Prayers to the Czestochowska and Ostrobramska icons

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Are there special prayers, canons, akathists, etc. for the Czestochowska and Ostrobramska Mothers of God? I am mainly looking for prayers in the Byzantine tradition, though that is not exclusive. Please post prayers or links to relevant resources, if you know any. 🙂
 
Growing up in America I am not aware of prayers specific to a particular icon of Mary, except in my cultural circles. I grew up with my mother’s patroness, the Virgin of Charity, prayer is in Spanish (Patroness of the isle of Cuba)
ewtn.com/spanish/prayers/virg_caridadcobre.htm

Found one for the Czestochowska icon, also in Spanish
eltestigofiel.org/capillas/oratoriov.php?idu=35

There is also one for the Virgin of Guadalupe, (Patroness of Mexico and the Americas) and one attributed to St. PJPII to the Virgin, also in Spanish
devocionario.com/maria/guadalupe_1.html

I miss all the akathists sung during feasts in the liturgical year while exploring the Orthodox East.
 
Casilda said:
Growing up in America I am not aware of prayers specific to a particular icon of Mary, except in my cultural circles. I grew up with my mother’s patroness, the Virgin of Charity, prayer is in Spanish (Patroness of the isle of Cuba)
ewtn.com/spanish/prayers/virg_caridadcobre.htm

Found one for the Czestochowska icon, also in Spanish
eltestigofiel.org/capillas/oratoriov.php?idu=35

There is also one for the Virgin of Guadalupe, (Patroness of Mexico and the Americas) and one attributed to St. PJPII to the Virgin, also in Spanish
devocionario.com/maria/guadalupe_1.html

I miss all the akathists sung during feasts in the liturgical year while exploring the Orthodox East.
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Thank you, Casilda. I should have paid more attention during my Spanish lessons. 😉

I managed to find an English prayer to the Czestochowska Mother of God in a Queen of Apostles Prayerbook I found and bought (for $2) yesterday. That is a Latin tradition prayer though, which is fine, but I still am hoping to find ones from the Byzantine tradition. 😛
 
I don’t think you mean to say “praying to an icon.”
 
EveningSkye111 said:
I don’t think you mean to say “praying to an icon.”
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Yes, we Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics do indeed “pray to icons,” just like we honour and venerate icons. Icons are not just pictures; they are holy objects and windows to Heaven. Venerate an icon; the honour is transmitted from the icon to the archetype. Pray to the icon and the prayer is transmitted likewise. The transmission is two-way too. So often the Theotokos prays and God hears, then enables the icon to be the vehicle for his wonders. Icons weep. Icons work wonders. Icons have even been known to make their way to where they are needed. Have you heard of icons mysteriously showing up in a field, or washing up on shore? And just the other day I read about someone praying to St. Xenia and the Kursk Root icon to help her sick husband, and guess what happened? St. Xenia showed up, pulling the Kursk Root icon behind her, in his dream.

God works such wonders through the Holy Icons! :byzsoc: :crossrc:

*** Couldn’t help myself. 😛 ***
 
King John Sobieski’s Prayer to Our Lady of Czestochowa (when faced with the impossible task of defending Vienna with a demoralized army against a much larger larger, terrorizing barbarian force):

“Give us victory and let it be your victory alone!”

The King, kneeling with his subjects before the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, began praying the Rosary. He placed all his subjects under the protection of Our Blessed Mother and altogether they cried out, “Mary help us!”

The King lead 80,000 Christian troops which defeated a fierce Turkish army of 250,000
 
Zabdi_Premjit said:
Yes, we Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics do indeed “pray to icons,” just like we honour and venerate icons. Icons are not just pictures; they are holy objects and windows to Heaven. Venerate an icon; the honour is transmitted from the icon to the archetype. Pray to the icon and the prayer is transmitted likewise. The transmission is two-way too. So often the Theotokos prays and God hears, then enables the icon to be the vehicle for his wonders. Icons weep. Icons work wonders. Icons have even been known to make their way to where they are needed. Have you heard of icons mysteriously showing up in a field, or washing up on shore? And just the other day I read about someone praying to St. Xenia and the Kursk Root icon to help her sick husband, and guess what happened? St. Xenia showed up, pulling the Kursk Root icon behind her, in his dream.

God works such wonders through the Holy Icons! :byzsoc: :crossrc:

*** Couldn’t help myself. 😛 ***
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I guess I’m not well informed about being Orthodox. I respect your rights.

But I still will not pray to objects. I pray straight to God.

Do take care, God’s blessing and have a peaceful evening. : )
 
EveningSkye111 said:
I guess I’m not well informed about being Orthodox. I respect your rights.

But I still will not pray to objects. I pray straight to God.

Do take care, God’s blessing and have a peaceful evening. : )
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I don’t think this is about Orthodoxy…It is about traditional Christianity.

Remember that “to pray” means “to make a petition.” There is nothing about the word that is implicitly related to God. The redefinition of “prayer” as only relating to God was a result of the English language shifting to conform with and reinforce Protestant theology. You may have heard “Lex orandi, lex credendi,” “the law of praying is the law of believing.” That is, the way we pray and what we believe are bound together. I would say that you can widen that to include what we understand as “prayer” too. The beliefs of Protestants changed to reject petitioning to saints, and so the usage of the word “prayer” changed too.

Now, languages change, and we can adjust to that sometimes, when the change is harmless. I am a little wary of this particular change though. I have always gotten the impression that a disproportionate amount of “we only pray to God” Catholics also tend to be more reserved in honouring saints, as if they are permanently stuck in a defensive mode, always having to put on a show to prove to Protestants that Catholics aren’t idolaters. It is one thing to defend traditional Christian practice when needed, but when thinking about what outsiders believe becomes so consuming that it is internalised and constantly on our minds, even when no outsiders are present, then that is troubling. At that point we are in danger of starting to chip away at our traditional mindset and instead adopting a mindset dictated by the perspective of Protestants.

Sometimes it feels like the Reformation is still being waged, with English-speaking Catholics helping to unlock some gates from the inside, through their obsession with “what the Protestants think.”

This is not a slight against Catholics, btw. I see Orthodox that are obsessed with outsiders too. Then there is that occasional and ridiculous, “we only pray in the presence of icons.” :confused: What is that? I only pray in the presence of my TV. I don’t think it’s the same thing. Lol… 🤷

This is just my :twocents: though. Feel free to disregard.
 
Casilda said:
Then we have such as Dionysius of Zakynthos, the walking saint and wonderworker.

orthodoxwiki.org/Dionysius_of_Zakynthos
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WOW. :bigyikes: This miracle is the next level of amazing. Thank you for showing me this saint! God works such wonders through His saints. 🙂

I can just imagine the shock when his slippers first started to wear down. Haha. I mean, with the seaweed, maybe you think someone is sneaking in and putting it there, but then the shoes wear down. Haha. And I am sure they put a guard to verify no one is sneaking in, but then shoes still wear and seaweed appears. :o

God’s ways are amazing. 🙂
 
Zabdi_Premjit said:
Thank you, Casilda. I should have paid more attention during my Spanish lessons. 😉

I managed to find an English prayer to the Czestochowska Mother of God in a Queen of Apostles Prayerbook I found and bought (for $2) yesterday. That is a Latin tradition prayer though, which is fine, but I still am hoping to find ones from the Byzantine tradition. 😛
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Actually, I misspoke. Prayer is actually in My Prayer Book from Regina Press.

For anyone that may want the text:
Holy Mother of Czestochowa,
full of grace and goodness,
I bring my thoughts, my words,
and actions for your blessing.
Bless my life and bless your people
and make us free.
Give us joy amidst suffering
and strength in persecution.
Guide our ways on earth and bring us
to eternal life. Amen.
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