Our Church, which obtained its original ritual (liturgical actions and customs) from the Byzantine tradition, attempts to appeal to all of our senses to convey the meaning of what we believe. For example, during BRIGHT WEEK, which are the eight days, beginning with the feast of PASCHA to the ANTI-PASCH, which we celebrate this weekend, all the doors of the iconostasis remain open and typically all lights remain on when the church building is open.  I truly believe that most people will automatically know what this symbolizes. It symbolizes the impact of the Lord’s Resurrection. The barrier between earth and heaven has been reduced. The altar area, that is where the Throne (altar) is located, is symbolic of heaven or the world to come. The nave (where people gather) is symbolic of an earthly space where believers gather and, of course, the vestibule is the area which represents the world outside of the world of faith. For the faithful, therefore, the barrier between God’s Kingdom on earth and God’s Kingdom in the next world has been penetrated by the Resurrection of Christ.

Our church uses the iconostasis as a symbol to convey the truth about the Lord’s Resurrection.  ALL REALTIY CHANGED when the Lord rose from the dead. For the believer the barrier between this world and the next has been reduced.

Of course we must remember what the initial symbolism of an iconostasis is all about. There is a barrier (wall) that we must penetrate before we can enter into the next world and become more fully united with our God. There are two elements to this barrier. The first element is our physical death   and the second is truly our spiritual transformation – a transformation of our attitudes and behaviors, making them more like Jesus Christ. The two major icons on the iconostasis, those of Jesus and Mary, represent two human beings that not only endured human death but also accomplished this transformation. What exists between them on the iconostasis are the ROYAL DOORS which are opened to those who follow the way of Jesus. We understand this because on the Royal Doors – the gates to the Kingdom of God – are the four evangelists. They actually formulated the way of Jesus in narrative form so that we might have some idea about how to become like Jesus.

The doors of the iconostasis remain open through Bright Week so that we might gain a glimpse of what impact the Lord’s Resurrection has had.