In which corner are icons hung? When the holy image is honored

People who have only recently joined faith in God often have questions related to the design of their home iconostasis. In accordance with the centuries-old Orthodox tradition, in every house, be it a peasant hut or a boyar's mansion, icons were located in the corner, which was called red, and the presence of icons seemed to fill the house with a feeling of goodness and spiritual purity. Now this tradition is gradually being restored, which has great value, but new converts have many questions. Let's try to answer the most common questions about home iconostasis.

In what corner are icons placed in the room?

According to Orthodox tradition, this should be the south-eastern corner of the room, but if the room is too small, then you can place the icons in a free corner or against the wall. The main thing is that there are no secular objects near them (paintings, posters, posters, calendars, etc.).

So, we found out where the icons should be in the house. Just stand, because according to tradition they are placed in an icon case or on a special shelf covered with an embroidered towel or lace napkins. The shelf is often decorated with artificial or fresh flowers, a bouquet of herbs is placed on Trinity, blessed eggs are placed on Easter, a vessel with holy water is placed, etc.

During prayer, candles are lit in front of the icons, so you should take care of fire safety

It is best to hang or place a lamp and light it during prayer, as well as on Sundays and church holidays.

It is probably unnecessary to remind you that the home iconostasis must be kept impeccably clean, and the dust from the icons is not wiped off with a cloth, but brushed off with a feather.

What icons traditionally make up the iconostasis?

The home iconostasis must have icons of the Savior, the Holy Trinity and the Mother of God. It also matters in what order the icons are arranged in the iconostasis: the above icons should be on the top shelf, and the rest, which you can choose at your discretion, are located below.

It is desirable that the home iconostasis contain icons of saints whose names are borne by family members, and you need to know the history of these saints. Often they choose icons of saints that help maintain peace and harmony in the family and overcome life’s hardships (Nicholas the Wonderworker, Matrona of Moscow, Panteleimon the Healer, etc.). There should be no foreign objects in the home iconostasis, including photographs of relatives.

Location of icons on the iconostasis

Knowing what icons you need to have at home, you should also arrange them correctly. The placement of icons on the home iconostasis is strictly regulated: the icons of the Savior, the Mother of God and the Holy Trinity must be located above all other icons.

If all the icons are on the same surface (for example, on a bedside table), then the icon of the Savior is placed in the center, the Mother of God and the Holy Trinity are placed on the sides of it, and all the others are placed slightly away from these main icons.

Choosing an Orthodox icon

What icons should be in a home iconostasis is discussed above. You need to buy them only in a church shop, since consecrated icons are sold there. You can also buy an icon case for your home there. If you have been given an icon, the origin of which you doubt, take it to the temple for consecration.

Correct placement of icons in the house

The location of icons in the house may be different. You can arrange the main iconostasis in one room, and place some icons (for example, patron saints) in each room and even in the kitchen.

If it is not possible to arrange an iconostasis in the red corner, then you can select a separate table or bedside table, but there should not be any extraneous objects on them, that is, not related to prayers.

You can hang icons everywhere in the house. The only places where icons cannot be placed are the toilet and bathroom.

Is it possible to put an icon on an icon?

No, you need to place them separately.

Icons in the kitchen

These can be images of the Savior, the Mother of God or the Holy Trinity, to which prayer is offered before the meal, or other icons of your choice. It is better to place icons in the kitchen away from the stove so that they do not get dirty. You can hang them in the corner opposite the stove or put them in a kitchen cabinet behind glass.

Is it possible to hang icons on the wall?

You can hang icons directly on the wall in other rooms, for example, hang in the children's room an icon of your child's heavenly patron who bears the same name. You can hang the icon above the bed, but if it is a crib, then you should hang the icon higher so that the restless child does not reach it.

Icon in a modern house

Red Corner

Correct placement of House icons (in your apartment)

What icons to have at home
At home you must have icons of the Savior and Mother of God. Among the images of the Savior, a half-length image of the Lord Almighty is usually chosen for home prayer. Characteristic feature This iconographic type is the image of the Lord with a blessing hand and an open or closed book. An icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is also often ordered for the home.
The icon of the Mother of God is most often chosen from the following iconographic types:
“Tenderness” (“Eleusa”) - Vladimirskaya, Donskaya, Pochaevskaya, Feodorovskaya, Tolgskaya, “Recovery of the Dead”, etc.;
“Guide” (“Hodegetria”) - Kazanskaya, Tikhvinskaya, “Quick to Hear”, Iverskaya, Gruzinskaya, “Three-Handed”, etc.
Sometimes their wedding icons are used as these icons, if they correspond general style icons in the house. It is also important that such wedding icons are sufficient large size, and not two to three times smaller than other icons in the home iconostasis.
Also, in the home iconostasis or separately from it, they place their personal or dimensional icons, that is, icons of the heavenly patron saints of family members, a family icon, icons of holidays and saints you honor.
In the traditions of Russian Orthodoxy, a special veneration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker has been strengthened, whose icons are found in almost every Orthodox family. Along with the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, the central place in the home of an Orthodox Christian has always been occupied by the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is revered as a great righteous man and a special man of prayer before the Lord, as a saint endowed with special grace. Icons of Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov, the most revered saints who shone on Russian soil, have long been placed in home iconostases.
Of the images of martyrs for the faith of Christ, the most common are the icons of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, and the holy great martyr George the Victorious.
If an Orthodox family eats in the kitchen, then an icon is needed there for prayer before and after the meal. It makes the most sense to place an icon of the Savior in the kitchen, since thanksgiving prayer after eating, she turns to Him: “We thank You, Christ our God...”; the “Last Supper” icon is also placed in the kitchen.
When selecting icons, make sure that they are uniform in their artistic manner of execution, try not to allow a variety of styles

The choice of icons for your home is always individual and here you should listen to the voice of your heart. It happens that the feat of this or that saint sinks very deeply into the soul and encourages you to imitate him in your life. An icon of such a saint can be ordered in our workshop in order to be able to offer prayers to him, ask for help in the work of spiritual growth and everyday troubles. If you find it difficult to choose an icon - yearly free credit report, don’t worry! Our website has the most complete information in RuNet about choosing an icon, in addition, you can always consult with us by calling or asking a question by email.

How to properly place icons in a house or apartment
The house is a continuation of the temple; in the past, every Orthodox family - both peasant and urban - always had a shelf with icons, or an entire home iconostasis, in the most prominent place of the home. At the same time, the quantity and richness of the decoration of the icons indicated the wealth and position in society of the owner himself. The place where the icons were placed was called differently: front corner, red corner, holy corner, shrine, icon case or ark.
The icon in the apartment is a window to the Kingdom of God. The red corner with icons is the place where the day of an Orthodox Christian begins and ends: morning and evening prayers are read here and therefore everything should be subordinated to one goal - concentrated prayer to God.
When praying, it is customary to stand facing east; the altar is built to the east. Orthodox churches. Therefore, it is advisable to place the icons on the eastern wall of the room. But what to do if the house is oriented so that there are windows or doors in the east? In this case, you can place the icons in any other accessible location, as it is sung in Psalm 113, “from east to west the name of the Lord is praised.” The main thing is that there is enough free space in front of the icons, so that the worshipers do not feel crowded when praying together.
Some people arrange a red corner above the bed - this way the cramped space is used more effectively, cabinets and windows do not interfere, and you sleep under the shadow of shrines.
You can place icons on a special shelf, and if there are a lot of them, hang them on the wall, following a few simple rules. For example, if icons are hung haphazardly, asymmetrically, without a thoughtful composition, then this causes a constant feeling of dissatisfaction with their placement, a desire to change everything, which very often distracts from prayer.
Icons can and should be placed in other rooms. The icon should also be in the kitchen. There must be a holy image in the children's room (for example, an icon of the Guardian Angel or an icon of the child's Heavenly Patron).
According to tradition, it is customary to hang an icon of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the entrance to a house or apartment. Although it could be any other icon or cross.

In this case, icons must be placed in a place separate from other objects. Icons look extremely inappropriate in bookcases where secular books are stored, on shelves next to cosmetics, photographs of loved ones, toys, and figurines. You should not place posters of pop performers near icons, politicians, athletes and other idols of this century. There should not be any artistic paintings among the icons, even those painted on biblical subjects. A painting, even if it has a religious content, such as “The Appearance of Christ to the People” by Alexander Ivanov or “The Sistine Madonna” by Raphael, is not a canonical icon.
Sometimes you see among the icons photographs of priests, elders, monks, people righteous life. Canonically, this is unacceptable, since a photograph is an image that captures a specific moment in a person’s earthly life, even if he was later glorified by the church as a saint. And the icon tells us about him, precisely as a saint, in his glorified, transfigured state. Of course, such photographs can be in the home of an Orthodox Christian, but they must be placed separately from the icons.

Placing icons relative to each other in a home iconostasis
When placing icons in a red corner, the same principles are observed as in a church iconostasis. The main place is occupied by the icon of the Savior. It is often the largest in size. Usually this is the Savior Not Made by Hands or the Savior Almighty. Next to the image of Christ is placed an icon of the Virgin Mary and Child. If you stand facing the home iconostasis, then the icon of the Savior should be on your right, and the icon of the Mother of God on your left. These are the main icons, they must be in the red corner. Above these icons you can only place the icon of the Holy Trinity or the icon of the Last Supper.
Below the two main icons or to the side of them you can place personalized icons, i.e. icons of saints whose names are borne by family members, as well as other icons - patrons of professions, saints especially revered by you, etc.
In any case, you should remember the principle of hierarchy. For example, an icon of a saint cannot be placed above the icon of the Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God and the Apostles. It is advisable to crown the home iconostasis Orthodox cross.
You should not chase the number of icons in your home iconostasis. “Quality” is more important here - it is better to have only two icons - the Savior and the Mother of God, but painted in such a way that one would really like to pray in front of them. This will bring much more benefit to your soul than if you cover an entire wall with small printed icons that also differ in writing style.

Is it possible to hang icons in the bedroom?
There is a misconception that spouses should not hang icons in the bedroom, and if there are icons, they should be covered with a curtain at night. This is a misconception. Firstly, no curtain can hide from God. Secondly, marital intimacy in marriage is not a sin. Therefore, you can safely place icons in the bedroom. Moreover, many of our compatriots do not always have the opportunity to place icons in a separate room designed for this. Of course, the icon should be in the dining room or kitchen so that you can pray before eating and thank the Lord after the meal. Icons can be in every room, there is nothing bad or reprehensible in this.
But it is naive to believe that the more icons in the house, the more pious the life of an Orthodox Christian. The main thing is that prayer be offered in front of the icons.
It is also a mistake to believe that the icon is a kind of accumulator of God’s grace, which can be drawn from if necessary. Grace acts not from the icon, but through the icon, and is sent by the Lord to those who believe in Him. You can endlessly venerate a sacred image, without having faith in the real power of God’s life-giving grace, and not get anything from it. Or you can venerate the miraculous icon once with deep faith and hope in the Lord’s help, and receive healing from physical and mental illnesses.
It is also necessary to remember that the icon is not some kind of amulet that guarantees the absence of quarrels and problems in the family, as well as some invisible protection from evil spirits and bad people. In general, amulets are attributes of pagan and magical cults. There should be neither paganism nor magic in the life of an Orthodox Christian.

How to store and care for icons
The rules for handling icons given below were prepared by the Department of Restoration of the St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute specifically for everyone on whom the fate of icons depends. These rules contain information not about how to restore them yourself, but about how to live with icons, how to take care of them, how to care for them.
The paint layer and soil on the icons are cracking and crumbling from sudden changes temperature and humidity. Normal conditions storage of icons: temperature +17° - +20°, humidity 45% -55%.
1. It is best to keep the icon in a *case* (link to dictionary), since constant changes in temperature and humidity (for example, greasy soot in the kitchen) can soon lead to cracking, peeling and shedding of soil and paint. If it is not possible to place all the icons in icon cases, try to place a lamp or candlestick with a burning candle so that no splashes of oil or wax get on the icon. The resulting plaque on the icon cannot be removed independently.
2. Under no circumstances should you wipe the icon with any substances; you should also not use holy water, holy oil, etc. as a cleaning agent - they penetrate the primer and paint. After this, it will be impossible to strengthen the icon. Do not wash the icon with anything!
3. Do not try to “update” the icon with varnishes, paints, oils, etc. All these actions cause destruction of the icon, often irreversible.
4. You cannot wipe the icon with either a wet or dry cloth. You can remove dust (not often) only if the paint layer does not crumble; It is better to do this with a dry squirrel brush, very soft.
5. You cannot put the icon on a window or hang it under a window. Drafts and cold are extremely dangerous for the health of icons. When ventilating the room, try to avoid sudden changes in temperature and humidity.
6. Do not place the icon near a warm wall, radiator or stove, or table lamp. The flow of warm air dries out the wood, which causes the boards to warp and crack.
7. Avoid long-term exposure to direct sun rays to the icon.
8. You cannot store the icon in a room where there are flight holes of the borer beetle in the walls or furniture. A bug can turn an icon board into dust in 1-2 years.
9. Please do not try to treat the icon yourself, ***try to find a professional restorer***.

Sometimes there is an opinion that since an icon is a shrine, it will itself be renewed (restored). This happens, but it is always a miracle. You cannot consider yourself worthy of a miracle and demand it from God, large payday loans, while simply neglecting the shrine. There is a church tradition associated with the “Quick to Hear” icon. The Athonite monk was punished for smoking Her face with a burning torch. In Her mercy, the Holy Virgin first warned him with a voice from the icon not to do this, and when he continued to walk past her with a smoky torch, She denounced him: “How long have you been so carelessly and so shamelessly smoking My image?!” And with these words the monk lost his sight, which was returned to him after repentance. The entire brethren of the monastery learned about this, the icon was duly honored, and subsequently a temple was built in its honor.
Treatment of an icon in need of restoration should be the same as with a sick child: parents will not trust treatment to the first person they meet, but will look for good doctor, professional. And none of the lovers of self-medication will cut out their own hernia or insert a lens on their own. An inept action, intervention, or rubbing with any substances or rags can bring the icon to the state of a chronic patient, when it will be impossible to cure it. The work of a restorer is very similar to the art of medicine. The main principle in medicine and restoration is the same: noli nocere (do no harm).
Only a specialist should restore; under no circumstances should you give in to the desire to “wipe down or touch up” something yourself. Restoration workshops often receive icons that have been damaged by such inept and unwise handling. Such icons - with their faces wiped white - are no different from the icons that suffered from the atheists after the revolution. And it’s even scary to think that a desecrated image is the result of the actions of a Christian.

Icons and their meaning
The house is an extension of the temple. Previously, in almost every Orthodox family it was customary to place a shelf with icons or even an entire home iconostasis in the most visible place in the house. The number of icons and the richness of their decoration testified to the level of wealth of the family and the position of its head in society. The location of the icons has several names: red corner, front corner, holy corner, icon case, ark, shrine. If you want to know how and where to hang icons, we will be happy to explain to you.
Some Orthodox Christians hang icons directly above the head of their bed. This way you can use cramped space more efficiently, windows with cabinets do not interfere, and sleeping under the canopy of shrines is much more pleasant and peaceful.

So how to properly arrange icons in an apartment. Icons do not have to be hung on the walls. They can be placed on a shelf specially designed for this purpose. But if there are a lot of icons, then it would be better to hang them on the wall, following some simple rules. If the icons in your room are hung asymmetrically, haphazardly and without any thoughtful composition, this will certainly cause a feeling of inconvenience and dissatisfaction with the placement of icons, and a desire to change it. And this is very disturbing and distracts from prayer.

Icons can also and even need to be placed in other rooms. It is also worth hanging an icon in the kitchen. It is imperative to place an icon of the Guardian Angel or the child’s Heavenly Patron in the children’s room. According to tradition, it was customary to hang an icon of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the entrance to an apartment or house. But now it can be replaced with any other icon or cross.

By the way, when placing icons in your apartment or house, pay attention to the fact that they should not stand or hang together with other paintings (even on biblical themes) or household items. Icons are inappropriate in bookcases, next to toys, cosmetics, photographs of family members, and figurines. Also, do not place icons next to posters of politicians, show business stars, athletes and other celebrities.

It’s not often, but you still see photographs of holy fathers, monks, and elders among the icons on the walls or on shelves. This is canonically unacceptable, since photography captures a specific moment in the earthly life of a person, even if he was a member of the Church or even later canonized. The icon represents him precisely in the image of a saint, in his transfigured, glorified state. Naturally, the presence of such people is not canceled. But you need to put or hang photographs separately from icons.

View picture icons in the gallery.

Adviсe

Bless me, father. I have this question. I work on a rotating schedule. Duty falls on both Sundays and holidays. If I exchange duty on these days with those for whom it is not dear, will I not become guilty of sin? What about those who have to work as part of their line of work these days? God bless.
God bless! Probably, swapping duty with someone for whom it is not expensive is a completely acceptable option. This will not be a sin in the same way as buying a meat pie for an atheist colleague (at his request) during Lent. To fast or not to fast, to go to church services or to work on a holiday, to believe in God or not is everyone’s personal business, but everyone will also hold themselves accountable for their actions before God and their own conscience. So, if they agree to replace you, feel free to go to the temple.

Hello! I have this question, please tell me how to correctly arrange the icons at home. There is a window on the east side and under the window there is my bed, but is it possible to create a shelf there in the corner where I can put icons? It turns out that the icons will be above the head of the bed, is this correct or is it better to rearrange it?

Icons should be located where people will pray on them, no matter which side of the world they are oriented to (look - in a church, icons are located on all four walls of the temple, with the exception of the iconostasis). To pray before eating, the icon is hung above the table, to cross yourself before leaving the house, the icon is hung above the front door. You can hang an icon over the bed to bow before going to bed, but it’s better to make a corner in a place where you can turn on a small night light for prayers in the dark, so that you can freely approach it and not hit your head on it when you wake up (and oil dripping from a lamp on the head of those sleeping is also unpleasant).

Hello. We bought a carpet icon of Jesus Christ, but then we noticed that the image on the icon was mirrored, i.e. Jesus does not baptize right hand, and the left one. What to do?

Hello! By and large, Christ can bless with both hands, like a bishop, so there’s nothing terrible about it. Another thing is why do you need an icon in the form of a carpet? Today the market is flooded with a lot of things that are not entirely clear to use, which, it seems, cannot be thrown away, and it seems that the soul is not in order to use them. It’s better not to buy icon-carpets in the future, just like not to buy souvenir candles in the form of Christ or the Virgin Mary, penknives in the shape of a crucifix, lighters with quotes from the Bible, plastic bags with images of churches and other consumables with Orthodox paraphernalia.

How and where exactly can icons be placed?

IN recent years All more people comes to the Lord. Unfortunately, long decades of atheism have left a big blank spot in spiritual education many generations. Therefore, our contemporaries often find it difficult to understand the simplest questions of faith, or, out of ignorance, make mistakes in the performance of spiritual rituals. This also applies to how many of us make up our home iconostasis.

In what place should the iconostasis be placed Canonically - preferably in the east, and based on the real state of affairs modern life- in such a way that it is convenient and comfortable for you to pray, so that there is enough space and it is calm.

There are several more rules that also dictate modern living conditions. Remember that the iconostasis should not be located with a TV or other household appliances.

Also, you should not mix figurines and other secular decorative decorations with icons, or place paintings or reproductions of paintings, even if these works of art written on religious subjects.
If you have icons placed on bookshelves, this is also incorrect, especially if the images of saints are adjacent to books that are far from Orthodox texts in content.

Another “categorical” rule is that in no case should you place icons next to posters and photographs of idols of today - politicians, rock musicians, sex symbols. If you want to decorate your home iconostasis, do it with fresh, fresh flowers or towels.

There must be icons of the Savior and an icon of the Mother of God in the house. Also in Russian Orthodoxy, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is especially revered, and his image is very often found in Orthodox families. If you have enough space in your home, you can complement the iconostasis with a personal icon, icons of saints to whom you often turn in prayer, images of the great saints of the Russian land and saints revered in the area where you live.

For a home shrine, the rules for placing icons are not as strict as for a church, but they still exist.
First, look at the iconostasis: if you have a desire to change, rearrange, or rehang something, then you need to do it, otherwise this internal dissatisfaction will distract you during prayer.

When arranging icons in a home iconostasis, the same principles apply as in a church iconostasis.

The central place is occupied by the icon of the Savior, often the largest in size. Next to the image of Christ is placed the image of the Virgin Mary and Child.

If you are facing the home iconostasis, then the icon of the Savior will be on your right, and the icon of the Mother of God on your left. These are the two main, main icons, they must be in every Orthodox home, and above them only the icon of the Holy Trinity or the “Last Supper” icon can be placed.

On the side of the two main icons or below them you can place personalized icons, as well as icons of saints - patron saints of professions, saints you especially honor, and others.

If you still have questions, you can always turn to the priest for clarification or advice, and the priest will always help you and resolve all your doubts.

Tools

Today, in almost every home where Orthodox Christians live, there are icons. Large or small, real or copies, inherited or bought in a church shop, they stand on bookshelves or hang on the walls in random order. But icons are not just works of art. They must work for their owners. Icons are for us a window into upper world, through them you can turn to the Lord with prayers, requests, or simply seek consolation.

Icons arranged or hung in any order do not bring great benefit and can be regarded simply as a collection of spiritual paintings. Even if it is numerous and very expensive, the collection does not play the role for you that it can play. And if it is handled incorrectly, it can even lead to the opposite effect. It’s another matter if you place the icons in the right place, in a certain sequence. Then you will have a home iconostasis that will not only please the eye, but also protect the house and its inhabitants, maintain spiritual purity in the room, and fill you with a feeling of goodness. Creating a home iconostasis can be an act that will bring us closer to God.

Previously, specifically based on the so-called “red corner”. He was assigned the farthest corner of the hut, on the eastern side, diagonally from the stove. Moreover, both walls adjacent to the “red corner” had windows. It turned out that the iconostasis was located in the most illuminated place of the house. Since the Orthodox Church does not impose too strict requirements for the home iconostasis, these rules can be deviated from. These are the realities of our lives - in modern apartments there is no place for a “red corner”. It is enough to follow the simplest rules. If possible, for the iconostasis you should choose east wall. If you have any difficulties with this, don't worry. Just find a free and easily accessible place for it, where nothing will interfere with your prayer and where several people can gather around the iconostasis. The iconostasis should be located as far as possible from the TV (in modern life it often replaces the icon), VCR, computer, stereo system and other household appliances. However, exceptions are made here too. For example, in work spaces (offices, offices) it is not forbidden to place icons next to computers.

Near the home iconostasis there should be no decorative objects of a secular nature - photographs, vases, figurines, paintings, posters, magazine posters, and so on. All this reflects the physical, material world; such images are momentary and do not correspond to the purpose of sacred icons. The iconostasis can only be decorated with fresh flowers (with the exception of cacti and other “freaks”) or willow branches. Connoisseurs of antiquity can frame icons with embroidered towels. Next to the iconostasis you can hang images of temples, views of the Holy Land, calm landscapes, and so on. It is important that all these types do not contain aggression, do not distract your gaze from the iconostasis and hang at a relative distance from it.

It is believed that it is better for icons to stand on a hard surface rather than hang on the wall. Previously, the iconostasis was placed on a special shelf or even in a special cabinet - an icon case. This way they were better preserved, because the icons were passed on from generation to generation. Nowadays, you can simply place them on a bookshelf. But then secular books cannot be placed on this shelf. A lamp is hung or placed in front of the icons. It must be lit during prayer, and on Sunday church holidays it can burn all day.

A prerequisite is to have two icons: the Savior and the Mother of God. Images of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, as the most perfect of earthly people, are necessary for every Orthodox Christian.

As for other icons, it is recommended to acquire images of those saints after whom family members are named. And, in fact, at this point the home iconostasis can already be considered complete. However, if space allows and if the owners feel the need, then you can still attract icons of revered local saints or simply great saints of the Russian land. In addition, it is rare for a family to do without the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - this is a particularly revered saint in our country, to whom it is customary to turn to on everyday issues, problems in personal life, he acts as the intercessor of children, mothers, the sick, travelers, prisoners and the unjustly offended. Pay attention to the following images of the prophet Elijah, the apostles Peter and Paul, the great martyr George the Victorious, as well as the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon. And in order for the iconostasis to be completely complete, it is desirable to have images of the holy evangelists, St. John the Baptist, Archangels Gabriel and Michael and icons Orthodox holidays.

In general, the selection of icons (except for the main ones) is a question of what troubles you want to protect yourself from and what path in life you have chosen for yourself. So here you can show your own initiative. But avoid vain aspirations, do not try to amaze your friends and acquaintances with a rich, elegant iconostasis. And in general, you should only have at home those icons that you pray to.

In the church, the issue of placing icons is approached with great rigor. But for the home iconostasis, a relaxation is being made. There are only a few basic rules that should not be broken. Icons should be placed so that when you look at the iconostasis you don’t have the desire to urgently move everything. This will distract you from prayer. Images should be arranged symmetrically, in a thoughtful composition.

Some people, frankly speaking, are narrow-minded, forget about Orthodox hierarchy and they hang, for example, an icon of their “name” saint on top of the entire composition, higher than the images of the Savior and the Virgin Mary. Or they place a family icon there, “the most expensive one.” This is wrong.

At the top and in the very center there should be an icon of the Savior (Savior Not Made by Hands, Savior Almighty or another). This is the semantic center of the iconostasis. By the way, it is undesirable for the remaining icons to be larger in size than the Savior. To the left of the Savior is the Mother of God with the Child, as in the classical iconostasis. Above these two images, only one icon can be placed - the Holy Trinity or the Crucifixion. And, in turn, the entire iconostasis must be crowned with a cross; crosses are also placed on doorposts.

If the family has a particularly revered icon that is passed down by inheritance, then it can be placed in the center of the home iconostasis. But, as already said, it should not stand above the two obligatory icons. The remaining images can be placed on the sides or slightly below.

In design it is important to show artistic taste. It is desirable that the selected icons be painted in the same style, in the same manner. Try to avoid too much variety. If there are many rooms in the apartment, then the iconostasis is placed in the largest one. But in the rest, you need to place at least one icon, including in the kitchen and especially in the nursery.

Try to keep the iconostasis clean. Wipe the icons with a sponge and fan the shelf with a feather. And if some icon has fallen into disrepair and cannot be restored, do not throw it away under any circumstances, especially if it has been consecrated. This is a shrine and must be treated with exceptional reverence. Such an icon must be taken to church. There she will be burned in a church oven. And remember: if the icon has deteriorated due to careless storage, this is a sin that you will have to confess. A house with an iconostasis has a completely different atmosphere. The faces that look at us from icons belong to eternity. Looking at them, you can calm down, find balance, remember the Lord and understand that thanks to Him, no paths are closed for a person in this world.

Repair

What is an icon?

Icons are luminous sacred images of high beings from the Divine Hierarchy, who faithfully served people during their lives and did not abandon their care and assistance to humanity when they left the earthly plane. In apartments, icons change the energy of the space and the very mentality of the people living there. Icons can be active or passive. They can wait for a person's spiritual awakening. Or they can be conductors of communication with these high beings living in unearthly planes. Is it necessary to believe in their special beneficial effect on the psyche, soul and emotional life people. Yes, it is necessary, as in all processes where faith is present, there is the materialization of many human intentions.
Historically, icons in Rus' were always in all living quarters, many were strictly functional and focused on certain assistance and assistance in everyday affairs.

There are six special icons that should be present in any home. Three of them are given during the marriage ceremony. These are the Faces of the Kazan Mother of God with a child, the image of Jesus Christ and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This three is a symbol of harmony in the family, peace and fidelity.

The “Passionate” Icon of the Mother of God received its name because on the side of the face of the Most Holy Theotokos two Angels are depicted with the instruments of Christ’s suffering. It is located in Moscow, in the Strastnoy Monastery of 1641. strong icon, used in troubles, sorrows, sorrows, in the treatment of vices, addictions, disorders social norms behavior.

E. Roerich said: “Prayer is a purifier. This should not be understood, the definition is abstract, spiritual health is the main basis for the health of the body. It is prayer, as a real connection with the Supreme Source, that is the best cleanser from diseases.”

Prayers are programs for restoring the biofield. A new direction in science has emerged - trance cosmoenergetics. And programs that define prayer consciousness are the basis of trance meditation. In this case, the first step is the restoration of the astral body with a change in consciousness and its healing. For more than 1000 years, the information field of the planet has been accepting thought forms in the form of prayers for the well-being of the Russian land, the well-being of its inhabitants, wishes for health to loved ones, relatives, and parents. The supply of sacred energy is at the disposal of each of us. Prayers are the key, the code to effective programs for saving the psyche, soul and physical health. They belong to the egregor founded by Jesus Christ. There are huge prayed-up resources of power - cosmic energy. We use it in extreme conditions, in stress and anxiety.

Since ancient times it has been known that turning to the Lord through prayer or meditation on the image of God or light contributes to the flow of prana or vital energy. It is subject to mental control, favors healing and comes from the nerves that originate between the shoulder blades, in the heart chakra, along both hands and ending in the first and middle fingers of each hand. A current of negative polarity flows through the left hand. And positive on the right.

The energy of the heart chakra determines a person’s performance, his immunity, resistance to infections, aging processes and slagging of the body. Energy mental body designed to neutralize the impact of one’s own fears, negative attitudes, mental aggression, and karmic influences. Weakening of the mental body. By turning to the Lord, the Mother of God in prayer, with light you can neutralize negative influences, negative thought forms and attract poana through the chakra of higher spirituality - sahasrara. The active phase of sleep is a source of restoration of the energy of the astral body.

The astral body has its own centers of passion, emotion and attraction. Each feeling changes the color of the aura. Aggression and hatred have a black background, love has a crimson-red glow, aspiration to the spirit has blue and violet. With high spirituality, the astral body in a dream obeys the consciousness and thoughts of a person and moves freely in subtle worlds. And he leaves under anesthesia, leaving physical body without consciousness and feelings. Appeal to To higher powers is accompanied by a mental entry into the Temple of the Holy Spirit without worldly vanity, with blessing and spiritual joy of communion with the Divine. At this moment, the vibrations of the earth and space are united, which allows you to receive Divine energy to heal any ailments.

Icon of the Mother of God - “UNKNOWN COLOR”

April 16 is the day of remembrance of this icon. They pray to her for the preservation of married couples, family ties and peace in the family. Especially in moments of quarrels and disagreements. And also for the health of your loved ones. She uses her power to bless those marrying with the Kazan Mother of God. This is a very ancient icon, it has many copies, many miracles were performed from them. Worn on the chest, it protects childhood and chastity. This icon helps in choosing a spouse. In her left hand she holds a lily flower. A symbol of purity, innocence and enlightenment when maintained by carnal passions.

Icon of the Mother of God “HEALER”

October 1st is Memorial Day. Has strong prayer healing the seriously ill. Bedridden. The Holy Martyrs help in these processes - FAITH, HOPE, LOVE and their mother SOPHIA. in Russia the number of icons, revered and useful, facing the image of the Mother of God is about a hundred. And everyone has their own life story, their own form of help and their own list of healings of the people.

A very interesting icon for completing good deeds, for successful business, the icon brings happy gifts of fate, heals mental suffering. They pray in front of this icon and thank it for the happy ending of the undertaking.

Here is its text:

“It is worthy to eat as one truly blesses You, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Mother of our God. We magnify you, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption, the real Mother of God. Amen".

In Rus', the image of the icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed”, a healer icon, has always been revered; her help is used to get out of the period of grief, melancholy and sadness. He heals sick limbs, the patroness of all craftsmen and folk craftsmen.

The icon “Adding the Mind” and “Murom” patronizes the help in teaching and giving the mind, the spirit of reason and consciousness. When children are ill, the Tikhvin icon receives loving help.

An icon is the most important amulet of the house. In this article you will learn which icons you should keep at home.

An icon is not just a lucky amulet. An icon is an image through which a person turns to God. And only if the prayer was read sincerely, will it be able to help, bring prosperity to the family, and protect the home.

Mandatory icons in the house: list

Each icon is considered a prototype of the Saint depicted. Previously, in houses, icons were located in the eastern corners; even in the temple itself, icons are always located in the eastern part. However, today for many believers in apartments and houses the eastern corner may not be in the right place. Therefore, you should choose the most convenient place where you will feel most comfortable praying.

Place at least one icon in your home. We offer you a list of those icons that you can also place in your home:

• Icon with the image of Jesus Christ. As a rule, it heals serious diseases and illnesses. The icon, which depicts the crucified Jesus, calms, protects from disasters, puts on the right way, supports in hard times. It is necessary to place the icon in a place of honor in the house, to give it the dominant part in the house.
• Icon with the face of the Holy Mother of God. Mary is considered an image pure love, she forgives, gives patience and humility. There are a huge number of similar icons. You can ask the Mother of God for health, a good spouse, children. The Mother of God is the patroness of every woman. Consequently, the icon with the face of Jesus is very often taken by brides to get married, and after that they are kept in the house as a family amulet.
• An icon depicting Nicholas the Pleasant. People turn to him if they want to solve a difficult problem or leave a hopeless situation. They also ask Saint Nicholas to heal a serious illness.

The listed icons are considered mandatory; they protect the family, bring prosperity, and are symbols of harmony. For these icons, highlight a corner or distribute them nearby on the wall. It is advisable that they be in a quiet, cozy place. In order for each family member to have the opportunity in a secluded place to betray his soul before God and the Saints.

• In addition, an icon depicting Seven Shore Mother of God. It can be placed opposite the entrance or above the door leading to the main room of the house. This image is capable of protecting all household members from scandals, gossip, ill-wishers, and housing from thieves.
• The face on which the image is depicted will be important. Holy Trinity. The face will bring love and peace to the house. The image also helps in difficult times, resolves numerous problems, cleanses from sins, removes negative state. It is advisable to place the icon in the eastern corner, as well as at the head, so that it provides some kind of protection.
• Image “Fading Color”. An icon can give you strength and put you on the right path. It also preserves beauty, youth, love, eliminates various temptations, fills the family with confidence, and gives hope for a good future. It is mainly placed in the most comfortable corner where you can pray.

• Image of a Guardian Angel. This image is considered the most popular. He protects a certain person and can respond to every help. Capable of healing, giving love, saving from sins, if a person asks his protector. You can place it in any convenient place at home or in the room of the person whose Angel is depicted on the icon.
• The next obligatory icon is the image of Orthodox holidays. For example, icon of Baptism or depicting the “Nativity of Christ”.
• An icon depicting Last Supper. Removes heaviness from the soul, blesses cooked food, and gives peace during severe falls. It doesn't matter where it will be placed. But best places- This is the kitchen and dining room.

What icons should be in the kitchen?

The kitchen is the room where all family members most often gather. In every Orthodox family, first before eating and at the end of the meal, people read a short prayer that blesses. Therefore, you can place a small number of icons in the kitchen:

• An icon depicting Christ the Savior
• Image of the Virgin Mary
• Icon depicting the Holy Trinity

You can select one of these icons or all of them at the same time. You can also hang an image of the Last Supper. A real assistant who helps in preparing dishes - Euphrosynus of Palestine. This saint served completely unselfishly, visited heaven alive, and then returned to earth. In churches, the monks honored the gifts of Euphrosynus, kept them, and distributed them to those who needed help.

Just imagine how much healthier and good your food will become if you hang this particular icon in your kitchen. It is advisable that it be located above the table, so that before eating you can say a prayer to the Saint for blessing.

What icons should be in the living room?

The living room is the main room of every home. Here you can hang the following icons:

• An icon depicting the Savior. The best among them is the icon depicting the Lord Pantocrator
• An icon depicting the Mother of God. In this case, give preference to the Kazan Mother of God

Kazan Mother of God for the living room

Place the face with the Lord on the right, and the Most Holy Theotokos on the left. If everyone in your family believes, then place the icon in the believer’s room. If you can’t do this, then buy a folding icon. It can only be installed during prayer.

What icons should be in the hallway?

Leaving home every day, going into the world of temptations and deception, you need to pray to your heavenly patron, ask him to make the path safe and guide you to good people. It is important that you teach this to your own children, who trust all people. It is necessary to thank the Saint for his intercession, for returning home.

You can protect your own home from bad people if you hang the following icons in the hallway:

• Icon of the Iveron Blessed Virgin Mary
• Image of the Intercession
• An icon depicting the Holy Trinity

Select one icon, attach it to entrance doors. You can also hang in the hallway the image that is revered by all household members.

What icons should be in the bedroom?

Only certain icons are allowed in this room. However, under the following condition - if the husband and wife legalized their own marriage and got married, it is recommended to hang the following icons in the bedroom:

• Icons depicting the Virgin Mary
• Face of the Savior Christ
• Image of Peter and Fevronia. They are considered the patrons of family happiness
• Image of the healer Panteleimon
• Image of Nikolai Ugodnik
• Icon depicting Spyridon of Trimythous
• Personal image of the Saint

Place the icons above the bed or on the bedside table. You can also select a corner for prayer in the window, where you place not only icons, but also a lamp for a church candle.

What icons should be in the nursery?

Children who are born into an Orthodox family should learn to pray and turn to the Saints from childhood. In addition, each icon will protect the peace and health of children. Therefore, the nursery should contain its own images.

Such icons are placed at the head of the room. You can choose a personalized or dimensional icon. The name should include a Saint who has the same name as your child. The measured icon is ordered when the child is born and is selected according to the height of the newborn.

The following icons would be appropriate in a nursery:

• Face of the Savior
• Face of the Virgin Mary
• Icon depicting the Guardian Angel

May God protect your child

You can also hang other faces that provide health and well-being for your child. Remember that God loves children very much, we are all his children. Therefore, teach your children to pray from a young age.

What icons should be in the office for work?

If certain difficulties arise that directly relate to work, inspiration disappears, envious people overcome, you need to turn to the Saint. The icon should be placed at home in your office or directly at work.

Choose an image based on your own life activities. If your profession does not have its own patron, then put a face with the image of the Patriarch.

We offer you a small list of professions and their patrons:

• Student. An icon depicting the Martyr Tatiana is suitable. It helps in studies and gives intelligence.
• Sales worker. The Face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is ideal. Brings good luck in trading.
• A profession that involves working on the Internet. Best Look the one that depicts the Mother of God, Gracious Heaven. Makes your career successful, everyday affairs successful, brings well-being in material terms.
• Sailor, motorist, tourism worker. The image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Sovereign Mother of God, is suitable. They bring health, make things more successful, and improve their financial situation.
• Medical worker. Icon with Luke of Crimea. Protects at work, brings good health.

• Diplomat, postal worker. The best icon depicting the Archangel Gabriel. Protects you at work.
• Educator orphanage, nursing home worker. The ideal icon is one that depicts the Baby of Bethlehem. Gives patience and mercy. Gives children physical health.
• Teacher, researcher. Icon of the Mother of God of Kaluga. Allows you to constantly strive for knowledge and study new sciences.
• Civil servant. It is better to choose an icon with the image of the Mother of God Economissa. Makes government wise and just.

• Athlete. The ideal image is the Mother of God. Bestows good luck and success in achievements.
• Aviation worker. The face of the Savior Not Made by Hands is suitable for this profession. Allows you to complete your flight safely and protects you from evil ill-wishers.

Where should you not keep icons at home?

There are no specific rules for keeping a particular icon in the house. Proper placement simply requires common sense.

• Place the icon in absolutely any room. But in the bathroom or toilet, the icon, of course, will be out of place.
• You cannot place the image near a TV, tape recorder, personal computer or other similar equipment. This is because to perform the ritual of prayer you need to concentrate, and such elements, even if they do not work, will, out of habit, attract your attention and begin to distract you.
• Also, do not place your face where there are cosmetics, inappropriate books, toys, or various figurines. Posters of singers, actors, and famous personalities should not be placed near the faces.
• It is also not advisable to place paintings or reproductions near icons, even if they have religious content.

And most importantly, never place icons near any photographs. And it doesn't matter who is in these pictures. The priests categorically forbid doing this.

Video: Where should icons be located in the house?

In the home of every Orthodox Christian there must be an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Cross. This is the main icon for each of us.

Also in the home iconostasis it is good to have an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and saints revered in the family - the patrons of those who live in the house and those to whom they often pray. You should not have too many icons; in your home iconostasis it is better to have icons of those to whom you regularly pray.

There is no need to put photographs of loved ones - living or dead - in the iconostasis.

BOOK by Archpriest Sergius Nikolaev about HOME ICONOSTASIS

The material world that surrounds us, the world of objects - daily witnesses of our life - is not silent. A person’s home will tell about the owner, perhaps more than the owner himself. And if an Orthodox person on the street, on a bus, in a store does not stand out in any way outwardly, then his home still has its own characteristics. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to talk about the aesthetics of an Orthodox home.

The parish priest often visits the homes of his parishioners. He is called upon to bless the apartment, serve a prayer service at home, and is called upon to perform the sacrament of consecration of oil (unction) to the sick person. During such visits, I always pay attention to what place is allocated to household icons, how they are kept, whether there are lamps or a candlestick in front of them. Is there a Gospel or spiritual books in the house?

It is a joy to encounter a beautifully decorated, kept clean, living holy corner with icons, a lamp lit in front of them, a clean veil under the images. How much love there is in such care! Yes, this is natural. The most precious thing for us is God. That is why images of the Savior, His Most Pure Mother, and saints of God are dear to us - holy icons.

But it’s a pity for the owner or hostess of a house where a warped paper image the size of half a palm, covered with dust, leans forlornly from a chest of drawers or a sideboard, leaning against a random vase.

Sometimes, especially in those families where the Orthodox church tradition was somehow interrupted, believers and completely pious owners do not know how best to arrange new holy icons, lamps, and candlesticks for their home. After all, an icon is a shrine, but it is also a product that has its own shape, appearance, and price. How to “fit” it into the current familiar environment?

Where to hang an icon in an apartment?

Previously, all the decoration of a peasant's upper room came from the red, or holy corner with icons. Even the name “upper room” itself probably comes from a mountain place (in Russian - heavenly, upper), that is, the place where part of the sky is located - holy icons. And today it is better to determine a convenient, beautiful place for icons in a free corner or on the wall, even if this requires some rearrangement.

During prayer or on holidays, a lamp or candle is lit in front of the icons. The flame of a burning lamp, rushing upward, is a symbol of our prayer, our burning towards God. You can see that the lamp is safer in everyday life. But still, for special or special occasions, it is good to have a candlestick and candles in the house. Lamps come in several types: hanging and standing. The owner of the house, based on aesthetics and convenience, can choose one or the other.

It is customary to place the icon not directly on the shelf, but on a small beautiful napkin, or, as it is called, a veil. It can be decorated with embroidery, lace, frill. Here the imagination, taste and skill of the housewife can fully express themselves.

If there is no free corner or convenient part of the wall and at the same time it is a pity to disturb the existing interior, then the icons can be placed on a bookshelf, chest of drawers, low sideboard, piano. Temporarily, of course. In this case, you should pay attention to what books are on the shelf, whether they are completely combined with the shrine standing above them. Maybe it would be better to remove them or at least cover them with something. Look to see if there are porcelain dogs, gift cups or other household decorations that are not very necessary here next to the icons. The TV also looks ridiculous under the icons. And one more condition: nothing is placed above the icons. Clocks, paintings, photographs and other decorative elements should take place somewhat to the side. So once upon a time it was not allowed to build a building higher than a temple in close proximity to it.

The presence of a shrine in a house obliges the owners to take care not only of the external splendor of the interior, but also of the internal contents, that is, it moves them towards piety. Be sure to check whether everything in your house is in accordance with the shrine and whether there are any contradictions.

In the “Ancient Patericon” you can read an incident that happened to one hermit. Once, while praying, the monk saw the Most Holy Virgin standing on the threshold of his cell. She seemed to be about to enter, but then she moved away and disappeared. The vision was repeated, and the saddened hermit turned to the Mother of God: “Mistress, why don’t you want to enter my home?” To which the Mother of God answered: “How can I enter where my enemy is.” The hermit pondered for a long time over the words of the Most Pure Virgin and remembered that in his cell, among the books, there was a book with the works of a certain heretic, which the monk forgot to give to the owner. Immediately the hermit took the book out of the cell.

If the family is friendly, then such “enemies” after discussion at family council can also be taken out of the house. And almost everyone has them. In this regard, I remember two cases. Last year they invited me to serve a prayer service in one house, where, according to the owners, it was “not good.” Despite the fact that the house was consecrated, some kind of oppression was felt in it. Walking around the rooms with holy water, I noticed the room of the young men, the sons of the owner, where on the wall hung an artistically executed poster dedicated to a famous rock band. Moreover, it is known for its satanic orientation.

After the prayer service, over tea, I carefully, knowing about the fanatical devotion of some young people to their idols, tried to explain that “bad things” in the house could well come from even such posters, that such images seemed to be trying to resist the shrine. The young man stood up silently and removed the painting in question from the wall. The choice was made right there.

But in another house, the indecisiveness of the owners deprived them of a wonderful shrine. A pious old woman gave one person a beautiful icon - “The Appearance of the Mother of God, St. Sergius of Radonezh." The icon was beautiful in itself, and besides, it was painted and presented to its owner by the famous Russian hierarch Orthodox Church, which gave her some peculiarity. New owner I found a place for the precious shrine on the wall in the living room, but, unfortunately, three engravings hung opposite. Old engravings in beautiful frames, three female portraits: Venus, Leda and Cleopatra. Relatives persuaded the owners to remove these three images of the world's harlots so that they would not hang in front of the Virgin Mary, but the reluctance to destroy the interior and the not entirely correctly perceived concept of culture did not allow them to make the right choice.

The next morning, early, as early as decency allows, the phone rang: the pious old woman begged for the icon to be returned to her and returned as soon as possible. “I didn’t sleep all night, it seemed to me that something had happened to my icon. I will give you another one, and bring this one to me, I will give it to you later,” she asked. Of course, the shrine returned to its former owner, and lovers of ancient engravings received another icon as a gift. It was placed in another room on a shelf among other icons, since it was more suitable there in size and design. I don’t know whether Lyubov Timofeevna chose a replacement by accident or on purpose. This was also an image of the Mother of God, it was called “Mammal.” Perhaps there was a hint here about the spiritual age of her friends? True, the lesson was not in vain; after a while, three landscapes took the place of dubious portraits.

Where to hang the icon?

Sometimes the question arises: there are several rooms in the house, where is it more appropriate to place icons? There is no special rule. But you pray more often in the room in which you sleep. In addition, prayer requires some solitude. “When you pray, go into your room and close your door and pray to your Father. Which is in secret…” (Matthew 6:6), we read in the Gospel. This means that it is wise to have icons in the bedroom in front of which you will read morning and evening prayers.

If you have a children's room, then there must be an icon in it. A child often turns to “God” in his own, childish way; it’s good if he can see the image. In addition, any holy icon is miraculous, and it will miraculously protect your child.

Remember that the whole family gathers in the common room, a common meal often takes place here, and the holy image should also be located here. Don't forget about the kitchen. The owner spends most of her time in it. The kitchen is the place for everyday breakfasts and dinners. It is better to say a prayer before eating food, turning your gaze to the icon. So, let there be icons in every room and in the kitchen. “...I wish that men would say prayers in every place, lifting up clean hands without anger or doubt” (1 Tim. 2:8), says the Apostle. “Every place...”

What icons must be in the house?

There is one more question. What icons are best to have at home? There is also no rule here, but only a pious tradition. Most of our prayers are addressed to the Savior and the Mother of God. It is reasonable to have an image of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother at home.

In a Russian Orthodox home, you will most often find a triptych: the Savior, the Virgin Mary and St. Nicholas. The veneration of St. Nicholas in Russia is so widespread that hardly any saint can compare in this sense with the Wonderworker of Myra. The reason for this is simple: as you know, people don’t go to a dry well for water. Saint Nicholas is loved and revered by us as a quick helper, intercessor and great wonderworker. Almost every family has experience of his miraculous help.

Pious people usually have the image of their heavenly patron, whose name they bear. Sometimes this or that saint of God turns out to be somewhat close to us. We find in his life some character trait that is close to us or that we love, we are admired by some deed or miracle created through “his prayer. There is a desire to have an image of this saint at home. Of course, prayer in front of him will be especially heartfelt. Our patriotic dispensation, love for the Fatherland can express itself in special veneration and warm prayer before the images of St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Seraphim Sarovsky, Righteous John of Kronstadt, Righteous Princes Alexander Nevsky, Daniil of Moscow and Demetrius Donskoy. Love for Russia is inseparable from love for miraculous icons Intercessors of the Zealous Mother of God, through whom so many miracles have occurred on our land. These are the icons of Vladimir, Kazan, Tikhvin, Derzhavnaya and many others.

The Feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God are also depicted on icons. You can have at home an icon of the Presentation, Annunciation, Baptism, and the Protection of the Mother of God.

Take a closer look at the “Nativity of Christ” icon. How quiet, peaceful, family-like, exactly family image. God the Child and the Mother and Betrothed, looking at the Little One in quiet tenderness; shepherds worshiping the Savior with fear and joy of simple and true heart; wise men-magi who brought gifts-symbols, a sign that earthly wisdom is just a part of heavenly wisdom. A peaceful night, and above everything is the Star of Bethlehem. How many thoughts and prayers will be born next to this icon.

And look at the image “Introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.” The parents brought their only, long-awaited, beloved child to the temple in order to leave him there. The girl is only three years old. How sweet the little ones are at this time, how pure and innocent! How the mere sight of them caresses a parent’s heart! But where is the best place to preserve and strengthen this purity? In the temple. Joachim and Anna gave Mary to be raised in the temple. Look, parents, your child must honor the Law of God, and your child must be in church. Looking at this image of parental feat and hope in God, pray for your children and think about your responsibilities.

We will find how much we need for our soul by looking at the icon “The Presentation of the Lord.” Meeting, in Slavic, meeting, that is, the meeting of the Savior and Elder Simeon. What wonderful words were spoken by the God-Receiver Simeon, receiving the Infant Jesus in his arms: “Now you are letting Your servant go, O Master, in peace, according to Your word” (Luke 2:29). Because it was to the righteous old man the revelation that he will not die until he sees Christ the Savior. And when we meet the Lord, whether in prayer, in His temple, in reading the Holy Scriptures, at the relics of His holy saints, we also part with earthly things, temporarily dying to the worries and sorrows of this life. “Now You are releasing Your servant, O Master...”

Why don't you have the image of the Life-Giving Trinity: three Angels sitting at a meal - a symbol endless love and unity.

And what a consolation for an Orthodox person to see the omophorion of the Mother of God stretched out over the world on the icon of the feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God. Do not despair, man, and over you is the protection of the Diligent Intercessor.

Nowadays you can buy different icons. Any consecrated image is a shrine. And a paper lithograph, and a reproduction of an icon painter, and an old family image, and a rarity purchased in an antique store - all this is an icon. Of course, it’s nice to have a highly artistic image painted by a competent specialist isographer; today you can buy these in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, St. Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow, where they have their own art workshops. It’s great if you have old family icons at home. But modern reproduction should not be neglected. In Crimea, in Livadia, in the imperial palace in the office of Emperor Nicholas II, a very religious and pious man, the walls are literally filled with icons. Antique, precious icons, and next to them simple “village” letters, and here and there lithographs and photographs. And all these shrines - both dear and modest - met the prayerful gaze of the holy man who stood with a tender heart in front of them. It seems that the point here is not only about what icon is in front of us, but also about ourselves. I had to see indifferent empty faces both in front of the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, and in front of the Trinity of Andrei Rublev’s letters. “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), said the Savior.

I would like to wish you that holy icons will appear before your eyes more often, moving you to prayer and contemplation of God, lifting you above the vanity of the world, calming passions and healing illnesses. Amen.

——————————————————————————–

Icons in our house. About prayer. About alms. - M.: Danilovsky blagovestnik, 1997.- 48 p. - (Series “For advice from the priest”).