Saint John Damascene is the Icon and Image

Doctor. He is most famous as one who defended

and favored the veneration of sacred images, holy
pictures, statues and icons. His writings in the
Eastern Church are what the Summa of St Thomas
Aquinas are to the West.

John guarded the Church's faith and traditions

zealously. His dedicated life of prayer afforded
him to put his literary and preaching talents at the
service of God. He was a recipent of many
miracles. Praying changed everything into beauty
for him.

St Damascene spent all his life under Moslem rule

and, like all the doctors, had an extraordinary devotion to the Mother of God.
It was reported that John received a total healing from a wound inflicted on
him through the intercession of St. Mary.

The Pope, in defining the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, called St. John Damascene “the interpreter of this tradition par
excellence”. He quoted St. John below. This is taken from Father Renger’s
book. (noted elsewhere)

There was need of her who in childbirth had preserved intact, be preserved
incorrupt after death. There was need that she who had carried her Creator
as a babe on her bosom, would linger lovingly in the dwelling of her God.
There was need that the bride whom the Father had betrothed to Himself
should live in the bridal chamber in heaven, that she who had looked so
closely upon her own Son on the Cross, and who there felt in her heart the
sword-pangs of sorrow which in bearing Him she had been spared, should
look upon Him seated with His Father. There was need that God’s Mother
should enter into her Son’s possessions, and as a Mother of God and
handmaid, be reverenced by all creation. (Par. 21).

St John Damascene 676-749. The Icon or Image Doctor, Feast Dec 4th.

Christians worldwide are greatly in debt to St John. His holy life and
heroic courage is monumental. He defended and safeguarded the
veneration of sacred images, statues and icons for us. His example
provides us an opportunity to honor images of God everywhere.
John's passion toward holy images gave him great consolation and we
should be reminded that God too is mysteriously consoled when we do
God's holy will in all things and turn to him in devout prayer. There is a
profound and powerful story told through the Shroud of Turin in a link
that you can view in this section when you scroll down.

John’s life and bravery helped save our images and icons. The church
greatly honors him as the Icon or Image Doctor for his efforts in
safeguarding our traditions and in defeating the oppressive Iconoclasm.
For over one hundred years, this pernicious heresy raged.

The Iconoclasts (the name means breakers of icons) were a religious

group who opposed the veneration of images. They belonged to the
Eastern Christians. Ironically, John lived and belonged to the Eastern
Christians having lived in Damascus, Syria. He lived under Moslem rule
most of his life. Eminent scholars state that John lived closed to one
hundred years old. I have used dates from tradition that indicated
seventy-three years.

He followed his father in government under Arabs but resigned after a

few years and spent most of his life in a monastery near Jerusalem. He
wrote exclusively about Eastern Christians and is considered the last of
the Greek Fathers. Poetry was one of John's strengths and he had a deep
devotion to Jesus' blessed Mother. His sermons on Mary and her feasts
are well known.

St John Damascene defended and guarded the church's understanding of

images and explained the faith of the church in several other
controversies. His main, daily goal was to practice daily prayer, obedience
and virtue. He accepted everything including any suffering and united it to
Mary's Son who died for all.

John's book, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, is to the Eastern Church

what the The Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas became to the
West. His service, achievements and contributions to the church and its
members are matchless and extraordinary.

His defense of the icons caused him to be hated by the persecuting

emperors. The Iconoclast were not content with making their case with
word and pen. They rampaged about, entering churches, knocking down
and defacing sacred images. John felt obliged to challenge this
destructive heresy and its accompanying violence. He did so in a series of
treatises defending the church's longstanding tradition. He encouraged
the veneration of icons, not obviously as objects of divine worship, but as
aids to devotion and sanctification. Due largely to his work, the Iconoclast
heresy retreated into history.

Officials in Damascus were enraged by John's public disdain for wealth

and power. Trumped-up charges where leveled against John's honesty to
discredit him with the people when he worked for them. It is said that the
caliph ordered John's right hand to be severed and hung up in the
marketplace as an example to all. It was told that it was done.
Icons tell us a story and were originally used before print. They are full of
symbols, meaning and truths for you to enjoy and cherish. Icons,
especially of Jesus and Mary, are powerful and provocative and reveal
many godly virtues and attributes.

What marvels Mary does for her true servants who surrender to God in all
things. The rejoining of John’s hand to his arm is a reminder of how God
united Mary’s body and soul after her dormition (holy sleep). As God’s
mother was united body and soul through supernatural power, so to, does
God, especially through his Mother, have the power to unite any
separations of body or soul here on earth and certainly afterwards in
heaven. Faith and prayer unite our body and soul gloriously wherever we
practice sincere, faithful prayer, charity, and love.

Some may say that John's hand restoration is a legend but faith, too,
results in achievements and gifts that are considered impossible. Shall we
call miracles legend or impossible? Perhaps some legends may be faith
filled?

John's petitions and prayers to the holy Mother of God moved God to
restore his hand to full use. This was in spite of the long, red scar that
wrapped around his right wrist and lower arm. It did not happen
immediately. It was painful. But it happened. Oh! The extraordinary
favors God bestows through his Mother. John's example is but one listed
in Janice Connell's superb book entitled, Meeting Mary. Prayer conquers
God. God is defenseless by our prayers and if you get his Mother on your
side, all prayers are unquestionably answered. Health and zeal for God's
glory consumed this faithful son of the Blessed Virgin Mary especially
after his healing. St John’s writings have always been a source of
inspiration.

Damascene fell in love looking at images of Jesus, Mary and the saints. He
was enthralled about them. The holy face of Jesus mesmerized him. The
sensuous body, face and especially the eyes of Mary enraptured him. He
was in ecstasy when he looked at icons, pictures, and sacred objects. He
prayed as he looked. That is the triumphant secret! Faith is as having
eyes-mystical eyes.

Even if one is physically blind, they are able to perceive stupendous

sights. How is this possible? It is a scientific fact that believing is a form
of knowing and thus of seeing or understanding. It can not be proven. It
is like seeing the sun. We can not actually see the sun. It is too far and
bright. We only see the light of the sun. Similarly, understanding is a
spiritual gift gained by virtue and grace and provides sight and light. Sin
results through lack of virture and graces and causes our understanding
to becom spiritually blind, obfuscated, and confused in darkness. Those
who are spiritually blind, understand and know God and creatures on
limited level. They miss much.

Prayers can change everything into beauty and spiritual sight. The things
themselves do not change. We see with new depths as we look. Our vision
is enhanced and dimensionalized. Our perception is more acute. We begin
to see things and understand tremendous, new truths from God’s
perspective. We grasp things supernaturalized. In short, prayer opens
vistas in untold dimensions. We can say that prayer gives us a new depth
perception-both spiritual and actual. Since God is omnidirectional, the
Almighty is constantly sending and receiving graces in all directions
unlimitedly and unremittingly. As God is omnificient, his love is infinitely
creative resulting in fullness of varieties, categories and forms.

God is revealed in the visible and invisible world. The holy One is without
and within. God is ubiquitous. God is also omnipresent. The Supreme
Being is both operatively active and existentially active. His thought is his
presence and his presence is omnivorous-taking in, absorbing and holding
everything in existence. The Spirit teaches us this and the saints confirm
it. Thanks to St John, the church enables us to find God in all
representations. This is especially true in religious images, pictures,
icons, symbols, mosaics or statues. The material can be in gold, silver or
any precious material or substance. No matter its exterior, fine or crude.
Because of our faith, we believe God became man and we find God in our
flesh. The Word became Flesh.

The Infinite wants to soothe and excite us. The Almighty can calm us and
arouse us. We have God's built-in feelings but they are often disarrayed,
out of order and unfocused because of our human condition. Virtue, grace
and gifts help to harmonize, fine-tune and elevate our feelings and our
seeing.

Dostoevski, the famous Russian novelist, exclaimed that the world would
be saved by beauty. What did he mean? The church illuminates our hearts
and minds through St John. He knew the answer. He was enraptured by
holy beauty: the beauty of holy objects. Dostoevski stated it. John saved
it. When we supplicate John to capture his message, we can be sure that
we will appreciate what both men said.

Beauty, we all know, is in the eyes of the beholder. There is external

beauty and interior beauty. One flows into the other as the rivers into the
oceans. One can receive as much excitement, if not more, by looking at a
statue, even an unattractive one, with the eyes of faith than a beautiful
sunset, jewel or charming model. Excitement and joy can come from
within or without. They can both be spiritual and natural. They are from
inside and outside. Enjoyment and pleasure flow back and forth, enriching
and captivating us every second. We do not have to be an art connoisseur
to appreciate beauty. It's in nature, secular objects and everywhere, not
only religious representation.

Governments throughout the world place statues in public places to help

us appreciate not only art and beauty but to inspire us with themes of
patriotism and religion. In Washington DC as one example we can see
religious statues of St Vincent de Paul, Buddha, Joan of Arc, John Wesley,
the prophet Daniel, Mohandas K. Gandhi and Martin Luther to name but a
few. These sights have the power to enable us to turn to the Creator in
praise and thanksgiving for their heroic lives and examples.
Because prayer is so powerful and beneficial, the church, scripture and
God’s Mother encourages us to pray until our praying becomes joy and
joyous. That’s how long we should pray. The saints had to tear
themselves away from prayer because it became a holy intoxication that
prevented them from doing God’s will (if they didn’t control it).
Remember that God is an intense and jealous Lover and God plays for
keeps. God doesn’t let us go. However, he gives us the wisdom to know
where, when, and how frequently we should pray. Obviously, God wants
our life to become a prayer and we have to determine set times when we
should set aside for him based upon our responsibilities, duties and
mission in life. Faithful prayers will eventually be graced with God’s
presence continually according to the holy will of God.

Through the eyes of faith we see and unearth heavenly beauty. It can
excite, enrapture and seize us profoundly. God can truly “turn us on.” We
may have to politely inform God to stop it. It can be too much, too often,
and our senses cannot handle God's beauty. It could drive us deliriously
mad. Our soul can handle it because it is God's domain. Our bodies just
get in the way. Holy Scriptures states clearly: "No one can see God and
live." God's beauty is so vibrant and powerful that it overpours and
overpowers itself into the interior of our soul out into the body. However,
it can also flow in the reverse directions: body into the soul. We generally
are not equipped to handle it except through long practice. Practice
makes perfect with patience.

It follows that those who have written about John and his contributions,
especially in the area of images, also profoundly inspire the faithful. Joan
Carroll Cruz, among other gifted writers, has written two beautiful books
entitled, Miraculous Images of Our Lady followed by Miraculous Images of
our Lord. The images and pictures contained in these books are utterly
magnificent and indescribable! Jesus and Mary are represented in art,
images, pictures, icons and statues in nearly every country in the world,
regardless of religion. These images truly inspire us as we gaze into these
pages of breathtaking beauty. Obviously, those who write about Our Lord
and Lady provide for the Church’s members a most fitting tribute to Jesus
and his Mother.

The next time you look at a holy object, remember to thank John. Next
time you see something that is not holy, ask John to help you substitute
something holy in its place which is not obvious to you. God has made our
bodies not only good but very good. Married couples, consecrated in
marriage, are suppose to see their beautiful, naked bodies, at appropriate
times. That is a holy and beautiful site. But to look at gorgeous, naked
bodies in porn magazines or other visible or imaginary forms can be the
direct opposite of holiness and detrimental to the soul's orientation which
is God's holiness. The eyes must follow the soul and not the soul follow
the eyes. Faith gives us pure vision. Sight is blind before God.

When holy men, women and children mortify their eyes on certain
occasions, they act upon the impulse and direction of God's Holy Spirit
dwelling within them to stay holy and live in the holy fear of God which is
a special gift of the Spirit. We do not have total free reign to indulge in
lewd or immodest thoughts, sites, touches or sounds if we care to please
God who is perfect, Beauty and wants our hearts, feelings, eyes, and ears
for himself.

God is holy and until we draw our last breath there is always something
sacred within us even though we are imperfect or sinful. Nothing stays in
existence except to help us love and grow in charity. Pray that you may
perceive according to the holy will of God in all things as John.

From John's writings: "Since there are certain people who find great fault
with us for honoring images of our Savior and our Lady, let them listen to
the inspired (St) Basil, so versed in Theology: The honor paid to the image
rebounds to the original, and the original is the thing imaged from which
the copy is made. Honor given to holy fellow servants gives proof of love
for the common Master. This is our written tradition”. See Saint Basil,
Doctor of the Church below.

St. Basil 1/2

Images of God are copious in the written word especially the Bible. God is
the eternal Triune Being and reveals the divine Persons, in many various
images and expressions. They express the intense reality of God. Jean
Danielou's book, Prayer , listed in the sources under The Discovery of
God, describes God's existence, reality and images so intensely that we
find it almost too beautiful to bear. Our flesh is not able to cope with it. It
devours us. We are not able to handle it because it terrifies us. We do not
need pictures in our imagination to stagger us. God imprints omnipotence
in our souls through his grace and not only through our senses. Wherever
there is reality, there are traces of God.

All flesh and creatures reflect God to some degree. God's traces and
images superabound in all creation whether we are conscious of it or not.
God inspired Job to marvel: "these are but the outlines of his ways and
how faint is the word we hear but who could endure the thunder of his
power?" Thus, we may already find the beauty of the world unbearable at
times. How much more unbearable it would be if the very Creator of this
beauty were to manifest the Infinite. The presence and beauty of God
disconcert and disorient us so much that it arouses in us holy fear.

If the impressionist painters such as Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet,

Edouard Manet or Paul Cezanne can stir in us such magnificent feelings
and emotions when we gaze upon their human paintings, how much more
can their Creator imprint, impart and impress his beauty in our soul and
senses when God touches us with almighty touches?

Scripture tells us that eye has not seen nor ear heard the things that God
has prepared for those who love him. It appears that it is love, which stirs
us to see God's beauty and perfect image. The more we understand or
‘see’ God’s ways in creation and in us, the more we understand or ‘see’
God’s beauty. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is that telling
us other than beauty is blissful, incomparable and inexplicable. And if that
truth is obvious of earthly realities how much more must it be of eternal
truths. If gorgeous paintings can move us to ecstasy how much more can
God touch us? God doesn't use a brush to effect his touch. God’s use his
very self in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity that he bestows through the
church's sacraments, sacramentals, signs and wonders.

We are the images of God. We are marred but through Christ we have
been retouched to become marvelous and beautiful again. Jesus’
disfigurement during his passion and death has restored our stateliness
and innocent when we live justly and practice virtue. In the beginning and
through the first book of Genesis, God states that we are made in the
image and likeness of God. The Image Doctor, St John, reminds us that
our life is sacred. Jesus has sanctified us and restored our beauty to a
higher state more exalted than before our fall. The church's prayer and
ours too is a daily reminder: "Oh, God, who in a wonderful manner has
created and endowed human nature but more wonderfully has renewed
it..." Every catholic mass reminds of this extraordinary re-creation as she
says through the priest: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we
come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in
our humanity."

Our saint is most fittingly called the Icon Doctor. An icon is a sacred
image created to awaken people’s faith. That’s exactly how God has used
St John Damascene: to awaken our faith. Faith awaken is delight, joy and
ecstasy. God’s love can arouse in us intense exaltation of mind and
feelings. Is it any wonder that holy people have experienced rapture and
transport? If they do not, it would be unusual considering that God draws
us out of ourselves through overmastering movements and emotions. Let
us petition John that the same spirit that touched him to safeguard icons
may direct us to watch over those people and things which God allows us
to encounter daily. Let us be reminded that what Mary did for John
through his healing, she can do for us if we recourse to her in holy prayer
and trust.
Let us be reminded that God’s beauty is so vibrant and powerful that it
overwhelms and overpowers us. Generally, we are not equipped to handle
this beauty except through God’s graces and long practice. Practice
makes perfect with patience and perseverance.

St John, the image and icon doctor of the world and the church, would
want all to explore one of the most holy and adorable images and icons
that anyone will ever see. The church treasures, honors and values
immensely the Shroud of Turin as an icon and holy relic among thousands
of other sacred pictures and icons. The link is below. Click on the top icon
marked SCIENTIFIC ROUTE

Face of Jesus Christ

Regardless of our belief, all creatures are made in the image of God
because God is everyone’s Maker. Jesus, too, is the Image of the invisible
God who empowers us to reveal God as he did. Despite our human
weaknesses, scars and reckless failures and sins, God pursues us gently
and vehemently. As a generous Lover who wants to show his humanity to
us, Christ’s Body and Image are displayed on pieces of wood, metal and
ceramic in thousands of art representations. As a gentle reminder, the
church too displays those sacred images, icons and crosses in appropriate
places. Christians everywhere, knowingly or unknowing, wear his signs of
our redemption. The eternal Lover's body hangs around our necks as
pendants and decorations to alert everyone that God is as close to us as
the crosses and crucifixes that press against our bodies.

Our Lord told Sister Pierina, a nun that fostered the Holy Face devotion
that: "Whoever gazes upon my face already consoles Me." see link above.

We are appreciative of John's contributions. We can also be appreciative

to Dostoevski and his comments on beauty. He knew that all beauty
belonged to God.

Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf, told us that the most beautiful thing
in the world is neither what our eyes behold nor what we touch. It is
rather what touches our heart and moves our heart and mind.

The writer, storyteller and artist in all of us discover this beauty and
truth. The Romantic poets described beauty as truth and truth as beauty.
Poets like Father Gerard Manley Hopkins intoxicate us with his poetry:

http://www.catholic.net/RCC/Periodicals/Dossier/0506-96/literar2.html

Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson inebriates us. The beauty,

simplicity and radical poetry of Emily Dickinson can be found in her
disjointive yet entirely unitive lines. Whoever is your favorite ‘artist’ that
‘turns you on’ reveals something of the beauty and holiness of God. Each
of us, with John, is a unique writer, poet or lover in our particular manner.

Beauty and truth abound not only in poetry, images, nature and light. All
creation sings and shouts of God’s glory to those who have faith. Again, it
is faith that is a revealer, an enlightner and an imperishable light on
earth. Our surrender to the mystery of God in faith, infinitely pleases God,
plunges us in patiences and prepares us for divine touches. We can
indirectly obtain this faith from our seeing, feeling, smelling, touching or
hearing. However, our senses stop at the ‘door’ of the eternal Lover. Faith
alone is direct and unitive.

Senses can not penetrate or bridge the gap into the Infinite. The only way
to embrace the Divine is to allow the Divine to embrace us in our spirit.
God is pure Spirit. The only and immediate manner to bridge the gap is
faith. The gap can be three inches or three miles. It can be three thoughts
or three feelings. It doesn’t matter. It is impossible to please God without
faith. The exercise of this faith wears down and breaks the separation
between God and us. Some people call it a ‘God-gap’. This gap challenges
and tests us to give up the natural for the supernatural. It requires
goodwill, cooperation and dependency on something other than what we
possess. We can’t possess God if we don’t pass through the God-gap.
There is an infinite distance between God and us because we are finite
and God is infinite. It is very simple.
Our precious faith bridges the gap from the finite to the infinite.
Interestingly enough, faith can be apart from any religion. Therefore all
creatures are God’s domains. As every computer that is registered must
have a domain name, every creature that is born is registered, marked
and sealed with the divine touch. That touch is the divine Image in our
soul.

Faith is also the vital part of any religion or we could almost say that
religion is a part of faith for it is the very substance of life. See the Doctor
of the Church, St Cyril of Jerusalem, who is the Doctor of Faith, to ponder
the lifestreams of faith in the link below.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem 3/18

As swimming is best learned not by books but by plunging in, we too can
eliminate, reduce or forget the God-gap by plunging into the Divine Sea.
Go ahead and venture out. It takes courage and it’s a tremendous
challenge but we have precedents that it can be achieved. The gospel tells
us the story and example of our first Pope, St Peter, leaving his boat and
trying to walk on water. Everything was going fine until fear crept into his
consciousness. It is ok to sink ‘into the water’ when we exercise our faith.
Christ held up Peter. He will do the same for you too. The main thing is to
go out to meet God in faith without fear following the example of Peter, St
John Damascene and the saints.

God is relentlessly pursuing creatures with unabated and unbounded

designs to ravish them. And how does the Almighty want to enamour us?
Nothing else but with all of the attributes of God. Beauty and truth are
only an infinitesimal part of the divine attributes. There are centillions
more. However, the distribution of these exquisite gifts and favors must
be according to the divine plan and not our human plan.

We please God tremendously with faith and virtue for it reflects God. Faith
is a precious gift and we should strive for it, cry for it and constantly beg
for it. We can not earn it. But we should seek it and also be very thankful,
grateful and appreciative for the degree that we have. We can lose faith,
hide it, be ashamed of it and not use it. God wants us to practice our faith
daily and be proud of it-whatever type we have.

Faith is a form of belief and we can not learn or know of God (Love)
intimately unless we believe. Only with the continual practice of faith,
hope and charity can we flourish and please God in the manner that
human nature was originally intended.

There is always a hunger and a thirst for God in our souls for we are made
in the image and likeness of God. It is a built-in-yearning that we can not
see but our soul senses it profoundly and faith awakens it. When we seek
our Creator, the Creator returns the favor immensely and we gain a
"natural-supernatural" awareness because grace becomes, as it were,
second nature, if that is possible. We may not discern it clearly or be
aware of it keenly. This turning to God is grace that human beings are
never without according to the justice of God. The more we respond to
God the more God responds to us with love and tender care.

St John Damascene defended, guarded and empowers us, even today,

through his holy intercession, to appreciate the image of God not only in
holy icons but in God's holy image in our soul. His godly example and
devotion to God and his holy Mother, that his surrender, trust, and
confidence inspired, empowers us to pray with greater devotion and faith.

Father Luigi Gambero's, S.M., book listed in the sources informs us "that
the three homilies on the Dormition reveal the exceptional importance of
Damascene's teaching for the development of doctrine on the
Assumption. John explicitly teaches the truth of Mary's bodily Assumption
into heaven." For that reason John is also called the Doctor of the
Assumption.

Father Gambero goes on to tell us, "with regard to Marian devotion, a

very practical part of Christian life, it is particularly interesting to revisit
the thought of St John Damascene. He introduces the fine distinction
between the cult of adoration, or latria, owed to God alone, and the honor
or veneration that ought to be given to the holy Virgin. Later on the term
dulia was introduced for this, but it was unknown to our doctor." His book
on Mary and the Fathers of the Church (The Blessed Virgin Mary in
Patristic thought) covers sixteen of the church's doctors and is most
exciting and scholarly but easy to read.

Fr. Christopher Rengers writes marvelously about John in his fascinating

doctor's book: 33 Doctors of the Church and is listed in the sources. He
states about John: "But the point that seems most striking and endearing
about St John Damascene is his constant gratitude for being able to serve
God and sing the praises of his Lady, the Theotokos or 'God-bearer'.
Perhaps he expressed this best when he said: We know that in
celebrating her praises we pay off our debt, and that in so doing, we are
again debtors, so that the debt is ever beginning afresh."

In the gospel on the feast of St John, the church reminds us of Jesus'

words about seeing, hearing and revealing and how God imparts these
precious gifts to all including mere children. No explanation or comments
can enhance our Lord's words. However, because Jesus speaks so
profoundly, so succintly and so Spirit filled, it is impossible to capture the
power, beauty and truth of his glorious words.

Paul Fohlin, OCD, an iconophile for over thirty years, has given many
retreats on the spiritual meaning of icons and authored "Standing in the
Light: Meditation and the Icon" ( Spiritual Life, Quarterly, Summer 1993-
found in Resources). He is presently, 11/02, the Superior of the Discalced
Carmelites Friars at Holy Hill, Wisconsin. Father recently wrote a review
on : "The Mystical Language of Icons" written by Solrunn Nes. Alba House
(St Paul's Publishing)

He tells us that: "Nes consistently points out that spiritual beauty and
truth are one in the icon." Paul continues quoting the author:"Orthodox
iconography has a form which inspires serenity and a content which
invites meditation". Again: "The icon is a holy object, the form being
merely a receptacle for the content. The content is determined by the
Holy Scriptures and the Traditions of the Church. That is why the painting
of the icons is marked more by discipline than by inspiration.(p12)"

Father Paul quotes Nes again: "The icon is never complete in itself. It can
never stand alone as an autonomous work of art, but refers to a spiritual
dimension and forms part of a concrete, religious practice". It is a full
Christian expression of the mystery of the Incarnation. The Carmelite
informs us that more remarkable than Nes' description of technique are
her ideas about icons. Her thoughts on iconography flow gently with
much beauty and didactic purpose. In conclusion Paul says that Nes'
"Mystical Language of Icons" is an easy course in visual spirituality.

The below links relate to John and his wise and inspiring writings:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj45.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08459b.htm
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Barlaam/
http://www.balamand.edu.lb/theology/WritingsSJD.htm

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saints/johndamascus.html

St John Damascene, Father and Doctor, Exposition of the Faith:

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/

Thanks to St John Damascene we have many approved medals, images

and icons of the Catholic Church. They merit close attention and devotion.
The Miraculous Medal and the appearances of Mary to St Catherine can be
explored by this link: http://www.virginoftheglobe.com/

Our Lady is constantly urging us to have close union with God through
approved sacramentals and the holy sacraments.

The powerful presence and sign of the cross as image:

http://www.imagesofthecross.com/

St John encourages us to honor, respect and love images of Mary, his

singular fascination with God. The below link is another example of an
image of the Miraculous Medal and one of their many websites. This is
based upon an approved apparition and a noble saint St Catherine
Laboure:
http://www.cmphila.org/camm/pages/home.html

The most perfect, indisputable and authentic Icon of Mary in the world is
the picture she gave to Blessed Juan Diego of herself and remains to this
very day in her Shrine in Mexico City.
http://www.users.qwest.net/~slrorer/MotherOfAmericas.htm
http://wwwladyofguadalupe.org
Other icons and images.
http://www.homebusinesslink.com/mary.html
http://www.sancta.org/

Icons are the perfect gift for the people you respect and love. Please take
a look and click the link to visit beautiful icons:
http://www.karavokiris.com/

Unique hand made products from the Holy Land and other religious items
that include: crosses, crucifixes, crown-of-thorns, rosaries and others
sacred objects from where our Lord worked out our redemption and
salvation.

http://www.crown-of-thorns.com>

Observe the unique skills used in Icons by clicking below:

http://www.iconboards.com/

There is a joyful and merry image-mirage during the Christmas Season

about Santa Claus. I call it an image-mirage not because it is make-
believe but because there is a real Santa Claus but much of it is based
upon legend and that's not too bad. Legend can be believed if it is credible
enough. The church has enough authentic documentation to substantiate
how Santa Claus came to exit based upon a famous saint named St
Nicholas of Bari. Thus, the make-believe of Santa Claus can be really seen
as making or helping one believe in the spirit of Christmas.

Additional information on St Nicholas can be found at:

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintn01.htm

St John Damascene taken from the website of the ministry of Dr

Marcellino D'Ambrosio

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