Description
From the hand of the Roumanian Archimandrite Timotei Tohaneanu and painted in the reverse glass painting style, which is worked on the inside of a pane of glass with the figure and lettering in reverse so that it is seen correctly on the other side when viewed, this brilliantly colored icon shows Christ as the Vine of Life. Christ sits with the Vine coming out from His side and encircling the Cross, and this Vine is full of ripe grapes in abundance which are being squeezed by the Lord into a chalice. The wine produced from the grapes is His Blood which we receive in Holy Communion when we have properly prepared ourselves through fasting and prayer. The Mystery of Holy Communion is the Life of the Church as Christ Our God is the Life of All Life, hence the name of this icon, for He is the Life of our life in truth.
We see that Christ in His humiliation of suffering and death on the Cross is the very means of our sanctification and the most amazing glory and grace that can be communicated from God to man in this profound mystery of Holy Communion. Only in Heaven will we see this glory and grace as it really is in truth.