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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" …

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 …