Icons in the bedroom - what the church says
Many believers are afraid to place icons where spouses go to bed. They consider making love in front of a holy image a sin. But clergy do not share this opinion. The Orthodox Church does not consider intimate relationships between legal spouses shameful. Only fornication and adultery are considered sins. And if adultery is understood as adultery, then the church considers civil marriage to be fornication.
According to church laws, spouses who were married in government agencies, but were not married in the face of the Lord, are just cohabitants. Therefore, before hanging icons in the marital bedroom, it is advisable to get married or at least turn to the priest for a blessing.
The Lord sees everything and knows everything, regardless of the presence or absence of holy images in the room. And icons only remind believers that God is always present nearby.
The clergy believe that placing icons in the bedroom is not only possible, but also necessary. This is one of the ways to get closer to the Lord, increasing the spiritual development of a Christian.
Dream according to the Orthodox Christian tradition
Orthodox priests believe that dreams are of three types - from God, from the devil and from nature.
The dreams that the Lord sends often call for repentance of sins, to do good, to change bad and sinful habits for the salvation of the soul and for the good of God. The priests who brought gifts to the born Jesus received a revelation in a dream and went to their city
another way, in order to save the baby from Herod.
Devilish dreams, on the contrary, call us to quarrel with someone, to do bad things, to renounce God. Often the minions of darkness appear in the images of saints, but push them to commit harmful acts. Most often, lay people have natural dreams associated with everyday worries.
How to properly position the iconostasis in the bedroom
According to church canons, icons are placed on the wall located on the eastern side. The East is considered a symbol of emerging life; it is from this side that the sun rises. This is taken into account when building temples, where the altar must be located on the east side.
But in an apartment or house there is not always such an opportunity, since there may be a window or door in the east, and you cannot hang images of sacred faces above door or window openings. Therefore, it is allowed to place holy images in other places.
If possible, it is better to hang the iconostasis on the wall located to the right of the entrance. In a children's room it can be located in front of the baby's bed. So the child, falling asleep and waking up, will be able to see the holy image, reminding him to offer prayer and gratitude to the Lord.
In the bedroom of an adult, images with sacred faces are sometimes hung above the bed, positioned above the head. It is advisable not just to hang the holy faces on the wall, but to place them inside the icon case or on a separate shelf.
When organizing an iconostasis, you need to adhere to the hierarchical rules for placing icons:
- Above all are the faces of Jesus Christ, the Trinity and the Mother of God;
- on the left they hang the icon of the Mother of God, on the right - the Savior;
- when the holy faces are arranged on one shelf, the center is occupied by the image of Christ, the left side is occupied by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker or another saint, and the image of the Mother of God is placed on the right.
Wherever the icons are located, there should be no foreign objects next to them: souvenirs, calendars, photographs of people, paintings.
How to maintain order among the holy faces?
An icon is an image of holy persons from biblical or church history. And an icon is a painting that requires careful care in everyday life.
The ideal temperature in the room where the faces of saints are located is considered to be 18-20 degrees Celsius. Air humidity should not exceed 40%.
When stains, persistent dirt and ingrained dust appear on the icon, they are taken for restoration. Icons are not cleaned with detergents. When wiping with a damp cloth, try not to wet the face too much.
In general, dust from the image of a saint is removed with soft brushes or dry rags. It is also necessary to regularly wipe the dust in the place where the face is located, wash the napkins and tablecloths located on the iconostasis.
It is unacceptable to expose icons to direct sunlight. The colors on them may fade, and the wood will fade and crack.
The older the icon, the more careful treatment is required. Prayed over several generations, it becomes a true heirloom for a certain family, which is passed on from ancestors to descendants.
In addition to external cleanliness, spatial cleanliness must be observed near icons. Other paintings, even religious ones, cosmetics, posters, jewelry, CDs and ordinary books, photographs of family members, photos of active clergy or monks, decorative items or other personal items are never placed near the iconostasis.
If the owner leaves the house for a long time, where his rich iconostasis remains, then you can close the curtains in all rooms so that the paint of the icons “rests” from the light. It is also permissible to take home icons with you to a temporary home in order to arrange an impromptu red corner there.
Now you know where icons should be placed in the house and where they should not be placed. The placement of holy faces is a serious matter. And it should be discussed at a family council. Particularly religious people are not afraid to remodel the interior to install an iconostasis according to all the rules. They easily part with vases and landscapes on the walls to make room for the faces of saints. Such an act further proves that for these people, faith in God comes first, and everything material comes second. And they are ready to do a lot for their spiritual development.
Which icons to choose
Each believer decides for himself which saint to pray to. But when choosing an image for the bedroom, you need to take into account who sleeps in this room.
For the matrimonial bedroom
In the room of the spouses, it is desirable to have a wedding couple - the holy faces of the Savior and the Mother of God. Usually these are the holy faces of the Lord Pantocrator and the Kazan Mother of God. During the wedding, the clergyman uses these icons to give a blessing to the newlyweds for life together, presenting the image of Jesus Christ to the groom, and the face of the Mother of God to the bride. Sacred images will become a reminder of the vows of love and fidelity given to each other before the face of the Lord.
Also in the matrimonial bedroom the following icons are placed:
- Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom, patron of family relationships;
- Nicholas the Wonderworker, prayers to whom help to cope with a conflict situation that arises between spouses;
- personalized images.
Elderly spouses can hang an image of St. Panteleimon healing various diseases. In the bedroom there is either one icon or several. The number of sacred images does not matter.
For children's room
Every person is given a guardian angel at birth. Parents pray for the baby in front of the holy image. But as the child grows up, he can pray first with his parents, then on his own. Therefore, a child’s bedroom cannot do without the holy face of the heavenly intercessor.
Often, at baptism, a child is given two icons: a nominal one and a dimensional one. The nominal image is an image of the saint whose name was given to the baby upon baptism. A measured icon is made individually, since its height should be identical to the height of a newborn baby. By placing these sacred images in a child's bedroom, one can directly address the child's patron saint during prayers.
There are icons that are placed in the bedroom of girls or boys. The patroness of girls is:
- Ksenia Petersburgskaya, who helps girls find a life partner and get married;
- Matrona of Moscow, connecting lonely hearts, helping women experience the happiness of motherhood.
The boys are future warriors, many of them will serve in the army. Therefore, holy images would not be out of place in the boys’ room:
- St. George the Victorious, patron of warriors. His image is often given to boys at baptism.
- St. Andrew the First-Called, appealing to whom helps develop diligence and increases the thirst for knowledge.
- Alexander Nevsky, strengthening the strength of spirit, helping to increase self-esteem. A good role model for any boy.
The presence of sacred images in a child's bedroom contributes to the spiritual education of the child. Icons make children want to learn more about the Christian faith and Orthodox traditions.
Additional tips and tricks
In the old days, in a family that strictly observed Christian traditions, not a single event was complete without icons. Before the baby's baptism, they ordered a measured icon - the length of his height. In front of the home iconostasis, they blessed children for their studies, marriage, and prayed for the health of the sick and for the repose of deceased relatives. The images were treated with care:
they revered the Savior and the Mother of God, so their icons were always placed above others; restored icons with faded paints, darkened silver and gold frames and cracked wooden frames; if the icon could not be repaired, it was given to the church
In the temple the image was burned in the oven; if the image was damaged due to carelessness, they confessed to the priest. Mistreatment of icons is a sin.
These rules are still in effect. Icons and church paraphernalia should never be thrown away, but should be donated to the temple. Family icons are a special heirloom. The images preserve the holiness and grace of God, which protects the race from generation to generation.
Rules of care
Any holy image requires careful and respectful treatment. The best way to keep an icon in satisfactory condition is to place it inside a glass case.
If this is not possible, then you need to adhere to the following recommendations:
- Keep sacred images as far as possible from heating appliances.
- Ventilate the room carefully, avoiding sudden temperature changes, as drafts and cold damage icons.
- Regularly wipe dust from the iconostasis with a soft brush.
- Check wooden images for the presence of wood borers that damage the wood.
- Laminate paper images of holy faces.
- During prayer reading, place a lit lamp or candle in such a way as to avoid getting soot and wax on the sacred face.
Rare, ancient icons painted in oil on wood should be handled with special delicacy. In case of severe contamination, handwritten images are given to experienced craftsmen for restoration.
When placing an icon in the bedroom, you should remember that the holy image is not a talisman that protects from all misfortunes. The Lord hears only sincere and fervent prayers. And the icon is needed so that one can pray to the Savior in the mornings and evenings.
Who can you pray to for your family?
First of all, you need to understand that there is no strictly defined saint who “specializes” exclusively in helping with family relationships. Saints are not wizards and sorcerers who have some special skills in a certain area. Saints are ascetics who managed to live their lives in such a way that they earned the right to become at the right hand of the Lord in His Kingdom. And when we pray to them, they can intercede for us before the Savior.
You can pray to the patron saints to create a good, strong family
Our request in sincere prayer is fulfilled not by the saints themselves, but by the Lord God. Even during the life of the holy wonderworkers, they always said that they did not heal and perform other miracles on their own, but only by the power and name of Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, today a mystical and magical attitude towards saints and prayer to them is very common. Very often people look for strong saints, strong prayers, completely not understanding that there are no strong and weak saints. The fact that certain saints help in certain situations is determined by the practice of prayer and the experience of turning to them.
Very often the “specialization” of a saint is related to the circumstances of his life. Thus, Saint Panteliimon the Healer and Saint Luke Voino-Yasenetsky were doctors during their lifetimes and saved lives, which is why it is customary to pray to them for health. Saint Nicholas tamed the storm and saved the ship in which he and a large number of people were sailing from sinking, so he is revered as the patron saint of travelers. Nevertheless, this does not mean at all that you cannot pray to Saint Panteleimon for anything other than a request for health.
Important! The power of prayer depends, first of all, on our sincere faith, on the purity of our hearts, on the intention to live a true Christian life. Returning to the topic of family patrons, we can say that absolutely any saint can be the spiritual intercessor of a believing family
Very often these are the ascetics whose day of veneration coincides with the day of the couple’s wedding. In addition, you can pray for the well-being of your family and friends to saints who are especially revered in the family circle. These may be the Heavenly patrons of children and parents, given to them during the Sacrament of Baptism; there may simply be saints, prayer to whom gives special spiritual joy, from which a response is felt
Returning to the topic of family patrons, we can say that absolutely any saint can be the spiritual intercessor of a believing family. Very often these are the ascetics whose day of veneration coincides with the day of the couple’s wedding. In addition, you can pray for the well-being of your family and friends to saints who are especially revered in the family circle. These may be the Heavenly patrons of children and parents, given to them during the Sacrament of Baptism; there may simply be saints, prayer to whom bestows special spiritual joy, from which a response is felt.
About family in Orthodoxy:
- Patriarchal family in modern Orthodoxy
- Is it necessary for Orthodox families to have many children?
- Violence in family
By and large, to find your family patron, you just need to not give up the practice of constant prayer. People who pray daily and regularly gradually find those saints whose prayers are special and give a tangible response. Nevertheless, in Orthodox practice there are saints, in front of whose icons it is customary to pray for the well-being of the family.
Prayer for Marriage
Almost every worldly girl wants to start a family by marrying a good man. In the Orthodox understanding, the purpose of marriage is not only the birth of children, but also spiritual unity. Therefore, you should not be embarrassed to ask the Lord for marriage.
The desire to meet a worthy man in order to live with him in love is natural and natural. Sometimes a believing girl or her parents go to churches and monasteries where the relics of Saints or miraculous icons are kept. There they offer their prayers, asking Heaven to arrange their personal lives.
Often these prayers are prayed before icons:
Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa - she has long been considered the main patroness of girls of marriageable age. The martyr is not only a healer of various ailments, but also helps girls marry for love. In the old days, an icon with the image of Paraskeva stood in every home and helped women in marriage.
Paraskeva
Fedorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God - this miraculous icon is revered as a reliable patroness of young virgins for marriage.
Feodorovskaya icon
- “The unfading color” of the Most Holy Theotokos – helps in choosing the right husband.
- Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker - people turn to him in many difficult life situations, he also helps to arrange a happy marriage.
- Andrew the First-Called - it is recommended that the parents of their daughters pray to her that they be chaste and marry safely.
Andrew the First-Called
- Matrona of Moscow is the comforter of lonely hearts and the guardian of the family, helping young virgins find family happiness.
- Saint Seraphim of Sarov - helps women get married in adulthood.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
Before contacting the Intercessor, you should prepare:
- let go of grievances, forgive those men with whom you did not have a good relationship.
- take a swim, cleanse yourself not only spiritually, but also physically.
- tidy up your house, your home should also be harmonious.
- ask your parents for blessings; say the words of prayer.
You can also pray to other Saints who are close to you in spirit. You don't need to know any special words.
Ask about what worries you: about the desire to get married, about the fear of loneliness, about how you see your future husband and marriage with him. At the end of the prayer, do not forget to thank the Saint for his help and for what you already have in your life.
Prayer to Joseph
