Doorway from Heaven and Windows into Heaven: Saints, Icons, and Mary

Christ Pantocrator – “Christ the Almighty”“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” – Col. 1:15 NIV

“Don’t you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘show us the Father?’” – John 14:9 NIV

“For my eyes have seen your salvation.” – Luke 2:30 NIV

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.” – 1 John 1:1 NIV

Man Created in God’s Image“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” – Genesis 1:26 NIV

“When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.” – Genesis 5:3 NIV

“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.” – Genesis 9:6 NIV

Christ is Two Natures in One PersonChrist is the Divine Hypostasis , the Logos, being the second Person of the Holy Trinity. He as the Person of the Son is the image of the invisible Father, and He also has full humanity which was created in the image of God.

Christ as incarnate is both the Alpha in His divinity and the Omega in His ascended humanity. There is a perfect synergy between the two natures in His Person.

Details: Notice Christ in this icon – He is wrapped in burial wraps and his bed is a tomb. Also, He is born in a cave, and He will be laid in a cave. Some elements of this icon are borrowed from the Protoevangelium of James.

The Synergy of God and Man is Shown in other Persons“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – 2 Cor. 3:18 NIV

“ I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – John 15:5-8 NIV

Saints are Examples, Teachers, and Intercessors for usJust as in the Old Testament, the name of someone or something “gave power” to those who knew it, so to the name given to us in Baptism also gives us spiritual fathers./mothers. While we are baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are often given names of saints. These names in Orthodoxy have meaning to them or their parents and are meant to be an example for the new Christians in their life. We learn from them and ask for their prayers to Christ the One Mediator between God and man. They are our friends who are alive in Christ.

Sometimes our names are given to us by our parents.

“O Christopher, robed in the purple of your martyrdom, You came before the Lord of heaven; Therefore with the choirs of angels, You now sing the Thrice-Holy Hymn. Intercede for the salvation of those who honor you.” – Troparion for Martyr Christopher of Lycia

Sometimes Saints Teach us Not Just as Moral ExamplesAt other times, saints’ names are taken because they have an important teaching or writings with which to instruct us in our Christian life. As a theologian, and with the name Christopher, it only made sense I chose a saint at my Chrismation/Confirmation whose Christology and ascetical writings I place myself under, and whose title of “confessor” was earned by his conviction of who Christ was.

“Champion of Orthodoxy, teacher of purity and of true worship, enlightener of the universe and adornment of hierarchs: all-wise father Maximus, your teachings have gleamed with light upon all things. Intercede before Christ God to save our souls” – Troparion for St. Maximus the Confessor

The Highest Saint – the TheotokosTheotokos Hodigitria – the Mother of God, the Way Shower

The Dormition of the Theotokos – The Mother’s Soul is held by Her Son and God

Prayers and Hymns to the Theotokos“Most Holy Theotokos, save us.”

“O Victorious Leader of Triumphant Hosts! We thy servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to thee, O Theotokos! As thou possessest invincible might, set us free from every calamity so that we may sing: Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride! “ – Kontakion to the Mother of God

“Forasmuch as thou art a well-spring of tenderness, O Theotokos, make us worthy of compassion; Look upon a sinful people; Manifest thy power as ever, for hoping on thee as we cry aloud unto thee: Hail! As once did Gabriel, Chief Captain of the Bodiless Powers.” – Prayer before the icon of the Theotokos

Mary is the Virgin Mother of GodMary gave birth to the Person of the Logos and He took flesh from her, having come from a virgin womb as Adam was made from virgin soil (Irenaeus reference).

“All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace: the assembly of angels and the human race. You are a sanctified temple and a spiritual paradise, the glory from whom God was incarnate and became a child; our God, existing before all ages. He made your womb a throne, and your body more spacious than the heavens. All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace. Glory to you.” – Hymn to the Theotokos, Liturgy of St. Basil

“But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” – Luke 1:43 NIV

Major Marian DoctrinesMary is seen as the new Ark, for she contained in her womb He who gave the Law, was its fulfillment, the bud of Aaron’s staff, and the Mana from Heaven.

“The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles.” – 1 Kings 8:7 NIV

“The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” – Luke 1:35 NIV

The overshadowing is represented by the color of divinity (red) covering her blue from the waters of creation. This is the exact opposite of her Son’s inner red with blue garment outside. She is overshadowed with divinity, he is tabernacled in the flesh.

Mary is the Ever VirginMary was a virgin before, during, and after Christ’s birth.

“Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. The LORD said to me, ‘This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.’” – Ezek. 44:1-3 NIV

The 3 stars; one on each shoulder and one on her head show this in icons.

Mary is “Our Lady,” the New Eve, and the Mother of the ChurchShe is the Queen Mother, and it makes sense, since Christ is the King of Israel, and the one greater than Solomon, so too should she who is His mother be greater than Bathsheba. As Elizabeth said, she is “the mother of my Lord.”

Just as Christ repairs Adam’s will by assenting to the will of God in Gethsemane (Luke 22:42), and she consents to God’s will that Christ be her child (Luke 1:38), even though “His death was a sword that pierced her heart as well” (Luke 2:35).

“Do not lament Me, O Mother, seeing Me in the tomb, the Son conceived in the womb without seed; for I shall arise, and be glorified; and, as God, I shall unceasingly exalt all who extol Thee in faith and in love.” - 9th ode Matins of Holy Saturday

Mary Mourns Her Son and Leads the Myrrh Bearers – A Sword Shall Pierce Your Heart

The ultimate Jewish tragedy – a male in his 30s dies without a family of His own at the hands of His enemies and abandoned/betrayed by His

friends, with His mother and female friends left to mourn.

By Virtue of Christ’s Sinless Death…Christ calls us to take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Him. He goes to Jerusalem, to Calvary, to die willingly as the sacrifice that gives an answer from the Father.

Christ’s death was the death that spoke a greater word than the blood of righteous Abel. It released the Spirit and raised the Dead. So too, in our baptism, we have been united with Christ’s death and resurrection. We live with the wedding garment having been rescued from death and sin and made alive to Christ Jesus.

Saints are those who have run the race set before them. In repentance we have faith working in love for God and our neighbor. We deny our sin and seek to take all our thoughts captive to Christ in repentance (metanoia).

…He was Raised for Our JustificationBecause we died a death like His in baptism, at the end of the race is a resurrection like His…one to life and to the inheritance prepared by the Father for us before the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34).

“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.” – Troparion of the Resurrection

Icon: Christ raises up Adam and Eve in the “bloodstained garments of victory” with their coffin lids in the shape of the cross. To His right is St. John the Forerunner proclaiming Him even in Hades to David and Solomon, while on His left is Abel and other OT saints. Under Him often is portrayed an old man (death) or Satan the enemy of humanity.

Icon Details: Holy TrinityThis icon is already an interpretation from the icon “the Hospitality of Abraham.” Abraham and Sarah are removed with the three visitors, the one in the middle is the pre-incarnate Christ with two other angels flanking Him representing the Father and Holy Spirit. Notice Christ’s garments…red for divinity because His hypostasis is divine, and the blue for the waters of creation as He took on flesh. The other two angels are forming a cup from the way they are facing, with Christ in the midst. This icon is inherently Eucharistic, emphasizing the flesh and blood of Christ as the ultimate expression of God’s love for us, but also for our way to have the life of the Holy Trinity.

Parables – Christ is the Point

More Parables!!!

“I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; No One Comes to the Father but Through Me”