Icons

The Holy Trinity is our fount and source of being, life, and salvation. In the Orthodox Church, worship begins and ends with the words, "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." From Holy Scripture’s account of...

This well-known icon, painted in the 12th century at the Monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai, is an allegorical depiction of the Christian ascetic struggle. It is based on Saint John Climacus' seminal work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is part of our annual preparation for Great Lent. We have all squandered our Heavenly Father's inheritance, but He is waiting with open arms for us to return to Him through repentance.

This stunning fresco depicts the arrival of the Gospel to the natives of Alaska.  Saints Herman, Juvenaly, and Innocent were the first saints of the Orthodox Church to shine forth in the wilderness of Alaska. With a missionary spirit desiring to...

On the 40th day after His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven in His resurrected body. As the eleven Apostles stood on the Mount of Olives at Bethany, they watched Him disappear from view. An angel declared that He would return in the...

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped around...

This icon, specially commissioned by Legacy Icons, features all the key commemorations of Great Lent in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. One priest enthusiastically said of it, "This is an icon that waited 2,000 years to be painted!" St. Theodore the...

After the Lord's Ascension into heaven, the Apostles spent their days in prayer, preparing for the coming of the Holy Spirit. On the morning of the 50th day of His Resurrection, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit upon them as He had promised. There was the...

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped around...

This unique icon was commissioned for Saint Nicholas Cathedral, and is the only such icon in the world. It contains more than 30 well-known saints that are from or have a special connection to the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East. From...

This historic icon depicts the Holy Cross in a symbolic form, with the crown of thorns at its center. Below is a skull, representing the Cross’s victory over death. The Cross is surrounded by angels, cherubim, and seraphim. Two are holding...

This modern icon of the Ascension of Christ depicts the glorious ascent of Christ attended by angels and witnessed by the Apostles and the Theotokos. This Great Feast is commemorated 40 days after Pascha and 10 days before Pentecost, the outpouring of...

The hymn All Creation Rejoices in Thee is part of the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, and was written by St. John of Damascus. (He appears in this icon, to the left of the Theotokos, presenting his scroll to her.) All Creation rejoices in thee, O...

This instructional icon depicts the Second Coming and the Last Judgment. At the top Christ is seen coming in glory, flanked by the armies of the heavenly host, his Mother, and the Prophet John. In the next row are the Twelve Apostles, sitting as judges...

This icon, known as the Hospitality of Abraham, depicts the Old Testament scene when Abraham and Sarah were visited by three angelic visitors who announced the birth of their son, Isaac. This scene is traditionally understood to be a prefigurement...

The icon known as the Hospitality of Abraham depicts the Old Testament scene when Abraham was visited by three angelic visitors, who announced the birth of a son, Isaac, by his wife Sarah. This scene is traditionally considered a prefiguring...

The Lord's conversation and forgiveness of the Samaritan Woman at the well, as described in John 4:5-42, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday after Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox Church.

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped...

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped...

The Feast of Orthodoxy (also knowns as the Sunday of Orthodoxy or the Triumph of Orthodoxy) is celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent(six Sundays before Pascha) in the liturgical calendar of...

This icon depicts the Lord Jesus as Judge at the Last Judgment, coming in glory with the angelic host. With the Theotokos and Saint John the Baptist in poses of supplication, this is also a deësis icon, as they pray for the souls of those facing...

Commemorated on the 4th Sunday before Lent, the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee marks the beginning of the pre-Lent period in the Orthodox Church. In this parable, the Lord Jesus teaches us to pray with humility, and not to exalt...

This icon is a Russian interpretation of the famous Ladder of Divine Ascent icon. It is based on Saint John Climacus’s seminal work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.In the icon, as well as the book, the spiritual life is depicted as the steps of a ladder...

This instructional icon depicts the Second Coming and the Last Judgment. At the top Christ is seen coming in glory, flanked by the armies of the heavenly host, his Mother, and the Prophet John. In the next row are the Twelve Apostles, sitting as judges...

This depiction of the Throne of God is often found in icons of the Last Judgment, but can also be seen by itself in a simplified form, as in this icon. The blue circle surrounding the Throne is known as a Mandorla. This represents transcendence and the...

The Sunday before the beginning of Lent is known in the Orthodox Church as Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, we commemorate the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Through this, we remember that we are far from God because of sin, but we can be...

This 17th century Greek icon depicts the Second Coming and Last Judgment of the Lord. At the top, Christ is enthroned as the Almighty Judge, while the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist stand near him in prayer. The Twelve Apostles sit as the Elders...

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is part of our annual preparation for Great Lent. We have all squandered our Heavenly Father's inheritance, but He is waiting with open arms for us to return to Him through repentance.

This icon depicts the many saints who shone forth at Mount Sinai and in the surrounding desert. Saint Catherine, the patron of the monastery at Mount Sinai, stands at the center of the fathers at the bottom; the prophet Moses stands at the top,...

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...

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped...

In this beautiful detail from a massive 17th century fresco at Slivnichki Monastery in Macedonia, the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove, perched on a royal throne. He holds the Holy Gospel, and is surrounded by the instruments of the passion: the...

The feast of All Saints is commemorated on the Sunday After Pentecost by Eastern Christians and November 1 by Western Christians. This 18th century Russian icon features 80 representatives of all the ranks of Saints: Apostles, Prophets, Hierarchs,...

This historical icon of The Great Commission powerfully displays Christ's command to His disciples to spread the Gospel throughout the world. Depicting the words of Matthew 28:19-20,    Therefore go and make disciples of all...

After the Church was rocked by the heresy of Iconoclasm in the 8th century, the 7th Ecumenical Council proclaimed the ancient truth that images were a worthy and necessary part of Christian doctrine and worship, as they are proof of the incarnation of...

The feast of All Saints is commemorated on the Sunday After Pentecost by Eastern Christians and November 1 by Western Christians. Symbolism Circle — Christ enthroned in glory, with the Theotokos and John the Baptist and the ranks of the saints:...

This 19th century Russian icon features the Cross being lifted up by Saints Constantine and Helen, who discovered the True Cross in the 4th century. Depicted with them are a number of prominent saints, clockwise from the top: the Holy Trinity...

The Feast of Orthodoxy (also knowns as the Sunday of Orthodoxy or the Triumph of Orthodoxy) is celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent (six Sundays before Pascha) in the liturgical calendar of...

The feast of All Saints is commemorated on the Sunday After Pentecost by Eastern Christians and November 1 by Western Christians. Symbolism Circle — Christ enthroned in glory, with the Theotokos and John the Baptist and the ranks of the saints:...

This 6th-century mosaic is from the apse of the Basilica of Saint Apollinare in Ravenna, Italy. The holy Cross is jeweled (crux gemmata) and appears in the center, surrounded with the Taboric light. Moses and Elias appear on either side, and...