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…
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…
The Orthodox Churches gives the most importance or reverence to the Holy Gospels, the written Word of Living God (Jn. 1: 1). We, Orthodox offer maximum reverence to it. In the Church, we keep the Holy Gospel in special place called, ‘Evangelion Table; in the Madbhaha – Holy of Holies)’ Read more…
Gospel (Evangelion) Evangelion (Gospel/Good News – Greek: Evangelion) or Book of the Gospels refers to the first four books of the New Testament. These books are titled as ‘Gospel according to St. ….….’ It is not a simple narrative of the life of Jesus of Nazareth but a presentation of Jesus as Christ, the Word. However, the Evangelion Book’ (or just Evangelion), is a book that contains the Gospel reading portion for 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…
The fact of Jesus Christ being alive, after being crucified on the cross, would have been hard for anyone to accept. ‘St. Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin or doubting Thomas, was not present with the other disciples, when Jesus appeared to His disciples’. He was the only 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…