Praying with Icons

The Spiritual Formation ministry team gathered today and prayed with Rublev's 15th century icon, the Old Testament trinity. This icon is based on Genesis 18:1-16, where Abraham and Sarah show hospitality to the three strangers. These men, whom tradition describe as angels, bless Abraham and Sarah with the promise of a son.


We learned that to pray is to gaze. As we gazed we noticed the trinity (left to right: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.) We noticed the inclination of the heads, the gestures of the hands, the position of the feet. We reflected on color blue - the color of divinity and mystery -- and how that color was most prominent on the Son, and most hidden from our sight on the Father. We noticed that as we gazed we were drawn into the conversation around the table -- the intimate circle included us.


A few quotes from Henri Nouwen's book on praying with icons, "Behold the Beauty of the Lord."


“Icons… are created for the sole purpose of offering access, through the gate of the visible, to the mystery of the invisible. Icons are painted to lead us into the inner room of prayer and bring us close to the heart of God.” P. 14


“…it is important to gaze at the icons with complete attention and to pray with them. Gazing is probably the best word to touch the core of Eastern spirituality. Whereas St. Benedict, who has set the tone of the spirituality of the West, calls us first of all to listen, the Byzantine fathers focus on gazing…” p. 13

And earlier on the same page…about Nouwen’s personal experience: “By giving the icons long and prayerful attention – talking about them ,reading about them, but mostly just gazing at them in silence – I have gradually come to know them by heart. I see them now whether they are physically present or not. I have memorized them as I have memorized the Our Father and the Hail Mary, and I pray with them wherever I go.” P. 13


May God bless you as you pray with this icon.