Nouwen’s contemplation notes that one cannot make eye contact with the virgin in the icon. As he notes, the Virgin of Vladimir does not enter into our familiar reality; she invites us to enter with her into the eternal life of God. And that the stars on her forehead and shoulders indicate her virginity before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. I guess. There’s a lot of symbolism that icon painters made up and followed rigidly. But I would never have gotten any of that by gazing at it.

(Full review at my blog) ( )

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