the_rev Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I have a question, before I buy it, I thought I would ask, In a catolouge, they call the pictures of saints, "Icons" Why do they call them icons? And not religious art, etc. Help! But I truly believe in remembering our past who mad the church what it is today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloysius Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 icons are just a specific type of image. the Orthodox retain them more, while we have more statues and stuff. personally i'd like to see more icons floatin around. but i'd rather see some more statues first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photosynthesis Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 religious images are like "visual aids" that teach us about our salvation and inspire us with a spirit of prayer. Until the 20th century, Mass was still said in Latin because it was the language of the literate, and as much as I love Latin, I'd have a pretty hard time understanding the Gospel if it was spoken to me in another language. Even though Mass is said in English today, I still had trouble understanding what was being preached to me when I was a young girl, because the Mass is in the language of adults, and not children. However, images such as the Crucifix, the Creche and the Risen Lord helped me to understand important aspects of my salvation. I didn't know what the Nicene Creed all meant when I was in kindergarten, but seeing an image of Jesus on the Cross made it make sense. That's what icons and images do, they make things make sense. They are a form of evangelization and education for people of all ages. Also, we received the Ten Commandments a long time before Jesus came. At that time, it would be a sin to make an image of God because He was thought to be intangible...Who are we to put God into a box? However, Christ is the living image of God. He wants us to see Him in His majesty, and He expressed this desire when He instituted the sacraments. When we venerate an image of Christ, or His Mother, or one of His Saints, we show our respect to the Person they depict. I know of so many Christians that were brought to the faith because of an image....either a cross, a crucifix, the Divine Mercy or an image of the Blessed Mother. Such images are not "idols" because they lead people closer to God, not away from Him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatcatholic Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 (edited) to those who are interested, the "communion of saints" entry in the refernce section has many articles on the topic of this thread. I particularly enjoy "Bilbo, Frodo, and Relics." go check it out! phatcatholic Edited January 14, 2004 by phatcatholic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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