www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology ICON CORNER?

Hello again Family!

well once again i must annoy you all with my constant Questions,, i apologize! im just very exciuted about the Byzantine Church! now,,, can someone please give me a detailed description of and icon corner? from what you place the icons on to how there set up etc.? any links to web sites with pictures of Icon corners in homes would be very helpfull!

God bless!

No, you don't ask annoying questions. You're just fine. We all are learning a thing or two.

Icon Corner is very simple. You can put few icons in an area of a room that would be beneficial for your prayer duties.

For example:

You can put an icon of Jesus and an Icon of Theotokos (Mary). And put a Icon crucifix. You can also add an icon of your patron Saint. You can put a hanging lampadas (hanging candle) in front of it but not to block the view of the icon.

You can put Holy Bible in front of it, prayer book, prayer rope, holy water, whatever other religious articles that inspire you.

In my family, we put all of these there plus each of our own patron saints on there.

Just try to keep it simple where it allows you to focus on Jesus whom you are praying to in front of the Icon.

You can put it anywhere in the house like I said that would be beneficial. Most people would put the icons on the wall facing East.

I hope it helps. God bless.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Glory to Jesus Christ! Slava Isusu Christu!

Shane gave a good introduction. Any corner will do but the eastern corner and wall is traditionally the place for the "bright corner" as it translates from Old Slavonic.

Traditionally also an oil lamp and/or beeswax candle was lit for prayers and all day on Sunday and major feastdays. When a visitor came to a house, they would bow and cross themselves to the holy corner, and only then bow and acknowledge the householder.

During the Jordan/Theophany blessing of the house each year, the service by the priest starts here. We also use a brass hand censor with which we cense the icons and all of the rooms of the house during evening prayers, that is my youngest son Nikolai's job now which he takes very seriously.

If you need some info on where to get some of these items, give me a shout, there are several sources. Even ebay has some of these items nowadays, from hand-written icons to hanging lampads to brass hand censers.

[ 09-06-2002: Message edited by: Diak ]

And don't ever worry about questions. We like to talk alot...hope you don't get to "incensed".
Wow, I did that bad pun without Alex posting yet...

Try these:

http://www.unicorne.org/orthodoxy/articles/alex_roman/iconcorner.htm

http://orthodox.truepath.com/articles/orthodox/family/icon_corner.htm

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/xc_home.htm#corner

BTW, Your spelling sure has improved from that other folder. ;-)

[ 09-07-2002: Message edited by: Guy ]

[ 09-07-2002: Message edited by: Guy ]

Many others have given fine answers, including the traditional Eastern wall placement. I myself have mine on the Western wall (purely for the reason that this place already has a shelf which is literally in the corner spanning the two walls and is really the best place for an icon corner in terms of its visibility for myself, etc.)

All I have done is I have my icon in the corner, on each side I have placed to red votive candleholders which I use floating wicks in with olive oil and which I burn when the occasion strikes me (for safety reasons I choose not to leave it burning constantly). At times I will burn rose incense in front of the icon as well.

I expect to receive another icon soon which I will similiarly place and which I hope to purchase a hanging lamp.

At present the icon I have in the corner is that of the tree of life: the Holy Trinity and the Apostles. I am expecting a Pantocrator icon soon. =) I really need to pick up a theotokos icon as well as an iconic cross also.

Hi John:

Your questions are not annoying in the least!

An icon corner, IMHO, is a highly personal space for prayer and reflection. You want to choose a place that is peaceful and where you will likely spend time praying.

Similarly, I think you should choose the icon(s) to have special meaning to you. My baba had an icon of the Theotokos and had her icon corner in a small parlor, my mom has an icon of St. Veronika in a corner of the kitchen (that's where she goes to sit peacefully - she's always cooking!), and I have a good sized icon of the Theotokos, and small icons of St. Nicholas, St. Patrick and St. Francis. I'm not being terribly traditional in my choice of saints perhaps, but, hey, I'm half Irish and half Slovak and a Franciscan to boot, so I draw upon the saints I find have most influenced me.

I have an oil lamp and silk flowers in my icon space. (Real flowers would make my husband sneeze and I recently moved the icon corner nearer to the bedrooms, where it is quietest in our house.)

I have my corner set up to face East, which I kind of picked up from my mom's family, but I think is correct. One of the folks better up on such traditions can say for sure.

I have icons in other parts of my house where we gather or chill out - the dining room, the living room, and in my office. I like to be reminded of the virtues of the saints depicted. I find icons soothing. We spend so much time thinking about mundane things and iconic images can really bring us back to what matters.

Oddly, I never could "get with" statues. Something about stone and seeming cold. An icon is colorful and somehow speaks in a different manner.

Best of luck,
Keep your Qs coming,

Annie