www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Letter to the Latins

Dear Fr. Silouan,

[Is it just understood that this icon is a representation of the solemn moment of the Incarnation and that the Word is present in the womb of the Theotokos?]

I do have a beautiful icon that shows the Christ Child in the Theotokos' womb. I am not familiar with its concept however and I certainly hadn't seen it before in any other icon. The Theotokos is shown with her arms outstretched, holding a piece of cloth in her right hand. On her left is a small cave or grotto with a cross on top and a star shining out from within it (a very obvious allusion to the Nativity). Over her womb is a circle occupied by the Infant Christ who holds a scrolled page of the Gospel in His left hand and gives the blessing with his right. Surrounding the icon are apparently the Baptist and the Old Testament prophets with their prophecies in hand, gesturing towards the Christ Child and Blessed Theotokos.

Have you ever seen or heard of such an icon before? It's certainly the only one of its kind I know of depicting Christ in the womb.

In IC XC
Samer

Dear Samer,

Yes, that is a beautiful, miraculous Icon of the Theotokos of the "Our Lady of the Sign" family of Icons.

It is one of the special Icons venerated by expectant mothers, but I will see if I can get you its full title.

God bless,

Alex

>It is one of the special Icons venerated by >expectant mothers,

Ah....well I dare say I know that warrants some comment from me as a proud Son of Adam, but my mind's so full of cobwebs at the moment I can't quite follow that cue. :-) But a most interesting factual tidbit....funny though, I have been venerating that icon quite a lot, and yet I couldn't stand watching the film "Junior".

>but I will see if I can get you its full >title.

Thank you so much for your trouble Alex.

In IC XC
Samer

Dear Samer,

I find that I am drawn to the unique Icons, the ones that stand apart, or that were written under someone's special inspiration.

I particularly like the Icon "The Multiplier of Wheat" with the Mother of God above a wheat field.

For me, it is a great Eucharistic symbol and relates to the verse in the Our Father "Give us this day our daily bread" where "Bread" is Christ Himself Who took flesh from the Theotokos and has become our Sustenance in Holy Communion.

God bless,

Alex

I've heard the icon also called "She who is more spacious than the heavens," because God who is uncontainable was contained in her womb. My Greek is almost nonexistent, but something like "Platytera" rings a bell....

Another image of the Mother of God associated with pregnancy (because she is pregnant in it) is the icon-not-made-by hands of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Cheers,

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Dear Sharon,

You've got it, by George! That's it, "Platytera!" I just checked it and that's what it is . . .

Although you may be a "Mech," in spiritual terms you are more a "Mensch" than me . . .

Shalom!

Alex

Dear Alex,

In the Syrian tradition, we have something close to this.

We keep feasts of the Virgin during different seasons of the year, one of which, if I'm not mistaken, is around the time of the planting and reaping of the wheat harvest. There is a hymn which I've been looking for, but haven't found in English yet, which alludes to these feasts.

It says something along the lines of Saint John in Ephesus commanding that feasts of the Virgin be celebrated at the time of Sowing of wheat and at the time of Reaping of wheat. The one feast I can remember this hymn being sung on is called "Our Lady of the Sowing".

Hopefully I'll find it in English.