Sacred Art & Scripture

for reflection & prayer

Scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist

Bartolommeo di Giovanni

Basilica of San Frediano Lucca Italy

The Conversion on the Way to Damascus

Caravaggio

Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness

Juan de Flandes

Introduction into Icons

Written by John Menghini

Recently, we have installed three beautiful icons in our Adoration Chapel. The first icon, which was hung December 2022, is of the “Crucifixion of the Lord.” The second icon, “The Resurrection” was hung in April 2023. Our most recent icon, “Ascension of Our Lord” was hung in October 2023. All three icons were created by an iconographer from Coronado, California by the name of Maidie Weisbarth.

An Icon is a religious “work of art”, most commonly a painting (known as a “writing”) on a wooden board or “block”. Its most ancient origins are found in the Eastern Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and Catholic Churches. The earliest record of Christian Icons goes back to the 4th Century. Icons are considered an essential tool of Church teaching and are given special liturgical significance. They serve as mediums of instruction for the faithful, designed to communicate theological truths that Holy Scripture reveals in words. Icons were effectively used for Christian instruction throughout history; particularly before the Bible became widely available in the 16th century.

Unlike other forms of religious art that can be prayerful, iconography adheres to a somewhat regulated and intentional process. From start to finish, the creation of an icon is an exercise in prayer and contemplation. There are clear guidelines related to how God the Father, Son and Spirit may be depicted in order that each icon may be properly utilized in prayer. The image doesn’t change just as the words in scripture don’t change. In a powerful sense, icons are intended to serve as a “window into heaven”. They illumine the mind and inspire the heart through the visual expression of God’s divine word.

Icons are typically painted on wood. The wood serves as a reminder of the Tree of Knowledge and life before the fall.
The wood is wrapped in linen. The linen is symbolic of the burial cloth of Jesus.
The artist prays and prepares the “wooden block” that he/she may “write” God’s holy word in conformity with sacred scripture.
Clay and glue (gesso) are applied over the linen and used as a base for the pigments and to remind us of the creation account in which Adam was formed from the clay of the earth.
Icons are typically embellished with gold gilt to emphasize the light of Christ.

Highly symbolic and full of meaning, religious icons become vehicles for profound meditation and prayer for all who look upon them with the eyes of faith. “This seeing” is not restricted to our sense of sight but rather directed to our “eyes of faith” and our contemplative vision. You have heard it said, “that a picture is worth a thousand words;” never is this more true than when gazing on a holy icon.

Unlike other forms of religious art that might demonstrate an artist’s talent or skill, icons are never meant to be a reflection on the artist, but only a reflection on God Himself and His holy word. Icons are never signed by the artist as that might divert one’s attention away from the sacred.

Please come and pray before the Blessed Sacrament and see how reflecting on these icons might enhance your prayer and contemplation.

The Icon of The Resurrection

Written by John Menghini

Today we turn our attention and contemplation to the icon of Christ’s resurrection; oftentimes this icon is referred to as “Christ’s Descent into Hades.” Keep in mind that icons are not meant to be artistic representations but rather they “speak” to us through our eyes of faith by recounting sacred scripture.

Jesus is the center and primary focus of this icon and hence is more prominent in size than the surrounding figures. This dichotomy is designed to show the obvious difference between God and man. Jesus is surrounded by a series of concentric blue circles known as the “Mandala.” The Mandala is symbolic of the Infinite and Divine Mystery from which all creation comes with Christ as the center, radiating light by which all can become one through Him.

The white garment worn by Jesus is shown in movement and illustrates the upward movement as Christ rises from the abyss. Jesus is grasping Adam and Eve by their wrists and lifting them up, freeing them from the confines of Hades (death). Note here, that they are not holding on to God but God is holding on to them. This illustrates clearly that mankind does not save itself but is saved by Christ. The dark chasm of sin and death is straddled by Christ’s feet which are shown standing on two wooden planks; these wooden planks or “bars” are representative of the gates of hell, which Christ has smashed to free its captors. The royally crowned David and Salomon, the ancient Jewish Kings, stand at Christ’s right hand. On His left hand stand John the Baptist and the prophetess Deborah; considered the greatest of the 7 woman prophets.

The overall “statement” of this beautiful icon is victory; Christ’s victory over sin and death and in His rising from the dead. Let us look upon this icon with wonder and recall the words in Holy Scripture that recount this scene:

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”

The Icon of the Crucifixion of the Lord

Written by John Menghini

We invite you to come to the Adoration Chapel and spend some time in prayer and contemplation with our new icon of the crucifixion. Your contemplation may well be intensified by observing some of the mystical symbols and reflecting on their scriptural meaning. Listen closely because icons “speak” to us through the scriptures and they have much to “say.” Remember, icons are not primarily works of art but rather visual expressions of divine truth.

In this holy icon we see the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus is flanked by His mother Mary and His beloved apostle, John. We can see and feel the pain on their faces and we notice that our Blessed Mother holds one hand to her chest signifying her distress but still points us with her right hand towards her Son. Clearly, Jesus is already dead and we can see the blood and water flowing from His side and down the cross from His hands and feet.

Beneath the cross, we can see that the earth has been cleaved apart from the earthquake that struck at the moment of Christ’s death. We can also see that a skull is clearly visible and represents the skull of Adam. Remember, Jesus was crucified on “Golgotha” which means “Skull Hill”. Golgotha was held in ancient tradition as the burial place of Adam and it was thought that Jesus was hung upon the cross directly above Adam’s grave. The sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross opened up the graves of the just and allowed them entry into the heavenly kingdom.

Behind the cross we see the city walls and the gates of the Holy City Jerusalem; this reminds us that Jesus was crucified outside the gate and in strict conformity with the Passover sacrifice and underscores that the lamb was always sacrificed outside the walls of the city.

In an apparent paradox, Christ, while dead, still has a bright halo around his head; a sign that he is both human (dead) and divine (eternally alive). This powerful truth is reiterated by the Greek letters IC and XC carved into the arms of the cross, which symbolize Jesus as man and also as Christ divine.

We are reminded of the words of Pope Saint Leo the Great who while gazing upon an icon of the crucifixion in the 4th century wrote: “Supreme Ruler and Lord of Heaven and earth, seeing Thee, the Immortal King, hanging on the Cross, all creation was changed, Heaven was horrified, and the foundations of the earth were shaken. But we, unworthy as we are, offer Thee thankful adoration for Thy Passion on our behalf, and with the robber we cry to Thee: Jesus, Son of God, remember us when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!”

The Icon of the Ascension of Our Lord

Written by John Menghini

Please stop by the Adoration Chapel and see the most recent addition to our collection of Holy Icons. This long awaited icon, “written” by the iconographer Maidie Weisbarth, is of “The Lord’s Ascension into Heaven” and is naturally of great significance to our Ascension parish community.

Christ ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after His Resurrection. By His ascension in the Body, Christ raised our corrupted human nature and glorified it.

The Acts of the Apostles, written by the Apostle Luke, starts with an account of Christ’s Ascension:

“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen: to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1: 1-3).

We know from the account in the Acts of the Apostles that Christ ascended from the Mount of Olives. In this icon, the mountain is represented by the rocks and the stylized olive trees which appear to sway and point towards Christ.

Christ is shown blessing the apostles with His right hand. We hear in the Gospel: ‘He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven’ (Luke: 24:51). In His left hand He holds a scroll which is a symbol of His teaching and of His divine word.

The concentric circles that surround Christ are called a “mandorla” in iconography. A mandorla portrays Christ’s glory, and in this icon also signifies the highest heavens to which Christ is ascending. Two angels are shown supporting the mandorla.

The Blessed Mother stands directly underneath Christ, in the centre of the foreground. She does not look up, but looks intently toward us. In contrast to the apostles who seem a bit unsettled, Mary appears still and peaceful. She, unlike the apostles, has a halo around her head signifying that while the apostles waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, she had been chosen by God and was already overshadowed by the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:35). In this icon she stretches out her arms in prayer signifying the prayers of the Church and inviting us to join her in her prayers of adoration for her ascending Son.

Two angels stand on either side of the Blessed Mother. They point to Christ illustrating the account of the Ascension in the Acts of the Apostles: ‘Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, Who is taken up from you into heaven shall come again in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven’ (Acts 1:11). The Ascension icon therefore foretells the Second Coming of Christ. The Mother of God and the Apostles are an image of the Church waiting for the Second Coming.

The apostles are arranged either side of our Blessed Mother — six on the right and six on the left. St. Paul is on her left, and St. Peter on her right.

Christ ascended before St. Paul converted to Christianity, but he is depicted for an important theological reason. The Virgin Mary and the apostles in the foreground represent the Church awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended not only on the apostles present, but also established the whole Church from among the nations of the world. St. Paul’s presence signifies the completeness of the Church. He is also included for another important reason. Just before the Ascension, Christ commanded His apostles to ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15). St. Paul, by His preaching of the Gospel brought countless people to the Faith which is why He is called God’s chosen vessel and the Chief of the Apostles, along with St. Peter.

The Icon of the Nativity of Baby Jesus

Written by John Menghini

Please stop by the Adoration Chapel and see the newest icon recounting the life of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our new icon is of the nativity of the baby Jesus and completes the set of icons that recount the life of Christ from His birth, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His Ascension into Heaven.

The Nativity icon tells the story of Christ’s birth, as found in the Scriptures and Holy Tradition. Like most festal icons, the Nativity icon is not only a mere historical record of Christ’s birth but also a reflection of the theological meaning of the feast. The feast’s central theme is the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, who emptied Himself of His divine glory and accepted a human flesh for the salvation of the world. The infant Christ is shown wrapped in white swaddling clothes, foreshadowing His death and His burial. The white swaddling clothes remind us of the white linen shroud that will wrap Jesus’ body after His death on the Cross.

The dark cave, where the newborn Child lies, represents the world’s darkness in sin before Christ. It also symbolizes the tomb of Christ, where He was buried after His death on the Cross. At the center of the icon, the Virgin Mary is depicted kneeling towards the newborn Child. Compared to the rest of the characters, her larger size and unique position, beside the Baby, at the heart of the icon, emphasizes her essential role in the divine plan of salvation. Her model of obedience, accepting the incarnate Word of God, gave her a dominant place in the mystery of the Incarnation.

In Orthodox iconography, the Virgin Mary is always depicted wearing a veil with three stars on her forehead, the right, and the left shoulders. The three stars signify her inviolate and perpetual virginity, before, during, and after giving birth to Christ. Saint Joseph is shown kneeling and is positioned beneath both Mary and Jesus; his outstretched hands indicate a sense of questioning and perhaps confusion. Joseph’s confusion reflects humanity’s disbelief and struggle to understand the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ. Eventually, however, Joseph overcomes his doubts and serves the mystery of the Incarnation, as he becomes the human guardian of Christ, the Child.

The Angels in the icon have two roles: To announce Christ’s birth and give Him glory. To the right, we see the angel announcing the good news to the shepherds. To the left, the angels appear dressed in long garments, standing in a posture of reverence for the newborn Child, offering praises: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Lk 2:14). The shepherds stand, on the right, listening to the good news brought to them by the angel: “…I bring you good tidings of great joy, … For unto you is born this day… a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (LK 2:11).

Additionally, we see a young shepherd sitting on a rock playing his flute, showing humanity’s joy in the Good tidings of Christ’s birth, adding the music of humankind to the angels’ hymns in glorifying the incarnate Word of God. On the left side of the cave are the Wise Men, royal figures from the East, who came to witness the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus’s birth. Guided by the star, the Magi came to honor Jesus with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The Nativity icon is not bound by space or time. Instead, it brings together many images and events from different points in time, forming a complex composition that reveals both the historical reality and the spiritual meaning of the feast.