Icons

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...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

This stunning icon is from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The original icon overlooks the altar of the church, which is located above the very place where our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ was born in the flesh.

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...

Saint Nicholas was born in the third century in the city of Patara. His wealthy Christian parents died when he was young, and he gave his inheritance to the poor. Devoting himself to the Church, Nicholas was eventually ordained Bishop of Myra...

Saint Ignatius is known to have been a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist, and a contributor to the early ministry of the Church. He is also believed to have been that “little child” who Jesus used as an example of the...

Saint Herman was a Russian monk and missionary to the native Alaskan peoples. He was sent to Alaska with a group of ten monks in 1794. After a decade of work, Saint Herman became the head of the mission and was the headmaster of the school. He was...

Saint Augustine lived in the 4th century. He was raised by his mother, Saint Monica, in Carthage, Africa. He lived a prodigal life of sin, and at the ceaseless prayers of his mother, he came to repentance and true faith in Christ. Augustine's...

Of all the Eastern Christian icons, the "Theotokos of Vladimir" (from the Greek word Theotokos meaning "God bearer") is one of the most beloved and well known not only among Eastern Orthodox Christians, but also in the West. Even St. Paul’s...

Saint Nicholas was born in the third century in the city of Patara. His wealthy Christian parents died when he was young, and he gave his inheritance to the poor. Devoting himself to the Church, Nicholas was eventually ordained Bishop of Myra. In this...

Like St. Mark,  St. Luke was not one of the Twelve Apostles, but was one of the the four Evangelists. He was a Gentile, not a Jew, born in Antioch. He was a physician by profession. Luke became a disciple of St. Paul and traveled with Paul and...

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...

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...

Saint Elizabeth was the wife of Righteous Zacharias the high priest and the mother of Saint John the Forerunner. She was a descendent of Aaron and a sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Theotokos. She was barren, but the Lord heard the prayers...

The origins of this icon are unknown, but it is certainly ancient. Throughout the centuries, in the pain of childbirth women have found immense comfort in the intercessions of the Theotokos, who gave birth to Our Lord Jesus Christ. The icon is...

Saint Thomas was one of the Twelve Apostles. Also known as Didymus, "the Twin," he left everything to follow Christ. He is remembered for his doubt of the Resurrection, but believed when Jesus showed him the wounds of His hands and His side. Thomas was...

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...

Saint Ignatius is known to have been a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist, and a contributor to the early ministry of the Church. He is also believed to have been that “little child” who Jesus used as an example of the...

Originally named Saul, Paul was a Jew and a Pharisee. He was a leader of Christian persecutors, and was responsible for the stoning of Saint Stephen, a deacon and the first Christian martyr. When traveling to Damascus to persecute the Christians there,...

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 Nicholas was born in the third century in the city of Patara. His wealthy Christian parents died when he was young, and he gave his inheritance to the poor. Devoting himself to the Church, Nicholas was eventually ordained Bishop of Myra...

This Byzantine icon depicts the Prophet and King David in his boyhood pastoral setting as recorded in 1 Samuel. Following the canons of form and color, this contemporary icon captures the humility and glory of this forerunner and ancestor of Christ...

This beautiful mosaic is from the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem.

Saint John of Kronstadt was a married priest who lived in virginity with his wife. He worked tirelessly for the poor and the people of his parish, and was given by the Lord the ability read thoughts and work miracles. So great was his holiness, that in...

Saint Nicholas was born in the third century in the city of Patara. His wealthy Christian parents died when he was young, and he gave his inheritance to the poor. Devoting himself to the Church, Nicholas was eventually ordained Bishop of Myra...

This incredibly beautiful icon features the Magi presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ Child. This event is celebrated on December 25 in Eastern Christianity and January 6 (Epiphany) in Western Christianity. The icon has...

The Apostle Andrew "the First-Called," was the brother of Saint Peter. He had been a disciple of Saint John the Baptist, but went to follow Christ when Saint John called Him "the Lamb of God," becoming the first disciple. After the Lord's ascension into...

Although St. Paul was not one of the original Apostles, called while Jesus was on earth, he is known today as a chief Apostle, and his works were vital in the church’s beginning. Paul, known at that time as Saul, was a Roman citizen who persecuted...

Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia was an Athonite hieromonk known for his gifts of spiritual discernment, a type of clairvoyance which he sometimes called "spiritual television." He was born in 1906 in the village of Saint John Karystia, in the province...

Christ is at the center, with His right hand raised in a gesture of priestly blessing. He holds a scroll in His left hand. He is robed in gold and bright red, symbolizing divinity. He is depicted as a youth, a form known as Christ Emmanuel ("God with...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

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 Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

St. Peter, a chief Apostle along with St. Paul, was originally called Simon. The names "Peter" and "Cephas" both mean rock, and were both given by Jesus. He was first called alongside his brother Andrew.   Peter is known for committing a great...

Saint Justin was born in Palestine in the year 103. He was incredibly intelligent and had a love of knowledge, which led him to a fervent study of Greek philosophy. After probing the depths of Plato and others, he concluded that none of them could...

Saint Peter was an Aleut native of Kodiak Island, Alaska. He was baptized by the monks of Saint Herman's mission. In 1815, while hunting seals, he and several other Aleuts were kidnapped by Spanish sailors and taken to San Gabriel Mission in California...

Noah was an Old Testament Patriarch who lived at the time of the Great Flood. In his lifetime, he was judged by God to be the only righteous man left in the world. When God destroyed the world in the Flood, Noah and his family were saved in the Ark...

Saint Joanna, the wife of Chusa the steward of King Herod, was one of the women who followed Christ during his ministry (mentioned twice in the Gospel of Luke), and she was among the Myrrh-bearing Women who came to the Lord's tomb on the morning of...

This touching icon of the holy Ancestor of God Saint Anna is by the hand of American iconographer Mark Fiorenzo. It depicts the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ embracing her daughter. The young Mary holds a flower. This icon...

  Esther was the Jewish queen of Artaxerxes, King of Persia. The account of her life is recorded in the Old Testament Book of Esther. She foiled a plot by the evil Haman to destroy the Jews living in Persia. Righteous Esther is commemorated on...