A window onto heaven
Praying with icons
The icon has been called «a window onto eternity». It is not looked at like a painting, to admire its beauty: one stands before it and lets it look at us. Here are some simple ways to pray with an icon, in the traditions of East and West.
The gaze
In icons the saints look towards us, with large open eyes. Inverse perspective makes the space of the image open towards the viewer. To begin, simply stop in silence, light a lamp and remain a few minutes before the face of Christ or the Mother of God, letting your breathing slow.
Some forms of prayer
- The Jesus Prayer: «Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner», repeated slowly, in rhythm with the breath, before the icon of Christ.
- Reading the Gospel of the feast or of the saint depicted, followed by a few minutes of silence.
- The Rosary or the Akathist before an icon of the Mother of God.
- Family prayer in the evening, before the icon corner.
The gestures
In the Eastern tradition one approaches the icon making the sign of the cross and a bow, then kisses it (on the hand or feet of the figure, not on the face). This is the gesture the Second Council of Nicaea calls proskynesis, veneration: the honour given to the image passes to the one depicted. Concetta Basile paints her icons in prayer, so that they in turn become places of prayer. Like every icon by Concetta Basile, it is fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin, and is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work.
Frequently asked questions
Is praying before an icon idolatry?
No. The Second Council of Nicaea (787) distinguished adoration, due to God alone, from the veneration of images: those who venerate an icon do not stop at the wood and colours, but turn to the person depicted.