CIVIL RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION: All things Eastern Orthodox Christianity

[foszoe]

Sign of the Cross

We call ourselves Christians because we believe in God as we were taught to believe by the Son of God Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ not only taught us to believe in God correctly, but He also saved us from the power of sin and eternal death.

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, out of love for us sinners came down from Heaven and, as a man, suffered instead of us for our sins: He was crucified, He died on the Cross, and on the third day He resurrected. As the sinless Son of God, by His Cross (that is, by suffering and death on the Cross for the sins of all men and of all the world), He conquered not only sin but also death itself — He arose from the dead, and He made the Cross the weapon of His victory over sin and death.

As the vanquisher of death, Who arose on the third day, He saved us also from eternal death. He will resurrect all of us, all the dead, when the last day of the world comes; He will resurrect us for joyful, eternal life with God.

The Cross is the weapon, or the sign, of Christ’s victory over sin and death.

One teacher gave the following example in order to explain to his students how Jesus Christ could conquer evil in the world by His Cross:

For many years the Swiss fought against their enemies, the Austrians. Finally the opposing armies met in a certain valley for a decisive battle. The Austrian soldiers, wearing their armor, were drawn up in battle array with their lances extended forward, and the Swiss, beating them with their maces (heavy clubs with weights on the end), tried without success to break the ranks of the enemy. Several times the Swiss threw themselves on the enemy with blind courage, but every time they were thrown back. They were not strong enough to break through the thick row of lances.

Then one of the Swiss soldiers, Arnold Winkleried, sacrificed himself, ran ahead, grabbed with both arms several of the spears pointed at him, and allowed them to pierce his chest. In this way an opening was made for the Swiss and they broke into the ranks of the Austrians and won a decisive and final victory over their enemies.

So the hero, Winkleried, sacrificed his own life and died, but he made it possible for his people to conquer the enemy.

In the same way, our Lord Jesus Christ received in His breast the terrible spears of sin and death which were invincible for us. He died on the Cross, but He also arose, as the vanquisher of sin and death, and thus opened for us the way to eternal victory over evil and death. That is, He opened the way to eternal life.

Now everything depends on us: if we wish to be delivered from the power of evil, sin and eternal death, then we must follow Christ, that is, believe in Christ, love Him, and fulfill His holy will, being obedient to Him in everything, live with Christ.

This is why, in order to express our faith in Jesus Christ our Saviour, we wear a Cross on our body, and during prayer we form the Cross over ourselves with our right hand, or make the sign of the Cross.

For the sign of the Cross we put the fingers of our right hand together as follows. We bring the tips of the first three fingers together (the thumb, index and middle ones), and bend the last two (the "ring" and little fingers) against the palm.

The first three fingers together express our faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, as the Trinity one in essence and indivisible, and the two fingers bent show how the Son of God, when He came down from Heaven, being God, became man; that is, they signify His two natures — divine and human.

In order to make the sign of the Cross, with our fingers in this position, we touch our forehead, for the blessing of our mind, our stomach, for the blessing of our internal feelings, then our right and left shoulders, for the blessing of our bodily strength.

The sign of the Cross gives us great strength to repel and conquer evil and to do good, but we must remember to make the sign of the Cross correctly and without haste, otherwise it will not be the sign of the Cross, but just waving our hand around, which only gladdens the demons. By making the sign of the Cross carelessly we show a lack of reverence for God. This is a sin. This sin is called sacrilege.

We make the sign of the Cross, or "cross ourselves," at the beginning of prayer, during prayer, at the end of prayer, and when we draw near to anything holy: when we enter the church, when we reverence the Cross or an icon. We should cross ourselves at every important moment in our life: in danger, in sorrow, in joy, and so on.

When we cross ourselves, mentally we say, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Thus we express our faith in the All-holy Trinity and our desire to live and labor for the glory of God.

The word "amen" means in truth, truly, let it be so, so be it.

Seraphim Slobodskoy​

 

[foszoe]

Standing and Bows During Prayer

Standing and Bows During Prayer.


In order to express to God our reverence before Him and our worship of Him, during prayer we stand, and do not sit; only the sick and elderly are allowed to pray sitting down. Standing while at prayer is an ancient and God-ordained tradition. In Old Testament times, the congregation of Israel stood in the Temple (Neh. 9:4,5; 8:7, 2 Chron. 20:5,13), the Saints stand in Heaven before the Throne of God (Is. 6:2, 1 Kings 22:19, Dan. 7:10, Rev. 7:11), and even Jesus Christ Himself said, "When ye stand praying" (Mark 9:25). Therefore Christians, according to apostolic teaching, stand through the Divine Services, where it is often proclaimed: "Let us stand aright."


In recognizing our sinfulness and unworthiness before God, and as a sign of our humility, we make bows during our prayers. There are bows from the waist, when we bow from the waist, and to the ground, when we bow down on our knees and touch our head to the ground (a prostration).


Questions: Why should we stand and not sit during prayer? Why do we make bows during prayer? What kinds of bows are there?

Seraphim Slobodskoy​

​

 

[miguel]

They can and have, actually. In many Orthodox parishes you can find Copts worshiping and through the blessing of their bishop and the bishop of the local Orthodox parish, the priest could commune them. Russians would be more opposed to this practice than Greeks as in Greece, this inter-communion while not frequent is also not uncommon. Russians do to Western influences introduced under Peter the Great in his great love for all things western, tend to be more legalistic on such matters.

The theologians have agreed on unification language and several bishops have allowed inter-communion at the local levels. I believe you will see unification within my lifetime if I am blessed with death in old age.

Do you mean "unification" in the sense of OCA? Or a grander one, internationally?

p.s. Hopefully the former, please don't go "Roman" on us. (signed, a Roman)

 

[T.Lex]

Questions: Why should we stand and not sit during prayer? Why do we make bows during prayer? What kinds of bows are there?

I have heard this referred to Catholic Calisthenics. Although, clearly, it appears it was inherited from the earlier church.

On somewhat of a sidenote, it is that time of year again for CYO football to start. Does Orthodoxy, generally, or you, personally, have an opinion on the propriety of making the sign of the cross upon scoring a touchdown?* When I've been asked about it, I've approved that it is to be accompanied by a quick, silent prayer of thanksgiving for the opportunity and support to play the game well.

I've heard that some take the opinion that such things are too trivial to attempt to draw God's attention to them, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around that position.

*This is not limited to touchdowns. Have seen - and approved of - the sign/silent prayer formulation for soccer goals, baseball hits, and volleyball serves. And, frankly, finding my keys.

 

[foszoe]

I will admit first that I am not well versed in the aspect of church history that deals with inter-Orthodox dialogues and the subsequent schisms and reuinifications

I have understood it more in the sense that the Latins will commune an Orthodox and allow a Latin to commune in an Orthodox parish under extreme circumstance (No Latin Parish available, nearness of death, etc). So also will an Orthodox allow communion with a Non Chalcedonian.

The difficulty of true reunification internationally is that the formal acceptance of the Council of Chalcedon and the subsequent councils by the Non-Chalcedonians. This does not seem to be dealt with satisfactorily from my POV which again, is as a convert with little direct knowledge of the Orthodox international stage.

Below is a link to where I got most of my info on it. Embedded in the link are links to the agreed to theological statements allong with the responses from the Athonite communities. It should come as no surprise that the Athonites reject the agreements. I would hope and expect them to as they are the "guardians of the Orthodox galaxy" to speak colloquially. At the bottom of the page are a couple of additional articles in response to this one.

It is telling that the Russian Church tabled the agreements instead of outright dismissal. That itself is a glimmer of hope that it can all be ironed out before I leave this world.

The Church does, however, move incrementally and for that I am thankful. We move so slow that we appear to be not moving. Which in a sense is true. With our theology built upon Holy Tradition as revealed through the Scriptures, the Fathers, the Liturgy and the 7 Ecumenical Councils, we don't move, we wait for others to come to us. In today's ever shifting theological landscape, especially in American Protestantism and post Vatican II Latin Christianity, change has somehow become desirable. However, as we are given the Great Commission, we must also try to find ways to dialogue with those Christians, Non-Chalcedonian, Latin, Protestant, that will bring them back into the fold without compromising the true Faith. That is true ecumenicism not the simplification of universal, eternal truth in the hopes of achieving a relative, temporal unity.

https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/orth...donian-orthodoxy-non-chalcedonian-heterodoxy/

Do you mean "unification" in the sense of OCA? Or a grander one, internationally?

p.s. Hopefully the former, please don't go "Roman" on us. (signed, a Roman)

 

[foszoe]

I have heard this referred to Catholic Calisthenics. Although, clearly, it appears it was inherited from the earlier church.

On somewhat of a sidenote, it is that time of year again for CYO football to start. Does Orthodoxy, generally, or you, personally, have an opinion on the propriety of making the sign of the cross upon scoring a touchdown?* When I've been asked about it, I've approved that it is to be accompanied by a quick, silent prayer of thanksgiving for the opportunity and support to play the game well.

I've heard that some take the opinion that such things are too trivial to attempt to draw God's attention to them, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around that position.

*This is not limited to touchdowns. Have seen - and approved of - the sign/silent prayer formulation for soccer goals, baseball hits, and volleyball serves. And, frankly, finding my keys.

Today is the first day I posted the questions that accompany that little catechism I have been posting out of Maybe I should have been doing that all along.

Well, talking football and Orthodoxy would not be complete without referencing probably the most famous Orthodox Player.

From https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/6/27/4469662/tim-tebow-faith-steelers-troy-polamalu

With five minutes left in the game, Polamalu tackled Tebow on a read-option play and inadvertently ripped off a bracelet Tebow had received from a girl with cancer. In some lighthearted trash talk, Tebow complained to Polamalu about his insensitivity. Tebow claims that Polamalu was incongruously earnest in his response.
I'm just kind of kidding when I get up and I look at Troy and I say,"Man, a girl with cancer just gave me that and you broke it." And I"m expecting him to say something that I wouldn't repeat, especially here, and he looks at me and puts his hand on my shoulder and says, "Aw, Timmy, I'm so sorry. But God bless you, man." And I was like, "Yeah, God bless you too, freak." But it was cool for me in an intense moment in one of the biggest games of both our seasons that year that someone else who was a huge example to me and was trying to live out his faith in a pretty cool way. And I didn't know this at the time, but I came to find out that Troy prays after every single play, and I just thought what a cool example that is.

and another very good read, Troy Polamalu says 'Kala Christougena!' | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Now my bishop resides in Johnstown, PA. One year the SOBOR (council) was at the Holiday Inn there. It is attended by a priest and lay delegation from each parish. My wife and I were there one year. It begins on a Sunday night with a banquet. Well it just so happens that the Steelers were playing the late afternoon game, so needless to say in the lobby outside the banquet rooms, you could not move without bumping into a priest gathered around the big screen and when the Steelers won with a last second field goal, a cheer went up that probably shook the rafters. Several others began thanking the priests, sure that the prayers arising from that lobby are what secured the victory. The Bishop, A Carolina fan, indulged the local crowd though and we didn't begin the banquet until well after the official start time.

I imagine the articles above will answer you questions, but, I will also throw my own out there.

If the sign of the Cross is made with humility, which should be the ordinary state of all Christians, then I believe it is a wonderful testament to the faith. Just as I believe all Catholics and Orthodox should cross themselves in public before and after meals. Not to call attention to me but to God.

How is the sign of the Cross made with humility after a winning touchdown? By prayerfully acknowledging to God that my success is not my own. It should be a prayer of thankfulness.

Thank God for the ability to catch the ball, thank God for every person on the field who blocked or contributed to your success, for seldom ( I would argue never) can a person claim all the credit to themselves. Thank God for the health that has been granted to you and the opportunities made available to you and for all those who encouraged you that has allowed you to achieve that which you have achieved. Then, recognize that in each person there is the image of God and no matter what their failings are, that those positive aspects of their lives that have allowed you to achieve are that image shining through.

As you can tell, that will generalize to being or achieving anything whether on the football field or off. This is why we pray the following

Prayers Before Any Task
Lord Jesus Christ, my God, You have said, "Apart from me You can do nothing." In faith I embrace Your words, Lord, and I entreat Your goodness. Help me to carry out the work I am about to begin, and to bring it to completion. To You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Or

Almighty God, our Help and Refuge, who knows that we can do nothing right without Your guidance and help; direct me by Your wisdom and power, that I may accomplish this task and, whatever I do according to Your divine will, so that it may be beneficial to me and others and to the glory of Your holy Name. Amen.

Or

My Lord and Savior, You became man and labored with Your hands until the time of Your ministry. Bless me as I begin this work. Help me to bring it to completion. Lord, enlighten my mind and strengthen my body, that I may accomplish my task according to Your will. Guide me to bring about works of goodness to Your service and glory. Amen.


Prayer After Any Task
Thank You, Lord, for Your strength and guidance in my work. You are the fulfillment of all good things. Fill also my soul with joy and gladness, that I may praise You always. Amen.

There are similar Catholic Prayers.

For me, and I speak for me alone, this is one area my Protestant upbringing was incomplete. For both Catholic and Orthodox there are prayers for every occasion (seemingly). It is the failure of Catholic and Orthodox to put these into their daily practice that takes away the moments to acknowledge God in all that we do.

For example, inside my front door hangs,

Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all people; a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.

In my car, clipped to my visor with a guardian angel icon is

Prayers Before Travel
Lord Jesus Christ my God, be my Companion, guide and protector during my journey. Keep me from all danger, misfortune and temptation. By Your divine power grant me a peaceful and successful journey and safe arrival. In You I place my hope and trust and You I praise, honor and glorify, together with Your Father and Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen.

Or


Lord Jesus, You traveled with the two disciples after the resurrection and set their hearts on fire with Your grace. Travel also with me and gladden my heart with Your presence. I know, Lord, that I am a pilgrim on this earth, seeking the citizenship which is in heaven. During my journey surround me with Your holy angels and keep me safe from seen and unseen dangers. Grant that I may carry out my plans and fulfill my expectations according to Your will. Help me to see the beauty of creation and to comprehend the wonder of Your truth in all things. For You are the way, the truth and the life, and to You I give thanks, praise and glory forever. Amen

 

[T.Lex]

Oh, indeed, like the almsgiver who does so quietly, without regard for who's watching, the sign of the cross is meant to be a personal thing.

In my coaching, and that of almost every coach around me (there's a couple I'm not really sure of), the building faith through sports is the key. There's a faith-based (not strictly Catholic, I think) weekly email that includes a virtue of the weak that has good content on how to relate virtues to sports.

The issue of showboating sometimes comes up, particularly with teen boys mimicking what they see on TV and video games. The notion of giving thanks, and achieving all through Him, are absolutely part of it.

 

[foszoe]

Different Types of Prayer

If we and those close to us are healthy and safe, if we have a place to live, clothes to wear, food to eat, then we ought to give praise and give thanks to God in our prayers.

Such prayers are called praise and thanksgiving.

If some kind of misfortune, sickness, or woe happens or if we need something, then we must ask for God’s help.

These prayers are called petitions.

If we do something wrong, sin, and we are guilty before God, then we must ask His forgiveness — repent.

These prayers are called penitential.

Since we are sinful before God (we constantly sin), we must always, before we ask God for anything, first repent and then ask God concerning our needs. This means that penitential prayer must always precede our petitions in prayer.

Questions: What must we offer to God when He sends us blessings? What are the prayers called when we praise and thank God? What do we offer God in prayer when some misfortune befalls us or we do something wrong?

Seraphim Slobodskoy

 

[foszoe]

When God Hears Our Prayer

When we prepare to pray, we must first make peace with everyone to whom we have done evil, and even with those who have anything against us, and after that, with reverence and attention, stand for prayer. During prayer we must direct our mind so that it does not think about anything else, so that our heart wishes only one thing: to pray better and please God.


If we pray without making peace with our neighbors, if we pray hurriedly, if we talk or laugh during prayer, then our prayer will not be pleasing to God. God will not hear such a prayer, and He might even punish us.


For more diligent and intense prayer, and for a good pious life, fasting has been established.


The time of fasting, or lent, is the period when we must think more about God, about our sins before God, when we must pray more, repent, not get upset or hurt anyone, but rather, help everyone, read God’s law, and so on. And to make it easier to fulfill all this we must first of all eat less — not eat any meat, eggs, or milk, that is, animal and dairy products, but eat only "lenten" food, that is, from plants: bread, vegetables, fruit, and fish (if allowed). We fast because the rich foods from animal and dairy products call forth a desire not to pray, but to sleep, or to act foolishly. When we develop the habit of not giving in to our desires for more or rich foods it makes it easier to fight against sin.


The greatest and longest fast comes before Pascha. It is called "Great Lent."


Questions: When can we hope that God will hear our prayer? What must we do to make our prayer reverent and fervent? Will God hear our prayer if we pray with haste and distraction? What has been established for diligent and intense prayer? What is fasting?

 

[foszoe]

Where and How We Can Pray to God.

We can pray to God everywhere because God is everywhere: at home, in church, on every path. The Christian must pray every day, morning and evening, before and after eating, before and after every kind of work.


This kind of prayer is called prayer at home or private prayer.


On Sundays and holy days, and also on weekdays when we are free from work, we should go to church, where other Christians like us gather. There we all pray together.


This kind of prayer is called public prayer or prayer in church.


Questions: Where can we pray to God? Why can we pray to God everywhere? What is prayer called when we pray at home? What is prayer called when we pray in church?

Seraphim Slobodskoy​

 

[foszoe]

The Church Building

The church ("temple") is a special house consecrated to God — "the House of God" in which the Divine Services are conducted. In the church there abides the special grace or mercy of God, which is given to us through those who conduct the Divine Services, namely, the clergy (bishops, priests and deacons).


The external appearance of the church differs from other buildings in that there is a dome which symbolizes Heaven rising over the church. At the top of the dome is its peak, where the Cross stands, to the glory of the Head, Jesus Christ. Over the entrance to the church there is usually built a bell tower where the bells are hung. The ringing of the bells serves to summon the faithful to prayer — to the Divine Services, and to give notice of the most important parts of the service taking place in the church.


At the entrance to the church there is a porch (courtyard, or entrance way). The inside of the church is divided into three parts: 1) the narthex, 2) the church itself, or the nave, or middle part of the church, where the people stand, 3) the Altar, or Sanctuary, where the services are conducted by the clergy and where the most important part of the whole church is located — the Holy Table (altar table), on which the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated.


The altar is separated from the central part of the church by the iconostasis, which consists of several rows of icons and has three doors. The central doors are called the Royal Doors, because through them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the King of glory, passes invisibly in the Holy Gifts (in Holy Communion). Therefore, no one may pass through the Royal Doors except the clergy.


The reading and chanting of prayers that are served in the church by the clergy are called Divine Services.


The most important divine service is the Liturgy. It is conducted before noonday. During this service the entire earthly life of the Saviour is commemorated, and the Mystery of the Eucharist (Holy Communion), which Christ himself instituted at the Mystical Supper, is celebrated.


The Mystery of Holy Communion is the consecration of bread and wine by God’s Grace, when they become the true Body and true Blood of Christ. In appearance they remain bread and wine, but we receive the true Body and true Blood of the Saviour, under the appearance of bread and wine, in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, have eternal life and change ourselves.


Since the church is a very holy place, where God Himself is present invisibly by special mercy, we must enter it with prayer, and conduct ourselves quietly and reverently. During the Divine Services it is forbidden to talk, and even more so to laugh. It is forbidden to stand with your back to the Altar. Each person stands in his place and does not walk from one place to another. Only in case of sickness is it permitted to sit down and rest. It is wrong to leave the church before the end of the Divine Service.


We must approach Holy Communion calmly and without haste, with our arms crossed over our breast. After Communion we kiss the chalice without making the sign of the Cross, in order not to strike the chalice accidentally.


Questions: What is the church? What is its outside appearance like? How is the church divided inside? What is the iconostasis? Where are the Royal Doors? What is the Holy Table and what is celebrated on it? What is the most important Divine Service? What is commemorated at the Divine Liturgy? What is the Mystery of Holy Communion? Who instituted this Mystery? How should we conduct ourselves in church?

Foszoe's Notes (Opinions):

I prefer not to refer to the church as a temple, although I have heard and understand both sides which are, briefly:

1. The temple was the place of the Jewish sacrifice and temple worship was fulfilled in the Christian Eucharist
2. The Eucharist is a sacrifice and the temple is the place of sacrifice.

The crossing of arms is an interesting difference between the Latins and the Eastern Orthodox (and also the Eastern Right Catholics, I believe). When approaching the chalice for communion in the Latin church, if you cross your arms over your breast, you are requesting a blessing from the priest only and are not going to receive the gifts. In the East, if you are going to receive, you cross your arms as you approach.

The kissing of the chalice is almost a giveaway in my experience that the church is of Russian/Balkan heritage. Greeks do not do this and their priests act surprised when you attempt to kiss the chalice. Not sure of Antiochian practice but if memory serves they fall in line with the Greeks.

Finally, these posts come from a Latin influenced Russian Orthodox catechism. One way to tell is of course the above instruction. Also the question and answer format. This was a typical method of catechism in the west and was introduced to Russia probably through Peter the Great. The idea of the clergy as a "conduit" of grace is also a Latin influence, although Orthodoxy would understand it differently than the west. This is an unfortunate occurence of the Latin influence. There is an attempt to use the "same" language, but to each party the words mean something different. This results in several misunderstandings. That the priest "conduct services" is also a Latin concept that crept in. Probably the author means only that for several servicesi in the daily cycle there may only be priests present. However, it still doesn't exactly mean what it says. Unlike in the Latin tradition where a priest can say a mass alone. In the East, there MUST be at least one lay person present to offer the Amen.

 

[foszoe]

The Priest's Blessing

The clergy (that is, specially ordained people who celebrate the Divine Services) are our spiritual fathers. Bishops and priests sign us with the sign of the Cross. This is called a blessing.


When the priest blesses us, he forms the Greek letters IC XC, that is, Jesus Christ, with the fingers of his hand. This means that through the priest our Lord Jesus Christ Himself blesses us. Therefore, we must receive the blessing of the clergy with reverence.


When we hear in the church the words of blessing, "Peace unto all" and others, in reply to them we should bow without making the sign of the Cross. In order to receive a personal blessing from a bishop or a priest, we should place our hands in the form of a cross: the right hand on the left with the palms upward. When we have received the blessing we kiss the hand that blesses us — we kiss, as it were, the invisible hand of Christ the Saviour Himself.


Questions: Who signs us with the sign of the Cross? What is this called? What does the priest form with the fingers of his hand when he gives a blessing? What does this mean? How should we place our hands when we ask for a blessing? What should we do when we have received a blessing?

Foszoe's Notes:

Note here, that the clergy "celebrate" services not "conduct" as in the previous post. I prefer the language of celebrate over conduct.

 

[foszoe]

Icons

In the church on the iconostasis, along the walls, and at home in the corners are the holy icons, before which we say our prayers.

An icon or image is what we call the representation of God Himself, the Mother of God, the angels, or the saints. This representation is consecrated with Holy Water and prayer. Through this blessing the Grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to the icon, and we reverence the icon as being holy. There are icons, through which the Grace of God that abides in them is revealed even by miracles, for instance in the healing of the sick.

The Saviour Himself gave us His portrait. Moved to compassion, He wiped His sacred face with a towel and miraculously depicted His face on this towel for the sick prince Abgar. When the sick prince prayed before this icon of the Saviour, that had not been made with hands, he was healed of his illness.

When praying before an icon, we must remember that the icon is not God Himself or a saint of God, but only the depiction of God or His saint. Therefore, we must not pray to the icon, but to God or the saint who is depicted on it.

The holy icon is a sacred book. In a sacred book we reverently read the words of God, and on a holy icon we reverently behold the holy faces which, like the Word of God, lift up our mind to God and His saints, and inflame our heart with love for our Creator and Saviour.

Questions: What do we call the holy icons? Where are the holy icons placed at home and in the church? Why are they called holy icons? Who blessed the use of holy icons by His example? What do we remember when we pray before the holy icons? What icon of the Saviour is named the Icon Not-Made-by-Hands?

How God is Portrayed in the Holy Icons.

God is an invisible Spirit. However, He appeared to holy men in a visible image. Therefore, we depict God in the icons in the form in which He appeared.

We depict the Most-holy Trinity in the form of three angels sitting at a table. This is because the Lord once appeared to Abraham in the form of three angels. In order to represent more clearly the spirituality of the angels that appeared to Abraham, we represent them with wings.

God the Son is represented in the form in which he appeared when he came down from heaven for our salvation and became man: an infant in the arms of the Mother of God, teaching the people and working miracles, transfigured, suffering on the Cross, lying in the tomb, resurrecting and ascending.

God the Holy Spirit is represented in the form of a dove, as He revealed Himself at the time of the Baptism of the Saviour in the Jordan by John the Baptist; and in the form of tongues of fire, as He descended visibly on the holy Apostles on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Questions: If God is an invisible Spirit, how can He be depicted in the holy icons in a visible form? How do we depict the All-holy Trinity in the holy icons, and why do we depict Him in this way? How do we depict God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in the holy icons, and why do we depict Them in this way?

Others Besides God Who Are Depicted in the Holy Icons.

Besides God we depict in the holy icons the Mother of God, the holy angels and holy people.

We should pray to them not as to God, but as being close to God, as having pleased Him by their holy life. Out of love for us they pray for us before God, and we should ask for their help and intercession because the Lord for their sake will more speedily hear our sinful prayers.

It is worthy of note that the first icons of the Mother of God painted by the disciple of the Lord, St. Luke, have been preserved down to our time. There is a tradition that when the Mother of God saw Her portrait, she said, "The Grace of My Son will dwell with this icon." We pray to the Mother of God because She is closest of all to God, and at the same time, She is also close to us. Because of Her motherly love and Her prayers God forgives us many things and helps us in many ways. She is a great and compassionate intercessor for all of us!

Questions: Besides God, who is depicted in the holy icons? How should we pray to the Mother of God, the holy angels and holy people? Who painted the first icon of the Mother of God? Why do we pray to the Mother of God more than to the other saints?

The Holy Angels.

In the beginning when neither the world nor men existed yet, God created the holy angels.

Angels are bodiless spirits, therefore invisible and immortal. The Lord God granted to them loftier powers and abilities than to mankind. Their mind is more perfect than ours. They always fulfill the will of God. They are without sin, and now they are so filled with the Grace of God in doing good, that they do not desire in any way to sin.


Many times the angels have appeared in visible form, taking on a physical appearance, when God sent them to people to relate or to announce His will. The word "angel" means "messenger."

Every Christian is granted by God at his Baptism a Guardian Angel who invisibly protects him during all his earthly life from misfortunes and dangers; he warns against sin, guards us at the terrible hour of death, and does not depart after death.

The angels are depicted in icons in the form of handsome youths, as a sign of their spiritual beauty. Their wings show that they speedily fulfill the will of God.

Questions: When were the holy angels created? What are angels? What powers and abilities did God grant them? Can the holy angels sin? When did angels appear visibly and what does the word "angel" mean? How do we call the holy angels that God gives us at Baptism? Why are the holy angels depicted in the form of youths and with wings?

About the Saints.

On the icons also we represent holy people or the saints of God. We call them by this name because when they lived on earth, they pleased God by their righteous life. And now, dwelling in Heaven with God, they pray for us to God and help us who live on earth.

The saints have different titles: prophets, apostles, martyrs, hierarchs, holy monks, unmercenaries, blessed ones, and the righteous.

The prophets are the saints of God who, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, foretold the future, primarily about the Saviour. They lived before the coming of the Saviour.

The apostles were the closest disciples of Jesus Christ, whom He sent during His earthly life to preach. After the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them, they preached the Christian faith in all lands. At first there were twelve of them, and later, seventy more.

Two of the apostles, Peter and Paul, are called leaders of the apostles, because they labored in preaching the faith of Christ more than the others. Four of the apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Theologian, who wrote the Gospels, are called Evangelists.

Saints who spread the Christian faith in various places like the apostles, are called Equal-to-the-Apostles, as for example, Mary Magdalene, the first woman-martyr Thecla, the pious monarchs Constantine and Helen, the pious Russian prince Vladimir, Saint Nina, the Enlightener of Georgia, and others.

The martyrs are those Christians who accepted terrible tortures and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ. If they died in peace, that is, not as an immediate result of their sufferings for Christ, then we call them confessors.

The first to suffer for the Holy Faith after especially terrible sufferings for faith in Christ were Archdeacon Stephen and St. Thecla, and therefore they are called the first martyrs.

Those who died for the Holy Faith after especially cruel tortures, such as not all the martyrs were subjected to, are called great martyrs, as for example, holy Great Martyr George, and the holy Great Martyrs Barbara and Catherine.

The confessors on whose faces the persecutors branded or tattooed blasphemous words are called branded.

Hierarchs are bishops and prelates who pleased God by a righteous life, such as St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, and others.

Hierarchs and priests who suffered persecution for Christ are called hieromartyrs.

The hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom are called ecumenical teachers, teachers of the entire Christian Church.

Holy monks and nuns are righteous people who abandoned the life of the world in society and pleased God by preserving their virginity (not entering into marriage), by fasting and prayer, and dwelling in the wilderness or in monasteries. Some examples are Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, St. Anastasia, and others.

Holy monks that endured suffering for Christ are called Monk Martyrs.

Unmercenaries are saints who served their neighbors with the unmercenary healing of illnesses; that is, without payment they healed illnesses, both physical and spiritual. They include Cosmas and Damian, the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, and others.

The Righteous led a righteous life that was pleasing to God, living as we do in the world, with a family, as for example, Joachim and Anna and others.
The first righteous people on the earth were the patriarchs of the human race, who are called forefathers. They include Adam, Noah and Abraham.

Questions: Who are depicted in the holy icons, apart from God and the Mother of God and the holy angels? What names do they have? Whom do we call prophets, apostles, martyrs, hierarchs, holy monks, unmercenaries and righteous?

About Haloes on the Icons.

Around the heads of the Saviour, the Mother of God and the holy saints of God, in the icons and pictures of them there is depicted a radiance or a circle of light which is called a halo.

In the halo of the Saviour there are three letters: Ο ΩH, which translated from Greek into English mean "Being," or "He Who Is," for God alone always exists.

Over the head of the Mother of God are placed the letters: ΜΡ ΘV. These are the first and last letters of the Greek words which mean "Mary, Mother of God."

A halo is the depiction of the shining of light and glory of God which transfigure a man who is united with God.

This invisible shining of the light of God in the saints sometimes becomes visible for people around them.

Thus, for example, the holy Prophet Moses had to hide his face with a veil so that people would not be blinded by the light that proceeded from his face.

Also the face of St. Seraphim of Sarov shone like the sun during his talk with Nicholas Motovilov about the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. Motovilov himself wrote that it was not possible for him to look at the face of St. Seraphim.

Thus the Lord glorified His holy saints, who shine with the light of His glory even here on earth.

Questions: What do we call the circle of light which is depicted around the head of the Saviour, the Mother of God and the saints? What does the halo signify?

 

[T.Lex]

Heya foszoe, drove by the church at 106th and Shelborne over the weekend. Looked like Greek Fest was a success.

Found it slightly humorous, in a religious history kinda way, that the protestant place up the street had big signs saying "NO GREEK FEST PARKING" even when they weren't having services.

 

[foszoe]

I forgot that was going on!

Usually try and make it there. It's always a good time.

Yeah They could have even charged for parking

Heya foszoe, drove by the church at 106th and Shelborne over the weekend. Looked like Greek Fest was a success.

Found it slightly humorous, in a religious history kinda way, that the protestant place up the street had big signs saying "NO GREEK FEST PARKING" even when they weren't having services.

 

[IndyTom]

I went, with a Russian Orthodox friend from out of town, to that Greek Orthodox church years ago. Their cantor was amazing.

 

[foszoe]

I went, with a Russian Orthodox friend from out of town, to that Greek Orthodox church years ago. Their cantor was amazing.

I don't know of a church in Indy that had bad singers really. Holy Trinity does have the best cantors though.

Sts Constantine and Elena on 16th street has a great choir.

 

[foszoe]

The Beheading of St John the Baptist

It is customary to observe this day as a fast and not to eat anything from a plate.

Composite 8 - Isaiah 40, 41, 45, 48, 54 (Vespers, 1st reading)

1
Thus saith the Lord: “Comfort, comfort My people,” says God. “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, you Priests, comfort her, for her humiliation is increased, her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight the paths of our God.’
2
“Go up to a high mountain, you who are proclaiming glad tidings to Zion, lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift it up, fear not! I the Lord God, I have heard the poor of Israel and will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the mountains, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the deserts pools of water, and the thirsty land springs of water. Let the heavens rejoice from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth bring forth, and let it sprout forth mercy and cause righteousness to shine forth also.
3
“Declare this with a shout of joy, and let this be known, proclaim it to the end of the earth. Say, ‘The Lord hath redeemed His servant Jacob!’ And if they thirst, he shall lead them through the desert, He shall bring forth water for them out of the rock. Rejoice, O barren one who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry loud, you who have not been in travail! For more are the children of the desolate one than of her who has a husband.”

mposite 9 - Malachi 3, 4 (Vespers, 2nd reading)

1
Thus saith the Lord Almighty: “Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee, and the Lord whom ye seek, shall come into His temple. But who can endure the day of His coming? For He is coming like the fire of a furnace and like the fuller’s herb; and He shall cleanse, refining and purifying, as it were, silver and gold. And He comes to you with judgment, and will be a swift witness against the evil ones and against adulterers, and against those who swear falsely by My name, against those who withhold the hireling’s wages, against those who oppress widows and beat orphans, against those who avoid judgment in favor of strangers, and against those who do not fear him,” saith the Lord Almighty.
2
“For I am the Lord your God, and I change not; and you, the sons of Jacob, have turned aside from the law and have not kept it. Return to Me, therefore, and I will return to you,” saith the Lord Almighty. “And all nations shall call you blessed, and they shall understand that I am the Lord, who distinguishes between the righteous and between the transgressors on that day, in which I shall act to spare those who love Me.
3
“Know, therefore, and remember the Law of Moses, My servant, as I commanded you at Horeb, the statutes and ordinances for all Israel. And behold, I will send to you Elijah the Tishbite before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes, who shall turn the heart of a father to his son, and the heart of a man to his neighbor, lest I come quickly and smite the earth,” saith the Lord Almighty, God, the Holy One of Israel.


Composite 3 - Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5 (Vespers, 3rd reading)

1
The righteous man, though he die early, will be at rest. The righteous man who has died will judge the ungodly who are living. For they will see the end of the righteous, and will not understand what was said about him; for the Lord will cast down the ungodly speechless to the ground and shake them from the foundations; they shall become desolate to the end; they will be in sorrows, and their memory will perish. For they will come with fear at the thought of their sins, and their iniquities shall stand against them to convict them.
2
Then the righteous man will stand with great boldness before those who have afflicted him, and those who have made of no account his labors. Having seen it, they shall be troubled with much fear and they will be amazed at his most-glorious salvation. They will say within themselves in repentance, in anguish of spirit they will groan and say: “This was he whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverb of reproach – we fools! We accounted his life as madness, and his end to be without honor. How is he numbered among the sons of God? And why is his lot among the Saints?
3
“Therefore, we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not illumine us, nor did the sun shine on us. We took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction, and we walked impassable pathways, but the way of the Lord we have not known.”

Matthew 14:1-13
Acts 13:25-33
Mark 6:14-30


The Beheading of the Prophet, Forerunner of the Lord, John the Baptist: The Evangelists Matthew (Mt.14:1-12) and Mark (Mark 6:14-29) provide accounts about the martyric end of John the Baptist in the year 32 after the Birth of Christ.

Following the Baptism of the Lord, Saint John the Baptist was locked up in prison by Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch (ruler of one fourth of the Holy Land) and governor of Galilee. (After the death of king Herod the Great, the Romans divided the territory of Palestine into four parts, and put a governor in charge of each part. Herod Antipas received Galilee from the emperor Augustus).

The prophet of God John openly denounced Herod for having left his lawful wife, the daughter of the Arabian king Aretas, and then instead cohabiting with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip (Luke 3:19-20). On his birthday, Herod made a feast for dignitaries, the elders and a thousand chief citizens. Salome, the daughter of Herod, danced before the guests and charmed Herod. In gratitude to the girl, he swore to give her whatever she would ask, up to half his kingdom.

The vile girl on the advice of her wicked mother Herodias asked that she be given the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod became apprehensive, for he feared the wrath of God for the murder of a prophet, whom earlier he had heeded. He also feared the people, who loved the holy Forerunner. But because of the guests and his careless oath, he gave orders to cut off the head of Saint John and to give it to Salome.

According to Tradition, the mouth of the dead preacher of repentance once more opened and proclaimed: “Herod, you should not have the wife of your brother Philip.” Salome took the platter with the head of Saint John and gave it to her mother. The frenzied Herodias repeatedly stabbed the tongue of the prophet with a needle and buried his holy head in a unclean place. But the pious Joanna, wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, buried the head of John the Baptist in an earthen vessel on the Mount of Olives, where Herod had a parcel of land. (The Uncovering of the Venerable Head is celebrated (February 24). The holy body of John the Baptist was taken that night by his disciples and buried at Sebastia, there where the wicked deed had been done.

After the murder of Saint John the Baptist, Herod continued to govern for a certain time. Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea, later sent Jesus Christ to him, Whom he mocked (Luke 23:7-12).

The judgment of God came upon Herod, Herodias and Salome, even during their earthly life. Salome, crossing the River Sikoris in winter, fell through the ice. The ice gave way in such a way that her body was in the water, but her head was trapped above the ice. It was similar to how she once had danced with her feet upon the ground, but now she flailed helplessly in the icy water. Thus she was trapped until that time when the sharp ice cut through her neck.

Her corpse was not found, but they brought the head to Herod and Herodias, as once they had brought them the head of Saint John the Baptist. The Arab king Aretas, in revenge for the disrespect shown his daughter, made war against Herod. The defeated Herod suffered the wrath of the Roman emperor Caius Caligua (37-41) and was exiled with Herodias first to Gaul, and then to Spain.

The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, a Feast day established by the Church, is also a strict fast day because of the grief of Christians at the violent death of the saint. In some Orthodox cultures pious people will not eat food from a flat plate, use a knife, or eat food that is round in shape on this day.

Troparion — Tone 2

The memory of the righteous is celebrated with hymns of praise, / but the Lord’s testimony is sufficient for you, O Forerunner. / You were shown in truth to be the most honorable of the prophets, / for you were deemed worthy to baptize in the streams of the Jordan Him whom they foretold. / Therefore, having suffered for the truth with joy, / you proclaimed to those in hell God who appeared in the flesh, / who takes away the sin of the world, / and grants us great mercy.

Kontakion — Tone 5

The glorious beheading of the Forerunner, / became an act of divine dispensation, / for he preached to those in hell the coming of the Savior. / Let Herodias lament, for she entreated lawless murder, / loving not the law of God, nor eternal life, / but that which is false and temporal

 

[foszoe]

The rest of the story...

REFLECTION
If you observe how men die, you would see that the death of a man usually resembles his sin. As it is written: "For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (St. Matthew 26:52). Every sin is a knife and men usually are slain by that sin which they most readily committed. An example of this is given to us by Salome, the foul daughter of Herodias who asked for and received from Herod the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Living in Spain in the town of Lerida [Loredo] with the exiled Herod and Herodias, Salome set out one day across the frozen river Sikaris. The ice broke and she fell into the water up to her neck. Icebergs squeezed around her neck and she wiggled, dancing with her feet in the water as she once danced at the court of Herod. However, she was unable either to raise herself up or to drown until a sharp piece of ice severed her head. The water carried her body away and her head was brought to Herodias on a platter as was the head of John the Baptist at one time. Behold how terrible a death resembles the sin committed.

 

[foszoe]

Why we call ourselves Orthodox Christians.

We call ourselves Orthodox Christians because we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ exactly as is written in the "Creed" and belong to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that was founded by the Saviour Himself on earth and which is directed by the Holy Spirit in preserving correctly, gloriously, and without change the teaching of Jesus Christ. That is, we belong to the Orthodox Christian Church.
All the other Christians who confess a faith in Christ which is not the same as the Orthodox Church, do not belong to her and are called the non-Orthodox or heterodox. This includes Catholics (the Roman Catholic Church) and Protestants (Lutherans, Baptists, and sectarians).

Questions: What do we call ourselves and why? What are other Christians called, who do not belong to the Holy Orthodox Church?