Icons

Orthodox icon of Prophetess Anna, Hannah, the mother of Prophet Samuel.

Commemorated December 9.

The Holy Prophetess Hannah dwelt in marriage with Elkanah, but she was childless. Elkanah took to himself another wife, Phennena, who bore him children. Hannah grieved strongly over her misfortune, and every day she prayed for an end to her barrenness, and vowed to dedicate her child to God.

Once, as she prayed fervently in the Temple, the priest Heli thought that she was drunk, and he began to reproach her. But the saint poured out her grief, and after she received a blessing, she returned home. After this Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel (which means “Asked from God”).

When the child reached the age of boyhood, the mother herself presented him to the priest Heli, and Samuel remained with him to serve before the Tabernacle (1 Kings/1 Samuel 2: 1-21).

Orthodox Icon of the Annunciation of Theotokos (1) . Copy of an icon of 14th cent. Ohrid.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Commemorated March 25.  

This icon presents the joy about the announcement of the coming of Christ. It depicts the Archangel Gabriel (left) and the Virgin Mary (right). The Archangel has his feet spread apart showing his joy and urgency of the good news he is bringing. In his left hand is a staff to symbolize that he is a messenger. His right hand is extended in blessing toward Mary as he delivers the message and announces the blessing being bestowed upon her by God. On the right side of the icon the Virgin Mary sits on an elevated seat, indicating that as the Mother of God she is greater in honor than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word.

In her left hand she holds a spindle of scarlet yarn which depicts the task she was assigned of preparing the purple and scarlet material to be used in making the veil for the Temple in Jerusalem. Her right hand is raised in a gesture of acceptance in response to Gabriel's message. Her posture expresses her willing cooperation with God's plan of salvation. Mary's clothing also have the three stars commonly used to show her ever-virginity: before, during, and after the birth of Christ.

At the top of the icon the segment of a circle represents the divine realm, from which three rays emerge. This demonstrates the action of the Holy Spirit coming upon her. This icon marks the crowning of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery before all ages. For the Son of God becomes the son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaims to the ever-virgin Mary:

"Hail, O full of grace, the Lord is with you. Today is the beginning of our salvation, The revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, The Lord is with You! "Troparion for the Fest.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (10). Copy of an icon of 12 cent. Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai.

Commemorated March 25.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (11), by Andrei Rubliev (1410)

Commemorated March 25.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (2), contemporary icon

Commemorated March 25.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy and Ever Virgin Theotokos (3). Copy of a contemporary icon, Greece

Commemorated March 25.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of Theotokos (4). Copy of an icon of 16 cent. by Theophanis the Cretan, Stavronikita Monastery Mount Athos.

Commemorated March 25th.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (5). Copy of a contemporary icon, Greece.

Commemorated March 25. 

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (6). Copy of a contemporary icon, Greece.

Commemorated March 25.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (7), copy of an icon of 14 cent. Mount Athos).

March 25

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (8), contemporary icon.

March 25

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Orthodox icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (9), contemporary icon

Commemorated March 25.

Note: the sizes are not exact.

Byzantine icon of Annunciation (Evangelismos, of the Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

Commemorated March 25.

This beautiful icon is made with the specific technique of silkscreen on real gold foil. This Orthodox icon depicts the Archangel Gabriel (left), and the Virgin Mary (right). Gabriel is shown with his feet apart indicating the joy and urgency of his message. The staff he holds in his hand is to symbolize that he is a messenger of God. He extends his right hand towards Mary as a blessing from God. The virgin Mary stands in an elevated place indicating that she is greater in honor than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word.

She holds in her right hand  spindle of scarlet yarn indicating her task of making the veil for the Temple in Jerusalem. Her raised right hand is an indication of her acceptance of the message brought by Gabriel and her stance shows her willingness to cooperate with God. On her clothing are three stars symbolizing that she was a virgin before , during and after the birth of Christ. At the top we can see a circle which indicated the Divine realm and the descent of the Holy Spirit acting on her. On this feast day we celebrate not only the work of God's plan for our salvation through the Incarnation of Christ, but also the human response of Mary who with voluntary obedience accepted the role God gave her. 

Orthodox icon of the Saints of Antioch.

The Saints are: Daniel Stylites, Symeon Stylites, Isaak, Ephraim, Joseph, John, Romanos, Artemios, Meletion, Ignatios, John Raphael and Julian