Life-giving Spring

Greek icon of the Theotokos, Life-giving Spring

The Mother of God of the Life-giving Spring or Life-giving Font (Greek: Ζωοδόχος Πηγή, translit. Zōodóchos Pēgḗ, modern pronunciation: [zo.oˈðoxos piˈʝi]; Russian: Живоно́сный Исто́чник, romanized: Zhivonósny Istóchnik, IPA: [ʐɨvɐˈnosnɨj ɪˈstotɕnʲɪk]) is an epithet of the Holy Theotokos that originated with her revelation of a sacred spring (Greek: ἁγίασμα, translit. hagíasma) in Valoukli, Constantinople, to a soldier named Leo Marcellus, who later became Byzantine Emperor Leo I (457-474).[note 1] Leo built the historic Church of St. Mary of the Spring over this site,[3] which witnessed numerous miraculous healings over the centuries,[note 2] through her intercessions, becoming one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Greek Orthodoxy.[4] Thus the term "Life-giving Font" became an epithet of the Holy Theotokos and she was represented as such in iconography.[5]

The feast day of the Life-giving Spring is celebrated on Bright Friday in the Eastern Orthodox Church,[2][note 3] and in those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite. Additionally, the icon of the Theotokos the "Life-giving Spring" is commemorated on April 4 / 17 in Slavic Orthodox churches.[8]

  1. ^ Great Synaxaristes (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Λέων Μακέλλης ὁ Μέγας. 20 Ιανουαρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  2. ^ a b Mother of God of the "Life-Giving Spring". Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Retrieved: 24 October 2012.
  3. ^ The Great Horologion or Book of Hours. Boston MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1997. p.621. ISBN 0-943405-08-4
  4. ^ a b (in French) Janin, Raymond (1953). La Géographie ecclésiastique de l'Empire byzantin. 1. Part: Le Siège de Constantinople et le Patriarcat Oecuménique. 3rd Vol. : Les Églises et les Monastères. Paris: Institut Français d'Etudes Byzantines. pp.232-234.
  5. ^ a b The Zoodochos Pege at Baloukli. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Retrieved: 25 October 2012.
  6. ^ πηγὴ (pēgē). Bible Hub (Greek Concordance). Retrieved: 30 December 2014.
  7. ^ Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ζωοδόχου Πηγῆς. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  8. ^ April 4/17 Archived 2014-12-31 at the Wayback Machine. Orthodox Calendar (Pravoslavie.ru).


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