The consecration of a dwelling is a rite designed to win God's blessing on all those living in it. The apartment itself, unlike water or an icon, does not become a saint, and everything that happens in it depends only on the will and faith of its temporary inhabitants.
To perform the ceremony, it is not necessary to know how to consecrate the apartment yourself, just go to the nearest church or parish. You should first prepare: carefully clean the apartment, buy candles, an icon with the face of our Savior, if there is none in the house, and, possibly, stickers with the image of a cross. The latter are needed more for the aesthetic (drawing a cross by hand, you can draw it not as beautifully as printed in a printing house), than for the sacred side of the rite. All of these items are readily available at any church store.
You should not think that the richer the image, the stronger the Grace, here there is a dependence only on the degree of churching of the living and the strength of their faith, hope and love - the three main Christian benefactors. Thinking about how to consecrate an apartment, one should abandon thoughts of prestige and other vain motives. However, it is not a sin if the icon is beautiful.
Some peoplethere is a fear in the soul that inviting a clergyman will be a costly affair. It is false, since there are no fixed prices in the Russian Orthodox Church. The amounts, usually called candlesticks, are indicative in nature, this information is intended rather in order not to introduce parishioners into unnecessary expenses. More often, another problem arises: people are thinking about how to sanctify an apartment richer in order to impress the invited guests.
If, more than expected, there is a priest who will insist on some specific amount, then information about such a thing will certainly interest the Patriarchate, not in the most favorable light for him.
So, an Orthodox Christian should rather think about how to sanctify an apartment, and not at all about the money side of the issue.
Pagan amulets, savage masks, and other attributes of religions alien to our people are completely unacceptable in a consecrated dwelling.
It is also necessary to prepare a "workplace" for the clergyman, it's simple - you only need a table.
When discussing with loved ones how to consecrate an apartment, the day before you should tune in to the upcoming celebration, rejoice in it and avoid angry thoughts, and even more so actions.
It will be just fine if the inhabitants of the dwelling familiarize themselves with the procedure of the ceremony in advance, so that awkward situations do not arise during it. So, you need to know that a blessing is asked from the priest, as well as how this is done, and that after receiving it, you need to kiss himright hand, and after the completion of the prayer service - the cross.
Of course, there is no need to memorize all the prayers, but already “Our Father”, “Symbol of Faith” and “Theotokos” everyone who considers himself Orthodox must know how and with what words one should cross oneself.
Stickers or hand-made images of the cross are applied to the walls above the entrance and in the corners of each of the rooms, after which they are anointed with oil.
The whole environment 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, it is better to remove them so that thoughts about them do not distract from the sacred meaning of the prayer service.
In the open press, there are many tips on how to consecrate an apartment with a candle, placing a lot of icons in it. In themselves, such actions are not sinful, but they cannot replace the consecration of the home.
God bless you!
