Outdoor Mosaic of Christ the Holy Wisdom and Power of God – Festal Icon and Feast Day of St. Sophia Orthodox Church, Canada.
Greetings on today’s wonderful Feast! (Sometimes this Feast Day is transferred to the nearest Sunday after the Feast of the Dormition)
On this day (August 29/16) we celebrate the first century Icon of our Lord Jesus Christ Not-Made-by-Hands’ later transference from the city of Edessa to Constantinople, in the year 944.
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. ~ St. John 21:25
Mandylion is the Byzantine Greek word for small towel or cloth (pronounced man-dee-lee-o).
The Holy Mandylion is the miraculous Image known as the first icon, which our Lord Himself, produced .
In the mystical theology of the Orthodox Church, Wisdom is understood as the Divine Logos (God the Word), Who became Incarnate as Jesus Christ. The name St. Sophia comes from the Greek Ἁγία Σοφία (Hagia Sophia) and signifies “Holy Wisdom” meaning “Jesus Christ”…The Wisdom and Power of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 24,30; 1 Corinthians 2:7)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth…No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. ~ First chapter of 1 John
Troparion Tone 2 Melody, of Today’s Feast
(A troparion and kontakion are short sung hymns sung in a certain melody which teach about a special saint, prophet or Feast Day)
We bow down, before Thine all pure Image O Good One, Asking forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ God; for Thou wast well pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh of Thine own will, that Thou mightest save what Thou hadst created from slavery to the enemy. Wherefore, we cry out to Thee in thanksgiving: Thou hast filled all things with joy, O our Saviour, Who hast come to save the world.
Kontakion in Tone 2 Melody, of Today’s Feast
O Uncircumscribable Word of the Father, knowing the victorious image, uninscribed and divinely wrought, of Thine ineffable and divine dispensation towards man, of Thy true Incarnation, we honour it with veneration.
