Icons

The Feast of Orthodoxy (also known 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...

In icons of the "Sign" type, the Theotokos directly faces the viewer with her hands raised in the orans (prayer) position. This is the moment of her conception of Christ at the Annunciation, as He...

This stunning and unique Russian icon depicts the Archangel Michael in his role as chief of the bodiless powers of heaven. Painted in a traditional style in the early 19th century, it includes...

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...

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 b

This stunning Hagia Sophia mosaic from the church's apse overshadowed the altar when it was a church. Completed in the 9th century, the deep blue of the Theotokos' robe contrasts beautifully with...

Father Roman Braga was born in 1922 in a small village in central Moldova. His mother was a devout Orthodox Christian, and she raised him in a religious environment centered around the monastery of...

Our Lord is depicted at His trial, stripped of His clothes and beaten, hands tied, wearing the crown of thorns and holding the reed in His hand. This icon is also known as "Extreme Humility." This...

Saint John Chrysostom (which means "Golden-Mouthed," after h

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...

Saints Cyril and Methodius were 9th-century Greek brothers born in Thessalonica in Macedonia, in the Byzantine Empire. They dedicated their lives to the evangelism of the Russian peoples, and they...

The original icon of the Theotokos the "Multiplier of Wheat" was painted in the 19th century at the blessing of St. Ambrose of Optina. He established October 15 as a day of celebration and prayer for...

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...

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...

Saint Simeon was the old man who received the infant Christ when he was presented at the Temple for Mary's purification on the 40th day of his birth, as described in Luke 2:22-40. He offered the...

This detail from the famous Hagia Sophia mosaic features Saint John the Baptist in a Deesis (Supplication) pose. The mosaic was completed in the 13th century. The Hagia Sophia iconography is some...

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...

This historic Russian icon depicts the three Marys–Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas, and Mary the Theotokos–renowned for their worship of and service to Christ after His death. The Gospel ell us that...

Together with Saint Paul, Saint Peter was a chief of the Apostles and the first bishop of Antioch and of Rome. Originally a fisherman, Peter was called by Christ and witnessed his Transfigurati

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...

Saint Justinian the Great reigned as Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, tens of thousands of pagans were baptized into Christ and the pagan schools of Athens were closed. Some...

This is an original and unique icon from Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral. It depicts Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, the founding cleric of the Cathedral community in 1895, and Saint Tikhon...

This historic icon of the Temptation of Christ movingly depicts Christ's three temptations in a panoramic scene.    Painted by an anonymous iconographer, the original icon resides in the ancient...

This icon features the Theotokos enthroned, wearing the royal regalia of the Queen Mother. She holds a scepter and orb, symbols of authority. The Lord Jesus blesses the orb, a symbol of the world...

One of the most popular and beloved Christian Orthodox Icons from the most ancient times is the Orthodox icon of the Good Shepherd. As you look at Christ beautifully holding a sheep on his shoulder...

Saint Ambrose was born in Gaul about the year 340, and served as a member of the Roman Senate. In those days, the bishop of Milan was a follower of the heretic Arius. When the bishop died and the...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts the renowned Russian St. Juliana of Lazarevo (and Murom). Faithful as a spouse, mother, and daughter of the Church, she cared for the needs of her family and...

This beautiful is from the Monastery of St. Nicholas, one of the clifftop monasteries in Meteora, Greece. It depicts the scene from Genesis 2:19-20, where Adam the first-formed man named the...

Celebrated on January 6th, the Feast of Theophany (from the Greek Theophaneia, "manifestation of God") commemorates the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Within the Orthodox...

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,...

This beautiful mosaic icon of the Crucifixion of Christ captures the humility and glory of the culmination of Holy Friday. The original is from the Basilica San Clemente in Rome and was constructed...

This beautiful historical icon of Righteous Noah depicts him holding the ark that he constructed based on God’s instructions.  This historic icon from the Holy Mountain, Mt. Athos, captures the...

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 is known for being a physician. He became a disciple of St...

Saint Spyridon was from Cyprus, and he worked as a shepherd. After the death of his wife, he was appointed Bishop of Trimythus, and he attended the First Ecumenical Council. There he refuted the...

Saint (Elder) Paisios was an Athonite monk, spiritual father, founder of monasteries, and prolific writer of many works that have been translated and read throughout the world. He reposed in 1994...

The Elder Simeon the Stylite was born in Cappadocia in the lat 4th century. The son of Christian parents, he was obedient and a dedicated worker. While still a boy, he was struck by the singing of...

One of the first who Jesus called to be Apostles, St. Andrew was the brother of St. Peter and a fisherman by trade. He and Peter were fishing in the sea of Galilee when Jesus called them to become...

This exquisite set of two Russian Old Believer style icons portrays the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) and the infant Christ in one and Jesus Christ in His glorified state in the second. The vivid...

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of the Exaltation of the Cross. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire us in our faith...

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...