Quantity and quality are two different things. It would be naive to
assume that the more sacred images there are in an Orthodox Christian’s
home, the more pious his life. A disorganized collection of icons,
reproductions, and religious wall calendars covering a significant
amount of living space can often have a contrary effect on one’s
spiritual life.
A poorly thought-out collection of icons can turn into something
simple and meaningless, in which the prayerful purpose of the icon has
no place whatsoever.
Nonetheless, it is essential to have icons in one’s home in sufficient numbers, but within reasonable limits.
In
the past, whether on a farm or in the city, every Orthodox family’s
home would always have a shelf with icons, or an entire home
iconostasis, located in the most visible place. The place where the
icons were installed was known as the front corner, the beautiful
corner, the holy corner, God’s place, or the kiot.
For Orthodox Christians, an icon is not just a depiction of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the Saints, or events from Sacred and
Church History. An icon is a sacred image, i.e., it is outside the realm
of ordinary reality; it is not to be confused with ordinary daily life;
and it is intended only for communion with God. Thus, the primary
purpose of icons is prayer. An icon is a window from our world, the
earthly world, into the world above. It is God’s revelation in form and
color.
In this way, an icon is not simply a family relic to be passed on
from generation to generation, but a holy thing that unites all family
members during communal prayer – for prayer in common can take place
only if those standing before the icons have mutually forgiven one
another’s offenses and achieved unity.
Today, of course, when the television set – which is itself a kind
of a window into the motley world of human passions – has taken the
place of icons in the home, the purpose of the family icon, the
tradition of common prayer at home, and the consciousness of the family
as the “little Church” have been lost.
Therefore, an Orthodox Christian today might ask: What icons should I
have in my home? How should they be arranged? Can I use reproductions
of icons? What do I do with old, dilapidated icons?
Some of these questions merit an unequivocal answer, while others do not demand any kind of strict recommendations.
Where should one place icons at home?
In a free and accessible place.
The terse nature of such an answer is prompted by the realities of life, rather than by the absence of canonical requirements.
Of course, it is preferable to place icons on the eastern wall of the
room, because the “East” as a theological concept has special
significance in Orthodoxy.
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed (Genesis 2:8).
O Jerusalem, look about thee toward the east, and behold the joy that cometh unto thee from God (Baruch 4:36).
Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord’s house, which looketh eastward (Ezekiel 11:1).
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Matthew 24:27).
But what should one do if there are windows or doors on the eastern
side of one’s home? In that case, use the southern, northern, or western
walls.
One should not combine icons with decorative objects of a secular nature, such as statuettes, various types of pictures, etc.
It is inappropriate to put icons on a bookshelf next to books having
nothing in common with the Orthodox faith or that conflict with
Christian teaching on love and charity.
It is absolutely impermissible to have icons next to posters or
calendars depicting rock musicians, athletes, or politicians – the idols
of the current age. This not only diminishes reverence for the holy
images to an unacceptable degree, but also puts holy icons on par with
the idols of the contemporary world.
The home icon corner can be decorated with live flowers.
Traditionally, larger icons are often framed with towels. This tradition
dates back to antiquity and has a theological basis. According to
tradition, an image of the Savior miraculously appeared on a towel
during His earthly life to help a suffering man. After washing His Face,
Christ wiped His Face with a clean towel, on which an image of His Face
appeared. The towel was sent to King Abgar, who was afflicted with
leprosy, in the city of Edessa in Asia Minor. Upon healing, the ruler
and his subjects adopted Christianity and the Image-Not-Made-By-Hands of
Jesus Christ was affixed to a “permanent panel” and raised above the
city gates.
In times past, August 29 (new style), the day the Church commemorates
the translation of the Image Not-Made-By-Hands of our Lord Jesus Christ
from Edessa to Constantinople in 944, was known among the people as the
feast of the “canvas” or “linen Savior,” and in some places fabric and
towels made of homespun yarn were blessed.
These richly embroidered towels were reserved for use in the icon
corner. Likewise, icons were framed by towels for use during weddings
and the Blessing of Waters. Thus, for example, after the service for the
Blessing of Waters, when the priest sprinkled the icons with abundant
Holy Water, people would wipe the icons with special towels that they
would incorporate into the icon corner.
There is a tradition that, following the celebration of the Lord’s
Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), pussy willow branches that have been
blessed in church are kept near the icons until the following Palm
Sunday.
It is customary that on Pentecost, the Day of the Holy Trinity, homes
and icons are decorated with birch branches as a symbol of the
flourishing Church, bearing the grace-filled power of the Holy Spirit.
Which icons should you have at home?
It is essential to have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God.
The Image of the Lord Jesus Christ, which bears witness to the
Incarnation and to the salvation of mankind, and of the Theotokos – the
most perfect of those who have lived on earth, who was made worthy of
deification, and who is venerated as more honorable than the Cherubim
and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim – are an essential
part of the Orthodox Christian home. The icon of Christ ordinarily
selected for prayer at home is a waist-length depiction of Christ
Pantocrator.
Those with room for a greater number of icons in the home may
supplement their icon corner with depictions of various revered saints.
Russian Orthodoxy has a strong tradition of special veneration for
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; almost every Orthodox family has an icon
of him. One should note that, together with the icons of the Savior and
the Mother of God, the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker has always
occupied a central place in Orthodox Christian homes. People revere St.
Nicholas as a saint endowed with special grace. This stems in large
part from the fact that, according to the Church’s Typikon, every
Thursday, when the Church offers up prayers to the Holy Apostles, is
also dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in
Lycia.
Among the icons of the Holy Prophets of God, that of the Prophet
Elias holds a prominent place; prominent among the icons of the Holy
Apostles is that of the Sts. Peter and Paul, the chiefs among the
Apostles.
Among the images of martyrs for Christian Faith, those encountered
most often are icons of the Holy Great Martyr and Trophy-bearer George
and the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.
It is recommended to have depictions of the Holy Evangelists, of St.
John the Baptist, of the Holy Archangels Gabriel and Michael, as well as
icons of the Feasts, to make a home icon corner complete.
The selection of icons for one’s home is always an individual matter.
The best person to help one make these choices is one’s priest – the
family’s spiritual father – and it is to him, or to another clergyman,
that one should turn for advice.
As for icon reproductions and color photographs, sometimes it makes
more sense to have a good reproduction than a painted icon of poor
quality.
An iconographer should maintain a very demanding attitude toward his
work. Just as a priest does not serve the Liturgy without due
preparation, the iconographer must approach his service with full
awareness of his responsibility. Unfortunately, both in the past and
today, one often encounters vulgar examples of images that bear no
resemblance to icons. Thus, if a given depiction does not evoke a sense
of piety and a sense of contact with the holy, or if it is theologically
suspect and its technical execution is unprofessional, it would be best
not to purchase such an item.
However, reproductions of canonical icons, mounted on a firm backing
and blessed in church, can occupy a place of honor in the home
iconostasis.
How and in what order should icons be arranged?
Are there strict rules in that regard?
In church, yes. As to the home prayer corner, we may limit discussion to a few principal rules.
For example, a collection of icons hung without a sense of symmetry,
without a well thought-out arrangement, evokes a constant sense of
dissatisfaction with the arrangement and a desire to change everything –
something that often distracts from prayer.
It is likewise essential to remember the principle of hierarchy: for
example, do not place an icon of a locally-venerated saint above an icon
of the Holy Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God, or the Apostles.
Just as on a classic iconostasis, the Icon of the Savior should be to the right, and the Mother of God to the left.
What should be our attitude toward holy things?
As one of the attributes of God (Isaiah 6:3), holiness is also
reflected in God’s saints and in physical objects. Therefore, reverence
for holy people and sacred objects and images, as well as personal
striving for authentic communion with God, are manifestations of a
single order.
And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy (Leviticus 20: 26).
Family icons have always been held in particular reverence. Following
baptism, an infant was brought before and icon and the priest or master
of the house would read prayers. Parents blessed their children with an
icon to pursue studies, to go on extended journeys, or to engage in
public service. As a sign of their approval of a wedding, parents
likewise blessed newlyweds with icons. Moreover, a person’s departure
from this life took place in the presence of icons.
It is improper to have arguments or to engage in rowdy or otherwise improper behavior before the images of the saints.
One should instill proper reverence for holy images in children from a very early age.
What should you do if an icon’s condition has rendered it unfit for use and it cannot be restored?
Under no circumstance should such an icon, even one that has not been
blessed, simply be thrown away. A holy item, even if it has lost its
original appearance, should always be treated with reverence.
If the condition of the icon has deteriorated with age, it should be
taken to church to be burned in the church furnace. If that proves
impossible, you should burn the icon yourself and bury the ashes in a
place that will not be sullied or disturbed, e.g., in a cemetery or
under a tree in the garden.
The faces that look at us from icons belong to eternity. Gazing upon
them, raise up your prayers to them, asking for their intercessions. We,
the inhabitants of the earthly world, should never forget our Savior’s
eternal call towards repentance, perfection, and the deification of
every human soul.
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