Ikonostasis

Ikon of the Holy Triad

2010-03-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Russian Orthodox Church at the Great Synod of Moscow in 1667 finally forbade depictions of the Father in human form. The canon is quoted in full here because it explains the Russian Orthodox theology on the subject.

Chapter 2, §44: It is most absurd and improper to depict in icons the Lord Sabaoth (that is to say, God the Father) with a grey beard and the Only-Begotten Son in His bosom with a dove between them, because no-one has seen the Father according to His Divinity, and the Father has no flesh, nor was the Son born in the flesh from the Father before the ages.

And though David the prophet says, "From the womb before the morning star have I begotten Thee" [Psalm 109:3], that birth was not fleshly, but unspeakable and incomprehensible.

For Christ Himself says in the holy Gospel, "No man hath seen the Father, save the Son" [John 6:46].

And Isaiah the prophet says in his fortieth chapter: "To whom have ye likened the Lord? and with what likeness have ye made a similitude of Him? Has not the artificier of wood made an image, or the goldsmiths, having melted gold, gilt it over, and made it a similitude?" [Isaiah 40:18-19]

In like manner the Apostle Paul says in Acts [Acts 17:29] "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone, graven by art of man's imagination."

And John Damascene says: "But furthermore, who can make a similitude of the invisible, incorporeal, uncircumscribed and undepictable God? It is, then, uttermost insanity and impiety to give a form to the Godhead" (Orthodox Faith, 4:16).

In like manner St. Gregory the Dialogist prohibits this. For this reason we should only form an understanding in the mind of Sabaoth, which is the Godhead, and of that birth before the ages of the Only-Begotten-Son from the Father, but we should never, in any wise depict these in icons, for this, indeed, is impossible.

And the Holy Spirit is not in essence a dove, but in essence he is God, and "No man hath seen God", as John the Theologian and Evangelist bears witness [John 1:18] and this is so even though, at the Jordan at Christ's holy Baptism the Holy Spirit appeared in the likeness of a dove. For this reason, it is fitting on this occasion only to depict the Holy Spirit in the likeness of a dove. But in any other place those who have intelligence will not depict the Holy Spirit in the likeness of a dove.

For on Mount Tabor, He appeared as a cloud and, at another time, in other ways. Furthermore, Sabaoth is the name not only of the Father, but of the Holy Trinity. According to Dionysios the Areopagite, Lord Sabaoth, translated from the Jewish tongue, means "Lord of Hosts". This Lord of Hosts is the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And although Daniel the prophet says that he beheld the Ancient of Days sitting on a throne, this should not be understood to refer to the Father, but to the Son, Who at His second coming will judge every nation at the dreadful Judgment.

Nostalgia

2010-03-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Click any image to zoom.

Sorting through some family archives, I ran across a small group of old ikons—that is, what we used as ikons in the 1960's and 70's. In those days, it wasn't possible to find authentic Byzantine ikons anywhere that we knew of, though the revival had already begun. When we went to visit an old granny living in her tiny farm house, or an old uncle in a nursing home, it was ikons like these that we saw pasted to the walls above their beds, interspersed with family photographs and other mementos. The simple, down-to-earth homey religion of these elders made everything around them shine and seem real. We prayed with them in front of these tinseled images as devoutly as we do standing in front of any Byzantine ikon. You'd think the spirituality was different then, molded by these gaudy pictures, but honestly, it wasn't. Their religion was the faith of the fathers, the faith of the apostles, the holy faith, then, now and always, regardless of what we had or have as ikons.

I just thought I'd bring them all together here in one place. The last three are prayer cards that we used in our bibles as book marks. It's pretty obvious what is shown in each ikon, so I'll leave it to you to see them for yourself, and download any you wish.

Just a note…

2010-03-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Visitors!

I have been very lazy about finishing the upload of the 800+ ikons that I describe in the introduction as having prepared. The images have been scanned and edited since last year when I started this blog, but I stopped about 3/4 of the way and only today have gone back and uploaded a few more.

I am somewhat disappointed in this project because it has not turned out as well (as user-friendly) as I wanted it to be, and the blogger interface (which has never worked that well for me) has changed, making it harder to post and get the right distribution of image thumbnails.

If I am able, I will republish this blog in a different format. Meanwhile, forgive my ineptness at doing this project.

By the way, our Dutch brethren working on The Passions Project ikon are probably finished. Here's a link to the latest installment of their journal that I have seen.

May the Lord help us all to make it to the finish line, the resurrection of Jesus.
Kaló Pascha!

Ikonostasis - Eικονοστάσις

2010-03-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

This blog, Ikonostasis, is simply another repository of Orthodox ikons on the web, which I hope will be used by my Christian brethren in their online or printed publications.

The core of the collection is the more than 700 ikons that I have collected from the weekly bulletins of Aghía Triás church over the course of over twenty years that I have been worshipping there. I saved them for personal use and to give away as part of my personal witness, but I've always wanted to scan them, edit them, and make them available on line. Now, finally, here they are! Most of the images are from that collection of bulletin covers, but I have also added other ikons that I either personally own or have access to.

The best book on ikons and ikonography is not, as many would think, a beautifully produced picture book of ikons in color. The best book on ikons is the Holy Bible, as that is where a great many ikons originate and, in fact, ikons are the Word of God in visual form, and their writing is under extremely tight discipline. The ikon cannot depict anything that is not written in the Bible, except of course, for those ikons which depict events and persons after the Bible was written.

The next best book on ikons is The Painter's Manual of Dionysius of Fourna. Anyone who is serious about ikons should get a copy of this book. It not only gives you technical instructions on the materials, but also explicitly teaches you what to put in the ikons, what can be depicted, and how. It also instructs on how the ikons are to be configured in a house of worship, and many other things.

The ikons are organized in groups by subjects, and the blog is searchable using the little search window in the upper left of the screen. Each ikon is shown in small format. To download an ikon, first left-click on the small format in order to expand it to full size. Then, when the full size opens, right-click on it and choose "Save Picture As", and specify where you want to save it. Once downloaded, you can edit it and use it in your own publications.

Some of the images are actually non-ikons because, though they are religious pictures, they are not technically ikons, as defined by Photios Kontoglou, the modern proponent of authentic ikonography.

Ikons are the heritage of all Christians, all followers of Jesus. They are, or can be, something more than mere art—in fact, within the Orthodox Church it is explicitly denied that they are primarily an art form, but affirmed to be a work of prayer—but they are never to be considered objects of worship. When the Orthodox venerate an ikon by any bodily gesture, it is not the wood and paint of the image, but the event or person depicted in the image that we are venerating.

In the case of an ikon of Christ or of the Holy Trinity, we attest our worship the One True God by venerating the ikon. In the case of an ikon of any saint (Mary, the Birthgiver of God is rarely shown alone in an ikon) we attest our belief in the living presence of the saints who in the flesh have fallen asleep (reposed, died) and are now with the Lord. In the case of an ikon of an event, we attest our belief in the reality and historical validity of what is depicted, and especially our belief that it manifests an act of God.

Many have been converted to true faith in the living Christ by contemplating an ikon—I am speaking now of both Orthodox and non-Orthodox, as well as non-Christians. I do not understand the operation, but I do know from experience that ikons can have this effect on people. They have this effect on me. Through their supernatural beauty they can draw our souls away from the transient and illusory beauties of this world, and place us before the One whose Beauty is without end and the Source of all true Beauty, the Lord.

What else can I say? Well, forgive me, brethren, for the poverty and incompleteness of my efforts, but still I hope that you will find this small work of mine useful in your life and witness. And please be patient, as I upload and create this ikon library: it won't be built in a day.

To God be the glory! Δόξα τω Θεώ!

Jesus Christ - Extreme Humility - Η Άκρα Ταπείνωσις

2010-03-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Jesus Christ - The Vine - Εγὼ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος

2010-03-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5 NIV

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Jesus Christ - The Bridegroom - Ο Νυμφίος

2010-03-07T13:05:00.001-08:00

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Jesus Christ - The Good Shepherd - Ο Ποιμήν ο καλός

2010-03-07T12:58:00.001-08:00

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Photios Kontoglou

2009-09-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

The current and universal availability of true Orthodox Christian ikons is probably due to the call and work of one man, Photios Kontoglou, who resurrected, as it were, Byzantine ikonography in the 20th century, so that our houses of worship and our homes could once again be illuminated by these true portals of the Eternal.

As recently as the 1970's, many if not most churches and homes were still filled with religious pictures standing in place of true ikons. By this I mean that reproductions of Western religious paintings, with an ornate border and sometimes a halo and Greek or Slavonic letters in gold added (examples shown above, click images to zoom), were what we called "ikons". Mostly these were Roman Catholic devotional pictures, often painted in pastel colors or even displaying Roman cult imagery, but there were some paintings by Protestant artists that found their way into an ikonic form as well.
Visiting the original stone temple that was built by my congregation of Aghía Triás in Portland, Oregon, in 1906, I noticed that such Roman Catholic images, even the sacred heart, were part of the motif in the stained glasswork.
(The temple is currently in use by the congregation of the Vietnamese Christian Community Church, and they have lovingly restored it as their house of worship.)

This blog is dedicated in some sense to Photios Kontoglou, a saint of modern times, who brought back to us the light of Christ as revealed in true Orthodox ikonography. Herewith follows an account of his life.

Photios Kontoglou (1895-1965), was the foremost ikonographer in Greece in the 20th century. The revival of Byzantine ikonography began in 1930 mostly due to this man. Byzantine ikonography has spread to Europe, America and elsewhere. This revival has also taken place in Romania and among the Russians of the diaspora. This form of ikonography is in demand everywhere. Photios Kontoglou's ikonography has been misunderstood by many. He had grown in his work from being somewhat rustic to his more stylized pieces. Often he diverged from his usual way of painting the ikon, in order to enhance his talent, gaining an appreciation for other techniques. Consequently, it is a mistake to stereotype his ikonography.

In 1943 he began to write about this sacred art in an extensive and authoritative way, wishing to explain its features and to show its enormous value. In 1960 he wrote Ekphrasis - the explanation of Orthodox Iconography. This book is a valuable guide for the ikonographer to learn the technique of painting the ikon according to Byzantine tradition. Also, for the general reader "to penetrate to the deeper, spiritual essence of the icons done according to this great tradition" (C. Cavarnos).

"Byzantine art," Kontoglou says, "is for me the art of arts. I believe in it as I believe in [the Orthodox] religion. Only this art nourishes my soul, through its deep and mysterious powers; it alone quenches the thirst that I feel in the midst of the arid desert that surrounds us. In comparison with Byzantine art, all the others appear to me trivial, 'troubling themselves about many things, when but one thing is needed'."

Byzantine ikonographers bring the spiritual world into time and space for which reasons the ikon is not "naturalistic" and "realistic." It's purpose has a religious function. It wants to express sanctified things to help man see with spiritual eyes the Holy Mysteries of the Christian revelation.

Ikonography offers a vision of time and eternity. Using sacred and symbolic forms and colors, Kontoglou represents that vision in a dramatic fashion. To demonstrate his purpose he employed sober colors, simple shapes and bold lines.

Photios Kontoglou never held the elitist position that painting ikons was restricted to intellectuals, or professional artists. Even the illiterate have painted them. Like the Holy Scriptures, the ikon is the work of the Holy Spirit.

His relics are incorrupt, a validation of his works.

Read and understand

2009-09-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

No need for me to reinvent the wheel in the publication of this blog. Not only are there far better blogs and web pages than my humble blog at which to find wonderful ikons, but there are also far better explanations about ikons themselves. I will leave it to you to find the better ikon blogs (hint: there's a link to a very excellent one in the sidebar of my main blog, Cost of Discipleship, under the heading Christian Graphic Art), but here are some links to articles on Fr Stephen's blog Glory to God for All Things, where he gives those better explanations. So, if you want to learn about ikons from an Orthodox Christian perspective, try these links:

The Face of God

Bad Icons

The Role of Icons

The Passions Project - Ikonography Today

2009-09-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

The practice of ikonography is not a dead discipline, but one that is currently still happening all over the world, and not only within the Church where it originated. I have had the pleasure to come into contact with Marcel van Baaren, a Dutch ikonographer, a man of many talents, who lives in Utrecht province, the Netherlands. Working with his colleague, Deacon Cornelis Visser of Nicolai Church in Utrecht, a wonderful project of ikonography is in progress.
If I wanted to give visitors to this blog and entrée into the world of ikons, it would be to direct them to the The Passions Project website. There they can see how it is that ikons come into being, at the hands of followers of Jesus, called to this ancient ministry of the Word.

Ancient, because it has been practiced for nearly 2000 years, starting in the first generation of Christians who painted in the Hellenistic style, using the encaustic method; ministry of the Word, because since the beginning it was practiced to faithfully render the truths of scripture into visual form for the illiterate.

Today, though society is literate, modern technology has produced a new kind of icon that attracts man's attention away from God, instead of toward Him. It is men like Marcel and Cornelis who continue, nonetheless, to follow their hearts in the pursuit of truth, and so true ikonography lives on, even in the Western world.

Two Orthodox sayings come to mind.
Beauty will save the world (Dostoyevsky), and…
If you have a heart, you can be saved (Abba Pambo).

If you missed the link to the Passions Project website above, click here.

Jesus Christ - Pantokrator

2009-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Click the ikon to zoom full size.
GREEK ORIGINAL
Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ Α καὶ τὸ Ω, λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεός, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ὁ παντοκράτωρ.

HEBREW
אני האלף ואני התו ראש וסוף נאם יהוה אלהים ההוה והיה ויבוא אלהי צבאות׃

ARAMAIC (PESHITTA)
ܐܢܐ ܐܠܦ ܘܬܘ ܐܡܪ ܡܪܝܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܗܘ ܕܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܘܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܗܘܐ ܘܐܬܐ ܗܘ ܕܐܚܝܕ ܟܠ ܀

ARABIC
انا هو الالف والياء البداية والنهاية يقول الرب الكائن والذي كان والذي يأتي القادر على كل شيء

ENGLISH (KJV)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

JAPANESE
今も昔も存在し、やがて来られる全能の主なる神が、こう言われます。「わたしは、あらゆることの初めであり、終わりである。

KOREAN
주 하나님이 가라사대 나는 알파와 오메가라 이제도 있고 전에도 있었고 장차 올 자요 전능한 자라 하시더라

BAHASA INDONESIA
Akulah yang pertama dan yang terakhir, kata Tuhan Allah, yang ada, yang sudah ada, dan yang ada seterusnya, Yang Mahakuasa.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Christ - Mandýlion - Not Made With Hands

2009-09-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

Orthodox Christians mark August 16 as the Feast of the Icon “Not Made With Hands,” the miraculous face of Christ first left on a cloth sent to King Abgar of Edessa.
The stories of the icon are swathed in the mists of history—but the image (or representations of it on icons) remain among the most popular of Orthodox images. It is frequently the icon that graces the entrance of a Church. Continue reading about this ikon by clicking HERE.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Jesus Christ - Portrait

2009-09-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

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Jesus Christ - Enthroned - Open Gospel

2009-09-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

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Jesus Christ - Closed Gospel

2009-09-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

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Jesus Christ - Open Gospel

2009-09-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

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Pascha - Η Ανάστασις - Resurrection

2009-09-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

The ikon most usually identified with Pascha, or Easter, is the ikon of Christ's descent into Hades, where He is seen raising Adam and Eve from the dead.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Μέγας εἶ, Κύριε - Pascha

2009-09-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

This is a very special ikon, called Megas Ei Kyrie, Thou Art Great, O Lord, which I want to give its own post. This ikon was written by Ioannis Kornarou. It shows a panorama of the life of Christ, with the Descent into Hades at the bottom.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Old Testament Themes

2009-09-08T05:40:00.000-07:00

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The Creation of the world, of Adam and Eve, and naming the animals

The Fall of Man, Cain and Abel

Noah's Ark and the Flood

Sacrifice of Isaac, Crossing of the Red Sea, and The Three Youths in the Fiery Furnace

OT Patriarchs and Prophets

2009-09-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Abraham and Isaac — Prophet Amos — Caleb

Prophet Daniel — King David

Prophet Elijah — Prophet Ezekiel

Prophets Habakkuk — Hosea — Isaiah

Prophet Jeremiah — Job the Long-Suffering

Prophet Joel — Prophet Jonah

Patriarch Joseph

Prophet Micah — Prophet Malachi

Prophet Moses

Patriarch Noah — Prophet Obadiah — Matriarchs Ruth and Naomi

King Solomon — Prophet Zechariah

John the Honorable Forerunner and Baptist

2009-09-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Zacharias, Father of John the Forerunner

The Nativity of John the Forerunner

John the Honorable Forerunner and Baptist

The Arrest — John Before King Herod — The Beheading

Ancestors of Christ

2009-09-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

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Joachim, Anna and Mary the Virgin

Annunciation - Ο Ευαγγελισμός

2009-09-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:26-28 NIV

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

The first ikon is by Andrey Rublev.

The meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist

Nativity - Η Γένεσις του Χριστού - Christmas

2009-09-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:6-7 NIV

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

The last ikon is of the visit of the Magi.

Holy Innocents

2009-09-02T04:55:00.000-07:00

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
Matthew 2:16-18 NIV

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Theophany - η Βάπτισις του Χριστού

2009-09-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

The ikon of Christ's baptism is also an ikon of the Holy Trinity. The Father is represented by the invisible apex of the ray of light descending from above (or sometimes by a hand), the Son is Chrfist Himself, and the Holy Spirit is depicted as the dove, as scripture recounts. Only in this single instance is the Holy Spirit ever depicted as a visible creature.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

The Temptation of Christ

Hidden Life of Christ

2009-08-31T04:50:00.000-07:00

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Circumcision - Η Περιτομή του Χριστού

Holy Family

Presentation - Η Υπαπαντή του Χριστού

The visit of the Magi

The Flight to Egypt

Christ Discoursing in the Temple

Wedding at Cana - Ο εν Κανά Γάμος

2009-08-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
John 2:1-8 NIV

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Christ and the Woman of Samaria

2009-08-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

The meeting of Christ with the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, is an ikon of the self-revelation of Jesus as the Anointed One (ha-Moshiach) of Israel. This important event is commemorated on the fourth Sunday after Pascha. The woman herself, known to us by the name Photiní (the enlightened) is an isapóstolos (equal to the Apostles), and also is depicted on her own ikon.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Christ Heals the Man Born Blind

2009-08-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

Christ's healing of the man born blind is commemorated on the fifth Sunday after Pascha.

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Christ Heals the Paralytic

2009-08-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Christ's healing of the paralytic is commemorated on the third Sunday after Pascha.

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Christ in the Wheat Field

2009-08-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
Luke 6:1-5

Click an ikon to zoom full size.
NOTE: This is not actually an ikon, but a prayer card that I received from my first Orthodox friends, and so it has sentimental value for me. It has always represented somehow the earthiness and approachableness of Jesus, which is to me one of the signs of true Orthodoxy—the nearness of the priests to the people.

Parable - Publican and Pharisee - Τελώνου και Φαρισαίου

2009-08-25T03:50:00.000-07:00

The parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, found in Luke 18:9-14, is the subject of the first Sunday of the Lenton Triodion in the Orthodox Church.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Parable - Prodigal Son - του Ασώτου Υιού

2009-08-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

The parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15:11-32, is the subject of the second Sunday of the Lenten Triodion in the Orthodox Church.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Parable - Wise and Foolish Virgins

2009-08-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins is found in Matthew 25:1-13.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Transfiguration - Η Μεταμόρφωσις

2009-08-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

The ikon of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is also an ikon of the Holy Trinity: The Father is the Voice, The Son is Jesus Christ, standing between the prophets Moses and Elijah, and the Holy Spirit is the Light that envelopes Christ and in some cases the whole ikon.

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Raising of Lazarus - H Eγερσις του Λαζάρου

2009-08-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
John 11:38-44 NIV

Click an ikon to zoom full size.

Palm Sunday - Η Βαϊοφόρος

2009-08-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!" Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt."
John 12:12-15 NIV

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Mystical Supper - Ο Δείπνος ο Μυστικός

2009-08-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him."
Luke 22:14-22 NIV

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Christ Washes the Disciples' Feet - Ο Νιπτήρ

Gethsemane and the Betrayal of Christ

2009-08-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

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Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

The Betrayal of Christ

Crucifixion - Η Σταύρωσις του Χριστού

2009-08-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.
…when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
Mark 15:25-27, 39 NIV

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."
John 19:25-27 NIV

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Taking Down from the Cross - Η Αποκαθέλοσις

2009-08-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.
John 19:38 NIV

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The Myrrhbearing Women at the Tomb

2009-08-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

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Appearances of the Resurrected Christ

2009-08-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

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On the way to Emmaus

Appearance to Thomas called the Twin

Ascension - Η Ανάληψις του Κυρίου

2009-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

…when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city…
Acts 1:6-12 NIV

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Pentecost - Η Πεντηκοστή

2009-08-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4 NIV

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Angels

2009-08-11T04:30:00.000-07:00

Spiritual beings created by God to assist and guard us in our warfare against the enemy of God and mankind.
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Gabriel — Guardian Angel — Gabriel and Michael

Michael

Miracle of Archangel Michael at Chonæ — Unnamed Angel

Sýnaxis of the Bodyless Powers - Σύναξις των Ασωμάτων

All Saints - Οι Άγιοι Πάντες

2009-08-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

All Saints are commemorated together on the Sunday after Pentecost. The ikon of All Saints is for the feast.
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Saints - Α - Álpha

2009-08-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

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Agatha — Anastasía

Agnes — Andrew — Andrew and Peter

Andronikos and Athanasía — Anna — Anthía

Anthony (Abba Antony)

Artemios — Athanasios of Athos

Saints - Β - Víta

2009-08-08T04:19:00.000-07:00

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Bacchus — Barbara

Basil the Great

Blasios — Boniface & Aglaia — Boris & Gleb

Saints - Γ - Ghámma

2009-08-07T04:18:00.000-07:00

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Galaktion & Epistemí — Herman of Alaska Germanos

George the Great Martyr — Gerasimos of Kephalonia

Gordios — Gregory Nazianzen — Gregory of Neo-Cæsarea

Gregory of Armenia — Gregory, Ripsimía & Gaïaní

Gregory Palamas

Gregory the Theologian — Gurias, Samonas & Abibus

Saints - Δ - Dhélta

2009-08-06T04:17:00.000-07:00

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Daniel and Leontios - David of Thessaloniki

Demetrios the Great Martyr

Demetrios and Nestor - Desert Fathers

Dionysios the Areopagite

Dionysios of Ægina - Dismas the Good Thief

Dometianos - Abba Dorotheos

Saints - Ε - Épsilon

2009-08-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

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Katherine (Ekaterina) - Katherine and Barbara

Efstathios - Efstathios and Family

Efthýmios - Elefthérios - Elefthérios and Anthía

The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus

Ephraím of Syria

Evgenía - Euphemía

Euphrosýni - Euphrósynos the Cook

Saints - Ζ - Zíta

2009-08-04T04:15:00.000-07:00

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Zenobius and Zenobía - Zenobius, Zenobía, Eftropía and Kleópas

Saints - Η - Íta

2009-08-03T04:14:00.000-07:00

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Herodion - Hesychios, Theodotos and Efthalía

Saints - Θ - Thíta

2009-08-02T04:13:00.000-07:00

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Thaddaeus - Thecla

Empress Theodora

Theodore the Studite - Theodosios

Theophilos (Various)

Theodore the General - Stratelates

Theodore of Tyro

Theodore Stratelates & Tyro

Saints - Ι - Ióta

2009-08-01T04:12:00.000-07:00

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James the Brother of God …Iákovos Adelphótheos

James of Persia

Ignatios of Antioch

Hieron, Lazaros & Thessaloniki — Hierotheos of Athens

Hilarion — Innocent of Alaska

Irene Chrysovalantou — Isaac & Ephraim

Ioachim & Anna — Ioasaph, Adrianos & Natalia

John the Theologian & Prochor — See also Revelation

John Chrysostom …Ioánnes Chrysóstomos
John of Damascus

John the Merciful — John the Hut-dweller

John of the Ladder .Klímakos

John, Xenophon, Maria & Arkadios

Joseph, the Foster-Father of Christ

Justinian — Justin Martyr

Saints - Κ - Káppa

2009-07-31T04:11:00.000-07:00

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Clement of Rome — Cyprian & Justina — Cyril & Methodios

Cosmas of Ætolia — Cosmas & Dionysios of Ægina

Cosmas & Damian

Kyriakí — Kyriakós

Kodratos Quadratus

Saints - Λ - Lámdha

2009-07-30T04:10:00.000-07:00

Saints - Μ - Mý

2009-07-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Saints - Ν - Ný

2009-07-28T04:08:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Saints - Ξ - Ksí

2009-07-27T04:07:00.000-07:00

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Xanthippi — Xenia of Rome

Saints - Ο - Ómikron

2009-07-26T04:06:00.000-07:00

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Olga — Onesimos

Onouphrios — Onouphrios & Peter

Varus Ouaros

Saints - Π - Pí

2009-07-25T04:05:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Saints - Ρ - Rhó

2009-07-24T04:04:00.000-07:00

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Raphael, Nikolaos & Irene

Romanós the Melodist

Royal Martyrs of Russia Romanovs

Saints - Σ - Sígma

2009-07-23T04:03:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Saints - Τ - Táv

2009-07-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Saints - Υ - Ýpsilon

2009-07-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Saints - Φ - Phí

2009-07-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

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Philémon — Philip, the Apostle — Florus and Laurus

Phokás of Sinope — Photiní, the Samaritan Woman

Saints - Χ - Chí

2009-07-19T03:59:00.000-07:00

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Charálambos Haralambos

Charitina — Christina

Saints - Ψ - Psí

2009-07-18T03:58:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Saints - Ω - Oméga

2009-07-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

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[Saint]

Nativity of the Theotokos

2009-07-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

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Theotokos - Of the Sign

2009-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

This iconographic type acquired its name from the prophecy found in Isaiah 7: 14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” The Theotokos in this iconographic depiction is most often placed behind the altar in the apse of the church. The Christ Child is found in a circle at the Virgin’s bosom. This reflects Christ having been formed in the Theotokos’ stainless womb.

Yet this icon communicates more than the Incarnation. It reminds the observer that Christ can dwell in us if we allow Him to do so. Just as Christ was formed in the Virgin, so can He be formed in us. The Theotokos’ raised arms welcome us to join her in faith and obedience so that Christ may dwell in us as well. As St. Ambrose writes, “Every believing soul conceives and gives birth to the Word of God. Christ, by means of our faith, is the fruit of us all, thus we are all mothers of Christ.” This icon’s presence in the apse of the church serves to remind worshippers that the purpose of our life is to allow Christ to form within us. Her open arms invite us to receive Christ as she did so that we may all play the role of God bearers. They also invite us to join her in prayer to Christ, the Pantokrator, who is often depicted in the church’s dome.

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Hebrew Theotokos with Christ Holding Torah
based on Theotokos of the Sign

Theotokos (Left) with Christ (Right)

2009-07-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

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Theotokos - Pointing the Way - Οδηγιτρια

Theotokos (Right) with Christ (Left)

2009-07-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

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Theotokos - Seated

2009-07-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

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Theotokos - Standing

2009-07-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

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Theotokos, Abbess of Mount Athos

Theotokos with Christ Child

Theotokos Praying, and Theotokos the Joy of all who sorrow

Theotokos - Akathistos Hymn

2009-07-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

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Dormition of the Theotokos - Η Κοίμησις της Θεοτόκου

2009-07-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

The dormition, or falling asleep, of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, birthgiver of God, is depicted in this very enigmatic ikon, where Christ is usually shown carrying the soul of His mother, in the form of an infant, to paradise.

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Theotokos - Lifegiving Fountain - Ζωοδόχος Πηγή

2009-07-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

Zoodochos is a Greek term meaning "life-receiving". It refers to an attribute of the tomb of Christ, known as the Zoodochos Taphos in the Orthodox Church. The title zoodochos is also applied to the Theotokos since church tradition teaches that she received the Life of Christ in her womb.

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