Healing Oil “Theotokos Hodegetria”

Produced at the Holy Monastery of Xenophontos

“What is anointed is pleasing, beneficial, and not to be neglected. Yet you refuse to be anointed with God’s oil. That is why we are called Christians, because we anoint ourselves with God’s oil.”
— Saint Theophilus of Alexandria

The “Hodegetria” oil is a fragrant blend of olive oil and aromatic herbs, prepared during a special liturgical rite. The number and type of ingredients in the myrrh are strictly determined by the monks of the Xenophontos Monastery.

Ingredients:
The blend contains a total of 57 ingredients. The most important components are the consecrated olive oil from the lamp above the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Hodegetria,” various fragrant resins, herbs, roots, essential oils, and holy water, which begins the preparation of the oil.

Usage:
It is applied to the forehead, hands, and chest for health, before travel, or during trials. Through prayer and anointing with the consecrated oil, one receives God’s grace for physical healing and spiritual salvation.

The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Hodegetria” is one of the oldest and most revered images in the Christian world. It is believed to help in difficult life situations, drive out evil spirits, and show the right path in life. The first image of the icon was painted by Saint Luke the Apostle and Evangelist.

History of the Icon:
The icon was brought from Jerusalem to Constantinople in the 5th century by Empress Eudocia, wife of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II. Specifically because of the icon, the emperor’s sister, Saint Pulcheria, founded the main female monastery “Odigon.” The name “Hodegetria” translates from Greek as “She Who Shows the Way.” The icon became the protector of Constantinople, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims came to venerate it and seek help. After the fall of Byzantium in 1453, the original was lost for centuries.

Miraculous Appearance on Mount Athos:
In the 18th century, the “Hodegetria” icon appeared on Mount Athos, first in the Vatopedi Monastery, and later miraculously chose the Xenophontos Monastery, where it moved several times by divine intervention.