As we are in the octave of Easter, we continue to celebrate and reflect on the profound meaning of Easter.
In my blog on Easter Vigil, I mentioned the icon of resurrection called Harrowing of Hell more popular in the Eastern Orthodox tradition than in our Western tradition. Although this icon is not popular today, the message of this icon was commonly proclaimed in the ancient and medieval period of Western Christianity by many church fathers like Tertullian, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and many others. Harrowing is an old English word which means harvesting. Thus, we can also call this icon as the harvesting of souls in hell.
Here’s a video, explaining the meaning of the icon:
Copiosa 