Photis Kondoglou, faithful child of the Orthodox Church, accomplished hagiographer himself, cause for the rebirth and father of contemporary hagiography, with the following reasons, on one hand, he demonstrates the sanctity of hagiography and on the other he instigates a pious approach to this liturgical art.

"The agiographer is not simply an artist that creates a picture depicting some religious themes, but has a spiritual worthiness and spiritual diaconate which he performs in the church as does the priest and the preacher".

"These early hagiographers would fast while working ....... and while working they would chant, so that their work be done with devout concentration and their mind not wander in the worldly".

"When you decide to start an icon, at first, pray to the Lord to enlighten you in your work, doing the sign of the cross".

In turn we suggest certain prayers we found in some books, to help the contemporary angiographers, through prayer to receive from God the divine enlightenment which is so necessary in their sacred work.

Blessing to an Hagiographer.

The priest blessing after the "Heavenly King" etc, the Megalynarion (glorification chant) of the Theotokos, the "Alala the lips" and the troparion of the Transfiguration, sealing his head, he says loudly "We supplicate the Lord". And immediately follows with the prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ our God, the indescribable being of Divine nature and for the salvation of man from Your recent inexpressible incarnation from the Virgin and Mother of God Mary, enabling the description of the holy nature of Your immaculate face be imprinted on a handkerchief and with it You healed the disease of the area ruler Augarus and enlightened his soul to the knowledge of our true God and through Your Holy Spirit You described to Your holy Apostle and evangelist Luke the appearance of Your immaculate Mother who carried You as a baby in her bosom and the "The grace granted me was given to them through me" was said. Him, Despota, God of all, enlighten, imbue the soul, the heart, the intellect of Your servant and his hands direct to the irreproachable and perfect outline, the type of Your manifestation and of Your immaculate Mother and all of Your Saints, to Your glory and cheerfulness and beautification of your holy Church and the forgiveness of sins, of those worshiping them and with piety kiss them, attributing the honour to the prototype. Set him free from all diabolical experience and make him diligent to all Your commandments, through the intercessions of Your Immaculate Mother, of the glorious holy apostle and evangelist Luke and of all the Saints. Amen.

Extended and released.

Hieromonk Athanasios from Simonopertra Monastery.

Prayer cited by an Hagiograph intending to create an icon.

Despota, Lord Jesus Christ, only Son and Word of God, identical icon of the invisible Father, who created us according to Your image, and for our salvation, philanthropically became incarnate of Your Immaculate Mother and our Lady Theotokos, the most beautiful of all sons of man, and the source of all beauty, both visible and invisible, deigned to make us temples of the Holy Spirit, You who sanctified matter through Your divine economy, who gave to Your immaculate bride, the Church the chromaturgical theology (use of colours in divinity), for the remembrance of Your inexplicable condescension the shoring and sanctifying of Your faithful people, prostrating I pray to You and I beg You to grant me the sinner and unworthy servant, the grace of iconographic diaconate, cleanse my heart of all sinful pollution and write untouchably in her Your All Holy Will, strengthen me from every sickness of the will of my mind and enlighten with the power of Your All Holy Spirit, leading my weak and vile hands in God pleasing completion of the illustration of this Your sacred icon (or of the saint......), so that those who worship and kiss it, do so to You, the prototype beauty, lifting their hearts and minds, gracing and sanctifying them completely, and in joy succeed in the likeness and glorify with all Your pleasing Saints from old, You, the Incarnate Son and Word with Your without beginning Father and the worshipful Spirit, of one essence, indivisible and life giving Trinity. Amen.

ICONOGRAPHERS PRAYER
From "The painters manual of Dionysios of Fourna"
St. Petersbourg 1909

"Lord Jesus Christ our God, uncircumscribed in your divine nature, having become inexpressibly incarnate for the salvation of man ultimately by the Virgin Mother of God, Mary, has become worthy of circumscription. Who, having imprinted the sacred features of thy immaculate face on the holy veil, and through healing the illness of the governor Abgar and bringing about the enlightenment of his soul into the full knowledge of our true God and who, through thy holy spirit brought wisdom to the holy apostle and evangelist Luke to depict the form of thy most innocent mother, who carried thee in her arms as a child and said ''May the grace of Him who was born of me, through me be imparted to them'', the same, o God and master of all things, enlighten and bring wisdom to the soul and heart and mind of thy servant {name } and direct these hands for the irreproachable and excellent depiction of the form of thy person and of thy immaculate mother and of all thy saints, to the glory and to the splendour and beautification of thy holy church, and the remission of the sins of those worshiping in regard to the church and devoutly kissing and so referring honour to the prototype, redeem him from all harm inflicted by the devil, as he diligently follows all the commands of the ministers of thy immaculate mother, of the holy and illustrious apostle and evangelist, Luke, and of all the saints. Amen".