Icon veneration

[heart of peace]

When you kiss the icons in church, do you put your actual lips to the glass?

 

[Greg the byzantine]

When you kiss the icons in church, do you put your actual lips to the glass?

always. When I kiss my relative I don't do the whole fake air kisssy thing, I give them a nice hearty kiss on the cheek. The saints are family, so I kiss their icon the same way.

 

[heart of peace]

Do you worry about germs at all?

 

[Greg the byzantine]

Do you worry about germs at all?

Never lol. I take public transportation, and handle money all day when I work (money which is teaming with germs) and I'm rarely ever sick/ Kissing an icon which thousands of people have kissed doesn't really concern me.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I kiss the icons for real, no I don't worry about germs.

 

[ClementofRome]

Greg...you are my hero!

If I can get my lips to an icon w/o burning myself or making a ridiculous scene.....I kiss it! Germs shmerms...

 

[Mikeb85]

Being part French, I've always learned to do the faux-kiss thing... (when 'kissing' someone on the cheek, you touch their cheek with yours, but don't actually kiss it) With icons I do a sort of faux-kiss, I dunno if that's proper or not, but that's what I do...

 

[heart of peace]

Walking around in public and putting your mouth to something that may have a virus lurking on the surface are two separate things. Plus, I am uncomfortable (and find it gross) if my son kisses an icon and ends up with someone's lipstick on his lips (yes, that's happened before). I am teaching him to look for areas that are lipstick free....in my ideal world, the church would keep sanitizing wipes next to the icon that can be used by parishioners if they so choose prior to kissing the actual icon. *shrug*

 

[heart of peace]

FYI, I don't see kissing the icon without actual lips to the surface not for real (whatever that would be), ArmyMatt. To me, the intent is to venerate the icon and that is a real intent, whether I do it with lips to surface or just gracing the service, my heart and spirit is there to venerate the icon. That's for real to me

 

[ClementofRome]

YouTube - Mad TV Bob Newhart Skit - Mo Collins - Stop it

 

[ClementofRome]

Forgive me....that is one of my favorite skits...

 

[Protoevangel]

I pretty much always kiss the icon.

We don't have glass over the Icons, just the Icons themselves. I've only seen lipstick on an Icon once. I think I kissed the Saint;s hand instead of his cheek that time.



Clem, I agree with the video.

 

[howdydave]

We don't have glass over our icons either.

I don't think that the women in my parish wear lipstick to church for just that reason.

 

[Monica child of God 1]

I kiss the icons and I don't worry about germs. If there is lipstick on the glass, I don't kiss that part. But that doesn't happen that often at my parish which is small. I don't think any of the women put on lipstick before service. Plus, we tend to all ask for blessings from our priest and it would be really gross to leave lipgloss on his hand. Eewwww!

But if you aren't comfortable with it, don't feel that you have to.

M.

 

[127.0.0.1]

When you kiss the icons in church, do you put your actual lips to the glass?

When I was new (age 7) I didn't care to press my lips where others had done so... Now I do, but not if someone ahead of me looks like they've contracted H1N1.

I also, didn't (and still don't) like to be kissed...by other guys...during the Kiss of Peace, as I, unfortunately, sometimes am. I try to stiff up like a board and give 'em the idea that I'm not interesting in participating in their cheek defiling debauchery but the lawless freaks do it anyway!

Way can't we just stand and wave at each-other from afar? Come to think of it, why can't we just stand and wave at the icons? We do we have to kiss them?

PS
I feel like just a grumpy-gills.
"No! I don't wanna be kissed! Go away! Go!"

Hopefully I won't be that way in marriage, might not bode well for me.

 

[E.C.]

if my son kisses an icon and ends up with someone's lipstick on his lips (yes, that's happened before).

I'm sorry, but that's just funny!


Germs on glass do not bother me. After almost two years of restaurant working from busser to dishwasher to cook; the only germ-y thing that bothers me is crumbled up/used napkins. Although if germs on glass bothers you than you should see our cooking line right after we've caught up with the dinner rush!



I think every parish priest in the entire world is fighting that never-ending war against lipstick on the glass.

 

[ikonographics]

As Elder Paisios said, "Speechless be the lips of impious who refuse to reverence thy revered icon..." (from the Paraclesis) refers to those who refuse to properly kiss the icons when they venerate them!

 

[katherine2001]

I most definitely kiss the icons when I venerate them. I don't worry about the germs either. We don't have glass over our icons either, except for a couple of icons. Most women don't wear lipstick in our parish, because it's been made clear that we should not kiss the icons if we are, as it is very hard to clean it off the icons.

 

[Mytheodos]

As Elder Paisios said, "Speechless be the lips of impious who refuse to reverence thy revered icon..." (from the Paraclesis) refers to those who refuse to properly kiss the icons when they venerate them!

I'd like to add this( also from Elder Paisios) to what Julia posted above...

Elder,in the Supplication Service of the Theotokos,why does a verse in the hymns of praise say,
Speechless be the lips of the impious who do not venerate your sacred Icon?

When someone is not devout and yet kisses the Icons,are his lips not speechless?
And,when the devout kisses the Icons,aren't his lips full of praise?
There are some people who do not even touch the Icon when they venerate it.
Others touch only their lips to the Icon when they kiss it Here,like this(Without a sound)
Did you hear anything?
No.
Well then,"speechless are the lips.
Whereas the devout person kisses the Icon and you can hear the sound of the kiss.
In that case,the lips are "eloquent" with praise.
It is not a matter of cursing when the verse says"speechless",but rather that those lips are without a sound,while the others are eloquent with sounds.
When we look upon the holy Icons,our hearts should be overflowing with love for God and for the Saints,and we should prostrate ourselves to venerate the Icons and kiss them devoutly.

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
You see every divine service begins and ends with the veneration of the Holy Icons.
If people could understand this they would feel such joy,they would receive so much power!

The Foundation is devoutness.
You see,someone may lean against the wall where an Icon has stood and he receives Grace,while
another may own the best Icon,but because he is not devout,receives no benefit.
Or one may benefit from a simple wooden cross,while another,who is not devout,may not even benefit from the True Precious Cross itself

Cultivate your devoutness and your modesty as much as you can.
This will help you receive the Grace of God.
For,if someone is devout and spiritually modest and humble too,he can expect to receive divine
Grace.
If he has no devoutness and no humility,the Grace of God does not come to him.
What does the Sacred Scripture say?
But to this man will I look,even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembleth at My word. ISA 66;2.

Elder Paisios-"Spiritual Awakening"

 

[ikonographics]

Thanks Mytheodos! My iconography professor, once told us how amazed he was the first time he went to Mount Athos, at how loudly the monks kiss the icons!