Icon of the Ascension of Our Lord

Br. Claude Lane, a Benedictine monk of Mount Angel Abbey, wrote an icon for the parish. The icon consists of three panels containing 22 figures. The central figure is Chrsit enthroned in glory.
The icon of the Ascension is unique in Eastern iconography.  It portrays both Our Lord’s ascension into Heaven on the 40th day after His resurrection and the Lord’s return in glory, also known as the Second Coming. The inspiration for the icon is found in Matthew 28:19, " And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.'” 
There is an invisible drama at play in the writing of an icon.  It is the age old combat between good and evil.  Satan, the Evil One, always contests the work of God.  In the particular case of iconography, Satan connives to obstruct the artistic work offered to the glory of God.  The Evil One acknowledges that the visual image is a sublime way of reaching the heart, mind and soul of man.  His first volley in his attack against this visual work is lobbed against the iconographer.  Thus, the iconographer petitions the faithful to pray that he be given the grace to complete the good work to the glory of God.  The prayers of the iconographer is that his work will be a channel through which God’s graces flow freely into the lives of the faithful.

The Icon is not a triptych but rather one image in three parts.  The central panel depicts our Lord’s Ascension into Heaven accompanied by His Angels. Below we see His mother, the Virgin Mary, with her arms raised in prayer.  She represents the Church both waiting for the Lord and receiving Him as He returns in glory.  The two angels that stand behind her represent the evangelical mission call of the Church, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”  Mk. 16:15.  Included in the central panel are St. Paul to the right and St. Peter, to the left of the Blessed Mother.  On the side panels are depictions of the remaining ten Apostles present at the Ascension.  
Starting on the far left of the first side panel of the Icon, we see St. Simon the Zealot next St. Bartholomew then St. Andrew followed by St. Thomas and St. James the Lesser.  On the second side panel of the Icon (from left to right) is John the Beloved Disciple then St. Jude followed by St. Matthew, St. James the Greater and finally St. Philip.  The appearance of the Apostles vary greatly as does their ministries.  For instance, St. Andrew is depicted with the wild hair of the prophets because he was a disciple of John the Baptist before he came to the Lord.   Saints John, Philip and Thomas are shown clean shaven and with the short hair popular at their time, influenced by the Greek culture.
The figure of the Ascended Christ is contained in a shape called a mandorla.  A mandorla symbolizes the heavenly realm.  Behind the figure of Christ is an area that is dark and called uncreated light.  This “divine light is so bright it blinds the human eye.  Christ’s face is patterned on the image of the Shroud of Turin.  He holds in His hand a vellum scroll, symbolizing that He is the Word written on human flesh.  The red cord of the scroll indicates Christ’s human descent and His divinity wrapped in humanity. 

 
 

Side panels of the Icon