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Frequently Asked Questions: How do you use statues and icons? |
Statues and icons have the same purpose; they serve as a focal point for devotion and prayer. Often our minds are easily distracted and if we can focus on a religious object it can often help us to pray with less distraction. A statue is usually a representation of Jesus or Mary, his Mother, or a particular person of faith [called a 'saint'] who we believe has been redeemed and now enjoys the glory of heaven. An icon [meaning 'image'] is usually a painting that tries to draw us into the mystery of the spiritual world. Statues tend to be the normal representation in Western churches and icons in Eastern churches. The most famous and revered icon seen in churches in the West is called 'Our Lady of Perpetual Succour' and represents the Mother of God giving comfort and care to the infant Jesus, and it is often used for prayer and meditation reminding us that she is our mother in faith and the source of such graces for us.
Most churches would have a statue of their patron saint i.e. the saint after which the church is dedicated to. In a church any statues and icons are meant to remind us that when we worship together we are joined by the church in heaven - they are present to us spiritually.
In the home they are often used as focal points for prayer to help us lift our minds and hearts out of the ordinary, but also to remind us that God and his saints are present to us through faith. Indeed we often talk about 'the communion of saints', because the Eucharist reminds us that we are bound together even with those who have gone before us who shared communion with us on earth.