www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall What you your avatars mean?

Dear brethren,

Along the same lines as Alice's "What do your screennames mean?", I wanted to ask, "What do your avatars [images that show to the left of your post] mean?" Do they have any particular significance, or did you just pick them because you happen to like that image?

I guess I'll go first: My new avatar is of St. Catherine of Alexandria. My name, Karen, is the Scandinavian form is Catherine. I also have an affinity for her-- she was a gutsy, beautiful 18-year-old girl who defended the Christian faith so successfully against learned pagans that many of them converted. St. Catherine was then put to death by being crushed under a wheel.. hence the wheel in the icon.

God bless,

Karen

Mine is the Pantokrator from St. Catherine's Monastery in Sinai. It might be my favorite representation of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. The other representation I love is the Divine Mercy Image. Since this is an Eastern Forum I thought I should use this one.

My old Icon (I don't like the word Avatar as it is a pagan term) was of St. Luke, patron of physicians. Since I'm a doctor it was a good choice.

I love the Christ of Sinai icon too... I actually have a copy of it. I bought it at St. Photios Shrine gift shop in St. Augustine, Fl.

Supposedly it's one of the most ancient icons of Christ, based on the Shroud of Turin, and is therefore a pretty faithful representation of what He looked like.

Very beautiful, thanks.

God bless,

Karen

I think subconsciously that's why I like it so much. I saw many programs about the Shroud and there were a few art historians who say that all the Icons of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ all have features that come from the Holy Shroud. Like the 3/4 square at the eyebrows, the wisps of hair on the forehead, etc...

My avatar is a photograph of the planet Earth that was taken from the moon. I chose it because I'm trying to look at the world from a different perspective . . .

-- John

Mine is the Mother of God, Ever-blooming Rose. It is an icon I painted for my daughter, Maria Rose, when she was a baby. I found it on the tetrapod in a small Orthodox church near here, and the priest, when I asked him if I could trace the pattern, to my surprise, made a photocopy for me.
I have since painting this one written it again for a friend who admired it, as well as two failed attempts [screwed up the gilding on one, the varnish on the other] which I sent "down the river"; one of two ways of disposing of an icon which is unworthy of blessing. The other is burning, which I don't have the heart to do. And it is kind of beautiful to watch the icon drifting off downstream, the gold leaf shining in the sun. And who knows where it will go, or who will find it in God's providence?

-Daniel

Mine is St. Peter, with whom I confess Christ as The Son of the Living God and under whose authority and that of his successors I love and serve the same Christ by loving and serving His Church, which He founded upon Peter, the Rock.

Shalom,
Memo

That I didn't realize. I'll be looking more closely at the icons of Christ that I have.

There is an early Saint whose feast day is observed who was a doctor-- he is depicted with his medical kit. Can't think of his name... do you know it?

God bless,

Karen

That's pretty neat! A different "perspective", huh?

Hi Daniel,

You painted that? Wow, I'm impressed. My mom was an artist, but I did not inherit that ability. My brother got that... my sister and I got music instead. :p

Are you thinking about Sts. Cosmas and Damien, or St. Pantalemon (sp?)

Hi Memo,

I can't tell because the image is so small, but does St. Peter have curly hair in it? I've noticed that he's always depicted with curly hair, while St. Paul is always depicted as being bald... interesting.

BTW, I used to live in Thousand Oaks.

God bless,

Karen

St. Pantelemon, that's it!

My avatar is the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Besides speaking to me asthetically, (remember, I am an Art History major and aesthetics are important to me), it means alot to me because:

1. It depicts Our Lady Theotokos--who I have always had a very close relationship with.

2. It speaks to me of her intercessions in that she is always available to help us, to comfort us, to love us, and to pray for us...she perpetually helps us, in other words.

3. This icon was a miraculous symbol of the unity of Christ's Church, even after the schism. This Eastern written icon miraculously found itself in the Eternal and Holy City of Rome in a church. As I hope that one day the Church will be reunited as she was in the first millenium, this beautiful icon reminds me that it is indeed Christ's will, and that through miracles, all things, including reunification, are possible with God through the intercessions of His Mother.

For a full history of this icon, go to:
http://www.marys-touch.com/history/olhelp.htm

Not to derail the thread, but I when I was teaching English in Poland I was taking a walk around Krakow and walked by a poster with the picture of the Shroud of Turin on it outside of a Cathederal. Curious, I went inside and low and behold it was the Shroud of Turin, which I found out was on tour!