The land of Orthodoxy is dotted with sacred places: churches and hermitages, monasteries and shrines, places of God and man, scattered in cities and villages in the countryside, in the mountains and the valleys, in remote caves, on mountain peaks, and by the seaside; places of the meeting of God and man; it seems like handcrafted structures, which with stone and color are reverently crafted and reveal the love of God, spaces of worship, prayer, and praise to God.

Here, in these places, the people of God gather in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving to encounter the supreme love of the Creator; here the life of the people of God is sanctified and transformed, becoming the life of Christ, a life in Christ. Here, through the domes, arches, and holy icons, prayers, thanks, and praises are lifted to God, hymns and supplications to the Mother of God are chanted, Hosannas and Cherubic hymns are sung, and the Saints and the Fathers of our Church are glorified and exalted.

(. . .) [Excerpt from the text of the preface]