Next week our Church begins its pre-Great Fast sequence of five weeks that deal with various aspects of Metanoia or Repentance. These five weeks are meant to prepare us for the rigors of the Great Fast.

I believe that the icon of the Great Fast is really the icon known as the Achei ropoieta (Medieval Greek): ἀχειροποίητα, that is made without hands. There are several Christian icons which are said to have come into existence in a miraculous manner, not created by a human hands. Invariably these are images of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. The most notable example that is credited by tradition among the faithful is, in the Eastern Church, the Mandylion (icon above), also known as the Image of Edessa or Veronica’s Veil. Supposedly during the Lord’s journey to Golgatha, the woman Veronica wiped His face and His image was left behind. This icon reminds us that we are called to grow in His likeness.