The Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus, was the brother of the Apostle Matthew. After Pentecost, he and the Apostle Andrew preached throughout Palestine, healed the sick, and converted many to Christ. Saint James was finally crucified by pagans in Egypt...

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 Apostle Stephen was the first deacon of the Church. For this, he is called "Protodeacon" or "Archdeacon," and as he was the first Christian martyr, he is called "Protomartyr." While performing his missionary work, he defeated some Jews in a debate...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. After he baptized Christ in the Jordan River, John was arrested by Herod and beheaded at the request of his wicked wife Herodias and daughter Salome, as described in...

Saint Demetrios (or Demetrius) was born in Thessaloniki in the third century. He was a soldier in the Roman army and exhibited every Christian virtue. During the persecution of the emperor Diocletian, Demetrios was imprisoned. While in prison he spoke...

This 17th century icon comes from the Hilander monastery on Mount Athos. It features four prominent warrior saints, from left to right, Demetrios the Myrrh-streaming (also spelled Demetrius/Dmitri), George the Trophy-bearer, Prokopios (or Procopius),...

In this radiant icon, we see Moses and Aaron standing within the Tabernacle of Witness. Moses holds a chalice and a text of the Law, while Aaron the high priest holds a censer and the budded rod. The orb with the seven-branch candle stand contains an...

Also known as Iverskaya and Portaitissa, this 1880 Russian icon is based on an original from an iconoclastic period in the 10th century. The icon of the Theotokos was kept by a pious widow. When it was discovered by a group of soldiers, one of...

This historic icon of Christ "Emmanuel" is from the ancient Orthodox monastic community of Mount Athos, Greece. It depicts Christ as a young man and illustrates the powerful meaning of one of his Hebrew names, Emmanuel, God with us, given to him in...

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...

This unique Russian icon depicts the Theotokos weeping at the Cross of her Son, Jesus Christ, outside the city of Jerusalem.  The 18th century iconographer faithfully and beautifully uses color and form to portray the pathos and glory of the Holy...

John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness, preparing the way for Our Lord. As John was baptizing the people in the Jordan River, Jesus came to be baptized Himself—not that He had sins to be forgiven, but to inaugurate His ministry...

After the Resurrection, the Myrrh-bearing Women came to the tomb. They found the soldiers fallen as dead, the stone rolled away, and an angel sitting on it. He showed them the Lord’s empty grave clothes, and told them to tell the Disciples of the...

This 19th century Russian lithographic icon depicts All Saints of Mount Athos. The most prominent and famous Athonite monastic saints are visible in the foreground, and the haloes of countless more saints, known and unknown, stretch into the distance...

This popular icon tells the story of a certain young man who, despite his sinful way of life,  kept a prayerful devotion to the Mother of God. One day, he prayed before the icon of the Theotokos as he was leaving his house to commit a sin...

"At that time, Jesus went out with his disciples across the brook Kedron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Judas, his betrayer, also knew the place, because Jesus had often gathered there with his disciples. So Judas,...

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 late-15th century Russian icon features the holy hierarchs Saint James of Jerusalem, the Brother of the Lord; Saint Nicholas of Myra; and Saint Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch. (This icon was previously misidentified as the Three Holy...

The eleusa (tenderness) genre of icons has Christ embracing His Mother tenderly in a gesture of love. Her hand points to her Son in a gesture of humility and deference to Him as God. This icon's bold, red background is stunning and must be seen...

This historic Greek icon depicts the Apostle Luke the Evangelist. Renowned for his authorship of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, his accounts feature some of the most distinctive and renowned stories of Christ’s Incarnation and the...

The Great and Universal Feast of the Exaltation (Elevation) of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross is the only one of the Great Feasts that did not occur during the Biblical time period. It is celebrated on September 14 each year. Saint Helen, the...

The Martyr Sophia (Sofia) and her daughters Faith, Hope, and Love (or Charity) lived near Rome in the 2nd century. Under the reign of Hadrian, they were found to be Christians and were taken before him. Knowing they faced death, they prayed for...

The Apostle James, son of Zebedee, was one of the twelve Apostles and the first to be martyred, by Herod in AD 44. Sometimes he is called "James the Greater" to distinguish him from "James the Lesser," and also "the son of thunder." He was the older...

Saint Moses the Ethiopian, also called Moses the Black, lived in Egypt during the fourth century. He was a slave, but after committing a murder, his master cast him out. Moses carried on with his sinful life, and was widely feared for his infamous...

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,...

On the third day after His death, the Sunday of Pascha (Easter), our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ raised Himself from the dead. This icon celebrates the universe-transforming event known as the Harrowing of Hades, the doctrine laid down in...

The Church has received the tradition of the Nativity (birth) 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...

These twin brothers were physicians and martyrs in the early Church. They are called Unmercenaries, as they did not accept payment for their services. They were arrested and beheaded in the year 287, and are among the most highly-venerated martyrs...

This unique 18th century Russian icon depicts the Lord alone on the Cross, outside the city of Jerusalem (here, with characteristic Slavic architecture). The sun and moon are shown as darkened or red, according to the Gospels’ narrative.  As...

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...

Emperor Constantine the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles, legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. He once saw a vision of the Cross in the sky and heard a voice say, "In this sign conquer." His mother, Helen, served as his Empress. She was devoted to...

This beautiful Russian icon depicts the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church Calendar, featuring the 12 Great Feasts around its perimeter with Pascha (Easter) in the center. Reproduced from the 18th century original, it faithfully conveys the power,...

The equals-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, who legalized and defended Christianity in the Roman Empire, and his mother Helen, who discovered the precious Cross of the Lord, are celebrated together on May 21.

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...

The title of this icon, which is written in Slavonic across the top, comes from the Canon of Holy Saturday: Do not weep for me, Mother, as you see Me entombed: the Son conceived seedlessly in your womb. For I shall arise and be glorified, and I shall...

Saint Tikhon was the first Patriarch of Moscow after the patriarchate was restored in 1917. But before this, he served as Bishop of the Aleuts and North America, and became an American citizen. He worked tirelessly to establish new churches in America,...

Blessed Xenia (pronounced Ksenia) lived in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the 18th century. Her husband Andrew, a Colonel in the Russian Army, died suddenly when she was 26 years old. Xenia was devastated, as Andrew died while drinking and carrying on...

This unique Russian icon depicts a triumphal Cross of Christ surrounded by saints and angels. Painted in the 19th century Russian Academic style, this icon depicts in realistic form and vivid color the gathering of the faithful around the instrument of...

The holy, glorious Apostle Thomas is celebrated on October 6, and his "excellent unbelief, which led the hearts of the faithful to knowledge" is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on the Sunday after Pascha.

Saint Christopher of Lycia was a third-century martyr. Originally named Reprobus, the Roman authorities became aware of him when he converted a group of soldiers to Christ. He was baptized with the name Christopher, which means "Christ-bearer." This is...