Holy-Icons

2/12/11. Matthew and I lost our baby at 7.5 weeks pregnant. We decided to name him Benjamin. Matthew painted this icon in remembrance of our beloved baby Benjamin.

“before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” -Jeremiah 1:5

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Naomi was the mother-in-law of Ruth, from the book of Ruth (Old Testament)

Commemorated on October 19

The Prophet Joel (800 B.C.) predicted the desolation of Jerusalem. He also prophesied that the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all people, through the Savior of the world (Joel 2:28-32).

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The Holy Prophet Jeremiah, one of the four great Old Testament prophets, was son of the priest Helkiah from the city of Anathoth near Jerusalem, and he lived 600 years before the Birth of Christ, under the Israelite king Josiah and four of his successors. He was called to prophetic service at the age of fifteen, when the Lord revealed to him that even before his birth the Lord had chosen him to be a prophet. Jeremiah refused, citing his youth and lack of skill at speaking, but the Lord promised to be always with him and to watch over him.

Jeremiah is celebrated on May 1

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This icon of the Holy Prophet Elijah is part of my private collection. It was painted (written) for our Slava. It depicts the Prophet Elijah in a cave with a raven bringing him food, as well as the angel waking him from sleep with the words “arise and eat” and the Prophet ascending into heaven in a fiery chariot handing his mantle to the Prophet Elisha.

Celebrated on July 20

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St. David, the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz was the king of Israel, and is an ancestor of Jesus Christ. He is well known for his many hymns and psalms.

The Righteous Judith’s story is told in the Deuterocanonical book of Judith. She was a widow in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. While under siege from the Assyrians, and on the brink of starvation, the Jews of the city of Bethulia consider surrendering. Judith, a widow, refusing surrender sought out the General of the Assyrians, and entranced him with her beauty. While he was distracted, she cut off his head, thus leaving the Assyrians with no leader. This allowed the Jews to fight back and drive away the Assyrian army.

Jacob, the son of Isaac and the father of the heads of the tribes of Israel.

St. Deborah the Prophetess’ story is told in Judges 4:4-5:31. She used to sit under a palm tree and the Israelites would come to her for judgements. She went with Barak to face the forces of Sisera, and God granted the Israelites victory. Judges 5 records the Song of Deborah and Barak, one of the oldest poems in the Bible.

St. Daniel the prophet was a youth in Babylonian captivity and was made one of three presidents in the kingdom of Darius. He was so admired by Darius that Darius considered putting the rule of the kingdom under Daniel. The other presidents, and satraps wanted to remove Daniel, and so they had Darius issue an edict that anyone praying within 30 days of the edict must be placed in the lion’s den. When Daniel continued praying three times a day, he was thrown into the lion’s den overnight, but the next morning he was found unharmed. So impressed was Darius that he had the satraps and presidents cast into the lion’s den with their families. They were instantly killed by the lions.

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