Icon corner

An icon corner is an essential feature of any Orthodox house. It becomes the family's place of worship – the home altar.

The concept of the church of the home is an ancient Orthodox tradition, beginning in the first century. At this time there were no separate churches, so Christians would gather in private homes to worship.

Location and set-up

Icon corners are typically located in the east-facing wall of the house, since East is the traditional direction for Orthodox prayer.

Most commonly based in the kitchen as this is where the family gathers together to eat. However, even the living room can have an icon corner.

The purpose of an icon corner is to provide a focal point in the house for the family to worship and pray. To feel the presence of God and to always be within close proximity to give honour to Him.

Each family’s bedroom should also have a small icon corner for private prayer, meditation and to feel God’s presence.

Objects

There are many items which are placed within the icon corner:

• Icon of Christ
• Icon of the Theotokos
• Icon of the family's patron saint
• A cross
• Other icons – those of saints of family members and significant church events
• A prayer book
• The Bible
• Vigil lamp
• Seasonal items:

·        First piece cut from the Vasilopita at the feast of St Basil (1 Jan)

·        Holy water from the Theophany church service (6 Jan)

·        Palm Crosses from the Palm Sunday service

·        Holy oil from the Holy Unction service on Holy Wednesday

·        Bay leaves from Holy Saturday Matins service

·        Flowers from special services – Good Friday, Exaltation of the Holy Cross etc.

·        Paschal egg & koulourakia

• Seal for Communion bread
• Censer with incense and charcoal pellets
• Candles from church
• marriage crowns
• anything else that has religious importance.

The perishable items should be eaten, distributed to the birds, or burnt if it is necessary to dispose of them. These items have either been blessed at church and/or have remained in a place where prays are made to God.

Some items (such as Holy Oil, candles, incense etc) can be kept in a cupboard underneath the icon corner or in a small decorated box in the icon corner.

Icons

These deeply rich, complex and beautiful images of holy beings and saints are worthy of entire encyclopaedias of discussion. However, this page will only focus on their daily use in Orthodox practise.

Display

They should be put everywhere, but not done in a showy way or treated as artwork. In short, icons can be placed:

·        home icon corner

·        anywhere where the person/family live – every room in the house

·        vehicle used for transportation (i.e car, truck etc.)

·        office (but not to draw attention)

Do not keep them hidden, but at the same time, especially in the workplace, be humble and respectful where they are placed.

Purpose of icons

Here are some important facts about icons:

1. Orthodox DO NOT WORSHIP icons, they are VENERATED;
2. icons are filled with symbolism to convey information about the person or event depicted;
3. the event depicted is not a ‘photograph’ or exact historical representation – instead they express the Faith’s theology;
4. they show the spiritual nature of the people depicted, not their earthly appearance; and
5. miraculous icons are not miraculous due to their material nature, but are miraculous because of the glory of the saint who is depicted.

Icons are often illuminated by an oil lamp because oil lamps symbolise the Light of the World, who is Christ.

Also, some icons are covered with a silver or gold ‘shield’ (riza) in order to preserve the icon. Such icons usually leave the faces and hands of the saints exposed for veneration (left: Panagia Kamariani, Red Hill).

Blessing icons

The Church has a tradition that once icons are made they should be blessed. This is done either by:

†       leaving the icon(s) at a local church/monastery or ask that the icon(s) be placed in the Holy Table (Agia Trapeza) for a period of 40 days; or

†       get a priest to do a special blessing for icons with holy water.

Always support the church/monastery by purchasing icons from them as they have remained on holy ground and have been blessed. It is better to support the Church instead of commercial outlets who carry no blessing and sell icons only for profit.

Showing respect

Regularly clean any dust or spills from icons. By caring for icons it’s doing a service for the holy things of God.

Icons are also to be blessed with incense when one regularly blesses their house.

Do not forget, every human being is a living icon of God. So do not only treat icons with respect, but every human being.