Panagia Hodegetria #2

This series on the Icons of Panagia seeks to present the stories behind many of the icons of the Mother of God that are present throughout the Orthodox world. We will explore their histories, the miracles worked through these icons and how we can benefit spiritually from learning about and contemplating these icons.

The Icon of Panagia Hodegetria, also known as the Directress icon, is historically

understood to be the first icon of the Church. It was painted, according to the sacred tradition

of our Church, in Jerusalem by St Luke the Evangelist. According to the Synaxarion, the

Holy Evangelist created the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos while she was still alive and

she accepted it with great joy, and blessed it saying:

"May the grace of He who was born from me be with this icon."

From the Greek Orthodox Christian Society