Stick and Carrot

The Virgin Mary and her son team up to get the best out of some careless monks.

1300-1350

Roman Empire (Byzantine Era) 330 - 1453

Introduction

In this ‘good cop, bad cop’ story from the early 14th century, Christ and his mother team up to use a bit of psychology to get through to some beloved but sloppy monks.

based on a Byzantine Tradition

THE Abbot of the Vatopedi monastery was in the chapel alone one morning, when suddenly he heard a voice.

After looking this way and that, he realised it had come from an icon of Mary, with her child Jesus on her lap.

‘Do not open the monastery gate!’ Mary whispered, both voice and face very much alive. ‘There are pirates waiting outside for you’ - as indeed there were.

Even as she spoke, the child on her lap reached up and pressed his finger to her lips, and said (in a rather nice child’s tone), ‘No, mother. They are lazy monks, and they should get what they deserve!’

But Mary dared to draw the little hand away an inch and, speaking past the finger, twice repeated her warning. Then the icon returned to normal - except for that slender finger by Mary’s lips, and perhaps a softer expression in her face.

The monks hastily barred the gate, and became rather more attentive to their duties after that.

based on a Byzantine Tradition

Based on a Byzantine tradition, as retold on Monastiriaka, a website from Mount Athos selling icons and handicrafts made by the monks.

The icon is named ‘Panagía paramythía’, that is, ‘all-holy lady of comfort’, where ‘comfort’ (see 1 Corinthians 14:3) carries the sense of words of encouragement tenderly spoken at close quarters. Note this was a drama acted out for the monks, and for anyone else who needs a bit of stick-and-carrot treatment. Christ and his mother are equally kind and forgiving; neither is actually so stern as to want to see anyone hurt.

Précis

In the early 1300s, an icon of Mary came alive and warned the monks of Mount Athos of marauding pirates. When the Christ-child used his hand to hush her, pretending to be angry with the monks, she moved it aside and overruled him. Thereafter, the figures on the icon have remained in the positions they adopted during the exchange.

Sevens

Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.

What warning did Mary have for the abbot?

Jigsaws

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

An icon of Mary came alive. A monk saw it. He was amazed.

Stick and Carrot

Introduction

Précis

Sevens

Jigsaws

Tags

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