Russian Orthodox priest standing in front of a fully vested altar (Düsseldorf, Germany). In the Orthodox Church, the Holy Table (altar) may be covered with one or two coverings. There is always an outer frontal, covering the top of the Holy Table and hanging down several inches on all four sides. This kind is used alone if the front of the Holy Table is elaborately carved or decorated.
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For a "fully vested" Holy Table, a second, inner hanging is used. This covers the Holy Table fully on the top and hangs down to the floor on all four sides. The analogia (icon stands) are covered with a covering known as a proskynitarion. As with the coverings used on the Holy Table, there may, again, be only one outer covering or also a second, inner covering that hangs to the floor (though, in this case, sometimes only in the front and back).
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Holy Table at a church in Chicago. The Epitaphios is used on the last two days of Holy Week in the Byzantine rite, as part of the ceremonies marking the death and resurrection of Christ. It is then placed on the Holy Table (altar table), where it remains throughout the Paschal season.
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In many churches it is the custom for a dust cover to be placed on the Holy Table between services. This is often a simple red cloth, though it may be made of richer stuff. Sometimes it covers only the Gospel Book or the front half of the Holy Table, but it may be large enough to cover the entire Holy Table and everything on it, including candlesticks and the seven-branch candelabra. The Holy Place (Sanctuary) in the church of the Saint Vladimir Skete at Valaam Monastery.
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At one time, before a monk or nun was tonsured, their religious habit would be placed on the thalassidion; now, since the separation of the thalassidion from the Holy Table, the habit is placed on the Holy Table. When a monk or nun is tonsured, if the hair must be disposed of, it is thrown into the thalassidion.
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When not in use, the antimension is left in place in the center of the Holy Table and is not removed except for necessity. The Holy Table may only be touched by ordained members of the higher clergy (bishops, priests and deacons), and nothing which is not itself consecrated or an object of veneration should be placed on it. Objects may also be placed on the altar as part of the process for setting them aside for sacred use. For example, icons are usually blessed by laying them on the Holy Table for a period of time or for a certain number of Divine Liturgies before sprinkling them with holy water, and placing them where they will be venerated.
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Then, standing in front of the Holy Table (altar table) they venerate it, making prostrations if it is a weekday, or metanias if it is Sunday. The priest kisses the Gospel Book and the front edge of the Holy Table, the deacon kisses the blessing cross and the right (south) edge of the Holy Table. The deacon then receives the priest's blessing and they both say their vesting prayers, put on their sacred vestments, and begin the Liturgy of Preparation during which the bread and wine are prepared for the Eucharist. About half an hour before the Liturgy is scheduled to begin, the priest gives the blessing for the Little Hours (normally the Third Hour and Sixth Hour) to begin.
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The Holy Place (Sanctuary) in the church of the Saint Vladimir Skete Valaam monastery. To the left is the Holy Table (altar) with the Gospel Book on the High Place. To the right is the Cathedra (Bishop's Throne). In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches the High Place is the name used for the location of the cathedra (episcopal throne), set in the center of the apse of a church's sanctuary, behind the Holy Table (altar).
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The only other objects that are permitted to occupy this place on the altar are the chalice and discos (paten) for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. On the various Feasts of the Cross, a tray covered by an aër (liturgical veil) holding a Cross and branches of basil is placed on the High Place of the Holy Table until it is taken in procession to the center of the nave. On Good Friday, the Epitaphion is set on the Holy Table until it is taken to the "tomb" in the center of the nave for veneration by the faithful. During the Paschal Vigil, this Epitaphion is taken through the Holy Doors and placed again on the High Place of the Holy Table, where it will remain until the Ascension.
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The nave roof is camber beamed. The holy table and pulpit are Jacobean in style. A two-tier chandelier was donated to the church in 1755. Also in the church is a 13th-century chest.
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Apostates who have left the Church and then repented and returned are restored after appropriate penance to full communion through Chrismation.Thus, while Baptism may not be repeated, Chrismation may be repeated. Chrism is also used in the Consecration of the Holy Table and the entire church building, and is used to anoint the Relics of the Martyrs before they are placed in the Holy Table, and to Consecrate the Antimension. In the past, Chrism was used at the Anointing of Eastern Emperors and Kings.
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When a new temple (church building) is consecrated the bishop kindles a flame in the sanctuary which traditionally should burn perpetually from that time forward. This sanctuary lamp is usually an oil lamp located either on or above the Holy Table (altar). In addition, in the Eastern Orthodox Church there must be candles on the Holy Table during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. In some places this takes the form of a pair of white candles, in others, it may be a pair of five-branch candlesticks.
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Miniature of St Luke from the Peresopnytsia Gospels (1561). In the Sunday Matins service the Gospel is always read by the celebrant (the priest or, if he is present, the bishop), rather than the deacon. On Sundays he reads from one of the eleven Matins Gospels, each of which gives an account of the Resurrection of Christ. During the reading, the Gospel Book remains on the Holy Table and the Holy Doors are opened (the Holy Table represents the Tomb of Christ, and the open Holy Doors represent the stone rolled away from the entrance).
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Sacred vessels used in the Orthodox Divine Liturgy (photograph by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, 1911). Originally, the Prothesis was located in the same room as the Holy Table, being simply a smaller table placed against the eastern wall to the north of the Holy Table. During the reign of the Emperor Justin II (565–574), it came to occupy its own separate chamber to the north of the sanctuary, having a separate apse, and joined to the Altar by an arched opening. Another apsed chamber was added on the south side for the Diaconicon.
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These prokeimena are chanted according to an eight-week cycle known as the Octoechos, and are chanted in a different liturgical mode each week of the cycle. The deacon then leads the choir in chanting, "Let every breath praise the Lord", which is chanted in the same mode as the prokeimenon. On Sundays, the Matins Gospel is read at the Holy Table (altar), which symbolizes the Tomb of Christ. The priest does not hold the Gospel Book during the reading, but reads it as it lies open on the Holy Table.
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The clergy carry the table into the sanctuary and literally construct the Holy Table: the mensa (table top) is placed on the four pillars and four nails are driven in with stones. A prayer of dedication is said, followed by an ektenia (litany). Warm water is poured thrice upon the Holy Table, and it is wiped down by the priests, and then washed with a mixture of rose water and red wine (signifying baptism). It is then anointed with chrism in the form of a cross (signifying chrismation).
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The altar itself in such a church may be referred to as either the Holy Table (Greek Ἁγία Τράπεζα) or the Throne (chu Prestól). For both Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Eastern Catholics, the Holy Table (altar) is normally free- standing, although in very small sanctuaries it might be placed flush against the back wall for reasons of space. They are typically about one meter high, and although they may be made of stone they are generally built out of wood. The exact dimensions may vary, but it is generally square in plan and in reasonable proportion to the size of the sanctuary.
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Armenian silver ripidion, with six-winged seraphim. In the Byzantine Rite, the hexapteryga are carried during the Great Entrance and at all processions; in the Russian Orthodox tradition they are often also used to honour a particularly sacred icon or relic. When not in use, the hexapteryga are usually kept in stands behind the Holy Table in the Greek Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic traditions; in the Slavic traditions they may be kept either there or out of sight elsewhere in the altar. The latter is especially true in northern Russia, where icons of Christ and the Theotokos are usually placed behind the Holy Table.
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The Gospel Book rests on the center of the Holy Table (Altar), as the Cross of Christ was planted in the center of the earth. This placement of the Gospel Book also represents the activity of Christ at the Creation (the square Altar representing the created world). The Gospel rests upon the antimension, which remains on the Altar at all times, as Christ will remain with the Church until the end of the world (). Even when the antimension is unfolded to receive the chalice and diskos, the Gospel Book is not removed from the Holy Table, but is stood upright in front of the Tabernacle.
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The Holy Table and Reredos, the Eagle Lectern, a hymn book stand, a linen cupboard, several flower stands, hymn boards, diocesan Sunday School banner, Mothers' Union banner, side-chapel Holy Table, and several other items of interest, were removed from St James and now furnish St Peter's. The north aisle in which the furnishings from St James' have been relocates, has been renamed the St James' Chapel in tribute to the former church. It is normally used for non-choral evening services. A new suite of halls were built at St Peter's in 2007, including a Main Hall, a Minor Hall, a kitchen, toilets, and a purpose built Parish Office.
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The sanctuary, seen through the open Holy Doors during Bright Week. The epitaphios (deep red) is visible on the Holy Table (St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg). During all of Bright Week the Holy Doors on the Iconostasis are kept open—the only time of the year when this occurs.
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However, the Divine Liturgies celebrated on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday have their own unique Cherubic Hymns. When the Choir begins the Cherubic Hymn, the deacon begins a censing of the sanctuary, iconostasis, clergy and faithful while the priest prays a long silent prayer known as the "Prayer of the Cherubic Hymn". After the prayer and the censing are finished, the priest and deacon make three metanias (bows) in front of the Holy Table, raise their hands, and say the Cherubic Hymn three times (the priest saying the first half and the deacon(s) saying the second half), each recitation followed by another metania. They then kiss the Holy Table, and bow to each other.
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The prokeimenon which precedes the feast day Gospel is different from the Sunday prokeimena, and is relevant to the theme of the feast. It is almost invariably chanted in the Fourth liturgical mode, as is "Let every breath praise the Lord". On feast days, the Gospel is not read at the Holy Table, but is brought into the center to the nave by the deacon, who holds the Gospel Book while the priest chants the Matins Gospel in front of the icon of the feast being celebrated. Immediately after the reading, the Gospel Book is returned to its place on the Holy Table, and the faithful instead venerate the icon of the feast.
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The Deposition from the Cross. Prior to the Apokathelosis, Vespers on the afternoon of Great Friday, the priest and deacon will place the Epitaphios on the Holy Table. The priest may also anoint the Epitaphios with perfumed oil. A chalice veil and the Gospel Book is placed on top of the Epitaphios.
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Gordon 1959, p. 28. The dado of the apsidal east end is panelled and surmounted by a continuous canopy of ogee arches below a pierced parapet. The panelling of the central section above the holy table is the most detailed and contains a sculpture of an allegorical winged figure defeating a dragon which represents evil.
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In the Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches, the pyx is the small "church tabernacle" which holds the Lamb (Host) that is reserved for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts during Great Lent. This pyx may be either kept on the Holy Table (altar) or on the Prothesis (Table of Oblation) on the north side of the sanctuary.
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Built into the east wall of the north aisle are a piscina and a credence table. Inside the church are a holy table dated 1641, and the royal coat of arms of Queen Anne. In the chancel is an effigy of Sir William Boydell, who died in 1275. This was brought in from the churchyard in 1874 and restored.
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It has five legs: one at each corner plus a central pillar for supporting the relics which are placed in it at its consecration (if, however, the consecration was not performed by a bishop, but by a priest whom he delegated for that purpose, relics are not placed in the Holy Table). A plain linen covering (Greek: Katasarkion, Slavonic: Strachítsa) is bound to the Holy Table with cords; this cover is never removed after the altar is consecrated, and is considered to be the "baptismal garment" of the altar. The linen covering symbolizes the winding sheet in which the body of Christ was wrapped when he was laid in the tomb. Since the altar is never seen uncovered thereafter, the table tends to be constructed more with sturdiness than aesthetics in mind.
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The ordination of a deacon occurs after the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) since his role is not in performing the Holy Mystery but consists only in serving; the ceremony is much the same as at the ordination of a priest, but the deacon-elect is presented to the people and escorted to the holy doors by two sub-deacons (his peers, analogous to the two deacons who so present a priest-elect), is escorted three times around the Holy Table by a deacon, and he kneels on only one knee during the Prayer of Cheirotonia. After being vested as a deacon and given a liturgical fan (ripidion or hexapterygion), he is led to the side of the Holy Table where he uses the ripidion to gently fan the Holy Gifts (consecrated Body and Blood of Christ).
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The district's name comes from the Jesuits, who christened the area Hermanidad de Santa Mesa de la Misericordia ("Holy Table of Mercy or Brotherhood of the Holy Table of Mercy"). The local parish church had for its titular the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which formed part of the phrase the "Center of the Table is the Sacred Heart which all Graces and Mercy flowed down." The Tuason family are the landlords of Santa Mesa during the Spanish colonial period offered an obra pía ("pious work"), and provided social services to the people Doña Albina Tuason also donated the Land where the Church is located even right at this modern days. A more popular folk etymology is that the name is a corruption of the Spanish term Santa Misa ("Holy Mass").
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During the Midnight Office, after the Usual Beginning and Psalm 50, the Canon of Great Saturday, repeated from the preceding Matins as a reflection upon the meaning of Christ’s death and his Harrowing of Hell. During the last Ode of the Canon, at the words, "weep not for me, O Mother, for I shall arise...", the priest and deacon dramatically lift the Epitaphios (which represents the dead body of Christ) from the bier and carry it through the Holy Doors into the sanctuary, laying it upon the Holy Table (altar), so that its border hangs down in front of the Holy Table and is visible through the open Holy Doors. There it will remain throughout the Paschal season as a reminder of the burial cloth left in the empty tomb ().
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The screen dividing the chancel from the nave is carved in Tudor style. The reading desk, pulpit, altar rails and holy table all date from the time of the Commonwealth. Extending across and elevated above the west end of the nave is the Cholmondeley family pew, with steps descending to the nave. The stained glass includes many small Netherlandish roundels.
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The roof trusses sit on the unfinished stone block brackets. The reredos (panels behind the Holy Table) is fixed up against the internal stone wall. The windows to the nave and transepts all have Gothic paired "cusped lancets" with stained glass windows. The doors are generally double timber ledged framed doors with cover strip made to fit the Gothic arches.
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Generally, the Greek rite presumes that the Holy Table will be made of stone, while the Slavic presumes it will be made of wood. In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the altars are invariably used to be consecrated with the name of St. Mary before the prayer to all the other saints. This type of veneration concerns with the so-called hyperdulia.
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The chancel is in one bay and was remodelled in the early 17th century. The screen, altar rails, holy table and plaster ceiling of the chancel date from the 17th century. The north range of the cloister gives access to a refectory, built by Simon de Whitchurch in the 13th century. It contains an Early English pulpit, approached by a staircase with an ascending arcade.
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The altar rails are dated 1677, and the holy table is from the same period. The octagonal pulpit is early Georgian in style, and it stands on a stone base from a later period. Most of the glass dates from the 19th century, but some painted medieval glass remains. There is a ring of four bells, cast in 1924 by John Taylor and Company.
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Some of the box pews were moved from St James' Church, Gawsworth when that church was restored in the 19th century. A holy table in the north aisle is dated 1695, and the altar rails are also from an early date. The font is of grey marble and probably dates from the late 18th century. Two sanctuary chairs date from the late 17th century.
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During the Consecration of a Church, a diskos is used to hold the relics of the saints which will be sealed in the Holy Table and antimension by the bishop. When a priest is ordained, a portion of the Lamb will be placed on a small diskos and given to him, as a sign of the Sacred Mysteries which are being entrusted to his care.
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When it is time to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, the priest and deacon enter the temple (church building), say the entrance prayers, and venerate the icons of the Lord and the Theotokos. Then, before beginning the Liturgy of Preparation, the priest and deacon enter the altar (sanctuary) and venerate the Holy Table (altar table) and, taking their vestments they vest in the following manner.
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The Holy Table is used as the place of offering in the celebration of the Eucharist, where bread and wine are offered to God the Father and the Holy Spirit is invoked to make his Son Jesus Christ present in the Gifts. It is also the place where the presiding clergy stand at any service, even where no Eucharist is being celebrated and no offering is made other than prayer. When the priest reads the Gospel during Matins (or All-Night Vigil) on Sunday, he reads it standing in front of the Holy Table, because it represents the Tomb of Christ, and the Gospel lessons for Sunday Matins are always one of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus. On the northern side of the sanctuary stands another, smaller altar, known as the Table of Oblation (Prothesis or Zhértvennik) at which the Liturgy of Preparation takes place.
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This myron is normally kept on the Holy Table or on the Table of Oblation. During chrismation, the "newly illuminate" person is anointed by using the myron to make the sign of the cross on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, both ears, breast, hands, and feet. The priest uses a special brush for this purpose. Prior to the 20th century, the myron was also used for the anointing of Orthodox monarchs.
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"The religious side of his paintings had always been ambiguous," suggests art historian John North, "and so it remained".North, 24. According to a register compiled to ensure that all major citizens subscribed to the new doctrines: "Master Hans Holbein, the painter, says that we must be better informed about the [holy] table before approaching it".Doctrinal issues concerning the communion were at the heart of Reformation theological controversy.
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A number of inscribed slabs were relaid in the passages and new tiles added to the chancel and sacrarium floors. A new traceried pulpit of oak was created by Mr. Harley of Plymouth and all of the church's windows, except for the east window in the chancel, was newly glazed by Messrs. Fouracre and Watson of Stonehouse. A holy table of oak and the churchyard lychgate was gifted by Rev.
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On the eve of the feast before small vespers the priest, having prepared a tray with the cross placed on a bed of fresh basil leaves or flowers, covered with an aër (liturgical veil), places it on the table of prothesis; after that service, the priest carries the tray on his head preceded by lighted candles and the deacon incensing the cross, processes to the holy table (altar), in the centre whereof he lays the tray, in the place of the Gospel Book, the latter being set upright at the back of the altar. Those portions of the vespers and matins which in sundry local customs take place before the Icon of the Feast (e.g.,the chanting of the Polyeleos and the Matins Gospeli.e., John 12:28-36, after which is sung the hymn "Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ", normally sung on only Sundays and during Paschaltide.) instead take place in front of the Holy Table.
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In the Greek usage, the priest stands on the north side of the Holy Table and the deacon stands on the south side, both facing to the center, symbolizing the two angels that appeared at the Tomb of Jesus (, ); in the Slavic practice, the priest stands on the western side of the Holy Table, facing east. Immediately after the reading, the priest kisses the Gospel Book and hands it to the deacon who brings it out through the Holy Doors and stands on the ambon, holding the Gospel aloft for all to see, while the choir chants the following Hymn of the Resurrection: Icon illustrating the Resurrection appearances of Jesus which are mentioned in the 11 Matins Resurrection Gospels (1600s, Yaroslavl School). > Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord > Jesus, the only sinless one. We venerate Thy cross, O Christ, and Thy holy > Resurrection we praise and glorify.
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To the left is the Holy Table (altar) with the Gospel Book, the Tabernacle, and the seven-branch candlestand. The Table of Oblation is in the background to the left. To the right is the Cathedra (Bishop's Throne). Atop the altar is the tabernacle (Kovtchég), a miniature shrine sometimes built in the form of a church, inside of which is a small ark containing the Reserved sacrament for use in communing the sick.
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The priest hands him the Gospel Book, and he brings it out to the ambo (in front of the Holy Doors) and places it on an analogion, from which he will read the Gospel facing the Holy Table. If a priest reads the Gospel, he will face the people as he reads. During the reading Altar servers stand to either side holding lit processional candles. In some practices servers also hold hexapteryga (ceremonial fans).
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The furniture includes a 17th-century holy table, and a parish chest dated 1729. Three benefaction boards are dated 1672, 1786 and 1838. In the Barnston chapel is the Civil War window which depicts some of the Cheshire Royalists, among them Richard Grosvenor, Sir William Mainwaring, William Barnston and Sir Francis Gamull of Buerton. The chapel also contains wall memorials to the members of the Barnston family, including two Randle Holme memorial boards.
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The triple apse of an Orthodox church. The Altar is in the larger central apse, the Prothesis in the apse to the right, and the Diaconicon in the one to the left. The Prothesis is the place in the sanctuary Traditionally, in Orthodox churches, the entire sanctuary is referred to as the "Altar", the altar table itself being called the "Holy Table" or the "Throne". This traditional terminology will be used throughout the article.
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Christian wedding in Russia The bride and groom have the option to have a traditional ceremony in a church. In Russian, it is called the venchanie. The wedding ceremony takes place in a church and is divided into two parts: the Betrothal and the Crowning. The service traditionally takes place in the morning after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, during which the wedding rings were blessed by being placed on the Holy Table (altar).
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By the 1890s, Holy Trinity was in great need of repair, and the pews, side galleries and narrow aisles were described by the Central Somerset Gazette as "causing great discomfort to all who attended". The restoration was carried out by Messrs. Frederick Merrick and Son of Glastonbury in 1895 for a cost of £400. The work included the removal of the galleries in the north and south transepts and the raising of the holy table.
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The sandstone chapel is built on half an acre of the property "Greens" donated by George Everingham. The shingle roof has been replaced by a corrugated steel roof and the windows have recently been replaced as per the original ones. The inside has a number of pews and a holy table. The grounds also have a small building complete with toilets that serve as a meeting area and amenities block for tours.
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There is also traditionally a seven- branch candlestick on or behind the Holy Table, recalling the one mandated in the Old Testament Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem. Around the temple, there are a number of oil lamps burning in front of the icons, especially on the iconostasis. Additionally, the faithful will offer beeswax candles in candle stands in front of important icons. The faithful offer candles as they pray for both the living and the departed.
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He did however regret some of the more aggressively anti-Ritualist provisions in the Irish Canons, such as that prohibiting the placement of a cross upon the Holy Table. He gave the Bampton Lectures in 1876. An eloquent preacher and the author of numerous theological works, including Primary Convictions, he is best known as a master of dignified and animated verse. His poems were collected in 1887 under the title of St Augustine's Holiday and other Poems.
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The roof is unusual in that the sections between the principal beams are filled with carvings making a star-like pattern. All the chapel furnishings are made from Cheshire oak. The holy table dates from the 17th century, and on each side of it are panelled family box pews. On the wall above the south pew are three marble memorials to the Vernon and Murhall families, and above the north pew is a marble memorial to the Stephens family.
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Philo reported that the Therapeutae's central meal was intended to emulate the holy table set forth in the sacred hall of the temple,Philo, The contemplative life, 81-82 but though the Qumran community are portrayed in the Dead Sea Scrolls as viewing the Jerusalem service as having failed to achieve priestly holiness, Philo describes the Therapeutae as deliberately introducing slight differences in their practices from those at the Temple, as a mark of respect for the Temple's showbread.
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On 19 July, Seraphim's birthday, the late liturgy began at 8 o'clock. At the Little Entrance, twelve archimandrites lifted the coffin from the middle of the church and carried it around the Holy Table (altar), then placed it into a special shrine which had been constructed for them. The festivities at Sarov ended with the consecration of the first two churches dedicated to St. Seraphim. The first had been constructed over his monastic cell in the wilderness of Sarov.
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A smaller tabernacle, sometimes referred to as a pyx, is used during Great Lent. This tends to be a rectangular, gold-plated box, often with a cross on top, with a hinged lid. On Sundays during Great Lent, the priest will consecrate extra Lambs (in the same manner as on Holy Thursday), for use during the Presanctified Liturgy. These Lambs will be kept in the pyx on the Holy Table, or sometimes on the Prothesis (Table of Oblation).
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The bishop himself must consecrate the Antimension (see below) and send it with the priest who will be performing the service. In this case, the rite of Consecration is briefer than normal. There is no Consecration of the Antimension (since the bishop himself accomplished this earlier), and no Relics are placed in the Holy Table. There are a number of differences between the rite of Consecration as practiced by the Greeks and as practiced by the Slavic churches.
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Consecrations in Eastern Christianity can refer to either the Sacred Mystery (Sacrament) of Cheirotonea (Ordination through laying on of hands) of a bishop, or the sanctification and solemn dedication of a church building. It can also (more rarely) be used to describe the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at the Divine Liturgy. The Chrism used at Chrismation and the Antimension placed on the Holy Table are also said to be consecrated.
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The Little Entrance occurs during the portion of the service known as the Liturgy of the Catechumens, in preparation for the scriptural readings. The priest takes the Gospel Book from the Holy Table (altar), and hands it to the deacon (if there is no deacon, he carries the Gospel Book himself.) They go counterclockwise around the Holy Table and out the North Door of the Iconostasis, and come to stop in front of the Holy Doors, while the priest prays silently the Prayer of the Entrance: > O Master, Lord our God, Who hast appointed in heaven ranks and hosts of > Angels and Archangels for the ministry of Thy glory: Cause that with our > entrance may enter also the holy Angels with us serving Thee, and with us > glorifying Thy goodness. For unto Thee are due all glory, honour and > worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and > ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. The Little Entrance during the Divine Liturgy (Church of the Protection of the Theotokos, Düsseldorf, Germany).
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The order of the Paschal Vigil is as follows (with some minor local variations): #After the reading of the Acts of the Apostles the Midnight Office is served "at the fourth hour of the night",Тvпико́нъ, p 457 generally, in practice, timed to end shortly before midnight,The Lenten Triodion, p 660 during which is sung again the Canon of Holy Saturday and are read commentaries of Saints Epiphanius of Cyprus and John Chrysostom.Тvпико́нъ, p 457-458 ##The epitaphios (shroud) depicting the dead body of Christ is solemnly venerated for a last time and then ceremoniously taken into the altar and laid on the Holy Table towards the end of the canon. ##After the dismissal of the midnight office all the lights in the church are extinguished except for the unsleeping flame on the Holy Table (altar), and all wait in silence and darkness. Where possible, the Holy Light arrives from the Holy Sepulchre during Holy Saturday afternoon and it is used to light anew the unsleeping flame.
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During the last intercession, the priest blesses the faithful with the chalice. The choir sings, "Amen." and chants the second half of the Cherubic Hymn, during which the clergy enter the sanctuary through the Holy Doors and place the gifts on the Holy Table. The priest removes the smaller veils from the diskos and chalice and censes the gifts, saying special prayers together with the deacon The Great Entrance symbolizes the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
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During a hierarchical Divine Liturgy, the dikirion and trikirion are kept respectively on the top left and right corners of the Holy Table (altar) or on stands placed next to these corners. When they are needed by the bishop, they are carried to him by subdeacons, who may also carry them during the Entrances. One of them may be carried by the deacon during the censing by the bishop or by one of the subdeacons during the censing by the deacon.
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During the Creed, the priest will hold the Aër above the Gifts and waive it slowly, indicating the activity of the Holy Spirit. When a bishop is serving the Liturgy, the concelebrating priests will hold the Aër during the Creed as the bishop kneels (or bows his head) underneath it. After the Creed, the Aër is folded and placed on the Holy Table. In some practices, the priest will turn and bless the people with the Aër during the Sursum corda.
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There were also conflicting directions for the placement of the communion tables that were to replace stone altars. According to the Prayer Book, the table should be placed permanently in the chancel oriented east to west. The injunctions ordered the "holy table" to be carried into the chancel during communion services but at all other times to be placed where the altar would have stood. When not in use, it was to be oriented north to south, the same as an altar.
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See F. E. Brightman (1896), Liturgies Eastern and Western Afterwards, the deacon performs a full censing of the prothesis, the holy table, the sanctuary, the entire church and the people while he recites the following hymn and Psalm 50 quietly to himself: > In the Tomb with the body, and in Hades with the soul, in Paradise with the > thief, and on the Throne with the Father and the Spirit, wast thou, O > Christ, who art everywhere present and fillest all things.
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The simple, sleek lines, the balanced proportions produce an impression of harmony. The massive use of wood give this temple excellent acoustics, much appreciated by the artists performing every year during summer concerts. As in all Protestant places of worship, the interior is very restrained. The space is organized in a semicircle centered on a monumental pulpit in walnut wood, fixed on a wall opposite the main entrance. An open Bible turned to the congregation and a wooden cross lay on the “holy table”.
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If no relics are inserted in the stone, the inscription may be omitted, but not the cross. After the foundations for the new church have been dug and all preparations finished, the bishop (or his deputy) with the other clergy vest and form a crucession to the building site. The service begins with a moleben and the blessing of holy water. Then a cross is erected in the place where the Holy Table (altar) will stand, and the cornerstone is consecrated and set in place.
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During Bright Week (Easter Week), the Holy Doors of the sanctuary remain open as a symbol of the empty tomb of Christ. The Epitaphios is clearly visible through the open doors, and thus symbolizes the winding sheet left in the tomb after the resurrection. At the end of Bright Week, the Holy Doors are closed, but the Epitaphios remains on the Holy Table for 40 days, as a reminder of Jesus' physical appearances to his disciples from the time of his Resurrection until his Ascension into heaven.
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Allwood's sermons were brief and Holy Communion was celebrated every Sunday. The organ, which had been installed in 1827, was moved to the space of the southern vestry, and the pulpit and reading desk place in front of it where they could be seen from all parts of the church. The holy table continued to be located at the eastern end of the building. Broughton supported the Tractarian views of Allwood, but his successor, Frederic Barker, who became bishop in 1855, was strongly Evangelical.
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Russian Orthodox vessel for taking Holy Communion to the sick (Kiev-Pecherski Lavra), kept in a tabernacle on the Holy Table (altar). In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches, as in the early church, the Sacred Mysteries (Blessed Sacrament) are reserved only for the Communion of the sick, or for the Lenten Liturgies of the Presanctified. A Consecrated Lamb (Host) is moistened with the Blood of Christ and allowed to dry. It is then cut into small portions which are reserved in the tabernacle.
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In larger churches there may be a literal elevation, but there is often not room for this in smaller churches. The cathedra is surrounded on both sides by the synthronos, a set of other seats or benches for the use of the priests. Every Orthodox church and Eastern Catholic church has such a High Place even if it is not a cathedral. The term High Place also refers to the central portion of the Holy Table, where the antimension and Gospel Book are normally kept.
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A flattened natural sponge is also kept inside the antimins, which is used to collect any crumbs which might fall onto the Holy Table. When the antimins and eileton are folded, the Gospel Book is laid on top of them. The antimins must be consecrated and signed by a bishop. The antimins, together with the chrism remain the property of the bishop, and are the means by which a bishop indicates his permission for the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) to be celebrated in his absence.
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Another symbolism which occurs frequently in the service is the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Relics of Saints (preferably martyrs) are placed in the Holy Table during the Consecration (). This is a continuation of the practice of the ancient Church of celebrating the Liturgy over the tombs of the Martyrs. The Consecration should be performed by the diocesan bishop; but if he is unable to do so, the bishop may delegate an Archimandrite or other senior priest to perform the service in his behalf.
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The same myron used in Chrismation is used for the ceremony. In Russian Orthodox ceremonial, the anointing took place during the coronation of the tsar towards the end of the service, just before his receipt of Holy Communion. The sovereign and his consort were escorted to the Holy Doors (Iconostasis) of the cathedral and jointly anointed by the metropolitan. Afterwards, the tsar was taken alone through the Holy Doors—an action normally reserved only for priests—and received communion at a small table set next to the Holy Table.
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It is also performed by the priest and many of the congregation during the epiclesis. Kneeling, standing on one's knees, is rarely prescribed or practiced. An exception is that the ordinand "bending both knees places his palms in the form of a Cross, and lays his forehead between them on the Holy Table" when a bishop is consecrated or a priest is ordained. In the 20th century in some western countries, some Eastern Orthodox churches have begun to use pews and kneelers and so have begun kneeling in some parts of the service.
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In the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Eastern Catholic Churches, the term "consecration" can refer to either the Sacred Mystery (sacrament) of Cheirotonea (ordination through laying on of hands) of a bishop, or the sanctification and solemn dedication of a church building. It can also (more rarely) be used to describe the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at the Divine Liturgy. The Chrism used at Chrismation and the Antimension placed on the Holy Table are also said to be consecrated.
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This title was not new for the Virgin Mary, but comes from a verse of the Akathist to the Mother of God: "Rejoice, O Blessed Gate-Keeper who opens the gates of Paradise to the righteous." Orthodox monks and nuns throughout the world will often place an icon of the Theotokos Iverskaya on the monastery gates. It is also common in Orthodox temples (church buildings) to place an icon of the Theotokos Portaitissa on the inside of the iconostasis, above the Holy Doors, looking towards the Holy Table (altar table).
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The word "sacristy" derives from the Latin sacristia, sometimes spelled sacrastia, which is in turn derived from sacrista ("sexton, sacristan"), from sacra ("holy"). A person in charge of the sacristy and its contents is called a sacrist or a sacristan. The latter name was formerly given to the sexton of a parish church, where he would have cared for these things, the fabric of the building and the grounds. In Eastern Christianity, the functions of the sacristy are fulfilled by the Diaconicon and the Prothesis, two rooms or areas adjacent to the Holy Table (Altar).
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Siysky Gospel (1339). The Gospel Book, usually decorated with an elaborate metal cover, is normally kept in a central place on the Holy Table (altar), referred to as the High Place. The only other objects that are permitted to occupy this place on the altar are the Antimension, chalice and discos (paten) for the celebration of the Eucharist or, on certain feasts, a Cross or the Epitaphios. The Gospel is considered to be an icon of Christ, and is venerated by kissing, in the same manner as an icon.
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It is also said that it was used to carry documents relating to one's position in the Church. Papers such as those certifying one's ordination and rank would be most relevant when travelling. Carrying them in the Liturgy would be symbolic of bearing one's authority to conduct the Holy things of the Liturgy. During the Mystery (Sacrament) of Ordination, a priest or deacon is taken in procession three times around the Holy Table (altar), after each circuit he bows down before the bishop and kisses his epigonation and his right hand.
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This may be either the large Gospel Book that otherwise lies on the Holy table, or it may be a small one. During the reading of the Gospel lesson (a concatenation compiled from selections of all four Gospels) which recounts the death and burial of Christ, an icon depicting the soma (corpus) of Christ is taken down from a cross which has been set up in the middle of the church. The soma is wrapped in a white cloth and taken into the sanctuary. Epitaphios adorned for veneration.
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Near the end of the service, the priest and deacon, accompanied by acolytes with candles and incense, bring the Epitaphios in procession from the Holy Table into the center of the church and place it on a table which is often richly decorated for that purpose. The Gospel Book is laid on top of the epitaphios. In some Greek churches, an elaborately carved canopy, called a kouvouklion, stands over the Epitaphios. This bier or catafalque represents the Tomb of Christ, and is made of wood, usually elaborately carved.
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During the Divine Liturgy it is not only the Lamb (Host) that is placed on the diskos, but also particles to commemorate the Theotokos, the Saints, the living and the departed. Thus, on the diskos is represented the entire Church: the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant, arrayed around Christ. At the Great Entrance the deacon carries the Diskos, holding the foot of the diskos at his forehead. He then kneels at the side of the Holy Table, and the priest takes the diskos from him and places it on the Antimension.
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A bishop, priest, or deacon will confess at the Holy Table (Altar) where the Gospel Book and blessing cross are normally kept. He confesses in the same manner as a layman, except that when a priest hears a bishop's confession, the priest kneels. There are many different practices regarding how often Orthodox Christians should go to confession. Some Patriarchates advise confession before each reception of Holy Communion, others advise confessing during each of the four fasting periods (Great Lent, Nativity Fast, Apostles' Fast and Dormition Fast), and there are many additional variants.
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This Lamb will then be cut into very small portions, allowed to dry thoroughly, and be placed in the tabernacle. The deacon (or priest, if there is no deacon) will consume whatever remains of the previous year's reserved sacrament when he performs the ablutions. Typically, a sanctuary lamp is kept burning in the Holy Place (sanctuary) when the Mysteries are reserved. This may be a separate lamp hanging from the ceiling, or it may be the top lamp of the seven-branch candlestick which sits either on top of the Holy Table or behind it.
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The relics are lying on the unconsecrated antimension on the holy table. The antimins may also function as a substitute altar, in that a priest may celebrate the Eucharist on it in the absence of a properly consecrated altar. In emergencies, war and persecution, the antimins thus serves a very important pastoral need. Formerly if the priest celebrated at a consecrated altar, the sacred elements were placed only on the eileton, but in current practice the priest always uses the antimins even on a consecrated altar that has relics sealed in it.
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The Epitaphios on Good Friday, and the Cross on the Feasts of the Cross, are also placed on the Holy Table before they are taken to the center of the church to be venerated by the faithful. In place of the outer covering, some altars have a permanent solid cover which may be highly ornamented, richly carved, or even plated in precious metals. A smaller brocade cover is used on top of this if it is desired that the altar decoration reflect the liturgical season. Byzantine Catholic altar during the Divine Liturgy at St. Joseph Church in Chicago, Illinois.
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The remainder of the loaf is blessed over the Holy Table (altar) during the hymn Axion Estin, just before the blessing of the antidoron. The priest makes the Sign of the Cross with the Panagia over the Sacred Mysteries (consecrated Body and Blood of Christ) as he says, "Great is the name of the Holy Trinity." In some monasteries there is a special rite ceremony called the "Lifting of the Panagia" which takes place in the trapeza (refectory). After the dismissal of the Liturgy, a triangular portion is cut from the prosphoron by the refectorian (monk in charge of the refectory).
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They would listen to the reading of the Acts of the Apostles, read in full, and await the beginning of the Paschal Vigil. However, this is not usually done nowadays. The last liturgical service in the Lenten Triodion is the Midnight Office which forms the first part of the Paschal Vigil. During this service the Canon of Great Saturday is repeated, at the end of which the priest and deacon take the epitaphios into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors and lay it on the Holy Table (altar), where it will remain until the feast of the Ascension.
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The Bishop will remove the Aër from his head and place it over the Gifts and cense them, after which the Ordination takes place. During Feasts of the Cross a cross is laid on a tray covered by an Aër and decorated with basil leaves and flowers. This is carried by the priest from the Prothesis to the Holy Table, where it will remain until the Great Doxology near the end of Matins. At that point the priest will take it in procession to the center of the church where all the faithful will come forward to venerate the cross.
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In Oriental Orthodox Christianity, the "holiness of the Church is traditionally tied scripturally with the Jerusalem Temple". As such, believers fast after midnight and "sexual intercourse is prohibited the night before communion". Pope Dionysius of Alexandria taught that with regard to menstruating women that "not even they themselves, being faithful and pious, would dare when in this state either to approach the Holy Table or to touch the body and blood of Christ." As such, Oriental Orthodox Christian women, such as those belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church, are not permitted to receive Holy Communion while they are menstruating.
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An Anglican priest delivers a homily, dressed in choir habit with Canterbury cap The Canterbury cap is a square cloth hat with sharp corners found in the Anglican Communion. It is also soft and foldable, "Constructed to fold flat when not in use ..." The Canterbury cap is the medieval birettum, descended from the ancient pileus headcovering. It is sometimes called the "catercap". In Anglican churches, clergy are entitled to wear the cap, which is worn for processions and when seated to listen to Scripture or to give a homily, but not when at the Holy Table .
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The open doors represent the stone rolled away from the Tomb of Christ, and the Epitaphios (Slavonic: Plashchanitza), representing the burial clothes, is visible through them on the Holy Table (altar). The doors are closed before the Ninth Hour on the eve of Thomas Sunday. However, the Afterfeast of Pascha will continue until the eve of the Ascension. During Bright Week the Paschal Verses (from Psalm 67) are sung responsorially with the Paschal troparion at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, in place of Psalm 103 at the beginning of vespers and in place of the Six Psalms at the beginning of matins.
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The priests and deacons celebrating the liturgy stand together in front of the holy doors of the iconostasis, venerate the icons, and say special entrance prayers before they enter into the altar.Among Eastern Christians, the entire sanctuary may be referred to as the "Altar"; the Altar Table itself being referred to as either the "Holy Table" or the "Throne." At the end of these prayers, they bow to the throne of the bishop who oversees the church, or, if it is a monastery, the abbot, acknowledging the authority of their spiritual superiors, without whose permission they may not celebrate the divine services.
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Next The priests and deacons venerate the holy table and vest. For each vestment, the priest blesses it, kisses the cross on it, and dons it reciting a Biblical verse, usually from the Psalms. The deacon brings his vestments to the priest to bless, kisses the priest's hand, and likewise for each vestment kisses the cross on it and dons it, but only for the sticharion recites a verse, the same verse for it as does the priest. Each subdeacon, reader, and server vests in the same manner as a deacon, except for not reciting anything.
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A traditional Russian Orthodox Holy Table (Altar), Church of the Saviour on the Blood, St. Petersburg In Greek the word βωμός can mean an altar of any religion or, in a broader sense, the area surrounding it; that is to say, the entire sanctuary.Abbot Joseph, "The Byzantine Altar" In an Eastern Orthodox or a Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic church this sanctuary includes both the area behind the iconostasis, and the soleas (the elevated projection in front of the iconostasis), and the ambo. It is also called the βῆμα (bema). When one enters the sanctuary, one is said to be going into the βωμός or βῆμα.
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The icon of the "Inexhaustible Chalice" depicts the Theotokos with hands raised in the orans position, similar to icons of Our Lady of the Sign. The Christ Child is shown standing in a chalice with both hands raised in blessing. The icon is a variant of the icon of "Our Lady of Nicea", also known as “Your Womb Becomes the Holy Table.” The difference between the two is that the Nicean icon shows the Theotokos with Her head inclined to one side, sometimes with eyes downcast, whereas She is depicted in the "Inexhaustible Chalice" icon with Her head straight and looking at the viewer.
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Sanctuary of the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, Valaam Monastery, Russia: the Antimension is open on the Holy Table (altar) for the bishop's visit; at the rear is the Kathedra (bishop's throne) A bishop is the successor to the Apostles in the service and government of the Church. The bishop thus serves εις τόπον και τύπον Χριστού (in place and as a type of Christ) in the Church. No bishop in Orthodoxy is considered infallible, even the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who is considered to be 'First-among-equals'. None has any authority over or apart from his priests, deacons, and people or the other bishops.
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Then the multitude chanted for more than an hour, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people!". The choir assembled on the raised platform, and, turning eastwards, sang the Trisagion, the whole people listening in silence. When the moment arrived for the recitation of the names of the defunct bishops from the diptychs, the multitude closed in silence about the holy table; and when the deacon had read the new insertions, a mighty shout arose, "Glory be to Thee, O Lord!". To authenticate what had been done, John assembled on July 20 a council of 40 bishops, who happened to be at the capital.
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In addition to celebrations on fixed days, the Cross may be celebrated during the variable, particularly in Lent and Eastertide. Eastern Christians celebrate an additional Veneration of the Cross on the third Sunday of Great Lent. The services for this day are modeled on the Feast of the Exaltation (September 14), and include bringing the cross to the holy table at little vespers and with solemnity out into the center of church at matins, albeit without the ceremony of the Exaltation of the Cross, for veneration by the faithful. It remains in the centre of the church for nearly a week (the Fourth Week of Great Lent).
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Ordination of an Eastern Orthodox priest. The deacon being ordained is kneeling at the south west corner of the holy table and the bishop places his omophorion and right hand on the deacon's head and his left hand over his right and is reading the laying on of hands. In Eastern Christianity, laying on of hands is used for the ordination (called cheirotonia) of the higher clergy (bishops, priests and deacons) which is distinguished from the blessing (called cheirothesia) of the lower clergy (taper bearers, readers and subdeacons)Parry (1999), p. 117 as well as making an abbot or abbess or promoting a deacon to archdeacon, etc.
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Many of the standard hymns of the Liturgy are replaced with the Troparion of Great Thursday. In some churches, the Holy Table (altar) is covered with a simple white linen cloth, in commemoration of the Mystical Supper (Last Supper). During this Divine Liturgy, the reserved Mysteries are renewed (a new Lamb being consecrated, and the old Body and Blood of Christ being consumed by the deacon after the Liturgy). Also, when the supply of Chrism runs low, it is at this Liturgy that the heads of the autocephalous churches will Sanctify new Chrism, the preparation of which would have been begun during the All-Night Vigil on Palm Sunday.
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In this way, both the priest and the congregation face east during the reading (east being the direction the sun rises, symbolizing the Resurrection). Afterward, the priest and deacon bring the Gospel into the center of the Temple, and the faithful venerate the Gospel Book and receive a blessing from the celebrant. On Weekdays, if there is a higher-ranking feast there will be a Gospel at Matins (normal weekday Matins does not have a Gospel reading). If so, the Gospel is still read by the priest, but from the center of the Temple, facing east, after which he returns the Gospel Book to the Holy Table.
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Priest standing at the Holy Table (altar) after the Great Entrance. The Aër has been laid over the chalice and diskos. At the Divine Liturgy, during the Liturgy of Preparation, when the Aër is to be placed over the Gifts (the Bread and Wine for the Eucharist), it is first wrapped around the censer and then laid over the Chalice and Diskos, so that the front edge of the Aër just touches the surface of the table. When not covering the Gifts, the Aër is folded (usually folded 3 x 3, so that when it is laid out flat the creases will form a cross).
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The Aër normally has a cross embroidered in its exact center,Not with the cross toward the front edge, as in the Latin Rite. so that when it is folded the cross is visible. Gold-thread embroidered Aer (13th century) At the Great Entrance, when the sacred vessels are brought in procession to the Holy Table (altar), the priest will place the Aër over the deacon's left shoulder A similar ceremony is preserved in the traditional Roman Rite, where the deacon at High Mass brings the chalice and paten to the altar and places a special veil over his shoulders. A similar practice was also found in the Sarum Use.
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Epitaphios painted by Viktor Vasnetsov, 1896 (Russian Museum, St. Petersburg). The image may be embroidered or painted on fabric or some other substrate, which is then mounted in a wide cloth border (burgundy is the most common colour) often edged in gold fringe. Some cloths are missing the corners of the border, to allow them to sit neatly on the holy table. Usually, the troparion of the day is embroidered in gold letters around the edges of the icon: :The Noble Joseph, taking down Thy most pure Body from the Tree, did wrap it in clean linen with sweet spices, and he laid it in a new tomb.
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Gold-thread embroidered and inscribed epitaphios, 17th century, Benaki Museum The Little Hours on Holy Saturday are read near the Epitaphios, rather than the kliros; and certain portions of the Divine Liturgy that would normally be performed at the ambo in front of the Holy Doors (Ektenias, reading the Gospel, the Great Entrance, etc.) are instead performed in front of the Epitaphios. Only the Communion of the Faithful and the dismissal take place at the ambo. In some places, the entire Liturgy takes place around the Epitaphios, with it serving as the Holy Table (altar), and the clergy standing around it instead of behind the iconostasis.
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The Epitaphios of the Theotokos is used with corresponding hymns of lamentation, placed on a bier, and carried in procession in the same way as the Epitaphios of Christ, although it is never placed on the Holy Table. The Rite of the "Burial of the Theotokos" began in Jerusalem, and from there it was carried to Russia, where it was used in the Uspensky (Dormition) cathedral in Moscow. Its use has slowly spread among the Russian Orthodox, though it is not by any means a standard service in all parishes, or even most cathedrals or monasteries. In Jerusalem, the service is chanted during the All-Night Vigil of the Dormition.
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The deacon (or priest, if there is no deacon) censes the icon of the feast being celebrated. However, if it is a Sunday service, the Holy Doors are opened, the clergy remain in the sanctuary and the priest censes the front of the Holy Table (altar). On feast days, the Polyeleos is followed by selected verses of other psalms which are relevant to the feast. In the Greek Orthodox tradition, these verses are referred to as the eklogarion; in the Russian Orthodox usage a hymn called the megalynarion (magnification) is chanted between these selected verses, while the clergy perform a full censing of the church.
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In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches the piscina is called a thalassidion, and is located in the diaconicon (sacristy). The thalassidion is a sink that drains into an honorable place in the ground where liquids such as the water used to wash holy things may be poured, and where the clergy may wash their hands before serving the Divine Liturgy. In Orthodoxy the Sacred Mysteries (consecrated elements) are never poured into the thalassidion, but must always be consumed by a deacon or priest. In some ancient churches, the thalassidion was placed under the Holy Table (altar), though now it is almost always located in the diaconicon.
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Most Christian denominations do not follow any specific rituals or rules related to menstruation. Other denominations, such as those of Oriental Orthodox Christianity, follow the rules similar to those laid out in the Holiness Code section of Leviticus, somewhat similar to the Jewish ritual of Niddah. Pope Dionysius of Alexandria held with regard to menstruating women that "not even they themselves, being faithful and pious, would dare when in this state either to approach the Holy Table or to touch the body and blood of Christ." As such, Oriental Orthodox Christian women, such as those belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church, do not attend church while they are menstruating.
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Relics of Martyrs are sewn into the Antimins, and it is usually wrapped in another protective cloth called the Iliton, which is often red in colour and symbolizes the swaddling-clothes with which Christ was wrapped after His birth, and also the winding-sheet in which His body was wrapped after His Crucifixion. It is forbidden to celebrate the Divine Liturgy without the Antimins. If the Holy Table is damaged or destroyed the Divine Liturgy may still be celebrated with the Antimins. If it becomes necessary to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in an unconsecrated building, it is permitted to do so as long as the priest uses an Antimins.
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Orthodox priest and deacons praying the Cherubic Hymn at the beginning of the Great Entrance. The Great Entrance occurs at a later point during the Divine Liturgy, near the beginning of the Liturgy of the Faithful, when the Gifts (bread and wine) to be offered are carried from the Chapel of Prothesis (a table on the north side of the sanctuary sometimes occupying its own apse), to be placed on the Holy Table. This entrance is made during the chanting of the Cherubic Hymn The Cherubikon that accompanies the Great Entrance was apparently added by the Emperor Justin II (565 - 578)F. E. Brightman, Liturgies Eastern and Western (Oxford University Press, 1965), p. 532.
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After the Litany of Thanksgiving that follows Communion, the deacon will come into the sanctuary and kneel, placing his forehead on the Holy Table (Altar) and the priest will bless him to consume the Gifts, which is done at the Prothesis (Table of Oblation). First, using the liturgical spoon he will consume all of the Body and Blood of Christ which remain in the chalice. Then he will pour hot water on the diskos (paten), which is then poured into the chalice and consumed (this is to consume any particles that may remain on the diskos). Next the liturgical spear, spoon and chalice will be rinsed first with wine and then with hot water, which are then consumed.
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He blesses it with both hands and the subdeacons bring it to him to kiss and place the panagia around his neck, while the protodeacon swings the censer and says the following prayer: > May God create a clean heart in thee, and renew a right spirit within thee, > always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. After the liturgy, when the bishop takes the panagia off to unvest, he crosses himself, kisses the panagia and places it on the Holy Table (altar). After unvesting and putting on his outer riassa, he blesses the panagia, crosses himself again, and puts it on, before exiting through the Holy Doors to bless the faithful.
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Earth-moving equipment was on-site and construction officially began in the weeks following the ceremony. November 12, 2016, was also a date that saw two other significant events, in the history of the church. In the weeks leading up to this date, a major floor refinishing project took place in the main church where all of the wood floors throughout the church were refinished and carpet in the altar replaced. The replacement of the carpeting in the Altar required moving of all the items in the altar, including the Holy Relics on the Holy Table which was the first time such items were moved since the consecration of the church 25 years earlier.
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During the Rite of the Churching of Women, the newborn infant is taken by the priest up onto the ambon (provided the child has been baptized by this time—otherwise, this ceremony will wait until after the baptism). If the child is female, the priest lays her in front of the icon of the Theotokos; if it is a male, the priest takes the child around the Holy Table (altar). In some Greek Orthodox parishes, there is an ambo to the side (usually the Liturgical North, opposite the Bishop's throne) of the Iconostasis. It retains only a few of the functions of the ancient ambo, whereas the solea retains the other functions.
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These involved raising of the east end of the church, extension of the chancel platform, raising the choir stalls, with a step for the holy table, purchase and installation of a cedar reading desk and clergy seat.Lamb, et al, 1984, in Davies, 2003, 17 1908 was a time of crisis between the two leading ideologies within the Church of England, concerning vestments of priests and formality of the liturgy. At the end of Reverend Stubbin's ministry in 1922, Wollongong had all the hallmarks of a town about to grow into a very large city. Archbishop John Wright looked to put a strong Evangelical into the parish to see it through this growth.
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Such an image is often placed in the apse of the sanctuary of an Orthodox church above the Holy Table (altar).Interior of St. Paul's, Irvine (photo) As with most Orthodox icons of Mary, the letters ΜΡ ΘΥ (short for ΜΗΤΗΡ ΘΕΟΥ, "Mother of God") are usually placed on the upper left and right of the head of the Virgin Mary. This type of icon is also sometimes called the Platytéra (Greek: Πλατυτέρα, literally wider or more spacious); poetically, by containing the Creator of the Universe in her womb, Mary has become Platytera ton ouranon (Πλατυτέρα των Ουρανών): "More spacious than the heavens". The Platytéra is traditionally depicted on the half-dome that stands above the altar.
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It is not permitted to celebrate the Eucharist without an antimins. The antimins is kept in the centre of the Holy Table (altar) and is unfolded only during the Divine Liturgy, before the Anaphora. At the end of the Liturgy, the antimins is folded in thirds, and then in thirds again, so that when it is unfolded the creases form a cross (see photo, right). When folded, the antimins sits in the centre of another, slightly larger cloth called the eileton (Greek: ; Slavonic: Ilitón)--similar to the Western corporal, except it is usually red in colour--which is then folded around it in the same manner (3 x 3), encasing it completely.
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The deacon goes behind the Holy Table to the Table of Oblation (Prothesis) and the priest comes out of the Holy Doors to bow to the people, asking their forgiveness. He then goes to the prothesis, censes the offering, and places the Aër (a large veil which covers the diskos and chalice) on the deacon's left shoulder—if there is no deacon, he places the veil over his own back so that it makes a cape covering his shoulders—and gives the diskos (paten) to the deacon, while he carries the chalice. The deacon, still holding the censer, raises the diskos so that it is at the level of his brow. The procession forms with servers (acolytes) holding candles and (depending upon the jurisdiction) ceremonial fans.
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Macmillan was widely tipped for the selection as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1996 and again in 2002, but failed to win sufficient support. According to The Scotsman (30 October 2002), "Although he has a high public profile in the capital, and inside the Kirk, insiders felt he was not universally popular." In October 1991, St Giles held a Service of Repentance in memory of the victims of the first Gulf war, which was also attended by Muslims. Instead of simply allowing the Muslims to leave the service to carry out their prayers, Reverend Macmillan decided to stop the service twenty minutes after its start and let the Muslims perform their prayers in the Cathedral next to the Holy Table.
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The "rubric" was omitted from the Elizabethan prayer-book of 1559, probably as part of the Queen's policy to retain the support of moderate traditionalists (she believed in the Real Presence without a definition of it; and, had she got her way, the celebration of the Prayer Book Communion would looked like a Mass),Christopher Haigh, English Reformations, op. cit, pp. 240-242' by celibate clergy at a Holy Table against the wall covered by a silken throw, fair line, two candlesticks and crucifix thereon but possibly also on the technical grounds that the reversal of her Catholic predecessor's repeal of Edward VI's Protestant legislation revived the 1552 BCP as approved by Parliament and not as published.Dickens, A.G. The English Reformation.
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The area behind the iconostasis reached through the Beautiful Gates or Angel Doors is the sanctuary or altar. Within this area is the altar table, which is more often called the holy table or throne; the apse containing the high place at the center back with a throne for the bishop and the synthronos, or seats for the priests, on either side; the Chapel of Prothesis on the north side where the offerings are prepared in the Proskomedia before being brought to the altar table and the holy vessels are stored; and the Diaconicon on the south side where the vestments are stored. Orthodox Altars are usually square. Traditionally they have a heavy brocade outer covering that reaches all the way to the floor.
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In the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, the hand cross is kept on the Holy Table (altar) and used at certain moments during the liturgy, most noticeably at the dismissal when he holds it in his right hand as he gives the final blessing. After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist) all of the faithful come forward to kiss the cross. The blessing cross used by these churches often has an icon of the Crucifixion of Jesus on it, together with the letters IC XC NIKA (meaning, "Jesus Christ conquers"). Blessing crosses may also be two-sided, having an icon of the Crucifixion on one side and an icon of the Resurrection on the other.
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At Matins there are twelve Morning Prayers which the priest says with uncovered head while the reader says the Six Psalms (Psalms 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142). The priest says the first half of these prayers in front of the Holy Table (altar), and then after the third psalm, comes out to read the rest in front of the Holy Doors (or icon of Christ). Many of the Sacred Mysteries (sacraments) and other services in the Euchologion (priest's service book) also have secret prayers in them. Textually, the secret prayers are obviously intended to be said silently, often professing personal unworthiness on the part of the priest, and—though they are often written in the plural—they often contain references to the laity as distinct from the speaker(s), who are the clergy.
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The wall paintings are reckoned to be 600 years old and are painted in tempura on a fine lime plaster. After the Reformation, when a wooden holy table was often substituted for the original stone ‘mensa’ or altar table, the stone altar of St Michael's was thrown into the churchyard and lies on the south side of the churchyard at right angles to the gravestones. The Pre-Reformation bell which the square medieval tower with its battlement was built to carry has survived with its Latin inscription “Sancte Michael ora pro nobis” (Pray for us St Michael), invoking the saint to which to church is dedicated. There were originally 3 bells in the tower but two were broken and the metal sold in 1722 to pay for the reseating of the church.
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When the deacon vests, he must first take his vestments to the priest (or the bishop if he is present) and receive a blessing to serve. Before he puts each vestment on, he first crosses himself, kisses the cross on the vestment and says the appropriate vesting prayer quietly to himself as he puts it on. Before approaching the priest for a blessing, the deacon takes up his vestments (sticharion, orarion and epimanikia) and goes to the High Place (the area behind the Holy Table, where the bishop's throne sits) and makes three metanias to the east, saying each time, "O God, cleanse me a sinner." The Deacon, holding his vestments on the palm of his right hand, comes to the priest and, bowing his head, says: Bless, Master, the Sticharion and Orarion.
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There is also a place for a very small chalice, just enough to hold a small amount of wine and a particle of the reserved Mysteries. There will be a small bottle to hold ordinary wine (not consecrated) which is used to soften the particle before it is consumed, a small pair of tweezers with which the priest removes a particle of the Mysteries from the box to place it in the chalice without touching it, and finally a small communion spoon with which to administer Holy Communion. This sick call kit is normally kept on the Holy Table, or sometimes on the Table of Oblation. Rather than using a kit like the one described above, a priest may use a small chalice with a tight-fitting lid.
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In the Early Church everyone, clergy and laity alike, received Holy Communion in the same manner: receiving the consecrated Body of Christ (in the form of bread) in their hands and then placing it in their own mouth, and sipping directly from the chalice. In time, concern over the danger of crumbs being accidentally dropped on the floor or some of the consecrated Blood of Christ (in the form of wine) being spilt, lead to the use of tongs, with which the elements were mingled together and placed carefully into the mouths of the communicants. By the 9th century, the Church began to use the Communion spoon for the same practical reasons, and it is this practice that remains in place today (though the clergy still receive in the ancient manner as they stand at the Holy Table).
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When censing, the priest or deacon holds the censer below the conical plate with only one hand (the right hand) allowing it to swing freely. He will make the Sign of the Cross with the censer by making two vertical swings and a third horizontal swing (the three swings together symbolizing the Holy Trinity). When the temple (church building) is censed, the priest or deacon will move in a sunwise (clockwise) direction, moving to his right as he censes in order the Holy Table (altar), sanctuary, Iconostasis, walls of the temple, clergy and faithful. There are two types of censing: a Greater Censing (which encompasses the entire temple and all of the people therein), and a Lesser Censing (which, depending upon the liturgical context, consists of censing only a portion of the temple and the people).
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People who are ritually unclean may approach the church but are not permitted to enter it; they instead stand near the church door and pray during the liturgy. Pope Dionysius of Alexandria taught that with regard to menstruating women that "not even they themselves, being faithful and pious, would dare when in this state either to approach the Holy Table or to touch the body and blood of Christ." As such, Oriental Orthodox Christian women, such as those belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church, are not permitted to receive Holy Communion while they are menstruating. While the Roman Catholic Church has condemned religious circumcision for its members, and currently maintains a neutral position on the practice of non-religious circumcision, it is customary in Coptic Christianity, Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church, which keep it as a rite of passage.
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The relics which will be placed in the Holy Table (altar) and the antimension are to be prepared and guarded on the previous day in some neighboring church (if there is no neighboring church, the relics are placed on a small table in front of the icon of Christ on the iconostasion). The night before the consecration, an all-night vigil is celebrated; however, no one will enter the altar (sanctuary) of the new church yet, and the Holy Doors remain closed. On the morning of the consecration, everything needed for the consecration, the sacred vessels, and all of the appurtenances of the sanctuary (altar cloths, candlesticks, etc.) are prepared on a table placed in front of the Holy Doors, together with a Gospel Book and blessing cross. The bishop (or his representative) and clergy vest and proceed to the church.
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The Little Entrance during the Divine Liturgy (Church of the Protection of the Theotokos, Düsseldorf, Germany). During the Little Entrance at Divine Liturgy (and sometimes at Vespers), the Gospel is carried in procession from the Holy Table, through the nave of the church, and back into the sanctuary through the Royal Doors. The Gospel is read after the Alleluia which follows the Prokeimenon and Epistle. During the Alleluia, the deacon (or priest) will perform a brief censing, and the priest says the silent prayer before the Gospel: > Shine forth within our hearts the incorruptible light of Thy knowledge, O > Master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding > of the preaching of Thy Gospel; instill in us also the fear of Thy blessed > commandments, that, trampling down all lusts of the flesh, we may pursue a > spiritual way of life, being mindful of and doing all that is well-pleasing > unto Thee.
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Those who use the phrase "ad orientem" refrain from using the correspondingly ambiguous "ad occidentem" phrase and speak of that arrangement instead as "versus populum". With the English Reformation, the Church of England directed that the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist be celebrated at a communion table placed lengthwise in the chancel or in the body of the church, with the priest standing on the north side of the holy table, facing south. Turning to the east continued to be observed at certain points of the Anglican liturgy, including the saying of the Gloria Patri, Gloria in excelsis Deo and ecumenical creeds in that direction. Archbishop Laud, under direction from Charles I of England, encouraged a return to the use of the altar at the east end, but in obedience to the rubric in the Book of Common Prayer the priest stood at the north end of the altar. In the middle of the 19th century, the Oxford Movement gave rise to a return to the eastward-facing position, and use of the versus populum position appeared in the second half of the 20th century.
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