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Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”

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Mt. Athos, Macedonia, Greece (1664)

Commemorated on November 22
Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”
The Icon of the Mother of God, “Quick to Hear” an ancient wonderworking icon, is located on Holy Mount Athos at the Docheiariou monastery. The monastery tradition suggests that it was painted in the tenth century, in the time of the igumen St Neophytus (November 9). In the year 1664 the cook Nilus, came to the kitchen at night with a burning torch. He heard a voice from the icon of the Mother of God which hung over the door, warning him in future not to walk here with a torch and not to darken the icon with soot. The monk thought that this was a prank of one of the brethren, so he disregarded the warning and continued to walk into the kitchen with the sooty torch.
 
Suddenly he fell blind. With fervent repentance Nilus prayed before the icon of the Mother of God, begging forgiveness. When the brethren heard what had happened, they placed a lamp before the icon, and censed it every night. Again he heard the wondrous voice saying that he had been forgiven, and that his sight would return. The All-Pure One commanded him to announce to all the brethren that She was the protector and guardian of the monastery. “Let them and all Orthodox Christians come to Me in their necessities, and I shall not forsake them. All their petitions will be granted by My Son, because of My intercession with Him. My icon shall be called “She who is Quick to Hear, for I shall speedily fulfill the petitions of those who hasten to it.” The Most Holy Theotokos then fulfilled and continues to fulfill Her promise of quick help and consolation for all those who come to Her with faith.
 
In Russia, copies of the wonderworking Athonite image “She who is Quick to Hear” were always venerated with great love and fervent prayer. Many of them were glorified by miracles. In particular, there were cases of healing from the plague and from demonic possession.
 
In 1938, the Docheiariou monastery presented a copy of the wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” to the Russian Spiritual Mission at Jerusalem.

Source: http://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/11/09/103264-icon-of-the-mother-of-god-ldquoquick-to-hearrdquo 

History

St. Neophytos, who wrote the rule for the Docheiriou Monastery on the west coast of the Mt. Athos peninsula, is said to have had the Mother of God's image painted on the monastery wall outside the refectory door around 1110. The image resided in silent obscurity with the monks for over 500 years. Then in 1664, as the refectory steward, Neilos, walked by it with a lighted torch, a voice said, "Stop dirtying my icon with your smoke." Neilos disregarded the comment, taking it for a prank, and continued to go to and from his place of duty by torchlight. But the next time the voice from the image scolded him, he lost his sight. The monks appointed a new steward and hung a votive lamp by the painting, before which Neilos begged pardon for weeks. Finally the voice came again: “Monk, your prayer to me has been heard; be forgiven and receive your sight as before. ... From now on let the monks fly to me for their every need, and at once I will listen to them and to all Orthodox Christians who approach me with reverence, for I am called Quick to Hear.” The Quick to Hear Icon (in Greek, Γοργοεπήκοο, Gorgoepikoos) soon became an object of devotion for monks from all over the Holy Mountain. Its hallway was sealed and the image (or a copy) installed in an adjacent chapel. The fame of the miracle-working icon spread through Greece, where the feast of the All-Holy Quick Hearer is celebrated along with that of the Holy Protection of the Mother of God on October 1 (or the modern calendar equivalent, October 14, by Greek Orthodox churches in the U.S.). In the 1800s, the devotion spread to Russia, where the Mother of God Quick to Hear (Скоропослушница, Skoroposlushnitsa) is celebrated on St. Neophytos' day, November 9, the old calendar date observed by many Orthodox churches (e.g. Antiochan and American), converted to the modern calendar date of November 22 in Russian Orthodox churches. (Information from "St. Spyridon Orthodox Church," www.saint-spyridon.com/msg1004.htm, and other sources.)   

Source: http://www.wherewewalked.info/feasts/11-November/11-22.htm

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Docheiariou Monastery

Docheiariou Monastery (Mt. Athos, Macedonia, Greece)

In Russia, copies of the wonderworking Athonite image “She who is Quick to Hear” were always venerated with great love and fervent prayer. Many of them were glorified...

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