Never Will I Cease Honoring the Matter Which Wrought My Salvation! - St. John of Damascus

An excerpt from St. John of Damascus' Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images (First Apology) Full reading here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3r8czLXFQOmTdZk6hnn1oT?si=wXGfEkHWR7SDrj_tpgio_A -BUY the book here: https://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/9780881412451/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ Going deeper on icons: --Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images (St. John of Damascus):https://www.ccel.org/ccel/damascus/icons.i.iv.html --A Dogmatic Epistle on the Holy Icons (St. Theodore the Studite): https://www.pappaspatristicinstitute.com/post/theodore-the-studite-a-dogmatic-epistle-on-the-holy-icons --How Did Early Christians Use Religious Imagery? (Craig Truglia): https://orthodoxchristiantheology.com/2023/01/13/how-did-early-christians-use-religious-imagery/--The Icon FAQ (Fr. John Whiteford) http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/icon_faq.aspx --ICONS ~ GRAVEN IMAGES OR NECESSARY FOR SALVATION? (Fr. Spyridon Bailey): https://youtu.be/yt6YHQX0JZs --How-To: The Orthodox Prayer Corner (Fr. Peter Heers): https://youtu.be/3_y5A465Rx8 --The Meaning of Icons (Fr. Maximos Constas) https://youtu.be/BGcygfkqT8g --"What Orthodox Iconography Is" (Blessed Photios Kontoglou) http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/kontoglou_iconography.aspx _______

St. John of Damascus writes:

“In former times God, who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see. I do not worship matter; I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake, who willed to take His abode in matter; who worked out my salvation through matter. Never will I cease honoring the matter which wrought my salvation!” “Either do away with the honor and veneration these things deserve, or accept the tradition of the Church and the veneration of images. Reverence God and his friends; follow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.” “We depict Christ as our King and Lord, then, and do not strip Him of His army. For the saints are the Lord's army…. For if the saints are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ they will also share in the divine glory and dominion. If they have partaken of Christ's sufferings, and are friends, shall they not receive a share of glory from the Church on earth? "No longer do I call you servants” (John 15:15), God says, "but I have called you friends." Shall we strip them of the glory given them by the Church? What audacity! What effrontery of mind, to fight with God, refusing to follow His commands! You who refuse to bow before images also refuse to bow before the Son of God who is the living image of the invisible God, and His unchanging likeness.” St. Basil says, "the honor given to the image is transferred to its prototype." -Letter on the Holy Spirit (18) _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!