Saint Mary of Egypt is a revered figure in the Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Churches, known for her dramatic transformation from a life of sin to one of profound asceticism and repentance. Her story, chronicled in the Life of Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt, has inspired countless individuals seeking redemption and spiritual renewal.
Orthodox icons of St. Mary of Egypt vividly narrate the miracles of genuine repentance. They present the story of a long life spent in a bitter struggle against sin and temptation. These icons serve as powerful visual reminders of her journey and the transformative power of faith. This article delves into the symbolism found in these icons and the story they tell.
Icon of Saint Mary of Egypt.
Her Life and Conversion
Our holy mother Mary was born in Egypt. She had left her parents at the age of twelve to go to Alexandria, where she spent the next seventeen years in debauchery and the greatest profligacy. One day, seeing a crowd of Lybians and Egyptians moving towards the port, she followed them and set sail with them for Jerusalem, offering her body to pay her fare. When they arrived in the Holy City, she followed the crowd that was thronging towards the Church of the Resurrection, it being the day of the Exaltation of the Cross. But, when she reached the threshold of the church, an invisible force prevented her entering in spite of repeated efforts on her part, although the other pilgrims were able to go in without hindrance.
Left alone in a corner of the narthex, she began to realize that it was the impurity of her life that was preventing her approaching the holy Wood. She burst into tears and smote her breast and, seeing an icon of the Mother of God, made this prayer to her: "O Sovereign Lady, who didst bear God in the flesh, I know that I should not dare to look upon thine icon, thou who are pure in soul and body, because, debauched as I am, I must fill thee with disgust. But, as the God born of thee became man in order to call sinners to repentance, come to my aid! Allow me to go into the church and prostrate before His Cross."
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She felt herself suddenly freed from the power that had held her and was able to enter the church. There she fervently venerated the Holy Cross and then, returning to the icon of the Mother of God, declared herself ready to follow the path that the Virgin would show her. Leaving the church, she bought three loaves with the alms a pilgrim had given her, discovered which road led to the Jordan and arrived one evening at the Church of Saint John the Baptist. After having washed in the river, she received Communion in the Holy Mysteries, ate half of one of the loaves and went to sleep on the riverbank.
During the first seventeen years, her clothes soon having fallen into rags, burning with heat by day and shivering with cold by night, she fed on herbs and wild roots. But more than the physical trials, she had to face violent assaults from the passions and the memory of her sins and, throwing herself on the ground, she implored the Mother of God to come to her aid.
After all these years, a holy elder called Zosimas (April 4), who, following the tradition instituted by Saint Euthymios, had gone into the desert across the Jordan for the period of the Great Fast, saw one day a human form with a body blackened by the sun and with hair white as bleached linen to its shoulders. He ran after this apparition that fled before him, begging it to give him its blessing and some saving words.
At the urging of the monk, who was transported at having at last met a God-bearing being who had attained the perfection of monastic life, the Saint recounted to him with tears the story of her life and conversion. When the day arrived, Zosimas saw Mary appearing on the further bank of the river. She made the sign of the Cross and crossed the Jordan, walking on the water. Having received Holy Communion weeping, she said: "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation" (Luke 2:29).
When the year was past, Zosimas, going to the agreed spot, found the Saint's body stretched on the ground, her arms crossed and her face turned towards the East. His tearful emotion prevented him from noticing at once an inscription traced on the ground by the Saint, which read: "Abba Zosimas, bury here the body of the humble Mary; give what is of dust to dust, after having prayed for me." After having vainly tried to break up the earth with a stick, he suddenly saw a lion approaching Mary's body and licking her feet.
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On his return to the monastery, he recounted the marvels that God had wrought for those who turn away from sin and move towards Him with all their hearts. From the hardened sinner that she had been, Mary has, for a great many souls crushed under the burden of sin, become a source of hope and a model of conversion.
Painted icons of Saint Mary of Egypt reinforce the lessons of her life as it is read in the Orthodox churches during the Lenten season. They teach us that genuine repentance can restore meaning to our lives on earth and give us hope for the future; that it can transform us from slaves to servants of God, and bring us to discover His true love for us as His cherished children.
Iconographic Depictions
Multiple variants of her icons exist. In one, she is depicted with the elder Zosimas in the desert. Her ascetic body radiates holiness as she stands half-naked in a cloak offered by St. Zosimas. He bows in reverence to her, in awe. Another icon shows Saint Mary receiving the Holy Communion from Zosimas. They stand amid the desolate desert, and the stark landscape underlines the holiness of the moment. The Jordan River also appears in the background in some icons. Other versions depict St. Mary walking across the River Jordan.
While the portrayal of Mary walking on water is relatively rare in the Byzantine tradition, it is much more common in Russian icons, where walking on water symbolizes the passage from one life to another.
There is also an icon of St Mary of Egypt. She exposes part of her gaunt yet luminous upper body while wearing St Zosimas' rough garment. The saint's hair is short, dishevelled, and a brilliant white colour. Her right hand is holding a cross, while her left arm is bent, pointing at the cross as if directing our progress.
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Saint Mary of Egypt's biography is portrayed in her vita icons, which include her iconic depiction surrounded by many tiny windows representing major events from her life. When Mary was unable to enter the church to reverence the Cross, she prayed before an icon of the Mother of God. As she disclosed to the elder Zosimas, the Mother of God was Saint Mary of Egyptâs patron saint during her journey through the desert.
Another window depicts St. Zosima's discovery of St. Mary's body. He is seen on his knees, hands raised in prayer and sadness. The lion that helped dig her tomb may be seen from a distance.
Some windows are notable for their landscape elements, which serve as symbols in the Orthodox iconography of St. Mary of Egypt. A church is depicted in the distance as the beginning point of her ascetic achievement. Green grounds alternate with areas of desert rock and sand as symbolic of her repentance journey's difficulties and triumphs.
Icon of Saint Mary of Egypt with Zosimas.
Often we see women saints holding a Cross and with one hand raised in prayer and praise. Those who lived holy and righteous lives are often depicted with a characteristic gesture: an open palm facing the prayer. They are open up to people, with no trace of secret evil thoughts or feelings in their hearts.
The monastic tradition for women is still very strong and along with that, the roles of women in ministering to the faithful have not been formalised for centuries. The most obvious role for women saints is healing, tending to the sick.
Symbolism in the Icons
The icons of Saint Mary of Egypt are rich in symbolism, reflecting her spiritual journey and the Orthodox understanding of repentance and salvation. Here are some key elements:
- Ascetic Appearance: Her emaciated figure and dishevelled hair symbolize her years of self-denial and struggle against temptation in the desert.
- The Mantle: The cloak given to her by St. Zosimas represents the covering of her shame and the beginning of her acceptance back into the community of believers.
- The Cross: The cross she holds signifies her devotion to Christ and the power of the Cross to transform lives.
- The Desert Landscape: The barren desert symbolizes the spiritual wilderness she traversed and the purification she underwent.
- The Jordan River: The river represents baptism and the cleansing of sins, marking the beginning of her new life.
- Walking on Water: Depicts her transfigured state, beyond the limitations of corporeality.
- The Lion: The lion that helped dig her tomb may be seen from a distance, symbolizing the natural world recognizing her holiness.
As she disclosed to the elder Zosimas, the Mother of God was Saint Mary of Egyptâs patron saint during her journey through the desert.
The colours of the robes are less important than you might think. The Byzantine ârulesâ for colour and temperature mean that warm is often placed next to cool, creating a harmony across the image. Sometimes the saints were royal or extremely wealthy and this can be shown in their garments - they tend to have gold and jewels or embroidered patterns in their robes, very different from the simple lengths of cloth or âmaphorionâ worn by monastic saints.
Theological Significance
The icons of Saint Mary of Egypt are not merely artistic representations; they are theological statements about the possibility of redemption and the transformative power of God's grace. Her life demonstrates that no sin is too great to be forgiven and that through sincere repentance, anyone can attain holiness.
The Orthodox stand before Saint Mary of Egypt in prayer for guidance in making prudent choices in our lives and overcoming our sinful impulses and wicked cravings. If we are honest and pray with contrite hearts, our prayers will be answered.
The commemoration of St. Mary of Egypt during Great Lent serves as a reminder of the importance of repentance and spiritual striving during this sacred season. Her example encourages believers to persevere in their Lenten journey and to seek transformation through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
The most obvious role for women saints is healing, tending to the sick.
Here's a table summarizing key aspects of Saint Mary of Egypt's life and their symbolic representation in icons:
| Aspect of Life | Symbolic Representation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Former Life of Sin | Emaciated Figure, Dishevelled Hair | Years of self-denial and struggle against temptation. |
| Conversion | St. Zosimas' Mantle | Covering of shame and acceptance back into the community. |
| Devotion to Christ | The Cross | Power of the Cross to transform lives. |
| Spiritual Journey | Desert Landscape | Spiritual wilderness and purification. |
| Cleansing of Sins | Jordan River | Baptism and the beginning of a new life. |
| Transfiguration | Walking on Water | Her transfigured state, beyond the limitations of corporeality. |
| Recognition of Holiness | The Lion | The natural world recognizing her holiness. |
This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece.
As Hans Hoffman would say, âIn nature, light creates color; in painting color creates light.â
In the Liturgy incense smoke softens the denseness of our surroundings, yet it also reflects and thereby âmaterializesâ light, it is a reminder not only of prayers ascending heavenwards but also of the divine glory and presence. It manifests the unseen, makes visible the invisible.
In this painting we find a classic example of the exploration of the aesthetic category of the Sublime in 19th century Romanticism. As the minuscule figure of the lonesome monk on the bottom left suggests, the quality of the Sublime involves an awe inspiring and acute awareness of our seeming insignificance as we encounter the power and immeasurability of Nature. It therefore leads to pondering on that which surpasses the senses and comprehension and can even induce dread or terror.
Sometimes I feel like Iâm always drawing or painting male saints - so much so that I created a series called âa-zâ of women saints, taking a new saint for each letter of the alphabet and drawing them for a month, during the first summer of lockdown in 2020 (more about that later!).
Clothing: this is the most obvious point when we look at an icon - how is the person dressed and what are we to notice? In the icon above, we can see St Elizabeth the New Martyr dressed in her distinctive monastic robes (she designed and chose a very pale colour, unlike most women monastics who simply wear black in the Orthodox church). Like the icons of the Theotokos many women wear traditional robes that cover their head and bodies in draping folds. This was both comfortable and practical to make while for us now it avoids being distracted by the body of the person we are looking at.
In comparison with some western religious art, dramatically painted with action and realism, covering the bodies of our saints means we are more likely to focus on the âwhyâ rather than the âwhatâ.
The saints are always shown whole and restored, whatever happened to them in life, so St Elizabeth is shown in clean and spotless robes, rather than as she would have been after her martyrdom and murder in the well with St Barbara.
Mary of Egypt
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