Prayer before the Mother of God ~ Joyful

THIS ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD is called simply, Joyful. Sometimes it is titled: Mother of God ~ Child Leaping for Joy.  Mary's joy is that she stands in God's soft yellow light - the Holy Child plays in her arms. 

Nothing is known of the icon's history except that miracles are attributed to it. The world needs miracles, especially the miracles which heal the darkness and hate of human hearts. 

When we click on the icon below we hear priest-monk Vasily Mosgovoy of the Optina Monastery sing the Phos Hilaron. This is a third century hymn sung at Saturday Vespers (evening prayer) as the candles are lit and Sunday, the Day of Resurrection, is welcomed. The English translation appears at the bottom of the icon. 

We might listen to the hymn several times - allowing the icon's light and prayer-words to melt into us, like the snow's melting we await. Monks sing without instrumental accompaniment. The intense hum before and during the hymn is made by the monastic choir. The human voice is the only instrument and has a great unifying function.

Link to Phos Hilaron

Mother of God ~ The Joyful

THIS ICON IS CALLED SIMPLY, Mother of God ~ The Joyful. But what's the joy? Jesus has told us in chapter 15 of St. John's Gospel that he is the vine and we're the branches. It's a wonderful passage about his and our mutual love - symbolized by the intertwining one-ness of grape vines and branches. You really can't tell one from the other, there is such a unity in the plant.

And at the end of that passage Jesus shifts a bit, saying: "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete." Receiving the love of Jesus and offering Jesus my own love results in joy. Don't we need joy!?

Then we are reminded of something Jesus said earlier in the same Gospel - John 14:28 - "If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father..." Lots of Christians say they love Jesus - but we could ask, Do I love Jesus because loving Jesus might benefit me somehow? or Do I love Jesus simply for Jesus' sake - because Jesus has the good work of the Father's purposes to accomplish?

Often in icons of the Mother of God, while Jesus is playful in her arms, she has a faraway look in her eyes. She already holds in her heart the separation - the God-purpose that will take her Son from her. 

I might come before this icon asking what it means that I say, I love Jesus. People seldom ask questions about meaning.