Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai: THE ARK IN THE DESERT

Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai: THE ARK IN THE DESERT

Archbishop Damianos of Sinai and Raitho:

"The Monastery of Saint Catherine, known more accurately as the Sacred and Imperial Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount of Sinai, is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world. Spiritual and ascetic life began here by the end of the third century A.D., and the fortified monastery proper, along with the magnificent basilica, was constructed at the command of the Emperor Justinian the Great in the middle of the sixth century.

The geographical isolation of the site, the perfect climatological conditions, and the zeal of the monks contributed to the preservation of the liturgical objects that accumulated over the centuries within the fortified walls of the monastery. Among these, the collection of Byzantine icons is the richest in the world, and it includes the greatest number of sixth- and seventh-century encaustic panels to have survived the scourge of Iconoclasm.

The basilica and the chapels of the Monastery are adorned with a multitude of icons, which are thus a presence in the daily liturgical life of both the Sinai brethren and the ever-present succession of pilgrims. In this manner they fulfill to the utmost the very reason for their existence: they are the focus of both private and common prayer, and they are venerated, hymned, censed, and contemplated, so that they become most powerful buttresses in our Christian ascesis, and material supports in religious life and worship. …

For more than fourteen hundred years, on every single day the monks of Sinai have stood in their stalls, in the monastery’s basilica built by Emperor Justinian, participating in the early service that commences before dawn. They are figures of prayer and contemplation amid the wilderness of the desert, brethren gathered from far lands, each of them … “like a sparrow alone upon the house top” (Psalm 101:8). Yet they are not alone, for they are in the presence of the saints, those athletes of faith – their own saints, the saints of Sinai – whose icons hang against the walls of their ancient basilica.

Painted through the centuries, these icons have been testimonies of faith, tabernacles of prayer, and repositories of hope for entire generations. Each of them has its own mystical history – the prayers, the hymns, the contrite supplications, and the thankful words of those who have venerated them. Over them all, the splendid sixth-century mosaic of the Transfiguration adorns the apse of the basilica. In the darkness of the cold night, under the still light of the oil lamps, the figures of the saints acquire a life of their own, as do the majestic figures of the apse mosaic, especially that of our Transfigured Lord, whose white garments glimmer even in darkness. The communion of the Holy Spirit unites us all in the celebration of the Eucharist.

As the Divine Liturgy reaches its triumphal culmination, the first rays of the sun break through the apse windows. Shafts of subtle morning light pierce the darkness, illuminating the basilica with ever increasing intensity. The mosaic scintillates in an ineffable brilliance, as do the holy icons. To the monks of Sinai, what was felt as a discernible presence until this point, now becomes a most vivid and palpable reassurance: the Uncreated Light of Mount Tabor is a living light that illuminates all those – monastics and laymen alike – who seek in humility and purity of heart their union with God."

From the Article "The Icon as a Ladder of Divine Ascent in Form and Color" by Archbishop Damianos of Sinai and Raitho, in the Byzantium Icon Album by the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

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Dear Friends, we are greateful for your support in the ongoing FMSM Giving Tuesday & Advent Fundraiser.

To participate, you can find more at: https://www.facebook.com/donate/3183673011929508/752635600224890

FYI: Friends of Mount Sinai Monastery was created in 2015 to support St. Catherine’s Monastery in response to the challenges in the region; we are all volunteers and all donations are forwarded in full for the monastery’s needs.

To donate, please visit http://www.mountsinaimonastery.org/support/

We are in regular contact with the Abbot of St. Catherine’s Monastery, His Eminence Archbishop Damianos of Sinai, and the monastics of the monastery.