Orthodox Icons

Saint Silouan the Athonite Simeon Ivanovich Antonov was born in 1866, of godly parents who came from the village of Sovsk in the Tambov region. At the age of 27, he received the prayers of Saint John of Kronstadt and came to the monastic region of Greece called Mount Athos where he became a monk at the Russian monastery Saint Panteleimon, and given the new name Silouan. An ardent ascetic, he received the grace of…

Monks Sergei and German of Valaamo The Monks Sergei and German of Valaamo settled on the island of Valaamo in 1329. The brethren gathered by them shone forth the light of Orthodoxy in this frontier land. The Karelian people began to regard Christianity with renewed suspicion, with its authority in the XIII Century being undermined by the Swedes, who sought to spread Catholicism by means of the sword. The Monks…

Saint Gregory the Theologian "Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich."

Christ the Pantocrator "In Christ we have everything. If you want to heal your wound, He is the doctor. If you are burning with fever, He is the fountain. If you are in need of help, He is strength. If you are in fear of death, He is life." – Saint Ambrose of Milan

Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora at Nicomedia These three holy sisters, natives of Bithynia, renounced worldly concerns and devoted themselves to an ascetic life near a thermal spring. Beautiful in soul and body, they lived modestly and seeking to adorn themselves with virtue rather than outward finery, according to the teachings of Saint Paul's First Epistle to Timothy: "Likewise, the women should adorn…

Saint Isaac the Syrian "Be at peace and humble, and you will find everyone to be your friend. Outward circumstances change according to the disposition of the heart, whether it is turned toward good or toward evil."

Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna Righteous Joachim, son of Barpathir and descendant of King David, and Righteous Anna, daughter of Matthan, lived in Nazareth. Though elderly and childless, they endured shame and scorn without complaint, trusting in our God and praying fervently. When priest Ruben rejected Joakim’s offering in Jerusalem because he was childless, Joachim withdrew into solitude and…

Saint Symeon Popovich "When you throw a nail into a fire, it gets hot and starts to glow like fire. In the same way you, when you listen to divine teachings and live accordingly, will become like God."

The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary "The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy because through the Mother of God, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy." – Saint John of Damascus

The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and EverVirgin Mary The Nativity of Theotokos marks the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s plan for humanity’s salvation. Mary, born to the righteous barren Joachim and Anna, was chosen to become the Mother of God and the vessel of the Incarnation. Her birth brings joy to heaven and earth, opening the way from the Old Covenant to the grace and truth revealed in Christ.…