Child Leaping for Joy Icon

I've always been attracted to icons of Mary, the Theotokos. A few times I have experienced great mercy and compassion sitting in front of her. That is why I was struck by reading "Mother Mary - Spirit of Mary" in The Lessons: How to Understand Spiritual Principles, Spiritual Activities, and Rising Emotions by Rev. Sandra Casey-Martus and Carla Mancari. (Remember that this book is made up of short sections entitled "lessons" and is more of a workbook about contemplative prayer than a book to read in one sitting.)

I especially liked these points about Mary:

"In the spirit of Mary, you may rest in a mother's expression of consciousness. When you feel unloved, unwanted, and not appreciated, it is Mary's spirit that dries your tears and tenderly holds you."

"The spirit of Mary loves you in places you could never conceive--in the deepest crevices of your heart, in the most disparate moments of your life, and during your most unlovable moments."
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Icon of the Mother of God Joyful

The "Joyful" (Vzigranie) Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos appeared near Moscow on November 7, 1795 . Nothing is known of the history of the icon, except that many miracles have taken place before it.

Icons of this name are found in the Novodevichy Monastery in Moscow, and in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mt Athos. In appearance, the "Joyful" Icon resembles the "Pelagonitissa" Icon, a variant of the Glykophylousa ("Sweet-Kissing") or Eleousa type.

The Icon is sometimes called "Child Leaping for Joy."

Then I went looking for Glykophylousa ("Sweet-Kissing") icon:

Mother of God (Glykophylousa)

You can see by the other icons I've posted about, I like this type of "sweet kissing" or "loving kindness" icon best of all.

Blessed Christmas Wishes

Ade Bethune's silk screen Icon of the Mother of God

My icon of the Theotokos

This (rather crookedly placed) icon is the one my friend NKE bought me in Belgrade, where it was painted. I believe this is the Virgin of Vladimir. Let me know what you think, if you know that icon.

The Virgin of Vladimir is an icon who chose me. I have a reprinted copy of her that I pray with, but now I realize I also have a handwritten Virgin of Vladimir. I received her for my birthday from my friend NKE, whom I first met in Yokosuka, Japan Naval Base when we were both in 7th grade. This past summer she and her sister accompanied their parents on a trip to Belgrade, where she found this for me. I so appreciated receiving a handwritten icon from such a dear friend that I did not try to decipher which icon of the Theotokos she was.

Yesterday a more local friend (NKE lives in California) LP told me about the journey that brought her to teach about icons at All Saints. When she was going to the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX, she took an independent study course on icons with Fr. David Stringer (my former sp. dir.) at All Saints. For Advent that year, he suggested that she sit with her chosen icon every day of the season.

When she told me that, I felt like I'd been given a divine invitation, somehow enveloped in love of God and NKE's friendship with the icon she gave me. NKE and I have been friends for over 40 years; we were bridesmaids in each other's weddings; we've written letters (thanks to Snail Mail) and emails throughout these years, really at times being journals for each other.

Today I sat with the Virgin of Vladimir and found her eyes to be as piercing as they were the first time I ever sat with her. She holds the pain of the world in her eyes, which causes me to have tears. Tears are the gift of God, so I am assuming sitting with a few tears is my gift. We'll see if that continues throughout Advent.

At least it is the answer to our interim priest's question at the end of her homily yesterday: "What is one intentional way that will help me stay awake this Advent?"

And today I also awakened to the similarity NKE's gift icon has to the Virgin of Vladimir. I believe that she gave her to me, one that had been written in prayers.

Desert Ammas

Mother Syncletica (4th century).

On Saturday, I am going to San Antonio to hear Mary Earle speak on the Desert Mothers and Fathers (Abbas and Ammas), which I mentioned in Waiting in Silence. To finish my master's degree in theology at Oblate School of Theology, I must finish three scholarly papers. I originally did research, now forgotten, on desert mothers, specifically Syncletica and Theodora. I am hoping to be renewed in this quest at the lecture tomorrow.

Eight Desert Mothers.

Invited In

St. Andrei Rublev's
HOLY TRINITY ICON

This is a familiar icon for me, so when we sat with it in EFM this afternoon, I tried not to arrogantly think, "old hat." I probably was inclined that way though. As we sat and sat, slowly the scene came alive for me, especially as we discussed it alternately with silences. My first observation was that there was "hopeful expectancy."

By the end of our period of contemplation, I received an emotional yearning to respond to the invitation to join the angels/Trinity. I felt like I was invited into the setting, which was also a fearful thing to do--like I need to FULLY respond by sitting with them and STAYING.

I also felt this deep longing to convey this invitation to my children, but I don't know how. The Divine opens, waiting always, for us to be part of the WHOLE. See the empty spot for each of us to sit at? (And would I wait so long for someone to show up? Nope!)

This fits beautifully with today's Wisdom Class discussion of the last chapter in Jane Vennard's book, Embracing the World: Praying for Justice and Peace, which was entitled "Trusting the Mercy of God." (I first mentioned this book in the post Intention and Attention.) At the beginning of this chapter, the author quotes Cynthia Bourgeault:

"Mercy is God's innermost being turned outward to sustain the visible and created world in unbreakable love."

That describes the icon for me. The figures are somehow showing the outpouring and pull of the Divine unbreakable love. I think I'm being called to sit with this Love, with this image of Mercy.


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And if you've never read books by Cynthia Bourgeault, I urge you to do so. The above quote is from her book Mystical Hope: Trusting in the Mercy of God (Cloister Books). I love her book about centering prayer, because she writes a lot about the false/true self: Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening. The cd collection she recorded Encountering The Wisdom Jesus is very good, too.

Virgin of Vladimir

When I first saw the Virgin of Vladimir icon at a regional Shalem retreat, I was mysteriously drawn to her. I kept being pulled to sit in front of her. I was captured by the pain and love for the world seen in her eyes. She was prayed into being at the beginning of the 12th century in Russia.

Icons Explained writes this:

Treasure of Russia, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir is among the best known in the Western World. It's one of the oldest icons of the type Eleousa (Virgin of Tenderness, Tender Mercy, Merciful Love, LovingKindness). The icon can be recognized by the arm of the Child around the neck of the mother. The face of the Virgin that is looking towards us is full of warmth and human comprehension, but also with deep sadness.

The icon of the Virgin of Vladimir is known in Russia since 1131 when she was taken from Constantinople to Kiev. In 1155, prince Andrei Bogolioubski took off to the North to found a new capital. That was Vladimir. He took with him the icon from Kiev. He was captivated by its splendor. It was in that period that the icon started to work miracles and attracted large numbers of faithful. In 1395, the icon was transported to Moscow. Up to three times when threatened by an invasion from the East, Moscow was saved by a miraculous intervention involving the icon.