Hermano Pedro Icon

This picture was a commission for a married couple with ties to Guatemala, the home country of Hermano Pedro ("Brother Pedro"), a Franciscan friar of the 17th century.  The floral border includes poinsettia blooms native to the country, and the white flowers are called the Flower of Brother Pedro. There's a story that goes with the bell and walking staff, as you might have guessed.  You can look it up.

Every nation and almost every local region in the world has its saints of the Universal Church, Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican.

While we honor these people as the heroes of our religion, followers of Jesus Christ to a degree and intensity that most of us have not achieved--as a select few, in other words, the fact is there are not few, but so many!  As someone who looks for subjects to portray in icons, I really don't have to look at all, there are so many on offer worthy to be held up for recognition and imitation.  And of course there are also those, countless more people alive and dead, whose holy lives have not come to the attention of anyone but the few who have known them personally.

So while true sainthood may be relatively rare, in absolute numbers it is not rare at all.  God has given us a wealth of examples of all races and times and places, showing us how the saints' level of commitment to living the life Jesus showed u is open not just to a select few but to many, and to us ourselves, by the grace of God, which is literally available to all people.

Prints of this icon are available athttp://fineartamerica.com/profiles/david-raber.html

Contact me directly at raberdavid@yahoo.com for special orders or prints with handmade frames--this icon or others.  I am always open to special commissions from parishes or individuals.