Altar Cloth The Altar cloths are special cloths, used to cover the Holy Altar during worship services and celebrations. They often left on the altar when it is not in use. They consist of a white linen, Chitola, the front draping and the Corporal (Virikoottam) White Linen The Holy altar Read more…
The Holy Cross is the most significant object in the sanctuary and holds a unique powerful place, in the Christian faith, Christian tradition and in the worship of the Orthodox Church. It is kept at the top center of the Holy Altar, placed directly in between the Candlesticks, to be Read more…
These are round metallic disk representing a Seraphim’s head surrounded by six wings, mounted on an upright shaft. These are made of silver or some metal and are always used in pairs. The center of the fans, the seraphic face and the wings are represented (Is. 6: 14; Rev. 4: Read more…
During our worship in Church and rituals in houses and cemeteries, the priest burns incense in a censer. Incense is a mixture of spices and gums, that is a material used to produce a fragrant smoke when burned causing clouds of smoke to go heavenward, the prayer of God’s people Read more…
May my prayer be set before you like incense!May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice! The Censer (Phirmo in Syriac; Thumiaterion in Greek; Machtah/MiqTereth in Hebrew; Thurible in West; Encensier /Thuribulum – Latin) is a highly symbolic object used for burning incense. Traditionally, the censer Read more…
Light signifies the presence of God, Who is light, Himself. Churches, traditionally has an oil lighted lamp in the center of Nave. The most frequent images of lamps in the Bible relate to worship. The lamps on the seven-branched lamp stand in the tabernacle were to be constantly lit (Exodus Read more…
Churches use bells for spiritual and practical purposes such as to call the faithful to worship, to signify the time for worshipers to gather for worship and to announce times of daily prayer called the canonical hours. to highlight a particular stage during a Church service, to remind the faithful of God’s presence Read more…
Baptismal font (Gurno d Mamodito) is important feature, symbol and a sacred object in each Orthodox Church. It is a basin, vessel (gurno) or a receptacle made of stone or marble fixed on a pillar or pedestal with 3 and 1/2 feet high or a at a convenient height. It Read more…
It is normally a wooden table, kept in the center of the Chancel area (Azhiaagam). It symbolizes Mt. Sinai from where the Ten commandments were given by God and also the wooden platform from where the priest Ezra read out from the Book of Law (Neh. 8: 4). It also Read more…
A movable curtain, a veil is provided at the entrance of the Holy Sanctuary (Madhaha). It has an embroidered Cross (signifies Risen Christ) at the centre and sometimes decorated with doves, wheat and wine stalks. The veil signifies the sky, that separates the heaven and the earth (Ex. 36: 16; Read more…