Pantocrator, "almighty," is one of the many names of God used in the Bible. It refers to Christ as Sabaoth, "Lord of Hosts," the ruler of all, and the sustainer of the universe. This image of Christ is the most widely-used subject in all of...

According to the fourth chapter of St. Mark’s Gospel, the disciples, terrified by the furious storm that came upon their fishing boat, called out to Jesus for help. Indeed, His powerful Word stilled the wind and the waves. Then the disciples asked...

First among the Christian saints, the Theotokos holds the place of honor as the mother of God. In this icon, she embraces her Son Jesus, who blesses the beholder with His right hand while holding a scroll in His left, symbolizing the power of the Gospel...

"Today is the beginning of our salvation," proclaims the Orthodox Church's troparion (hymn) for the Annunciation. Celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas, this feast is dedicated to the announcement of Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that...

Saint Joseph the Betrothed was the foster-father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. Joseph is depicted holding a flowering branch in is his right hand. When Mary the Theotokos was to be married, the priest of the temple had a vision that directed him to...

Among the saints of Ireland, Brigid of Kildare is one of three patrons to the country- the other two being Columba and Patrick. In this beautifully done icon by Vladmir Grygorenko, St. Brigid holds two signs characteristic to her life: an intricately...

Born November 2, 1923, Robert Royster (later Dmitri of Dallas) grew up in Teague, Texas. As a young man Robert converted to Orthodoxy with his sister and adopted the name Dmitri after Dmitri of Rostov. Soon after he was drafted into the United States...

Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he joined the Roman army under the emperor Diocletian,...

The parable of the Prodigal Son as recorded by the Apostle Luke figures as a crucial illustration for the Christian concepts of sin, repentance, and forgiveness. In this beautifully painted icon by the hand of Brian Whirledge, Christ is depicted as the...

  This icon depicts the arrival of Mary at the temple, as she is received by the High Priest and the other temple virgins. Her elderly parents, Joachim and Anna, are seen in the background. In the upper right corner, Mary has taken her place in the...

This beautiful icon of beloved Saint Euphrosynos. It shows the humble saint in his monastic clothing, holding the three golden apples of Paradise mentioned in the account of his life. Saint Euphrosynos is a patron saint of cooks, and many Orthodox...

Born in Tarsus during the first century to a prominent Jewish family, Zenaida and Philonella came to faith in Christ through the Apostle Paul, who was a close relative.  The sisters shared a deep interest in medical practice and studied to become...

Saint Joseph was born in Greece in 1897. At the age of 23 he began to read the lives of the Saints, which sparked a yearning to enter the monastic life. He withdrew to the uninhabited countryside, and finally departed to Mount Athos. He desired to...

Both Apostles, being chosen by our Lord, were instrumental in the establishment and growth of the early Church through their boldness, spiritual strength, and wisdom. Thus they are recognized as "pillars" of the Church, having offered all even unto death...

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 without...

This comforting icon is a perfect representation of Christ Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) as well as his role as our own good shepherd (John 10), demonstrating the Lord’s great love and compassion for our salvation. This...

Saint Cassiani was a nun and eminent poet who lived in the 9th century. She established a convent in Constantinople, and excelled as a theologian and musician, composing hymns for her nuns.  Dozens of her hymns endure in the liturgical life of the...

John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and minister of Jesus. He and his brother James were both fishermen and both called by Jesus at the same time and place. Jesus also gave him the surname Boanerges,...

Saint Panteleimon lived in the late 3rd century. A native of Nicomedia, his mother wished for him to be raised a Christian. When she died young, his pagan father sent him to be educated as a physician. He was befriended by Saint Hermolaus, a priest, and...

A Deësis icon is an ideal centerpiece in a home prayer corner, serving as an example of how to approach our Lord properly and prayerfully, even as the saints intercede for us. In the Deësis icon, Jesus Christ is enthroned at the...

This icon presents a selection of the martyrs and confessors of Russia under the Bolshevik yolk, including the royal family of Tsar Nicolas II and the Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow. Below, their figures can be seen, the incense that rises as they pray for...

This icon by Bulgarian iconographer Georgi Chimev is a simple but powerful depiction of Christ's sacrifice and victory over sin and death. Standing by the Cross are the Theotokos and Saint John, the beloved Disciple, who mourn the Master's death...

In this icon, painted by Bulgarian iconographer Georgi Chimev, the Forerunner holds his own beheaded head on a platter while he holds a cross, signs and symbols of his martyric death. While this icon can be used on the many feasts of Saint John...

When Jesus was a youth 12 years of age, he went with his Mother and Saint Joseph to the Temple. They left him behind by mistake, and three days later, they found him in the midst of the elders. This event is recorded at the end of Luke chapter 2, and it...

Saint Ronan lived in the sixth century. A native of Ireland, he decided to leave everything behind and went on a pilgrimage to Brittany in modern western France. There he established a hermitage for monks, and like the Desert Fathers of old, he gained a...

Saint Philoumenos was born in Morphou, Cyprus, in 1913. At the age of 14, he and his twin brother entered the monastic life in Cyprus, and at age 20 departed for Jerusalem. There, Fr. Philoumenos became a priest and was raised to the rank of...

From the years 527 to 565, Saint Justinian the Great reigned as the Roman Emperor. During his reign, tens of thousands of pagans were baptized into Christ and the pagan schools of Athens were closed. Some ninety missionary churches were built to...

This touching 19th century Russian icon depicts the Martyr Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope, and Love (in Slavonic: Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov). They lived near Rome in the 2nd century. Under the reign of Hadrian, they were found to be Christians...

In this contemporary Russian icon we have the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles, who were the ones chosen by Christ to live closest to Him during His ministry and to be the foremost evangelists of the nations. The Twelve all have their own feast days, but...

This incredible icon of Saint Elias the Prophet is from the iconostasis at Saint Nicholas Anthiochian Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It features Saint Elias being taken up to heaven in the chariot of fire, while his disciple, the Prophet...

This icon is painted in the traditional Byzantine style, featuring Saint Paul holding the Gospel that he preached as the Apostle to the nations. The rich blue background makes it a stunning rendition of this holy Apostle. Originally named Saul, Paul was...

Saint Lucia (also known as Lucy) of Syracuse in Sicily, was a martyr under the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. She suffered early in the 4th century, at about the age of 20, after she refused to marry a pagan. Her feast is celebrated on December 13,...

The Holy Scriptures are the books written over the course of some seventeen centuries by men under divine inspiration. This collection of books is divided into two sections: the Old Testament, which concerns the time from the creation of the world and...

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 in the flesh. The...

Saint Spyridon was from Cyprus, where he worked as a shepherd. After the death of his wife, he was appointed Bishop of Trimythus. At the First Ecumenical Council, he refuted the Arians using his simple wisdom. God granted him the gift of wonderworking,...

This contemporary Byzantine icon of Saint Menas the Wonderworker features the holy Saint opening his hands in the orans gesture of prayer. Christ is mystically depicted within the Saint, as the Lord filled him with His divine life. Saint Menas is one of...

This unique icon of Saint George is a portrait-style icon, featuring a close-up view of his face. Saint George "the Trophy-bearer" was born in Cappadocia, Asia Minor (modern Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he...

This icon from Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC, depicts the synaxis (assembly) of the holy Angels and Archangels. At the center is an orb containing Christ as a youth, known in iconography as Emmanuel. Nearest to Christ are the...

The holy New Martyr Dionysios was a monk of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. In 1822, he was sent to Crete with the holy Belt of the Theotokos admidst an epidemic that was ravaging the island. A revolution had broken out on the island against the...

This icon by Brian Whirledge features Saint Dionysius in his episcopal robes, holding the Gospel. As one of the earliest converts to Christianity, he is an important figure in the first century Church. Saint Dionysius was the second bishop of Athens. He...