Spiritual Counsels, Volume II: Spiritual Awakening

The Story Behind This Icon:

The icon of the Resurrection, also known as “Christ’s Descent into Hades” and “the Anastasis”, is the icon of Easter, celebrating Jesus’ triumph over death. The icon depicts Jesus Christ descending into Hades and pulling Adam and Eve from the tombs, symbolizing His victory back to the very beginning of mankind. The two golden bars under Jesus’ feet (note that His feet and hands still carry the signs of His crucifixion) are the gates of Hades which He has broken open. On the left of the icon, we see David and Solomon, representing those who died before Jesus’ crucifixion, waiting patiently in Hades for their Messiah. On the right side of the icon, we see Abel as a shepherd, the first person to die as a result of the Fall, as well as Saint John the Baptist. In the darkness below, keys, locks & chains symbolize that He has entered and conquered both death and Hades.

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This icon of The Resurrection is reproduced, with permission, from the authentic icon painted by the monks in the Cell of St. John the Theologian Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou in Mount Athos, Greece. This icon is part of our collection “Icons from Mount Athos”, which features all icons from the Cell of St. John the Theologian.

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This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece.  

All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere. 

Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here. 

The Story Behind This Icon:

The icon of Christ the Bridegroom is one of the most special depictions of Jesus himself. He is illustrated in a state of total humility, with a crown of thorns and a somber look. The name “Bridegroom” itself highlights Christ’s love for the Church, his “Bride”. 

The icon of the Bridegroom is prominent in Holy Week, as it is processed on Palm Sunday Evening and left out until Holy Wednesday. 

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This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece.  

All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere. 

Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here. 

The first Sunday after Easter commemorates the assurance of the Apostle Thomas. After the Resurrection, Christ appeared to His Disciples, yet the Apostle Thomas was not present and later declared to the others: “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and unless I put my hand into the mark on His side, I will not believe”. Christ appeared miraculously a second time, eight days after the Resurrection and asked the Apostle Thomas to touch the wounds on His body. The eighth day has a significant meaning as the number "eight" in Christian theology signifies completion, fullness and a new beginning. The Apostle Thomas verified the wounds and was convinced that the Resurrection was true and real and he exclaimed “My Lord and My God”, confirming the miracle of the Resurrection as credible. Thomas’ absence during Christ’ first appearance was not by chance but part of God’s providence. 

This beautiful icon depicts the Apostle Thomas wanting to see for himself the wounds of Christ’s hands and side. The Greek wording on the icon reads “The Touching of Thomas”, as the icon does not show the doubt of Thomas, but rather his reassurance. 

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This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background consists of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece.

All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere.

Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here.

The Story Behind This Icon:

The oldest and perhaps one of the most treasured icons of all on Mount Athos, Greece is that of the Theotokos of the Akathist.

The original icon is made of beeswax and mastic (an aromatic resin that exudes from the bark of a Mediterranean tree) along with myrrh. On the back side of the original icon, the following is written: “This is the miraculous Icon which Patriarch Sergios held whilst circling the walls of Constantinople and which ridded the city of the barbarian siege and was donated to the Monastery of Dionysiou by Emperor Alexios.”

In the year 626, the Christian Capital of Constantinople was in danger and surrounded by barbarians. The Patriarch Sergius led the faithful around the walls of the City praying and singing for the Theotokos intercession throughout the night; as a result of those prayers, the City was saved. Among the prayers offered were 24 verses of Salutations to the Theotokos, which were then given the name “Akathist” (not sitting) in remembrance of how the faithful had stood in reverence and fervent prayer all night.

Those 24 verses are depicted on the icon with 24 small images/scenes surrounding the Theotokos sitting on a throne, giving a visual expression to the Akathist Hymn. The first letter of each verse of the Akathist Hymn corresponds to the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet, starting from “A” and ending to “Ω”.

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All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere. 

Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here. 

The Story Behind This Icon:

This icon portrays the Annunciation of the Theotokos, a feast which is celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before the Nativity. This feast celebrates the day on which the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to ask her if she wanted to be the mother of God. Mary was selected by God as the most pure woman on the planet, but was not forced to give birth to Christ. She was given the option to decline, but chose to be the mother of God. On that day, the first cells of Christ appeared inside of Mary’s womb, but Mary remained a virgin, as no man ever touched her.

At the very top part of the icon, the half circle is the Kingdom of God with three rays representing the presence of the Holy Spirit directed to the Virgin Mary. The Archangel Gabriel holds a stick which is the symbol of a messenger. His feet are spread to show the movement of running. On the right side of the icon, the Virgin Mary is seated, but elevated, a sign 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”. The movement of her right hand shows that she responds by accepting Gabriel’s message. In her left hand, the Virgin Mary holds a spindle of scarlet yarn, symbolizing the task of preparing the purple and scarlet material to be used in making the veil for the Temple in Jerusalem.  

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This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece.

All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere.

Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here.