Icons

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 icon is from the very Cave of the Apocalypse itself, on the island of Patmos, Greece, where the book of Revelation was written. It depicts the following passage:  I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation...

The Apostle Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel/Nathanael) was from Cana of Galilee, but the Gospels tell us little else about his early life. After Pentecost, he preached throughout Asia and India, and was martyred brutally. His feast is celebrated...

This historic icon of the Archangel Michael is depicted in vivid colors and stunning details. Following a traditional Balkan style, Holy Michael is depicted bearing a sword in his right hand and an orb in his left. The orb is marked with the Greek...

This famous 13th century icon depicts the life and martyrdom of Saint George. George was a soldier of noble birth from Cappadocia, and was put to death under Emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia on 23 April 303. The center icon depicts the most famous...

The Three Holy Youths Ananias, Misael, and Azarias were among the Jews who were taken to Babylon in the sixth century BC. King Nebuchadnezzar took them into his royal household where they served, along with the Prophet Daniel. They were given Persian...

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 19th century Byzantine icon of the Apostle John the Theologian uniquely depicts him contemplating the stories of Christ in silence. Whether writing or reading his own Gospel account, his face reflects the depth of love that he shared with the Lord...

Saint Gregory was born in 329 in Cappadocia. After his studies, he suffered in a shipwreck and feared for his soul, as he was unbaptized. God spared him, and arriving in Athens, he joined his friend Basil the Great. They lived as monastic brothers in...

Saint Joseph lived in Syria in the 19th century. He was a priest who worked as a translator and editor of the Church Fathers' writings, desiring to bring their teachings to the faithful. In 1860, a wave of anti-Christian Druze riots swept through...

Saint Onuphrius lived in the fourth century. He was a hermit in the deserts of Egypt, living alone. He had a wild appearance, covered in hair and naked except for a small garment made of leaves. Saint Paphnuitus was mystically sent to bury Onuphrius,...

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.

St. Jude is another Apostle whose role in Jesus’ ministry is not elaborated on in scripture.  When he is named among the Apostles, he is also called Thaddeus or Lebbaeus. It is not known how he was called to Jesus or exactly what he achieved...

The Apostle Jude (also known as Thaddeus, Lebbaeus, and Barsabas), was one of the twelve Apostles. He was also Jesus' half-brother, the son of Saint Joseph the Betrothed by his first wife. Saint Jude wrote a brief epistle, which is part of the New...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts the Holy Patriarch Abraham. Called to leave his homeland in the Fertile Crescent for a new land and God, he became the father of the children of God. One of the Holy Forefathers of Christ, his faithfulness is...

Aaron was the brother of Moses. While God assigned the task of Israelite leadership directly to Moses, Aaron became an important leader in his own right.  At his first encounter with God, Moses expressed concern that he was not well-spoken enough...

Saint Nicholas II reigned as the last Tsar (Emperor) of Russia from 1894 to 1917. His rule saw the liberalization and eventual fall of the Russian Empire in the Bolshevik Revolution, which ushered in the Soviet communism which was incredibly...

Job was a descendent of Abraham, and righteous in every way. For this, he was richly blessed with wealth and power. God saw fit to test Job. All at once, he lost his children and his wealth. His body was afflicted with painful sores. Job's few...

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 19th century Russian icon portrays the synaxis (assembly) of the holy Angels and Archangels. In the center is an orb containing Christ as Emmanuel. Behind Christ, holding orbs reading IC XC ("Jesus Christ"), is the chief Archangel,...

In this 16th century Cretan icon, the Theotokos is praised by Old Testament figures, from the Patriarch Jacob (holding the ladder), to Moses, the Prophets, and finally John the Forerunner, the last of the Old Testament prophets. The iconographer...

Saint Vladimir was the grandson of Saint Olga, who became a Christian at Constantinople. Vladimir's father Svyatoslav divided his kingdom among his three sons. Vladimir, at that time a fierce pagan, was granted the principality of Novgorod. He...

Saint Olaf II was an early King of Norway and Christian martyr. He was born about the year 995 to the royal family of the small kingdom of Vestfold. He grew up participating in fighting expeditions. Around the age of 19, he converted to the Christian...

This 19th century Russian “Academic” icon depicts the Archangel Gabriel. In this icon, Gabriel wears white, the color of purity, and blue, the color of humanity and especially the Virgin Mary. He holds a bouquet of lilies, which are...

According to Church tradition, after the bodily death of Mary the Theotokos, she was buried by the Apostles. But Thomas was delayed, and he desired to look upon her face one last time. When the tomb was opened, her body was gone (for Christ had already...

Saint John (surnamed Mansur, later called Chrysorroas, "the Golden Stream" for his writing) was born in Damascus, Syria, late in the 7th century. (This was soon after the Umayyad dynasty took control of the region from the Eastern Roman Empire.) His...

Saint Polycarp was a disciple of Saint John the Theologian, the apostle and author of the New Testament books of John and Revelation. He was ordained by Saint John as the fifth bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor. He suffered in the persecutions of Marcus...

The Holy Patriarch Abraham is commemorated on Sunday of the Forefathers (2nd Sunday Before Christmas) and October 9.

Saint James was a high-ranking official in the Persian Empire in the early-5th century. He and his wife were secret Christians, and in fear of being discovered, he offered a sacrifice of incense to the Emperor Barakhranes after a victory in battle. He...

Saint Mark of Ephesus entered the monastic life as a young man, and became a devoted student of the hesychast teachings of Saint Gregory Palamas. He became a deacon, and later a priest, and was appointed Metropolitan of Ephesus. He attended the Council...

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,...

The Seven Sleepers were a group of young soldiers who confessed their faith in Christ before the Emperor Decius. They were allowed to go free, and they fled to the caves to hide. As they prayed in preparation for martyrdom, they were discovered by...

This famous image is one of Russia's finest and most ancient treasures. Dating to the 12th century, it survived the Mongol invasion and first appeared in Moscow in the 16th century. Based on the style, scholars believe it may have been painted in...

Saints Peter and Paul are celebrated together as the Holy and Glorious Leaders of the Apostles. Saint Peter was a zealous follower of Christ, and was the first to confess His Divinity. While the Apostle denied Christ after His arrest, the Lord forgave...

The educated St. Philip plays a relatively minor role in the Gospels, but his actions as a disciple while Jesus was alive show his practical nature and logical mind. He is commemorated on November 14. He was close friends with the Apostle Bartholomew,...

This beautiful example of Western iconography is a manuscript illumination from the Book of Kells, a Celtic Gospel book dating to the early 9th century. The Evangelists are represented by their symbolic representations: an angel for Matthew, a lion for...

This icon is a beautiful contemporary Byzantine portrayal of the Old Testament Prophet Zechariah. He is renowned for his visions of coming events, including the coming of the Messiah and the angelic intercessions for God’s people. As such, the...

Saint Aidan was a 7th century Irish missionary to Northumbria in northern England. Centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, its impacts were beginning to fade, and paganism was making a comeback in the British isles. With the support of...

Saint Alexis was a Hungarian-American Greek Catholic priest. After being mistreated by a series of bishops, he converted to Orthodoxy and worked tirelessly to bring other uniate communities into the Orthodox Church. Saint Alexis died in 1909. His feast...