The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, called “Ekonomissa” or “House-Builder” is located on Mount Athos, in the Lavra of St. Afanasia. The story of its appearance is as follows.
In the 10th century, the great Athonite ascetic Elder Athanasius founded a monastery on Athos. However, soon, due to severe hunger, all the monks had to leave the monastery in search of another refuge. There was only one elder abbot left, but he himself was soon forced to leave the monastery. He set off on his journey with an iron staff, but suddenly he saw a Woman under a blue airy blanket coming towards him. St. Athanasius was surprised: where could a woman appear here if entry to the Holy Mountain is strictly prohibited? However, the Woman herself asked him where he was going. In response, St. Afanasy asked Her questions: “Who are you and how did you come here? And why do you need to know where I'm going? You see that I am a local monk.” Then he told everything that happened to his laurel, to which the Woman replied: “Only this! And for the sake of a piece of bread you leave your monastery?! Come back! I will help you, just don’t leave your solitude and don’t leave your monastery, which will become famous and take first place among all the Athos monasteries.” “But who are you?” – the amazed Afanasy asked the Stranger. “I am the Mother of your Lord.
“I am the One to whose name you dedicate your abode,” answered the Woman. St. looked incredulously. Afanasy answered Her: “I’m afraid to believe this, it happens that the enemy takes the form of a bright angel. How will You convince me of the truth of Your words?” “You see this stone,” the old man heard, “hit it with your staff and then you will find out who is speaking to you. Know that from now on I will forever remain the Economissa (House Builder) of your Lavra.”
Afanasy hit the stone with his staff, and water gushed out of it. Amazed by this miracle, St. Athanasius turned around to reverently fall at the feet of the Most Holy Theotokos, but She was no longer there. Then Athanasius returned to his monastery and, to his great amazement, found that the monastery’s storerooms were filled with everything necessary. Soon many of the brethren returned to the monastery.
By the will of the Queen of Heaven, in the Lavra of St. Afanasy from that time on there was no housekeeper, but only a sub-housekeeper or assistant to the Economissa. In memory of the miraculous appearance of Our Lady of St. Athanasius painted an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos the House-Builder in the lavra. In this icon, the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne with the Child of God on her left hand. On the right side of the throne in a position of prayer is depicted the Monk Michael of Sinad, and on the left - St. Athanasius holding in his hands the form of his Lavra, thereby symbolizing the special care, protection and care provided to the monastery by the Mother of God.
At the site of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Athanasius, a small church was erected in honor of Her in the name of the Life-Giving Source. It contained an icon depicting the miracle that took place here. The source still flows abundantly, quenching the thirst of pilgrims and providing healing to believers.
Icon of the Mother of God “Abbess of Mount Athos” or “Economissa”
A revered image created in the former Russian cell of St. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on Mount Athos (another name is Belozerka, distorted from the Greek Burazeri; currently assigned to the Hilandar monastery), which is known to Russian icon painters. The icon was made in an academic style by one of the masters, commissioned by the Greek governor of Athos at the beginning of the 20th century. (at present, the icon is in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker). The icon's ark contains particles of the Lord's Cross and the relics of saints. This image, also called “Ekonomissa,” should not be confused with the icon of the same name in the cathedral church of the Great Lavra of St. Athanasius of Athos (see in the article “Housebuilder”, icon of the Mother of God).
The composition of the icon embodies the idea of the patronage of the Mother of God of St. Mount Athos. It combines elements of the iconography of the “Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos” and “Our Lady of the Great Panagia”: Most Holy. The Mother of God is depicted full-length, without the Child, on the clouds (as, for example, on the icon of the Mother of God “Blessed Heaven”), in a monastic robe, blessing with her right hand, holding a staff and an unfolded scroll in her left with the words: “This is the lot given to Me by My Son.” In the lower part of the icon there is a horizontal panorama of Athos, behind the head of the Mother of God there is a radiating sun, on the sides there are monograms (“ΜΡ” and “ΘΥ”).
In the Church of the Great Martyr. Nikita of the Moscow courtyard of the monastery of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon on Mount Athos, written in 2003-2004. in the workshop of the courtyard there is an icon of the same type. On it, the Most Holy Theotokos rests on rocks with palm trees sprouted in the crevices next to 2 conventionally designated Athonite monasteries, to the right and left of the feet of the Mother of God. In her left hand She holds a staff, in her right hand an open scroll with the words: “This place will be my lot from My Son.” The patrons of the monastery are standing before Her on the air boats: the apostles Andrew the First-Called and Luke, the Great Martyrs Panteleimon and Nikita, the Venerable Silouan of Athos and Aristocles (all written in full length).
Carved icon of the beginning. XX century, kept in the sacristy of the monastery of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon on Mount Athos, was performed in this monastery as a return gift for the 1916 contribution of Emperor Nicholas II.
St. Athanasius of Athos, his five disciples who died during the construction of the church of the Great Lavra, and St. Daniel the architect of Athos
Troparion, tone 3:
Even in the flesh, at your life/ I was amazed at the angels of the world:/ how you went out with your body to the invisible plexus, most glorious,/ and you wounded the demonic armies./ Now, Athanasius, / Christ has rewarded you with rich gifts, / for this sake, Father, pray // for our souls to be saved.