The miraculous icon of Panagia Antiphonitria is placed on the southwestern column of the Katholikon of the Holy Monastery of Konstamonitou. On August 1st 1020, the day of the feast of the discovery of the relics of St. Stephen, the monk Zacharias prayed before the icon and complained about the lack of oil and other goods that the monastery was facing. Exhausted from fasting and unceasing prayer, he fell asleep. In his sleep he heard a voice telling him not to regret the difficulties, for the Virgin Mary herself would take care of them. When he woke up, he saw a large container full of oil in front of the icon. The cupboards of the monastery were also, miraculously, filled with food. The monk, astonished, reported the event to the abbot and the rest of the monks. All together they held an overnight vesper to show gratitude for the miracle.
The Virgin Mary is depicted in full-length, according to the standard iconographic type of Theotokos Hodegetria. Furthermore, the picture is accompanied by the inscription “Theotokos Antifonitria”. She embraces Christ with her left hand, while He blesses the faithful with His right palm and holds a closed scroll with His left. On Jesus' halo we notice the inscription "Jesus Christ".
The frame of the icon was made in Russia during the 19th century. It only leaves the hands and faces of the figures uncovered. At the bottom of the icon there is an inscription in Russian: "Under the abbot Simeon and from the work of hieromonk Meletius".
Abbot Simeon, together with the monks Meletios and Eugenios, visited Russia in 1862 to raise money to restore the damage that the monastery had suffered. In his work "The Journey of Meletius of Konstamonitou to Russia", hieromonk Meletius himself mentions that the silver cover of the icon of the Virgin Mary was made by jewelers in Moscow. The frame of the icon of St. Stephen, as well as other church objects, have the same origin.
In terms of stylistic features, the icon resembles the one of St. Stephen, since it was probably created by the same hagiographer.
