St. Ephraim the Syrian

"More Spacious than the Heavens"
"More Spacious than the Heavens"

It is with great joy that we present to you our first icon acquisition for the beautification of our Church Temple. This icon is often know by its Greek name of “Platytera Ton Ouranon”; Translated from the Greek: "[She who is] "More Spacious than the Heavens", or simply, Πλατυτέρα. It is the icon found in most Orthodox churches in a very prominent position - high in the front apse over the Altar table just above the mercy seat of old, and is often of such scale that it overwhelms and overshadows all other icons in the Church.

Our present version measures five feet in diameter and was written by a Khouriee of our Archdiocese; Heather Sommer; see her biography and photo below.

ON THE ICON OF OUR ALL-HOLY LADY THE THEOTOKOS

"MORE SPACIOUS THAN THE HEAVENS"

Rev. Fr John Mefrige

Our liturgical texts proclaim the following: "He whom not even the universe could contain was contained within the womb of a virgin, making her more spacious than the Heavens." Mary, the Theotokos and Mother of our God through the incarnation becomes the unique person through whom God becomes Man thereby permitting manking the promise of divinity and etarnal life. The metaphors that are used throught scripture to refer to her central rold in God's Divine Economy are many.

The Theotokos is often called an Ark, for the Glory of God settled on her, just as the Glory of God descended on the Mercy Seat of the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 25:10-22).

Just as Aaron's Rod sprouted miraculously in the Old Testament, so too, the Theotokos has budded forth the Flower of Immortality, Christ our God (Num. 17:1-11).

On Mt. Sinai, Moses saw the Bush that was burning, but was not consumed. So too, the Theotokos bore the fire of Divinity, but was not consumed (Ex. 3:1-6).

In the Old Testament Tabernacle, there were found in the Sanctuary golden candlesticks. The Theotokos is the Candlestick which held that Light that illumines the world (Ex. 25:31-40).

Just as the censer holds a burning coal, so too, the Theotokos held the Living Coal. In the Apocalypse, there stands an Angel before the Throne of God, swinging a censer, representing the prayers of the Saints rising up to God. This is also seen as a symbol of the Theotokos, for it is her prayers that find special favor before her Son.

In the Exodus, the Israelites were led out of Egypt by a Cloud of Light, symbolizing the presence of God in their midst. So too, the Theotokos is a Cloud, bearing God within.

In the book of Judges we read the account of the dew which appeared miraculously on Gideon's fleece (Judges 6:36-40). So too, the Dew Christ, appeared miraculously on the Living Fleece the Theotokos.

Into the Holy of Holies only the High Priest could enter. So too, the Theotokos is the Holy of Holies into which only the Eternal High Priest Christ entered (Heb. 9:1-7).

In a dream Jacob saw a ladder ascending to Heaven, with Angels ascending and descending on it. The Theotokos is a Ladder, stretching from earth to Heaven, for on It God descended to man, having become incarnate.

The Prophet Daniel saw a mountain, from which was cut a stone, not by the hand of man (Dan. 2:34, 45). This is a reference to the miraculous Virgin Birth which was accomplished without the hand of man.

The Theotokos was the Palace within which the King Christ our God dwelt.

In the Nativity Service, the Lord is referred to as the Rod from the Stem of Jesse (Is. 11:1), indicating His lineage from David, which was fulfilled through the Theotokos, who was a descendant (or stem) of the line of David, the son of Jesse.

The Tabernacle was the place where the Glory of God dwelt. So too, the Glory of God dwelt in the Theotokos the Living Tabernacle. Like the tabernacle that rests upon the Altar, Mary's body contains the very body of Jesus Christ. (Ex. 40:34). It is she who holds within herself not just God’s words; as the the Ark of old held the Commandments of the Law, but the mystcal Ark holds within herself the very Word of God Himself.

She is also refered to as the Holy Table (Altar Table) on which, at the Divine Liturgy, the Divine Food is offered. So too, the Theotokos is the Holy Table which bore the Bread of Life.

The Prophet Ezekiel speaks of the Temple whose East gate remains sealed, through which only the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered. This clearly prophesies the Ever virginity of the Theotokos (Ez. 44:1-2).

The Theotokos is the Throne upon which Christ, the King of All, rested.

In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant contained within itself a golden urn filled with the heavenly manna. The Theotokos is the Urn which contained Christ, the Divine Manna the bread of Life. (Heb. 9:1-7).

And Finally the Theotokos is the Vine which bore the Ripe Cluster (of Grapes), Christ our Lord.*

The Platytera icon is usually depicted as if we could look into the very womb of Mary. She is adorned in a regal red, symbolizing her dignity as the queen of heaven. Red is also the color of clay or earth, symbolizing that it is from a created being, one who was made of clay, that the Second Person of the Trinity receives His human nature. Typically depicted with her outstretched arms, Mary presents Christ to us, the Church, from the very center of her own being. This is a position of both prayer and presentation. She is both intercessor and introducer for us to her Son. We can plainly see how she is always praying for us as intercessor before God and to whom she intercedes.

The Icon is also a mirror of what we, the Church, are called to be: bearers of Christ within us. This icon is therefore by extension, less an icon of her as it is an icon of Christ and Church. Like any good mother, she typifies the Church our Mother. And with the Church, our most essential needs are cared for in the reception of the Holy Eucharist during the Divine Liturgy, the central sacramental act of the Church. Like the jar of old which held the manna the israelites ate in the wilderness, she holds within herself the bread of life. Our good loving Mother is always ready and waiting for us. Being ready to embrace us is how she is depicted in the sublime image of the Platytera. It is an accurate, true image that shows the marvelous mystery of God’s willingness to love and dwell in his creation. In the depiction of Mary in the Platytera we can find a simple message: This is what it means to be The Church.

The stars on Mary's forehead and on each of her shoulders refer to her virginity before, during, and after the birth of Christ. On either side of her are the ancient Greek words: Μήτηρ Θεού; (MP-OV), literally meaning The Mother of God. In this way, the icon makes a statement about both Christ's divinity and Mary's humanity. The child she carries in her womb is at the same time both God and man, thus making her the "God-bearer" the Theotokos.

The immensity of this icon in some Orthodox Churches can present a rather striking first impression especially to a non-Orthodox visitor. Even to the Orthodox it may present a bit of a dilemma. How is it that in a Christian church, a place where life centers around Christ, can an image of His mother appear to have such prominence? In reality the Platytera is less an image of Mary as an image of Christ. As a matter of fact Christ Emmanuel is at the very front and center of the icon. This icon is often called “Theotokos of the Sign”, a reference to Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.” Its prominence in Orthodox Churches does not betray a hidden cult of Mary but rather shows a balance in the historical Church’s view of the place and essential role of Mary in God's divine economy. She is essential and therefore significant by her relationship to Christ. Christ could not have been born without her free consent. She is made significant by the One whom she bore. Note that she is in the background not in the foreground of the icon. She becomes the place where God is enthroned and her womb provides the throne - she has come to become the new Mercy Seat. She is significant to us as an example of the potential of free-will submission to God’s goodness and deference to His Will. She becomes for us the new Eve. She is indispensable because without her, Christ’s birth could not have taken place.

The architectural placement of the Platytera, between the ceiling and the floor powerfully illustrates that she is the person through whom heaven and earth are united. She is called in our Hymnography; “the heavenly ladder, whereby God has descended” and as “the Bridge leading those on earth to heaven”, as we sing in the Akathist Hymn. Her icon unites Christ’s ceiling icon of the “Pantocrator” with those of us below. The Mother of God, stands between the heavens and the earth and serves as a bridge between.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost a remarkable thing happened: God revealed to us that everyone can have God dwelling within them. This was a radically different concept to the Jews of that day who saw God’s throne as a physical structure, the Temple in Jerusalem. Now, all believers could be like Mary, the first and most excellent example of the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Since Mary is the perfect example of bearing Christ within her, the wisdom of the Church’s placement of the Platytera is reconfirmed. In the same way Pentecost made people rethink their beliefs about where exactly it is that God dwells, in a literal way we are faced with pondering how it is that God can live within us too as believers.
The Theotokos with the Christ Child teaches us a fundamental truth of Orthodoxy, that Christ is to dwell in each of us. Saint Ambrose expressed it well: "Every believing soul conceives and gives birth to the Word of God; Christ, by means of our faith, is the fruit of us all, thus we are all mothers of Christ." Thus, the same Christ that condescended to dwell in the Virgin Mary comes to be born in us, that we too may say, as did Saint Paul, “it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” (Gal 2:20).

- Fr. John

*Excerpt taken from "These Truths We Hold - The Holy Orthodox Church: Her Life and Teachings". St. Tikhon's Seminary Press, South Canaan, PA 1986

Heather Sommer is the wife of Father David Sommer and the mother of four children. Her parents, also lovers of the Orthodox Christian arts, encouraged her to attend her first serious icon-painting workshop at age 15. From that point, Heather has tried to nurture her natural interest in iconography while juggling her busy role as a homeschooling mother. Heather studied iconography for three years under Ivan Rumantsev while Fr David attended Saint Tikhon Seminary. She continues to work under Heather Mackean of Bellingham, Washington. She deeply enjoys working with natural materials whenever she is able, making her own gesso (primer) and varnish, as well as mixing her own pigments. Khouria Heather’s desire is that the icons she paints inspire the viewer to prayer and bring glory to God.

The Sommer family live in Snohomish, Washington, and serve Saint Thomas Antiochian Orthodox Mission.

Kh Heather and Fr. David Sommer
Kh Heather and Fr. David Sommer

Nick Ozerov Scribing the Board

Fr John Preparing the Rondelle

Fr John Cutting the Canvas

Nick Video HERE Fr. John Video HERE Fr. John Video #2

Blessing and Raising the Icon on the Feast of the Dormition

Paraklesis Service before the Icon

The Blessing and

the Raising of the Icon

Blessing & Raising of the Icon on the Feast of the Dormition Large File 77mb