What does an Orthodox Holy Altar look like?
Summary
TLDRIn this heartfelt video, the speaker shares a deep prayer and hope for an upcoming meeting with the Metropolitan, urging viewers to keep them in their prayers. The video offers an intimate look into Orthodox and Catholic traditions, detailing the consecration of an altar table, the significance of holy relics, and the sacramental process. It also emphasizes the community's gratitude for support and the continuity of Christian practices from the first century to the present.
Takeaways
- π The video is a warning and introduction to Orthodox and Catholic religious practices that might be unfamiliar to some viewers.
- π The speaker is preparing to meet with their Bishop and Metropolitan in London, which is why they are sharing this particular video with their online community.
- π The speaker asks for prayers, especially for the upcoming meeting with the Metropolitan, expressing deep hope and prayer for its outcome.
- π The video discusses the consecration process of a holy table, which is central to Orthodox and Catholic church services.
- π¨ The holy table is described as a cube, traditionally 1 meter in height, width, and depth, and is the place where holy sacraments are celebrated.
- βοΈ A cross is carved into the table, which is not common in older tables, but is included here due to the speaker's preference for aesthetics.
- π The table has a cylinder in the center where holy relics and a scroll, signed by the Bishop, will be placed during the consecration.
- ποΈ The relics and scroll are sealed with wax mastic, symbolizing the church's dedication and the sealing until Christ's second coming.
- π The table is washed with water, rose water, and holy myrrh, representing the baptism and burial of Christ, as well as the church's baptism.
- π The icons of the four evangelists are imprinted on the table with wax, signifying their role in delivering the gospel.
- π·οΈ The final layer of the table is sealed with wax and linen, reminiscent of Christ's burial and the church's baptismal attire.
Q & A
What is the purpose of the video mentioned in the transcript?
-The purpose of the video is to share a detailed explanation of the consecration process of a holy altar table within the Orthodox or Catholic tradition, despite the potential for it to be unfamiliar or intimidating to those outside these faiths.
Why does the speaker feel the need to warn some viewers before watching the video?
-The speaker feels the need to warn viewers who are not Orthodox or Catholic because the video contains religious elements such as icons, holy tables, altars, relics, and rituals that might be unfamiliar or even frightening to them.
What is the significance of the holy table in the context of the video?
-The holy table, also known as the altar, is significant as it is the central place where the sacraments of the church, particularly the Eucharist, are celebrated and where the consecration process takes place.
What does the speaker mention about the size of the holy table?
-The speaker mentions that the holy table is supposed to be 1 meter high by 1 meter wide, forming a cube-like structure.
Why is a cross carved into the center of the holy table?
-The cross is carved into the center of the holy table because the speaker likes things to be nice and beautiful, and it is a symbol of the Christian faith, even though older tables may not necessarily have this feature.
What is the purpose of the cylinder in the center of the holy table?
-The cylinder in the center of the holy table is used to hold the holy relics and a scroll signed by the local Bishop, indicating his decision to consecrate the altar table and the church.
What is the significance of sealing the holy table with wax mastic?
-Sealing the holy table with wax mastic, a mix of wax, sand, and other substances, signifies the dedication of the table to the service of the church until the second coming of Christ.
What rituals are performed after the relics and scroll are placed inside the cylinder?
-After the relics and scroll are placed inside the cylinder, the table is covered with sand, sealed with wax mastic, and the Bishop's seal is applied. The table is then washed three times with water, rose water, and holy myrrh, symbolizing baptism and the church's dedication to a saint.
What does the speaker mean by the church being 'baptized' during the consecration process?
-The speaker refers to the church being 'baptized' as a metaphorical way of saying that the church is receiving a new name and identity through the consecration process, similar to how a person receives a name at birth or during baptism.
What are the final steps in preparing the holy table for use in the church?
-The final steps include placing a wooden slab on top of the table, covering it with white linen, and sealing it with wax. The table is then adorned with various coverings and religious items such as the holy gospel, the antimon, the Holy Cross, and candles.
What is the significance of the icons of the four evangelists on the holy table?
-The icons of the four evangelists are significant as they represent the authors of the Gospels who have given the Christian community the good news of Jesus Christ, and they are imprinted on the table in wax to symbolize their enduring presence.
Outlines
π Introduction to Orthodox Christian Rituals
The speaker begins by cautioning viewers who may not be familiar with Orthodox or Catholic traditions, as the video will delve into sacred elements that could be overwhelming. They express love and care for their audience and explain the necessity of sharing this particular video due to an upcoming meeting with their Bishop and Metropolitan in London. The video is intended for their online community, who support them monthly and participate in Zoom meetings. The speaker asks for prayers for the meeting and shares a hope for the outcomes, promising to update the viewers next week.
π The Consecration of the Holy Altar
This paragraph describes the process of consecrating the holy altar table, which is central to Orthodox Christian worship. The table is a cube, approximately one meter in height and width, and is the site of the sacraments. The speaker details the steps involved in the consecration, including the placement of holy relics and a scroll within a cylinder at the center of the table, which will then be sealed with wax mastic. The table is symbolically washed with water, rose water, and holy myrrh, representing baptism and the burial of Christ. The process concludes with the application of wax to the table's surface and the imprinting of icons of the four evangelists, followed by the placement of a wooden slab and various religious items, such as the Holy Gospel and a cross.
π The Significance of the Holy Altar and Its Arrangement
The final paragraph emphasizes the significance of the holy altar as a place of sacrifice, akin to the offerings in the Old Testament. The speaker explains that the arrangement of items on the altar, including icons, the Holy Gospel, and crosses, is not arbitrary but has been practiced by the Christian community since the first century. They invite questions from viewers and express gratitude for the support of their community, acknowledging the importance of the tradition and the role of the local bishop in maintaining these practices. The speaker concludes with a blessing and an expression of love and gratitude for the viewers' contributions to their monasteries and community.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Orthodox
π‘Catholic
π‘Holy Table
π‘Holy Relics
π‘Bishops
π‘Consecration
π‘Holy Myron
π‘Dedication
π‘Evangelists
π‘Wax Mastic
π‘Antimon
π‘Ilon
π‘Sacrifice
Highlights
Introduction of a video with a warning for non-Orthodox or Catholic viewers due to religious content.
Meeting called by the Bishop and Metropolitan in London, requiring a two-day travel.
The video is for the online community supporting the speaker on a monthly basis.
Description of the holy table of the Altar, its significance, and dimensions.
Explanation of the process of adding a layer to the holy table with the help of Father Fan.
Importance of the cross carved into the table and its central placement.
Description of the cylinder in the center of the table for placing holy relics and a scroll.
Process of consecrating the altar table with relics, a scroll, and sealing with wax mastic.
Washing of the table with water, rose water, and holy myrrh, symbolizing baptism and burial.
Dedication of the church to a saint and the significance of the church's new name.
Placement of the icons of the four evangelists on the table in wax.
Final layer of the table being put in place with difficulty and the importance of its positioning.
The table's covering with white linen, symbolizing the baptism and burial of Christ.
Use of beautiful coverings and the placement of the holy gospel on the table.
Importance of the cross and other items placed on the altar for their symbolic meaning.
Explanation of the altar as a sacrificial place, offering Christ's body and blood.
Invitation for viewers to ask questions and a promise to seek answers from the Metropolitan.
Acknowledgment of the Christian community's practices from the first century to the present.
Expression of gratitude to the viewers for their support and love.
Transcripts
hello my dear ones I feel this video
should come with a warning for those of
you who are not Orthodox or Catholic
because it contains everything that
might scare you away and I don't want
you to get scared because I love you and
I pray for you but this video will have
everything it will have icons and holy
tables and holy altars and holy relics
and Bishops and holy great myr and all
sorts of other things that might just
make you want to take a headache
pill but but I'm going to share this
video with you anyway because our Bishop
and Metropolitan has just called me and
the brothers to meet him in London so
we'll have to travel for two days down
South for that meeting and I won't have
any time to record a different video and
this is the video I had recorded for our
online community these are the people
who are supporting us on a monthly basis
and with whom we have our Zoom meetings
and um they get access to all sorts of
things as a sign of all gratitude for
their love and
support keep us in your prayers this
week and this weekend in particular
because I have a deep prayer and a deep
hope in my heart concerning this meeting
with our Metropolitan um I'll let you
know next week anyway what happens but
please just pray to God that my my
prayer and my hope are
fulfilled God bless you my beloved ones
and if you get scared just blame it on
me hello my dear ones well I promised we
would do this so let's do
this um this is the actual holy table of
the
Altar and as you can see it looks more
or less like a cube um it's supposed to
be 1 M High by 1 m
wide so the whole thing is 1 M and um
this is the table upon which we
celebrate all the services of the church
particularly and this is the the part
that is important for us the holy
sacraments Christ body and Christ
blood uh on top of this there will be
another layer which I'm going to add
with a bit of help from father fan
another board a wooden board but before
that happens I want you to see this side
of the
table um in the very middle of it at the
center of this cross which is not
necessary to appear most most older
tables I know uh do not have this cross
carved into them but we have carved them
because I am who I am and I like things
to be nice and beautiful in the center
of this Cross or the center of the table
there is this cover that comes
out and um and it is
here uh at the center of the of the alar
table that there is this um cylinder
going down and inside this
cylinder if you come come a bit closer
for the fing so they can see it inside
this cylinder our Metropolitan the local
Bishop will be uh placing the holy
relics relics from the holy Marts and
also a
scroll uh on which he signs his decision
to consecrate the altar table The Altar
and the church on that particular day
dedicated that particular Saint and in
the presence of all the clergy who are
here once everything is put in there the
relics and the scroll it all gets
covered with um uh sand and then
everything will be covered with this big
wooden cover it is going to be SE sealed
with something called wax mastic which
is a mix of wax and I believe sand and
some other things the Bishops will know
and then of course this little part in
the middle has its own cover this will
go in and then everything will be
covered with wax and with um the Seal of
the Metropolitan is going to be
sealed the idea is until the second
coming of Christ so after everything is
sealed the table itself this surface
upon which the sacraments will be
fulfilled will be washed three times it
will be washed with just water as um an
image of the baptism the baptism of
Christ Our Own baptism but actually the
baptism of the church because this is
the moment when the church is being
baptized it receives its new name this
is what the dedication to a saint means
the way when you're born you're being
called Mary or you're being called John
or whatever your name is the church our
church is going to be called St Nan's
church or St Andrews or dedicated to any
other
Saint and then is going to be washed
with rose water and holy great M
reminding us of the burial of
Christ um keep in mind that we also use
the same holy gra M when we when we have
chrismated but our baptism or
chrismation later in
life and also on this layer after
everything is being washed with water
rose water and holy great myr and this
is done only by the Bishops very rarely
they will invite a priest to contribute
with the process of
washing uh once all of that is done in
wax there going to be wax poured on
these four sides
the icons on canvas of the four
evangelists are going to be uh imprinted
on to the table so they're going to be
placed here and they'll stay here in wax
for as long as this old table will
exist and once everything is done the
last layer the wooden slab that comes on
top will be put into position and Father
F and I will try to to do that for you
now it will be quite difficult because
you have your feet your hands here you
see in these little spaces so you don't
smash your hands and also have these
little dos this thingies here to keep
the last uh layer from from moving so
father if you stop that for a second and
then we'll place it in position together
ready
okay this is very very very heavy just a
second okay make sure your hand is here
in the
Cent very very very
happy
okay okay is your hand in the center now
let go with that
one okay and I think it's in glory be to
God well that was quite an exercise but
I wanted you to see this so This precise
thing will happen in the service of the
Consecration and afterwards
the table will be covered with white
linen entirely the surface the top part
and also everywhere around it's going to
be wrapped up in white linen around this
um thin it's called the foot of the
table and then they're going to be tied
up together and once again sealed with
wax and that reminds us of two things
primarily the burial of Christ when
Christ's body was wrapped up in white
linon uh and secondarily again the
baptism of the church uh when the church
is being dressed in white in new clothes
of light the way we also at our baptism
or chrismation we dressed in white new
uh
clothing and then on top of that um
layer of white linen clothing which
nobody's going to see again after that
on top of that all those beautiful uh
coverings that you get to C are going to
be used so those go on top of the one
that seal the holy table and then over
those beautiful coverings you will
position where is it the holy
gospel if you remember from our our
previous video the first thing that goes
here is the antimon with its protective
layer the ilon over which you have the
Holy Cross on top of it you put the holy
gospel because this is the good news
this is what we are supposed to be doing
in the world and remember that on the
table deep down apart from the relics
and the decision of the bishop for this
place to be consecrated we also have the
icons of the four evangelists that have
given us the gospel and then of course
you need uh the cross we are going to
take the cross for the F come and help
me and it goes into its
place
sometimes
um sometimes instead of having a bigger
cross like this
one many churches will have them uh a
crosses being built covered in wood and
painted with the crucifixion of Christ
placed on the actual uh table I pr prer
this one simply because it allows us
more space on the table and then you'll
have the candles coming here and
there uh you'll have an
icon sometimes we love the icon of the
mother of God holding Christ in her womb
as an offering because her child our God
is becoming the food and the blood
through which we are going to be saved
and and then uh and then another
cross and that's it that's all that
should go on the AL table nothing else
sometimes you can have the the book that
you use for your services like for
example this one but in some traditions
particularly I think Russian Traditions
they don't even keep um the the books
for the service books on the a table
Romanians and Greeks and I've seen um in
Jerusalem as well they they use them so
this is everything because this is we
call it a table but ultimately it is a
sacrificial place if you can imagine
sacrificing offering a sacrifice uh like
the way they were offering uh bulls or
sheep or Rams or birds in the Old
Testament this is a place where a
sacrifice happens where Christ's body
and his blood are being offered to us
for us to eat for us to drink so that
our sins can be washed so that we are
freed of all our passions and uh and
that we can find our
Salvation if you have any questions
about anything I've shown you please let
me know and if I know the answer I'll
tell you and if I don't I'll look it up
or I'll ask all Metropolitan and I'll
let you know it's
important for us to know that what we do
has not been created by some human mind
you know a few hundred years ago but
it's what the Christian Community has
done from the first century up to our
time the blood of the martyrs and the
blessing of the current local bishop and
then you know you are part of Christ's
Church God bless you my beloved ones and
thank you for all
that you do for us for these monasteries
and for our community we could not be
here without you and you have all our
love our gratitude and our
prayers amen amen amen
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