The Icon as a Unique and Inimitable Fact in the Church
An icon expresses the relationship of history towards the Kingdom of God.
The First Icons of Christ and the Virgin
The teaching of the Church, according to which images are an integral element of the Christian Gospel from its very beginning, is also expressed in the tradition which asserts that the first icon of Christ appeared during His life on earth. In the West, this image was called “the Holy Face.”
The Wallpaintings of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Myra
The Church of St. Nicholas in ancient Myra (modern Kale or Demre) is a ruined Byzantine church containing the tomb of St. Nicholas of Myra, as well as many fine mosaics and murals. The saint was buried in Myra upon his death, and a church may have been built over his tomb soon after.
An Explanation of the Icon of the Birth of the Theotokos
Just as September in Byzantium was the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the first of this month was new years day and the beginning of the Indiction, so also is this feast and celebration, the Birth of the Mother of God, the first according to our recall and recreation, since, as Saint Gregory Palamas says: “This sacred feast and celebration that we are keeping is the first to commemorate our recall and recreation according to grace, for on it all things began to be made new, enduring precepts began to be brought in instead of temporary ones, the spirit instead of the letter, the truth instead of shadows.”
A Personal Testimony about the Myrrh-Gushing Icon of Saint George in Cyprus
The phenomenon seems to have began on Sunday, although it existed to a limited extent, unbeknownst to all. Therefore, beginning on Sunday one villager simply saw something and reported it as unusual, but the problem came during the procession, when those who held the icon noticed it was heavy.
Lessons in Orthodox Faith and Theology-7th Ecumenical Council and the Theology of the Icon
Lessons in Orthodox Faith and Theology by Fr.Vassilios Papavassiliou.
The Miraculous Icon of Panagia Soumela
According to church tradition the icon of Panagia Soumela took its name from the Monastery of Soumela in Pontos of Asia Minor. The name “Soumela” comes from “Stou Mela”, i.e. “at the mount Melas” and consequently signifies a particular locality in Pontos. The icon of Panagia that bears the name of this historic Monastery had […]
Is veneration worship?
It is customary for Protestants to accuse Orthodox Christians of supposedly ‘worshipping’ icons, or saints. However, this is an unfair accusation, which has its roots in people’s ignorance on the subject. In this study, we will demonstrate the true meaning of “veneration” and “worship”. “Worship” is one thing, “Veneration” is another We need to distinguish […]
Are holy Icons “idols”?
Many are the accusations that Satan has accumulated with the passing centuries against the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. By taking advantage of certain people’s ignorance on the matter, he convinced them that certain objects -normally venerated by the Church- are idols, and therefore all those who likewise venerate them, are idolaters. We intend […]