The SVCT Icon Project

In 2022, the parish embarked on a project commissioning hand-written festal icons for the major feasts of the Church and the Lenten cycle (6 Sundays of Lent).

Iconographer Oleksiy Mezentsev has already written two icons of this series: of the Theophany (Jan. 19) and the Dormition of the Mother of God (Aug. 28). This week, the third icon, a relic-bearing icon of St. Gregory Palamas (2nd Sunday of the Great Fast) was delivered, installed and is now awaiting its blessing (this Sunday, March 5th). (We are looking to start the next icon soon so if you are interested in donating an icon in the memory of a family-member, please contact either of our parish priests or the parish office).

What Are Relics? And Why Are They Important?

Relics are the earthly remains of saints, and in Orthodox Christian churches, we often venerate* (but do not worship) them. A relic could be bodily remains (bone, clothing or vestments), other possessions that belonged to the saint, or instruments used in the torture or death of a saint. Additionally, the items of Christ’s Passion, like the True Cross, are also considered relics.

*'Veneration' means simply treating something with reverence, respect, and honour. We afford both worship and veneration to God, but the only One we worship is God, completely giving over oneself to service to God.

Orthodox Christians venerate the relics of saints for several reasons: First, because we believe the body remains the temple of the Holy Spirit, even after death. Second, because veneration of a saint’s relics affirms the reality of his or her existence. Third, the act of veneration communicates that all Orthodox Christians, even those who have departed this life, remain in communion with God and with one another. Lastly, we do this to honor these saints as examples for how we should live our own lives to please God and achieve theosis. We also venerate their relics in the hope that we may somehow participate in the Grace they received. In other words, to have a share in their holiness.

Click here to read more if you are interested in learning about the importance of icons in the Orthodox faith.

Sources:

• https://orthodoxwiki.org/Gregory_Palamas#Final_years

• https://www.goarch.org/-/great-lent-a-week-by-week-meaning

• https://www.saintjohnchurch.org/why-orthodox-christians-venerate-relics/#:~:text=Orthodox%20Christians%20venerate%20the%20relics,of%20his%20or%20her%20existence.

St. Gregory of Palamas Icon

The relic of St. Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), an archbishop of Thessaloniki, Greece, was donated by Fr. Dcn. Kostyantyn Yastreb.

St. Gregory is commemorated for his orthodox faith, theological knowledge, virtuous life, miracles and his efforts to clarify the orthodox teaching on the subject of Hesychasm (from the Greek, meaning quiet.) Hesychasm was a system of mysticism propagated on Mt. Athos by 14th century monks who believed that man was able, through an elaborate system of ascetic practices based upon perfect quiet of body and mind, to arrive at the vision of the divine light, with the real distinction between the essence and the operations of God. Gregory became noted for his efforts to explain the difference between the correct teaching and this theory. Gregory was dedicated to an ascetic life of prayer and fasting, which are practices of Lent.