Easter Day Icons – Chairete (‘be full of joy’)

The icon on the front easel relates to Matthew 28: 8 – 10. “Mary and Mary Magdalene left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy. … Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ (Chairete), and they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.” “Chairete” is a term of salutation. It is linked to the verb “Chairo” meaning “Rejoice” or “Be full of joy”.

The inscription at the top of the original of this icon reads: “Christ, raised from the dead appears to the Holy Women,” and below, the women are named as “Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus.” The original is a Russian manuscript icon, painted around 1300. It was placed at the beginning of a collection of Psalms known as the Khludov Psalter. The main features are the enormous figure of Christ compared with the women, and the way the symbols of new life, the trees, seem to grow out of the women.

On the easel on the west side of the church is a Resurrection icon (Anastasis). In this case, the original is a crusader icon, which means it displays Venetian influences. Venice captured Constantinople during the 4th Crusade in 1204 and ruled there until 1261. The Venetian rulers influenced the art work. Hence the bold reds, the lavish clothes and cross, and the western phylactery on Aaron. The risen Christ is lifting Adam and Eve from their graves as he tramples on the gates of Hell. Of the many other features in this very rich icon, note how the colour deepens in the almond shaped Mandorla that surrounds Jesus. As a believer journeys ever deeper into the presence of God, the light becomes dimmer, not brighter, as if entering a cloud, the cloud of the presence in the Old Testament and the cloud of unknowing in medieval spirituality.

PRAYER

You greet us with great joy, risen Lord Jesus, and we respond with ‘Hallelujah!”

                   “Your is the glory, risen conquering Son,

                   Endless is the victory you o’er dear have won.”

Raise us to new life with you, and with all the saints and martyrs.

Take us with you on the journey into the presence of the Father.

         “The Spirit and the bride say ‘Come’,

         And let everyone who hears say ‘Come’,

         And let everyone who is thirsty come.

         Let anyone who wishes, take the water of life as a gift. ….

         Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

The story which follows the crucifixion of Jesus appears in several Gospels.

Matthew (27: 55-61) tells of the many women who were there. They had followed Jesus from Galilee, and had provided for him. Among these were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. (Mark adds Salome.)

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimethea, named Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there. Luke adds: It was the day of preparation and the Sabbath was beginning. The women prepared spices and ointments.

John adds: Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about one hundred pounds.

The Lamentation of Christ is a very common subject in Christian art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque.

The model for this icon comes from Ethiopia. Several parts of the story are included in the one icon – the women looking on at the empty crosses (left corner), – The wrapping of Jesus by Joseph of Arimethea while the head of Jesus rested in the lap of Mary, and Mary Magdalene looks on, – and finally the wrapped body is placed in the tomb (right top). The tree which is central may depict the new life which will come with the Resurrection.

PRAYERS

Almighty God, whose precious Son, Jesus Christ, ministered to the spiritual needs of Nicodemus under cover of darkness, and was himself, in turn, cared for quietly on the dark night of his death; we thank you that the reverberation of such actions continues until the present time, and offers impetus and encouragement to all who seek to meet the “night” needs of people everywhere.          (From John Carden: A Procession of Prayers)

Merciful God, whose servant, Joseph Arimethea, with reverence and godly fear, prepared the body of our Lord and Saviour for burial, and laid it in his own tomb; Grant us, your faithful people, grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our lives.                                       (USA. Feast of Joseph of Arimethea, 31 July)

In the Eastern Church, the Crucifixion is primarily understood as a prelude to the Resurrection. In the monastery church of Daphne, Athens, for example, the Crucifixion icon is on the left (north) of the altar and the Resurrection icon is on the right (south) of the altar. The sequence is read from left to right, so the table represents the tomb. In the Eucharist, the body and blood of the dead Christ are taken from the “tomb” to become alive in the people, who are the living body of Christ.

While we live through the events of Easter one at a time, they should not be separated, but at each stage we see the whole story of salvation.

This large crucifixion is original, though the mother of Jesus and the Beloved Disciple have been borrowed from the icon displayed earlier.

PRAYER: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

The icon is faithful the narrative, which is told in all four Gospels, though with some variations. It captures the moment when Judas reaches out to dip his bread into the bowl with Jesus. Judas has no halo, and is presented in profile. In iconography, if a person’s face is turned away, i.e. in profile, it indicates that that person is unworthy. Jesus is aware of both the betrayer and the deny-er when he speaks of the forgiveness of sins, a phrase that is picked up in the Eucharistic liturgy in the words of institution.

This icon is a Greek, Byzantine icon. The date is not known, but it looks like a modern version of an old, traditional icon.

Also on display tonight is an Ethiopian Foot Washing. It is still practiced in Ethiopia as in the New Testament.

An icon of Jesus before Pilate can also be seen. This icon has been developed from the Mosaics in St Mark’s in Venice, which was built around 1,000 AD.

PRAYER: Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.

ICON 1 – Entry into Jerusalem

While the icon is faithful to the narrative as presented in all four Gospels, there are many additional aspects which bring out deeper meaning. The disciples and the crowd are welded into unified groups, with Christ in between, framed by a mountain and a tree. The crowd and the disciples, like the walls of Jerusalem are upright, but the tree, the mountain and the Christ figure make three parallel lines on the diagonal. If the mountain is Sinai, the old covenant, and the tree is Calvary, (as well as the tree of life in the garden of Eden and the tree in Revelation that heals the nations) then Christ is part to the Biblical message that differs from human culture, then and now. In the crowd a man points to his eyes, which Jesus healed. If it is Lazarus next to him then we have signs of the kingdom, where the blind see and the dead are raised. The turrets and pinnacles of the city are highly coloured, representing the heavenly Jerusalem, while the windows and doorways below are black, indicating the evil Jesus must endure on the way to glory. Note also that the words “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest” have been included in the liturgy of the Eucharist at least since the Didache was written in 100 AD.

This icon is modelled on a Russian icon from the 16^th century

ICON 2 – The Annunciation

March 25, is 9 months before 25^th December. Since the date of the birth of Jesus was settled, about 330 AD, the date of his conception has been back dated from that. Since the Council of Chalcedon, 451 AD, the Church has affirmed that Jesus was both divine and human from conception. This countered views such as his birth was normal and he became divine when the Holy Spirit descended on him at his baptism, or that he wasn’t really human at all, he only seemed to be. That the Annunciation should fall in Lent links the coming of Jesus to his departure. He was born that the glory of God might be seen.

The original of this icon is a contemporary Coptic one, actually photographed in the new Cathedral in Aswan where Egyptian iconographer, Ashraf Gerges, was working before the Cathedral was open to the public.

PRAYER:

Today, Lord Jesus, we honour your entry into the city and your entry into the world.

We welcome you into our city. Give us a vison of the heavenly Jerusalem in our broad, brown land.

 We welcome you into our world. Come, renew the whole creation.

Blessed are you, Holy One, you come in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Amen