It is painted in the italo-byzantine tradition in egg tempera on a layer of plaster (gesso) on a wooden board, and glazed with an oil based lacquer. The background of the icon is, twenty-three and a half carat gold leaf.

The artist is Geoffrey Horgan, an experienced Australian iconographer who has painted extensively for the Russian, Greek and Macedonian Orthodox Churches in Victoria and South Australia, and other icons for Catholic Communities in Melbourne and Tasmania.

EXPLANATION OF THE ICON

The icon depicts Alphonsus in glory.

His sanctity and glorification are symbolised by the traditional iconographic red inscribed halo and the golden background of the icon. Alphonsus is rapt in contemplation of God's infinite and unconditional love.

For Alphonsus, God's overwhelming love for us was incarnated in his Son's taking flesh to save us [top right panel].

That same Love sacrificed Himself for us in his victorious Passion [crucifix] and continues to commune with us in the Eucharist, the living memorial of his Passion [bottom left panel].

Such was the lifelong spirituality of Alphonsus, echoed in the threefold theme of Crib, Cross and Sacrament. Such was the Good News he constantly preached. Such is the same Good News he emphatically preaches from the icon. For the praying, preaching, teaching, pointing hand of Alphonsus, eyes fixed on the Redeemer of the world, the incline of Alphonsus' head and body, would have all of us focus on the extraordinary self-emptying love of God in Jesus Christ. Alphonsus' gestures make Christ the very centre of the icon, because for Alphonsus Jesus was everything!

The commitment of Alphonsus, the Zealous Doctor, to spread the Good News of God's unconditional love and to make that his mission in life, is reflected in the icon, in the whole demeanour of his person. His countenance reflects his own willingness to surrender himself to Jesus Christ, to love Him in return, and to bring the love of Jesus to others.

The Latin inscription in the icon is from the Book of Isaiah the prophet: He anointed me to bring Good News to the Poor. The call of the Lord to Alphonsus was to bring the Good News of God's unconditional love especially to those who had never known it or were in danger of not believing it. The Redemptorists he founded were to carry on the same mission. The top left panel in the icon enshrines the Redemptorists' Coat-of-Arms and the motto: "With the Lord there is plentiful redemption".

The bottom right panel depicts symbols of Alphonsus' earthly life and career: lawyer, author, musician (and poet), artist, bishop and missioner (beads). The two books, representative of his many writings, are his Moral Theology and his booklet on Prayer. [Alphonsus is the Patron of Moral Theologians and the Doctor of Prayer]. These two works were especially written by Alphonsus to show us how to respond how to respond to the God of unconditional love and how to discover and to do Go's will through prayer,

While there can be no holiness without prayer, Alphonsus asserts that all holiness consists in doing the will of God. His own readiness to listen to God and to do his will is symbolised in the icon by Alphonsus' large open ear. As doing God's will is the way to holiness these symbols of Alphonsus' life and career remind us that al1 are called to holiness whatever their walk of life

The call to holiness is further emphasised in the icon by the triangular effect created by the right hand of the saint, his eyes and the crucifix. That triangle is telling us that God's loving plan of salvation comes from the love of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. From the icon Alphonsus strongly reminds us of the privilege we have of an ever deepening communing with the Trinity by returning love for Love.

In the top right panel of the icon is a reproduction of an 18th century Italian painting called "Mother of the Redeemer" (Alma Redemptoris Mater). The painting was venerated by the first Redemptorists as "Mother of the Redemptorists". In the panel, with her Son Mary too is holding the Cross of Sacrifice. Just as Mary was associated in a major way with her Son in bringing Redemption to the world, so too she must have a major role in all who would love God and would spread the Good News of God's unconditional love today. Such was the role Mary played in the life of Alphonsus.

PRAYER OF SAINT ALPHONSUS

Receive, O God, the gift of my entire will and of my liberty. I do not deserve that you should accept this gift, so often have I been unfaithful.

I resign myself entirely to your Will. Make me love you and then dispose of me and all that is mine as you please. I am in your hands; do what you know is best for my salvation.

O Mother Mary, do you obtain for me the holy love of God.