Simeon the God-Receiver

This icon is also known as, Simeon with the Christ Child. The story is told of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple in the Gospel of Luke 2:25 - 32. We read that Simeon had been assured he would not die before he had seen the promised Messiah. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple after 40 days from his birth, as required by law, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people, Israel." These words have become part of Vespers in the Eastern church and Evening Prayer in the Western church. Simeon further prophesies in Luke 2:33 - 35, the future of Jesus and that a sword would pierce the heart of Mary.

The icon is 7" x 9" and written in egg tempera and gold on gessoed wood panel.

The Virgin with the Playing Child

There are many different icons of the Theotokos, also known as Mother of God, but, they generally fall into two categories or types. This icon is an Eleousa type, sometimes called Virgin of Tenderness or Virgin of Mercy.

The Virgin with the Playing Child, is considered a variation of the Eleousa type and is also known by the name, Pelagonitissa, which refers to Pelagonia, a city in Macedonia, where it originated. Not only do we see the foreboding in the face of the Virgin with respect to her Child's eventual Passion, but, rather than thinking of the Child as playing, there are those who see the child as also being uneasy about his future.

In future postings, I will show more traditional icons of the Eleousa type as well as the other category of icons of the Theotokos , known as the Hodegitria, or She who Shows the Way. This icon is 7" x 9" and written in egg tempera and gold on gessoed wood panel.

Guardian Angel

This icon known as The Guardian Angel is recognized as an image that reflects the role of angels as "messenger", from the Greek word Angelos, which means messenger. The Guardian Angel interacts with humanity in their relationship with God. The words on the sphere which the angel is holding, state, "The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God". This text is from Wisdom of Solomon 3:1. The icon is 13" x 17" and written in egg tempera and gold on a gessoed wood board.

Face Made Without Hands

This icon is called "Face Made without Hands", sometimes just, "Not Made by Hands", or The Holy Face, or even the Greek word for cloth, "Mandylion". The story was told that King Abgar of Edessa, being ill, sent a servant, the Court painter, to request that Jesus come and heal him. When Jesus was unable to do so, the painter proceeded to attempt to paint Jesus. When Jesus saw this, he washed his face and then pressed a cloth to his own face, leaving his image upon it, and gave it to him to take back to King Abgar. He was healed by this miraculous cloth. We know of the existence of the cloth as late as 944, when the sacred cloth was moved from Edessa to Constantinople.

What are Heavenly Windows?

Religious icons as seen in Orthodox churches, and sometimes in the churches of other Christian denominations, are often referred to as "Windows into Heaven". The individuals seen on these icons, having all died, are acknowledged to be in heaven. The icon becomes a window through which the believer can engage the particular saint or scene. There are four categories of icons: Biblical Icons based on Holy Scripture; Portrait Icons of persons accepted as Holy; Icons from Holy Tradition, those that are created from oral or written records of spiritual experience; and Revealed Icons, the iconographer's recording of their own spiritual experience. Some icons can be from more than one category, such as a Portrait Icon of a Biblical personage. As I continue with this blog I hope to tell you more about icons.