Spiritual Ponderings
Images of Blessed Virgin Mary
 
“The devotions we practice in honor of the glorious Virgin Mary, however trifling they may be, are very pleasing to Her Divine Son, and He rewards them with eternal glory.” - Saint Teresa of Avila.  Our next image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a very strange image.  It is called the “Virgin with Three Hands”.  Remember that much of the information about these images of Blessed Virgin Mary can be found in Ann Ball’s book: The Other Faces Of Mary: Stories, Devotions and Pictures of the Holy Virgin around the World. 
 
                In the Eastern Catholic Church a great debate arose about the use of images (Icons) to depict Jesus and other holy figures.  One side the Iconoclasts declared that it was sinful to make images depicting God because the Old Testament forbade it.  St. John Damascene (a.k.a St. John Damascus) and others argued that it was not only permissible but good to create imaged depicting God because of the Incarnation.  According to the legend surround the Icon of the Virgin Mary with Three Hands, John was known to be a great writer and a great orator and Leo the Isaurian, grew tired of being outdone by St. John.  He therefore had someone write a letter to the Emperor in a way that the Emperor would think that St. John had written it.  St. John was convicted and had his right hand cut off as punishment.  Not sure what to do next John went to a monastery and prayed before an Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary asking her to restore his hand and when he woke up the next morning his hand had been restored.  As a sign of his gratitude to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he had a copy of his hand placed in front of the image.  Some historians say that he had his hand painted onto the icon.  Eventually someone copied the image over again including St. John’s arm as if it was a part of the original picture. 
Virgin with Three Hands
                Another ending of the story has the Emperor learning about John’s hand being restored and realizes that St. John must have been innocent and therefore offers John different material things as an apology.  John not wanting anything for himself asked for a copy of his arm to be made and placed before the image and from there someone incorporated it into the next image of the icon.
                This image of the Blessed Virgin Mary with three hands reminds me that God can always bring good out of evil.  I cannot imagine what John was thinking; when his hand was cut off because of Leo’s treachery.  His response was not one of despair but one of prayer.  His faith was that strong.  I hope that my faith is that strong.
                The following are some other things that St. John Damascene says about the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 
(1)"Devotion to you, O Blessed Virgin, is a means of salvation which God gives to those whom he wishes to save." --Saint John Damascene
 
(2)"The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy, because through the Mother of God, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy." --Saint John Damascene
 
                In addition St. John wrote the following song which is song during the Liturgy of