Holy Antimension in the Life of the Orthodox Church

The Role and Importance the Holy Antimension in the Life of the Orthodox Church

The Holy Antimension is a liturgical vestment, on which is painted the icon of ‘The Passion and Burial of Christ’, with the Holy Evangelists on its 4 corners. The Holy Antimension is placed in the Holy Altar, on the Holy Table of Oblation, on which the Holy Gospel is placed. On the Holy Antimension is also sponge, which is used to gather the bits of miridas (wafer particles) accidentally, dropped from the Holy Discos.

The origin the Holy Antimension dates back to the time of the persecutions against Christians, when the Followers of Christ performed the Divine Liturgy on graves of the Holy Martyrs, who served as a ‘sacrificial altar’, preaching and defending Christ.

During those times of persecution the Christians celebrated the Divine Liturgies most of the time on the graves to the Holy Martyrs, in open air. Sometimes they forced flee the place of Service and carry with them the Holy Gifts ‘in a special cloth’ and settle in other safer places to continue the service.

That piece of ‘special cloth’, on which particles from the relics of the Holy Martyrs were placed, is what the Church calls today the ‘Holy Antimension’.

The Holy Antimension is consecrated by a Bishop/Bishops, during a special service, through the anointing with the Holy and Great Myrrh, and bears the signature of the Diocesan Bishop.

The consecrated Holy Antimension represents the whole “One, Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church”, from around the World, reunited around the Holy Tables, during the Divine Liturgy.

The Holy Antimension is often called ‘The portable Holy Table’, upon which the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, anywhere and everywhere, in case of emergencies, and/or if the physical Churches not accessible/available, or ‘in case of emergencies’ only, are closed for public services.

When the Priest receives The Holy Antimension, from his Hierarch, ‘specially assigned to a particular church’ thus, the Holy Antimension becomes the symbol of unity, with particular local characteristics, for the particular local community, which remains in communion with the ‘local Hierarch’ (Chiriarhul locului), which assigned the Holy Antimension to that particular Church, and with the “One, Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church”.

Without the Holy Antimension, offered by a Canonical Bishop, the clergymen cannot officiate the Holy Liturgy.

During the part of the ‘Catechumens Liturgy’, the Holy Antimension is unfolded (will be folded again at the end Holy Liturgy!), on which the Holy Discos and the Chalice, with the Precious Gifts will be placed, awaiting the sanctification, during the Epiclesis Prayers of Invocation. After the sanctification of the Holy Gifts and the ‘Thanksgiving Prayer for the Departure, in peace’ the Holy Antimension is folded, and the Holy Gospel is placed on it.

In the Apostolic and the Holy Fathers times, the Holy Antimension also served as proofs of apostolicity (Certificate of Ordination) for the officiating clergymen, since the Holy Antimension bears the signature of the ‘local bishop’ who ordained that particular clergyman, thus attesting that the server is ‘canonical’, with a valid ordination, and in communion with his Bishop, and the Universal “One, Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church” from around the World.

In summary, the Holy Antimension symbolizes the Passions and Burial of Christ, the Thumb of our Savior, as well as the Holy Shroud in which His Body was wrapped up. Without the Holy Antimension, offered by a Canonical Bishop, the clergyman cannot officiate the Holy Liturgy.

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Yours in XC, Fr. Constantin Alecse, parish priest
(www.constantinalecse.com)

Holy Trinity Romanian American Orthodox Church
Los Angeles, California (www.biserica.org)