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Greek Orthodox Catechism
Constantine Callinicos, London, 1926
Part III. Ceremonial, 38. The Place of Public Worship
Has public worship that freedom of place, time and form which characterises private prayer?
No. For public prayer, the place, time and form must be strictly defined, in order that all may know where, when and how they should pray, and that thus order may be kept, and confusion avoided. Some liberty as to time is given to those so-called “occasional - Services,” of which we shall speak further on; but even for them, there are bounds and limits.
What, then, is the place defined for public prayer?
The Temple, which is commonly called Ecclesia, viz., Church, from the gathering of the Church-members in it.
Describe a Church to me.
A Church is always a large and imposing building proclaiming the piety of the congregation, and is so built that those who pray in it shall look Eastwards; for the natural sun was always considered as an emblem of “the Father of lights” (Jam. i. 17). It is divided into three parts, analogous to the three orders of which the congregation is composed:—(1) The Narthex, the place of the sinners, the penitents and the catechumens; (2) the Catholicon or Centre, the place of the baptised and faithful; and (3) the Sanctuary, the place of the clergy, who are officiating in the divine worship. Looking for details, we see in the Sanctuary the following things:—In the middle of it is the Holy Altar, upon which takes place the Bloodless Sacrifice; to the left is the Prothesis or Side-Table, on which the Eucharistic elements are made ready, before being removed to the Altar; on the right the Skevophylakion or Sacristy, in which the holy vessels and other precious furniture or books of the Church are kept; and, behind the Altar, is the Synthronon, where the Bishop sits together with his clergy. From the Sanctuary, coming to the Catholicon, we notice the following things:—The Iconostasis, a kind of screen, separating the Catholicon from the Sanctuary and ornamented with icons, i.e., pictures; the Episcopal Throne, whence the Bishop, as from a watch-tower, supervises the people, when he is not inside the Sanctuary; the Pulpit, from which is read the Gospel, and from which the people are taught the Word of God; the Right and Left Choirs, facing each other, whence the choristers and readers intone antiphonally their sacred chants; and the Women’s Gallery, high up, and opposite to the iconostasis, a place specially destined for the ladies. Finally, if we look at the narthex, we shall find that it is very simply decorated, and that in it there are placed the trays for the assistance of the poor and for the material needs of the parish.
How is the public place of worship ornamented?
With lights, flowers, incense, vestments, holy vessels, holy banners, symbolic representations, icons, mural paintings, and sometimes with mosaics or carved woodwork. From its roof hang oil lamps and candelabra. On its Altar, candles are lighted, a silver-bound, or gold-bound Book of the Gospels gleams, and the Chalices sparkle; while behind the Pyx appears the Crucifix, the eternal sign of our Redemption. The apse of the Sanctuary is decorated with the “Platytera,” an immense picture of the Virgin and Child. In the dome above is painted the “Pantocrator” or Almighty, stooping, so to speak, from Heaven to watch over the earth. An eye over the iconostasis symbolises the Seer-of-All. Lilies, laurels, palms, vines, lambs, deer, doves, eagles, peacocks and other very ancient allegorical representations, dating from the first century of our era, are often carved on the iconostasis, both to embellish it and to teach us profound truths. Pictures of Angels, Prophets, Apostles, Fathers, Confessors, Martyrs and various other Saints decorate every part of the Temple, in order to show the close connection between the Church in Heaven and the Church on earth. The Altar is clothed with a linen cover and trimmed with a costly purple. The Chalices are covered with gold-embroidered coverings. The middle door of the Sanctuary is hung with a rich curtain. The incense rises sweetly to Heaven, an emblem of prayer acceptable by the Most High. But the finest decorations of all in the public place of worship, before which all else pales, are the pure hearts of a pious congregation, standing in the house of God with reverence and awe.