Pilgrim progress- a disciple on a journey!

Sr. Pacis, pddm, explaining about her apostolate of icon-writing Praying with icons God is revealed not only by words to the ears but by images to the eyes aswell. Christ is not just the word (logos) of God but also the 'image' (eikon) of the unseen God. From there we receive the word 'icon' derived from the Greek. An icon is not a painting in the sense we normally regard pieces of art, although it is an image that is painted. An icon is a window into the divine whilst living everyday life and uniting it to the realm of God. Every brushstroke leaves an imprint which is the fruit of centuries of prayer. Icons are religious images that hover between two worlds, putting into colours and shapes what cannot be grasped by the intellect. They render the invisible visible.To the Christian, an icon is a constant reminder of God's presence in his church, his home and in his life.   You gaze on the icon, but it gazes on you too. When you are looking at someone you ...

Those of you who know me know that I cultivate a special love for icons. In English the word icon can be used as a general term for an image. It is often used in connection with religious imagery, and the term iconography can relate to any consistent scheme of imagery, religious or secular. However, two modern secular applications of the word icon have gained wide currency. First, in the world of fashion and entertainment, people can be described as icon if they epitomize certain trends in style or culture. Second, in the world of computers and electronic technology certain images on the screen are known as icons. You'll also know that my acquaintance with the modern applications of the word is more with the latter! Click on the icon and you enter a whole new world of information and imagery. This modern usage of the word icon has interesting parallels with the theological use of the term! John Paul II in his encyclical "Duodecimum saeculum" wrote: "Just as the re...