One of the oldest and greatest Traditions of the Holy Orthodox Church are the use of Icons. The use of Icons in the Church is integrated part of our worship. For many people Icons are seen as merely paintings depicting scenes from Holy Scripture or merely images of Saints. The veneration of Icons has greatly fallen out of use in western heterodox practice. But for us Orthodox, Icons are vital part of our identity, history, and Liturgics.
Lets start off stating what many heterodox accuse Orthodox of; that is, "worshipping" Icons. This is a false claim and based on a great misunderstanding of the use of Icons in our Holy Church. Icons are not worshipped for that, worship, is alone given to God. Icons in Orthodoxy are venerated. To venerate something is to hold it in high respect usually with an act of devotion. As Orthodox, we understand that Icons are merely wood and paint. However, it is the image or depiction that we venerate as it symbolizes something that is part of Orthodox belief. The next accusation thrown at Orthodoxy's use of Icons is that it violates the 2nd Commandment to not depict an image of God or anything in the heavens on earth or below the sea. This Commandment is true that we are not make any image of GOD; however through the Theotokos, was born the Son of Man, God Incarnate. Before Christ, no one could ever try to depict or consider how we are to view God. Yet, it is through Christ that we now are able to depict what is in Heaven and now on Earth. God became man so that He may be amongst us and that we can see and hear from Him.
So, when we see and venerate Icons it is not the wood and paint that we venerate but that which the image is represented for it is a window to Heaven that we can see through to. Icons are not only used to depict images but also to help show and edcuate those in the Church certain Feasts of the Church, actions of the Lord in Holy Scripture, and remind us of the Saints, Holy Fathers, and Martyrs of the Church. So, just as we have the Word to read so we have Icons see to lift us up to the prototype that we are called to be. Take the 12 Great Feast of the Church. Through them we not only see merely images, but actual Truths. In them we are called to be reminded by visualizing the Nativity of the Lord, the Theophany of Jesus, etc. A side note, Icons are "written" and not "painted." The most literal translation of the Greek word εικονογραφία (eikonographia) is "image writing," leading many English-speaking Orthodox Christians to insist that icons are not "painted" but rather "written."
Tradition says that the first Icon was the Icon-Not-Made-By Hands. "During the time of the earthly ministry of the Savior, Abgar, ruler in the Syrian city of Edessa, was afflicted with leprosy. Reports of the great miracles performed by the Lord extended throughout Syria (Matt. 4:24) and as far as Arabia at this time. Although not having seen the Lord, Abgar believed in him and wrote a letter requesting Christ to come and heal him. Abgar sent his court painter, Ananias, with this letter to Palestine telling him to paint an image of the Divine Teacher. Ananias was not able go to near Christ because of the great many people listening to his preaching. He attempted to produce an image of the Lord Jesus Christ from afar, but could not. The Lord called Ananias and promised to send his disciple in order to heal Abgar from the leprosy and instruct him in salvation. Then the Lord called for water and a towel. He wiped His face with the towel, and on it was His Divine Image. The Savior sent the towel and a letter to Edessa back with Ananias. With thanksgiving Abgar received the sacred objects and started healing. He continued healing until the arrival of the disciple Thaddeus, Apostle of the 70. The Apostle preached the Gospel and baptized the Abgar and all living in Edessa."
It is said that the first Icon ever written was by St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist showing the Theotokos holding Christ as an infant.
Early on in the history of the Church there arose a controversy, or heresy, that was called Iconoclasm. Iconoclasts, those who destroyed Icons, were supported by the Emperor Leo III the Isaurian who ordered the destruction of all Icons. To settle the issue, an Ecumenical Council was convened, the 7th E.C. held in Nicea in the year 787. From this E.C. Icons were deemed worthy and holy. This is from that council:
... we declare that we defend free from any innovations all the written and unwritten ecclesiastical traditions that have been entrusted to us. One of these is the production of representational art; this is quite in harmony with the history of the spread of the gospel, as it provides confirmation that the becoming man of the Word of God was real and not just imaginary, and as it brings us a similar benefit. For, things that mutually illustrate one another undoubtedly possess one another's message. ... we decree with full precision and care that, like the figure of the honoured and life-giving cross, the revered and holy images, whether painted or made of mosaic or of other suitable material, are to be exposed in the holy churches of God, on sacred instruments and vestments, on walls and panels, in houses and by public ways; these are the images of our Lord, God and saviour, Jesus Christ, and of our Lady without blemish, the holy God-bearer, and of the revered angels and of any of the saintly holy men. The more frequently they are seen in representational art, the more are those who see them drawn to remember and long for those who serve as models, and to pay these images the tribute of salutation and respectful veneration. Certainly this is not the full adoration in accordance with our faith, which is properly paid only to the divine nature, but it resembles that given to the figure of the honoured and life-giving cross, and also to the holy books of the gospels and to other sacred cult object.
So from this Ecumenical Council we commemorate and celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy on the first Sunday of Great Lent.
Apolytikion:
O Christ our God, begging forgiveness of our sins, we venerate your pure image O Good One. Of Your own will You condescended to ascend upon the Cross in the flesh and delivered those you created from the bondage of the enemy. Wherefore, thankfully we cry out: When You came to save the world You filled all things with joy, O our Savior.
Kontakion :
The undepictable Word of the Father became depictable when He took flesh of you, O Theotokos; and when He had restored the defiled image to its ancient state, He suffused it with divine beauty. As for us, confessing our salvation, we record it in deed and word
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