The entrance to the church is located at its west end. This symbolizes the entrance of the faithful from the darkness of sin to the light of truth, which dawned upon us from the East.
Before entering the church to pray to God, to ask for His forgiveness or to unite with Him in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, you must cross the porch, where the poor who are in need of help often stand. Those who go to church seeking Christ's mercy are themselves called to show mercy to those in need on the threshold of the church.
Next, you cross the narthex where in olden times the penitents used to stand and where the catechumens learned about the truths of the faith. This means that in order to enter the church in a worthy manner, one must repent for one's sins and have a firm, pure faith. Centuries ago, the narthex was often separated from the main part of the church by a solid wall with three doors. The middle door was for the clergy and earthly kings, who, having left all signs of their royalty behind them in the narthex, entered the church as simple believer. The door on the right was for men, and the door on the left, for women.
Spiritually, the narthex represents the place where a Christian leaves everything worldly behind him, and carries into church only his faith, hope and love.