Saint Venerable Peter of Athos. Wooden orthodox icon.
Original icon: 19th century.
Reverend Peter the Athonite, a Greek by birth, served as a commander in the imperial army and lived in Constantinople. In 667, during a war with the Syrians, Saint Peter was captured and imprisoned in the fortress of the city of Samara on the Euphrates River.
For a long time he languished in prison and pondered the sins for which he had been punished by God. Saint Peter remembered that he had once intended to leave the world and go to a monastery, but he never carried it out. He began to observe a strict fast in prison, pray fervently, and asked Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker for intercession before God. Saint Nicholas appeared to Saint Peter in a dream and advised him to call upon Saint Simeon the God-Receiver for help. Strengthening the prisoner in patience and hope, the saint appeared to him again in a dream. The third time he appeared together with Saint Simeon the God-Receiver in reality. Saint Simeon touched the chains of Saint Peter with his staff, and the iron melted like wax. The prison doors opened, and Saint Peter was released. Saint Simeon the God-Receiver became invisible, and Saint Nicholas accompanied Saint Peter to the border of the Greek land. Having reminded him of his vow, Saint Nicholas also became invisible. Saint Peter went to Rome to take monastic vows at the tomb of the Apostle Peter. Saint Nicholas did not leave him without his help: he appeared in a dream to the Pope of Rome and told him about the circumstances of Saint Peter's release from captivity, ordering the Pope to tonsure the former prisoner into monasticism. The next day, during a crowded gathering of people during the service, the Pope said loudly: "Peter, who came from the Greek land, whom Saint Nicholas freed from prison in Samara, come to me." Saint Peter appeared before the Pope, who tonsured him into monasticism at the tomb of the Apostle Peter. The Pope taught Saint Peter the rules of monastic life and kept the monk with him. Then he sent Saint Peter off with a blessing to wherever God would deign to send him.
Saint Peter boarded a ship sailing to the east. The sailors, who went ashore during a stop, asked Saint Peter to come and pray at a house where the owner and all the household were sick. Saint Peter healed them with his prayer.
The Holy Mother of God appeared to Saint Peter in a dream and showed him the place where he was to live until the end of his days – Mount Athos. When the ship sailed past Mount Athos, it stopped by itself. Saint Peter understood that he had to go ashore at this place, and he went ashore. This was in the year 681. Saint Peter spent 53 years in the deserted places of the Holy Mountain, not seeing any people. His clothes had decayed, but his hair and beard had grown and covered his body instead of clothes.
At first, Saint Peter was repeatedly subjected to demonic attacks. Trying to force the saint to leave the cave, the demons took the form of armed soldiers, then ferocious animals and reptiles, ready to tear the hermit to pieces. But with fervent prayer to God and the Mother of God, Saint Peter overcame the demonic attacks. Then the enemy began to act cunningly. Appearing in the guise of a youth sent to him from his home, he tearfully begged the saint to leave the desert and return to his home. The saint wept, but without hesitation answered: "The Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos brought me here, without Her permission I will not leave here." Hearing the name of the Mother of God, the demon disappeared.
Seven years later, the demon appeared before the saint in the form of a bright Angel and said that God was commanding him to go into the world to enlighten and save people who needed his guidance. The experienced ascetic again replied that he would not leave the desert without the command of the Mother of God. The demon disappeared and did not dare approach the saint again. The Mother of God appeared to Saint Peter in a dream together with Saint Nicholas and told the courageous hermit that every 40 days an Angel would bring him heavenly manna. From that time on, Saint Peter fasted for 40 days, and on the fortieth day he fortified himself with heavenly manna, receiving strength for the next forty days of abstinence.
One day, a hunter chasing a deer saw a naked man, overgrown with hair and girded around the loins with leaves. He became frightened and started to run. Saint Peter stopped him and told him about his life. The hunter asked permission to stay with him, but the saint sent him home. Saint Peter gave the hunter a year to examine himself and forbade him to talk about his encounter with him.
A year later, the hunter returned with his brother, who was possessed by a demon, and other companions. When they entered the cave of Saint Peter, they saw that he had already departed to God. The hunter, with bitter tears, told his companions about the life of Saint Peter, and his brother, as soon as he touched the body of the saint, received healing. Saint Peter died in 734. His holy relics were on Athos in the monastery of Saint Clement. During the iconoclasm, they were hidden, and in 969 they were transferred to the Thracian village of Photokami. The name of Saint Peter of Athos is associated with the sacred covenant of the Mother of God about her earthly lot - Holy Mount Athos, which remains in force to this day:
"On Mount Athos will be his rest, that is, the lot Mine, from My Son and God, given to Me, that those who renounce worldly rumors and embrace spiritual feats according to their strength, and with faith and love from the soul call upon My name, there spend their temporary life without sorrow, and for the sake of their God-pleasing deeds receive eternal life: for I love that place very much and want to increase the rank of monastics there, and the mercy of My Son and God to those who have monasticism there will never be destroyed, if they also keep the saving commandments; and I will spread them in the Mountain to the south and north, and they will rule over it from world to world, and I will make their name praiseworthy throughout the entire sun and protect those who will patiently struggle in fasting there."
The icon is made by printing on a wooden board. Paints are mineral, do not fade with time. The thickness of the board is 2 cm. The board is covered with primer by hand. The image is covered with wax. Each icon has a metal mount on the back side so that you can hang the icon on the wall.
You can buy the icon in three sizes:
- 13 х 11 centimeters (5,1 x 4,3 inches)
- 19 х 16 centimeters (7,5 x 6,3 inches)
- 26 х 22 centimeters (10,2 x 8,7 inches)
Our icons are made by Orthodox craftsmen. You can read more about the technology here.
We hope it will be a good gift for you and your loved ones.
