Do You Want to Know How the Priest Changes Bread Into the Body of Christ Quote
Eastern Orthodox Church
Orthodox Churches
Orthodox prayer rope ©
The Orthodox Church building is one of the three main Christian groups (the others being Roman Cosmic and Protestant). Around 200 million people follow the Orthodox tradition.
It is made upwardly of a number of self-governing Churches which are either 'autocephalous' (meaning having their own head) or 'democratic' (meaning self-governing).
The Orthodox Churches are united in organized religion and past a common arroyo to theology, tradition, and worship. They draw on elements of Greek, Middle-Eastern, Russian and Slav civilization.
Each Church has its own geographical (rather than a national) championship that commonly reflects the cultural traditions of its believers.
The word 'Orthodox' takes its significant from the Greek words orthos ('right') and doxa ('belief'). Hence the word Orthodox means right conventionalities or right thinking.
The Orthodox tradition developed from the Christianity of the Eastern Roman Empire and was shaped by the pressures, politics and peoples of that geographical area. Since the Eastern upper-case letter of the Roman Empire was Byzantium, this style of Christianity is sometimes called 'Byzantine Christianity'.
The Orthodox Churches share with the other Christian Churches the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The Orthodox Church differs essentially from the other Churches in the manner of life and worship, and in certain aspects of theology.
The Holy Spirit is seen as nowadays in and as the guide to the Church building working through the whole body of the Church building, besides as through priests and bishops.
Are Orthodox Churches the same as Eastern Orthodox Churches?
Not all Orthodox Churches are 'Eastern Orthodox'. The 'Oriental Orthodox Churches' have theological differences with the Eastern Orthodox and class a separate group, while a few Orthodox Churches are not 'in communion' with the others.
Non all Churches in the Eastern tradition are Orthodox - Eastern Churches that are not included in the Orthodox grouping include the Eastern Catholic Churches.
The Eastern Orthodox Churches
The nominal head of the Eastern Orthodox Churches is the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, he is just first among equals and has no real authority over Churches other than his ain.
There are fifteen 'autocephalous Churches', listed in order of precedence.
Churches 1-nine are led by Patriarchs, while the others are led by Archbishops or Metropolitans:
- Church building of Constantinople (ancient)
- Church of Alexandria (ancient)
- Church of Antioch (ancient)
- Church of Jerusalem (ancient)
- Church building of Russian federation (established in 1589)
- Church of Serbia (1219)
- Church of Romania (1925)
- Church of Bulgaria (927)
- Church of Georgia (466)
- Church of Cyprus (434)
- Church building of Greece (1850)
- Church of Poland (1924)
- Church of Albania (1937)
- Church of Czech and Slovak lands (1951)
- The Orthodox Church in America (1970)
The Orthodox communion as well includes a number of 'autonomous Churches':
- Church of Sinai
- Church of Republic of finland
- Church building of Republic of estonia*
- Church building of Japan*
- Church of Red china*
- Church of Ukraine*
- Archdiocese of Ohrid*
* indicates a Church whose autonomy is recognised by but some of the other Churches
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History and schism
The Cracking Schism
The doctrine of the Christian Church was established over the centuries at Councils dating from as early as 325CE where the leaders from all the Christian communities were represented. The Eastern Church building recognizes the dominance of the Councils of Nicea 325 CE, Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431) Chalcedon (451) Constantinople 2 (553), Constantinople III (680) and Nicaea 2 (787).
Although initially the Eastern and Western Christians shared the same faith, the two traditions began to dissever after the 7th Ecumenical Council in 787 CE and is commonly believed to accept finally split over the disharmonize with Rome in the so called Swell Schism in 1054.
In detail this happened over the papal claim to supreme authority and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The break became final with the failure of the Council of Florence in the fifteenth century.
However, in the minds of nigh Orthodox, a decisive moment was the sack of Constantinople in 1204 during the (Western Christian) Fourth Crusade. The sacking of Constantinople past the Crusaders eventually led to the loss of this Byzantine capital to the Muslim Ottomans in 1453. This has never been forgotten.
The divisions between the Due east and Western Churches happened gradually over the centuries as the Roman Empire fragmented.
Eventually, while the Eastern Churches maintained the principle that the Church building should continue to the local language of the community, Latin became the language of the Western Church building.
Until the schism the 5 bang-up patriarchal sees were Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. After the break with Rome Orthodoxy became 'Eastern' and the dominant expression of Christianity in the eastern Mediterranean, much of Asia Minor, Russian and Balkans.
Life and worship
Life and worship
Eastern Christianity stresses a way of life and conventionalities that is expressed particularly through worship. By maintaining the correct class of worshipping God, passed on from the very beginnings of Christianity. Eastern Christians believe that they confess the true doctrine of God in the right (orthodox) way.
The Orthodox Bible is almost the aforementioned every bit that found in Western Churches ©
The Bible of the Orthodox Church building is the aforementioned equally that of almost Western Churches, except that its Old Testament is based not on the Hebrew, just on the ancient Jewish translation into Greek called the Septuagint.
The wisdom of the Fathers of the Church is central to the Orthodox way of life as today's inheritors of the "true organized religion and Church" passed on in its purest class. By maintaining the purity of the inherited teachings of the Apostles, believers are made more enlightened of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit being present both in history and at the present solar day.
A life of prayer
At the eye of worship and conventionalities is the Eucharist surrounded by the Divine Offices or the Cycle of Prayer. These prayers are sung particularly at Sunset and Dawn and at certain other times during the day and nighttime.
Personal prayer plays an important part in the life of an Orthodox Christian. For many Orthodox Christians an important form of prayer is the Jesus Prayer. This is a sentence which is repeated many times; for example: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, accept mercy on me, a sinner." The aim of this repetition is to enable the person to concentrate solely on God.
The strict life of a monk or nun is seen as an important expression of organized religion.
Mount Athos and Monasticism
Monastery on Mountain Athos ©
Monasticism is a central office of the Orthodox faith. Mount Athos in north-eastern Greece is described as the centre of Orthodox monasticism. Information technology is the simply place in Greece completely dedicated to prayer and worship of God. For this reason, information technology is chosen the Holy Mountain.
Most monasteries are coenobitic: living a communal life. The peninsula is divided into 20 self-governed territories. Each territory consists of a major monastery and some other monastic establishments that environs it (cloisters, cells, cottages, seats, hermitages).
For monk and nun alike, their spiritual life should follow the same way of living that all Christians try to reach by post-obit God's commandants. While non being against marriage, information technology is generally accepted that celibacy in the Church allows for a closer agreement of the Christian life away from worldly things.
Fasting and prayer
Fasting and prayer play an of import part of the Orthodox Christian life. Orthodox believe that fasting can be the 'foundation of all good'. The subject area of training the trunk can enable a laic to concentrate the listen totally on preparation for prayer and things spiritual.
At that place are 4 master fasting periods:
- The Neat Fast or the catamenia of Lent
- The Fast of the Apostles: Viii days after Pentecost until 28th June. The ends with the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
- The Dormition Fast which begins on 1st August and ends on the 14th Baronial
- The Christmas Fast from 15 November to 24th Dec.
Also all Wednesdays and Fridays are expected to be days of fasting.
Fifty-fifty though today the call to fast is non ever strictly followed, however many devout Orthodox Christians do undergo a time of genuine hardship and it has been said that:
Orthodox Christians in the twentieth century - laity as well as monks - fast with a severity for which there is no parallel in western Christendom...
Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church
A discussion of self-deprival
Contributors from Opus Dei and a Greek Orthodox church talk over self-denial and corporal mortification with a Muslim clergyman.
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Sacraments
Sacred Mysteries (sacraments)
The following seven principal Mysteries or sacraments are at the heart of the Eastern Orthodox Church building.
Baptism and Chrismation
The commencement two are Baptism and Chrismation. Baptism of adults and infants is by immersion in water three times in the name of the Trinity and is both the initiation into the Church and a sign of forgiveness of sins.
Chrismation follows immediately after baptism and is by anointing with holy oil called Chrism. Chrismation is followed by Holy Communion. This ways that in the Orthodox Church building babies and children are fully communicant members of the Church building.
Chrism can only be consecrated by the Patriarch, or chief Bishop, of the local Church building. Some of the old Chrism is mixed with the new, thus linking the newly baptised to their forbears in the faith.
The Chrism is used to bless different parts of the trunk with a sign of the cross. The forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth and ears, the chest, the hands and the feet are all all-powerful. The priest says the words, "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit" as he makes the sign of the cantankerous at each bespeak.
The newly baptised Christian is now a layperson, a full fellow member of the people of God (the 'Imperial Priesthood'). All Christians are called to be witnesses to the Truth.
Chrismation is linked to Pentecost in that the same Holy Spirit which descended on the apostles descends on the newly baptised.
The Eucharist
The Eucharist, usually called the Divine Liturgy, fulfils the command of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper: "Do this in remembrance of me".
Singing hymns ©
Every bit in many Western churches the Eucharist is a service consisting, in the first part, of hymns, prayers, and readings from the New Testament, and in the 2d the solemn offering and consecration of leavened breadstuff and wine mixed with water, followed by the reception of Holy Communion.
The Orthodox believe that by the induction the bread and wine are truly inverse into the Body and Blood of Christ. Communion is given in a spoon containing both the bread and the wine and is received standing. A sermon is ordinarily preached either after the reading of the Gospel or at the end of the service. At the end of the Liturgy blessed, merely not consecrated, staff of life is distributed to the congregation, and non-Orthodox are oft invited to share in this as a gesture of fellowship.
Both parts of the Liturgy contain a procession. At the Piffling Entrance, the Volume of the Gospels is solemnly carried into the sanctuary and at the Great Entrance the bread and vino are carried to the altar for the Prayer of Consecration and Holy Communion.
The prayer of induction is always preceded by the annunciation of the Nicene Creed, frequently past the whole congregation.
The Orthodox Church lays detail emphasis on the function of the Holy Spirit in the Eucharist, and in the Prayer of Consecration calls on the Father to send down his Holy Spirit to upshot the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.
In that location are four unlike liturgies used throughout the year:
- The Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (used on Sundays and weekdays)
- The Liturgy of St Basil the Neat (used x times a year)
- The Liturgy of St James, the Brother of the Lord (sometimes used on St James' Day)
- The Liturgy of the Presanctified (used on Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent and on the first iii days of Holy Week)
Greek Orthodox priests ©
Orders
Although the Church building is a self-governing community the Church recognises the diaconate, the presbyterate or priesthood and the episcopate (bishops).
The Bishops in the Orthodox Church are considered to exist the direct successors of the original Apostles and they are very much a unifying focus in the Church. Priests in the Orthodox Church building are permitted to be married but may non ally after ordination. Bishops must always exist chaste. Orthodox priests normally do not shave their beards, in accord with the Bible.
You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.
Leviticus 19:27
Penance
All Orthodox Churches employ the Mystery of Penance, or Confession, but in Greek speaking Churches only priests who have been blessed by the Bishop as 'Spiritual Fathers' are immune to hear confession. Children may be admitted to the sacrament of Confession every bit soon as they are old enough to know the difference betwixt right and incorrect.
Through this sacrament sinners may receive forgiveness. They enter into confession with a priest ofttimes in an open expanse in the church (not in a confessional as in the Roman Cosmic tradition nor separated by a grille).
Confession ©
Both priest and penitent stand up and a cross and volume of the Gospels or an icon is placed in front of the penitent with the priest standing slightly apart. This stresses that the priest is simply a witness and that forgiveness comes from God not the priest.
The priest will so hear the confession and maybe give advice. After confession the penitent kneels before the priest, who places his stole on the penitent's head maxim a prayer of absolution.
Anointing of the sick
In Greek-speaking Churches this is performed annually for the whole congregation during Holy Week on the eve of Holy Wednesday. Everyone is encouraged to come forward for anointing with the special oil whether they are physically ill or not. This is because it is generally held that all are in need of spiritual healing even if they are physically well.
Anointing of the sick tin also be performed on individuals. People sometimes keep the blessed oil of the sick in their homes.
The Church anoints the sick with oil, following the teaching of St James in his Epistle (5:xiv-15), "Is anyone among you lot sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of organized religion will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins he will exist forgiven."
This sacrament,', remarks Sergius Bulgakov, 'has two faces: i turns towards healing, the other towards the liberation from illness by expiry.
Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church
Spousal relationship
Matrimony is celebrated through the rite of crowning, showing the importance of eternal union of the couple. Although marriage is seen as a permanent commitment in life and in decease, remarriage and divorce are permitted in certain circumstances.
Icons
Icons
Icon of the Virgin and child ©
Icons are of smashing importance to Orthodox Christians. These beautiful and elaborate paintings are described as "windows into the kingdom of God". They are used in worship both in the decoration of the church and for private homes. The icon is seen as both a class of prayer and a ways to prayer.
An icon is commonly an elaborate, ii dimensional painting. They often have a gold leaf background and are ordinarily on wood. They depict Christ, his mother Mary, scenes from the Bible or the lives of the Saints.
The iconographer prepares for the painting of an icon with prayer and fasting. By worshipping at the Icon the Orthodox Christian enters into a sacred place with God.
The icon is venerated and oft candles and oil lamps are burnt earlier them. The worshipper kisses the icon, making the sign of the Cross and may kneel or prostrate before information technology.
In almost Orthodox churches the Altar, or sanctuary, is separated from the main trunk of the church by a solid screen (known as the iconostasis), pierced past 3 doors, the one in the centre being known as the Holy door. The screen is decorated with icons, of which the principal ones are those on either side of the Holy Door of Christ and the Mother of God.
Sir John Tavener ©
These are normally flanked by icons of St John the Baptist and of the Saint, or Feast, to which the church is dedicated. In Russian churches the iconostasis normally forms a solid wall decorated with 4 or five rows of icons according to an elaborate traditional arrangement.
The composer Sir John Tavener is one of Britain's virtually famous followers of Orthodox Christianity and calls icons "the well-nigh sacred, the most transcendent fine art that exists". In this clip he talks about his estimation of these works of fine art.
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Calendar and Christmas
The Orthodox calendar
After World War I various Orthodox Churches, beginning with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, began to carelessness the Julian calendar or Old Calendar, and adopt a form of the Gregorian agenda or New Agenda. The Julian calendar is, at the present time, thirteen days backside the Gregorian Agenda.
Today, many Orthodox Churches (with the exception of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, and Mount Athos) apply the New, Gregorian Calendar for fixed feasts and holy days but the Julian agenda for Easter and movable feasts. In this manner all the Orthodox celebrate Easter together.
The Orthodox Church building calendar begins on September 1st and ends on Baronial 31st. Each twenty-four hour period is sacred: each is a saint'southward solar day, so at least one saint is venerated daily.
Orthodox Christmas
Candles ©
Christmas is celebrated by Orthodox Christians in Fundamental and Eastern Europe and throughout the world on the 7th of January in the Gregorian Agenda - 13 days after other Christians.
In the Eastward, Christmas is preceded by a 40 24-hour interval fast beginning on November 15th. This is a time of reflection, self-restraint and inner healing in the sacrament of confession.
Usually, on Christmas Eve, observant Orthodox Christians fast till late evening, until the first star appears. When the star is seen, people lay the tabular array set for the Christmas supper.
On Christmas Twenty-four hours people have part in divine liturgy, after which many walk in procession to seas, rivers and lakes. Everyone gathers effectually in the snow for outdoor ceremonies to bless the water. Sometimes rivers are frozen, and then people brand holes in the ice to anoint the water. Some have water domicile to anoint their houses. Then a great feast is held indoors where everyone joins in to eat, drink and enjoy themselves.
A Orthodox Russian custom is to serve Christmas cakes and to sing songs. The tradition is mixed with other pagan traditions of ancient Russia such that people may visit their neighbours in disguises, dance, sing and enquire for presents, like to trick-or-treating.
In that location are similarities, as well equally differences, betwixt the Eastern and Western celebration of Christmas. The Eastern Christmas has a very stiff family and social entreatment just as it does in the West. It brings people of all generations together to gloat the birth of Jesus Christ.
Unlike the West, where Christmas ranks supreme, in the Eastward it is Easter, centred on the cross and the resurrection of Christ, which is the supreme festival of the yr. Eastern Orthodox Christmas likewise lacks the commercial side that is typical of the West.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/easternorthodox_1.shtml
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