5. The outside of the church

Let us approach the church. An Orthodox church always faces towards the east. This is because, just as the visible sun travels from the east to the west, so the light of grace and truth, which lights the path to the heavenly kingdom, first shone upon us from the East, where Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, was born.

The outside of the church is often long and narrow, like the form of a ship. This is to remind us that in God’s Church there is a sinless, all-powerful Helmsman—our Lord Jesus Christ. In the ship of His Church we find the means to save our soul from death, and to bring us to the heavenly harbor.

To do this we must leave behind all of our worldly thoughts and cares. We begin by making peace with our parents, our brothers and sisters, and our neighbors, begging their forgiveness if we have happened to offend them. Then we can peacefully enter the place where God’s glory abides; where the Holy Mysteries are performed; where, on the holy altar, the bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of our Lord; where the assembly of angels glorifies and praises God; where the Holy Spirit abides with all true believers; and where the King of Glory Himself is invisibly present.

Let us approach with prayerful hearts—not like a group of sightseers on holiday, but as Christ’s chosen ones. Let us give alms to the poor sitting at the gate, for whom our Lord also suffered—our brother and sisters from our forefather Adam. Let us cross ourselves as we enter the church and say the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”