What do the children think about the icon of the Holy Trinity?
“Those of us who make the first steps on their way to God should take an
example from the little ones”
Saint John
Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent, I, 23
The following excerpts were taken and translated from an Italian book “Dalla
Trinità all'eucaristia. L'icona della Trinità di Rublëv” by Daniel Ange. Children from all over the world were shown
the icon of the Holy Trinity of Andrei Rublev. These children never received any
primary or church education. The children were first shown the icon without any
explanation of its origin. Then the author explained who was depicted on the
icon and the children were asked to give a second opinion after the meaning was
explained to them. Here is what they said as about the icon:
First impression
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After the meaning’s explained
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The tree watches
the angel in the middle. He looks consented. It seems they have been invited,
but they ask me to come too.
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It seems
Jesus has the sun on his vestments. They love each other. There’s an opened
door for me, and it leads to the flame-colored house.
Jean-Maria, 8
years
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The angel
from the right gives the glad eye on the cup that stands on the table. They
are happy but they are among the sad land.
Nadezhda, 11
years
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The angels
are having a meal of love. They are dressed in the festal Sunday vestments.
Mary, 5.5
years
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These are the
apostles or the angels…
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This icon
prepares the joy that will spread all over the world in future. All the three
are talking without saying a word.
Cristian, 13
years
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I see Jesus
and two His disciples from Emmaus on the icon… He looks sad at them. The two
disciples are listening attentively to risen Christ.
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I think it’s
the icon of love. I really like the background as it’s painted in bright and
festal colors. They are watching, as if they are little orphans, who lost
their faith and life with the Lord. They are sad and unhappy like poor
people.
Domenic, 12
years
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We can see
the angels taking the Body of Christ… They
are looking at us and at the plate with alter-bread at the same time.
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What amazes
me most is their natural beauty. The Almighty Father wears really strange
clothes. The rock is painted in a strange way too. I want to cry and to laugh
at the same time.
Mary-Annic,
12 years
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Jesus and two
apostles are going to take the alter-bread. They have the same hair and
depicted in the same way.
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Oh! The
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. You are asking me to come to you, into
your house. You are dressed in special colors, in colors of joy.
Domenic,
11.5 years
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There are
three angels and a bowl of wine. There is a holly that doesn’t blossom behind
the middle angel. They look as if they are praying in front of this bowl.
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It’s strange
that the Holy Ghost is depicted like a man. And since they have the wings
they don’t need crooks.
Cecilia,
11.5 years
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These are
three Faces of the Holy Trinity. There are a bowl and bread in the middle of
the table. They are sitting in the altar. It’s obvious they are praying
whole-heartedly.
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Their hearts
are full of love and opened to everyone. They have attentive and gentle look.
Sofia, 11
years
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The faces of
these three images are beautiful. They are a bit sad, but in their heart
they’re happy. They left the door open for everyone passing by.
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Oh, dear
Lord. You are the source of life and God. You love us all and we love you
too. Our hearts are bounded with yours for life eternal.
Catherine, 11
years
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These men
have the wings, there are three persons… They are praying at the table. I
think this is Jesus in Abraham’s house.
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The icon
represents the circle, where we can come back any time and stay for as long
as possible. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are really well-dressed,
their clothes are beautiful. They are sad, and it seems their hearts are
heavy. They hands look very tired.
Domenic,
12 years
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What
impresses me is that the icon shows three sad persons, who are silent. Jesus,
look at these people, because they are sad, and make them feel happy, because
I feel sorry for them.
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It suggested
me a thought about a family: a father, a son, and a mother. The icon reminds
me a Sunday in my church.
Christian, 12
years
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There are
three creatures with wings… They look like as if they are very simple.
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These are
three Images: the Father, the Son and the holy Ghost. Their glance makes a
semicircle. These three great men are wearing the blue tunics, but the Father
has a very modest one on. There’s an entrance in front of the table. Those,
who want, may enter the Kingdom of God.
Jean-Michel,
11.5 years
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An icon is a
work of a prayer, as the icon-painter spends a lot of their time praying in
order to make it represent his resignation. When you look at it you feel
someone looks at you too.
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They all have
tender look and the Son looks fondly at the Father. There’s a rock on the
icon which should symbolize the words like “you must build your house on the
rock, because if you built it in the sand, it will ruin”.
Jaclyn, 12
years
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There are
people who are going to take the sacrament. They are sitting at the table,
perhaps in the open air.
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Three persons
look very prayerful. They are going to take the sacrament. The Father, the
Son and the Holy Ghost look as if they are waiting for someone and discussing
something significant.
Jean-Luca, 14
years
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Three men are
sitting at the table. This table looks like an altar.
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They are
happy and they want everyone follow them to live happy too. The Father, the
Son and the Holy Ghost are dressed in blue clothes, just like Mother of God.
They look as if they are searching for someone.
Patrick, 13
years
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I think this
icon represents God and His two disciples taking bread together, as if they
are sitting on the altar. It seems strange to me, because we must not do so
out of respect for God.
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Oh, Father!
Oh, Son! Oh, Holy Ghost! Come back and have a glance at us. Grant us courage,
which will be good and pure. Make our hearts pure and sacred. Oh, how
beautiful and holy is the church behind!
Lorenza, 12
years
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All the three
take something red in their hands. They look poor.
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I’m
impressed, because someone has managed to depict the whole life and the
necessity of living by the spirit, because the real life is inside us… This
icon shows how much God loves us.
Jean-Jacomo,
12 years
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These are
Jesus and His two disciples. It’s afternoon. They are taking something and,
perhaps, they are taking the sacrament. It seems they are dressed like the
ancient Romans.
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This reminds
me a discussion between the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost about the way
to find the mean that will make the people’s life easier. In the bowl there
are a bunch of grapes and communion bread, which will fill us with divine
life.
Gwenell, 12
years
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Jesus and two
His disciples are praying in silence. They think about all the people who
don’t know Him. A bowl of wine and bread can be seen there as the sign of the
last dinner. They look sad and confused.
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This icon
reminds me about Christ and His readiness to suffer for all of us. The icon
teach me to love the others as much as Jesus love us all.
Anna-Maria,
13 years
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Oh, my God!
You are almighty, You are the Lord of the whole earth. You gifted us the
faith and this ability to faith brings us joy and happiness.
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The blue
tunic of the Son means the priest’s vestment, and the tunic of the Holy Ghost
represents water. Water is transparent, and there can be nothing without it…
The icon is “open” – there’s a small entry between the feet of the Father and
the Holy Ghost. It’s a place for the Christians, so that they can life
according to the Christianly.
Anna-Maria,
13 years
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The icon
suggested me a thought about the disciples from Emmaus, who share bread with
Jesus. They met Him suddenly after the day He has risen.
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They’re
sitting in front of the altar and praying as they want people to adhere the
Word of God. They are hard at prayer.
Cecilia, 11.5
years
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On this
picture we can see these three women are saint… It depicts an episode that
takes place in a castle in Jesus’ times. One may think that they are watching
how Jesus is growing up in this little bowl.
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They look
upset and poor, but they are beautiful. They are anxious as they see people go
towards a disaster and ignorance.
Paskal, 13
years
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Three
characters are very alike. They look like the kings sitting on their thrones.
The colors are bright and festal.
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Jesus looks
at His Father, but the Ghost is depicted as hidden and forgotten. The rock
means the stone on which Jesus has prayed to God. The Father is asking his
Son if he wants to die crucified.
Lenaik,
11.5 years
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Their Faces
amaze me, because when you look at them you feel God’s fondness.
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And now I’m
amazed by the Ghost depicted as a human. What is more, the Father, Who’s
dressed in the simplest clothes, impresses me too.
Veronica,
11.5 years
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The icon
reminds me Jesus, Who blessed the bread. And on the background we can see the
women praying to Him.
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The icon
reminds me the dinner at the Abraham’s house. They are poor and they’re
waiting for the birth of the Abraham’s son. So there will be one more
Christian on earth!
Joel, 12.5 years
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This icon is
pure and saint. It’s nice. These three characters are looking at the gifts on
the plate. I like the colors of their vestments, as they represent all the
wonders of the world.
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Oh, God, how
wonderful You are in Your blue coat! You are looking at Your Father and You
love Him to death. My God, how great you are in this lost in the universe
world. My God, You have so much mercy on poor and unhappy people. You open us
your heart and soul to save us all.
Thierry, 14
years
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The icon of
the Holy Trinity depicts the angels, because we can see the wings. They are
going to take the Body of Christ.
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I’m impressed
by Jesus constantly looking at His Father and by his tunic. He was dipped
into blood and that’s why His tunic is red. There’s also an entry for people
so that they can pray together with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
There’s also a holly-tree.
Oliver, 12
years
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Order Handpainted Icons from the Icon Painting Workshop of St.Elisabeth Convent |
The Father, the
Son and the Holy Ghost. Here we can see the liturgy in Eden. The world seems
peaceful and nice. Their look seems pure to me, they look not sad, but very
happy. The houses around seem empty. Why is it so? Without any doubts they are
praying because they want our world to be the as nice as theirs one.
Valeria, 12 years
I see there three
Faces of the Holy Trinity. They look at the earth and at people who do evil or who
do some good. Why do they look so sad?
Emanuela, 10 years
The Holy Face in
the middle is peaceful and nice. It fosters you to pray. Its head is a bit tilted
as if it wants to express its desire or feeling. All of them have got a stick.
Perhaps because they shepherd people, but they let them be free. Just like a
shepherd let the cattle scamper and leap. We can see a bunch of grapes which
means the blood of risen Christ. I think, Jesus sits in the medium, and two
others are the Father and the Holy Ghost. Jesus has served the first liturgy,
and it seems to me, that the Face in the middle is at the altar.
Christina, 10 years
Something makes
me think about Lady Mary… This tree is Mary!
(The child has
never heard about the stem of Jesse).
Philip, 9 years
They share a
meal, just like on Sundays. But they have got the sticks. Perhaps, do they want
to act like shepherds do?
Sandrina, 11 years
Three Faces of
the Holy Trinity are placed around the table as if they’re praying. There’s a bowl.
They should be speaking about the bowl. Are they in heaven?
Mark, 10.5 years
I don’t know
what’s in the plate. Bread? I see the two reaching their hands to the plate. I
believe there are two symbols on the table – oak-tree and church.
Sofia, 10 years
I see there the
Father and two His Faces – the Son and the Holy Ghost. I believe Christ let
them take the sacrament. This icon makes me pray, because these Faces are pure
of heart.
Valeria, 10 years
These three Holy
Faces mean the Father, Christ and the Holy Ghost. They don’t say a word because
they are fully tender. I’d like to be here and stay in front of the icon
forever. I just want to contemplate them and their silence doesn’t depress me.
They are made of light that you won’t find on earth. It’s so bright that my
eyes hurt. The only thing that surprises me is that none of them has wounds
from crucifixion.
Nikolay, 13 years
This may happen
after Christ’s death. He asks His father to forgive the people who have killed
Him. Or maybe they discuss everything bad what people do on earth (wars, for
example), talk about Christian life. Perhaps they think whether they could show
people something special to encourage people (for example, the image of Saint
Margaret).
Francisco, 11 years
I’m in front of the Father, the Son is to the right
and the Holy Ghost is to the left. The Father asks me:
- Where are you from?
- Do you want to drink?
- Come with us.
- You may sit in the shadow and rest.
- Let us celebrate.
Ives, 11 years
There are three
wayfarers who came to Abraham. It’s God. The Holy Ghost and the Son look at the
Father. The crooks are the symbols of their journey. We don’t see the sun,
because they are staying near the camp and it casts the shadow. There’s only
one bowl, because they are three into one.
Michal, 13 years
We are involved into the icon and we can hear their
conversation:
- Let us go and visit Abraham, – says one of them.
- But it’s far away in the desert, – says the other.
- That’s fine, God will save us, – answers the first
one.
- Sure, but it’s too hot at this time, – says the
third.
- Well, but when should we go then? – asks the second.
- We will go tomorrow in the morning. – answers the
first.
Eve, 13 years
They are under
the banner of the cross. These are the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. They
are both alike and different at the same time. The Father’s hand looks like the
Son’s one… And it seems they are talking and keeping silent at the same time.
There’s a bowl, it’s Eucharist. There’s enough place for the whole world. He
says us: I love you. The seat in front of the table means all of us are invited
to join them and to take sacrament. He’s waiting for us. I have never seen this
icon before, but I’m so happy I’ve found it!
Eduard, 8 years