Column: Way of the Icon
These past weeks, you have had occasion to look at this particular Iconic Image of Christ, which I am guessing you probably have not seen before.
I chose this Icon with the hope of it being an occasion of beauty as well as grace for you as you journeyed through Lent anew.
To see an image of this Christ is to see God with both the halo of divinity and with all of the fraility of humanity as well.
This iconic image bears both the reminders of the brutal way of ascent to Calvary and the tender and compassionate Veronica who wiped the bloodied and grateful face of Christ with her veil on HIS way to the Cross.
This Icon manifests both the Divine nature of Christ with the Halo and the Human nature of Christ as He imprinted his visage on Veronica’s White veil of compassion.
I hope that you have found the beauty of His face an inspiration for you as you make your way to Calvary and Easter as well.
Recall the words of St. John of Kronstadt:
You gaze upon the icon of the Saviour and see that he looks at you from it with brightest eyes:
This look is the image of how He actually looks upon you with His eyes, that are brighter than the sun, and sees all your thoughts, hears all your heartfelt distress and sighs.
The image is an image, and represents in lines and signs that which cannot be delineated, cannot be given in signs, and can be comprehended by faith alone.
Believe, then, that Saviour always protects you and sees each one of you—with all your thoughts, sorrows and sighing, in all your circumstances, as upon the palm of the hand…
Therefore pray before the icon of the Saviour as before Himself.
The Lover of man is present in it by His grace, and with the eyes depicted in it really looks at you… while with his ears as represented on the icon, He hears you.
But remember that his eyes are the eyes of God, and his ears are the ears of the omnipresent God.
—St. John of Kronsta
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Matthia Langone, D. Min., is a Vancouver-based artist and iconographer whose work has been exhibited in Canada, Rome, Portugal, and in private collections. She also serves... MORE »
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