For a believer, the holy icon is not just a picture, but a holy, gracious way. The honor of worship is not appropriate for the board itself or colors, not a skillfully written image, but directly to the person to whom a person addresses in his prayers.
Applying to the icons is with a special sense of trepidation and reverence, understanding that this is not just a portrait of the saint or his icon-like likeness, but a great Christian shrine, granted to man for spiritual comfort. Before applying to the holy image, it is imperative to prayerfully refer to the person depicted on it. You can offer a prayer in your own words asking for the necessary, as well as brief church prayers. For example, applying to the Lord’s icon, you can pray for the forgiveness of sins, ask the Theotokos for salvation (“Blessed Virgin Mary, save us”), ask angels and saints for prayers before God (“Holy (name) pray God for me”).
Applying to the icons is necessary not only with prayer, but also after the imposition of the sign of the Cross. Before the holy image, you should cross yourself twice with the words of prayer, then kiss the shrine and kiss it with your forehead, step aside and once again impose the sign of the cross. There is a custom to make three earthly obeisances before miraculous icons. The sequence is the same. In the case of a long line, you can make bow to the earth in advance of the icon, so as not to delay the rest of the people.
When kissing a holy icon, you need to know that it is indecent to touch the lips of the Virgin, Lord, saints or angels with your lips. It is unethical and unrighteous.
On the icons of the Savior, depicted in full growth, one should kiss the feet or the edge of the garment; on the icon, where Christ is depicted waist-high - kisses the hand or the edge of clothing. The same rule befits the icons of the Virgin, saints and angels. If the icon of the Savior, which shows only the face of Christ, is on the analogue, then the Lord’s hair should be applied to the edge of the hair.
The people have a practice of applying icons to hands. At the same time, they first kiss the hand itself, and then apply it to the shrine. This practice is not entirely appropriate in the Orthodox Church.
It is also worth paying special attention to the fact that you can not apply to the icons of women whose lips are painted on. With a kiss, traces of lipstick may remain on the icon. Therefore, the girl before applying to the shrine must wipe her lips.
