Zographou Icon "Of the Akathist"

10 / 23 October

In the difficult days of the Eastern empire, when mighty Rome was striving to bring under her sway the Orthodox Church, a pious elder took up his struggle in solitude near the Zographou Monastery on Mt. Athos. It was his practice to read, several times a day, an akathist to the Mother of God before her icon in his cell. Once, as the word “rejoice” sounded in continual greeting to the Most-holy Theotokos, his “rejoice,” was met by a response from her icon: “And you rejoice as well, o elder of God.” Although he became frightened, the voice from the icon quickly continued. “Do not fear, but go quickly to the monastery and tell the abbot and the brethren that the foe is near. Let those who are weak in spirit hide themselves until this temptation passes, but let those who wish a martyr’s crown remain. Hurry.”

The elder immediately left this cell and hurried to the monastery. He had barely entered the gates, when he saw that the icon before which he had just read the akathist in his cell was already at the monastery gate. He fell before the icon in reverent prayer, and then with it appeared before the abbot. The news of the coming danger greatly worried the brethren. The weak hurried to hide in the mountains and chasms, while twenty-six monks, including the rector and the elder who had announced the heavenly instructions, remained in the monastery, locking themselves up in the tower. The Latins quickly appeared and at first attempted by great oratory to convince the monks to unlock the monastery gates and to recognize the pope as the sinless head of the universal Church. They promised in return all of his beneficence and much gold. From the tower, the monks responded “For us, Christ is the head of the Church. We would rather all die than to allow you by use of force to desecrate the sanctity of this place. Crying out “ Then die!” the enemy stacked brush about the tower, and set it afire. The flames shot high into the air. The monks, praying for their enemies, blessed the Lord, and peacefully gave up their souls to Him. This occured on October 10, 1276.

The names of these brave passion-bearers are recorded in the Zographou synodicon and in the Bulgarian chronicle of the saints. The miraculous icon which had warned the elder of the coming danger was found amid the ash and ruins, unharmed. It is known as "Of the Akathist", because during the Liturgy, the Bulgarians sing before it the Akathist Hymn.