Our recent history, within one generation, has gone from complete lack of faith in the Creator to almost fanatical worship. The purpose of this material is more peaceful and, one might say, educational. We will not go to extremes and compile detailed guides for believers on what icons and in what order they need to fill their homes, but we will simply take a short excursion through the traditions of Christian Rus' at the level of everyday life and tell us what and how was done in the veneration of the Savior and saints.
If a separate cabinet is not possible, a shelf will do just fine.
Icon - a lucky amulet
Through the icon we turn to God himself or to the Saints who intercede for us before the Creator. Sincere prayer can protect our home, help every person, and bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to the family.
In which corner should the images be placed? At all times in temples they were always located in the eastern part. In Christian houses, revered faces were also assigned the eastern corner and the wall nearby. In modern houses, the corner facing the East can be occupied by a TV or computer. This means that the images should be given a place where nothing will distract you from prayer, where it is convenient to bow.
If it is not possible to place several icons, then the images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary should be given the most honorable place. They ask the Mother of God for health to the whole family, a kind, hard-working spouse, and the birth of children.
By praying before the image of the Savior, we save the family from all kinds of diseases. The icon, which depicts the crucified Jesus , protects from difficult trials and supports in difficult times.
The image of Jesus Christ and the crucifixion should be given the most honorable place in an apartment or house. The cross is placed above all images as a symbol of victory over the enemy.
Where to put icons in the apartment
Can they coexist with home appliances? This is undesirable and, if possible, such proximity should be prevented. However, if, for example, a computer in a particular family is a means of work, then placing an image nearby is quite normal, because before, after, and even during work you can and should pray, asking for God’s blessing on your actions.
According to ancient tradition, the Red Corner in the house was often decorated with the means available at that time: fresh flowers and skillfully embroidered towels. It is not a sin to maintain this tradition today. Therefore, if you have such a desire, feel free to decorate your iconostasis and single-placed icons.
So, where to hang icons in the house? Summarize:
- It is advisable to place them on the eastern wall of the house.
- Availability.
- Icons can be hung on the wall, placed on tables and shelves, or placed in icon cases.
- Icons and decorative objects should not be placed nearby.
- Icons can be decorated with flowers and towels.
Icons for home prayer
Every Christian should know icons for the home and their meaning. Every believer should also have in their home an image of the Holy Trinity, Guardian Angel, Nicholas the Wonderworker , saints named by members of the household and those saints whom the whole family honors.
The image depicting the Holy Trinity will bring peace and love to the family, help in difficult times, cleanse from sins, and remove a painful mood. This icon is the protector of home and person. Place it in a corner facing East or at the head.
Prayer before the face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker will help solve complex problems and heal from serious illnesses.
Many Orthodox Christians want to have an image - the Seven Shore Mother of God . Where to hang the Seven Shots icon?
This home amulet is most often placed above the door leading to the main room or opposite the entrance. It will protect not only from enemies and thieves, but also from gossip and scandals.
Semistrelnaya
The most popular is the image of the Guardian Angel. He will definitely protect the person who bears his name. You can turn to him with all your hardships, ask for healing, salvation from sins. You can put it on a shrine in the room where the person who bears his name lives.
The most powerful icons for the home
It is impossible to do without the holy faces of Christ the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos. Nicholas the Wonderworker is also revered by believers and will certainly help if you ask him for protection. The no less famous icon of the Holy Trinity will definitely protect your home from evil and misfortune.
The icon of the Last Supper is also strong, this image is very much valued, so it can be placed above the icons of Christ the Savior and the Mother of God. But you shouldn’t mindlessly broadcast it in your apartment if you don’t understand its intent and true meaning.
Icons that will give your home blessing, peace and harmony.
The faces of the patron saints of home and family will protect your hearth from evil: Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom, Saints Joachim and Anna - the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Xenia of St. Petersburg and Matrona of Moscow.
These are the most famous icons that you must have at home and constantly pray to them.
An icon for home protection is the face of a saint who will stand guard over your family and your loved ones. The faces of the Mother of God and the Savior are considered such icons. In the church, these icons are considered the most universal; they will help in any situation, you just need to pray.
Appeal to Matrona of Moscow
Matrona of Moscow
The image of Matrona is in almost every home. And this is no coincidence! The Holy Elder helps in all the needs that a person can experience.
Where to hang the Matrona icon? The main rule is that it should stand in the eastern corner on a shelf in front of a burning lamp, and not hang.
- The image should be opposite the entrance on the right hand;
- When entering a room, a person should see exactly this image;
- Only church books or objects can be placed near the image.
There is a special day when prayer to Matronushka has great power. This is the day of remembrance of the saint - May 2.
How to keep icons clean and safe?
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In church stores you can buy icon cases - special boxes for storing icons. They allow you to keep holy images clean.
Some people lovingly decorate the shelves and frames in their home iconostasis with embroidered towels or lace patches and artificial flowers. Everything must be placed in such a way as to protect flammable household items from fire. At the request of believers, the shop workers will clearly explain how to properly hang a burning lamp in front of the icon.
The craftsmen who make the base, which serves for the subsequent writing of a holy image on it, usually think through how it will be attached to the wall. A special hole or loop is made in the material, usually wood. If there is nothing like this, then it is better not to hang such an icon, but to place it on a fixed shelf. But in no case should you nail the icon right through, especially in the outline of the holy face or robe.
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Home prayer
How to pray at home in front of an icon? Prayer at home is almost no different from prayer in church.
The only difference is that at home you can remember people of any religion. In church it is customary to pray mentally, and at home - out loud. You must begin prayer fully dressed. Women must wear a headscarf, dress or skirt.
Prayers can be short, in your own words or written in the Prayer Book. Long prayers are reserved for priests.
Your Prayer Book should include:
- morning and evening prayers;
- daytime (before the start and end of any task, before and after eating food, etc.);
- canons by day of the week and “Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ”;
- Akathists (“To Our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ”, “To the Most Holy Theotokos”, etc.);
- “Following to Holy Communion...” and prayers read after it.
In addition to the Prayer Book, every believer should have a Psalter . You need to read 150 psalms in a week. But to read the Psalter, you should take a blessing from the priest.
How much should you pray? This is determined by the person himself. If you don’t have the strength or time, then be sure to read “Our Father” in the morning, “Have mercy on me, O God...” (the fiftieth psalm) and the “Creed”, and in the evening - the prayer of St. John Chrysostom, “May God rise again...” and “Confession of sins.” everyday." It is imperative to read prayer words before and after meals. If you can't read while standing, sit down and pray.
At home you must pray in complete silence, in front of icons, with deep bows to the waist or on your knees, making the sign of the cross. The prayer word through strength, if there is no strength, will also be heard.
The story of the discovery of the Seven-Arrow Icon of the Mother of God
There is no exact information about the origin of the image. But it is believed that it belongs to the North Russian iconographic tradition. Approximate dating: 15th century. For some time it simply served as an ordinary religious object, but later everything changed.
In the Kadnikovsky district of the Vologda province there lived a peasant who suffered from lameness and other diseases. According to some sources, he worked in the Church of the Apostle John the Theologian and accidentally discovered an ancient icon. According to others, in a dream he heard the voice of God and, at his command, climbed to the bell tower, where he discovered the image.
As it turned out, the workers used the icon as a step, considering it an ordinary board. When the truth was revealed, the clergy restored and served a prayer service in front of her. The peasant who was present with him received complete healing. Since then they believed that the icon was miraculous. She was even transported to Vologda when the plague epidemic was raging.
For about 80 years the image was kept in the Church of St. John the Evangelist, but at the very beginning of the 1917 revolution it disappeared. Since then there has been no information about the original. The seven-arrow icon of the Mother of God is so called because the Virgin Mary is depicted pierced by seven arrows.
Iconography
The image is considered quite rare and authentic due to the fact that the Mother of God does not hold the infant Christ in her arms. Its name is a description, because the Mother of God is depicted with seven arrows in her chest. The iconography is similar to the Orthodox image “Softening Evil Hearts.”
There is also an image with a similar motif, which is called “Our Lady of the Don”. The seven-shot icon looks exactly like this because it is an allegory of the Gospel legend. According to legend, Simeon, who was a Jewish clergyman, took Christ in his arms and realized that he was the son of God.
The righteous man uttered several prophetic words about Jesus, predicted the colossal changes that he would bring to the world, and told the Mother of God “and a weapon will pierce your soul.” It is believed that this is why the Virgin Mary is depicted without Christ in her arms.
There are many traditions of depicting this icon. For example, swords are sometimes written instead of arrows. Their number remains unchanged - seven.
Where to place images
Icons in the kitchen
It is customary to place an icon depicting the Last Supper . By praying in front of her you receive a blessing for cooking. In addition, it brings peace to the believer who suffers from a strong fall.
You can also place other icons in the kitchen: the Mother of God, the Savior, the Holy Trinity . The kitchen is the place where the whole family gathers. In every Orthodox family, it is customary to read small prayers before and after meals, so there should be at least a small iconostasis.
Above the table you can place the face of Euphrosynus of Palestine . This saint visited heaven alive. He selflessly distributed food to all those in need. Before eating, you can also offer a prayer to this saint, then your food will become much healthier. The saint will bless the food on the table.
An icon must hang in the living room, protecting the house and the whole family. This could be the Kazan Mother of God or the face of the Lord Pantocrator . The face with the Lord is located on the right, and the Most Holy Theotokos is on the left.
What icons can be placed in the hallway
Every day, leaving your home, you find yourself in a world of deception and various temptations. Before leaving, you need to pray to the heavenly protector, ask him to guide family members to good people and make the path easy and safe. When you return home, thank the Saint for his intercession. Hang the following images of saints above your front doors:
- Image of the Intercession;
- Iveron Blessed Virgin Mary;
- Holy Trinity.
Choose an image that everyone in the household honors.
Icons for the bedroom
If a husband and wife live in a legal marriage and got married in a church, then it is recommended to hang the icon:
- Mother of God
- Jesus Christ
- Healer Panteleimon
- Nikolai Ugodnik
- Spyridon of Trimifuntsky
- Named images of saints
- Peter and Fevronia - patrons of family happiness
For images, select a corner in the window where you can place a lamp and church candles along with the icons.
Traditions of Christianity that have survived to this day
In icons, the meaning is much deeper than external attractiveness.
As in any religion, in Christianity there are basic principles that are strived for and revered.
Orthodoxy has always paid special attention to:
- Red corner;
- The order of placement of icons in the iconostasis;
- A combination of secular and ecclesiastical objects.
Note! A person’s faith is not determined by the number of icons, and of course there is no point in demanding worldly goods from the heavenly patrons depicted on them. All icons that are preserved and passed down from generation to generation have an exclusively spiritual component; they are an instrument of thanksgiving and observance of the sacraments of prayer.
- Red corner. Our ancestors did not display icons wherever they had to, trying to fit them into the interior of their home. Moreover, all the faces were grouped in one place, which was located in a well-lit corner far from the entrance. This corner was chosen between the two windows of the front wall and the end wall, it was always kept clean, and it was here that the icons of the family were located.
In many ways, Christians tried to copy church canons in everyday life. So all the icons were located in an icon case or shrine. These are special cabinets or shelves on which, in addition to the icons themselves, there were vessels with holy water, illuminated twigs, Easter eggs, as well as a Prayer Book and the Gospel.
A lamp was always installed on these shelves, in which a fire burned on holidays and significant days. The contents were cared for not with rags, but with special goose feathers.
Interesting to know! All important matters began with family prayer in this corner, from walking down the aisle to seeing off a military campaign. At the table, which was located in the same corner, all family members ate festive and ordinary food. These were the traditions.
- Display of icons in the iconostasis. In the past, there were canons that they tried to adhere to and which are now adhered to mainly in churches. The icons were not displayed chaotically, and each “cricket knew its nest.” For example, no other icons were displayed above the face of the Savior, and next to it only the face of the Mother of God and an icon depicting the Holy Trinity could be installed. And also, older, ancestral icons were placed above those donated or purchased.
Displaying icons is important.
For information! Nowadays, it has become very fashionable to keep photographs at home of people who once lived and who have been canonized by the Orthodox Church. However, the official interpretation of the Orthodox Church on this matter is ambiguous. So, for example, it is believed that a person ascending to holiness can be called a saint only at the end of the path and a worldly photo is not an icon, and, therefore, he has nothing to do next to the faces.
- About the combination of worldly and church objects. The canons of Christianity clearly say that combining these items is unacceptable. And if, while observing Christian traditions, you place containers with cereals or bouquets of flowers for Trinity, or palm branches for Palm Sunday, they must be illuminated. That is, items that carry a ritual load and are necessary for performing Christian rituals are allowed.
Here's an example of how not to do it.
How is it now?
The icon of the Mother of God has always been revered by Christians.
Life does not stand still and no instruction will fix it in one position. Now the Orthodox Church is more accepting of the principles of selecting and placing icons in modern apartments. Of course, it is advisable to observe old traditions, but given that the family most often eats in the kitchen, why not install the icon there too (
Iconostasis for children's
So that children learn to pray, to ask the Lord and the saints for help, place the following faces:
- Savior and Mother of God
- Icon depicting a Guardian Angel
- Nominal or dimensional icon. The measuring icon is ordered according to the height of the baby when he is born.
- The personalized icon must contain the face of a saint named after the child. How to hang icons? Can be placed on the wall or at the head. The saint will preserve the health, peace and sleep of the child. The image of the Last Supper will also protect the peace of your baby.
Location of icons on the iconostasis
Knowing which icons you need to have at home also helps you place 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 located on one surface (for example, on a bedside table), 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 located slightly to the side of these main icons.
Images in the office for work
A talisman against envious people can be placed on your desktop. But the saint will help protect himself not only from envious people. If difficulties arise, inspiration disappears, you need to turn to the Saint, taking into account work activity, or put a face with the image of the Patriarch.
List with professions and their patrons:
- to a trade worker .
- Drivers and sailors should have icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Sovereign Mother of God. They will bring good luck and help improve your financial situation.
- Medical personnel will be protected at work by an icon with Luka Krymsky.
- The scientific worker and teacher are patronized by the Mother of God of Kaluga.
- An icon depicting the Mother of God Economissa will help make the government of a civil servant
- The postal worker and diplomat will be protected by Archangel Gabriel.
- All professions related to creativity will be brought material well-being and a successful career will be made by the Mother of God of the Blessed Sky.
Answers on questions
Is it possible to take icons from the house of the deceased? Yes, you can! Place them side by side in your shrine. They should not be left in a collapsing house. Most often they are inherited.
The icon fell, what is it for? The Church does not recognize any superstitions. Strengthen it and don't think about anything. It was just poorly staged. Pick her up, kiss her, say a prayer, ask for forgiveness.
If images begin to fall very often, then invite a priest to consecrate your house.
Rooms in the house and surrounding objects
There are no hard and fast rules about where icons can and cannot be placed.
In order to position them correctly, you just need to use common sense. You can place icons in any room of the house: in the living room, in the nursery and even in the kitchen. It is not forbidden to keep icons in the bedroom. If the marriage of the spouses is officially registered, then there will be no sin in this. However, icons will, of course, be inappropriate in the bathroom. Icons should not be placed next to a TV, tape recorder, computer or other equipment. Simply because prayer requires concentration, and these objects, even when turned off, can habitually attract your gaze and, consequently, distract you.
You should not place icons where you store cosmetics, secular books, toys and figurines. Icons should not be adjacent to posters depicting singers, artists, athletes and other famous people. Everyone knows the attitude of religion towards such peculiar idols. There should not be paintings or reproductions next to icons, even if they are of religious content. They have nothing in common with icons.
For the same reason, priests do not advise keeping photographs near icons. It doesn’t matter who is depicted on them: people close to you or righteous monks and elders.
