The Holy Trinity, Russian Icon by Andrei Rublev
This icon, known also as The Hospitality of Abraham, was written in 1411 for the Monastery of the Trinity outside Moscow. The story in Genesis 18 tells of Abraham’s welcome for three mysterious visitors and how they reward Sarah and himself with the gift of a son.
The prayer of contemplation before an icon is less a prayer of words and more a prayer of presence, a prayer of wonder, and a prayer of the heart. It is God’s work in us, rather than something we do ourselves.
This icon, known also as The Hospitality of Abraham, was written in 1411 for the Monastery of the Trinity outside Moscow. The story in Genesis 18 tells of Abraham’s welcome for three mysterious visitors and how they reward Sarah and himself with the gift of a son.
The prayer of contemplation before an icon is less a prayer of words and more a prayer of presence, a prayer of wonder, and a prayer of the heart. It is God’s work in us, rather than something we do ourselves.
Pause now for some moments in reverence and in silence, and we open our hearts in humility as the Lord God invites us into an awareness of the divine presence.
The three seated figures are read from left to right as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is clothed in a garment of blue; in the icon tradition this is the colour of divinity.
We read the figure on the left as the Father. His tunic of divine blue is cloaked over in a colour that is light and almost transparent because he is the hidden Creator. With his right hand he blesses the lamb in the dish. He is pleased with the sacrifice that the Son will make. His head is raised a little, and his gaze is turned to the other two figures.
We pause with the figure of the Father, adoring our Creator God.
We ask his blessing on the offering we are making: this day of pilgrimage and prayer.
We ask God our Father to look graciously upon us, too, since we have been baptised into the life of Christ his Son and anointed in confirmation with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Son is portrayed in the middle figure. He wears the blue of divinity over the brown earthen colour of his humanity. His head is bowed to the Father on the left, in obedient love. He it is who descended in the incarnation to share our broken humanity, to become like us in all things but sin. Yet he is also the Lamb of God, the One who takes on himself our sins and the sins of the world. His gesture of blessing over the sacred cup on the table recalls the sacred mystery of the Eucharist, in which we are offered a share in his sacrifice and in his victory over sin and death.
So we pause now with the Son of God, with Jesus our brother and our Saviour. We acknowledge him in the words of the Apostle Thomas, repeating in our hearts, “My Lord and my God.”… “My Lord and my God.”
We recall his promise to his friends at the Last Supper: “If anyone loves me they will keep my word, and my Father will love them and we shall come to them and make our home with them.” We rejoice in our hearts that even now, in this little time of contemplation, this promise is being fulfilled, and we open our hearts in welcome and devotion.
The figure on the right evokes the Holy Spirit. Over his heavenly blue tunic he wears a cloak of green, the colour of life and regeneration. His right hand is resting on the table next to the cup, suggesting that he is with the Son as he carries out his mission. His head is inclined toward the Father and the Son. His gaze is toward the open space at the table.
We take a little time now to contemplate the Spirit who can sometimes be the forgotten One among the Sacred Three. With Mary and the disciples as they awaited the day of Pentecost we pray quietly in our hearts: “Come Holy Spirit.” … “Come Holy Spirit.”
We ask for the grace that we may play our part to carry forward the life-giving mission of Jesus in the world of our time.
“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.”
I now gaze again on the icon as a whole. I notice that the loving circle of the Divine Persons is not closed. I allow my attention to be drawn to the open space on our side of the table. This mystical icon suggests that the Father, Son and Spirit are inviting us, you and me, to join in their circle of love. We recall and ponder the teaching of St John: “We love because God first loved us.”
The golden vessel on the table and the lamb that it contains suggest that the table can be read as the altar where the Lamb of God, sacrificed and risen to new life, offers himself as nourishment and healing. I recall the invitation to Communion: “Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” I remember that shortly now I will hear and answer that invitation. I look forward to that sacred moment of Communion.
As our time of contemplation moves towards an end, I notice how the icon offers a holy place where I can ‘enter’ and remain. Whenever we place ourselves before this icon in prayer, we experience a gentle invitation to participate in the intimate conversation that is taking place among these three divine persons and to join them around their table.
In conclusion, I fall silent within – to notice how this time in contemplation with the Blessed Trinity has touched me in my mind and in my heart, and to give thanks to God. Glory be to the Father...
The three seated figures are read from left to right as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is clothed in a garment of blue; in the icon tradition this is the colour of divinity.
We read the figure on the left as the Father. His tunic of divine blue is cloaked over in a colour that is light and almost transparent because he is the hidden Creator. With his right hand he blesses the lamb in the dish. He is pleased with the sacrifice that the Son will make. His head is raised a little, and his gaze is turned to the other two figures.
We pause with the figure of the Father, adoring our Creator God.
We ask his blessing on the offering we are making: this day of pilgrimage and prayer.
We ask God our Father to look graciously upon us, too, since we have been baptised into the life of Christ his Son and anointed in confirmation with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Son is portrayed in the middle figure. He wears the blue of divinity over the brown earthen colour of his humanity. His head is bowed to the Father on the left, in obedient love. He it is who descended in the incarnation to share our broken humanity, to become like us in all things but sin. Yet he is also the Lamb of God, the One who takes on himself our sins and the sins of the world. His gesture of blessing over the sacred cup on the table recalls the sacred mystery of the Eucharist, in which we are offered a share in his sacrifice and in his victory over sin and death.
So we pause now with the Son of God, with Jesus our brother and our Saviour. We acknowledge him in the words of the Apostle Thomas, repeating in our hearts, “My Lord and my God.”… “My Lord and my God.”
We recall his promise to his friends at the Last Supper: “If anyone loves me they will keep my word, and my Father will love them and we shall come to them and make our home with them.” We rejoice in our hearts that even now, in this little time of contemplation, this promise is being fulfilled, and we open our hearts in welcome and devotion.
The figure on the right evokes the Holy Spirit. Over his heavenly blue tunic he wears a cloak of green, the colour of life and regeneration. His right hand is resting on the table next to the cup, suggesting that he is with the Son as he carries out his mission. His head is inclined toward the Father and the Son. His gaze is toward the open space at the table.
We take a little time now to contemplate the Spirit who can sometimes be the forgotten One among the Sacred Three. With Mary and the disciples as they awaited the day of Pentecost we pray quietly in our hearts: “Come Holy Spirit.” … “Come Holy Spirit.”
We ask for the grace that we may play our part to carry forward the life-giving mission of Jesus in the world of our time.
“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.”
I now gaze again on the icon as a whole. I notice that the loving circle of the Divine Persons is not closed. I allow my attention to be drawn to the open space on our side of the table. This mystical icon suggests that the Father, Son and Spirit are inviting us, you and me, to join in their circle of love. We recall and ponder the teaching of St John: “We love because God first loved us.”
The golden vessel on the table and the lamb that it contains suggest that the table can be read as the altar where the Lamb of God, sacrificed and risen to new life, offers himself as nourishment and healing. I recall the invitation to Communion: “Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” I remember that shortly now I will hear and answer that invitation. I look forward to that sacred moment of Communion.
As our time of contemplation moves towards an end, I notice how the icon offers a holy place where I can ‘enter’ and remain. Whenever we place ourselves before this icon in prayer, we experience a gentle invitation to participate in the intimate conversation that is taking place among these three divine persons and to join them around their table.
In conclusion, I fall silent within – to notice how this time in contemplation with the Blessed Trinity has touched me in my mind and in my heart, and to give thanks to God. Glory be to the Father...
