Yes, icons can be blessed, but here’s what might surprise you: they don’t have to be.
The holiness of an icon comes from what it depicts, not from a prayer said over it. When an iconographer paints Christ or the Theotokos or St. Michael according to the Church’s tradition, that image is already holy because of who it shows. The Second Council of Nicaea settled this back in 787. No special blessing required.
But walk into most Orthodox parishes today and you’ll find that blessing icons is standard practice. So what happened?
The custom of blessing icons developed later, probably under Western influence. St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite, writing in the eighteenth century, actually criticized icon blessings as a Roman Catholic innovation that crept into Orthodox practice. There’s no evidence of special blessing services before the seventeenth century. For most of Church history, an icon was an icon because it was painted correctly, not because a priest prayed over it.
That said, we’re not living in the eighth century. The practice has become widespread across Orthodox jurisdictions, including Antiochian parishes. Many priests will bless icons using prayers from the service books. Sometimes they’ll anoint the icon with holy chrism. The prayers vary depending on what the icon depicts: there are different blessings for icons of Christ, the Theotokos, or various saints.
At St. Michael’s, if you buy an icon from the bookstore or online, you can certainly ask Father to bless it. He’ll be happy to. Some people bring icons to church on Sunday and ask for a blessing after Liturgy. Others wait until they have several and make an appointment. There’s no rush.
But here’s the thing: an unblessed icon of Christ is still an icon of Christ. You can venerate it. You can pray before it. The grace doesn’t come from the blessing service. It comes from your encounter with the Person depicted, and from the Holy Spirit who works through the Church’s sacred art.
Think of it this way. When you meet someone for the first time, you don’t become real to each other only after a formal introduction. The introduction is helpful, it’s proper, it follows good form. But the person was real before anyone said their name. Icons work something like that. The blessing is a formal recognition of what’s already true.
Some Orthodox Christians feel strongly that icons shouldn’t be used at home until they’re blessed. They see the blessing as setting the icon apart from ordinary religious art, marking a clear line between a holy object and a pretty picture. That’s a legitimate pastoral concern, especially in a culture where Christian imagery gets slapped on coffee mugs and throw pillows. If that distinction helps you treat icons with proper reverence, then by all means, get them blessed.
Others point out that this creates a false category. A properly painted icon is already set apart. It’s not a decoration. Treating it as merely decorative until a priest says prayers over it actually undermines the theology of icons. The image itself, when painted according to tradition, is a means of grace.
So what should you do? If you’re just starting to bring icons into your home, ask your priest to bless them. It’s a good practice. It connects you to your parish. It reminds you that these aren’t just religious decor. And honestly, in Southeast Texas where most folks grew up thinking icons were Catholic or even idolatrous, having Father bless your first icon of Christ or your patron saint can be a meaningful moment. It marks a step in your journey into Orthodox life.
But don’t worry if you’ve been venerating an unblessed icon. You haven’t done anything wrong. Bring it to church when you can. And if you can’t get to church for a while because you’re working a turnaround at the plant or because hurricane season has the roads flooded, go ahead and pray before that icon anyway. Christ hears you. The Theotokos intercedes for you. The blessing service doesn’t create that reality. It acknowledges it.
