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Last
Updated on
March 18, 2007
The
Orthodox Church: A Visual Journey
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| The Orthodox
Church abounds with the use of symbols. These symbols are those
realities which have the power and competence of manifesting God to men,
signs which carry us beyond ourselves and themselves into the genuine
union and knowledge of things eternal and divine.
Among the Christian symbols we have already
mentioned are the icons, the sign of the cross, and the vestments of
liturgical celebration. In addition, we can mention the use of various
colors which have their particular significance, as well as the use of
light, normally the natural light of candles,
which leads us to Christ, the Light of the world and of the Kingdom of
God. Generally speaking, light is a universal symbol for the mystical
presence of God as the True, the Beautiful and the Good. This is
witnessed in almost all religions, philosophies, and artistic
expressions.
The
Orthodox Church follows the Bible in its use of
incense (Exodus 30:08, Psalms 141:02; Luke 01:09; Revelations
08:03).
Incense is the symbol of the rising of prayers, of spiritual sacrifice
and of the sweet-smelling fragrance of the Kingdom of God.
The Church also uses bread, wine, wheat, oil, water,
flowers and fruits as signs of God's
love, mercy, goodness, life and the very presence given to man in
creation and salvation. Indeed, all elements of creation find the
"truth" of their very being and existence as expressions and
manifestations of God, as "symbols" of his presence and action in the
world for man. This is the reason for their use in this way in the
Church.
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Among the more graphic Christian symbols in the
Church are the initials and
letters of Christ's name; the triangle
of the Trinity; the circle of eternity; the
fish which stands for Jesus Christ, Son of
God, Saviour; the eye of God's omnipresence;
the anchor of hope; the
rock of faith; the flame of God's
consuming presence; the vine which Jesus named
himself -- "I am the vine, you are the branches" (Jn
15:5); the alpha and the
omega (Rev 1:8);
the crown and staff
of Christ's kingship; and many others -- all of which indicate some
aspect of the saving presence and action of God in the world.
The use of symbols is a mode of revelation and communion which passes
beyond that of mere verbal or intellectual communication. The death of
symbols comes when they are artificially invented, rationally explained,
or reduced to mere "illustrations" whose meaning is not immediately
grasped by man on the level of his living spiritual vision and
experience. Symbolism
Symbolism is a rich and important part of the Orthodox faith. Symbols
remind us of the reality of the salvation of Jesus Christ.
Incense
Burning incense represents the prayers and good works offered by the
faithful to God.
Crosses
The sign of Christ's victory over death is found throughout the church.
- The Slav Cross (note, also called a Byzantine Cross in Middle Eastern
churches) has a top bar symbolzing the inscribed board and a bottom bar
(at an angle) representing the footrest.
- The Greek Cross has bars of equal length, intersecting in the center.
The Lamb
The Eucharistic host (bread) to be consecrated represents Christ. The
Greek letters pressed into the bread stand for "Jesus Christ conquers,"
and are arranged around a Greek Cross (+).
Vestments
The clergy wear special robes to represent the dignity and majesty of
service to God:
- Stcharion (alb) -- is the white garment worn by by bishops and
priests. It symbolizes purity;
- Zone (cincture) -- represents wisdom and strength (may be worn
under the epitrachelion);
- Epitrachelion (stole) -- is a sign of the pastoral office. It
symbolizes priestly dignity and power;
- Phelonion (chasuble) -- symbolizes Divine love and the gifts of
the Holy Spirit;
- Epimanika (cuffs) -- represent strength, patience and good
will.
Sign of the Cross
Blessing oneself with two fingers brought to the thumb represents the
Trinity. The last two fingers held to the palm represent the two natures
of Jesus -- God and man.
Church Architecture
The church building symbolizes that God is with us.
- A rectangular building symbolizes a ship; a cross-like shape recalls
the Cross of Christ;
- Churches are oriented so that the altar faces east and sunrise,
symbolizing Christ, the Light;
- A domed or vaulted ceiling symbolizes Christ's uniting of heaven and
earth;
- The cross indicates a sacred place for Christian worship;
- The icons and symbols present an atmosphere of heaven on earth.
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Jesus Christ,
Our Lord and Savior
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