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Ordering for Pascha 2024
There is still time to shop for Pascha!For best results:
Order Classic Icons by Tuesday, April 23, with Express Shipping. (Masterpiece Icons not guaranteed on time at this point)Order Devotional Items, Incense and Accessories, Gifts, and all Ready-to-Ship items by Wednesday, April 24, with Standard Shipping; or by Palm Sunday, April 28, with Express Shipping.
Apr 19th 2024
On the Visitation
We
recently received a message from a customer asking about our new icon
of the Visitation of the Theotokos and Elizabeth, which includes Christ
and John the Baptist in the wombs of their mothers, and the reasoning
behind depicting something that in reality took place secretly. Others may have similar questions, so we wanted to provide a public response to say more about its meaning.
When we speak of events that took place secretly, I call to mind the
hymn from Vespers on Christmas
…
Apr 12th 2024
The End of Summer and the Dormition Fast
In addition to bringing you the highest quality icons, Legacy Icons
is committed to fostering a culture that has its saints in flesh and
blood, not just wood and paint. To help make this a reality, our new
blog will post articles covering spirituality, the liturgical calendar,
art history, patristic wisdom, and other food for thought. In this
article, Sam Granger (our "web-deacon") analyzes the icon of the
Dormition and how its fast can help us appreciate the season as we beg
…
Apr 12th 2024
The Orthodox Advent Wreath
The Byzantine Rite of the Orthodox Church has no liturgical season
exactly corresponding to Advent in the West. That does not mean there is
no preparation for Christ’s Nativity. In the Orthodox Church, the
Nativity Fast begins on November 15, forty days before December 25.
While there is no weekly “theme” on Pre-Nativity Sundays, the Advent
season is marked by the penitential singing of “Alleluia” at Matins and
other features. As we get closer to the Feast, more an
…
Apr 12th 2024
Our Faith: The Beheading of the Forerunner
When Saint John the Forerunner (also known as John the Baptist) was
beheaded by Herod, his head was placed on a platter and given to his
daughter at the request of her mother. The masterfully-composed
liturgical hymns for this commemoration are unsettling in their
descriptions of the scene:
As shameless Herod’s birthday was being celebrated, the terms of
the oath to the wanton dancing girl were fulfilled; for the head of the
Forerunner was struck off and brought in on a di
…
Apr 12th 2024
The Prophet Ezekiel on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Ezekiel 44: 1-3 “Then he brought me
back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was
shut. And he said to me, "This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be
opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the LORD, the God of Israel,
has entered by it; therefore it shall remain shut. Only the prince may
sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the
vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way."Ezekiel
46:3 “ Likewise the people of
…
Apr 12th 2024
Raid on an Ancient House Church Reveals Some Surprises
The following document is part of an official record of actions taken
against a house church in the town of Cirta* in Algeria during the
Diocletian persecution. It provides a description of both the church
hierarchy of the Ante Nicene period (consisting of a single bishop, as
well as priests, deacons, subdeacons and readers as it is in the
Orthodox Church to this day) as well as an inventory of material
possessions (including gold, silver, and bronze liturgical items, as
well as
…
Apr 12th 2024
Our Faith: The Icon "Made Without Hands"
On August 16 we celebrate the Icon of Our Lord "Made Without Hands."
This icon, also known as the Holy Face, the Holy Napkin, or the
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 cure him of an
illness. Jesus declined the invitation, but sent a disciple with a
miracle-working image of Jesusthe first icon. The "Made Without Hands"
…
Apr 12th 2024
The Transfiguration of the Lord
This past weekend, we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration
of the Lord. In this post Sam Granger looks at how the Transfiguration
"sheds some light" on the Orthodox, on iconography, and on our
understanding of Christ.The Feast of the Transfiugration is a
big deal for Orthodox Christians, because it's the feast dedicated to
Christ's glory. The name "orthodox" comes from two Greek roots: orthos (ὀρθός) meaning "right" or "correct" and doxa (δόξα)
meaning "glory." Orthodox Chr
…
Apr 12th 2024
How much Does Holy Communion for children cost in the Orthodox Church?
We welcome a new contributor to our blog, Fr. Methodius
Jm Kariuki, director of the St. Barnabas Orphanage and School in South
Kinangop, Kenya.Most
people do not realize there is a financial expense associated with
serving Divine Liturgy. There are candles on the altar. There is flour
and yeast needed to make the bread for prosphora and communion. Wine is
needed for the chalice. Many churches purchase their own supplies, but
more churches accept donations from the people.God giv
…
Apr 12th 2024