The seven miracle-working icons of the Mother of God from Vatopedi Monastery

The miracle-working icons of the Mother of God kept at the Vatopedi Monastery are: "Vimatarissa", meaning "Altar", "Paramythia", meaning "Comforter", "Pantanassa", meaning "Cancer Healer", "Elaiovrytissa", meaning "Oil Fountain", "Antiphonitria", meaning "Against the Voice", "Esfagmeni", meaning "The Stabbed One", and "Pyrovolitheisa", meaning "The Shot One", the latter located above the entrance gate to the monastery.

Vimatarissa (Altar)

The Mother of God Vimatarissa or Ktitorissa is the most famous icon housed in the Vatopedi Monastery, considered to be the protector of the settlement. It is placed in the katholikon of the Monastery, on the bishop's chair in the Holy Altar.

According to tradition, when the ship carrying Arcadia, the son of Emperor Theodosius the Great, was wrecked, he was saved by the miraculous help of the Mother of God, who brought him to dry land, being in a bush, in the place where the Vatopedi Monastery would later be built and where he found the icon of the Mother of God.

A miracle that occurred in the 10th century is associated with this icon. During an attack by Arab pirates on the monastery, Hierodeacon Sava managed to hide the icon of the Mother of God, throwing it into the well of the Holy Altar, together with the Cross of Constantine the Great and a lit torch that always burned before the icon of the Mother of God. However, he did not manage to escape the wrath of the invaders, who captured him and sold him into slavery in Crete. When, seventy years later, during the reign of Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Crete was freed from the pirates, Venerable Sava also regained his freedom and, now in his old age, returned to his monastery of penance. Here he showed the abbot Nicholas where to dig to discover the old well of the Altar in which, oh!, miracle, they found the icon and the Cross floating straight above the water, and the candle still lit, as it had been left seventy years ago! In other words, a double miracle had happened – the holy relics thrown into the water had not suffered any damage, through the miracle and care of the Mother of God, and the candle had been burning for seventy years without being consumed! Since then, in memory of the miracle, every Monday evening, the Chapel of the Mother of God is sung, and every Wednesday, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the katholikon of the Monastery.

Within the litanies of the Monastery, this icon of the Mother of God occupies the place of honor. On the day of his celebration, on Tuesday of Bright Week, a procession with the Holy Icon takes place around the Monastery.

Paramythia (The Comforter)

In the past, there was a custom for the fathers of the Monastery, leaving the katholikon, to kiss this icon of the Mother of God, after which the Abbot would entrust the keys of the monastery to the monk who was fulfilling the obedience of the gatekeeper of the holy place. According to this tradition, during the Byzantine era, one day, when the Abbot was handing the keys to the gatekeeper, he heard a voice coming from the icon: “Do not open the gates of the monastery today, but climb the walls and drive out the pirates.” The same voice resounded a second time. Turning his gaze to the icon, the Abbot saw how the Infant in the arms of the Mother of God stretched out His hand, covering the lips of His Mother and saying: “Do not have mercy, My Mother, on these sinners. Let them be punished by the raid of pirates, as they deserve.” The Mother of God, however, taking the hand of the Christ Child and turning her head slightly, repeated the same words. The monks immediately ran to the walls, from where it was easy to see how the pirates had surrounded the monastery and were waiting for the moment when the gate would open, to rush inside and plunder it. Through the miraculous intervention of the Mother of God, the monastery was delivered from the pirates' wrath. Since then, these last movements of the face of the Divine Infant and His Mother have remained imprinted on the icon.

Esphagmeni (Stabbed)

This miraculous icon is a 14th-century fresco, located on the outside of the west wall of the Chapel of Saint Demetrius in the katholikon of Vatopedi Monastery.

According to the monastery tradition, a hierodeacon, the ecclesiarch of the katholikon, due to the duties of his hearing, was repeatedly late in arriving at the refectory. At one point, due to such a delay, the refectory refused to give the ecclesiarch his proper portion of food. With his soul filled with revolt at what had happened, the hierodeacon returned to the church and, stopping in front of the icon of the Mother of God, said to her: “How long shall I serve you and labor for you, and you do not even care about my food?” And taking a knife, he struck the image of the Mother of God, from which, as if it were alive, blood began to flow. The hierodeacon was blinded on the spot and fell to the ground, as if he had lost his mind. In this state, he remained before the icon for three years, weeping and begging the Mother of God to forgive him. After the three years had passed, the Mother of God appeared to the abbot, informing him of the healing of the hierodeacon who had dared to strike her icon, but at the same time telling him that the hand that had committed this mockery would be punished. Indeed, after the hierodeacon fell asleep, with the transfer of his remains, unlike the rest of his body, which had dissolved into the materials from which it had been composed, his right hand remained incorruptible and thus is preserved to this day.

Once, a priest, a pilgrim to the Monastery, doubting this miracle, placed his finger on the site of the old knife wound, from where blood immediately gushed out. Trembling with wonder, the priest did not have time to leave the katholikon, falling down dead.

Eleovrytissa (Oil Spring)

This icon dates back to the 14th century and is located in the monastery's cellar. From there, it is brought to the katholikon on Friday of Bright Week, the day of its celebration.

Tradition recalls the following miracle: At a time when oil was running low in the monastery, the Venerable Gennady, the monastery's cellarer, began to economize it, ordering it only for use in the church candles. The cook, however, complained about this to the abbot, who ordered the cellarer to generously distribute the oil for the benefit of the entire community, having hope in the care of the Lady, the Mother of God. When, one day, he entered the monastery, Venerable Gennady saw oil dripping from the previously emptied vessel, so that it had flowed all the way to the door of the room. Since then, the icon has been spreading a special fragrance.

Pyrovolithisa (The Shot One)

It is a fresco located on the outer wall above the gate that allows access to the monastery. In 1822, a group of armed Turkish soldiers entered the monastery. One of them, seeing the icon, fired at it, so that the bullet pierced the right hand of the Mother of God. After committing this deed, the Turk, as if out of his mind, hung himself from an olive tree in front of the monastery. The other Turks, seeing this divine punishment, were filled with fear and immediately left the place of worship. The Turkish commander, being informed of what had happened, ordered that the soldier, although he was his nephew, be left unburied, as an outlaw.

Pantanassa (Empress of All)

This portable, miraculous icon is painted on wood, dates back to the 17th century, and is located on the left iconostasis, right next to the column that occupies the northeastern side of the katholikon of the Vatopedi Monastery.

According to the modern-day stories of the Fathers of the monastery, the first testimony of the fact that this icon possesses a special grace is the following incident: One day, a young man, entering the church and going to worship the icon, saw how, suddenly, the face of the Mother of God shone like lightning, at which moment an unseen power threw him to the ground. Coming to his senses, he confessed with tears to the Fathers, confessing that he was leading a life far from God and that he was engaged in magic. Thus, the miraculous intervention of the Mother of God made the young man change his life and become a man with the fear of God.

This icon also received grace from God to cure a terrible disease, cancer. There are countless cases of cancer patients today who were healed following prayers made before the icon of Our Lady of Pantanassa.

Antiphonitria (Against the Voice)

This is a fresco located in the porch of the katholikon of the Vatopedi Monastery. The name was given as a result of the voice heard from this icon.

According to tradition, at the time when Empress Placidia, daughter of Emperor Theodosius the Great, visited the Monastery, heading towards the entrance to the katholikon, through the small door on the side of the building, she heard a voice coming from the icon: "Stop and do not take another step! How dare you, being a woman, come to this place?". Trembling, the Empress asked for forgiveness from the Mother of God and immediately left the Holy Mountain. Moreover, in memory of this miracle, Placidia erected, at her own expense, the Chapel of Saint Demetrius, an annex to the large church of the Monastery.