About the Icon Iconoreikonin Greek: thename may be applied to any image but in practice is confined to the flat paintingswhich take the place of statues in Eastern churches. Icons play a more conspicuous part in worship than do statues in the West.They are repeatedly incensed, kissed, carried in procession, and otherwise reverenced. Theoriginalicon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help belongs to a family of icons known as Hodegetria, which means ‘guide’ or ‘leader of the way’ and to a type known as theVirgin of the Passion. Icons are known asdoors or “windows to the divine.” They help us to lookbeyond the physical world and focus on the spiritual realm. Artists who create icons are called iconographers. An iconographer “writes” the icon from his or her faith andseeks to present something of this mysterious world to others. While other icons may be valuable in themselves, theoriginaliconof Our Mother of Perpetual Help is all the more valuable for the devotion inspired by its contemplation.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 20:38:33 +0000
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