Orthodox Icons: Frequently Asked Questions

Which icon helps in business, study, life circumstances, etc.?

People who are trying to find help in the Church for themselves or their loved ones often ask such a question. However, this question is already wrong in itself and reflects a kind of pagan attitude to God. The icon is not a magic amulet that helps the owner by his presence alone. Moreover, buying an image does not do God a “favor” for which He is obliged to help. The icon is an image used for prayer to God, the Most Pure Virgin Mary or saints. Any help is given not from having a sanctified image anywhere, but by the action of God's grace and by the faith of the worshipers. By asking for help in prayer from the icons, we trust in the mercy and humanity of God, but at the same time, we give everything to His will and Providence.

Which icons must be placed in the house?

In the Orthodox tradition, there is no clear canon or rules, which icons must necessarily be in the house. There are simply established customs. Since in the olden days everyone had necessarily gotten married in the church, the wedding couple of icons depicting the Mother of God and Christ the Savior became the first images in the new family. Of particular popularity among the people were the images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who was highly revered for the help given through his prayers to him. Now, with the development of technologies that have made icons more accessible to traditional images, several new ones have been added. For example, these are nominal icons of saints, patrons of each family member. If there are local honored saints or icons of the Mother of God in your area, then they can also be included in the home iconostasis. Above all, do not forget that you need not only to assemble icons in your home, but also to pray regularly in front of them.

Do I need to consecrate the icons in the church?

Usually, all the icons that are sold in church shops are pre-blessed by the priest or visiting priest. If you ordered a painted icon or, for example, decided to embroider it yourself, then at the end of the work on the icon, you should consecrate the image in the temple. Either this can be done at the holy water prayer service, or you can simply ask the priest for consecration. The prayer book contains four different rites of consecration of icons: the consecration of the icons of Christ the Savior, the Mother of God, one of the saints, or many different icons. Depending on who is depicted on the icon, a certain rank is chosen. After all, it is prayer that sanctifies the icon, and not the next sprinkling of holy water, which has a more symbolic meaning. The new image after consecration is placed in the home iconostasis.

Do I need to cover the icons?

Covering icons with embroidered towels, handkerchiefs or scarves does not have any sacral meaning. This is a folk tradition that reflects the veneration and respect for the holy image. If you like this custom, you can cover the icons in your house, if not - the images can remain uncovered.

Do I need to kiss the icons?

As with the cover of embroidered towels, kissing icons is an element of respect for them. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, we worship icons with respectful worship, prayerfully addressing the Lord, Our Lady or the saints depicted in it. When applying to the icon, you must first cross twice, kiss the image, attach your forehead to it and then cross the third time.

We hope our answers have helped you understand better how relate to the Orthodox icons. If you have any other questions about the icons, then we recommend writing to us on our Facebook page or contacting the priest at the nearest church.