Icon of the Mother of God "Eleusa" from Novgorod - embroidered, framed, 21x27cm
The icon of the Mother of God "Eleusa" represents the fullness of the love between God and humanity, a love that can only be attained with the help of a divine being, in this case the Mother of God. She holds her Son in her arms, who turns his face towards her and has one hand around her neck. The Mother of God symbolizes the Church in this case.
Upon careful observation, one can notice that the Most Holy Theotokos holds her child in her arms but does not look directly at Him. She neither looks towards us nor into the distance; rather, her eyes are always fixed inward, in a state of contemplation. The tenderness is expressed by the gentleness of her hands.
She holds the Child in her arms without squeezing Him, but carrying Him with a sanctity of offering, and all tenderness, all human love, is revealed in the Child, not in the mother. She remains forever the Mother of God and behaves with the Child not as if He were baby Jesus, but as the incarnate Son of God, who, by becoming the Son of the Virgin, embodies both humanity and divinity. He expresses love both as her Son and as the Creator.
The History of the Icon of the Mother of God "Eleusa" from Novgorod
On July 8, 1337, a watchman of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Novgorod heard a noise in the holy place and approached to investigate. He was amazed to discover that the icon of the Mother of God, located on the second level of the icons, above the north door of the iconostasis, had left its place and was floating in the air. Tears were flowing from the eyes of the Virgin Mary.
Without delay, Archbishop Alexios was called, and, surrounded by clergy and faithful, he approached the holy place. A special iconostasis was built to host the icon of the Mother of God, and July 8 was consecrated as a day of celebration in her honor.
In the same year, the city of Novgorod was struck by the plague. People, in large numbers, gathered to pray before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the plague was removed. In 1352, Archbishop Vasilios established an annual procession with the icon of the Virgin Mary, which started from the Church of the Holy Trinity and ended at the Church of St. Sophia.
In the summer of 1366, the Church of the Holy Trinity was engulfed in flames, but the icon "Eleusa" was floating in the air above the fire. Archbishop Alexios immediately arrived at the church, and after reciting prayers, the icon descended into his hands. Miraculously, the fire was extinguished, but a seven-centimeter burn mark remained on the back of the icon, as evidence of this miracle.
Grand Prince Ivan III transferred the icon to Moscow in 1397, where it remained until 1508. During that period, the Mother of God appeared in a dream to Grand Duchess Maria and commanded her to return the icon to Novgorod.
