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.
Christians, 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: The icon corner in my study. Icon of the Holy Protection in the monastery’s temple.
Sunday February 26, 2023 / February 13, 2023
The Sunday of Forgiveness. Tone four.
Cheesefare Sunday. Meat is excluded
Venerable Martinian, monk, of Caesarea in Palestine (422).
New Hieromartyrs Basil and Gabriel priests (1919).
New Hieromartyr Silvester (Olshevsky) bishop of Omsk and Pavlodar (1920).
New Hieromartyrs Zosimas, Nicholas, Basil, John, Leontius, Vladimir, Parthenius, John, John, Michael priests and Eugene deacon, and Martyr Paul, Virgin-martyrs Anna, Vera and Irina (1938).
Blessed Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) of Bogucharsk (1950).
The holy woman Zoe of Bethlehem and Virgin Photina (5th c.).
Venerable Eulogius, archbishop of Alexandria (607-608).
Venerable Symeon the Myrrh-gusher, prince of Serbia (1200).
Synaxis of All Saints of Omsk Metropolia.
St. Martin the Merciful.
St. Modomnoc, bishop of Ossory (6th c.) (Celtic & British).
Apostle and Martyr Aquila, and Priscilla (Greek).
St. Timothy, patriarch of Alexandria (385).
St. Joseph of Volokolamsk (1515).
St. Castor of Karden, hieromonk and missionary (Germany)
St. Ermenhilda, abbess of Ely.
St. Huna, priest-monk of Huneya.
Translation of the relics of St. Edward the Martyr, King of England.
The Scripture Readings
Luke 24:1-12
He Is Risen
24 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”
8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Romans 13:11-14:4
Put on Christ
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
The Law of Liberty
14 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
Matthew 6:14-21
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.