Saint Stephen – Antique Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Antique Lithograph of Saint Stephen.

Saint Stephen (December 27) was one of the seven deacons chosen by the first Christians and ordained by the Holy Apostles to oversee the communal tables of the brethren.

Stephen dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel and engaging in charitable actions. For his contributions and virtues, he was honored with the gift of performing miracles. With this gift, he healed the sick and demonstrated the power of Christ.

With his profound theological knowledge, he easily refuted the heresies of the Jews regarding the work of Christ, which provoked their anger and jealousy. They even spread rumors that they had heard Stephen blaspheme Moses and God. As a result of these false accusations, which they themselves had sown, they brought him to the Sanhedrin, supposedly to defend himself. Saint Stephen’s defense became a model of courage and boldness. From being a defendant, he rose as a fierce reprover and accuser. Then, overcome by hatred, the Jews dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death. It was there that Stephen’s great forgiveness toward his enemies was revealed when he said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Lord, do not charge them with this sin.)

Antique Lithograph: Features

This particular image was created using the technique of lithography, which is taught in the iconography workshops of Mount Athos and is also used by several monks to create exceptional works of art. In this case, the monk used a lithographed copy of Byzantine art and crafted this piece following the traditional method of artificial aging. Lithography in iconography is essentially a printing technique.

Origin: Mount Athos