You shall not make for yourself a carved image. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
Idol worship and Christian veneration
An idol is treated as a god or as a rival to God. Christian veneration gives reverent honor to Christ, St. Mary, angels, and saints while worship remains for the Holy Trinity alone. The difference is the difference between adoration and honor.
The Church also knows the commandment against idols. Icons are received through the confession of the Incarnation. Since the Son of God truly became visible, the Church can depict Christ according to His humanity. The icon does not contain God; it bears witness to the God who entered history.
Why icons point beyond themselves
When the faithful kiss or bow before an icon, the honor passes to the person represented. A person may kiss a Gospel book, Cross, icon, or priest’s hand as an act of reverence. The material thing is honored because of what God has done through it or whom it shows.
How icons form the heart
Icons teach the faithful to remember Christ and His saints. They train attention, repentance, and hope. Instead of filling the church with entertainment, icons fill the church with witnesses who call the faithful toward holiness.