The Bible says that a believer must attend the temple, which is the house of the Lord. It is in him that one can feel the holy presence of Christ and offer him laudatory words in the form of prayer. There is a special atmosphere of grace in the churches that is difficult to feel at home. Therefore, to go to the temple is not only necessary, but also useful. And in order not to feel awkward and embarrassed, you must clearly know how to behave in the holy walls and how to properly attach to the icon.
Icon History
Church tradition says that the first icon was painted by the apostle and evangelist Luke. He depicted on the blackboard from the dining table the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms. When the Mother of God saw the creation, she said that with this icon the grace of Her Son will always be. Medic and painter Luke is considered the first icon painter. With his light hand, the holy images of the Virgin, God's saints and martyrs began to be depicted everywhere. And also the main church holidays were imprinted on the icons. However, with the advent of the first paintings depicting saints, people still did not know how to properly attach to the icon. The rules of behavior of believers before holy images were established later.
Iconography
Each icon is created in accordance with church canons. This means that the holy image on it must be recognizable and have a decoding of the image or church event. Currently, there are more than a dozen schools of iconography. Each master has his own corporate identity. Icon painters say that their work requires tremendous returns. Indeed, before the beginning of creation, during the writing of icons and at the end, certain prayers are read, that is, throughout the work on creating the holy image. Therefore, not only the creative approach is important here, but also the spirituality of the master.
Each icon must be consecrated. For this, certain prayers are read over it, depending on the depicted Saint, and then the picture is sprinkled with holy water. Only after consecration does the image become holy.
Rules for applying to icons
Reading the prayer in front of the icon, the Orthodox believe that it will be heard by the Saints immortalized on it. And indeed it is.
How to attach to the icon? First you need to cross yourself 2 times, and then lightly put your lips to the edge of the icon, and then your forehead. Then step back and cross again. Women must learn one rule: before you go to the icon, you need to remove the lipstick from the lips.
You should not kiss the holy image several times and around the glass. In no case should you kiss the face of a saint. If the icon is "half-length", you need to apply to the blessing hand. To the painted picture in full growth should be applied to the legs. If the believer doubts where to kiss the icon, it is better to touch her edge.
The icon of the miraculous image of the Savior Jesus Christ should be read the image of His hair. When worshiping the cross, it is necessary to attach to the feet of the Savior.
Can I kiss
Many doubt whether it is possible to kiss icons in the church. This is how the church answers this question. In everyday life, with a kiss, people express their love, trust. So it is with the icons. When a believer kisses her, thereby expressing reverence for the image depicted on her.
However, more and more people far from Orthodoxy are trying to teach others how to behave correctly in the church, and prove that the icons can not be kissed. As an argument, they describe the results of experiments in which fingerprints were taken from the icons. In them, scientists discovered many dangerous bacteria that remained after numerous attachments to the icon. However, priests convince that a believer should not be afraid of this. The Lord guards the congregation. But as an alternative, it is suggested that you simply apply your forehead to the edge of the icon as a sign of reverence and reverence for the holy image.
How to enter the church
People who regularly visit the temple know how parishioners behave in the church. However, are their actions correct? Usually clerics explain how to enter the church. So:
- Before you cross the threshold of the church, you need to cross yourself at the door 3 times, accompanying the actions with waist bows.
- Men enter the temple without hats. Women are supposed to cover their heads.
- Parishioners buy candles and, if desired, order a prayer for health or for peace.
- How to dress in a church? Men should have trousers and outerwear that do not expose their torso. For women, the main requirement is a skirt below the knee and also a closed top.
After these actions, believers come to the icons, light candles and listen to prayers recited during the liturgy.
Which icons are suitable first
As soon as believers enter the main part of the temple, they face a lectern with an icon of that Saint whose holiday is celebrated. Next to the Holy image is a cross. Before a high quadrangular table with a sloping top, you should cross 2 times with a waist bow, and then attach to the icon itself and the cross.
Which icons should I approach first of all after the lectern? Here the choice depends on the desire of the parishioner. For example, a candle for health can be placed in front of him. It will not be a mistake if a believer approaches the image of a particular Saint with a request for health and puts a candle there. It is better to find out from the priest what saints are helping in what, and after that approach a specific icon with a prayer.
For example, in front of the icon “Indelible Chalice” they ask for deliverance from drunkenness. Prayer before the image of the Healer Panteleimon helps get rid of serious ailments.
Remember the dead before a special icon. The place is called eve. It is located on the left side of the temple and is a table of 40 candles. Remembering the dead is allowed when leaving the church. One candle is enough for this.
Rules of Conduct
How to behave in the church correctly? During worship, believers should calmly stand and listen to prayer or read it with the priest. You can’t walk around the temple, walk between the royal gates and the lectern.
How do newcomers behave in the church when the service has already begun? If a believer entered the temple during the service, it is better to participate in it, and then light the candles with the Saints. Suppose a parishioner does not have such an opportunity, which means that he must move around the church very carefully so as not to distract others from prayer. At the end of the service, believers leave the church, crossing themselves 3 times with a bow.
What clothes to choose for the temple
Previously, men in formal suits came to worship, and women in elongated dresses. Now, more and more often, parishioners come to the House of God in informal clothes, for example, men allow themselves to wear shorts, and women - short skirts and trousers.
Modern youth believes that the main thing is not appearance, but what is inside a person.
How to dress in a church? What does God want us to see in his house? The first pages of the Bible say that clothing should cover a person’s nakedness. Scripture teaches dressing people godly. If the parishioners come to the service in open clothing, they thereby show their disrespect for the shrine. She distracts from prayer. People just start to see each other's bodies. Defiant and vibrant things are also unacceptable for the church, as they distract the parishioners from worship. Clive Lewis wrote that fashion diverts a person’s attention from true values. Even these words are enough to understand that you need to dress modestly in the church. The body of the parishioners should be closed, and the woman should refuse trousers for the duration of the service.
Icons in the house
Even in ancient times, people have a tradition to bring icons to the house, usually two, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Often they were supplemented with icons of saints whose names were the owners of the house.
In the modern world, this custom has been preserved. Priests recommend setting up a prayer corner at home. There you can put icons, a small icon in front of them. It is not advisable to acquire many icons, because these are not pictures, and each image will have to pray. If the home icon has faded, it must be put on fire. The holy image to be prayed must always be clear. Therefore, one cannot pray to icons distorted from old age.
How to attach to the icon at home, and whether to do it? Here the actions of the believer are similar to church rules. In this way we express our respect for the Saint, whose image is depicted. Therefore, after the prayer, you can kiss the icon. It is recommended to have icons in the house with holy images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the martyrs Guri, Samon and Aviv, whose prayer helps to find family well-being.