This seventh-century Coptic icon eloquently presents Christ in a unique light - not as king, teacher, or even the beloved, but as our friend. Holding the book of the Gospels, Jesus rests His arm on the shoulder of Saint Mina, a Coptic ascetic and martyr of the third century, with the Savior's words in the ornamental border below. The original of this icon is located at the Louvre in Paris.
Who was Saint Mina?
One of the most renowned of the Egyptian saints, Saint Mina (or Menas) was born to Christian parents in the late third century. He joined the Roman army at a young age and left three years later, seeking a hermetic life in the desert where he could devote his life to Christ.
One day Saint Mina had a vision of angels bestowing glorious crowns upon the Christian martyrs. Longing to join their ranks, he hurried to the pagan ruler and declared his Christian faith. After merciless torture, he was finally put to death.
Since that time he has worked countless cures, and in earlier centuries his reputation was well known throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond, as evidenced by the countless small clay bottles (used by pilgrims to carry oil or water blessed at his tomb) found by archeologists in Germany, Italy, Croatia, France, the Sudan, and Jerusalem.
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The icon of Jesus and St. Mina in this video is available from Monastery Icons here: www.monasteryicons.com/produc...