Icons

Saint Brendan was born in the year 484 AD in County Kerry, Ireland. He was educated in the monastery school at Tuam. When he was 26, he was ordained a priest and undertook several missionary...

Saint Seraphim is one of the Orthodox Church's most beloved holy elders. He was born in western Russia in 1754. According to tradition, he was sickly as a child but was healed through the Kursk Root...

Eight days after the Resurrection, we celebrate the "excellent unbelief of Thomas," in the words of one Vesperal hymn for the feast. His doubting and unbelief led the Lord to offer proof, which...

This incredible icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai is a depiction of the Theotokos as the "flower of Jesse's Tree". The Prophets are seen among the branches growing from Jesse,...

The Prophet Jonah (or Jonas) lived in the 8th century before Christ. He prophesied to the Israelites and the Ninevites, calling all to repentance. He also foretold of the coming Messiah. Jonah was...

Saint Brigit (also spelled Brigid or Bridget) was an Irish abbess of the convent of Kildare-Kil Dara, which means Cell of the Oak. She was well-known for her generosity and kindness, and for 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...

Saint Katherine (also spelled Catherine) is celebrated as a Great Martyr of the Orthodox Church. She suffered greatly for her faith in Christ in the year 305 at the hands of Maximinus of Alexandria...

The Good Thief was one of the two criminals who was crucified with Jesus. One of the thieves joined the Roman soldiers in mocking Christ and demanding to be saved, while this one said, "Remember me...

This historic Greek icon depicts the beloved Apostle John the Theologian exiled on the island of Patmos. Receiving the vision of the Apocalypse and attended by an angel, he dictates his Revelation...

Saint Gregory was born in 1296 and raised in the imperial court of Constantinople, where he excelled in both religious and secular knowledge. He later departed to Mount Athos and labored in the...

The parable of the Prodigal Son as recorded by the Apostle Luke figures as a crucial illustration for the Christian concepts of sin, repentance, and forgiveness. In this beautifully painted icon,...

Among the saints of Ireland, Brigid of Kildare is one of three patrons to the country- the other two being Columba and Patrick. In this beautifully done icon by Vladmir Grygorenko, St. Brigid holds...

John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and minister of Jesus. He and his brother James were both fishermen and both called by Jesus at the same time and...

Samuel’s prophecies were a driving force in the era after the Israelites had settled in one land. His conception and birth, after his then-barren mother Hannah offered her sorrow to God and asked...

The Apostle and Evangelist Mark (also called John Mark) is the author of the Gospel of Mark. According to Church tradition, he was the young man who was seized by soldiers in the Garden of...

This beautiful example of early Christian iconography (2nd or 3rd century) is from the Roman catacombs. It depicts our Lord Jesus as the Sower from the parable in Matthew 23, Mark 4, and Lu

This icon is a beautiful contemporary Byzantine portrayal of the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel. Renowned for his visions of the angelic hosts and the New Jerusalem, his message of God’s salvation...

Also known as Parasceva the New, Parascheva of Moldova, or Petka of Serbia, this 11th century ascetic is one of the most beloved saints of the Balkans. Her relics are enshrined in Iasi, Romania,...

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...

This beautiful contemporary Byzantine icon depicts St. Tatiana of Rome. Living under the pagan Roman emperor Severus in the 3rd century, Tatiana was from a wealthy family who had secretly converted...

The eleusa (tenderness) genre of icons has Christ embracing His Mother tenderly in a gesture of love. Her hand points to her Son in a gesture of humility and deference to Him as God. This icon's...

This beautiful icon was painted in Constantinople in the mid-to-late 13th century. As in the famous Theotokos of Vladimir icon, the Theotokos here has a very soft face with a tender expression,...

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...

In the Blessed Silence icon, Christ appears in the form of an angel. The depiction is closely associated with the Nativity (Christmas), after the prophecy of Isaiah: "For a child is born to us, and...

This icon features the traditional Orthodox patron saints of animals and livestock: Archangel Michael Martyrs Florus and Laurus Saint Blaise of Sebaste Saint Modestus of Jerusalem Icon of the...

Elijah (or in Greek, Elias) lived under the rule of Ahab, “who did evil before the Lord, more than all who were before him” (3 Kgd. 16:38). Through Elijah, God gave the world a voice of justice in...

Saint Cassiani was a nun and eminent poet who lived in the 9th century. She established a convent in Constantinople, and excelled as a theologian and musician, composing hymns for her nuns.  Dozens...

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,...

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...

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...

These martyrs were Roman soldiers who were rounded up in the year 320 for being Christians. They were condemned to death and were left naked on a frozen lake in winter. The guards prepared hot...

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...

The Archangel Uriel, whose name in Hebrew means Fire of God or Light of God, is one of the eight traditional Archangels. He holds a flame of fire, referring to his name. This icon is part of a...

This Legacy Learning Icon Card features the icon of the Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple. The description on the back explains the meaning of the icon and the feast, and how it may inspire...

This icon depicts scenes from the life of Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist. In the first panel, John's father Zachariah the High Priest receives the word of an angel that he would have a son,...

Moses was a prophet, transcriber of Holy Law, and mediator between God and man. Through Moses, God made Himself known to the people of Israel. In his obedience to God and his communication of the...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts the Archangel Gabriel in shining white and red. He bears a scepter, denoting the authority delegated to him by the Lord of Hosts. As a member of one of the...

This historic Russian icon depicts Michael the Archangel, captain of the bodiless powers of heaven. Robed in vivid crimson and blue, his traditional colors, he bears a rod in his left hand noting...

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...