Orthodox Glossary · Term

Altar Table

Also called the Holy Table, it contains relics of saints and holds the Gospel book, antimension, and holy vessels, anchoring every sacramental act of the parish.

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Defined Term
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Altar Table
LexiconOrthodox Christianity 101
§ 01 - How to Study This Term

From definition into prayer.

The Orthodox tradition does not separate vocabulary from worship. Pair this term with Scripture, the Liturgy, and the lived life of the Church.

  1. 01
    Look for the word in worship

    Listen for it inside the Divine Liturgy, the daily prayers, or the hymns of the feast it belongs to.

  2. 02
    Trace it through the Fathers

    The same word usually echoes across centuries - Athanasius, the Cappadocians, Maximus, Gregory Palamas.

  3. 03
    Pair it with a prayer

    Vocabulary becomes piety when it lives inside a single, repeated prayer of the Church.

Where the term lives
§ 02 - Related Terms

Words that travel together.

Entries from the lexicon that share the same corner of Orthodox worship and thought as Altar Table.

GlossaryAntimensionA consecrated cloth containing relics and the bishop’s signature, required for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and signifying communion with the local bishop and the wider Church.GlossaryAltarThe sanctified table at the heart of every Orthodox temple, where the Eucharistic sacrifice is offered and the faithful encounter the heavenly throne of God made present on earth.GlossaryHoly Napkin (Air)A smaller veil used with the holy vessels, sometimes called the air, reminding worshippers of the linens that wrapped the Lord in the tomb and revealed His Resurrection.GlossaryHoly TrinityThe central mystery of one God in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - confessed in the Creed and experienced in every sacramental act of the Church.GlossaryOblation TableAlso called the prothesis, the side table where the bread and wine are prepared before being offered at the altar during the Proskomedia.GlossaryReliquary CrossA cross containing relics of saints, worn or displayed as a tangible connection to the holy ones who intercede for the faithful.
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