Tom Clark

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...

This Byzantine icon of Christ Blessing the Children movingly depicts Christ's love for the 'least of these.' Based on several passages from the Gospels, this icon follows the ancient canons of the...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It...

This contemporary Byzantine icon of the Archangel Michael depicts him in his role as warrior and intercessor for the church. He bears a sword and scroll bearing the Trisagion Prayer, reminding the...

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

Saint Thomas was one of the Twelve Apostles. Also known as Didymus, "the Twin," he left everything to follow Christ. He is remembered for his doubt of the Resurrection, but believed when Jesus...

Originally named Saul, Paul was a Jew and a Pharisee. He was a leader of Christian persecutors, and was responsible for the stoning of Saint Stephen, a deacon and the first Christian martyr. When...

The Holy Apostle Timothy was born to a pagan father and Jewish mother. He became a disciple of the Apostle Paul when he preached in Lystra, and he followed him throughout the time of his preaching...

The Apostle Andrew "the First-Called," was the brother of Saint Peter. He had been a disciple of Saint John the Baptist, but went to follow Christ when Saint John called Him "the Lamb of God,"...

This beautiful icon depicts the Theotokos as the Burning Bush of Moses, who is seen removing his sandals as the account in Exodus describes. In the words of the Akathist Canon, " The great mystery...

Saint Thekla (or Thecla) was born into a pagan noble family just sixteen years after the Ascension. When she was eighteen, against the wishes of her mother and fiancé, she became a disciple of St...

The hodigitria (guide) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. Her hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him. This icon always appears...

  The Apostle James, son of Zebedee, was one of the twelve Apostles and the first to be martyred, by Herod in AD 44. Sometimes he is called "James the Greater" to distinguish him from "James the...

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

This contemporary Byzantine icon of the Archangel Michael depicts him in his role as warrior and intercessor for the church. He holds aloft a flaming sword in his right hand and in his left carries...

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...

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...

The Apostle Philip of the Twelve was a friend of brothers and fellow Apostles Andrew and Peter. When Christ called Philip to be an Apostle, Philip immediately went to Nathanael and proclaimed that...

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...

The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew (also named Levi) was the brother of James Alphaeus. He was a tax collector until he was called by Christ. He was the first to write a Gospel, and he wrote in...

The Apostle and Evangelist John was especially loved by Christ for his love and purity, and with Peter and James, was one of the closest Apostles to Him. He witnessed the Transfiguration and was...

The Apostle Matthias was the 12th Apostle, chosen to replace Judas after he hanged himself. He died a martyr's death.  His feast is celebrated on August 9 by the Orthodox Church, May 14 in the...

The Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus, was the brother of the Apostle Matthew. After Pentecost, he and the Apostle Andrew preached throughout Palestine, healed the sick, and converted many to Christ...

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...

  The Apostle Simon the Zealot is traditionally regarded as the bridegroom at the Wedding of Cana, where Christ performed His first miracle. After witnessing this, he became a zealous follower of...

Saint Raphael was born in Beirut in 1860. He spent the first decades of his life traveling throughout the Middle East and Russia, gaining knowledge and experience as a clergyman. Father Raphael was...