Holy Images

God infuses His Energies into the icons

The Old Testament God was revealed to us by Christ Jesus. Prior to the incarnation of the Logos, God’s people were forbidden to make any image of Him, for no one had seen His face. Yet when Christ said to His disciples, “he who has seen Me has seen the Father”, the fullness of this loving God was revealed to His creation.

Early Christians used icons to depict this truth of the incarnation. The very first icons showing the Holy Virgin and the Christ Child, were painted by non other than the holy Apostle Luke. Since Christ is revealed in His saints, even the Holy Virgin and the Martyrs were soon depicted in images, worthy of veneration by the early Christians. The icons are not worshiped, nor are the saints worshiped, for adoration is reserved only for God. They are venerated because Christ dwells in His saints.

Orthodox, from the very first century, have venerated the holy icons as windows into eternity, representing as they do, the deified state of those who’ve won the good fight and are in Paradise with God. Our icons are not seen as religious art, but indeed windows into the other world. Perhaps a better description would be to say the icons are doors into the Heavenly Realm, for God infuses into the icons His Divine Energies, whereby we are lifted up into a place where there is neither time nor space. When we venerate the icons, our devotion and love is passed on to the archetypes, where we are connected to the saints who are in the Church Triumphant, together with the heavenly hosts, and Christ is glorified in His Saints.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Photos: One of my spiritual sons, John (Shayne) Swenson, a convert to Orthodoxy, has supported his wonderful family in Spokane, WA, as a tattoo artist. Early on in his sojourn with Orthodoxy, he and his wife took their children to a town in another part of the state in order to visit a miraculous icon of the Holy Virgin that had been brought to that parish for veneration. As they stepped into the nave of the church, a number of people, upon seeing their tattoos, pulled their children away from the Swenson’s. Needless to say, the Swenson family left in embarrassment and tears.

I share this story as a reminder of how we should never judge anyone else, either by appearance, or assumption. John (his baptismal name), has been granted an incredible gift as an iconographer, and one well known Serbian fresco painter referred to John’s natural abilities as tantamount to being miraculous.

These icons are just some of his work, and I offer these examples for your edification. Should any of my readers desire to commission John, be assured by his spiritual father (me), that he has not only become an accomplished iconographer almost overnight, but he is a humble man, a wonderful husband to his wife, and a loving father to his dear children.

Contact information:
John Shayne Swenson
shayneswenson@gmail.com

Tuesday July 25, 2017 / July 12, 2017
8th Week after Pentecost. Tone six.

Martyrs Proclus and Hilary of Ancyra (2nd c.).
Venerable Michael, monk, of Maleinus (962).
Martyrs Theodore and his son John of Kiev (983).
Venerable Arsenius of Novgorod, fool-for-Christ (1570).
Venerable Simon, abbot of Volomsk (1641).
Martyr Golinduc, in holy baptism Mary, of Persia (591).
Venerables John (998) and Gabriel (10th c.), of Georgia and Iveron, Mt. Athos (Georgia).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Of the Three Hands”, Hilandar, Mt. Athos.
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Samonapisavshaiasia” (1863).
Blessed Serapion, bishop of Vladimir (1275).
St. Veronica, the woman with the issue of blood who was healed by the Saviour.
Translation of the relics (1620) of St. Anthony, abbot of Leokhnov (Novgorod) (1611).
New Martyrs Andrew the Soildier, Heraclius, Taustus, Menas, and others (Greek).
Martyr Mamas near Sigmata (Greek).
Translation of the relics (2004) of New Hieromartyr Momcilo Grgurevic of Serbia (1940s) (Serbia).

The Scripture Readings

Luke 1:39-49

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

The Song of Mary

46 And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.

Luke 1:56

56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

1 Corinthians 10:5-12

5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Matthew 16:6-12

6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.