HOLY TRINITY CELTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH

http://www.celticorthodoxy.com/bkceltic-orthodox-church/


According to God’s Law, shoes should be removed when standing on Holy Ground.  Therefore, shoes must be removed to receive the Holy Eucharist, commonly called Holy Communion. See: http://www.celticorthodoxy.com/bkceltic-orthodox-church/eucharist.html

Likewise, the clergy must remove shoes to enter the Altar area and stand at the Holy Table. Any Bishop, Priest, Deacon, Server ignoring this, God’s Law, should be removed from the area. For those that were unaware, it is customary in many US and Oriental Orthodox Temples (churches) to remove shoes on entering a Church.

Many already know that the removing of shoes is a very ancient aspect of worship going as far back as the Book of Exodus (3:1-6) - Moses's encounter with God at the burning bush when he was told "Take off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." What many don’t know is that Joshua was also told likewise at his holy encounter: "Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said... ”What saith my lord unto his servant? And He replied unto Joshua, Loose thy shoes from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." (Joshua 5:14&15). Orthodox Churches are also known as Temples. Our Temple is a place where we pray together in the very presence of God Himself, such a place is Holy Ground. To receive Holy Communion is to encounter God just as Moses encountered God at the burning bush so, yes, if you desire to receive God in the form of the Blessed Sacrament at our Monastery then “Loose thy shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is Holy Ground. There are NO exceptions!