Religious icons are sacred images meant to convey theological truths, to be visual expressions of what Scripture provides in words. Highly symbolic and full of meaning, religious icons become vehicles for profound mediation and prayer for anyone who looks upon them with the eyes of faith. Religious icons make wonderful gifts to yourself or for anyone interested in pursuing this method of prayer.

Religious iconography dates back to Eastern (Byzantine) Christianity and reached their high poin in the Russian Orthodox Church. In the Eastern Church religious icons usually had sacramental overtones and were developed for use with the divine liturgy.

For more information on this unique method of prayer, see Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons, a wonderful book by Henri Nouwen. In Behold the Beauty of the Lord, Nouwen provides information on the history of religious icons and teaches readers to see the spiritual significance of their details, to see the message of the Gospel in their art.