“Amidst life’s tempestuous sea, we are tossed by the gales of passions and temptations. Extend to us, O Lady, Your hand of aid, as Your Son did to Peter, and hasten to deliver us from our sorrows, that we may exclaim: Rejoice, all-merciful Quick to Hear”.
Kontakion, Tone 8
In the seventeenth century, many Christian lands groaned under the yoke of Turkish oppression. In the year 1664, when the Athonite Monastery of Docheiariou pleaded for relief from crippling taxes, the Turks descended upon the sanctuary, compelling the brethren to flee. One monk, in the desperate haste of their retreat, etched upon the marble doorpost of the southern gate: “1664. October fifth. The Turks came, and we departed.” Yet, in this darkest hour, amidst danger and despair, a radiant light of hope shone forth: the Most Holy Theotokos herself extended her protective mantle.
Mount Athos. Docheiariou Monastery
November descended, yet life within the walls of Docheiariou flickered anew. The brethren resumed their duties, gathering for worship and the communal meal. One morning, they discovered their refectorian, the monk Neilos, prostrating before an ancient fresco adorning the refectory’s outer wall — an image of the Mother of God, copied centuries earlier, in the 10th century, from a venerated icon in Alexandria. Tears streamed down Neilos’s face as he beseeching forgiveness from the Most Holy Theotokos. To the assembled brothers, he confessed that he had been struck blind.
In his role as steward, he often passed by the icon, often by night, bearing a lighted torch. That fateful evening, as he made his way to the refectory, torch in hand, its flame bright but smoke-filled, a voice echoed from the icon: “Monk, unworthy of the name! How much longer will you so carelessly and shamelessly defile My image with soot?” And with those words, darkness enveloped Neilos.
The Church of the “Quick to Hear” Icon of the Mother of God in Docheiariou Monastery
He had heard the warning before, a voice cautioning him, “Henceforth, approach not with a kindled torch, and stain not My image with smoke.” Yet Neilos dismissed it as a jest from his brothers and paid no heed, continuing his path with the smoking torch.
Now, consumed by remorse, Neilos confessed his sin of irreverence towards the image of the Mother of God, acknowledging the justice of his punishment. The monks kindled an ever-burning lamp before the icon, while Neilos resolved not to leave its presence until he received forgiveness. He prayed and wept throughout the day, and as night descended, the familiar voice spoke once more: “Neilos! Your prayer is heard, you are forgiven, and your sight is restored. Proclaim to all the brethren that I am the shelter, the providence, and the protection of this monastery. Let them, and all Orthodox Christians, turn to Me in their needs, and I shall leave none unheard. To all who approach me with reverence, I shall be an intercessor, and their prayers will be fulfilled by My Son and God, through My supplication before Him. From this day forward, this icon shall be known as ‘Quick to Hear,’ for swiftly shall I bestow mercy and grant the petitions of all who hasten to it.” With these joy-bringing words, sight returned to brother Neilos. This wondrous event transpired on 22 November 1664.
When Neilos, now healed and forgiven, relayed the Theotokos’ message to his brethren, a perpetual veneration of the “Quick to Hear” icon began at Docheiariou. The passage to the refectory, where the icon resided, was sealed, and a modest chapel appeared in its niche. To the right of the icon, a church arose, dedicated to this miraculous image. Twice weekly, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated within its walls, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, communal prayers ascend before the image of the Theotokos.
The “Quick to Hear” Icon of the Mother of God
Today, the “Quick to Hear” icon stands among the most beloved and revered on Mount Athos. Eternal lamps hang before it, bearing witness to the countless miracles granted to those who, with faith, seek the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. On the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, a grand celebration unfolds at the monastery in honour of the “Quick to Hear” icon, drawing pilgrims from across the globe.
In 1997, during a restoration of the icon, it was discovered that beneath a gilded riza, gifted by a Russian merchant in 1878, lay not a fresco but a canvas, affixed to the fresco with small nails along its edges. Upon removing it, the darkened visage of “She Who is Quick to Hear” became visible. The restored canvas was then mounted upon a board, adorned with the antique riza, encased within a carved kiot, and placed within the church.
The Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” in Docheiariou Monastery
The fresco itself underwent restoration, adorned with a precious oklad. Thus, in the 20th century, Docheiariou became home to two manifestations of the “Quick to Hear” icon. In Russia, copies of this miraculous image have long been held in great affection and esteem. Among the most revered is the Neva “Quick to Hear" icon, housed within the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
The Neva “Quick to Hear" Icon
This St. Petersburg copy, crafted in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, was a gift from Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife, Elizabeth Feodorovna Romanova, to the Nicholas-Bargrad Church of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, still under construction, which the Grand Duke patronised. Sergei Alexandrovich prayed before this image throughout his life, and after his demise, special commemorations were offered in its presence. This icon diverges significantly in its iconography from the renowned Athonite image. It depicts the Mother of God without the Christ Child, *orans*, Her right hand outstretched in prayer, noticeably enlarged as if symbolising divine assistance. The reasons for these iconographic variations remain a mystery. Perhaps they reflect the wishes of the royal patrons themselves. However, tradition holds that the image was painted “according to a vision revealed to a monk of the Holy Mountain.” This unique depiction of the “Quick to Hear” icon is found neither in Greece nor elsewhere in the Orthodox East, hence its designation as the “Neva Quick to Hear.”
The sacred image resided in the Church of St. Nicholas, from 1879 to 1932. After the church’s destruction, the “Neva Quick to Hear” icon found sanctuary in the Prince Vladimir Cathedral, a church that remained open throughout the Bolshevik persecutions. Before this icon, Leningrad’s faithful poured out their supplications during the merciless 900-day siege. Their pleas did not go unheeded. On the very feast day of the “Quick to Hear” icon, November 22nd, 1941, the first lorries laden with provisions began their perilous journey to besieged Leningrad, opening the famed Road of Life — the single lifeline connecting the city to the outside world. Miraculously, the Holy Theotokos shielded this vital artery from enemy assault until the siege was finally broken.
In 1957, the icon was transferred to the reopened Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where it remains to this day.
The Moscow Copy of the “Quick to Hear” Icon
Another treasured replica of the “Quick to Hear” icon journeyed from Mount Athos to Moscow in 1887. It found its home in the Athonite chapel dedicated to the Great Martyr Panteleimon near the Nikolskie Gates of Kitay-gorod. This image, too, became renowned for its miraculous interventions. In the same year, it healed Anastasia Frolova, a widow from Ruza, and two years hence, it brought restoration to Marfa Stepanovna Palkina, a peasant woman from Moscow. Today, this icon resides at the Athonite Metochion Church in Moscow, near the holy relics of Saint Aristokles of Mount Athos.
In 1938, the Docheiariou Monastery on Mount Athos presented a copy of the icon to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission. It now dwells in the right side-chapel of the Church of the Ascension at the Eleon Monastery in Jerusalem.
The Eleon “Quick to Hear” Icon
The aid of the Queen of Heaven continues to flow ceaselessly upon humanity. She, the Swift Protectress, quickly hears our petitions when we are lost and seek Her guidance. Through Her icons, the Most Holy Theotokos bestows Her aid, healing infirmities, guiding children, and offering solace in every circumstance. Let us hasten to Her with faith, for in Her, as Her servants, we “have a helper ever ready.”
Prayer before the Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”:
“O Most Blessed Theotokos, You have graciously deigned to be called ‘Quick to Hear’ in Your icon, commanding all to approach You with faith. Do not despise me, the sorrowful one, nor allow me to perish in the abyss of my sins. In You, after God, lies all my hope and trust of salvation, and to Your protection and intercession, I entrust myself forever. Amen.”
Material prepared by the editors of obitel-minsk.ru
Photographs drawn from the internet
Sources:
1. Rejoicing in You. Miraculous Icons of the Mother of God* / compiled by N. Dmitrieva. — Moscow, 2004.
2. Orthodox Encyclopaedia / edited by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. — Moscow, 2007. Vol. XVI.
3. The Highest Protection over Athos, or Tales of the Holy Miraculous Icons Glorified on Athos*. — Moscow: Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, 1997. (Reprint of the 1902 edition.)
4. About the Icon “Quick to Hear” (hramspiridon.ru)
