Marian icons are painted images of the Virgin Mary that Orthodox Christians venerate in worship and prayer. They’re not decorations. They’re windows into heaven, making the Theotokos present to us and helping us pray.
When you walk into St. Michael’s, you’ll see her everywhere. Above the altar. On the iconostasis. In the narthex. That’s not accidental. Mary holds a unique place in Orthodox faith because she’s the one who said yes to God and gave flesh to the Word. Every icon of her points us toward her Son.
Why So Many Different Types?
You’ll notice that icons of Mary don’t all look the same. That’s because different icon types emphasize different aspects of who she is and what she does for us.
The Hodegetria (which means “She who points the Way”) shows Mary holding the Christ Child at her side while gesturing toward Him with her other hand. She’s literally pointing us to Jesus. This is the most common type you’ll see, and it captures something essential about Mary’s role: she always directs us to her Son, never to herself.
The Eleousa or “Virgin of Tenderness” shows Mary and Jesus cheek to cheek, emphasizing the intimate love between mother and child. The famous Theotokos of Vladimir is this type. When you look at it, you see both human tenderness and divine mercy. It’s one of the most beloved icons in the Orthodox world, credited historically with protecting entire cities.
Then there’s the Platytera (sometimes called “Our Lady of the Sign”), where Mary stands in prayer with her hands raised and a medallion of Christ Emmanuel on her chest. You’ll often see this type in the apse above the altar. It emphasizes the Incarnation itself, that God took flesh in her womb.
Each type uses specific gestures, positioning, and symbols to teach theology. The three stars on Mary’s veil (one on her forehead, one on each shoulder) represent her virginity before, during, and after Christ’s birth. The way she holds Jesus, the way He blesses, the colors used, none of it’s random.
What Makes Them Different from Pictures?
Here’s where Orthodox teaching differs sharply from what most folks around Beaumont learned growing up Baptist or non-denominational. Icons aren’t just religious art or visual aids for people who couldn’t read. They’re sacramental. When we venerate an icon of the Theotokos, we’re not honoring paint and wood. We’re honoring her, and through her, we’re drawn into communion with Christ.
The Seventh Ecumenical Council settled this back in 787. The council fathers taught that because God became flesh in Jesus Christ, matter itself can bear divine presence. The Incarnation changed everything. If God could take on a human body, then we can depict Him and His saints in material form. To reject icons is, in a way, to reject the Incarnation itself.
But, and this matters, we don’t worship icons. We venerate them. There’s a crucial distinction here. Latria (worship) belongs to God alone. Proskynesis (veneration or honor) is what we give to icons and saints. When you kiss an icon or light a candle before it, you’re not worshiping wood. You’re showing respect to the person depicted, asking for their prayers, and acknowledging God’s grace working through them.
Think of it this way: if you kiss a photo of your grandmother, you’re not kissing paper. You’re expressing love for her. Icons work similarly, except they’re not mere photographs. They’re painted according to ancient patterns that convey theological truth, and they function as meeting places between heaven and earth.
Why Mary Specifically?
Orthodox Christians call Mary Theotokos, which means “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.” That title was defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431, not primarily to honor Mary but to protect the truth about Jesus. If Mary is the Mother of God, then Jesus must be fully God from the moment of His conception. It’s a Christological statement.
Because of her unique role in salvation history, Mary appears in icons more than any other saint. She’s the first Christian, the one who heard the Word of God and kept it. She stood at the foot of the Cross when the apostles fled. She was present at Pentecost. The early Church recognized her as the model disciple and the chief intercessor before her Son.
When we venerate her icons, we’re asking her to pray for us. We believe the saints are alive in Christ, not dead and gone. Mary isn’t absent. She’s more present now than she ever was on earth, constantly interceding before the throne of God. Her icons remind us of that reality and help us direct our prayers through her to Jesus.
What This Looks Like in Practice
At St. Michael’s, you’ll see people approach icons of the Theotokos, make the sign of the cross, bow, and kiss the icon. Some will stand before it quietly, praying. Others will light a candle. These aren’t empty rituals. They’re physical expressions of spiritual realities, ways of engaging both body and soul in prayer.
If you’re new to this, it might feel strange. That’s okay. Most of us weren’t raised doing this. But there’s something powerful about having a physical focal point for prayer, about bowing your body as well as your heart, about touching your lips to an image of the one who held God in her arms.
The icons aren’t magic. They’re means of grace. They help us pray. They remind us we’re not alone. They connect us to two thousand years of Christians who’ve venerated these same images and asked the same prayers. When you stand before an icon of the Theotokos, you’re standing where countless others have stood, asking the Mother of God to intercede for you before her Son.
If you want to learn more about specific icons and their meanings, Fr. Thomas Hopko’s The Winter Pascha includes beautiful reflections on Marian feasts and icons. Or just come to Vespers on Saturday evening and watch. You’ll learn more from participating than from any article.
