Saint Hodegetria

The Hodegetria (Hodēgḗtria) Icon of the Mother of God is historically the first icon of the Church, painted by the Holy Evangelist Luke, as we sing in the Megalynarion¹ of the Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos: “May the lips of all the ungodly who do not venerate your sacred Hodegetria Icon, which the Holy Evangelist Luke has depicted for us, be silenced.”

According to the tradition of the Synaxaristés, Saint Luke painted the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos from life, and she received it with great joy and blessed it saying, “May the grace of Him Who was born of me be with this Icon.”