The phrase "Orthodox church" in the memory of people is associated primarily with the building in which the services are held, with clergy, icons that strictly look at those who entered, as well as with equipment that includes: candlesticks, chandeliers, banners, lamps and so on.
It is probably impossible to get used to and be ordinary with all the splendor inside the temple. To the service, which is dedicated to God, the Mother of God and all those who through their own lives have proved their love for the Almighty and for man. It is sometimes difficult for a novice to adapt to new sensations, to words spoken during the ministry, to rituals, conversions, therefore it is advisable to prepare in advance and find out what a particular word means in Church Slavonic. Let us consider in more detail what a homophore is.
Meaning of the word omophorion
In the troparion, dedicated to the feast of the Protection of the Holy Virgin, the following words sound more than once: "Cover us with your omophorion." Translated from Greek, the word omophor literally means "worn on the shoulders." "Omos" is the shoulder, and "fero" means to wear.
Once holy life blessed Andrew was honored with the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who covered herself with her omophorion for all who prayed to God in the hope of receiving His protection in the fight against the enemy. This can be read in a life dedicated to the blessed.
On all the icons, the Mother of God is depicted with her head covered, and if you look at the paintings of artists depicting biblical characters, you can also notice a wide plate on the heads of their women, descending to the heels. Nearly more than two thousand years have passed, but the tradition of covering the heads of believing Jews and Christians in the temple has not yet been lost.
In Orthodox churches, only bishops have the right to wear this robe. Therefore, if you ask: what is an omophorion, you can safely answer - this is a special cover that the bishops wear on their shoulders. It is with such a robe of the Mother of God that the Feast of the Intercession is associated.
What is omophorion intended for?
What is the mysterious wears of this robe? Omofor is of two types: great and small. The great omophorion is a wide ribbon with bands sewn on it from a different material than the garment itself. It is worn so that it bends around the two shoulders of the bishop and at one end descends from the left shoulder to the chest, and the other from the same shoulder to the back. The ends descend almost to the hem of the saccos (long, spacious clothes of the bishop with wide sleeves, sewn from expensive material). Crosses are embroidered at the ends of the omophorion, in fact, this narrow upper part of the garment symbolizes a lost sheep, taken by Jesus Christ on his shoulders.
The bishop carries the great or great omophorion from the beginning of the Liturgy to the reading of the Apostle (the epistles of the apostles posted in the New Testament). When reading the Gospel, the bishop stands completely without a homophore. At the end of the reading, they put on a small omophorion, which resembles a large, but much shorter. It is worn around the neck of the clergyman, but so that both ends of the tape go down to the chest.
Small omophorion is also a wide ribbon, one of the first places in Orthodox liturgical vestments and services. But her mysterious purpose is different. The small omophorion symbolizes the fact that the bishop, as a clergyman, is the bearer of blessed gifts, therefore, without this part of the robe, the bishop, metropolitan, or even the patriarch has no right to serve the liturgy.
Great worship
The liturgy is a mysterious and terrible ministry that carries the elements of eternity. All believers know that during the Eucharist, bread is broken (miraculously changed) into the Body of the Lord, and wine into His Pure Blood. The parishioners, reverently partaking of the communion, experience unusually tremulous moments that they remember all their lives.
The bishop represents Christ, and with his vestments he shows that, just like the Lord, he takes under his protection the lost sheep.
In ancient times, the omophorion was made of white woolen cloth, the ends of which were decorated with crosses. Later, these ribbons were sewn from brocade, silk and other fabrics. Materials were necessarily selected in bright colors, for the corresponding services.
Ancient Ephod - the prototype of the modern cover
Some historians believe that the ancestor of the omophorion was the ephod worn by Jewish clerics. Ephedo is written in the Old Testament; it is known that Aaron wore it.
This robe was sewn without sleeves and fastened to the shoulders with straps. Two gems in a gold frame were attached to belts or straps, on which all the names of the twelve sons of Jacob were engraved. Today, crosses are used instead of this engraving.