The Visitation of the Theotokos and Saint Elizabeth Icon - F324

After the miraculous conception of Saint John the Baptist by Saint Elizabeth and the Annunciation to the Theotokos of the conception of the Lord Jesus, the two cousins met at Elizabeth's home. When the Theotokos entered Elizabeth's presence, John leapt in his mother's womb with joy to be near the Savior and His Mother.

This important event is commemorated with a feast-day on March 30 in the Orthodox Church, and on July 2 and May 31 in Western Christianity. In our modern times, when human life is devalued especially among the unborn, we as Christians proclaim the truth that the unborn Saint John recognized the unborn Christ, and rejoiced in it. For this reason, the Lord is depicted as blessing Saint John in the womb—for, even as an unborn babe not yet fully formed, the Lord was one of the Holy Trinity: fully God and fully man.

The original of this icon was painted by Roman and Anna, a husband and wife iconography team in Moscow, Russia. Commissioned by Legacy Icons, we offer reproductions with the permission of the iconographers.