40 day blessing

[ThomasPeter]

i was at our local "Greek Fest" held at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox church. while there i took a tour of the church and was shown a spot in the Sanctuary where a few icons (and other things i think) were kept during a "40 day blessing". my question is; what is a 40 day blessing? does the Catholic church do this? and what goes on during one? thank you much
tom

[Apotheoun]

I don't know if the Western Church has the practice of placing the icons of the faithful in the sanctuary for 40 days in order to bless them or not. But it is a practice of the Byzantine Churches.

In the theology of the Eastern Church icons are blessed by being kept in the sanctuary for 40 days in order to prepare them for veneration by the faithful.

After being blessed the icon itself is believed to contain the uncreated divine energies, and also the energies of the saint depicted upon it. Consequently, when a man venerates an icon the sanctifying energies of the Holy Spirit are imparted to him, and the graces received through this worship of veneration helps him to advance in his spiritual life, eventually leading to his divinization by grace.

Below is a prayer that can be recited while venerating an icon:

[quote]Holy Paraclete, Giver of Life, Eternal God:  Mercifully bestow on us the Grace of the Life-giving Energies of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ; and let us live as faithful children of the Light, so that we – finally beholding the unfading beauty of the Vision of the uncreated Light, becoming partakers by Grace of the Divine Nature, and being transformed into the glorious Likeness of our Creator – may on the awesome Day of Judgment be reckoned among the august company of His Mother, our Lady and Queen, and all others in whom the Love of God has been perfected, and worship and bask forever in the refulgence of the true Glory.  Amen.[/quote]