www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Icons & Iconography Icon corner

Hi everyone,

I'd like to set up an icon corner, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I thought there was a thread on this a while ago; I went searching for it but couldn't find it.

I have a *very* tiny icon of Christ and the Theotokos that I got in Greece. And I just ordered an icon--The Trinity--from Holy Resurrection Monastery.

I know it's supposed to face East, but other than that, I'm not sure what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

God Bless,

Jenny

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!
GLORY TO HIM FOREVER!

Hi Jenny

There are a number of different things you can do depending on which Eastern tradition you follow.

In my case, I can't have my ikons on the Eastern wall because there is a window there. I have them on a small wall right next to the door.This way, I can see them when I enter and leave the room.

I have one large central ikon with a hanging lamp and also an embroidered ikon scarf. This central ikon gets changed, right now it's St. Nicholas but I also a Vladimir Mother of God. On each side are prints of the archangels. Above them are crosses, all wood, one hand-carved from Ukraine, one from Pittsburgh and one from Monastery ikons. Above the crosses is an icon of the New Testatment Trinity from Moscow. Below the central ikon are 3 small icons of Christ the Teacher, Kazan Mother of God and the Old Testament Trinty with small metal over-lays. These are also from Moscow.

In front of this is a book case and the top of this hold my prayer books, chotki, incense, holy water and some other things.

There are other ways to do your prayer corner. You can install corner shelves to hold the ikons and candles and things. There is a website that sells corner shelves just for ikon corners. They are an Orthodox site from Texas I believe.

Well, I hope this helps you somewhat.....

mark

Dear Jenny,

There are many things you can do - Marko is an expert at icon corners!

Ideally, it should face East.

The pre-Christian Slavs actually venerated the eastern-most corner in the main room of their homes and placed their idols there.

We, of course, place icons there now!

The main corner is called the "Corner of Grace" and is the most spiritual place in the home.

It is there where family prayers are said and where family religious observances are held, namedays, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, thanksgiving for favours and achievements etc.

On Namedays, the person whose patron is being celebrated should sit down on a chair near the corner as everyone sings "Mnohaya Lita" for them!

Traditionally, the wall on the right of the corner is for icons of Christ and male saints, the wall on the left is for Icons of the Mother of God and female saints.

There can be some main icons of Christ and the Mother of God and the Trinity in the middle, with lampadas, icon scarves, flowers and any decoration really.

The Icon of the Mother of God on the left is the Icon, in fact, of the First Coming of Christ, as a Child at Bethlehem. The Icon of Christ on the Right is the Icon of the Second Coming of Christ, as He will come in glory.

The Corner itself represents OUR LIFE which is lived in between the First and Second Comings of Christ . . .

It can also have a little desk or place where prayerbooks and other devotionals can be stored, including Holy WAter from the Theophany Feast, Candles from Candlemas/the Meeting, Pussywillow form Palm Sunday and a box for Blessed Bread from the Sunday Liturgy.

In the mornings, one may say one's morning prayers, and before one eats breakfast, may drink some of the HOly Water and partake of the Holy Bread as a form of Communion.

Alex

Is there any kind of developed rite in which a priest blesses the ikon corner of a home?

When I grow up, me and my ultra-Catholic family are going to have an Eastern ikon corner and a Western St. Joseph's Altar as the main epicenters of worship within the house. It's all planned out; my poor wife won't know what she'll be getting into.

ChristTeen287

Dear ChristTeen,

Well, if you don't tell anyone else here, I'll admit that I'm working on a small St Joseph's Altar too . . .

I'm pining after New Orleans . . .

Any priest can bless your icon corner with a general blessing.

There are individual blessings for icons in the Euchologion or Book of Needs.

As much as Andrew Rubis would hate to admit it, the Eastern Church has a special and separate blessing for the four Icons of the Holy Trinity, including the Old Testament Trinity.

I'm going to get an ear-full, I just know it. . .

Alex

Hi Jenny

See if you can find a copy of a book called GUIDE FOR THE DOMESTIC CHURCH.

It's from the Melkite Church but is VERY VALUABLE for Eastern home worship. It gives some general guidelines for setting up a ikon corner.

Thanks for the good words Alex...

Oh, here's some bees wax just in case it gets too noisey in here...

Yes, I've started doing pysanky. I got some beautiful brown eggs and I'm doing tear-drop etched eggs. They're coming out quite nice all things considered....

so many eggs, so little time...

marko

Dear ChristTeen and Alex,

You have both compelled me to come clean. As various icons are find their way into my life I confess that nevertheless I have two beautiful and very special statues (one of St. Joseph and one of the Blessed Virgin) that have, metaphorically speaking, been my "prayer partners" for quite some time.

They have a very honored place in my home. Sigh.

Khrystyna

:rolleyes:

Dear Khrystyna,

Again, if you promise not to tell anyone here, I'll also admit that I have a collection of statues that I use for devotional purposes . . .

Our Lady of Prompt Succor from New Orleans, Our Lady of Chartres, St Anne de Beaupre, and Our Lady of Grace.

I saw a beautiful little statue of Our Lady at Chartres for 30 Francs and didn't buy it.

I always think of it and regret that decision.

Alex

Alex,

I am ecstatic! I promise, not a WORD from me!

Khrystyna

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!
GLORY TO HIM FOREVER!

Hi gang!

Here's a website for a place that sells ikon shelves and stands for home use.

Alex, you may want to take a look at some of these so you don't put too many holes in those new walls!

www.christiandecor.com [christiandecor.com]

They also have this GREAT looking portable ikonostas!

They got some very skilled wood-workers here!

marko

Dear Marko,

Excellent!

What I'm going to do is to get our carpenter to do shelving right across and entire wall, three shelves from top to bottom. That should give me sufficient room to lean all my icons and allow me to move them around when I'm so moved . . .

Alex

Could it be that the Great Eastern Alex has an "Orientation" for the West (if that's not an oxymoron)?

ChristTeen287

Dear ChristTeen,

I fear you misunderstand me!

I'm a Latinized Ukie!

I think I sometimes annoy even the Administrator with my Latinisms!

I'm working on it and am trying to be more Eastern in my theory and praxis with each successive day.

That's the intention of my daily Rosary and Stations of the Cross anyway . . .

Alex

Hi everyone,

What wonderful suggestions! Thank you all for the information.

BTW, dear Alex, would you be so kind as to give me an Eastern name? I would be so happy!

God Bless,

Jenny

Thank you, Marko. I will definitely try to find it!!! And thanks for your detailed description of your icon corner...it's a big help!

God Bless,

Jenny