What is the theological symbolism of the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help?
The Byzantine icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help depicts Mary holding the Child Jesus with profound maternal tenderness. The Archangels Michael and Gabriel hover above, displaying the instruments of Christ's Passion (the cross, nails, lance, and sponge). The young Jesus gazes back at the cross in apprehension, running to His Mother so swiftly that His sandal falls from His foot. Mary's eyes look not at the instruments or her Son, but directly at the viewer, inviting us to find refuge and perpetual help in all our trials and tribulations.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1160-1161
- John 2:5
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.