Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 24: The Setting of the Holy Table: An Image of Burial and Sacrifice

 I. Introduction: A Ritual of Holy Reverence

Once the gifts (bread and wine) have been brought into the altar and placed upon the Holy Table, the celebrant begins a solemn and deeply symbolic rite. What takes place here is more than a physical action of arranging liturgical vessels—it is a sacred reenactment of the burial of Christ, the setting of the Paschal mystery, and a prayer for the Church and her people.

II. Liturgical Actions and Their Meaning

The celebrant carefully places the diskos (paten) and the chalice upon the Antimension, a consecrated cloth bearing the image of the burial of Christ and containing relics of a saint. This placement is itself layered in meaning:

• The diskos represents Christ’s Body.
  
  

• The chalice holds His Blood.
  
  

• The Antimension represents both the tomb of Christ and the mystical altar in heaven (cf. Revelation 6:9).
  
  

Once set upon the Holy Table, the celebrant reverently covers the gifts and then incenses them, enshrouding them in sweet-smelling smoke, while offering prayers.

III. The Noble Joseph: The Burial of Christ

The priest recites the troparion:

“The noble Joseph, when he had taken down Thy most pure Body from the Tree, wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, and placed it in a new tomb.”

This is not merely poetic—it is a liturgical burial. The gifts now lie on the altar as Christ once lay in the tomb, hidden yet soon to be revealed in Resurrection. The burial imagery draws directly from the Gospels (cf. Matthew 27:57–60; Luke 23:50–53), showing that the Liturgy is not just a memorial—it is a living participation in the Paschal mystery.

IV. “Do Good to Zion”: The Priest’s Private Prayer

As the gifts are incensed, the priest recites Psalm 51:18–19 (LXX numbering):

“Do good to Zion in Thy good pleasure, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.”

This prayer is profoundly eschatological and ecclesial. Zion and Jerusalem symbolize the Church, the hearts of the faithful, and the heavenly city to come (cf. Hebrews 12:22). The priest is not praying alone—he is interceding on behalf of all, that the offering may be acceptable, and that God’s mercy may rebuild and restore His people.

The reference to "sacrifices of righteousness" connects the Eucharist to the Old Testament sacrifices, not by imitation but by fulfillment. The bloodless sacrifice now offered is the true and final sacrifice—Christ Himself.

V. The Covering of the Gifts

The priest now covers the diskos and chalice with their respective veils and then places the aer, the larger veil, over both. This veil represents the stone that sealed the tomb, but also the veil of mystery surrounding the divine presence.

The veiling foreshadows the epiclesis, when the Holy Spirit will descend upon the gifts and change them into the Body and Blood of Christ. For now, they remain hidden, pointing to the truth that God’s glory is always veiled until revealed (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:13–18).

VI. Theological Reflection: Mystery and Preparation

This setting of the Holy Table draws the faithful into a mystical experience of:

• Christ’s Passion and burial, preparing them for Resurrection.
  
  

• The humility of God, who submits to death and burial out of love.
  
  

• The ongoing life of the Church, which offers and intercedes for the world, through Christ.
  
  

Patristic witness supports this view. St. Nicholas Cabasilas writes:

“When the priest sets the holy gifts upon the altar, it is as though Christ is placed in the tomb. For just as He once submitted to death and burial, so now He submits again, that He may rise among us.”
— Explanation of the Divine Liturgy, Ch. 23

VII. Conclusion: Toward the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

At the conclusion of the Setting of the Holy Table, the faithful are drawn deeper into the mystery of salvation. What has been carried in procession is now laid to rest—not in sorrow, but in anticipation. For soon, what is hidden under veils will be revealed in glory, and the bread and wine will become the means by which the Church offers herself to God and receives Him in return.

This burial is not the end, but the threshold of Resurrection—and so the Liturgy moves steadily toward the Anaphora, the great prayer of offering and transformation.