Saint Menelaos – Handmade Hagiography – Mount Athos

Description

Handmade Hagiography On natural linden wood by the hands of the hagiographer, the saintly monk Father Vasileios, who is buried in the Holy Cell of Agios Anthony of the Holy Monastery of Philotheus.
An exceptional iconography depicting Saint Menelaus, crafted entirely by hand.

This specific iconography has been crafted by the Agiorite Father Vasilios, based on Byzantine iconography standards. The depiction of the Saint has been painted entirely by hand. Coating the hagiography with pure beeswax ensures that the colors of the image remain unchanged over time.

Saint Menelaus was born in Presignier, France around 700 AD. and came from a very prominent aristocratic family.
From a very young age, our Saint foretold that he would follow the path where Jesus showed him. This resulted in many obstacles, hardships and challenges as his father, when Agios reached maturity, pressured him to take his official social position as the prince he was and marry a blue-blooded woman. The young Menelaus bravely replied that he never wanted him to marry, and due to constant quarrels with his father, he was heartbroken and forced to yield to his worldly plans.
After intense prayer and in order not to fall into a dishonest fall, he consulted two of his closest and most trusted friends, Savvininos and Konstas, and all three ventured together and left the paternal yoke!

Guided by Divine Providence, they leave their city and arrive at the ruined, ancient and famous Monastery of Mena or Agios Minas. After they had settled for good in the quiet place, one day they received the visit of a new monk: Theofritos who suggested that they go and put themselves under the spiritual guidance of Saint Eudos. So they joined his entourage. After some time our child-elder hesychasts had acquired a great reputation and it reached so far that one day his mother, her sister and his ex-fiancée arrived at the gates of the Monastery. At first, the Saint thought that they came to change his mind, but oh of your infinite miracles, Christ! They asked him with desire to lead them to the divine life of Christ and to ordain them Nuns!