The Hodegetria

Hodegetria (15th century Russian) Schuyler, NE

In this beautiful icon, dated in 15^th century Russia and located in Schuyler, NE at the St. Benedict’s Center run by the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, we see the most common way of depicting Mary in iconography. It is particularly favored in the West and has been copied many times over and incorporated into later art. It is a type of icon called the Hodegetria, who’s pattern comes from the first icon written by St. Luke the Evangelist. According to Tradition, St. Luke painted his icon of Mary and Jesus while Mary was still alive. The word Hodegetria means Directress or, quite literally, “She who shows the way.” This title is given for two reasons.

The first reason comes down to us from history. The Holy Virgin appeared to two blind men living in Constantinople and led them by the hand to the monastery of Hodegon, which had an icon like this one. When the men saw the icon, they received their sight. Since then, those that suffer eye ailments often come to the monastery and are directed by the monks there to a nearby spring where they wash their eyes. The church there is also called The Church of the Guides because many Byzantine generals would come to the Church to pray before the Hodegetria icon before going to battle. These men, who would lead the way, relied on the Mother of God, who would show the way.

The second reason is in the iconography. Mary holds Jesus up with her left arm. Her right hand points at Jesus and she gazes at us who are her children, directing us compellingly to her Son. Her mouth is depicted as smaller due to the contemplation that she is giving to her Son. Jesus usually wears a gold himation over a green or white robe, symbolizing his divinity and purity. Behind his head is the cruciform halo so common to icons of Christ. His face is shown to be older, rather than that of a child, to represent his divinity and wisdom. His left hand grasps a scroll called a rotulus, which is a symbol often used with theologians and philosophers. Because of all of these attributes, Christ is not shown to be an infant but the Logos, the eternal Word of God. His right hand gives us a blessing, showing to us that he is both Priest and Savior.

Mary is thus shown to direct us to the eternal Word for wisdom and salvation. She, the Mother of God, is the pathway by which we come to Christ. Through her intercession, through her witness, and through her close proximity to Jesus, we find a sure guide who will show us the Way- Jesus Christ.

To see all of my posts on Iconography, click here.

To see other icons of the Hodegetria, see below (click to enter the gallery).

Jordanville Hodegetria, (late 20th century) Jordanville, NY

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

This icon ranks as my favorite icon of Mary. It has a very special place in my life; my parish and my diocese are under the patronage of this title of Mary and I have a special devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. This icon is perhaps the most copied icon in the world and serves as a visible link between the East and West.

This type of icon belongs to a group of icons called the “Hodegetria,” which means literally “She who shows the way.” It is so named because Mary points with her right hand to Jesus, acting as “Directress” to Christ. This particular icon however, because of its distinct elements, is known as the “Theotokos of the Passion.” It is believed that this icon is a true copy of the original icon of Mary written by St. Luke the Evangelist.

There are a few flaws in this icon. Mary does not have a star on her right shoulder though this seems to be because the artist placed it on her head to the left of the main star on her head. This may have been because he was did not know where it went or perhaps because he did not wish to place it over the folds of her mantle. In some copies of this icon, Jesus and Mary are portrayed wearing crowns, which do not belong in iconography. Perhaps most prominently, Mary is wearing a red dress and a blue mantle over her veil. This is different from other depictions of Mary due to the icon’s Western influence.

Theotokos of the Passion (17 century)

The icon was written in Crete in the 15^th or 16^th century during the artistic decline following the sack of Constantinople and had some Italian artistic influence. In the Western Church, red was traditionally associated with blood and humanity, while blue was associated with the heavens and the divine.  While the color scheme is a clear break from traditional coloring in icons, the intention to portray Mary as a human being overshadowed by the divine presence remains. It should be noted however that all other icons of the Theotokos of the Passion use the traditional Eastern color scheme (see right).  While all of these details are incorrect, the theology is very much preserved.

In this icon, Mary directs our attention to Jesus with her right hand. In Mary’s arms is Jesus, looking visibly frightened. He clutches Mary’s hand tightly. A sandal is slipping off one of his feet. This is due to a tradition in which the child Jesus, while playing, was approached by St. Gabriel and St. Michael bearing the instruments of his Passion. He ran to his mother and was quickly picked up, which is why his right foot is hooked around his left and his sandal is slipping off. His face is shown to be older and more mature signifying that he had a divine intellect and knows that what the angels present to him is a vision of things yet to come. His face is calm and reflective, considering what he sees. Yet his body shows that he is terrified. This is reflective of the reality that Jesus experienced while in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, he sought to unite his human will and nature with that of the divine will and that of the Cross. It was an extraordinary struggle that showed both of Jesus’ natures distinctly. We see much of that mystery depicted here for our mediation.

St. Michael

St. Gabriel

Jesus looks at the angels who still bear the instruments of his passion. To the right, in the red clothing, we see St. Gabriel, carrying the nails and the Cross , depicted in the traditional Byzantine way with the sign, cross beam, and place for the feet. St. Michael is to the left bearing the lance and the sponge, which are both in the jar of vinegar that he carries. Both of the angels calmly adore Jesus.  Both carry their objects with veiled hands, telling us that these objects are holy and worthy of veneration. This also tells points to the fact that these objects are not so much symbols of his bloody passion as they are of his glorious Resurrection.

Mary looks not at Jesus, but at us. She considers us carefully. In her eyes, which are half closed, we see an expression of ineffable sorrow at what is to come. Yet we also see a look of compassion for all of us, her children, who are grieving because of our sins and sorrows. She desires us to come to her Son for consolation and joy, he who took the Cross for us. She wants us to seek the will of Jesus and to aid us in accomplishing it. This is why, perhaps, this icon was given the formal title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help by Pope Pius IX in 1865.

This icon, which has produced many miracles through the centuries, represents a beautiful expression of some of the most central mysteries of our Catholic faith and draw us closer to our Mother and to Jesus.