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Dear Brothers and Sisters, beloved in the Lord,
Esteemed Benefactors of the Russian Orthodox Youth Committee!
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By His ineffable mercy, the Lord Almighty continues to preserve His Church and us, Her children, in these difficult times. Trusting in the mercy of God, we prayerfully wish every one strength and health of soul and body from the Lord, as well as peace, tranquility, and prosperity for our Homeland and for every Orthodox Christian, wherever he may dwell, in this new “acceptable year of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:1–2; Luke 4:18).
This year our calendar is dedicated to the history of iconography in Rus’ and the preservation of the traditions of the Russian iconographic school throughout the Russian Orthodox Diaspora.
Through Byzantium, monumental church frescoes and icons painted in tempera on wood appeared in Rus’ following her reception of Holy Baptism. The icon—that is, the sacred image—was regarded by our forefathers as a true image of the heavenly world, granting the faithful the fullness of prayerful communion with the Prototype.
“You look upon the icon of the Saviour and see that He gazes upon you... He truly gazes upon you with eyes brighter than the sun, and He hears all the desires and sighs of your heart. An image is in- deed an image: in its features and symbols it represents that which cannot be depicted or expressed, but can be apprehended only through faith,” says the Holy and Righteous John of Kronstadt.
The 2027 Calendar contains brief information on the history of Russian iconography, together with numerous photographs and short biographies of some iconographers.
+Gabriel,
Archbishop of Montréal & Canada,
President of the Russian Orthodox Youth Committee |
