Orthodox cross with blackening "Deesis. Mother of God "Nicopea" p01653 Onyx

Orthodox cross with blackening "Deesis. Mother of God "Nicopaea"

Metal: red gold 585"
Average weight: 9.02 g
Height with eye: 2.8 g
Width: 1.8 cm
Ear dimensions: 0.5 x 0.4 cm

In this cross, this symbolic image is reinforced by the icons of the Deesis: this is the name of the composition depicting Christ the Pantocrator and the Mother of God and John the Baptist standing before Him. In the church iconostasis, the Deesis order, continued by the images of archangels, saints, martyrs and saints, is the main one. He shows the perfect Church of the saints, who dwell in eternity in the Kingdom of Glory, with which believers are united in Communion at the Liturgy and with which the earthly Church will unite after the Last Judgment.

The Deesis placed on the cross gives birth to the image of the saints praying for the person wearing the cross. The book in the hand of Christ, which He blesses with His right hand, is the great book of human destinies, sealed with seven seals, which only the Lord Himself can open.
In the icon, the book has another meaning. It symbolizes the New Testament, that is, the agreement, the agreement of God with people, which was concluded at His first coming to earth in the form of the man Jesus.

On the back of the cross there is an icon of the Mother of God "Nicopea", which translated from Greek means "victorious" or "giving victory". This is one of the most beloved icons in Byzantium, which is sometimes also called “Pantanassa”, that is, “Pantocrator”. The Mother of God carries before Her the Divine Son, whom She sacrifices out of love for fallen humanity. The Lord in Her arms is turned to the world. His sacrifice of love is Himself and His life.

This terrible and great sacrificial example was followed by many saints who became helpers and mentors of people in fulfilling the commandment of love. Two of them, St. Seraphim of Sarov (left) and St. Sergius of Radonezh, stand in prayer to the Mother of God on this cross.

St. Sergius of Radonezh began his path to God as a hermit and, having acquired the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, turned to the world to serve people. In the monastery he founded, he gathered around him many disciples, to whom he preached the commandment of love as the basis of church unity, the well-being of the state and the happiness of people. Life of St.Sergius of Radonezh and his theology had a huge influence on the spiritual development of the Church.

One of the spiritual followers of St. Sergius was St. Seraphim of Sarov. For a thousand days he stood on a stone and prayed in order to acquire perfect sacrificial love for God and neighbor. Living in complete self-denial, feeding only on water and sleep, the saint told his disciples, who were amazed at the severity of his feat, that if they knew what bliss awaited them from God, they would gladly agree to spend their whole lives in a cell filled up to their necks with worms. St. Seraphim knew what he was saying: during his life, he was visited by the Most Holy Theotokos six times, he also communicated with other saints, and saw the tabernacles of paradise. The monk never tired of repeating: “Acquire the Spirit of Peace, and thousands around you will be saved.”