www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Ikon Corners

Daniel, the "Nachalo Obychne" or usual Byzantine beginning prayers followed with Psalm 50 and the penitential troparia are a great way to start in the icon corner. It is important to have a spiritual father to guide you in your pilgramage, as too much too soon can lead to despondency.

The important thing is to get into a rythmn of prayer, not too long at first, and then grow gradually into a fuller prayer life. It's quality, not quantity that's important and it needs to be a regular part of your daily routine.

You can get an oil lamp at Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart and other hobby/craft type stores that often sell the small glass oil lamps inexpensively. Later on you can get a nice one to hang in front of the icons. The icons need to be "fed" with light during prayer. You can also get a small hand censor for sweetening the prayer atmosphere (Let my prayer arise as incense...)

There are many prayerbooks out there that have daily and pre-communion prayers. Byzantine Seminary Press has the Byzantine Book of Prayer, Jordainville has a great Prayer Book and there is the golden oldie Byzantine Daily Worship.

Many years ago I started the holy corner (back then as a single guy) with icons of Christ the Savior, the Vyshorod Theotokos (often referred to as Our Lady of Vladimir), and a copy of Rublev's Holy Trinity.

Dear StBenedictRule,

Yes, the rite you saw is the "Entrance/Departure Bows" that are performed before icons.

When entering or leaving one's home, Church or another's home in which one is visiting, we Cross ourselves three times with bows before the icons saying the Prayer of the Publican:

O God be merciful to me a sinner!

Thou hast created me, O Lord, have mercy on me!

I have sinned without number, Lord have mercy and forgive me a sinner!

Then we say the prayer to the Theotokos:

It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most blameless, and Mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
(Then we make a bow to the floor, or on Sundays and Feast days, to the waist only).

Then three more bows with:

Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

And now and always and unto the ages of ages Amen (Byz. usage)

Lord have mercy (3X) Lord, Bless:

And then we make another prostration or bow after the following prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, by the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother, the might of Thy Precious and Life-Giving Cross, the prayers of (your Namesake, Patron of your home or Church, saints of the day) and all Thy Saints, have mercy and save me a sinner (or 'us') for Thou art holy indeed and a Lover of Mankind. Amen.

Alex

Hey Guys Thanks.

My Byzantine Ruthenina Catholic Vocations Director, sent me a little book, called prayers for the domestic church. He said pray this infront of your Ikon corner.

I do have my Ikon Corner well established.
I have and Ikon of Christ the Teacher, Ikon of The Holy Theotokos,Ikon of St. Nicholas the Wonder Worker of Myra, St Francis of Assisi, St. Padre Pio, The Holy Father John Paul II the Pope of Rome.

I have a Crucifix, 3 Candels that are on the Ikon corner that give great "Light" to the Ikon's. And a bottle of Holy Water, that i aquired from my Roman Catholic Church.

I have a Rosary, 2 Chotkis and Incense sticks.
When I walk in the Room it smells like walked into my Byzantine Parish. So my Ikon Corner is well established.

As of Latley i have been spending 2-3hrs before the Ikon Corner 3x's daily. Latley it seems like i cant walk away from it.

From: Daniel
In The Holy+Theotokos

I also Listen to (15-16th Century Liturgical Serbian Orthodox Chant) I love the Tones of the Serbian Orthodox Church Chant. They seem to get me in a Good Place when praying the Chotki, so to speak.

From: Daniel
In The Theotokos

Dear StBenedictRule,

There is one thing you lack, son . . .

Get yourself an embroidered pillow for prostrations before your icon corner so your right hand, with which you sign yourself with the Sign of the Cross, won't touch the floor.

The Sarum Rite actually anoints the right hand of a candidate for baptism to empower it to make the Sign of the Cross throughout life.

Alex

SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!
SLAVA NA VIKI BOHU!

Alex wrote:"...You can get an oil lamp at Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart and other hobby/craft type stores that often sell the small glass oil lamps inexpensively. Later on you can get a nice one to hang in front of the icons. The icons need to be "fed" with light during prayer..."

You can bid on some nice ikon lampadkas on eBay. They have both hanging and standing lampadkas. They are usually found by searching under RUSSIAN ICON.

These lampadkas are from the SOFRINO studios. One can also find some nice ikon prints and on occasion, some GORGEOUS ikons.

I hope to have a picture of my "ikon corner" in a couple of days. I don't have a digital camera so I have to get the film developed and then scanned.

Hope this helps....

mark

Dear Mark,

Actually, it was Diak who wrote that, not me.

I'm not that as "hip" or informed as Diak to make those kind of excellent suggestions!

Alex

SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!

OPPSS.....


sorry Alex, that what I get for sending info before I have my diet Coke with Lemon....

mark

Orthodox Catholic: When i do protstrations, take a sheet and fold it and place it in front my my ikon corner so that my sign of the cross hand does not touch the Ground.

From: Daniel H.
In The Holy + Theotokos

Dan, the Old Believers use an embroidered pillow or cloth to lay their heads and hands on for prostrations. The podruschnik is a wonderful tradition (and keeps you from banging the ol' hat rack). The type of embroidery done on a podrushnik is cross stitch because every stitch is formed with and centered on the Cross.

The bright corner will "tug" on you to enter into prayer there. It sounds like you have already begun to experience this. May the Holy Spirit guide your pilgramage of prayer. It's good you have a chotki, as the Jesus Prayer is central to developing prayer of the heart.

As of Recently Ive Completley, "Easternized" My spirituality, and look on Theology.

I dont do many Protstrations so ill work with
what i got.

From: daniel
In The Holy Theotokos

Dear Daniel,

And if you don't have Chotki, use your Rosary to say the Jesus Prayer.

On the divider beads you can say: Most Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner!

Alex

Orthodox Catholic:

I have 2 Chotki's, a 100 knot chotki, and a 33 knot which i wear around my right wrist.

From: Daniel H.
In The Theotokos

Where do wood chotkis come from?

From: Daniel
In The Holy+Theotokos

Trees?