What do EO'S have "icons" for and what do they do with them?

[WithLoveFromAlyssa]

I love How beautiful EO Churches are, however Im not familiar with The idea of "Icons"

What are they and what do you do with them?

 

[ArmyMatt]

well, for starters, welcome to TAW!

Icons are images of saints or events that visually aide man in his worship of God. I heard someone once say they are the Gospel in color. they also fulfill the OT practice of images of animals, plants, and angels that were in the Tabernacle and Temple. and lastly, they show that if God really became man as we are, He can be depticted and matter can be sanctified.

I am sure there are more and I hope the iconographers on here chime in.

your best bet would be to go to your local Orthodox Church and check them out!

 

[E.C.]

Howdy!

We usually pray before them. What better way to keep one's mind on prayer towards Jesus than to have His image before you?

 

[GreekOrthodox]

They are also used for teaching and have been called the Bible for the illiterate. For example, this is a detailed explanation of an icon of the crucifixion

The Crucifixion | Giving Meaning to the Cross | A Reader's Guide to Orthodox Icons

 

[buzuxi02]

Icons is the gospel in illustrations. They are to depict theological truths under strict guidelines.

A denial of icons is the very denial of the incarnation. That is Christ became man and assumed true humanity and thus can be depicted in pictures. The second person of the Trinity who is uncircumscribable was born in the fesh and became circumscribable, by taking on matter the undepictable God became depictable in Christ. The icons also affirm that the events and visions depicted in the image are truly historical events, and honor can be paid to historical events. The gospel stories depicted in paint and colors in the icons such as the Baptism of our Lord, His crucifixion, and Ressurection are depicting actual events not allegories or symbolisms.

The person(s) depicted on the icon whether of Jesus, Mary, the saints, martyrs or angels can be venerated because the veneration passes onto the archetype.

Since icons tend to be two dimensional images they are also called 'windows into heaven', because of this the artist cannot portray the saints in a sensual realistic fashion, but must be skilled enough to use the proper colors and hues to convey the transfigured state. This is why gold leaf backgrounds are popular in icons, as the light reflects off the gold background it conveys the shining light and splendor of heaven.

 

[LarryP2]

Icons and the EO worship service is a "multi-media" presentation at least 1,300 years ahead of its time. They are a non-electronic PowerPoint presentation, with the Priest pointing at them in turn, directing the Audience where to pray.

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

forgive my ignorance, and piggybacking on this thread, but it seemed a sensible place to ask - why do you kiss icons?

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Joy, Its for the same reason why I sometime kiss a picture of my deceased father, love for the person depicted.

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

That makes sense to me, having kids who kiss everything they love.

 

[LarryP2]

forgive my ignorance, and piggybacking on this thread, but it seemed a sensible place to ask - why do you kiss icons?

Because it isn't gross, like kissing another guy with whiskers.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Because it isn't gross, like kissing another guy with whiskers.

Meh, you get used to it after a large Forgiveness Vespers service.

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

Is there a lot of kissing generally then? Forgive my complete ignorance.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Its not only the religious aspect, "Greet one another with a holy kiss" but also a cultural one that comes out of the Middle East / Eastern Europe. For instance, laymen greet a priest by asking for his blessing and then kissing his hand, which blesses the Eucharist. We kiss the book of the Gospels. Clergy, especially priests and bishops, can go through a whole ritualized greeting of kissing each cheek, then each hand. When I enter the church, I kiss the Gospels (its a book containing only the Gospels and bound in brass), then the icons of the saint of the church and then an icon of Mary holding Jesus. There is an icon on the pulpit of my patron, St. John Chrysostomos which I typically kiss. If I am reading or chanting, I get my priests blessing to vest then kiss his hand. If Im in a Russian church, Ill kiss the chalice after receiving the Eucharist. The Greeks dont have that particular practice.

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

wow, it really is a whole other world to what I'm used to! Thank you for taking the time to explain.

 

[truefiction1]

Because it isn't gross, like kissing another guy with whiskers.

I still don't like kissing those other guys with whiskers, no matter how many years of Forgiveness Sunday vespers we've done. Oh well... a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and it is in the Bible.