The Symbolization of the Ornate Altar Cloth
FR. COSTA’S WEEKLY MESSAGE, May 31, 2009


“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea. The Lord on high is mighty. Your statues stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord.”

“The elaborate altar cloth represents the kingly majesty of Christ. Christ’s eternal authority and dominion over all creation symbolized by His throne [the altar table] reveals that the order of nature and society which He has established will endure. The local Church exudes His majesty to all that it touches. The floods and the raging seas symbolize the forces of chaos that attempt to disrupt the harmony of God’s creation. Nonetheless, God is mightier than these chaotic forces; thus, His order stands fast and secure. His rule guarantees that cosmic disruption and other catastrophies can never overwhelm the new creation manifested by His Church. God’s utter majesty adorns His house where the worshipping congregation continuously proclaims His absolute power unto the endless ages.”

[The Consecration of a Greek Orthodox Church According to Eastern Orthodox Tradition: A Detailed Account and Explanation of the Ritual, by Gus George Christo, Texts and Studies in Religion, Volume 109, The Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston/Queenston/Lampeter, 2005; pgs. 39-40.]