My first experience of writing an icon was about ten years ago. I had a very busy year and decided to take a week off and attend an icon workshop that was recommended by several Carmelite priests and the Regional Coordinator at the time.
It was quite the adventure and I enjoyed every moment, as I stepped into a whole new world. A world that deepened my awareness of all around me, such as, a fresh understanding of colors, the symmetry in nature and re-entering the room of self-knowledge, allowing me to ponder anew.
“I am in God, and God is in me. I feel that all creatures,
the trees, the flowers belong to God and also to me.
I no longer have a will, it belongs to God.
And all that is God´s is mine.”
St. Mariam of Jesus Crucified, O.C.D. (1846-1878)
Through the experience of writing the icon, I found myself reflecting on our Carmelite charism,
Prayer – I discovered that writing an icon from concept to completion is an experience of prayer and the journey continues as one meditates on the finished icon.
Community – I came to realise the connectedness of all humanity in space and in time – past, present and future. The ripple effect of each person’s influence on another.
Service – Through the act of creating and forming an image, the icon becomes a service that others, when venerating the icon, draw deeper into the presence of God.
I have divided this article into three sections:
- A brief background on Icons.
For those who are unfamiliar with icons, this brief background will give an appreciation of iconography. - The meaning of the icon, ‘The Genesis of Christ’.
Icons tell a story and this section will enhance the understanding of the icon. - ‘Extracts from my journal’.
A simple reflection of each day’s journey.
A Brief Background on Icons
The word icon comes from the Greek ‘eikón’, which means image or likeness. We read in Colossians 1.15, ‘[Christ] is the image of the invisible God’. In Greek, ‘[O Christós] eínai i eikóna tou aóratou Theoú’.
Traditionally icons were written using natural materials, on a gessoed wooden board. The boards were made of linden, fir or pine. To write the icon, egg tempera was used, a mixture of natural pigments from minerals and plants with egg yolk. Today, egg tempera is still widely used, though acrylic paints are a popular alternative.
The first icon is attributed to St. Luke, Salus Populi Romani – Salvation of the Roman People. It arrived in Rome in 590 C.E. and is located in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, Italy.
Tradition says, in the 12th century, the icon, known as. ‘La Bruna, or ‘The Brown Lady’, or ‘The Virgin of Tenderness’ was with the hermits on Mount Carmel. During the 13th century when the hermits were fleeing Mount Carmel from the persecutions by the Muslim invaders, they settled in Naples, Italy. The image remains in the Basilica Sanctuary of Carmine Maggiore, Naples.
Iconographers often use the expression, ‘to write’ an icon. One explanation is that an icon is considered to be the visual form of Scripture. It is a combination of several disciplines, including:
- A prayer is recited before writing the icon and includes prayers for all those who will come to venerate it. The act of writing an icon is a prayer itself. Once written, one can enter into the mystery of the image in meditation.
- Spiritual narratives. Reflecting on Scripture pertaining to the icon or the story of the image written, the iconographer’s mind is filled with sacred thoughts. The beauty of the image is formed, in the light of the Holy Spirit working through the hands of the iconographer.
- Sacred geometry. Acknowledging God as the Creator of Heaven and Earth, we see around us the mathematical principles in nature, the hexagonal cells of a honeycomb, or the golden ratio of the Ammonite shell. Sacred geometry is used when creating icons, reflecting centredness, balance, and harmony.
‘The Genesis of Christ’ Icon
Made by the hands of Lourdes Crabtree, T.O.Carm
“The whole earth is a living icon of the face of God.”
St. John Damascene
“In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
Luke 2.1-7
History
The icon of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is originally from the 15th century and attributed to Saint Andrei Rublev, a Russian monk. It depicts the Creator of Heaven and Earth entering into time as a newborn baby. There are several versions of this image with varying degrees of detail.
The Light and Rays
At the very top of the icon is a blue oval, known as a mandorla, from the Latin, ‘almond’. The inner part of the mandorla has seven rays, a number symbolising completeness (Genesis 2.2), perfection (the seven words of Christ spoken on the Cross), and Divine Order (Revelation – seven churches, seals, trumpets and bowls revealing God’s plan).
The three rays from the Heavens, represents the Holy Trinity, the middle beam points to the second person in the Trinity, Christ, our Lord, who enters in time, in human form.
The Christ Child
At the center of the icon is the baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes that are similar to a burial shroud. Jesus’ manger is depicted as a coffin, drawing us to His Redeeming Love.
“Cave, manger, swaddling clothes – are indications of the kenosis [or “self-emptying”] of the Godhead, His abasement, the utter humility of Him who, invisible in His nature, becomes visible in the flesh for man’s sake, is born in a cave, is wrapped in swaddling clothes, thus foreshadowing His death and burial, the sepulcher and the burial clothes.” (Ouspensky & Lossky, ‘The Meaning of Icons’)
The Virgin Mary
The Virgin Mary, Theotokos, the God-bearer or the Mother of God is beside her son gently and tenderly kissing Him. Mary is sitting on a long cushion, that some interpret as a chrysalis.
The Mother of God is wearing a blue inner garment, representing heavenly majesty. The garment covers Mary’s feet and is a symbol of her overall dignity and humility as the Theotokos, an important part of the divine plan of salvation. Her red outer garment represents her humanity; the created one. Though fully human, Mary was chosen by the Holy Spirit to give birth to the Son of God.
The stars on Our Lady’s outer garment represent the three persons in the Trinity. The top represents God, the Father. The star on her left shoulder represents the Holy Spirit. On Mary’s right shoulder is the baby Jesus, where the star would be positioned. In the Eastern Orthodox Rite, the sign of the cross is from above to below, and from right to left.
Another explanation of the stars is that they symbolise Mary’s virginity of ‘Antepartum, Intrapartum, and Postpartum’. Mary remains a virgin before, during and after giving birth.
The Cave
The cave in which Christ is born is a metaphor of strength, refuge, and salvation (Psalm 18.2). The color black inside the cave expresses the abyss of eternity.
The cave also reflects the mystery of the hidden chambers within our hearts. On the night of Christ’s birth, our Lord seeks a dwelling place deep within our hearts.
The Ox and Donkey
The ox, peering into the manger, is a symbol of strength, service and sacrifice, ‘abundant crops come by the strength of the ox’ (Proverbs 14.4b)
The donkey symbolises humility, peace and service, ‘… When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam …’ (Numbers 22.27). For the full version, please read Numbers 22.21-33.
Also, in scripture we read, ‘The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its Master’s crib; but Israel does not know; my people do not understand.’ (Isaiah 1.3)
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph sits pondering the meaning of this experience. In some icons, the devil stands beside him dressed as an old man, casting doubts in his mind.
Joseph’s blue inner garment represents a deep spiritual sensitivity and his purple outer garment symbolizes his connection with royalty, as a descendant of the House of David.
Highlights
The highlights in an icon, artistically, brings light out of the darkness of the base colors. A first highlight reveals the basic shape of the image. The second highlight follows a direction or flow of energy, for example the folds of a garment. The third highlight emphasises the gesture and movement of the figure.
In iconography, the first highlight represents a Natural light, bringing order to the chaos. The second highlight, Anthropos, represents the light of human intellect and culture. The third highlight represent Theocosm, the spiritual or angelic light.
The Title
The words on the icon in Greek. “Ή ΓЀNNHCIϚ” means, The Genesis or The Birth.
The Kontakion hymn from the Byzantine Liturgical Tradition, is chanted at ‘The Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus’,
“Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One,
and the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One!
Angels, with shepherds, glorify Him!
The Wise-men journey with the Star!
Since for our sake the Eternal God is born as a little child.”
In the Eastern Rite, an icon is seen as, ‘A window into Heaven’. The mysteries of our faith are veiled, and icons are a tool for prayer, lifting the veil between Heaven and Earth, allowing us to see the face of God.
The experience of writing an icon is a microcosm of the mystery of iconography and of the spiritual life. Once the image has been created, one needs only to enter into the mystery through various methods of prayer, such as, simply gazing into the image or following a more structured approach, such as Visio Divina or a combination of both, Lectio and Visio Divina. One can read from Scripture or a prayer associated with the icon and reflect on how the prayer is revealed in the image and how the image reveals the prayer, unlocking the mystery of the kingdom Heaven in the depths of one’s heart.
As you reflect on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, may you come to know and share the Joy of Christmas.
To God be Glory and Praise Forever.
Die Karmeliten der Provinz vom Reinsten Herzen Mariens leben in der Treue zu Jesus Christus in einer prophetischen und kontemplativen Haltung des Gebets, des gemeinsamen Lebens und des Dienstes. Inspiriert von Elia und Maria und informiert durch die Karmelitenregel, geben wir Zeugnis von einer achthundert Jahre alten Tradition der geistlichen Transformation in den Vereinigten Staaten, Kanada, Peru, Mexiko, El Salvador und Honduras.
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