Placing the Eucharist in an icon?

Jeffgo · #1 Feb 5, '13, 6:53 pm

So...I have visited a good number of Byzantine Catholic parishes in my area. About a year ago, when I visited one of these parishes along with a few friends, the priest gave us a short tour of the church, and talked a bit about icons. He said that when a bishop comes and blesses the icons in a church, the bishop places a very small piece of the Eucharist in the icon. None of the icons that were currently in the church had been blessed in this manner (they were mostly reproductions/prints).

I had never heard this before, and it doesn't seem consistent with other things I know about icons. I assume that the priest (who is a very good priest by the way) probably just misheard/misunderstood things. Has anybody ever heard of anything like this? Is there another ritual in the blessing of an icon by the bishop that could look similar to this (ie: a blessing with antidoron or something)?

Timothy_Garber · #2 Feb 5, '13, 10:03 pm

I have honestly never heard of this one before. But I have seen Father bless new icons. He usually just uses holy water, I think. It has been a while since I have seen it.

Once, I looked up how icons were made. There is a very strict art to making them! I don't know how anyone could put antidoron or the Eucharist inside and icon, nevermind the fact that it is a solid piece of wood.

Merlin89 · #3 Feb 6, '13, 1:40 am

I have never heard of this before,this is my first time of hearing it and what is this icon all about.

chaldobyzantine · #4 Feb 6, '13, 8:07 am

It is severely against church teaching to have the Eucharist permanently displayed or misused for something other than to be received by the faithful. I seriously doubt that the same would be done for antidoron as well. Relics are often attached onto icons, but never ever the Holy Eucharist. This is quite a serious discussion you should have with that priest.

God Bless.

SyroMalankara · #5 Feb 6, '13, 12:19 pm

Are you sure he didn't say chrism?

Timothy_Garber · #6 Feb 6, '13, 4:52 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merlin89

I have never heard of this before,this is my first time of hearing it and what is this icon all about.

Are you asking what an icon is?

Walosi · #7 Feb 6, '13, 11:18 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffgo

So...I have visited a good number of Byzantine Catholic parishes in my area. About a year ago, when I visited one of these parishes along with a few friends, the priest gave us a short tour of the church, and talked a bit about icons. He said that when a bishop comes and blesses the icons in a church, the bishop places a very small piece of the Eucharist in the icon. None of the icons that were currently in the church had been blessed in this manner (they were mostly reproductions/prints).

I had never heard this before, and it doesn't seem consistent with other things I know about icons. I assume that the priest (who is a very good priest by the way) probably just misheard/misunderstood things. Has anybody ever heard of anything like this? Is there another ritual in the blessing of an icon by the bishop that could look similar to this (ie: a blessing with antidoron or something)?

http://www.orthodox-christianity.com...eucharist2.jpg
That image is the Eastern Orthodox Icon of the Eucharist.

Hope that helps.

I studied Orthodoxy for 10 years and never ran across that method of blessing icons before. Usually, the priest (not a bishop) will bless it with holy water daily for a number of days varying from 7 to 40 depending on the needs of the family and how traditional the priest is.

However, being female and never having been behind an iconostasis before, I may be wrong.

Walosi

WetCatechumen · #8 Feb 7, '13, 12:22 am

Well, I have been in the Byzantine Church for about two years now. I've led a Byzantine college ministry, served at the altar for most of those two years, spoken at the Eparchial clergy conference, and served for the bishop. I'd like to say I'm pretty familiar with, at least, the Ruthenian Church. In terms of Eastern Praxis, I am involved in the local Orthodox college ministry, I know the local Orthodox priests. One of my very best friends is soon to be a Greek Orthodox seminarian. We have many Melkites in our parish, as there is no Melkite church in town (they either come here or to the Greek church). The point is, I'm pretty familiar with Byzantine praxis.

I must say, though, this is the first I've ever heard of such of practice, and I cannot imagine that it is a true practice. I'm certain there's a misunderstanding here. The Holy Gifts are always consumed. We do not display them for adoration like the Romans do. We do retain them in a tabernacle, and during Great Lent have the Presanctified Liturgy . . .

But no, this is something that we do not do.

The antimension, the altar cloth that the Liturgy is celebrated upon, does have relics sewn into it - but no, icons do not contain the Holy Gifts.

Jeffgo · #9 Feb 7, '13, 3:36 am

I'm glad to hear that this is not in fact a true practice. It seemed more than a little off to me as well.

SyroMalankara · #10 Feb 7, '13, 5:56 am

Did the priest have an accent? Maybe what he said was the Latin Eucharistic Adoration replaced in the West a practice similar to Veneration of Icons in the East?

Merlin89 · #11 Feb 7, '13, 5:19 pm

Thanks...it helps to explain the icon