ANOINTING OF THE ALTAR TABLE
The Bishop sprinkles Rosewater on the Altar Table as he recites:
THE BISHOP: Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.
Rosewater is a sweet smelling fragrance which was used to anoint the Body of Christ for burial. The Bishop continues the rest of Psalm 51 while the Altar Table is wiped dry by the he assisting Priests. The Priests use Antimens to do this.
Turn thy face from my sins, and put out all my misdeeds. Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. O give me the comfort of Thy help again and establish me with Thy free Spirit. Then shall I teach Thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou that art the God of my health; and my tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall show Thy praise. For Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee; but Thou delightest not in burnt offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise. O be favourable and gracious unto Zion, build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt offerings and oblations; then shall they offer young bullocks upon Thine altar.
Blessed is our God always, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON: Let us attend.
THE BISHOP: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
The Bishop anoints the Holy Altar with Holy Chrism (once in the center and then on either side) while he sings: “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia”. He spreads the Holy Chrism over the entire Altar Table as he recites a section from Psalm 133:
THE BISHOP:
Psalm 133
Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down unto the beard, even unto Aaron’s beard and went down to the skirts of his clothing. Like as the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the hill of Zion. For there the Lord promised his blessing, and life forever; more.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
THE BISHOP: Glory to Thee, O Holy Trinity our God, glory to Thee, unto the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
The Priests then wipe the excess Chrism with the Antimens.
St. Symeon, in writing about the anointing of the Altar Table, says the following: “Since the Altar is anointed with the Holy Chrism, which represents the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Altar Table then becomes a source of Grace to all people through the Sacraments which are celebrated thereon. The Holy Gospel is placed on the Altar, the Holy Relics are within, so we see that the Altar becomes the Altar of Christ, a throne of Glory, the dwelling place of God, and the Tomb of Christ.”
Next, icons of the four Evangelists are fastened to the Altar (one in each corner). The completed Altar represents the entire Church, which from the four corners of the world is held together by the Lord, and is built on Him through the preaching of the Gospel. Following the Anointing, the Bishop begins the vesting (putting on the new coverings) of the Altar Table.
~Website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), Service of the Consecration of a Church, http://www.goarch.org/chapel/liturgical_texts/consecrate_church. Liturgical texts provided by Holy Cross, Brookline, MA.
