What we Believe: The Antimension

Father Mark Leondis explains the antimension (from the Greek: ἀντιμήνσιον, "instead of the table"). The antimension is among the most important furnishings of the altar in Orthodox Christian liturgical traditions. This rectangular piece of fabric (usually either linen or silk) is typically decorated with representations of the entombment of Christ, the four Evangelists, and scriptural passages related to the Eucharist. It should be noted that the Eucharist cannot be celebrated without an antimension.