Holy Monastery of Filotheou
This miraculous icon is according to tradition one of the icons created by the Evangelist Luke. During the reign of the iconoclast emperor Theophilos, the pious Victoria, wife of the also iconoclast patrician Simeon, in order to save the icon from desecration, threw it into the sea.
The icon sailed across the sea and arrived at the cove of the Holy Monastery of Philotheou, where holy water gushed forth. The abbot of the Monastery, to whom the arrival of the holy icon was revealed, went down with the other fathers to the sea, brought it with lights and incense to the Monastery and placed it where it is today.
One of the many miracles of this icon is characteristic. In 1713 the reverent and virtuous church leader of the Monastery named Ioannikios, who lit the candles of the church every day, when he came to this icon, he said with respect: "Why, holy Virgin Mary, your grace endowed all the other Monasteries of Mount Athos with income and other estates, and thus they have plenty of wheat, wine, and oil and many other things, while this Monastery is deprived of everything and is forced to buy even wheat?''
And one night, when he came again to prepare the lamps, he again stood before the icon and prayed with tears. But because he was tired, he sat down in the opposite pew, where he fell asleep and saw the Mother of God saying to him: "Why, my son John, you often bother me by saying that I only take care of the other monasteries of Mount Athos and only this monastery is deprived and is bankruptcy? Know that I have provision for everything that is needed, but I decided this way, so that the Abbots and Superiors and Commissioners of the Monastery from time to time do not devote themselves entirely to earthly things and neglect their salvation. So stop bothering me from now on, because I am the ῎Ephorus and Providence of this Monastery for everything. So don't take care of them, take care of my Temple faithfully and take care of the salvation of your soul." ῞When John heard this, he woke up scared, but also happy. ῎He ran and fell before the holy icon, asked with tears for forgiveness and went to announce what he saw to the brothers.
The holy icon is double-sided with the Crucifixion. It is also called 'Orofylakissa', as well as Pyrofilakissa and Pirosoteira.
