of St Paul once said: "The absurdity and Babi fables."It is not difficult to imagine what made the great Christian missionary, who for many works is referred to the apostles, to say the strict words.
Unfortunately, even today, gone are the days when the persecution of the Church, and to believe in God even became fashionable, people often prefer to believe is not written in the Gospel, and some their own signs.
You do not just stand there, do not go here ...
"Babushkino Orthodoxy" - that's what it's called.No offense to the church grandparents, for whom "candle" work was a real sense of life, but some of their expressions and actions seem to be really wild.It is strange to hear such a question icon shop: "This icon Semistrelnaya? What does protecting?"But no less crazy to hear the answer.And right when the ignorant man "educate", claiming that he is to hang up the icon, which is also called the "Softener of Evil Hearts", the front door as the evil eye, damage, and any "Mojo" will bypass its tenth expensive.So the poor fellow neophyte earnestly invited to produce some manipulations poluyazycheskie to light the Mother of God ...
value icons "Softener of Evil Hearts"
One famous father once said that the icons are not divided into miraculous and nechudotvornye.No holy water cures a particular disease, but the faith that a person is doing all these manipulations.
theme icons inexhaustible, is no exception and the icon Semistrelnaya.From what protects?Good question.To give it an adequate response, we must remember the basic principle of spiritual life: "Save yourself and others around you will be saved."He, incidentally, adhered to St. Seraphim of Sarov.If you look closely at the icon "Softener of Evil Hearts", you will notice that the tip of arrows directed to the chest of the Virgin.Why is that?Because her heart bleeds for us.Arrows - our sins, from which we are not always in a hurry to get rid of ... because it is so sorrowful Her face.Probably, everyone conscious Orthodox Christian to the question: "It is an icon Semistrelnaya? What does protecting?"must be answered by looking inward.
Yet ...
On the iconostasis of every Orthodox Christian icon is available Semistrelnaya.From what protects?In short - from evil.Not from the evil that is in, although, of course, and he, too, but first of all from the evil within us.In the history of Orthodoxy has played a huge role Semistrelnaya icon of the Mother of God.
Its importance is hard to overestimate.It is undoubtedly the shrine for every believer.She was in a hurry to bow to many of the righteous.And, perhaps, the modern Christian feels safe when at home he is an icon Semistrelnaya Mother of God.Pray for us - it straight debt.She prays for the people, he asks his son to forgive our sins.
Now that the like and there is no direct danger to the life of the Christian believer, when you can freely practice their faith, each person a little bit to think about the deeper meaning of Christ's teaching, he knows what to look for protection need not have icons, but of God.And he is happy to help, and even when we forget to ask about this ...
