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*Ostrich egg
Hello everyone,
i have a little question and if any of you can ask their Abouna or find any relevent links it would be really helpful.
why do we have (in egyptian Coptic Orthodox churches, not sure about any other church as if i havent seen this in new churches in UK) an ostrich egg hang at the top of the altar's curtains?
It is normally a big white egg with a red ribbon wrapped around it.
does it symbolise something?
GBU and thanks for your help.
i have a little question and if any of you can ask their Abouna or find any relevent links it would be really helpful.
why do we have (in egyptian Coptic Orthodox churches, not sure about any other church as if i havent seen this in new churches in UK) an ostrich egg hang at the top of the altar's curtains?
It is normally a big white egg with a red ribbon wrapped around it.
does it symbolise something?
GBU and thanks for your help.
Comments
The reason why our coptic orthodox church has the Ostrich egg is becasue:
When ostriches lay an egg, they keep staring at it until the offspring comes out. Our church outs it as a sybol that God is always watching us closely and taking care of us. I hope this helped
God Bless
Ostiches are the only animals that keep an eye on their egg 24/7 they never leave it, so this is to show a symbol that the church is the egg and that God never abandons us and has his eye on us the whole time. THATS PRETTY COOL our church is veryyyy unique
i myself have a question too though
y do we have red curtains? y not another colour?
Enough
Ithink the reason why we have red curtains and red carpets in our church is because our church is rich by the blood of martyrs. Many and many and many martyrs shed their blood for the name of christ and stood firm in what they believed in (wbich is our Orthodox faith). So i think we use it to always remember them.
hope i helped
Hi Enough,
Ithink the reason why we have red curtains and red carpets in our church is because our church is rich by the blood of martyrs. Many and many and many martyrs shed their blood for the name of christ and stood firm in what they believed in (wbich is our Orthodox faith). So i think we use it to always remember them.
hope i helped
just one diffrence, you have to go to the source which is Christ's blood. Also the red is the color of royelty which is to our God and His house.
HI mnc_hnn,
The reason why our coptic orthodox church has the Ostrich egg is becasue:
When ostriches lay an egg, they keep staring at it until the offspring comes out. Our church outs it as a sybol that God is always watching us closely and taking care of us. I hope this helped
God Bless
thnx for this, V. useful.
i heard that there is a story related to hanging an ostrich egg in church??? no idea what it is though. any one?
Hello everyone,
i have a little question and if any of you can ask their Abouna or find any relevent links it would be really helpful.
why do we have (in egyptian Coptic Orthodox churches, not sure about any other church as if i havent seen this in new churches in UK) an ostrich egg hang at the top of the altar's curtains?
It is normally a big white egg with a red ribbon wrapped around it.
does it symbolise something?
GBU and thanks for your help.
Excellent observation, a lot of people don’t look that close. It is the nature of an ostrich bird after they lay there eggs to keep there eggs on sight, even when they walk away, there eyes are always on that egg, that being said I guess you can guess the rest. Well I will tell you any way it is symbolizes GOD and how his eyes are always on us. That egg hanging in front of the alter is to remind all of us of the fact that GOD is always watching over us, and we never leave his sight just like the ostrich. I hope you got the answer GB.
On top of the idea that God is always watching us, I was wondering; the fact that the ostrich eggs are placed near the altar, shouldn't it also be a reminder that we should always keep our eyes on the altar as well. The altar is where the holy body and blood or our Lord and Saviour is, and we should never keep our eyes off of it, but always focus on Him.
Please pray for me.
[coptic]+ Iryny nem `hmot>[/coptic]
On top of the idea that God is always watching us, I was wondering; the fact that the ostrich eggs are placed near the altar, shouldn't it also be a reminder that we should always keep our eyes on the altar as well. The altar is where the holy body and blood or our Lord and Saviour is, and we should never keep our eyes off of it, but always focus on Him.
you are right but the egg really doesn't have any connection with that. the egg symplozies us and having it on above and before the altar shows how we are always close to Him anywhere. and would find Him any time, even thoo we should never let go of Him in the first place.
[coptic]+ Iryny nem `hmot>[/coptic]
On top of the idea that God is always watching us, I was wondering; the fact that the ostrich eggs are placed near the altar, shouldn't it also be a reminder that we should always keep our eyes on the altar as well. The altar is where the holy body and blood or our Lord and Saviour is, and we should never keep our eyes off of it, but always focus on Him.
Please pray for me.
personally thats the way i always knew it..we should lie our eyes on him 24/7 and never let go! but maybe you guyz have a diff. point of view about this issue!
GBU
sandra
I was told a different story.
Apparently, May Magdalen was preaching to some king when he laughed at her for saynig that Jesus was risen. So, she brought an egg (not sure what type) in fromtn of the king and told him "how can you believe that life can come out of an egg and not believe that God can come out of a tomb".
GBU
sandra
The symbolism between life coming from an egg when there was no life, and the Resurrection of Christ. I heard that was the story behind the Easter egg though, not the ostrich eggs in church.
Please pray for me.
[coptic]+ Iryny nem `hmot>[/coptic]
The symbolism between life coming from an egg when there was no life, and the Resurrection of Christ. I heard that was the story behind the Easter egg though, not the ostrich eggs in church.
actually i don't think the easter egg applys to our coptic church thoo. i'll ask.
Whether it does or not shouldn't really matter. The message of the story is still very nice nonetheless.
Please pray for me.
GBU
p4m
GBU
sandra
+God Bless.
PS: chocolate doesn't really have any connection to 'life', but its yummy...
[quote author=sandrahanna link=topic=5058.msg69728#msg69728 date=1176521938]
Easter egg is known to be a secular thing just like santa on christman..it doesn't really represent anything..its just there for the heck of it, there's no point to it!
GBU
sandra
I fail to see how the easter egg is a secular thing, seeing as how it can be related to the Resurrection of Christ as has been illustrated before. As for santa, he also is not a 'secular' thing. Santa Claus is more of a corruption on the name St. Nicholas, who was an actual man and who was known for his charity.
are you sure this ostrich egg is at the top of every alter??? cuz..i'm trying to remember really hard...and i don't believe my church has one. ..?=/
Well in my church it's not directly above the altar but in front of the curtainoutside the altar... Check on Sunday :D
Nothing 'happens' if you don't have ostrich eggs. Your church just doesn't have them. Don't worry, it's not like it's the end of the world or anything.