For a believer, a holy icon is not just a picture, but a holy grace-filled image. The honor of worship befits not the board itself or paints, not a skillfully painted image, but directly to the person to whom a person turns in his prayers.
It is worth applying to icons with a special feeling of awe and reverence, realizing that this is not just a portrait of a saint or his iconographic likeness, but a great Christian shrine, given to a person for spiritual consolation. It is imperative that before applying to the holy image, it is necessary to prayerfully address the person depicted on it. You can offer a prayer both in your own words with a request for what is necessary, and in short church prayers. For example, applying to the icon of the Lord, you can pray with words about the forgiveness of sins, to the Mother of God - to ask for salvation ("Most Holy Theotokos, save us"), from angels and saints to ask prayers before God ("Holy (name) pray to God for me").
It is necessary to apply to icons not only with prayer, but also after the application of the sign of the cross. Before the holy image, you should cross yourself twice with the words of a prayer, then kiss the shrine and attach your forehead to it, step aside and once again apply the sign of the cross. There is a custom to make three bows to the earth before miraculous icons. The sequence is the same. In case of a long queue, you can bow down in advance to the side of the icon so as not to detain other people.
When kissing a holy icon, you need to know that it is indecent to touch the lips of the Mother of God, the Lord, saints or angels with your lips. This is unethical and disrespectful.
On the icons of the Savior, depicted in full growth, one should kiss the feet or the hem of the garment; on the icon, where Christ is depicted to the waist - kissing the hand or the hem of the garment. The same rule befits the icons of the Theotokos, saints and angels. If on the analogue there is an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which depicts only the face of Christ, then one should apply to the edge of the Lord's hair.
There is a practice among the people of applying to icons with their 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 women with lipstick must not touch the icons. When kissing, traces of lipstick may remain on the icon. Therefore, the girl must wipe her lips before applying to the shrine.
