www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall What you your avatars mean?

Dear brethren,

Along the same lines as Alice's "What do your screennames mean?", I wanted to ask, "What do your avatars [images that show to the left of your post] mean?" Do they have any particular significance, or did you just pick them because you happen to like that image?

I guess I'll go first: My new avatar is of St. Catherine of Alexandria. My name, Karen, is the Scandinavian form is Catherine. I also have an affinity for her-- she was a gutsy, beautiful 18-year-old girl who defended the Christian faith so successfully against learned pagans that many of them converted. St. Catherine was then put to death by being crushed under a wheel.. hence the wheel in the icon.

God bless,

Karen

Mine is the Pantokrator from St. Catherine's Monastery in Sinai. It might be my favorite representation of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. The other representation I love is the Divine Mercy Image. Since this is an Eastern Forum I thought I should use this one.

My old Icon (I don't like the word Avatar as it is a pagan term) was of St. Luke, patron of physicians. Since I'm a doctor it was a good choice.

I love the Christ of Sinai icon too... I actually have a copy of it. I bought it at St. Photios Shrine gift shop in St. Augustine, Fl.

Supposedly it's one of the most ancient icons of Christ, based on the Shroud of Turin, and is therefore a pretty faithful representation of what He looked like.

Very beautiful, thanks.

God bless,

Karen

I think subconsciously that's why I like it so much. I saw many programs about the Shroud and there were a few art historians who say that all the Icons of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ all have features that come from the Holy Shroud. Like the 3/4 square at the eyebrows, the wisps of hair on the forehead, etc...

My avatar is a photograph of the planet Earth that was taken from the moon. I chose it because I'm trying to look at the world from a different perspective . . .

-- John

Mine is the Mother of God, Ever-blooming Rose. It is an icon I painted for my daughter, Maria Rose, when she was a baby. I found it on the tetrapod in a small Orthodox church near here, and the priest, when I asked him if I could trace the pattern, to my surprise, made a photocopy for me.
I have since painting this one written it again for a friend who admired it, as well as two failed attempts [screwed up the gilding on one, the varnish on the other] which I sent "down the river"; one of two ways of disposing of an icon which is unworthy of blessing. The other is burning, which I don't have the heart to do. And it is kind of beautiful to watch the icon drifting off downstream, the gold leaf shining in the sun. And who knows where it will go, or who will find it in God's providence?

-Daniel

Mine is St. Peter, with whom I confess Christ as The Son of the Living God and under whose authority and that of his successors I love and serve the same Christ by loving and serving His Church, which He founded upon Peter, the Rock.

Shalom,
Memo

That I didn't realize. I'll be looking more closely at the icons of Christ that I have.

There is an early Saint whose feast day is observed who was a doctor-- he is depicted with his medical kit. Can't think of his name... do you know it?

God bless,

Karen

That's pretty neat! A different "perspective", huh?

Hi Daniel,

You painted that? Wow, I'm impressed. My mom was an artist, but I did not inherit that ability. My brother got that... my sister and I got music instead. :p

Are you thinking about Sts. Cosmas and Damien, or St. Pantalemon (sp?)

Hi Memo,

I can't tell because the image is so small, but does St. Peter have curly hair in it? I've noticed that he's always depicted with curly hair, while St. Paul is always depicted as being bald... interesting.

BTW, I used to live in Thousand Oaks.

God bless,

Karen

St. Pantelemon, that's it!

My avatar is the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Besides speaking to me asthetically, (remember, I am an Art History major and aesthetics are important to me), it means alot to me because:

1. It depicts Our Lady Theotokos--who I have always had a very close relationship with.

2. It speaks to me of her intercessions in that she is always available to help us, to comfort us, to love us, and to pray for us...she perpetually helps us, in other words.

3. This icon was a miraculous symbol of the unity of Christ's Church, even after the schism. This Eastern written icon miraculously found itself in the Eternal and Holy City of Rome in a church. As I hope that one day the Church will be reunited as she was in the first millenium, this beautiful icon reminds me that it is indeed Christ's will, and that through miracles, all things, including reunification, are possible with God through the intercessions of His Mother.

For a full history of this icon, go to:
http://www.marys-touch.com/history/olhelp.htm

Not to derail the thread, but I when I was teaching English in Poland I was taking a walk around Krakow and walked by a poster with the picture of the Shroud of Turin on it outside of a Cathederal. Curious, I went inside and low and behold it was the Shroud of Turin, which I found out was on tour!

Thanks, Alice! I've always loved this particular icon also... in fact, I have a small goldleaf Byzantine-style icon of Our Lady of perpetual Help, and it was one of the first icons I ever bought. I call it my penitential icon, and here's why:

Right after I started getting into the Byzantine Church, I went to confession at a local RC parish. In passing, I mentioned to Fr. that I was developing an interest in the Byzantine Rite. The penance he assigned was to go buy an icon , light a candle in front of it, and pray.

Happily, I skipped off to the Catholic gift shop across the street from the church, and wouldn't you know that Our Lady of Perpetual Help was there? I now keep this icon by my front door.

Thanks for the link, too. Very interesting!

God bless,

Karen

My avatar is a guy that looks like a space cadet.

I don't know why I chose it, but it does look a lot like my grandpa, who wasn't a space cadet, but a logger.

Hmmm...

I think the guy would look a lot like Superman if he didn't have the space helmet on...

God bless,

Karen

Dear Nathan,

How lucky you were!
Living in Poland must have been an amazing experience...such lovely people, such devotion!
Was it during the communist era or recently? Please share more experiences with us.

In Christ,
Alice

My avatar is also St Catherine becuase I am a gutsy 18 year old as well!

In Christ!
Katie g

Go, Katie!

mine - it's Joy of All Joys.

An Annunciation Icon - the Mother of God is looking into herself at the Son She bears

It was also the Icon before which St Seraphim prayed.

It is also round my neck as well

That's beautiful, Anhelyna.

-- John

I use an angel because, in our Liturgy, the Deacon is said to be carrying out the role of the angels (and not because I think that I have anything in common with angelic beings-far from it).

Cool.

I often thought that St. Catherine of Alexandria should have a lot of appeal to today's young women. She was young, smart, educated, confident, with a good future before her. She became a Christian when that was not a popular or prudent thing to do for people poised for success. And when the Gospel was ridiculed, she proved to be a capable defender of the Faith in debates with the best minds of a city that was the functional equivalent of today's New York. And then there was her martyrdom ! Crushed on a wheel, because she loved Jesus Christ. An amazing woman ! And, I would think, a real role model for today's young women.

-- John

Glory to Jesus Christ!
I found a closeness to Stephen, first deacon, first martyr.
Deacon El

My avatar is The Three Stooges, because (a) being three, they symbolize the Three Persons of the Trinity (don't be shocked! I don't mean it in a blasphemous way - just a numeric way!), and (b) they serve to remind me that God has a sense of humor (thank God!).

My avatar is the miraculous icon "Our Lady the Unexpected Joy."

It depicts a robber who used to say a "Hail Mary' each night before the icon as he went out to rob.

One night, as he finished his customary "Hail Mary," he saw the Mother of God on the icon move to point at her Son Who had raised His Hands up to show bleeding wounds on His Hands and Side.

The Mother of God told the frightened robber, "Do you see what you do to My Son when you praise me to help you rob others?"

The robber was instantly converted . . .

The icon's miracles were examined by none other than St Demetrius Tuptalo, Metropolitan of Rostov and the Orthodox Church canonized the icon on the basis of the Holy Hierarch's report.

Alex

My avatar is of a mother and child because my children are such a huge part of my life and because my daughter's journey into the Eastern Catholic Church is what brought me here. I have learned so much here! Now that my daughter is fully a part of the Church I rejoice that she and I are still close and still have fellowship with one another.
God bless
Michele

Can anyone guess mine?

Ss Cyril and Methodius ?

... Sv. Kurill i Methodi.

Ungcsertezs

Mine depicts the account of the Gospels detailing the Wedding Feast at Cana. Mary's directive to the servants of the feast "Do whatever He tells you" touches upon two significant callings in my life.

First, I identify with the young couple since I live in the state of Holy Matrimony with my bride of 16 years and cherish our Lord's blessing of this Mystery by turning "water" (my raw and muddied nature) into the "wine" of rejoicing (the transformation of love) making me the man I am today.

Secondly, I also identify with the servants. As a disciple of Christ and a spiritual son of Mary, I aspire to heed her advice in my personal walk as a Christian. I also am prayerfully discerning the call to diakonia in whatever capacity God and our Lady desires.

Gordo

Hey Karen! Fancy meeting you here!

My avatar is an icon of St. Mary Magdalene. I have a deep affinity for St. Mary Magdalene and when I chose a Patron Saint for my Confirmation ... well, actually she chose me.

So there it is!

Carole

Hi Carole!

Well, we should like her-- she was Jesus' wife, wasn't she? I mean, that's what it says in the Da Vinci Code.

Love ya,

Karen

You're so bad! Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday. Between our trip, Tom being on call for two straight weeks after we got back from Costa Rica and then Tom ending up in the ER early last Sunday morning it's been a while since we've seen you.

Love ya,

Carole

Mine is of the Wonder-working Icon of the Mother of God
of Pochayiv.

-uc

Mine is an icon of Pope St. Peter, that dates before the Schism and shows one of my favorite saints holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

As you have guessed, it states that I consider my self fully Catholic and wish to show everyone that.
Not in a showing-off way but in a confessional way.