Virgin Mary Hodegetria - Holy Monastery Ksenofontos

The founder of the Monastery is Saint Xenophon, who founded the monastery in 998 AD. and served as abbot. In the Third charter or Typikon, the Holy Monastery of Xenophon was in eighth place, while today the monastery's hierarchical position is the sixteenth. The Xenophon Monastery is dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy Bearer.

    The history of the icon of Virgin Mary \"Rose Amaranth\" begins around the year 1890 AD, according to the testimonies of the old inhabitants of Piraeus. Specifically, a fisherman discovered an old image among the rocks of the beach of Piraeus, which portrayed Virgin Mary to hold Jesus Christ, while she is holding a rose in her hand at the same time.
    This fact was immediately reported to the region. A devotional family, called Katsarou, had the desire to house the icon of the Virgin Mary and, on their own will, they built a private chapel to which they gave the name Virgin Mary \"Rose Amaranth\", which means the rose that does not wither. This old image was housed and was worshiped by the locals.

As we know from the writings in the Old Testament, wine acquired distinctive symbolism. After the flood, Noah planted and managed to create his own vineyard. In Exodus, God gave a promise to bless three significant goods for human life: bread, water and wine. The lands and climate in the regions of Hebron and Palestine were conducive for the cultivation of vineyards. Viticulture flourished in a short time and gained great demand, as people cultivated their vines to produce the blessed wine. David hymns wine through his psalms, saying: "And wine that makes glad the heart of man..." (Psalm 104:15) and "You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased" (Psalm 4:7).