Renovation

All of the virtues and powers of God are attained primarily by prayer. Without prayer, there is no spiritual life. Prayer is natural and we were fashioned by God to live a life of prayer. It should be brief and regular so that it can be kept in all conditions and circumstances. To remind yourself that it is "face to face," place an icon of Christ before you as you pray. At this time, we are in the season of Great Lent. At all of the Lenten services the Prayer of St. Ephraim of Syria is read. It supplicates God for those virtues especially necessary to the Christian life.

The Mystical Supper

The Icon of the Mystical Supper stands as a direct expression of the scriptural narrative upon which it is founded. The Icon portrays Christ and the Apostles seated around a table. The respective gazes and positions of the figures are important. Christ Himself meets the eyes of the Disciples that are directed toward Him. Other Disciples are bewildered about the meaning of the words of the Savior. St. John, the Beloved, to whom the crucified Christ will later entrust the care of His mother, is depicted resting his head on Christ’s breast. Judas, the betrayer, is shown stretching out his hands toward the bread he has been given in order to dip it into the dish, and thus he dramatizes the prophecy: “Even My friend who had My trust and partook of My bread, has raised his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:10)

The Icon depicts the sanctified bread – the Body of Christ – as already broken and distributed to the Apostles. The cup of the sanctified wine – the Blood of Christ – is shown resting on the table, awaiting passage to them, so that in the words of the Anaphora of St. Basil the Great, all may be united “who become partakers of the one Bread and Cup in the Communion of the Holy Spirit.”