The Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God

From The Prologue From Ochrid by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich

Icon of the Protection of the Mother of God. From the Protection Monastery in Suzdal. Late 15th century. Icon of the Protection of the Mother of God. From the Protection Monastery in Suzdal. Late 15th century.
Troparion Most holy Mother of God, today we Orthodox joyfully celebrate thy coming among us. As we gaze at thy icon we cry with compunction: Shelter us under thy protection, deliver us from evil, and pray thy Son Christ our God to save our souls.

Kontakion Today the Virgin is standing before us in the Churchpraying for us with the choirs of Saints. Angels worship with Hierarchs, Apostles rejoice with Prophets, for the Mother of God intercedes with the Eternal God for us.

The Church has always glorified the Most Holy Mother of God as the Protectress and Defender of the Christian people, entreating, by her intercession, God's loving-kindness towards us sinners. The Mother of God's aid has been clearly shown times without number, both to individuals and to peoples, both in peace and in war, both in monastic deserts and in crowded cities. The event that the Church commemorates and celebrates on October 1 [October 14, Civil Calendar] proves this constant protection of the Christian people by the Mother of God. On October 1st, 911, in the time of the Emperor Leo the Wise (or the Philosopher), there was an all-night vigil at the Blachemae church of the Mother of God in Constantinople. The church was crowded. St. Andrew the Fool for Christ was standing at the back of the church with his disciple Epiphanius. At four o'clock in the morning, the most holy Mother of God appeared above the people with a veil spread over her outstretched hands, as though to protect them with this covering. She was clad in gold-encrusted purple and shone with an unspeakable radiance, surrounded by apostles, saints, martyrs and virgins. Seeing this vision, St. Andrew gestured towards it and asked Epiphanius: 'Do you see how the Queen and Lady of all is praying for the whole world?' Epiphanius replied: 'Yes, Father; I see it and stand in dread.' As a result, this commemoration was instituted to remind us both of this event and of the Mother of God's constant protection whenever we prayerfully seek that protection, that shelter, in distress.

From The Prologue From Ochrid by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich
1985 Lazarica Press, Birmingham, UK

10/14/2010

See also
Homily on the Day of the Protection of the Mother of God Homily on the Day of the Protection of the Mother of God
St. Nicholai Velimirovich Homily on the Day of the Protection of the Mother of God Homily on the Day of the Protection of the Mother of God
St. Nicholai Velimirovich
That the righteous inherit the Kingdom of God is witnessed by the Most Pure Mother of God through her appearance in glory and light, with her protecting veil, with which she protects from evil all who run to her with tears, prayer and faith. She appeared and she still appears—not just for the sake of appearing, but in order to open the spiritual eyes of those without faith, so that they would learn of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Homily on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God Homily on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God
Holy Hierach Innocent (Borisov) Homily on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God Homily on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God
Holy Hierach Innocent (Borisov)
For those who celebrate the commemoration of the miraculous appearance of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God, nothing could be more joyous than if we announced that this grace-filled Protection is spread even over us. But who could be the bearer of these glad tidings? Whose eye is capable of seeing the Most Holy Intercessor, “in the air, praying to Christ for us?” There are no obvious mystical seers like blessed Andrew and Epiphanius among us; and the hidden mysteries known only to the Lord will remain hidden unto the ages. Rejoice, O Our Joy! Sermon on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God Rejoice, O Our Joy! Sermon on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God
Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) Rejoice, O Our Joy! Sermon on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God Rejoice, O Our Joy! Sermon on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God
Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)
But during this present, difficult time, when the earth has grown old, is burdened by faithlessness, lawlessness, and ignorance of the knowledge of God’s commandments, has our Fervent Intercessor turned away from us in her zeal for the glory of her Son and God? No, my dears, this could not be. Needy children are dearer to a mother.
Comments
John Swensen10/13/2017 3:24 am
This article is good of course as far as it goes, but it gives no context for the vision. The following quotation is from the OCA website and provides the context for St. Andrew the fool for Christ's vision of the Theotokos and her protection:

The Primary Chronicle of Saint Nestor reflects that the protective intercession of the Mother of God was needed because an attack of a large pagan Russian fleet under the leadership of Askole and Dir. The feast celebrates the divine destruction of the fleet which threatened Constantinople itself, sometime in the years 864-867 or according to the Russian historian Vasiliev, on June 18, 860. Ironically, this Feast is considered important by the Slavic
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