The Most Holy Lady of the Virgin is the greatest protector of the human race. Numerous cases of patronage of the Blessed Virgin are known from history, the memory of which is preserved to this day in various Orthodox celebrations. The Day of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the great holidays having a basis in the historical fact of helping the Blessed Virgin to believers.
The Orthodox Church in Russia celebrates the Day of the Protection of the Most Holy Lady of the Virgin in mid-October (the 14th according to the new calendar). This day of the Orthodox calendar is marked in red bold, indicating a special reverence for this celebration.
Feast of the Intercession is historical evidence of the miraculous appearance of the Intercessor of the human race in the Blachernae church of the capital of Byzantium - Constantinople. This event dates from the beginning of the 10th century. Meanwhile, when the ruler of the Byzantine Empire was Emperor Leo the Wise. The beginning of the tenth century was marked by attacks on the invaders of Constantinople of the Saracens. During such a plight, the Orthodox people with special zeal resorted in their prayers to the Lord and Mother of God for help and intercession.
The hagiographic source Life of Saints, Metropolitan Dimitry of Rostov, well-known in Russia, tells us that during the attack on Constantinople, the Saracens zealously offered their prayers for the Sunday all-night service (other sources do not indicate a specific day of the appearance of the Mother of God, only data that it happened during all-night vigil). Among the worshipers in the church was Saint Blessed Andrew, who was called a holy fool in the month of the month. It was he who saw the Blessed Virgin walking through the air, accompanied by the beloved disciple of the Savior John the Theologian, the great prophet and Forerunner of the Lord John, the holy and angelic armies. Such a wonderful vision was also made possible by the disciple of the holy fool Andrei Epiphanius.
The Blessed Virgin Mary prayed for the people of Constantinople, after which she removed the cover called in the Christian tradition the omophorion and spread it over those present in the church. The meaning of this phenomenon indicated the visible and tangible help and intercession of the Virgin Mary. And the holiday itself, established in honor of the appearance of the Virgin in the Vlacherna Church, received its name - Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.
After the miraculous appearance of the Virgin, the conquerors retreated from the royal city of Constantinople. Many residents were saved, and Orthodox shrines were not trampled by invaders.
In honor of the events in the Vlaherna Church, it was decided to establish a special holiday, which in the XII century passed into the Orthodox calendar and in Russia. This day was especially honored by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who initiated the construction of the first Pokrovsky church (the famous Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, erected in 1164). In the following centuries, Pokrovsky monasteries began to be erected and numerous temples built. In modern times, almost every diocese has a temple, the main throne of which is consecrated in honor of the miraculous event of the appearance of the Mother of God in the Blachernae Church of Constantinople.
Orthodox believers to this day seek to attend a festive evening service on the eve of the Intercession, and on the day of the holiday to pray at the Liturgy, to ask the Blessed Virgin for intercession and help in all everyday needs and troubles.
