Icons of Mary holding her Son Jesus have been popular since the Council of Ephesus which in 431 solemnly declared Mary to be the Theotokos or Mother of God.
St. Luke was the first one who painted the "Theotokos", "Mother of God", while she was still alive. He is credited with three icons of the "Panagia", in one case using the wooden table where Mary and St. John ate their meals.
Throughout history, many Icons of the Most Holy Mother of God have had miracles attributed to them.
In addition, there are those Icons which may not have been miracle working, but still been venerated with the hope of intercession from the Mother of God.
St. Luke was the first one who painted the "Theotokos", "Mother of God", while she was still alive. He is credited with three icons of the "Panagia", in one case using the wooden table where Mary and St. John ate their meals.
Throughout history, many Icons of the Most Holy Mother of God have had miracles attributed to them.
In addition, there are those Icons which may not have been miracle working, but still been venerated with the hope of intercession from the Mother of God.
Icon of the Mother of God
of the Burning Bush
of the Burning Bush
"...As the bush was buming but not consumed, so didst thou give birth while yet a Virgin" (Oktoechos, Theotokian from the Second Tone).
Sometimes the Mother of God is shown in a buming bush and sometimes, inside an eight-pointed star formed of two quadrangles with acute angles and concave sides. One of the quadrangles is red, symbolizing the lire enveloping the bush, and the other—green, the natual color ofthe bush.
In its center in a circle is the Most Holy Thetokos with the Pre-Eternal Infant and round Them are representations of the beasts mentioned in the Apocalypse—a lion, an eagle, and a calf, and archangels with their symbolic attributes: Michael (who is like God) with a staff, Raphael (God hath healed) with an alabaster, Uriel (light of God) with a sword of fire, Salaphiel (God's prayer) with a Censer, and Barachel (God's blessing) with a bunch of grapes.
The Mother of God is holding in Her hands the Ladder symbolizing the path leading believers to Heaven. Sometimes the Mother ofGod is represented with a staff—a symbol of the Savior, Who is called in hymns "the Rod of the Root of Jesse'—in Her hand.
Feast days: September 4/17 and the sixth week after Easter.
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