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Today is the feast of Saint Luke, a father of the ancient Church renowned as Evangelist, Historian, and Physician. We should be aware of one additional title that is traditionally attributed to this early disciple of Christ: Artist. For the name of Saint Luke is attached to one of the most venerable works of art of the ancient Church—the Hodegetria icon which resided in Constantinople until its destruction in 1453. While the origins of the Hodegetria icon are shrouded in mystery, its connection to St. Luke is based upon traditions stretching back to the early centuries of Constantinople as a...

Culture Correct is a side project that I'm working on at Tumblr (follow me here) and Facebook (like the page here) that posts "culturally correct" content that wouldn't be a good fit at The Looking Spoon.I'm also using this to focus on original graphics that are based more on iconography and illustration rather than the Photoshop work and memes normally seen at TLS. I also want to try to create pieces here that will be a bit more timeless conceptually, as most memes tend to be more of a snapshot in time. Here are some of the original designs that...

What do you think of when someone mentions the word “beauty”?  If you’re in your twenties, you might think of Beyoncé, Natalie Portman, or Tyra Banks; if you’re in your fifties it might be Audrey Hepburn or Sophia Loren.  Or perhaps you’d think of a newborn baby, a spectacular landscape, or a sunset.  The point is that most of us are drawn to what we consider to be beautiful like moths to a candle flame – it’s almost magnetic.  When we are confronted with it, we long to be close, involved in every aspect. For instance, many of those who...

Brethren, Peace and Good to you in our Lord Jesus Christ. I was asked the following question by a dear Orthodox Christian sister in a forum I participate. I want to share both the question and my answer with all of you: …with your suggestion of discussing what happens when we venerate holy icons, and given that we agree that to venerate the icon is to draw near to the person in the image, then the question remains how does drawing near to Christ, the Theotokos, and the Saints affect us. I’ll be brief for a change. I think that...

Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ The Chi Rho may well be one of the most recognized of Christian symbols, and it represents Christ himself. This simple symbol is made up of a superimposed "X" (chi) and a "P" (rho), the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek. Used from the earliest days of Christianity on lamps, liturgical objects, sarcophagi, and in catacomb painting, and still in wide use today, the Chi Rho is linked to the conversion of the Roman empire in the fourth century. In 312 AD, on the eve of his battle against...

A religious watchdog group says a cross and motto on the emblem of an Army hospital in Colorado violate the constitutional requirement for separation of church and state and should be removed. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation asked the Army this week to change the emblem of Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson, outside Colorado Springs. The emblem says "Pro deo et humanitate" or "For God and humanity." Fort Carson commanders will review the complaint, Lt. Col. Steve Wollman said. He said the emblem had been approved by the Army Institute of Heraldry and has been in use since...

Unexpected Joy Icon of the Mother of God Unexpected Joy Temple of the Holy Trinity in Listy Unexpected Joy Icon of the Mother of God The icon is written in commemoration of the following event: one sinner, as he was on his way to commit a sin, said a prayer for his success to the Mother of God. In response she, in anger, pointed at the immediately opened wounds on the hands and feet of the Divine Child sitting on her lap, and explained to the sinner that every time when someone falls into sin, the wounds begin to torment...

I was taken by the desire to share some further brief thoughts from the Christian East, picking up from our consideration of last week on the holy Icon and the depth of theological meaning to be found there in its various regards. I turned to a set of books published as part of the Cistercian Studies series, The Spirituality of the Christian East by Tomas Spidlik, SJ. I began with a consideration of various paragraphs and sections, but I determined to simply instead present a few very brief quotations from those books, that might serve as a point of some...

RIDICULE is the best weapon against narcissists like Obama. This video is pitch perfect. Please wait Image not available

Icons gain greater presence in Catholic Alaska By Joel Davidson An icon of St. John the Baptist hangs in St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church in Anchorage. Photo Credit: Catholic Anchor Anchorage, Alaska, Feb 20, 2009 / 04:08 am (CNA).- Wide-eyed figures, often viewed as “windows to the eternal,” have long peered from rustic churches and chapels inside of Alaska’s Russian Orthodox churches. More recently, however, a growing number are appearing in local Catholic parishes as well. These haloed, somber-looking forms are sacred icons, believed to be capable of reflecting the holiness of heaven into the earth, explains the Catholic Anchor....

...."The work is amazing. People are already coming by," said Tumbas. "Miloje has accomplished in 12 years what it often takes generations to do." Now the walls and ceilings are covered with brightly covered religious images that represent scenes from the Bible. The birth of Jesus, the raising of Lazarus, Jesus' death on the cross. There are also drawings of saints and other holy figures that would have special meaning to the Serbian Orthodox such as St. Sava, a member of the royal family who gave up his crown to become a monk. "Iconography is considered the poor man's Bible,"...

Folks, with heaviness of heart, I cannot recommend any more MonasteryIcons.com as a source for religious iconography. It appears that their theological bona fides are not in order, to put it mildly. I have used their religious pictures many times during the last year and a half to illustrate the significant saints of the day. I always included a link to their site as credit. Not any more. I apologize for having led thirsty souls to the wrong well unknowingly . The information that moved me to discontinue my recommendation may be accessed in the links below: - A word...

A new freeper has asked me to help him/her locate a copy of the above icon. My 'google' searches have come up empty, except for a group in Greece that will custom make any icon. For those unfamiliar with the backgrouond on this icon, here is the story. Preface: A short introduction by Fr. Andrea d'Ascanio. Testimony: The testimony of the Bishop of Grenoble, the Right Reverend Alexandre Caillot in whose diocese this occurred (2 pages). The Father's message: Part 1 (5 pages) The Father's message: Part 2 (4 pages). PREFACE "God is my Father!" This cry is being...

Honoring God's Work [Against Iconoclasm]By V. Rev. Fr. Dimitri CozbySt. Anthony the Great Orthodox ChurchSan Antonio, TX In the Orthodox Church we place great emphasis on the veneration of the Theotokos and other holy men and women. We also reverence icons of our Lord and of the saints. About twelve centuries ago a group called the “Iconoclasts” challenged the Church’s devotion to icons and her invocation of the saints. Their teaching was refuted at the Seventh Ecumenical Council, held in 787 in the city of Nicea. Each year, on October 11th or the Sunday following, we commemorate the work of...