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This particular icon is pretty easy to enter into. It is a “store-bought” Russian triptych of the Annunciation & the Nativity. There is a lot to ponder here.
With the doors closed, we see the angel Gabriel – the power of God – approaching Mary. Wings whooshing & feet striding, the angel carries the staff of God’s authority, his hand outstretched to impart an urgent message. The angel interrupts a surprised but receptive Mary while knitting, perhaps recalling Job 10:11+…
Thou didst clothe me with skin & flesh, & knit me together with bones & sinews. Thou hast granted me life & steadfast love; & thy care has preserved my spirit. Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this was thy purpose.
Kings David & Solomon look on from above. The promise God made to them to establish their house forever will be fulfilled in Mary’s child, born of the house of David. The closed doors are a reminder of how the Old Israel waited for the fulfillment of the Divine promises & the endless possibilities of the Divine Love.
As the triptych unfolds, so does the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation for us. There is much more to ponder here than is possible in this brief space.
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The angels singing Gloria!, the astrologers bearing their gifts, & the shepherds herding their sheep all make their appearance. Did you notice that no one’s hands are visible? They are all hidden in the folds of their garments. Humility? Respect? Awe in the presence of the Divine?
Above, the spiritual realm breaks into the earthly one; a beam of grace descends on the child & provides the guiding light for all.
Rejoice, the Lord is near.
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Update: In chapters 10-12 of the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, Mary is chosen to spin the purple & scarlet thread from which a new Temple veil will be woven, presumeably, the same veil torn in two at the death of Jesus.
The protoevangelium contains numerous pious legends of Anna, Joachim, Elizabeth, Joseph, & Mary. A great number of icons of the Nativity picture these pious legends - like the bizarre story of the midwives - so one must be familiar with them to work out the icons.
www.newadvent.org has a huge free database of the writings of the Church Fathers, the apocryphal writings, the Catholic encyclopedia, & the Douay-Rheims bible. He also sells a CD with all this on it for about $25!
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