Faces of Silence
by Sr. Lou Ella Hickman, I.W.B.S.

“By contemplating icons, in the whole context of liturgical and ecclesial life, the Christian community is called to grow in its experience of God, and to become more and more a living icon of the communion of life among the three divine Persons.”

—Pope John Paul II, Angelus address of November 17, 1996

Their eyes are sad. Their faces reveal the sorrow of embracing the sadness of the world. Yet they are also windows to heaven. For over 1500 years, icons have befriended untold numbers on their journey to God. Along with increased popularity of chant, the use of icons as an aid to prayer is also on the upswing. Even a short visit on the computer can reveal a vast treasure trove of this sacred art.

Christ Pantocrator Written during the eighth century, this icon of Christ Pantocrator is preserved at the monastery of St. Catherine in the Sinai desert (“pantocrator” is Greek and means “Ruler of All”).

Vatican II called the Church to return to the richness of her beginnings. Icons are part of that era when the Church was new with a special kind of springtime. Now as then, icons open the invisible door to God with all the regal colors of the earth. The deep reds, browns, and gold of icons are so revelatory, they are considered the “visual Scriptures.” Long before the Catholic and Orthodox division in 1054, the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea II in 787) officially defined the status of icons.

Icons are more than pictures; they are holiness made visible. I overheard one viewer cautiously ask, “Sure, they’re beautiful. But what do they mean?” As they are a theology of color and design, icons speak their own language. They hint and suggest, rather than blare out their truths. Space seems to be compressed and liner time is of little value. Icons focus on the eternal in such a way that it seems to be just beyond one’s reach yet still totally other. This is done in a variety of ways: An enlarged forehead denotes wisdom; feet are placed on pillows or small platforms to indicate royalty; green can express new life; and blue, the waters of baptism or a sign of heaven. Deep red stands for the blood of Jesus; gold speaks of divinity and magnificence; and white indicates purity and God’s presence. Lastly, light is basic to all icons. Such light draws the viewer into the icon, to an inner, invisible light. In this way the icon invites the viewer through itself into another dimension: the Holy.

Some experts divide icons into two basic categories: Icons and icons. Icons with a capital “I” are those written by trained iconographers. Their training includes more than mere skill; these artists must practice a spirituality that includes prayer and the discipline of fasting. Even the subject chosen is sacred in a special sense because it reveals the inner spiritual journey of the artist. In contrast, icons with a lowercase “i” are those that are mass-produced and simply printed on paper, which can be attached to some background, usually wood.

While color plays an important element in most icons, it is not found in all of them. A much later development in style was the creation of a metallic overlay, usually silver, gold, or bronze. Precious jewels were often added as well. And unlike the style of Western art, where the artists are usually identifiable, icons float in the mystery of anonymity. This is due to the strict rules of icon writing. Such anonymity highlights the supreme importance of the subject over and above the person who wrote the icon. Thus, an artist “disappears” behind figures so stylized and remote, they seem severe at times. However, the icons of Mary often speak with a great tenderness and love. Their starkness also reminds us that their only door is silence. The above comment was right on target when the viewer asked about meaning. Icons will speak when and if the viewer is willing to listen.

Other symbols often found in icons are mountains, which can suggest to the viewer places where God’s presence is manifested (e.g., Mt. Sinai, Mt. Tabor, etc.). They can also symbolize one’s journey toward God.
Even such details as the fingers can say much. The hands of Christ can spell out His name when crossed to sign IC and XC—Jesus Christ. At other times, these hands are pointed to bless. In icons depicting the Blessed Mother, Mary’s hands often point to Jesus, as is the case in the icon entitled Virgin with the Three Hands.

Sometimes the veneration given to icons was expressed on a grand scale. For example, an icon was taken into battle when Constantinople was attacked. Veneration could also be scaled down to the diminutive, as some icons were so beloved they were made into jewelry and worn. Even today, a miniature icon can be a masterpiece of a jeweler’s artwork when it is worn as an elegant pendant.
Vatican II’s directive to return to the early Church took on special significance for me a number of years ago. As a graduate student of theology, I had the privilege of visiting St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai desert. Moments before leaving the chapel section, I noticed a rather large icon of Christ Pantocrator leaning against the wall of the room attached to the chapel. Someone casually announced, “Oh, that one was done during the 700s.” I was speechless. Since then, I bought a tiny copy of this wonderful icon. I am still awed when I look at it. That is all one can do in such a presence. The Word became flesh, and still does with reds, browns, and gold.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes this idea when it says, “The sacred image, the liturgical icon, principally represents Christ. It cannot represent the invisible and incomprehensible God, but the incarnation of the Son of God has ushered in a new ‘economy’ of images” (no. 1159). The Catechism sums up the sacred art of the icon in this manner: “Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words” (no. 1160).
Icons are indeed making a comeback, and they still beckon as they have for almost 1500 years. They are a window into heaven and a door to the sacred. Only one question remains: Will you step into the timeless?

Sr. Lou Ella Hickman, I.W.B.S., writes from Rockport, TX.

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