Stavros requires that one attend church regularly over a period of several months, as well as take the Orthodoxy class a three-session class held twice a year. For more information on conversion to the Orthodox Church, please call the office or email Fr. All Orthodox Christians are required to receive the sacrament of Chrismation.
For those coming into the Orthodox Church later in life, a person originally baptized according the Trinitarian formula Father, Son and Holy Spirit would receive the sacrament of Chrismation alone and would not need to be rebaptized.
The sacrament, as it applies to adult converts, consists of a number of prayers and hymns, all of which are also used during the Baptism Service. The conferring of the grace of God through the sacrament takes place as the priest anoints the forehead, chin, ears, and hands of the newly baptized with chrism myron , a mixture of olive oil and balsam. The catechumen the person who has studied the faith also is expected to recite the Nicene Creed as an indication of their acceptance of the Orthodox faith and doctrines.
Thus, it is only after our Chrismation that the baptismal procession is made and that we hear the epistle and the gospel of our salvation and illumination in Christ. The tonsure, which is the cutting of hair from the head in the sign of the cross, is the sign that the person completely offers himself to God — hair being the symbol of strength Jud Orthodox Catholics believe that only Orthodox Catholics may receive communion in their church because, as discussed before, Eucharist is one of the holiest of the sacred sacraments.
Greek Orthodox Catholics believe that partaking in the Eucharist is one of the greatest ways of affirming their faith, one which they believe to the only and true interpretation of God's message. Further, Greek Orthodox Catholics believe that if a non-member takes communion, they are consuming the body and blood of Christ without either believing they are, or having undergone baptism and confirmation. They also believe that taking communion at another church, such as Anglican or Lutheran, nullifies their Orthodoxy; and if an Orthodox Catholic has taken communion at another church and should happen to die, they are considered having died a heretic.
Finally, Greek Orthodox Catholics must fast during the day before they receive their first communion whereas Catholics of other denominations need only fast an hour before taking communion.
Based primarily in Toronto, Christina Strynatka has been writing culture-related articles since with her work appearing in "Excalibur," "BallnRoll"and "Addicted Magazine. Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages.
Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. See disclaimer. Through this Sacrament, a man and a woman are publicly joined as husband and wife. They enter into a new relationship with each other, God, and the Church.
Since Marriage is not viewed as a legal contract, there are no vows in the Sacrament. According to Orthodox teachings, Marriage is not simply a social institution, it is an eternal vocation of the kingdom. A husband and a wife are called by the holy Spirit not only to live together but also to share their Christian life together so that each, with the aid of the other, may grow closer to God and become the persons they are meant to be.
In the Orthodox Marriage Service, after the couple have been betrothed and exchanged rings, they are crowned with "crowns of glory and honor" signifying the establishment of a new family under God. Near the conclusion of the Service, the husband and wife drink from a common cup which is reminiscent of the wedding of Cana and which symbolized the sharing of the burdens and joys of their new life together. Through ordination, men who have been chosen from within the Church are set apart by the Church for special service to the Church.
Each is called by God through His people to stand amid the community, as pastor and teacher, and as the representative of the parish before the Altar. Each is also a living icon of Christ among His people. According to Orthodox teaching, the process of ordination begins with the local congregation; but the bishop alone, who acts in the name of the universal Church, can complete the action.
He does so with the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the imposition of his hands on the person being ordained. Following the custom of the Apostolic Church, there are three major orders each of which requires a special ordination. These are Bishop, who is viewed as a successor of the Apostles, Priest and Deacon, who act in the name of the Bishop.
Each order is distinguished by its pastoral responsibilities. Only a Bishop may ordain. Often, other titles and offices are associated with the three orders.
The Orthodox Church permits men to marry before they are ordained. Since the sixth century, Bishops have been chosen from the celibate clergy. When one is ill and in pain, this can very often be a time of life when one feels alone and isolated.
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, or Holy Unction as it is also known, remind us that when we are in pain, either physical, emotional, or spiritual, Christ is present with us through the ministry of his Church. He is among us to offer strength to meet the challenges of life, and even the approach of death. As with Chrismation, oil is also used in this Sacrament as a sign of God's presence, strength, and forgiveness. After the reading of seven epistle lessons, seven gospel lessons and the offering of seven prayers, which are all devoted to healing, the priest anoints the body with the Holy Oil.
Orthodoxy does not view this Sacrament as available only to those who are near death. It is offered to all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit.
The Orthodox Church has never formally determined a particular number of Sacraments. In addition to the Eucharist she accepts the above six Mysteries as major Sacraments because they involve the entire community and most important are closely relation to the Eucharist.
There are many other Blessings and Special Services which complete the major Sacraments, and which reflect the Church's presence throughout the lives of her people. Some of these are discussed in the following pamphlet in this series.
Treasures Of Orthodoxy is a series of pamphlets written for the non-Orthodox, especially those who are considering becoming members of the Orthodox Church and who wish to deepen their appreciation of her faith, worship, and traditions.
The pamphlets are authored by Fr. The pamphlet titles are as follows:. The orginal article published in the pamphlet Treasures of the Orthodox Church was titled "The Sacraments. Thomas Fitzgerald. Chrismation The Sacrament of Chrismation Confirmation immediately follows baptism and is never delayed until a later age.
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