A few tips on how to consecrate an apartment

The consecration of the dwelling is a ritual, designed to win God's blessing upon all who live in it. The apartment itself, unlike water or icons, does not become holy, and everything that happens in it depends only on the will and faith of its temporary inhabitants.

To perform the rite, it is not necessary to know how to consecrate an apartment yourself, it is enough to apply to the nearest temple or parish. Preliminary should be prepared: carefully clean the apartment, buy candles, an icon with the face of our Savior, if there is not one in the house, and, possibly, stickers with a cross. The latter are needed more for the aesthetic (drawing a cross by hand, you can withdraw it not so beautifully as printed in the printing house) than for the sacred side of the rite. All these items are readily available in any church store.

Do not think that the richer the image will be, the stronger the Grace, only dependence on the degree of the churching of the living and the strength of their faith, hope and love-the three main Christian benefactors-can be traced. Reflecting on how to sanctify an apartment, one should abandon thoughts of prestige and other vain motives. However, it is not a sin if the icon is beautiful.

Some people have a fear in their hearts that the invitation of a clergyman will be costly. It is false, since there are no fixed quotations in the Russian Orthodox Church. The amounts, called, as a rule, candles, are indicative, this information is intended rather to not introduce parishioners in unnecessary expenditure. More often there is another problem: people think about how to consecrate an apartment richer in order to impress the invited guests.

If, on the other hand, there is a priest who insists on a specific amount, then information about such a person will surely interest the Patriarchate, not in the most favorable light for him.

So, an Orthodox Christian should be thinking rather about how to consecrate an apartment, and not about the money side of the matter.

Pagan amulets, wild masks, and other attributes of religions foreign to our people are absolutely inadmissible in the sanctified dwelling.

It is also necessary to prepare a "workplace" for the clergyman, it's just that - only a table is needed.

Discussing with my relatives how to sanctify an apartment, the day before you should tune in to the upcoming celebration, rejoice over it and not allow angry thoughts, let alone actions.

It will be just fine if the occupants of the dwelling are familiarized with the order of the ceremony in advance so that no embarrassing situations arise in its course. So, you need to know that the priest asks for a blessing, as well as how it's done, and that after receiving it you need to kiss his right hand, and after the prayer is a cross.

Of course, there is no need to teach all prayers for memory, but "Our Father", "The Symbol of Faith" and "Theotokos", everyone who considers himself Orthodox should know, as well as when words should cross himself.

Stickers or hand-made images of the cross are placed on the walls above the entrance and in the corners of each of the rooms, after which anointed with oil.

The whole situation is sprinkled with holy water, which should not be rushed to immediately wipe. Therefore, if there are objects that are afraid of direct exposure to moisture, they should be better removed so that thoughts about them do not distract from the sacred meaning of the prayer.

In the open press, there are many tips on how to consecrate an apartment with a candle, placing many icons in it. In themselves, such actions are not sinful, but the consecration of the home can not be replaced.

God bless you!