Icons

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...

"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...

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...

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...

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...

  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...

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,...

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...

Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were one hundred fortyfour thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads (Rev. 14:1) Saint John gazes up at the Lamb of God on Mount Zion...

This 16th century Russian icon, also known as the Holy Face or 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...