'Monastery Icons' Crucifix

[Protoevangel]

I purchased a beautiful Byzantine Crucifix (labled "Golgotha style") from my Church bookstore. Father blessed it, and only after I got it home, I noticed it was from Monastery Icons. I informed the bookstore attendant about Monastery Icons, and she asked Father about it, and they decided not to use them as a supplier anymore. Anyway, on to my question... concern, actually. Even though I know that Father's blessing "overrides" any danger or other problems, I can't seem to stop "worrying" about it. It's kinda like some mutant stepchild I feel like hiding when I have visitors... I know this is something I should talk to Father about, and I will. But I just had to get this off my chest.

Does anyone like Michael, or anyone else knowledgeable in iconography, have any comments on the icon itself? Does anyone have any encouragement or suggestions?

 

[SeraphimSarov]

I have a Christ the Teacher icon from them....................

 

[RobNJ]

My St Thomas the Apostle Icon, was from them. But, since it was blesseed & given to me at my Chrismation, I figure all the evil has been driven out.

 

[SeraphimSarov]

I'm very interested in hearing what Michael or others have to say about this. Though I'm certainly not going to buy any more icons from them, I don't understand where the spiritual danger lies.

And maybe someone can PM me about this, since this is a bit off-topic - is it a bad thing to put up icons in one's icon corner if they have not yet been blessed?

 

[RobNJ]

I'm very interested in hearing what Michael or others have to say about this. Though I'm certainly not going to buy any more icons from them, I don't understand where the spiritual danger lies.

And maybe someone can PM me about this, since this is a bit off-topic - is it a bad thing to put up icons in one's icon corner if they have not yet been blessed?

As for Monastery Icons... look here in the "Reference Library" up top:

http://www.christianforums.com/t2497853-about-monastary-icons-please-everyone-read.html

As for unblessed.. I've had a few that didn't get blessed until later (as far as I know)

 

[Protoevangel]

I'm very interested in hearing what Michael or others have to say about this. Though I'm certainly not going to buy any more icons from them, I don't understand where the spiritual danger lies.

The link I provide in my OP: Monastery Icons, describes the issue pretty well.

 

[SeraphimSarov]

All are "blessed" with one of their occult rituals before being shipped

I completely missed that. :o

 

[Matrona]

I believe that the straight (rather than slanty) third bar designates it as a Eastern-Rite Catholic cross rather than an Orthodox one, but aside from that I would use the same protocol as for other items from Mona-scary Icons.

 

[SeraphimSarov]

I'm going to have to talk with Father about this tomorrow. This is really upsetting.

 

[Dewi Sant]

I'm sorry to hear this, and thanks for bringing it to my attention. I think I may have come across monastery icons when looking for an icon for Pascha. (I didn't get one in the end, but I have a lovely one of Saint George I bought from the YorkMinster (Church of England) Shop in York...but, that is a different topic.)

I shouldn't worry about it KjellBjarne, at the end of the day, it is a representation of heaven, and though it may not have been written by an orthodox iconographer, providing it is blessed by an Orthodox Priest, I assume (though please correct me otherwise), it is acceptable.

I can only start to imagine how upsetting this must be for you.

Myself, I have never bought an icon on the internet, though, to buy one in real life is also dodgy.

Though my icon of Saint George is stamped as being 'authentic' and 'handmade' and 'made in Greece', how do I know about the person who made it?

I did buy a prayer rope once on the internet and got a lovely postcard from the Estonian Orthodox Nun who made it for me, that was a lovely touch and also brought great security to my heart that it is indeed Orthodox.

 

[Michael G]

I believe that the straight (rather than slanty) third bar designates it as a Eastern-Rite Catholic cross rather than an Orthodox one, but aside from that I would use the same protocol as for other items from Mona-scary Icons.

Actually the straight third bar denotes the image is based on a Greek prototype and not a Slavic prototype. Many Greek Orthodox use the cross with a straight cross bar as compared to that slanted cross bar on the Slavic cross.

There is nothing inherently unorthodox about the image itself. I don't like the birds next to the main cross bar, but otherwise it is well done.

As for it being from Monastary Icons, they should be avoided. By now we all know that. However, the icon has been blessed and has been prayed before and thus one has to have faith in the fact that God can make up for whatever was lacking in it's creation through the blessing and the prayers that are prayed before it. I would continue to pray before it and trust in God's good mercy and simply be careful not to buy from them again.

 

[vanshan]

I full-heartedly agree with Michael's response above.

I received an icon of my patron, Saint Basil the Great, from my godfather from Monastery Icons many years ago. It's sad that they continue to be funded by those who unknowingly buy from them, but to quote a line from a Veggie Tales video, "God is bigger than the Boogie Man . . ." Once your priest has blessed the icon, any false ceremony is broken, any demonic presence flees. Do not be concerned. Do not discard that which is now made holy. When you venerate and kiss it, you're honoring Christ, Who's voluntary death is depicted.

Like anyone else serving Christ, not all iconographers are as pious as others. I remember a priest in my area criticizing the iconographer who painted many of the new icons our church commissioned over the past few years, including some very nice huge ones, because she smoked cigarettes while painting, which I assume was being used to suggest that she lacked spiritual piety, but I do not believe that is my business. Perhaps employing the most worthy individuals for all business transactions we make is a good policy, but the icons, nonetheless, are beautiful and witness to me the realities of heaven and the great cloud of witness present in the temple when we worship. The icon you have there is beautiful too.

Do what your priest says, regarding the icon. He knows you better than anyone here. If he, as your shepherd, believes it best to discard it, then do as he says and disregard my thoughts on the subject.

Basil

 

[Akathist]

About unblessed icons: I think it is best to have them blessed on Sunday when you go to services. Between now and then if you want to look at them while in prayer I see no harm.

I had not thought to have my cross that is in my prayer corner blessed when I first came into the Church. Father came to do a house blessing and after it was over, I asked him if it was wrong for me to place the cross in the prayer corner without it being blessed and he said, what mattered was that it was blessed now and not to worry about it.

 

[Michael G]

About unblessed icons: I think it is best to have them blessed on Sunday when you go to services. Between now and then if you want to look at them while in prayer I see no harm.

I had not thought to have my cross that is in my prayer corner blessed when I first came into the Church. Father came to do a house blessing and after it was over, I asked him if it was wrong for me to place the cross in the prayer corner without it being blessed and he said, what mattered was that it was blessed now and not to worry about it.

The prayers before the icon kind of make it holy themselves. That is not saying that the icon does not need blessed by a priest, because it does, but the praying before the icon does make it holy to a certain extent.

 

[Akathist]

The prayers before the icon kind of make it holy themselves. That is not saying that the icon does not need blessed by a priest, because it does, but the praying before the icon does make it holy to a certain extent.

Right, and that is what he said, I honestly didn't remember that he said that until I read your post here.

 

[Michael G]

The word really needs to get out to those who sell icon prints about the dangers of Monastary Icons. The group that makes them are bad news

 

[SeraphimSarov]

A good friend of mine I met at church kind of referenced this, but since I was so new she didn't go into it... now I think I understand what she was talking about. At any rate, thanks a lot for all the input, and to the OP for bringing this up so silly people like me could find out about it!

A question that I hope I don't get flamed for: in general, would a priest bless a "Roman-style" crucifix? I realize that such things generally aren't found in Orthodoxy, but it'd be a pity to remove something like that from my icon corner when for so long it's helped my prayer... even if the answer is no, have any former Catholics had experience with this?

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread... :o

 

[MariaRegina]

I know a Greek Orthodox Priest who blessed a statue of Our Lady of Fatima for a newly chrismated woman
who had converted from Catholicism. I guess we were not surprised when she eventually returned to the Catholic Church.

 

[Michael G]

Statues and crucifixes "in the round" are frowned on by the Orthodox Church and generally most priests will not bless such objects.

 

[SeraphimSarov]

I kind of figured as much, but I thought I'd ask anyway.