Icons

This beautiful fresco from the Stavropoleos Monastery in Romania, depicts the Fathers of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed was written. Emperor St. Constantine the Great sits in the center, surrounded by the holy bishops, who...

In this beautiful detail from a massive 17th century fresco at Slivnichki Monastery in Macedonia, the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove, perched on a royal throne. He holds the Holy Gospel, and is surrounded by the instruments of the passion: the...

Mid-Pentecost is celebrated on the Wednesday 25 days after Pascha, the halfway point between Pascha at Pentecost. This feast celebrates Christ as the Holy Wisdom of God, as the Gospel describes Him teaching in the temple to the astonishment of the...

During the reign of Caesar Augustus, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem. Refer to the Gospels of Matthew (chapters 1-2) and Luke (chapter 2) for the account of the Lord's birth...

Here Christ extends His hand to His beloved friend Lazarus, who comes out of his tomb after being dead for four days. This miraculous event happened just before Palm Sunday. By this action, Christ displayed His power over death and pointed to His...

After the Resurrection, Christ met Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. They did not recognize His resurrected body, and they invited Him to come and eat with them. At the table, Christ broke bread and gave it to them, and they recognized Him as...

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Christ's triumphal entry into the royal city of Jerusalem. Riding on a young donkey, he was met by a massive crowd who publicly hailed Him as king. They waved palm branches and laid their cloaks on the road before Him...

In this Greek icon, Noah and his family are depicted preparing to board the ark, together with animals of every kind.

This beautiful icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai is a depiction of the Theotokos as the Burning Bush seen by Moses—as she held within herself the Fire of Divinity, Christ, without being consumed. The Bush is interpreted as a...

Saint Menas the Wonderworker is one of the best-known Egyptian saints throughout the world. He was a soldier in the Roman army, and died a martyr about the year 309 when he refused to renounce his faith in Christ. His feast is celebrated on November 11...

This incredible icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai is a depiction of the Theotokos as the "flower of Jesse's Tree". The Prophets are seen among the branches growing from Jesse, with the Theotokos at their center, as the Mother of the...

"But Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned him saying, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You say so.’ And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders he made no answer. Then...

This Russian icon depicts the Lord on the Cross, outside the city of Jerusalem, as the Gospel describes. Below the Cross are the Virgin Mary, St. John, the Myrrhbearers, and St. Longinus the Centurion. Several saints are also depicted on the borders.

The Three Holy Youths Ananias, Misael, and Azarias were among the Jews who were taken to Babylon in the sixth century BC. King Nebuchadnezzar took them into his royal household where they served, along with the Prophet Daniel. They were given Persian...

"And when they had mocked him they took off the purple and dressed him in his own clothes and led him out to crucify him. And they forced Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And...

This fresco from the Slivnichki Monastery in Macedonia is part of a series based on the Akathist Hymn. The scene depicts the Theotokos standing in the midst of expert orators and wizened philosophers, who are left silent and unable to explain her...

The Lord's restoration of sight to the Blind Man, as described in John 9:1-41, is celebrated on the fifth Sunday after Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox Church. According to many of the Church Fathers, the man was not merely blind, but he was born...

The Prophet Joel lived some 800 years before Christ. One of the Minor Prophets, he prophesied of the coming of the Holy Spirit. He is commemorated on October 19.

The Lord's conversation and forgiveness of the Samaritan Woman at the well, as described in John 4:5-42, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday after Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox Church.

This 12th century icon, also known as the Holy Face or Mandylion, portrays the face of Christ on a piece of cloth, carried by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. According to Christian legend, King Abgar of Edessa wrote to Jesus, asking him to come...

The Prophet Baruch was the disciple and scribe of the Prophet Jeremiah. He accompanied Jeremiah in proclaiming his prophecies, and they lamented the fall of Jerusalem together. Baruch witnessed the stoning of Jeremiah, and he buried his body. In his...

The Lord's miracle of the healing of the man paralyzed for 38 years, as described in John 5:1-15, is celebrated on the third Sunday after Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox Church.

Stunning icon of Jesus Christ. One of the earliest known paintings of our Lord. This image of Christ as the Good Shepherd was painted in the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus in the 3rd century.

The hymn All Creation Rejoices in Thee is part of the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, and was written by St. John of Damascus. (He appears in this icon, to the left of the Theotokos, presenting his scroll to her.) All Creation rejoices in thee, O...

This miracle of Christ is found in the three synoptic gospels. While He slept on the boat, a storm arose and threatened to capsize the boat. The disciples woke Him in fear, and the Lord rebuked the wind. The storm died down, and He questioned the...

This scene depicts Christ and the Theotokos at the Wedding at Cana of Galilee. This was our Lord's first miracle, changing the water into wine. As the Orthodox marriage service also says, by His presence at this wedding, Christ blessed marriage as...

This 17th century icon from the Kostroma region of Russia depicts Christ as both King and High Priest, sitting on his throne in heaven.

Before He was led away to crucifixion, the Jews placed a scarlet robe on Him, crowned Him with a crown of thorns, and put a reed in His hand. They then mocked and beat Him. The holy icons intend, first of all, to reveal to us a spiritual reality,...

After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. And...

Commemorated on the 4th Sunday before Lent, the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee marks the beginning of the pre-Lent period in the Orthodox Church. In this parable, the Lord Jesus teaches us to pray with humility, and not to exalt...

Eight days after the Resurrection, we celebrate the "excellent unbelief of Thomas," in the words of one Vesperal hymn for the feast. His doubting and unbelief led the Lord to offer proof, which brings all of us to the knowledge of the risen Savior as...

Gideon was appointed by God as one of the Judges of Israel during the Old Testament. His feast is celebrated on September 26, and he is also remembered among the Old Testament righteous on the Sunday of the Forefathers in December.

In this 12th century icon from the Sinai region, we see Christ extending his hand to his beloved friend Lazarus, who comes out of his tomb after being dead for four days. This miraculous event happened just before Palm Sunday. By this action, Christ...

This 4th century fresco is from the Catacombs of Commodilla near Rome. It depicts Christ with the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, "the beginning and the end."

This miracle is recorded by all four of the Evangelists in their Gospels. In the wilderness near Bethsaida, the Lord had compassion on the crowds and miraculously multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed 5000 men, with the women and children besides...

The Prophet Jonah (or Jonas) lived in the 8th century before Christ. He prophesied to the Israelites and the Ninevites, calling all to repentance. He also foretold of the coming Messiah. Jonah was eaten by a sea creature and spent three days in...

This late 3rd century fresco is from the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome. It is an allegorical icon, depicting a shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders. Two other sheep look up to him, and in the background are two trees with birds of paradise...

The Church has received the tradition of the conception of the Mother of God from the ancient Fathers of the Church. The Virgin Mary was born to her parents about 16 or 17 years before the birth of Christ. Her father Joachim was descended from the...

This 15th century Greek icon depicts the Nativity of Christ, with several related scenes. The Virgin Mary is depicted resting beside her newborn Son. The cave imagery recalls icons of the Resurrection, reminding the viewer that our salvation was...