For an Orthodox person, the icon is a great shrine. At the same time, worship itself is given not to the image and material from which the holy image was created, but directly to the person written on the icon.
In the Orthodox tradition, the images of the Lord, the Mother of God, angels and saints are invariably sanctified. That is why the icons themselves are called saints. The direct consecration of the image is performed by a priest: a presbyter (priest) or, in rare cases, a bishop. At the same time, the Orthodox missal contains separate rites for the consecration of icons. A special rite for the consecration of the icons of the Lord, others - for the consecration of icons of saints and images, which depict many different patrons.
In addition, in the Orthodox Church there is the concept of an icon consecrated on the holy relics of the saints of God. In contrast to the accepted consecration of icons through a special rite from the missal, an icon on holy relics can also be consecrated by a layman. This happens through the application of the holy image to the shrine of the relics or the ark with particles of the relics of the saint. Most often, icons of the saint whose relics are located directly in the church are applied. When the relics of a saint come to a parish, many believers strive not only to venerate the shrine themselves, but also to attach the image of the patron saint to its relics.
There is one more practice of consecrating icons on the relics of saints. In particular, a priest can place several images of an ascetic of piety at once on the shrine of the saint's relics. At the same time, the rite of direct consecration of holy images is performed in the sequence indicated in the missal. Then the icons are sprinkled with holy water. It should be noted that such a rite of consecration of icons is carried out in the event that the holy images were not consecrated by the previously set rite.
