Sacred Hand Painted Icons -Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Face, Ireland: 2013

St. Astrid. Jan. 2013. Sold. Dublin, Ireland

Sainte Anastasie. Feb. 2013 Sold. Dublin, Ireland

Saint Alban. Jan. 2013. Sold. Dublin, Ireland

Saint Adrien. Jan. 2013. Sold Dublin, Ireland

Ven. Matt Talbot. Jan. 2013. Sold, Cork, Ireland

Saint Mathias. Feb.2013. Sold, Dublin, Ireland

Tobias and the Angel. Mar. 2013. Sold, Germany

St. Louis. March 2013. Sold, Dublin, Ireland

Our Lady of Tenderness. April 2013. Sold, Dublin. Ireland

St. Mark. St. Mark's parish church, Tallaght, Dublin 24

27/06/2013

Sacred Heart. for Gerard & Penny Brady. Longford, Co Roscommon

26/06/2013

Triptych icon of Virgin of Lujan. Papal Gift. July 2013

Triptych Icon written Dec. 2013 for violin maker in USA

Meaning of the Icon

The Lapis Lazuli blue cloak of the Virgin Mary is a symbol of her royalty in the line of King David. But blue is also a symbol of her humanity. She is the most perfect of all creatures, the masterpiece of God's hands, full of grace.

. Because the icon is itself the source of light, it does not reflect outward light such as one sees in the eyes of portrait paintings. Because the Icon is the source of light, the figures do not cast shadows on any other object in the icon. Gold in an Icon is symbolic of Heavenly light The gold halo around the head of the Virgin and Saints is not coming from above but emanating from the figures themselves and moving out even to the outer border of time and space.

From the Virgin Queen of Heaven and Earth, twelve golden light beams radiate outwards. Twelve is a perfect number, signifying perfection of government, or of governmental perfection. It is found as a multiple in all that has to do with rule. The sun which "rules" the day, and the moon and stars which "govern" the night, do so by their passage through the twelve signs of the Zodiac which completes the great circle of the heavens of 360 (12 x 30) degrees or divisions, and thus govern the year. Our Lady is referred to in the Book of Revelations as: “The Woman Cloth with the Sun and the Moon under her feet.” The number twelve is found 187 times total in the Bible, 22 of which are in the book of Revelation. The significance of the number 12 is that it represents divine authority and appointment, as well as governmental foundation and perfection, and shows completeness. Behind the Virgin, is seen the blues of the celestial sky. It also represents the colours of the Argentinean national flag. One this flag is show the image of the radiating face of the sun. Under the praying hands of the Virgin de Lujan, is the image of the radiation Son of God who was clothed in our Human nature in the most Chaste Womb of the Virgin.

The whole centre image is shaped like an egg showing the Virgin’s fecundity. In speaking of the seven privileges of Our Lady, St. Bonaventure wrote:

“The third privilege of Mary was that she alone was a mother and at the same time an inviolate virgin. St. Bernard, praising this privilege, says: ‘Mary chose for herself the better part. Clearly the better, because conjugal fecundity is good, but virginal chastity is better, but the best is virginal fecundity, or fecund virginity. The privilege of Mary will not be given to another, because it will not be taken away from her’. ”

Below the Virgin are three coats of Arms. On the left is that of the Franciscan Order, in the Centre is the Coat of Arms of His Holiness, Pope Francis I., and on the Right is the emblem of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits.

On the Left wing is the Image of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13^th Century Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of St. Clare.

On the Right wing is the Image of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the 16th Century Spanish knight from a local Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was its first Superior General.

Both saints had a vision of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

While he was praying on the mountain of Verna, during a forty-day fast in preparation for Michaelmas (September 29), Francis is said to have had a vision as a result of which he received the stigmata. Suddenly he saw a vision of a seraph, a six-winged angel on a cross. This angel gave him the gift of the five wounds of Christ."

Saint Ignatius also had mystical experiences. While praying in a little chapel at La Storta, on the road to Rome, he had a vision. God appeared, commending him to His Son, who shone radiantly beside Him, though burdened with a heavy cross, and a voice said, "I will be helpful to you at Rome." He holds in his hand the book of his Spiritual Exercises.

The visions which Francis and Ignatius saw, are on opposite sides of the icon. What Francis saw is in fact over the head of Saint Ignatius on the right panel, and what Saint Ignatius saw is over the head of St. Francis on the left panel. From each of the visions of Our Divine Saviour, there come forth graces. But all graces come to us through the Blessed Virgin Mary who is Mediatrix of all Graces.