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Narrative: Peter, a native of Bethsaida near Lake Tiberias, was the son of John. First named Simon, he lived and worked as a fisherman on Lake Genesareth. His brother, Andrew, introduced him to Jesus, who then gave him the name Cephas, the Aramaic equivalent of Peter (the Rock) in Greek. Peter was present for Christ’s first miracle, the cure of Peter’s mother-in-law, and he is mentioned more frequently in the Gospels than any of the other Apostles. He became the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and was crucified at the foot of the Vatican Hill. The original of this Icon was created in the traditional Russian manner using ground stone pigments suspended in an egg yoke medium and 23K gold leaf.
This icon shows him, like many of us, searching for spiritual answers. He was very human, not a perfect person, but one who was open and responded to the call of Christ in his life. It is insightful that, when Christ chose Peter to lead the Church into the First Century, he called on a man whose weaknesses were well known. Peter’s call serves as a source of strength to us human beings who are usually very aware of our flaws and mindful of the things that we cannot do. It provides a symbol of hope for us that others often see the capabilities and goodness that we cannot see in ourselves.
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© Hermitage Art, Inc.
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