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Axion Estin | It Is Truly Meet | Wonderworking Theotokos of Mount Athos
The Axion Estin, meaning “It Is Truly Meet,” is one of the most revered wonderworking icons of the Theotokos on Mount Athos. Also known as the Theotokos Karyotissa, the sacred icon is preserved in the ancient Protaton Church at Karyes, the spiritual and administrative heart of the Holy Mountain, where it holds a unique place of honor among the monasteries and monks of Athos.
The icon is inseparably connected with one of the most beautiful hymns to the Mother of God in Eastern Christianity.
According to the ancient Athonite tradition, in the year 982, an elder monk left his disciple at their cell near Karyes while he went to attend an all-night vigil. That evening, an unknown monk arrived at the cell and was welcomed inside. The two began praying together before an icon of the Theotokos.
During the service, the mysterious visitor began to chant words the disciple had never heard before:
“It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God.”
He then continued with the already familiar hymn honoring the Theotokos as more honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim.
The disciple was deeply moved by what he heard and asked the stranger to write the new words down so they would not be forgotten. There was no paper or ink available. According to the tradition, the visitor took a stone or roof tile and inscribed the words upon it with his finger, as though the hard surface were soft.
The disciple then understood that his visitor was not an ordinary monk, but the Archangel Gabriel.
Before departing, Gabriel instructed that the hymn should be sung in this manner by the faithful. The words revealed that night became joined to the existing Marian hymn and entered the liturgical worship of the Church. The hymn Axion Estin continues to be sung in the Divine Liturgy and other services of the Byzantine tradition more than a thousand years later.
The icon before which this event occurred became known as the Axion Estin Icon of the Mother of God. It was later transferred to the Protaton Church in Karyes, where it remains one of the greatest sacred treasures of Mount Athos.
The icon belongs to the Eleousa, or Merciful and Tender Mother, tradition. The Theotokos holds Christ close to herself while the Lord is depicted with the dignity and authority of the incarnate Son of God. On the scroll held by Christ are the words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.”
Within Athonite tradition, the Axion Estin has come to be regarded not merely as an icon belonging to one monastery, but as the patronal and guardian icon of the entire Holy Mountain. It is enthroned behind the Holy Altar of the Protaton and is venerated by representatives and monks of all twenty ruling monasteries of Mount Athos.
The principal commemoration of the miraculous revelation of the hymn is June 11. The icon is also at the heart of an ancient and elaborate procession through Karyes on Bright Monday, during which the monks of the Holy Mountain honor the Theotokos as the protectress of Athos.
The Axion Estin is especially meaningful for prayer seeking the intercession and protection of the Mother of God, deeper devotion to the Theotokos, spiritual consolation, protection of monasteries and homes, perseverance in prayer, and greater participation in the liturgical life of the Church.
Each prayer card is handmade in Austin, Texas and made to order. The card measures approximately 2.5" × 4.25" and is printed on premium photo paper and double laminated for durability. Each card is individually prepared rather than taken from mass-produced shelf stock, and prayer accompanies the work of making it.
A meaningful devotional card for personal prayer, home prayer corners, Bibles, Eastern Catholic and Orthodox devotion, Byzantine Christian gifts, devotees of Mount Athos, and anyone who loves the ancient hymn Axion Estin: “It Is Truly Meet.”
Axion Estin | It Is Truly Meet | Wonderworking Theotokos of Mount Athos
The Axion Estin, meaning “It Is Truly Meet,” is one of the most revered wonderworking icons of the Theotokos on Mount Athos. Also known as the Theotokos Karyotissa, the sacred icon is preserved in the ancient Protaton Church at Karyes, the spiritual and administrative heart of the Holy Mountain, where it holds a unique place of honor among the monasteries and monks of Athos.
The icon is inseparably connected with one of the most beautiful hymns to the Mother of God in Eastern Christianity.
According to the ancient Athonite tradition, in the year 982, an elder monk left his disciple at their cell near Karyes while he went to attend an all-night vigil. That evening, an unknown monk arrived at the cell and was welcomed inside. The two began praying together before an icon of the Theotokos.
During the service, the mysterious visitor began to chant words the disciple had never heard before:
“It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God.”
He then continued with the already familiar hymn honoring the Theotokos as more honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim.
The disciple was deeply moved by what he heard and asked the stranger to write the new words down so they would not be forgotten. There was no paper or ink available. According to the tradition, the visitor took a stone or roof tile and inscribed the words upon it with his finger, as though the hard surface were soft.
The disciple then understood that his visitor was not an ordinary monk, but the Archangel Gabriel.
Before departing, Gabriel instructed that the hymn should be sung in this manner by the faithful. The words revealed that night became joined to the existing Marian hymn and entered the liturgical worship of the Church. The hymn Axion Estin continues to be sung in the Divine Liturgy and other services of the Byzantine tradition more than a thousand years later.
The icon before which this event occurred became known as the Axion Estin Icon of the Mother of God. It was later transferred to the Protaton Church in Karyes, where it remains one of the greatest sacred treasures of Mount Athos.
The icon belongs to the Eleousa, or Merciful and Tender Mother, tradition. The Theotokos holds Christ close to herself while the Lord is depicted with the dignity and authority of the incarnate Son of God. On the scroll held by Christ are the words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.”
Within Athonite tradition, the Axion Estin has come to be regarded not merely as an icon belonging to one monastery, but as the patronal and guardian icon of the entire Holy Mountain. It is enthroned behind the Holy Altar of the Protaton and is venerated by representatives and monks of all twenty ruling monasteries of Mount Athos.
The principal commemoration of the miraculous revelation of the hymn is June 11. The icon is also at the heart of an ancient and elaborate procession through Karyes on Bright Monday, during which the monks of the Holy Mountain honor the Theotokos as the protectress of Athos.
The Axion Estin is especially meaningful for prayer seeking the intercession and protection of the Mother of God, deeper devotion to the Theotokos, spiritual consolation, protection of monasteries and homes, perseverance in prayer, and greater participation in the liturgical life of the Church.
Each prayer card is handmade in Austin, Texas and made to order. The card measures approximately 2.5" × 4.25" and is printed on premium photo paper and double laminated for durability. Each card is individually prepared rather than taken from mass-produced shelf stock, and prayer accompanies the work of making it.
A meaningful devotional card for personal prayer, home prayer corners, Bibles, Eastern Catholic and Orthodox devotion, Byzantine Christian gifts, devotees of Mount Athos, and anyone who loves the ancient hymn Axion Estin: “It Is Truly Meet.”
