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Having said these things and having received, as it were, a certain fiery assurance of faith, trusting in the compassion of the Theotokos, I move myself from that place in which I was standing and making my prayer, and I come again and mingled myself with those entering. And no longer was there anyone pushing me and pushing back, nor anyone hindering me from getting near the door through which they were entering the house. Therefore, a shuddering and ecstasy took hold of me, and I was shaken through and through and trembled. Throwing myself, then, upon the ground and venerating that holy soil, I ran out, hurrying to her who had become my surety. I come, then, to that place where the bond of surety was inscribed, and kneeling before the ever-virgin and Theotokos, I used these words: ‘You indeed, O good-loving Lady, have shown your love for mankind toward me; you did not despise the prayer of the unworthy one. I have seen the glory, which we, the prodigals, rightly do not see. Glory to God, who through you accepts the repentance of sinners.’ And what follows. From the life of Saint Eupraxia: The deaconess says to the girl: ‘Go, my lady, to your house, because you cannot remain here. For no one can remain here unless she be betrothed to Christ.’ The girl says to her: ‘Where is Christ?’ The deaconess showed her the Lord’s image. And turning, she says to the deaconess: ‘Truly I too am betrothed to Christ and will no longer go away with my lady.’ And again Eupraxia, rising up and taking her own daughter, presented her to the Lord’s image and, stretching out her hands to heaven, she cried out with weeping: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, it will be your care concerning the child, because she has longed for you and has entrusted herself to you.’ Of the holy synod under Justinian concerning the holy fifth synod: In the paintings of some of the venerable icons a lamb is depicted, pointed to by the finger of the Forerunner, which was taken as a type of grace, prefiguring for us through the law the true lamb, Christ our God. Therefore, while embracing the ancient types and shadows as symbols and prefigurations of the truth handed down to the Church, we prefer grace and truth, receiving this as the fulfillment of the law. So that the perfect might be depicted for the eyes of all, even in paintings, we decree that from now on the lamb who takes away the sin of the world, Christ our God, be set up in human form in icons, in place of the ancient lamb, so that through it we may comprehend the depth of the humiliation of God the Word, and be led by the hand to the memory of his life in the flesh, his passion, and the redemption for the world which was accomplished thereby. Of Saint Methodius, bishop of Patara, on the resurrection, second discourse: Therefore, straightaway the images of the kings here, even if they are not made of the much more precious <material>, both gold and silver, have honor from all. For men do not, by serving those made of the much more precious material, slight <the others>, but they honor all equally, even if they are of plaster or bronze, and he who speaks ill of either is neither let go as if [speaking] against clay, nor judged as having cheapened gold, but as having committed impiety against the king and lord himself. We make the images of his angels, the principalities and the powers, fashioned from gold, for his honor and glory.

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Ταῦτα εἰποῦσα καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ πληροφορίαν λαβοῦσα τὸ τῆς πίστεως ἔμπυρον, τῇ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ τῆς θεοτόκου θαρρήσασα κινῶ ἐμαυτὴν ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ τόπου, ἐν ᾧ ἑστῶσα ἐποιούμην τὴν δέησιν, καὶ ἔρχομαι πάλιν καὶ τοῖς εἰσιοῦσιν ἐμαυτὴν ἐγκατέμιξα. Καὶ οὐκέτι ἦν ὁ ὠθῶν με καὶ ἀντωθούμενος καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ κωλύων τοῦ πλησίον γενέσθαι με τῆς θύρας, δι' ἧς εἰς τὸν οἶκον εἰσῄεσαν. Ἔλαβεν οὖν με φρίκη καὶ ἔκστασις καὶ ὅλη δι' ὅλου ἐκλονούμην καὶ ἔτρεμον. Ῥίψασα τοίνυν ἐμαυτὴν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον ἐκεῖνο προσκυνήσασα ἔδαφος ἔτρεχον ἐξιοῦσα καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐγγυησαμένην γενέσθαι σπουδάζουσα. Γίνομαι τοίνυν ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ τόπῳ, ἐν ᾧ τὸ τῆς ἐγγύης ἐπεγράφη χειρόγραφον καὶ γόνυ κλίνασα ἔμπροσθεν τῆς ἀειπαρθένου καὶ θεοτόκου τούτοις ἐχρησάμην τοῖς ῥή μασιν· «Σὺ μέν, φιλάγαθε δέσποινα, τὸ σὸν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ ἐνεδείξω φιλάνθρωπον, σὺ τῆς ἀναξίας οὐκ ἐβδελύξω τὴν δέησιν. Εἶδον δόξαν, ἣν δικαίως οὐχ ὁρῶμεν οἱ ἄσωτοι. ∆όξα τῷ θεῷ τῷ διὰ σοῦ δεχομένῳ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τὴν μετάνοιαν.» Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἐκ τοῦ βίου τῆς ἁγίας Εὐπραξίας· Λέγει ἡ διάκονος τῷ κορασίῳ· «Ὕπαγε, κυρία μου, εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, ὅτι οὐ δύνασαι ὧδε παραμεῖναι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναταί τις ὧδε παραμεῖναι, ἐὰν μὴ συντάξηται τῷ Χριστῷ.» Λέγει αὐτῇ τὸ κοράσιον· «Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός;» Ἡ διάκονος ἐπέδειξεν αὐτῇ τὸν δεσποτικὸν χαρακτῆρα. Καὶ στραφεῖσα λέγει τῇ διακόνῳ· «Ἀληθῶς κἀγὼ τῷ Χριστῷ συντάσσομαι καὶ οὐκέτι ἀπέρχομαι μετὰ τῆς κυρίας μου.» Καὶ πάλιν ἀναστᾶσα ἡ Εὐπραξία καὶ λαβοῦσα τὴν θυγατέρα ἑαυτῆς παρέστησεν εἰς τὸν δεσποτικὸν χαρακτῆρα καὶ ἐκτείνασα τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐβόησε μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ· «Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, σοὶ μελήσει περὶ τοῦ παιδίου, ὅτι σὲ ἐπόθησεν καὶ σοὶ παρέθετο ἑαυτήν.» Τῆς ἁγίας συνόδου τῆς ἐπὶ Ἰουστινιανοῦ περὶ τῆς ἁγίας πέμπτης συνόδου· Ἔν τισι τῶν σεπτῶν εἰκόνων γραφαῖς ἀμνὸς δακτύλῳ τοῦ προδρόμου δεικνύμενος ἐγχαράττεται, ὃς εἰς τύπον παρελήφθη τῆς χάριτος, τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἡμῖν διὰ νόμου προϋποφαῖνον ἀμνόν, Χριστὸν τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν. Τοὺς οὖν παλαιοὺς τύπους καὶ τὰς σκιὰς ὡς τῆς ἀληθείας σύμβολά τε καὶ προχαράγματα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ παραδεδομένους κατασπαζόμενοι τὴν χάριν προτιμῶμεν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὡς πλήρωμα νόμου ταύτην ὑποδεχόμενοι. Ὡς ἂν οὖν τὸ τέλειον κἂν ταῖς χρωματουργίαις ἐν ταῖς ἁπάντων ὄψεσιν ὑπογράφωμεν, τὸν αἴροντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου ἀμνόν, Χριστὸν τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν, κατὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον χαρακτῆρα καὶ ἐν ταῖς εἰκόσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀντὶ τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἀμνοῦ ἀναστηλοῦσθαι ὁρίζομεν, διὰ τῆς ταπεινώσεως τὸ ὕψος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου κατανοοῦντες καὶ πρὸς μνήμην τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ πολιτείας καὶ τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ χειραγωγούμενοι καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν γενομένης τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπολυτρώσεως. Τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου, ἐπισκόπου Πατάρων, περὶ ἀναστάσεως, λόγου δευτέρου· Αὐτίκα οὖν τῶν τῇδε βασιλέων αἱ εἰκόνες, κἂν μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς πολὺ τιμιωτέρας <ὕλης>, χρυσοῦ τε καὶ ἀργύρου, ὦσι κατεσκευασμέναι, τιμὴν ἔχουσι πρὸς ἁπάντων. Οὐ γὰρ τὰς μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς πολὺ τιμιωτέρας ὕλης θεραπεύοντες ἐξολιγωροῦσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι <τῶν ἄλλων>, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἐπίσης τιμῶσιν, εἰ καὶ ἀπὸ γύψου ἢ χαλκοῦ ὑπάρχουσι, καὶ ὁ δυσφημήσας εἰς ὁποτέραν οὔτε ὡς εἰς πηλὸν ἀφίεται, οὔτε ὡς χρυσὸν ἐξευτελίσας κρίνεται, ἀλλ' ὡς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀσεβήσας τὸν βασιλέα καὶ κύριον. Τὰς μὲν ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ κατεσκευασμένας εἰκόνας τῶν αὐτοῦ ἀγγέλων, τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, εἰς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν.