22. june 2021
St. John the Evangelist Icon
Origin: Russia, 18th century, 30.5 x 26 cm
Feast of the Icons: May 8 (Eastern Christians), December 27 (Catholics)
Icon description:
Icon of St. the Apostle John. Particularly small in size, simple, with earthy tones. He shows the youngest of the twelve in the fundamentally different light to which the Catholic believer is accustomed. Looking at the murals in the churches, he usually meets a young disciple who puts his head on the savior's shoulders at the last supper, sensing a dramatic sequence of upcoming events of Christ's execution. Here, however, the iconographer, despite the small area of the board, allows the believer to see St. John with different eyes.
Who is this saint, whose face appears in the image and whose words have been recognized by the reader on the pages of the Bible for over two thousand years? In Russia, he is called Ioann Bogoslov (Ioanna Bogoslova), which means John Theologian. They underline the depth of the Gospel of John, which differs in style from the previous three synoptic Gospels. John, instead of naming numbers, places, and events, focuses on the significance of the person of Christ and the situations he experienced with him during his earthly ministry. To explain, the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are largely similar in all statements and their anchoring in time, so in the 18th century a certain German theologian introduced the collective term "synoptic" for them, i. concise, clear.
In a way, the Gospel of John goes beyond this unified model and goes in its own direction. In the Book that John keeps open, we read the first words of the introductory chapter: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word." It was in the beginning with God. Everything arose through him, and without him nothing arose from what arose. ”
In extraordinarily poetic language, John introduces the reader directly into the mystery of faith. He omits the painful journey of the Holy Family to Bethlehem, the shepherds and King Herod, because he adds a comment to what has already been said to clarify the miracle of the Incarnation. He writes: “The true light that illuminates every human being has come into the world. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth ”(Jn 1: 9,14).
It is in this spirit that the continuation of all the good news unfolds. The word of Christ stands above all, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit is the originator of everything. Perhaps that is why this icon is called "In silence", literally translated from Russian "In silence" (in silence). In English, the term "In Silence" is used, which means that this silence is not an empty, hollow echo or meaningless silence. On the contrary, this Silence means silence, peace, contemplation.
The evangelist holds the index finger of his right hand on his lips, confirming that he is only an interpreter. He does not speak of himself, but mediates the legacy of God himself, who descended from on high, clothed man, and was born of the Virgin. He was nailed to the cross to defeat death on the third day. Some connoisseurs of icons consider the gesture of John's right to be a sign of the cross. Neither teaching is mutually exclusive. Even today, believers during the service, after reading the Gospel, make a cross on their mouths in addition to their foreheads and chests. They express their determination to spread the message of salvation in their surroundings.
John, the youngest of the apostles, Jesus' favorite disciple. Together with his elder brother James, they were among the first to be called by Christ: Once he was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Follow me
and they will make you fishers of men. "They immediately left their nets and followed him. As he went a little further, he saw James the Zebedee and his brother John - they also were in the boat repairing the nets - and he called them right away. (Mark 1: 16-20) The attentive reader of the Bible will not understand that the apostles John, James, and Peter were Jesus' closest friends, witnessing miracles that remained hidden from the sight of others. to whom the evangelist Matthew mentions: Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John with him, and brought them to a high mountain in solitude, where he changed his face: his face shone with the sun, and his clothing turned white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with him (Matt. 17: 1-3)
However, the only one who remained with the Savior was John. The disciples dispersed as soon as they captured Jesus. Peter, for fear of Christ, finally denied Christ in the court of High Priest Caiaphas, where the scribes and elders judged Jesus. Exhausted after a sleepless night and frightened by the unexpected commotion, he publicly declared that he did not know Jesus of Nazareth. Only John, in spite of his young age, stood with the Redeemer's Mother under the cross when the Lord died and was also the first to come to the empty tomb of the risen Christ.
His inconspicuous clothing also speaks volumes about Ján's character. Peace and depth radiate from the blue mantle, throughout the saint's pose John, instead of naming numbers, places, and events, focuses on the significance of the person of Christ and the situations he experienced with him during his earthly ministry. To explain, the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are largely similar in all statements and their anchoring in time, so in the 18th century a certain German theologian introduced the collective term "synoptic" for them, i. concise, clear.
In a way, the Gospel of John goes beyond this unified model and goes in its own direction. In the Book that John keeps open, we read the first words of the introductory chapter: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word." It was in the beginning with God. Everything arose through him, and without him nothing arose from what arose. ”
In extraordinarily poetic language, John introduces the reader directly into the mystery of faith. He omits the painful journey of the Holy Family to Bethlehem, the shepherds and King Herod, because he adds a comment to what has already been said to clarify the miracle of the Incarnation. He writes: “The true light that illuminates every human being has come into the world. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth ”(Jn 1: 9,14).
It is in this spirit that the continuation of all the good news unfolds. The word of Christ stands above all, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit is the originator of everything. Perhaps that is why this icon is called "In silence", literally translated from Russian "In silence" (in silence). In English, the term "In Silence" is used, which means that this silence is not an empty, hollow echo or meaningless silence. On the contrary, this Silence means silence, peace, contemplation.
The evangelist holds the index finger of his right hand on his lips, confirming that he is only an interpreter. He does not speak of himself, but mediates the legacy of God himself, who descended from on high, clothed man, and was born of the Virgin. He was nailed to the cross to defeat death on the third day. Some connoisseurs of icons consider the gesture of John's right to be a sign of the cross. Neither teaching is mutually exclusive. Even today, believers during the service, after reading the Gospel, make a cross on their mouths in addition to their foreheads and chests. They express their determination to spread the message of salvation in their surroundings.
John, the youngest of the apostles, Jesus' favorite disciple. Together with his elder brother James, they were among the first to be called by Christ: Once he was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Follow me
and they will make you fishers of men. "They immediately left their nets and followed him. As he went a little further, he saw James the Zebedee and his brother John - they also were in the boat repairing the nets - and he called them right away. (Mark 1: 16-20) The attentive reader of the Bible will not understand that the apostles John, James, and Peter were Jesus' closest friends, witnessing miracles that remained hidden from the sight of others. to whom the evangelist Matthew mentions: Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John with him, and brought them to a high mountain in solitude, where he changed his face: his face shone with the sun, and his clothing turned white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with him (Matt. 17: 1-3)
However, the only one who remained with the Savior was John. The disciples dispersed as soon as they captured Jesus. Peter, for fear of Christ, finally denied Christ in the court of High Priest Caiaphas, where the scribes and elders judged Jesus. Exhausted after a sleepless night and frightened by the unexpected commotion, he publicly declared that he did not know Jesus of Nazareth. Only John, in spite of his young age, stood with the Redeemer's Mother under the cross when the Lord died and was also the first to come to the empty tomb of the risen Christ.