Jean Gerson: Office of the Espousals of Mary and Joseph

 Introduction

Jean Gerson (1363-1429) was a prolific and highly influential French scholar and theologian, especially while serving as the Chancellor of the illustrious University of Paris.  (I previously translated a small portion of one of his sermons on St. Nicholas, under the title "False Hopes and Immortality.")  Amidst his copious sermons and his harsh critiques of popular poems (notably the Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun), Gerson had a special devotion to St. Joseph.  Part of this devotion included an attempt to establish a Feast of the Nuptials (or Betrothals) of Mary and Joseph.  Though Gerson's attempt failed, there eventually was a Feast of the Espousals of Mary (lacking Gerson's Josephite emphasis) which enjoyed a sizable popularity, usually celebrated on January 23.  For a history of the Feast and a discussion of its underlying theology, see Michael P. Foley, "The Feast of the Espousals of Mary and Joseph," New Liturgical Movement, January 21, 2021.

Given below is a translation of the office Gerson himself prepared; in the 1606 edition of his works, it is appended to a sermon for the Feast of St. Joseph.  (I hope to translate and post this sermon fairly soon; unlike most of Gerson's works, it is, thankfully, short.)  The order of the office says to incorporate a sequence found elsewhere in Gerson's works; I have included a translation of the full sequence here.  See the footnotes for more details.

Office of the Espousals of Mary and Joseph

Jean Gerson

Introit: “Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating the feast day in honor of Joseph and Mary, in whose marriage the angels rejoice, and they together praise the son of God.”

Verse: “This is a great sacrament, but I speak of the Church and of Christ.” (Eph 5:32)

Glory etc. Glory in the highest etc.

Collect: “God, Who gave Your only-begotten to temporal parents without carnal commerce, to the just Joseph and Mary, wedded virgins, make us, we pray, through their intercession, participants in the heavenly nuptials. Through the same Lord,” etc.

Epistle: “For Sion I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem I will not be quiet, until there arises within her like splendor, and her savior is kindled like a lamp. And the nations will see your justice, and all the kings your fame. And a new name will be called to you, which the mouth of the Lord has named; and you will be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a diadem of a king in the hand of your God. You will no more be called ‘derelict,’ and your land will no more be called ‘desolate.’ But you will be called ‘my will in her,’ and your land will be inhabited, since it pleased the Lord to dwell in you. For a youth will dwell with a virgin, and your sons will dwell in you, and a husband will rejoice over his wife, and your God will rejoice over you” (Is 62:1-5).

Gradual: “You know, Lord, that I never desired man, and I preserved my soul clean from all concupiscence” (Tob 3:16).

Verse: “But I consented to receive a man because of fear of You, not because of my lust” (Tob 3:18).

Alleluia with the melody of Dulce lignum.¹ “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to accept Mary your wife, for what is born in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 1:20)

Prose. “To Joseph was sent a messenger in dreams,” etc. is placed after the end of the sermon. “But Jacob…”, as is found before in the third part of the works of Gerson.²

 

To Joseph was sent a messenger in dreams;

he spoke to the just man hoping, meanwhile,

for a nod of assent: “Do not fear,

Davidic offspring, to accept a spouse;

heavenly commands wed you to this virgin.

“To you the King of Glory joins Mary;

see how grace postulates this modest

matrimony. Believe, magnanimous one.

Hear, do not hesitate; these things are too great.

How you will sing a new Epithalamion!³

“Be conscious, if you please, that she has a son;

fulfill the commands quickly while you know the mystery;

do not reveal this; arise, tell the message

to your wife straightforth: ‘For the Lord wills this:

I promptly give myself, as husband, to you, Mary.’”

Virgin, may you receive the deposit of God,

in which may you perfect the proposed vow

with the grace of offspring; I will that you announce;

the Virgin humbly, giving thanks, returns,

therefore, the wedlock is solemnly joined.

They wed with angelic choirs singing,

the parents clasp hands with sacred joy;

they chastely dance, sweetly singing;

Hymen,⁴ drawing them to the joy, introduces

what occurs in heaven, and they are amazed.

The Virgin, quickly visiting her kin,

asks, “Joseph, do you want me to go?” He wills, and gives equally

faithful friends; secretly Elizabeth and

the infant give applause, a kind of prophet;

then the Virgin returns, gives birth, without doubts.

In Joseph see a little decorum;

Joseph gives an eye; carry, warm, refresh.

O, such glory is set in you,

which commands heaven; He serves, He obeys,

Who tempers the world—O miracles!

Tell your Son, “Now, by body’s right,

You have Your own right, agreement through strength;

You were given to my wife, the Holy Spirit

gave Himself vicariously, making the womb

of my wife pregnant with You, voluntarily, from heaven.”

Word-begetting Virgin, Virgin, font of grace,

come to us, full of mercy for our race,

and, full of vice, we plead you, virgin,

you, famed Joseph, your Son Whom we worship,

Jesus, may He placidly arrange us in joy.

O Trinity to be venerated, Jesus, Joseph, and Mary,

whom the concord of divine charity conjoined;

the mother, virgin, gave birth in an inn,

on whose breasts Jesus sucked; Joseph rejoices in service;

here a virgin serves a virgin with humble benignity.

But to the twin virgins, full of charity,

be great praise of humility; to Joseph, but to a greater virgin,

and to the offspring of deity, there is praise in the summit;

here, the throne of humility, distinct in three grades,

and likewise grace’s gift, we now extol in praises,

that, through their prayers, it be given to follow

the life of humility and, through grace, to enjoy eternal joys;

“amen” we say to each, this sacred triple union,

singing the praises of servants to the Lord, one and three.

 

And it is sung with the same tune with which this prose is sung: “He did not send the virgin any messenger…”⁵

Gospel according to Matthew: “But Joseph, arising from sleep, did as the angel ordered him, and received his wife, and did not know her, until she bore her only-begotten Son, and she called His Name Jesus.” (Mt 1:24-25)

Offertory: “The parents of Jesus took the boy to Jerusalem, that they would place Him before the Lord, and they would offer a pair of turtle-doves or two young doves.” (cf. Lk 2:22, 24)

Another offertory: “Let each one love his wife as himself, but let the wife fear her husband.” (Eph 5:33)

Secret prayer: “We venerate that virginal marriage, Lord, in which we believe Him born Who was circumcised, and presented in the Temple, and immolated on the altar of the Cross for us, our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns, God, through all the ages of ages.”

Preface: “And on the betrothal of the blessed...”⁶

Communion: “His father and mother were amazed at the things which were said about Him. And Symeon blessed them, saying: ‘Now You have dismissed Your servant, Lord, according to Your word, in peace. Since my eyes have seen Your salvation.’” (cf. Lk 2:29-34).⁷

Another Communion: “Whom Moses wrote of in the Law and the Prophets, we have found: Jesus, the son of Joseph of Nazareth.” (Jn 1:45)

Another Communion: “’Son, what have You thus done to us? Behold, Your father and I, sorrowing, sought You,’ and He descended with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.” (Lk 2:48, 51)

Prayer after Communion: “We give You thanks, Lord, for the virginal marriage of the just Joseph and Mary, asking that we might enjoy the blessed Fruit born in it with perpetual sweetness. He Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.”

 

1Dulce lignum (Sweet wood) is part of the hymn Crux fidelis (Faithful Cross), drawn from the long hymn Pange lingua (Sing, tongue) by St. Venantius Fortunatus (530-609). Crux Fidelis was traditionally sung during the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday.

2 In the third volume of Gerson’s works (1606 edition), there is a sermon on the Nativity of Mary beginning with the words, from Matthew, “But Jacob become Joseph, the man of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, Who is called…” (128-147). Before the sermon is a sequence (127-128), modeled on that previously used for the Feast of the Annunciation (see next note). I have inserted the full text of this sequence here. Ioannis Gersonii Doctoris et Cancellarii Parisiensis Tertia pars Operum… (Paris, 1606), 127-128.

3 An epithamalion is a wedding hymn.

4 Hymen is the Greek god of marriage (later adapted by Romans): a strange pick for an Office hymn.

5 Mittit ad Virginem / Non quemvis Angelum is a sequence that was formerly used for the Feast of the Annunciation. It is often attributed to Peter Abelard (1079-1142). The sequence reads: “The lover of man did not send the virgin any angel, but His strength, the archangel. May he declare for us the strong message, may make the fore-judgment of a virgin’s birth occur in nature. // May the King of glory, born, overcome nature, may He reign and rule and remove from our midst the weight of dross. May the one mighty in battle frighten the battlements of the proud, trampling, through His force, the high necks. // May He toss outside the prince of the world and may His mother be a partaker in the Father’s empire with Him. Go, you who are sent to spread these gifts, remove the veil of the old letters by virtue of the message. // Bring your message in person; say, “Hail,” say, “Full of grace,” say, “The Lord is with you,” and say, “do not fear.” Virgin, may you receive the deposit of God, in which may you perfect the proposed chastity and keep your vow. // The maiden hears and receives the message, she believes and conceives and bears a son, but admirable, counselor of the human race, and strong God, and Father of the later age, stable in faith. // Whose stability renders us stable, lest the slippery mobility of the world keep us from being partakers with Him. But may the giver of pardon, through excessive pardon, having obtained grace through the mother of glory, dwell in us.” Gerson erroneously uses the word nuncium (“messenger” or “herald”) instead of angelum (“angel”) in his reference.

6 The Roman Canon has various Prefaces for the different major feasts of the liturgical year. The Preface for feasts of Mary was the same for each of her feasts, except for one phase that specified the feast being celebrated. Gerson here gives the replacement phrase for his feast, though there is a transposal of two words: the text reads Et in te desponsatione beatæ, but, to match the Preface, it should read Et te in desponsatione beatæ. Here is how the phrase reads in the context of the Preface: “It is truly meet and just...for us to always and everywhere give You thanks...And to praise, bless, and proclaim You on the betrothal of the blessed Mary ever-Virgin...”

7 Gerson has rearranged the order of the Scriptural text; in the text of Luke, the Nunc dimittis comes before “his father and mother were amazed,” but Gerson puts vv. 29-32 (Nunc dimittis) after vv. 33-34.

 

 Source: Ioannis Gersonii, Doctoris et Cancellarii Parisiensis, Quarta pars Operum… (Paris, 1606), 222-223.

Translation ©2024 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the translator.

The Prayer Rule of the Theotokos

The Rosary is a well-known prayer in the Western Christian tradition, and I have often heard the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, composed by St. Romanos the Melodist, described as the Byzantine equivalent.  However, there is actually a prayer much closer in style to the Rosary in the Byzantine tradition: the Prayer Rule of the Theotokos.  This rule was, according to tradition, revealed by the Theotokos in the 8th century, and it used to be prayed by all Christians; over time, however, it fell out of use.  St. Seraphim of Sarov and his spiritual descendant St. Seraphim Zevzdinsky began to revive this practice, and Philip Rolfes, blogger at The Master Beadsman and maker of prayer ropes for various traditions (Rosaries, Komboskini/Chotki, Mequtaria, etc.), compiled information on various forms of this rule (see this post and the following four for his work).  He also created a system for praying only 5 mysteries a day rather than the full 15 that the original version of the rule calls for, with each day matched to the 5 mysteries that are most appropriate for it.  Blogger Seraphim at Reeling but Erect did some work creating some alternate opening and closing prayers for the rule as well.

Iconic Icons Supplement: Our Lady of Guadalupe

"Am I not here, I, who am your mother?"

I must apologize for taking so long to write about Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe): though her image is not an icon in the typical sense (that is, made by human hands for the purpose of connection to Christ or the saints in Heaven), it most definitely should be classified as an acheiropoieton (an sacred image not made with human hands).  I apologize for not including it in my original post on these images: it didn't enter my mind until much later.  This post, then, is a supplement for my post on the acheiropoieta.

St. Juan Diego (1474-1578) was a Native American from what is now Mexico (his birth name was Aztec: Cuauhtlatoatzin).  Originally a mystical and devout pagan, around 1520 or so he converted to Christianity, taking the name Juan Diego.  Shortly thereafter, in 1529, he became a widower, yet his faith remained strong.  It was in 1531 that the events for which he is now known began.

On Saturday, December 9, 1531, Juan Diego was running down Tepeyac Hill (near Mexico City) to attend Mass, when suddenly the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him.  She told Juan Diego to have the bishop build a church on the place she stood.  The obedient saint ran to the bishop and told him these events.  The bishop, understandably wary, examined the farmer (for that was Juan Diego's profession) carefully, and then directed him to ask the Virgin for a sign that she was truly the Mother of God.

The following Tuesday, December 12, the saint was running to get medicine for his dying uncle, and he changed his course to avoid Tepeyac, where the Virgin said she would appear again.  Undeterred, Mary appeared in his path and asked, "What road is this thou takest, son?"  She entered into a maternal dialogue with Juan Diego, reassuring him about his uncle (also appearing to said uncle and curing him) and calling herself "Holy Mary of Guadalupe."  When she told the saint to return to the bishop, he asked for the requested sign.  She instructed him to go to some nearby rocks and gather roses.  Knowing this was neither the proper season for roses nor a place roses would grow, Juan Diego still obeyed the Virgin's command, and, to his surprise, roses abounded among the rocks.  He gathered them into his tilma (a long cloak worn by his people) and returned to the Virgin.  She arranged the roses and asked him to keep them hidden and untouched in his tilma until he reached the bishop.  Keeping the orders of Mary, Juan Diego walked to the bishop's and unfurled his cloak, dropping roses as fresh and dewy as if they had just been picked on a spring morning.  Looking at the bishop and his attendants to see their response, he saw them kneeling before him.  In confusion, he looked down at his tilma.

On the tilma was a life-size image of the Blessed Virgin, exactly as she appeared to Juan Diego.  She appeared in the clothes of a Native American woman of that region (that is, clothes based in Aztec culture), with a sash on her waist and a star-filled cloak on her shoulders.  Unlike most images, the Virgin was most noticeably pregnant, pregnant with the Son of God.  Her eyes were closed, her hands folded in prayer, and her feet on a crescent moon (a symbol of an Aztec god that she was crushing).  Beneath the moon was an angel, shown in an Aztec style (for instance, the wings were colored in blue, yellow, and red), holding up the Virgin's robes.  All around, Mary shone with radiant light, Heaven's light, the light of her Son.

The bishop enshrined the tilma with the Virgin's miraculous image in the preliminary shrine he built according to Mary's wishes, and St. Juan Diego spent the rest of his days as a hermit, guarding this blessed image.  Since that time, the acheiropoieton (for that is truly what it is) has remained at Tepeyac Hill, moving from shrine to shrine as new ones were built.  Presently, it resides in a basilica built to house it in 1904.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is frequently invoked in the Americas.  Indeed, her titles include "Patroness of the Americas" (I've also seen "Empress" often), "Empress of Latin America," and "Protectoress of the Unborn."  She is the patron of the Americas, especially Mexico, and Native Americans especially venerate her.  Due to her pregnancy in the image, she is often invoked among those in the pro-life apostolate.  Her feast day is December 12, while St. Juan Diego's feast day is December 9.

Before I close, I just want to write a short digression on the Virgin's title: "of Guadalupe."  There was no place named Guadalupe where she appeared: indeed, she appeared on Tepeyac Hill.  Why is she not then called "Our Lady of Tepeyac"?  That is due to her own command.  Why did she pick this name, then?  One theory is that she spoke a term in Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs, the native language of Mexico).  Some alternatives are Tequatlanopeuh ("she whose origins were in the rocky summit"), Tequantlaxopeuh ("she who banishes those who devoured us"), or Coatlaxopeuh ("the one who crushes the serpent"--possibly referring to Quetzacoatl, a popular Aztec serpent god).  Another theory I've heard (which I think I am most inclined to) is that the name is a reference to the city of Guadalupe in Spain.  In this city there was a miraculous statue of Our Lady carved by St. Luke the Evangelist given to the St. Leander, Bishop of Seville, by Pope St. Gregory the Great.  After this statue was lost for 600 years, it was rediscovered in 1326 by Gil Cordero, who was led to it by a vision of the Blessed Mother.  This statue was even referred to as Our Lady of Guadalupe due to its being rediscovered there.  There will probably never be a definite answer, as debate seems to be too common, but the one thing certain is this: the Blessed Virgin declared she wished to be known as Our Lady of Guadalupe, so how can we refuse her wish?

The statue entitled Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain

Again, I apologize for not discussing Our Lady of Guadalupe with the rest of the acheiropoieta, but it honestly slipped my mind.  I also find her patronage as Protectoress of the Unborn timely to remember due to the recent March for Life in Washington, D.C. and due to the recent mandate by the U.S. government that all health care plans will have to provide not only contraceptives, but abortifacients (drugs that cause an abortion chemically rather than surgically).  Keeping this patronage in mind, let us ask for the prayers of the Theotokos under her title as Our Lady of Guadalupe, and let us ask for the prayers of her faithful servant, Juan Diego.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectoress of the Unborn, save us!
St. Juan Diego, pray for us!

 
Nota Bene: Most of my information came from the Saints.SQPN.com pages on St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Additional information came from Wikipedia and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

 

Text ©2012 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.

 

Iconic Icons: Axion Estin

The original icon

 The original icon without its riza (the metal covering revealing only the faces)

The Axion Estin (Αξιον εστιν), "It is truly meet," is an icon of the Theotokos (Eleusa-style) located in the the Protaton, a church in the Karyes settlement of the famous Mount Athos in Greece, home to many ancient monastic communities.  The event which the icon takes it name from occurred in 980, so the icon was written sometime before then.

The name of the icon comes from the opening words of a Marian hymn in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.  Up until this famous event, the hymn only included the latter half, starting at "More honourable than the Cherubim," which was written in the late 700s by St. Cosmas the Hymnographer, foster-brother of St. John Damascene.  This section of the hymn reads thus:

More honorable than the cherubim,

and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.

Without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word.

True Theotokos, we magnify thee.

On June 11, 980, a passing monk who called himself Gabriel was granted hospitality in a cell near Karyes.  During a Saturday night vigil service (the service of Sunday Matins) being prayed before the icon, when the hymn of St. Cosmas was being recited, the passing monk began to chant a new section of a hymn before continuing on to the familiar hymn:

It is truly right to bless thee, O Theotokos, 

ever blessed, and most pure, and the Mother of our God.

The monk from Mount Athos was entranced by the beauty of this new section of the hymn, so he asked the passing monk to write it down: however, no paper or ink could be found.  Undeterred, the mysterious monk inscribed the lines on a stone tile with his finger, and he decreed that the hymn be recited with this addition ever after.  Following this, he disappeared, and with this disappearance, the icon began to radiate light for a while afterwards.

 An icon of the miraculous revelation of the hymn by St. Gabriel

After this event, the modified hymn was spread around all Christians of the East.  The icon was transferred to the Protaton, the main church of the settlement of Karyes, where it is located to this day.  The tile inscribed by the Archangel Gabriel (the traditionally-accepted identity of the passing monk) was taken to Constantinople as evidence of the miracle and in order that the hymn be dispersed throughout the world by St. Nicholas II Chrysoberges (the Patriarch of Constantinople from 984 to 996).

There is little discussion about the icon itself I can find: most sources just related (with varying details, of course) the story I have just related to you.  The most interesting thing about the icon is scroll that the Christ Child is handing to the Theotokos.  Though I cannot tell what the scroll represents, it seems to be an interesting foreshadowing of the miraculously-revealed text connected to the icon.

The revelation of the hymn by St. Gabriel (and thus the icon as well) is celebrated on June 11th, and the icon by itself is celebrated on July 13th.  For a bit more information (and a reflection) on the hymn itself, see this post from The Ever Blessed.  I hope this post was helpful.  Thank you for reading, and God Bless.

St. Cosmas the Hymnographer, pray for us!

  
Nota Bene: I compiled the story for this post from many sources: Iconograms, The Orthodox Christian Faith, OrthodoxWiki (on the Panagia Axion Estin and on St. Cosmas), Mount Athos, and Wikipedia (the translation of the hymn was taken from here).

 

Text ©2012 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.

 

Iconic Icons: Theotokos of Vladimir

 

The original Vladimirskaya

The Theotokos of Vladimir (Our Lady of Vladimir, the Virgin of Vladimir), Владимирская (Vladimirskaya) in Russian, is an Eleusa style icon of the Theotokos.  According to Russian tradition, it was written by St. Luke the Evangelist on a board from the Holy Family's table: upon seeing it, the Virgin exclaimed, "Henceforth, all generations shall call Me blessed. The grace of both My Son and Me shall be with this icon."

The first historical mention of it is its sending by Greek Patriarch Luke Chrysoberges of Constantinople to Prince Mstislav (or Grand Duke Yury Dolgoruky) in 1131.  The icon was placed in a monastery near the city of Vyshgorod.  Andrei Bogoliubsky (son of Yury Dolgoruky and a saint among the Eastern Orthodox) built the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir and installed the icon there in 1155.  (Tradition says the location of Vladimir was chosen because donkeys carrying the icon would not move past the town, and this was interpreted as a sign that the Virgin wished to remain in Vladimir.)

During the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395, the icon was moved from Vladimir to Moscow.  When the Great Prince Basil (Vasily) I went out to meet the icon as it was traveling to Moscow, he spent a night in prayer and weeping before it, and the same night Tamerlane had a vision of a radiant woman commanding him to turn back.  When he asked his experts the meaning of the vision, they said the woman was the Mother of God, Protectress of Christians.  Upon hearing this, Tamerlane ordered his troops to retreat.

After the fleeing of Tamerlane, the icon was placed in the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Moscow Kremlin, where the intercession of the Theotokos of Vladimir was credited with saving Moscow from Tartar hordes in 1451, 1480, and 1521.  Many centuries later, 1941, Joseph Stalin allegedly ordered that the icon be flown around Moscow as the Germans advanced toward it.  A few days later, the Germans retreated.

The icon, while in the Moscow Kremlin, also was present at many other important events in Russian history.  Some of these include the elevation and election of Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, in 1448, Job, the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, in 1589, and Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and "Enlightener of North America," in 1917 (all three of these are saints among the Russian Orthodox).

There are three festal days of the Theotokos of Vladimir for the Russian Orthodox.  On August 26th is celebrated the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon upon its Transfer from Vladimir to Moscow, when Basil I prayed before the icon and the Virgin command Tamerlane to retreat.  On June 23rd is celebrated the Saving of Moscow from the Invasion of Khan Achmed, a leader of the Tartar horde that attacked Russia in 1480.  On May 21st is the Celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which remembers her intercession that protected Russia from the Tartar invasion of 1521.

Due to its fame, many copies were made of the Vladimirskaya, some of which themselves became wonder-working.  The most famous is Our Lady of St. Theodore (Black Virgin Mary of Russia), or Федоровская (Fyodorovskaya) in Russian.  The St. Theodore of the title (Theodore is "Fyodor" in Russian, hence Fyodorovskaya) is St. Theodore Stratelates, a Greek martyr and warrior saint from the 4th century.  The icon was found in a forest on August 16, 1239, by Prince Vasily of Kostroma.  When he tried to touch it, it miraculously rose in the air.  He brought the icon back to his city, and it was venerated in the Assumption Cathedral there.  When the cathedral burned down, almost all the icons in it were destroyed, but the Fyodorovskaya was found intact three days after the fire.  A copy of the icon was given to Mikhail Romanov, the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, by his mother Xenia upon his acceptance of the position of tsar.  Due to this, the Fyodorovskaya became the patron icon of the Romanov family, and its fame grew considerably.  Presently, the original Fyodorovskaya is in the Epiphany Cathedral of Kostroma, and Our Lady of St. Theodore has two feast days in the Russian Orthodox Church: March 27th and August 29th.

There are debates surrounding the history of the Fyodorovskaya and its name.  According to some, the icon was originally owned by the town of Gorodets-on-the-Volga but was lost after the Mongols sacked the town.  After hearing of the icon in Kostroma, the town of Gorodets demanded the icon back, and instead they were sent a copy of it.  There are two main traditions for the name.  The first is that an apparition of St. Theodore Stratelates carrying the icon into the forest was seen while Prince Vasily was there.  The second is that the icon was originally commissioned by Grand Prince Yaroslav II of Vladimir, whose Christian name was Fyodor.  Also, the main difference between the Vladimirskaya and the Fyodorovskaya in appearance is that in the latter, the Christ Child has a bare leg.  One source says this was possibly a detail of the original Vladimirskaya (which was repainted numerous times, hence the absence of this detail today).

 The original Fyodorovskaya

At the end of this post, as at the end of the last one, let us ask for the prayers of the Theotokos that the Russian Orthodox Church may be reunited with Rome.

Theotokos of Vladimir, save us!

A copy of the Vladimirskaya written by Andrei Rublev

Nota Bene: The main sources of information for this post were Wikipedia (on the Vladimirskaya and the Fyodorovskaya) and Orthodox Wiki.

 

Text ©2012 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.

 

Iconic Icons: Our Lady of Kazan

 The copy of Our Lady of Kazan given by Pope Bl. John Paul II to the Russian Church

Our Lady of Kazan (Virgin of Kazan, Theotokos of Kazan), Казанская Богоматерь (Kazanskaya Bogomater: "Theotokos of Kazan") in Russian, is a close-up version of a Hodigitria icon that is one of the most venerated icons in the Russian Orthodox Church.  It is difficult to determine the exact history of this icon due to the many copies that were made of it.  Of the numerous ancient copies that exist today, there is still debate which one (if any) is the original.

According to tradition, the icon came to Kazan (a city in Russia) from Constantinople in the 13th century.  When Kazan was besieged by the Tartars in 1438, the icon disappeared until it was found buried in a garden by a young girl named Matrona on July 8, 1579, after the location was revealed by the Theotokos in a prophetic dream.  The icon was placed in the Church of St. Nicholas in Kazan, where it cured a blind man the next day; not only that, but the priest at this church, Hermogen, eventually became Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.  It was by his doing, after his becoming Metropolitan of Kazan, that the icon was moved to the city's Cathedral of the Annunciation and July 8 was declared the feast day of Our Lady of Kazan.

In the centuries following, the icon (or a copy of it: there is debate) was processed and venerated during numerous military conflicts (including the Polish invasion of 1612, the Swedish invasion of 1709, and Napoleon's invasion of 1812), and Russia's success in these battles was attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Kazan (thus adding nationalistic connotations to the icon).  During this time, the icon (or copy) was placed in increasingly more prestigious locations, first in a small chapel to the Virgin of Kazan built in the Moscow Kremlin, then, in 1638, to the Kazan Cathedral built for it in Moscow, and eventually, in 1812, after Napoleon's invasion, to a Kazan Cathedral built in St. Petersburg.

From this time, the history becomes even more clouded, especially since many copies were written, and nine or ten of these became wonder-working.  The copy in Kazan was stolen on June 29, 1904, and the copy in St. Petersburg disappeared after the October Revolution of 1917.  (According to some, this latter copy disappeared en route to Moscow and eventually turned up in New York City.) There is a report that a copy was processed during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II.

The most famous copy of the icon today is one from around 1730 that was acquired by the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima and enshrined in Fatima in the 1970s.  (One source says this is the same copy as the one that disappeared from St. Petersburg around 1917 or 1918.)  Wishing to return the icon to the Russia, Pope Bl. John Paul II was given this icon in 1993, after which it was placed in his private study for eleven years.  The Pope wanted to personally return the icon to the Russian Orthodox Church, but when his efforts failed, he instead gave the icon unconditionally to the Russian Church on August 26, 2004, when it was sent to Moscow after being venerated on the altar of St. Peter's Basilica.  (One source says the Pope in the end sent the icon instead of continuing to try to return it personally because he knew he was near death.)  The icon is now enshrined (next to a relic of the Virgin Mary's robe) in the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross in Kazan, part of the former Monastery of the Theotokos, which was built on the spot of the original finding of the icon by Matrona in 1579.  Kazan is now being turned into a pilgrimage site for all religions (since not only the Orthodox, but Catholics and even Muslims have a devotion to Our Lady of Kazan) which will hopefully help bring peace between them.  Our Lady of Kazan has two festal days for the Russian Orthodox: July 8th celebrates the Appearance of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in 1579, and October 22nd celebrates the Deliverance of Moscow From the Poles by the Kazan Icon in 1612.

In addition to the famous copy now in Kazan, there are two icons written in a style similar to Our Lady of Kazan that are now famous and wonder-working.  Our Lady of Sitka is attributed to the famous 18th and 19th century portrait painter Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky.  Workers at the Russian-American Company gave the icon to the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Sitka, Alaska, in 1850.  It was originally part of the main iconostasis of the cathedral, but due to the many miracles attributed to it, it was eventually relocated to a special place of honor on the far left of the iconostasis.  It is also commemorated, along with Our Lady of Kazan, on July 8th.

 Our Lady of Sitka

Our Lady of Soufanieh is in the Soufanieh neighborhood of Damascus, Syria.  The icon itself is a small replica of Our Lady of Kazan bought in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1980.  The owner of the icon is Myrna Nazzour, a Greek-Melkite Catholic mystic who has reportedly had five apparitions of the Virgin Mary (1982-1983), many ecstasies in which she received messages from Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mother, and five occurrences of the stigmata.  (As a side note, Myrna's messages from Christ and the Blessed Virgin received a Nihil Obstat from her bishop in 1987.)  Before all these experiences (except for one experience of Myrna's own body exuding oil during prayer), on November 27, 1982, the icon of the Virgin of Kazan began to exude oil.  Until November 26, 1990, the icon exuded oil following the rhythm of the liturgical year (except for a period from November 27, 1985, to November 25, 1986).  The icon exuded oil once again during Holy Week of the year 2001.  Aside from the original icon owned by Myrna, many photographic reproductions and replicas of the icon have exuded oil as well.  This oil has caused numerous miracles.

 Our Lady of Soufanieh

In conclusion to this rather long post, let us ask for the prayers of Our Lady of Kazan, and let us especially pray through her intercession for the reunion of the Russian Orthodox Church with Rome.

Our Lady of Kazan, save us!

Nota Bene: I consulted many websites for information on this post: Wikipedia, Orthodox Wiki, Ikons - Windows Into Heaven, Cleansing Fire, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, the Orthodox Church in America (for feast day information), and Our Lady of Soufanieh.

 

Text ©2012 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.

 

Preparation for Communion Through the Prayers of the Blessed Mother (St. Ephrem)

Happy New Year, and Holy Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God!  To celebrate today's Solemnity, I decided to post a short writing by St. Ephrem (Ephraim) the Syrian, a Doctor of the Church: a prayer to the Theotokos asking for her prayers in preparing to receive the Sacred Mysteries.  If you have yet to attend Mass today, perhaps you can use this prayer during your preparation for Communion.  If you have attended, perhaps this prayer could help you in the future.  Whatever the case, I hope you find this prayer helpful.  God Bless!

To the Theotokos -- 

A Confession of Her Pepetual Virginity 

and a Prayer to Partake Worthily of the Holy Mysteries

O Mother of God, who surpassest every mind and word!  O Virgin who exceedest all earthly virginity, for even before the Divine birth wast thou a Virgin beyond all virgins -- and such didst thou remain both during and after the birth!

Thee, O Lady do I beg, thee do I entreat, O merciful and man-befriending Mother of the merciful and man-befriending God: defend me at this hour if ever thou wilt do so, for now am I most in need of thy protection and thy help.

I am all a mire of filth and sin, a dwelling place of soul-corrupting passions.  Yet I intend to approach the all-pure and terrifying Mysteries of thy Son and God, and therefore do I suffer fear, and trembling embraces me because of the unbearable multitude of my sins.

But if ever I am to remain without communion on the pretext of my unworthiness, then shall I fall into a great abyss of evil and bring upon myself great chastisement.  I anguish over both the first alternative and the second.

To thee do I run; be kind to me, my all-pure Lady.  Take advantage of thy motherly boldness before thy Son and God, and gain for me forgiveness of my former sins.  Vouchsafe me to be made pure and enlightened by communion of the Mysteries, and show me how to spend the remainder of my life in repentance, purity and humility.  Remain always with me in my thoughts, words and deeds, in all the movements of my soul and body, instructing me, leading and guiding me, deflecting from me all hostile powers, and preserving me and providing thy servant, however worthless, with thy grace in every way.

O Theotokos, Mary, Mother of God, save us!

Nota Bene: This prayer is Psalm 111 of A Spiritual Psalter, or Reflections on God, a collection of writings of St. Ephrem excerpted and arranged in the manner of the Psalms of David by St. Theophan the Recluse, an Orthodox saint from the 19th century.  This translation is by Antonina Janda, published by St. John Kronstadt Press.

Iconic Icons: The Nativity

On December 25, Christians everywhere (and non-Christians as well, to an extent) celebrated the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Being one of the greatest feasts of the Church and one of the greatest events in the history of mankind, icons have been written to celebrate this glorious Birth.  The traditional style of the icon is attributed to the iconographer Andrei Rublev (who wrote the most famous form of the icon of the Trinity).

In the center of the icon is the center of history: Jesus Christ, as a Child, just as He was on the day of His Nativity.  The Son of God, Lord of the Universe, is just a small baby wrapped in swaddling clothes inside a manger (represented by the cave).  Next to Him is His Mother, the Theotokos, Mary, in her traditional coloring of blue robed in red, humanity robed in divinity through her Son's gift and grace.  In the cave with the Virgin and her Son are an ox and ass, representing the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah:

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib" (Is 1:3).

These two figures and the animals, inside a cave, are the essentials of the Nativity icon.  There are many other details that may be present in the icon, although their presence varies from icon to icon, due to the individual iconographer.  I will explain as many as I can find, though there may be other details in other copies of the icon.

Above the cave (or sometimes in a corner) is a star, the star that led the three Magi to Bethlehem.  Below the cave is a tree, representing the "Jesse Tree" (cf. Is 11).  Sometimes there are midwives, indicating that Christ's Birth was truly a human birth.  St. Joseph is often shown being tempted by an old man (or woman), which represents the devil tempting him with doubts about Christ's divinity and Mary's virginity.  (The copy of this icon that I have instead includes St. Joseph slightly away from the cave, worshipping the Child, with no devil in sight.)  The three Magi are often shown carrying their gifts of myrrh, frankincense, and gold, to Jesus in the cave.  Angels are shown, glorifying God for His great gift of His Son and for the Son's humbling of Himself to become a man.  Sometimes the angels are shown announcing the Good News of the Incarnation to shepherds.  Another figure sometimes includes is a boy sitting in a field, playing a pipe with numerous sheep around him: this symbolizes the joy the whole world experiences with the Incarnation of the Lord.

The many figures and details in this icon can have more symbolic interpretations, such as the cave representing Earth and its darkness representing the world's slavery to sin, which Jesus, the Light of the World, came to save us from.  Mary's posture, which is often reclining, looking concernedly towards St. Joseph, shows her trying to free her spouse from his doubts and temptations regarding the Incarnation.  In some copies of the icon, Mary is shown kneeling before her Son (as in my copy): I interpret this as worship of her Lord, though some say she still looks concerned about others' faith in the Incarnation.

All in all, the icon of the Nativity is very detailed (like those of many, if not most, feasts of the Church), and the amount of detail varies from copy to copy.  Despite all the many details, the icon's goal is to portray one key event: the Incarnation of the Son of God, His taking flesh in order to save us from sin and bring us to everlasting life.  As the Christmas Season, especially the Octave of Christmas, continues, let us continued to meditate on this glorious event, and let us continually thank the Lord for His most glorious salvation.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God Incarnate, have mercy on us!
Theotokos, Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of the Word Incarnate, save us!

[Due to the large variety of differences in this icon, below is a small gallery of various copies of it.]

 

The copy attributed to Andrei Rublev

Similar to the copy I own

 

 

Ethiopian icon

Coptic icon

Icon from St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai

Nota Bene: The information for this post comes primarily from Orthodox Wiki and a page of the website of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.  The Scripture quote comes from the Douay-Rheims translation.

 

Text ©2011 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.

 

Iconic Icons: Trojeručica

The Virgin with Three Hands (or Three-Handed Theotokos) is known with many names: being from Serbia, it is commonly known by its Serbian name, Bogodorica Trojeručica (Богородица Тројеручица) or Trojeručica for short. It is also known by its Greek name, Panagia Tricherousa (Παναγια Τριχερουσα). It is a hodigitria icon of the Theotokos, and it is the most important icon of the Serbian Orthodox Church (according to Wikipedia, at least).

The story is that this icon was made famous by its connection to St. John Damascene, the great defender of icons of the seventh and eighth centuries, whose theological thought was the basis of the defeat of iconoclasm at the Seventh Ecumenical Council. In 717, St. John Damascene was falsely accused of being an enemy of the state (by who is debated: some say the Caliph under whom he served, some say Emperor Leo the Isaurian, an iconoclast), and for punishment, his right hand was cut off. In response to this horrific event, St. John prayed before an icon of the Theotokos (whether he wrote this icon or not is uncertain), while holding his severed hand, and fell asleep there. While he was sleeping, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and said, "Thy hand is now whole; sorrow no more." Upon waking, he saw that his hand had been miraculously restored. In thanksgiving to the Theotokos for this healing, he created a silver replica of his hand as a votive offering and attached it to the icon. Many people who saw the icon were confused by it and, not knowing the story behind it, called it "three-handed." St. John, upon becoming a monk at the Mar Sabbas monastery outside of Jerusalem, gave the icon to that community.

In the 12th century the icon was given to St. Sabbas (also known as St. Sava), Archbishop of Serbia, who founded the Chilandri (also called Hilandar) Monastery on Mt. Athos. He received the icon from the Mar Sabbas monastery during a visit to the Holy Land, and he brought the icon to Serbia, where he returned after the trip. There the icon was carried by a mule in front of the army until one day the mule disappeared; miraculously, the mule, bearing the icon, appeared at the Chilandri Monastery, having found its own route there. To this day, the icon is stationed at the Chilandri Monastery.

One more interesting event happened in the history of the icon. One day, as the monks at Chilandri were debating over who would become the next abbot, the icon miraculously moved. While it had been placed in the sanctuary, it moved miraculously to the abbot's stall. Upon seeing this, one brother stated that, to avoid quarreling, there would no longer be an elected abbot at Chilandri, for the Theotokos had occupied the position herself, and so she would govern the monastery. That practice was followed, with monks only serving as acting abbots, until within the past few decades (most likely the 1980s or 1990s), when monks have begun to be elected as abbots once again.

As mentioned above, this icon is arguably the most famous and most important icon of the Serbian Orthodox Church (with feast days on July 11th and July 25th), though a copy brought to Russia in 1661 became famous there as well. In the end, the Trojeručica reminds us of the power of God to work miracles and how the intercession of the Theotokos can help us receive miracles from her Son. It also reminds us of the importance of devotion to the Theotokos, as shown by the reverent votive offering of St. John Damascene. Finally, this icon reminds us of the Serbian Orthodox Church, for whom it holds such great value. Thus, while venerating the Blessed Virgin as represented in the Trojeručica, let us pray for the reunion of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the Catholic Church.

All-Holy, Most Pure, Ever-Virgin Theotokos, save us!
St. John Damascene, pray for us!


Nota Bene: My information came from Wikipedia, Orthodox Wiki, and Mount Athos.gr. I also referenced this document from the Hilandar Research Library and this page on the life of St. John Damascene.

 

Text ©2011 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.

 

Iconic Icons: Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Sancta Mater de Perpetuo Succursu) is the name of an icon located in the Church of St. Alphonsus Ligouri (Sant'Alfonso di Ligouri all'Esquilino) in Rome. The history of the icon is shrouded in mystery: it first appeared in 1499, and it is linked with a larcenous merchant from Crete. When the merchant was on his way to Rome, his ship entered a brutal storm, and the sailors on-board implored Mary through the icon for help, and the Blessed Mother acquiesced. When the merchant arrived in Rome, he fell ill, and he entrusted the icon to another merchant, asking it to be placed in a church. The second merchant was hesitant to give the icon away; eventually he confided the story of the icon to his wife, and she decided to place it in their home rather than a church. Eventually (after the Virgin Mary appeared to numerous family members, asking the icon to be placed in a church), the wife gave the icon to the Augustinian Friars, who placed it in the Church of San Matteo.

Centuries later, this church, along with many others, was destroyed and pillaged to become an infantry base: thankfully, the friars were able to save the icon, eventually placing it in a side chapel of another church. Decades after this, the Redemptorist Fathers set up a Marian house of veneration (the Church of St. Alphonus Ligouri), which just so happened to be on the same site as San Matteo used to be.

The Redemptorist Fathers ended up discovering the story of the icon, and they asked Pope Bl. Pius IX to expose the icon to public veneration and give it an official Marian title. The Pope agreed, and the icon was moved to St. Alphonsus Ligouri and given its official title, and it remains there to this day.

This icon is unique in its depiction of the Blessed Mother and the Christ Child. Besides the switching of the typical pattern of colors representing the Theotokos in iconography (although this reversed pattern is also seen in another famous Marian icon, Our Lady of Czestochowa, which I will cover in another post, so I need to investigate the meanings of these colors more), with a blue mantle symbolizing her humility over a red robe symbolizing the Passion, the depiction of Jesus is very special. While Mary is looking towards the viewer of the icon, Jesus is looking neither at her nor the viewer: instead, He is looking up, frightened, at two angels holding instruments of His Crucifixion, St. Michael holding the lance and sponge and St. Gabriel holding a 3-bar cross and nails. The icon also shows a single sandal falling from Jesus' feet (leaving Him completely discalced): one interpretation of this that I've heard is that it represents how the Christ Child ran to His mother and leaped into her arms--losing His sandal in the process--when He became frightened by seeing the angels.

This icon is also known in the Eastern Church as well, where it is known as the Theotokos of the Passion, a Hodigitria-type icon of the Theotokos. In both Churches, this icon is liturgically celebrated, on June 27th in the Western Church and April 30th (and the Sunday of the Blind Man) in the Eastern Church. In addition, there is also a tradition in both churches (though not unanimously held) that this is an icon originally written by St. Luke using a table of the Holy Family's that was built by St. Joseph. (This is not the only icon thought to be of Lucan origin: Our Lady of Czestochowa has this same tradition.)

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the patron saint of Haiti, and she is also widely venerated in the Philippines. Most likely due to the fact that Redemptorist Fathers were among the major missionary groups that brought Christianity to the Philippines, this icon is celebrated every Wednesday in many parishes in the Philippines, and a novena published by the Redemptorist Fathers of Ireland is popular there, along with the icon being displayed frequently in parishes, homes, and public transport.

In conclusion, let us remember the Passion of the Lord by venerating the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and let us ask for her intercession.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Theotokos of the Passion, pray for us!



Nota Bene: I have to admit that this post is mostly an adaptation of the Wikipedia page on Our Lady of Perpetual Help, with a little information from the Orthodox Wiki page on the Theotokos of the Passion thrown in. Besides that, there is little extra information I provided.

 

Text ©2011 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.

 

Iconic Icons: Theotokos

After a rather long hiatus, I am continuing my series of Iconic Icons. Since Advent (and thus a new Liturgical Year) began today, and since this season prepares us to celebrate the Incarnation of Christ (among other things), and since the Incarnation is the doctrinal basis of iconography, I decided it is an appropriate time to revive my series. Following the post on the Pantocrator, a post on a popular icon of Christ, I decided to write a post on the second most important and popular category of icons: the icons of the Theotokos (θεοτοκος).

Theotokos is a title for Mary, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The word literally means "God-Bearer," but it describes the dogma that Mary is "Mother of God." This dogma (I believe it is a dogma, though I am not absolutely certain of the difference between doctrine and dogma, though I am studying Catechetics) was proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 in response to the Nestorian heresy, which sought to separate the human and divine natures of Christ. One way of doing this was by declaring Mary "Christotokos" (Χριστοτοκος), "Christ-Bearer," which doctrinally implied that Mary was only mother of Christ in His human nature. The Council of Ephesus, in declaring that Jesus Christ was one divine person in two natures, human and divine, also declared that Mary could and should be referred to with the title of Theotokos rather than Christotokos. (One story of this Council, which showed how fervent Marian devotion was even in the early Church, states that after the Council declared that Mary was Theotokos, the faithful walked through the streets, shouting, "Theotokos! Theotokos!")

Thus, Theotokos is a title for Mary meaning "Mother of God." The Greek term is used frequently in the Eastern Church to refer to Mary, while in the Western Church the translation (in whatever language) is usually more common. The word is also used to describe icons representing the Blessed Mother. Unlike the Pantocrator, which is merely one type of icon of Christ (although a very common type), Theotokos refers to many different types of icons of Mary. Most icons of Mary show her with the Christ Child, though occasionally she is shown alone. Among the many icons of Mary (many with distinct names based on their history, and many with miracles attached to them), there are roughly five categories they can be grouped into:

• Hodigitria (Οδηγητρια), the Guide: Mary is holding the Christ Child and is pointing toward Him, He Who is the source of salvation, and thus Mary is acting as a Guide leading us to our salvation.
• Eleusa (Ελευσα), Tender Mercy: Mary is holding the Christ Child, and He touches His face to hers while wrapping at least one arm around her neck and shoulder. It is often used to represent the relationship between God (Christ) and the Church (Mary).
• Panakranta (Πανακραντα), All Merciful: Mary is enthroned with the Christ Child on her lap; both are facing the viewer. This symbolizes Mary's royal glory, and it shows her part in our salvation (in a way, it reflects the doctrine of Mary as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces).
• Agiosortissa (Αγιοσορτισσα), Intercessor: Mary is shown alone, in profile, holding out her hands in prayer and supplication for us. She is facing to her left, where there is usually placed a separate icon of Christ.
• Oranta (Οραντα), Praying (also Panagia (Παναγια), Lady of the Sign): Mary is showing facing the viewer with her arms raised in the "orante" position (the same position the priest uses often throughout the Mass when praying, during the Collect, for instance), while the Christ Child is shown enclosed in her womb.

Much could be said about each of these icons in general: I hope to feature multiple Marian icons in the future, and I will hopefully be able to delve into the details of different types as I do that (at the very least, I will discuss the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which is a Hodigitria icon). There are a few overall themes to mention. One is that Mary is often shown to the left of Christ, that is, on His right hand. This shows how she receives hyperdulia, that is, veneration higher than all of the other saints. [This is my interpretation of this position: it is by no means the only position shown in icons, and I do not know if others hold this position or not. Feel free to disbelieve this opinion if you so wish. The other two themes are standard in iconography, as far as I know.] Another is that in icons Mary is always wearing a veil, which usually includes three stars, one on the head and one on each shoulder: these represent the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity (sometimes, one star is covered by the Christ Child, since He is the Second Person of the Trinity). Finally, Mary is usually robed in blue in icons, since blue is the color of humanity; sometimes, she is wearing blue with red over it, signifying her deification by Christ (the deification that all men are called to partake of), since red is the color of divinity. (The symbolism of these colors is why icons of Christ often portray Him wearing red covered with blue, signifying the assumption of human nature by He Who is a Divine Person.)

There is much more I could say about icons of the Theotokos, but this is a primer on them. I hope that I will continue this series of posts with more frequency than I have done in the past. Until then, I hope you found this post helpful. God Bless.

All-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorified Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, pray for us!


Nota Bene: I obtained the majority of the information for this post from Orthodox wiki, specifically the page on Icons of the Theotokos. The ending title of Mary was taken from its page on Theotokos. I apologize if any of the Greek is incorrectly transliterated in this post.

 

Text ©2011 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.