of the icon “The Inexhaustible Cup” with blessing
of water and akathist about all people suffering from
alcoholism and drug addiction; and many believers come
to this prayer service. Earlier there was only the manuscript
variant of the akathist to the Mother of God which is
read in front of Her holy image “The Inexhaustible Cup”.
And in 1991, being blessed by His Eminence Juvenaliy the
Metropolite of Krutitsk and Kolomna, it was first published
by the Vysotskiy monastery. Ever since the akathist was
published many times in great editions. This akathist
is very popular among the believers. Many of them read
it daily. There even is a good custom to read this akathist
40 days running and ask the Mother of God for help to
all diseased people. In the believers opinion the Miracle-working
icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Cup” is a
real pan-Russia Shrine. The Mother of God with her sinless
hands upraised to the Heaven sends Her prayer about all
sinners to Her Son and God; She prays for sinners salvation
and calls them to change their baneful passion for alcohol
to the inexhaustible spring of spiritual joy and consolation
and says that The Inexhaustible Cup of Heaven help and
charity is waiting for everyone who need it.
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