Handmade Byzantine Icon of Saint Sophia and her Daughters.
Saint Sophia was a Christian widow who went to Rome with her three daughters Agape ("Love"), Pisti ("Faith") and Elpida ("Hope"). She was known for her love of Christianity and so it didn't take long for the Emperor Hadrian to be informed of her existence.
They arrested Saint Sophia separately from her daughters, who were interrogated about their faith and who fearlessly answered with passages from the Bible.
Saint Agape, Saint Pisti and Saint Elpida were martyred for Christianity and eventually beheaded. Their mother, Saint Sophia, stayed three days in their tombs, praying to God to bring her to them. God listening to her prayer, gave her her last breath. She was buried next to her daughters.
Apolytikion
O Lord Jesus, unto Thee Thy lamb doth cry with a great voice: O my Bridegroom, Thee I love; and seeking Thee, I now contest, and with Thy baptism am crucified and buried. I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; for Thy sake I die, that I may live in Thee: accept me offered out of longing to Thee as a spotless sacrifice. Lord, save our souls through her intercessions, since Thou art great in mercy.
Kontakion
Since Faith and Hope and Love were in truth sacred branches of ven'rable Sophia, the namesake of wisdom by grace they have shown all men that Greek wisdom is foolishness, and in contest they proved to be prizewinning victors; wherefore, they received a crown that never shall perish from Christ God, the Lord of all.
The Icon of Saint Sophia and her Daughters is an exact copy of Byzantine art and is created by experienced craftsmen using the method of gold printing where hagiographic leaves of 22 karat gold are applied in detail to decorate the background.
During the final processing, the Icon is painted with dark red color around the perimeter and polished with a special varnish to maintain its shine.
It is offered in level or recessed wooden surface and is suitable for wall mounting.
Feast: September 17
Iconographer: Holy Monastery Dormition of Theotokos, Parnes
Availability: Made to order, usually ships within 5 to 10 days.
