The well known icon of Our Lady of Perpetual help has to be restudied-Dr.Fr.V.P Joseph Valiyaveettil

 REASONS

From  ancient  times, Holy Catholic  Church  honoring  the  icon  of Mother Mary  as "Our  Lady  of perpetual help".But, does  the theorem   of icon   really meant   for Perpetual  help ?Just peruse  the picture.The picture  reveals  that  in  the  hands  of  Holy Mary, Baby  Jesus  got frightened  and  even  the  sandal   fallen  off. By  seeing  whom Baby Jesus  got  frightened??The  picture says , by  seeing  the  Archangels Gabriel  and  Michael  on  the  left  and  right  hand side  of  Holy Mary.In  that, on  the  the  right  hand side  Archangel-Gabriel  shows cross  and  on  left  hanside  Arch angel-Michael  shows  lance.It is said  that  by  seeing  this  horrible  weapons  Jesus  got  frightened.

In  the  history  it has  been  written  that  before  AD 1499 the  icon was  painted  by  a  Byzantine  artist.Here  the  subject  of  rethinking is  that whether  the  imagination  of  the  artist favouring  the christian  faith and  our  daily  personal experience  with  the  Mother Mary.Even a common  marian  devotee  will not  flutter  in heart breaking sustainment  with  the  life.On  the  contrary, the  son  of God who encourages   us  with  the  word 'don't  be  afraid'  with the incarnation of salvation himself  by  seeing  the  tools  to  be tormented   become  frightened  with  in  the  hands  of  Holy Mary.  And this  false  interpretation  and  illogic thinking   should be  taken  in to the  subject  of  criticism.More over,one  interpretation  from  the internet   that,inorder  to  emphasize the  concept  of  complete humanity  of  Jesus, artist  made this  icon.It is not rejecting.But  does the  Jesus  was  a  simple  man??At the  same  time  he  was  complete God.In addition to  that , giving  more attention   to  the  humanity  of God favouring the  fact  of  faith?. Furthermore, the  studies  and theological viewpoints  focusing   on the  humanity  of God and presenting  the  Mother  of  God  only  as  the  Mother  of  human Christ was by the church of  Greek  and Byzantine  school.But  remember ,Roman  Catholic church honoring the  the  Mother  of christ  in  names  of  Holy mary  and  Mother  of  God. Apart  from  this, honoring   the  mother  of Christ  in  the view  point of ' only as  the mother  of   human christ' that is 'Anthropotokos'  is  the  theological view point  of  eastern orthodox  and  Byzantine  church.Owing  to  this concept and  viewpoint  from AD  1400 ,the  picture has  been  honored  by Greek orthodox church in  name of  Virgin  of  Passion  and   websites reveals   this  picture was  taken  in  to  Rome by  the  merchants of  ship.And  there  is  another  reference in  the  internet  that  the portrait  was  stolen  and  carried  out  by  the  ship  merchants.The records  of  picture  has  been  taken  in  to  Rome by 1499 shows the writing,mater theo,that  is  'Mother  of  God'  and  the  letters  OAM  and OAR which  is  the  shorthand  of Arch angels Michael  and  Gabriel.It was  from  church  of Sun Metro  at  Via Merulana, Rome the ancient documents  of  icon  was find  out .The  writer  of  this  documents  in Italian languge  is  unknown.Hence  our subject   should  also  focus  on document  Theothokos,means  the  Mother  of  God  and  the legibilty  of the  writing  other than handiwork meanwhile when the  picture  was  taken in  to  the  western country. Here  opens  the  possibilities  of research  studies with  the information  that ,it  is  a  Byzantine picture  who    considered   the  Holy  Mother of  God  only  as  the Mother  of  human  Christ  and  also the  eastern  orthodox  church honored  the  portrait  as  the  Virgin  of passion.There  is  one  more  explanation  that, When  this picture  was  stolen by  a  thief in  the  ship   and kept   in  hand  without  handing  over it  to  church  he  under gone  certain   tribulations and  with  the intercession  of  the  Holy image  found  the  result of  prayer  and from  this     experience  the  name-Our  Lady  of  perpetual  help  came in  to  exist.

Now  the  question  is  how  the  portrait of  Mother  Mary pictorized  as  the  as  the  Mother  of  human  Christ  become  the  icon of Mother  of  God  by  writing  it  as  the 'Mother  of God '.On the contrary  the  legibilty  of  the  icon  representing  baby  Jesus as frightened  from  lance  and  cross and even  sandal fallen off  and  gaze of mother  Mary expressed as   emotionless  instead of  consoling frightened  Baby Jesus in  her  hand  as  the  'mother  of  perpetual help'  is  questionable. This forces us towards rethinking of the subject.

Progression  of  the  study  should    focus    on this reference  that when picture  was  taken  in  to  Rome, inorder  to  indicate   divine  power of  Holy Mary  and  the  holiness,   the  halo  with the eight point  star on  head was  probably  added.