Have you ever tried reading the Scriptures through a painting? Yes, through a painting! Sounds a little queer, but it’s true. The early Christians were nourished by the Scriptures through preaching and through paintings popularly known as icons. Strange as they may appear, icons have been called as “windows onto heaven” (Myroslaw Tataryn. How to Pray with Icons: An Introduction. 1998). Contemplating on an icon is characterized by a long, challenging, yet meaningful journey of faith, hope, and love. The end of the journey spells out the very reason of our existence, which is, “to behold the face of God.”

Taizé Experience

I was initiated into the meditation of the icons during our Novitiate period. The chants of the Taizé Prayer sounded so appealing to me that every time I assume the role of a liturgist, I adapted the chants in the psalmody and responsory sections of the Liturgy of the Hours. Listening to and singing with the music of Taizé over and over again helped me focus in prayer.

[Taizé (te-zay) is an ecumenical community made up of more than a hundred men from many nations representing Protestant and Catholic branches of Christianity. Founded by Brother Roger in 1940, young people from all over the world visit it each week to join in the community life (en.wikipedia.org).]

In the beginning, I would always find myself sleeping because of the calming effect of the Scriptural chants. Yet, I realized that sleeping was also a kind of resistance to listening as God speaks, to feeling as God leads, and to seeing as God sees. By continually chanting “Lord Jesus Christ, Your light shines within us, let not my doubts and my darkness speak to me…,” I discovered how fearful I was to dwell in the seemingly penetrating eyes of Christ in the icon of the San Damiano Cross. I consciously tried to contemplate on the other characters depicted by the cross but it seemed to me that all pointed towards what I avoided the most: the face of Jesus. It was a period in my journey that I intensely felt the fear of surrendering myself totally to God’s will.

Identifying myself with Francis of Assisi, I asked “Who are You?” and along with it, I also asked, “who am I?” Overcoming my fear of knowing and being totally known, I managed to gaze at the face of Jesus after a year and a half. This time, I felt more relaxed, more accepting of the dark corners of my being. And this time, I see a gentler image of Christ. It is in this gentleness that I somehow learned to take hold of the vicious desires, disordered attachments, and destructive patterns I have nurtured for the past years. More importantly, I learned to be in touch with the creative passion within that helped me a lot in ministering to others.

What are icons?

More than illustrations that enhance the beauty of worship, “icons are symbols of the Incarnation, a presence which offers to the eyes the spiritual message that the Word addresses to the ears…They are symbols which reveal, in an artistic manner, a profound spiritual truth-the mysterious reality of God’s presence in human life (Jim Forest. Praying With Icons. 1997). Thus, icons are “reminders of the spiritual world; a holy space depicting sacred reality in the course of humanity.”

Gazing and contemplating upon icons lure us to meet Christ through real-life characters and events mentioned in the Scriptures.

A remarkable effect that icons have is its ability to magnetize the beholder to Christ, the central figure, who always appears as the largest compared to the other characters in the icon which are smaller in dimension. This is the manner by which the painter or iconographer emphasizes that inasmuch as people and events play a role in our faith journey, Christ is the heart of our life and prayer. Thus, as Myroslaw Tatarin writes in 1998, icons invite us to meet Christ at the center, who will later on, lead us into the journey of faith with the encouragement of our companions and friends, the saints (How to Pray with Icons: An Introduction).

Tataryn also explains that it is important to understand the symbols used by the iconographers. Gold, which symbolizes the glory of heaven, serves as the background of icons. Shadows seldom exist in icons precisely because the light of glory shines evenly on the holy people and other elements of creation depicted in the icon, revealing their truth and beauty. Dark areas, if they exist, serve as a means to highlight the role of Christ as the Light penetrating the darkest corners of the world.

Further, the colors used by the iconographers are very significant. Christ as a child is portrayed through white and gold colors. As an adult, He is often portrayed with a red inner robe covered with a blue cloak. The colors red and blue signify Christ’s divinity and humanity respectively. Thus, He is God, divine (red) but assumes humanity (blue/green).

On the other hand, the colors portraying Mary, the Mother of God are reversed: her inner robe is blue (human) but covered with a cloak of red (divine). She was human who is “divinized” (the first saint).

The eyes in an icon, which are noticeably large and animated, indicate the expression of awe in seeing great things.

In the same way, the ears are painted large to emphasize the importance of listening to the commands of the Lord. The nose is made long and thin, therefore it doesn’t smell the things of this world, only spiritual fragrances. The mouth is small, depicting the eminence of spiritual food, “the Word of God,” over physical food. The halo encircling the head of Christ or any saint depicts the radiant light of their divinity.

Seeing Christ

Praying before an icon is seemingly likened to entering into an alien world since icons appear flat and the perspective shows the reverse of the way we see things.  But, it is important to know that what is depicted is the event or the person through the eyes of God rather than our own.  We see Christ primarily and secondarily, those who have realized their vocations as images of the living God, like Mary and the saints. Thus, icons are invitations to a deeper relationship with God which eventually lead to the sharing of the life of God. 

It is noteworthy to mention that though icons foster prayer and worship, Christians do not worship icons since worship is for God alone. The veneration demonstrated in icons is actually addressed to the sacred persons represented by the image (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Catechism for Filipino Catholics. 2005). In the same way as pictures of our loved ones in our wallets or homes remind us of real people and significant events, icons remind us of those we honor and love.

God created human beings--body and soul, and human beings in turn worship God--body and soul. Nothing is more central to Christianity than its affirmation of the significance of material reality since God Himself became a human being. As Jim Forest in his book Praying With Icons: Praying in Body and Soul underlines:

“One of the most important roles played by icons in Christian history has been to proclaim the physical reality of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate. He had, and has, a face. He had, and has, a body. In icons of Mary holding her son, we always see his bare feet, a reminder that he walked on the earth. He was born, lived, died and rose from the dead, breaking bread with disciples in Emmaus, eating fish with them in Galilee, inviting Thomas to feel the wound in his side. Nearly all the miracles Jesus performed were physical healings. So important is the human body that most of the questions to be asked of us at the Last Judgment have to do with our merciful response to the physical needs of others: ‘I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you gave me shelter, I was sick and you cared for me…’ It is through protective care for creation, most of all care for each other, that we most clearly manifest our love of God.”

The theology of the icon is thus based on the Incarnation, God revealing His Image in the humanity of Jesus Christ. Thus, theologically affirming the truth of Jesus’ humanity, icons symbolically express the possibility of humans being transformed and becoming full participants in the divine life. Yet, as Dorothy Day said, “it is the faith of the praying person that matters most, not the quality of the icon.” Indeed, it requires faith to accept that the icon of God also exists in each of us, for we, too, are created in God’s image.

Deep impact

In October of 2002, I was given the privilege of preparing the liturgy for the “Family-Youth Festival” of the Youth Ministry Office of the Diocese of Imus, Cavite. Dubbed as “Ka-lakbay,” the overnight festival program eventually led me to commit to one of the most challenging ministries in the Church, the youth ministry. Since then, the creative passion within was rekindled and I started researching and designing liturgies for the young. It has always been a source of joy to know that a young person here or there has been led to pray and has experienced what it means to be silent, to listen, and to reflect on the Word of God.

Taizé Prayer is one prayer experience that has made a great impact among the young and it has always been a part of almost all the programs of the youth ministry of the Diocese of Imus.

On June 17, 2006, a group of young leaders from the vicariates of Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph, the Worker underwent a formal orientation and training on how to conduct Taizé Prayer. The program was facilitated by Ms. Grace Fidel, the former youth coordinator of the Diocesan Youth Ministry Office who was given the privilege of undergoing a three-month program in Taizé, France. The program was well attended and since then, Taizé prayer has been regularly conducted, with marked perceptible changes among regular young attendees: (1) they become more comfortable in silence; (2) prayer and reflection become a regular daily practice; (3) interest in reading the Bible begins to grow; (4) events in life are easily handled in the perspective of a renewed faith; and lastly, (5) they become more patient, understanding, responsible, and more aware of their roles in Church and society.

Here are some of the young peoples’ responses when asked about their experience of praying in front of the Icon of the Taizé Cross. Reggie Santonia, from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, felt God knocking in his heart; he regained hope, begun assuming a positive view in life, and became more aware of his role in society especially during elections in the Philippines. He affirmed that with God, nothing is impossible, peace and reconciliation is still possible.

Carmi Martin, from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, feels more comfortable praying in small groups. She exclaimed “it is a precious occasion to deeply converse with God, share one’s problems and sing His praises.” Howard Castillo, from St. Jude Thaddeus Parish shared a heartwarming experience of Taizé Prayer during the Asian Youth Day 2006 held in Hongkong. “It only proved that Jesus exists beyond all race and cultures. Taizé prayer is another treasure in the pocket of my wisdom,” he stated.

Adenette Medina, who was also one of the diocesan delegate to the Asian Youth Day 2006, related: “In the silence of my heart, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was a remarkable experience for me.”

JC May Tress Reyes, one of the official youth animators of the diocese, said that she learned to reflect in front of the icon and had a heart-to-heart talk with God.

A sense of deep peace is what Morena Cosare, of St. Augustine Parish, experienced; Ediber Peñalba of the same parish felt a deeper sense of community while praying with young people.

Teresa Edalla, another youth leader, realized how blessed she was inspite of her many failures. She truly believes that God continues to search out the lost.

Lilie Velasquez, a youth leader from Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral declares that praying in front of the icon gave her an opportunity to be in communion with God, as with Dona Kris Nuñez from Holy Cross Parish, Tanza. Dona added: “whenever difficult situations arise, I always think that God accompanies me and will not test me beyond my capacity. I realized that I need to trust Him more, and to trust myself and others, too. Through Taizé prayer, I felt more appreciative and grateful towards God and life.”

Gena Topacio, a youth leader who won a position in the local elections of Imus, Cavite, said that she always feels renewed every time she attends Taizé prayer. “It is always something new even if we’ve been through it many times.”

Melvin Mojica from Nuestra Sigñora de Guia Parish, Maragondon said: “Taizé prayer proves that God works in silence. I felt more inspired to be generous in serving and in sharing my talents and skills, thereby becoming a witness to God’s steadfast love. Noel Orcullo, a dedicated youth leader, said that he learned to be more forgiving and to have a more positive outlook in life.

The sharing of these youth leaders is only a glimpse of the remarkable effects of praying in front of the icon of the Taizé cross in the lives of young people. Yet, more than gazing at the image of Christ in the icon, they also begin to recognize the image of God in others, so much so that a noticeable change in how they welcome and become mentors to those who are beginning the journey in the youth ministry is gradually becoming evident. The icon of Christ serves as a reminder to nourish and support each other’s growth in the spirit of love, joy, and peace.

A graced opportunity
Contemplating on the icon of Christ of Taizé prayer, I am reminded of Cyndelle (not her real name) who took refuge in our house because of the horrible battering of her own mother. Fearing the possibility of internal hemorrhage, I insisted on bringing her to the hospital despite her protestations. While the resident doctor examined the contusions, bruises, marks of severe beating, I cannot help but to mourn the damage wrought by her own mother. Even the examining doctor could not imagine how much a mother can inflict such pain and damage. As we waited for the results of the x-ray and CT scan, Cyndelle started feeling chilly and asked to be covered with blankets.

As I watched her slowly calming to sleep, I felt like I was gazing at the icon of Christ of the Taizé cross. This time, however, I felt like I was inside a tomb. Chills ran through my spine as I strongly felt, for the first time, the cries and pains of many young people who are severely battered and/or constantly threatened by violence.

There was a certain strangeness in the feeling, yet somehow it gave me an experience of what it means to be union with those who suffer. At the same time, it also became a graced opportunity to confront the anger that was in my heart that was potentially destructive of God’s image in others and in me.

Gazing at the icon of Christ, once again, I receive Christ’s peace as the community of young people sing: “My peace, I give you, my peace I leave you, trouble not your hearts: My peace, I give you, my peace I leave you, be not afraid…”