DIPTYCH - CHRIST PANTOCRATOR & VIRIGN OF KAZAN W/FEAST DAYS

PERFECT AS A SET OF WEDDING ICONS, ANNIVERSARY GIFT - A NEW HOUSE OR HOUSE BLESSING GIFT - A GIFT FOR ANY OCCASION.

CENTRAL PANELS: CHRIST PANTOCRATOR - VIRGIN OF KAZAN

Christ

Pantocrator – Almighty – all Powerful

Christ is portraited seated with His right hand blessing and a closed Gospel Book in His left hand. Christ is portrayed as the ruler of the Universe. The title and image of Christ as “Pantocrator” is derived from one of the many names of the Old Testament for God; for example, Lord of Hosts and El Shaddai.

Christ is the righteous judge and lover of mankind – his blessing proclaims God’s loving kindness to mankind and his forgiveness to us. The Gospel Book represents the “Law” he gives us to live by and by which we will be judged. While he is a compassionate God he is an exacting God.

IC XC the first Greek letters for Jesus Christ. Often add to these letters is NIKA – meaning Jesus Christ Conquers.

“Save us Oh Son of God Risen from the Dead.”

VIRGIN OF KAZAN ICON

The Virgin of Kazan is one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God (the Theotokos) and Christ Child. The Virgin Mary has been credited with helping to bring Christianity to the Slavic people by her tenderness and compassion. This image of the Virgin of Kazan played a large part in the “protection” of the Russian nation in its history; from the saving of the city of Kazan…to the saving of Moscow…to the saving of St Petersburg in the 1940s. This image of Virgin Mary is also highly venerated in the Western church at the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima as well as the patroness of many prayer groups.

“Through the prays of the Mother of God, O Savior Save Us”

FEAST DAY ICONS THEIR CELEBRATION DATES ACCORDING TO THE GREGORIAN AND JULIAN CALENDARS) CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP

1. Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Sept 8/23)

2. Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple (Nov 21/Dec 4)

3. Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel that Mary would become the Mother of God

4. Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Feb2/15)

5. Entry into Jerusalem – Palm Sunday one week before Pascha

6. Crucifixion of Christ – Holy or Good Friday

7. Doubting Thomas Sunday – a week after Pascha

8. Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Mother of God (Aug 15/28)

9. Old Testament Trinity – the three angels that appeared to Abraham and Sarah prefiguring the Holy Trinity

(Fifty Days after Pasha)

10. Feast of the Holy Spirit (Day after Pentecost)

11. Ascension of Christ to Heaven (Forty Days after Pascha)

12. PASCHA – the Resurrection – the Decent Into Hell

13. Transfiguration of Christ with Moses and Elijah before the apostles Peter, James and John on

Mount Tabor (Aug 6/19)

14 Baptism of Christ in the Jordon River by St John the Baptist (Jan 6/19)

TRADITIONAL WEDDING GIFT specially among Slavic peoples. The tradition on “who” wo gives the icon set varies. Some sources relate that the icon of Christ is given to the groom by his parents and the icon of the Theotokos is given by the bride’s parents to her. Regardless who gives the matched set to the newly “crowned” (the term used for a wedding in the Eastern Churches) couple as they begin thr “new” Christian kingdom of family.

Traditionally the icons are taken to the church to be blessed and remained 40 days before the wedding. In the wedding ceremony the bride and groom may hold their respective icon during the “Dance or Isaiah”” or they may receive them with the exhortation from the priest on the duties of the a husband and wife using the examples of Abraham and Sarah.

In old Russia the wedding icons became the central icons of their “icon corner” (domestic church) as they start their new family. The ico corner was an Eastern corner – easily visible to which the family or visitor would bow to acknowledge the presence of Christ and his Mother and Saints.

Beautiful attractive diptych - Great for wedding 15 inch tall

icons inside with frame measures 14 inch tall x 10 inch width

width 11 inch - when diptych open width 22 inch

Made in Ukraine