www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Icons & Iconography Kissing icons before receiving Holy Communion

Some friends of mine have been asked by their pastor not to kiss the icons on the tetrapod (or any other icons in the Church) on their way to receiving Holy Communion. They have been told that this takes away from the reception of the Holy Mysteries.

This ihas not been my experience first as a layman, and now as a priest. The only reason I would think of asking the faithful not to venerate the icons is if it interfered with the logistics of distribution of the Holy Mysteries.

I am curious to find what your practice is in your parish, and if there are any other parishes with this "prohibition." Although I really don't need to ask you but could you also share your thoughts on this practice - pro/con.

Thanks!

father michael

btw, I am in Ottawa now studying at the Sheptytsky Institute. Wow! Glory to God!

In my OCA parish, most people approaching the Mysteries venerate the central Icon (of the Feast or Parish) I don't really see the reasoning behind discouraging this unless people were starting to venerate the other icons (of the Theotokos and Our Lord) on the sides which actually are closer to the ambon and could hold up the flow of the line.

Father, bless!

At my parish, some do, some don't.

I think mebbe the folks who are most likely to "do" are those who "didn't" on the way into church for one reason or t'other. Also of course kids who love to kiss icons.

Hmmm. I'm not overly in favor of the practice, as it seems to me to be a personal devotion thrown into the midst of a communal reception of the Eucharist - but I'm not inclined to say that it's a Horrible Practice that must be suppressed.

My shekel-and-a-half


Sharon

Thanks goodness that the icon on the tetrapod is venerated by folks on the way to Communion. It's the only time that it is venerated. Before church everyone just comes in and slips right into their pew.

I don't know--the Liturgy Police on patrol again?

Bless me a sinner, Father Michael,

Please do say "hello" to Rev. Fr. Prof. Peter Galadza - my relative by marriage!

All the parishes I've ever been in have the veneration of the icons on the tetrapod before Communion.

Ultimately, I think we should scrupulously follow the Orthodox practice in this and all other things.

To tell people not to venerate the icons sounds like a tinge of modernism has crept in.

Alex

Thanks for your replies so far.

Alex, Fr. Peter is at Dumbarton Oaks (Washington)this year.

FYI The following is from the website of St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, Arizona:


"When the Holy Cup is brought forth from the Altar for Holy Communion, the veneration of icons should stop as the Lord is present in front of you in His Precious Body and Blood. We ask that you do not venerate the icons in the front of the Church as you proceed up to receive Holy Communion. Also we ask that you not venerate the icons after receiving the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ."

Mike

My parish's practice is to venerate the Icon of the Tetrapod when aproaching before Communion. If there are a lot of visiting Latins, he instructs all to venerate the Icon at this time, as well as at the veneration of the Handcross after Liturgy.

TEARS OUT THOSE PEWS!!!!! We don't worship our behinds, do we?

Dan Lauffer

Of course we must have pews. It is very tiresome to stand all that time, and we must be comfortable while watching the Priest and choir perform. And we must not be too tired by the service, so we can better enjoy the game...(where is the cynical smiley?)

I don't see anything wrong with venerating the Icon at the Tetrapod.

To me...it's like we're spreading the love to each other on the way to Jesus. When I line up for communion...I always pat other people's shoulders...say "HI" or hug them...and they pat me on the pat or hug me too. And why not include the Saint that's shown on the Icon...that we kiss him/her...be part of LOVING fellowship of Christians...what a better way to prepare ourselves to actually become ONE Body and Spirit in Christ (mysically and Sacramentally) when we receive Him.

I experience that mostly at the Orthodox Churches.

But...I also agree with Alex that there might be a hint of modernism that might crept in by telling people not to venerate the Icons at the Tetrapod...because to me..it's no way of being disrespectful to Our Lord or it's no way being distracting.

Besides that...didn't our Lord say that we must love others just as He love us?

SPDundas
Loving Deaf Byzantine

I don't see anything wrong with venerating the Icon at the Tetrapod.

To me...it's like we're spreading the love to each other on the way to Jesus. When I line up for communion...I always pat other people's shoulders...say "HI" or hug them...and they pat me on the back or hug me too. And why not include the Saint that's shown on the Icon...that we kiss him/her...be part of LOVING fellowship of Christians...what a better way to prepare ourselves to actually become ONE Body and Spirit in Christ (mysically and Sacramentally) when we receive Him.

I experience that mostly at the Orthodox Churches.

But...I also agree with Alex that there might be a hint of modernism that might crept in by telling people not to venerate the Icons at the Tetrapod...because to me..it's no way of being disrespectful to Our Lord or it's no way being distracting.

Besides that...didn't our Lord say that we must love others just as He love us?

SPDundas
Loving Deaf Byzantine

We can use kneelers as foot rests and if everyone brings a nice, comfy pillow we're all set!

Greetings!

I like the reply by SPDundas very much, he seems to have captured the real sense of worshipping in fellowship.

Until this point, I had not ever considered the veneration of the icon at the tetrapod to be a problem!

I would say that my parish forms two lines for communion, one at either side of the tetrapod and usually there are a couple of individuals already past the icon waiting to approach the priest or deacon at the Ambo, so there appears to be enough time to venerate the icon for those who would wish to, taking care not to bump heads!

If the practice of veneration of the Icon were to be so popular that a queue were to form choking up the procession forward I would consider that a problem and this may be what the issue was in some places.

I suppose the better thing to do would be to refrain from the practice at that point and walk around the person ahead so as not to keep the Lord (and his servant) waiting.

Michael

Shane, that was a very nice post above and conveys the primary points here, love and reverence. When the priest intones "Approach with the faith of God..." as the subdeacon I leave the northern door, kiss the icon on the tetrapod while the Communion verse is sung, and then stand in line, communicate, and then hold the cloth for the priest and say the baptismal name of the communicants.

After I reverence and kiss the icon on the tetrapod everyone else just falls into place kissing the icon and forming the communion line (we only have one line) as Adam mentioned above. I assist at both a UGCC and BCC parish and it is done this way at both. Very orderly and reverent, I would say. I have been to some OCA parishes with a tetrapod where a very similar practice is done.