| John Anthony McGuckin Priesthood GEORGE E. DEMACOPOULOS The term “priesthood” (hierosynes) in Orthodox thought simultaneously refers to the clerical orders in general and the specific clerical rank of the priest or presbyter (presbyteros). The concept of Christian priesthood originated during the 1st and early 2nd centuries through a conceptual bridging of the Eucharistic meal and the ancient Hebraic practice (shared by many Greco-Roman cults) in which a specific group of leaders was responsible for making a sacrificial offering to God on behalf of the community. In Christian theology, of course, the Eucharistic meal is understood to be a bloodless sacrifice through which Christ himself, in the form of the High Priest (Heb. 2.17, 3.1, 4.14), offers the sacrifice of himself in order to reconcile to God those who consume the meal. In the celebration of the divine liturgy, the priest stands in the place of Christ, leading the community in the presentation of the bread and wine as the sacrifice. As a consequence, the celebrant is sometimes understood to represent Christ within the community of believers. With time, the function ofthe priesthood expanded greatly beyond its initial Eucharistic role to incorporate other sacramental, pastoral, and administrative responsibilities. In the New Testament the terms for presbyter (literally, “elder”) and bishop (episkopos, literally, “overseer”) seem to be interchangeable (e.g., Titus 1.5–7). By the late 1st or early 2nd century, however, the bishop emerged as the clear leader ofthe local community. Presbyters played a subordinate role as teachers, administrators, and as a council of advisers, but were clearly seen to outrank the order ofdeacons. As Christianity expanded and local communities grew larger than a single (cathedral) city church could contain, both urban and rural bishops began to invest individual priests with the authority to celebrate the Eucharistic meal in outlying parishes and perform baptisms in their stead. In this early period the priest was only permitted to serve this function within those parishes directly under his bishop’s jurisdiction and he was not permitted to serve private chapels (see Trullo, Canons 31, 59). Moreover, a priest was not permitted to move to another diocese without approval. Similarly, teaching authority remained technically within the bishop’s domain, but parish priests increasingly assumed primary catechetical and doctrinal instruction for most Christian communities. |
| Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches-Message Natalya Mihailova 10 March 2014 Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches (Phanar, March 6-9, 2014) Message In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Through the grace of God, the Primates of the Most Holy Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, to the Orthodox faithful throughout the world, all of our Christian brothers and sisters as well as every person of goodwill: we extend God’s blessing and our greeting of love and peace. “We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 1.2-3) 1. Having convened by the grace of our compassionate God, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, at the Phanar, from March 6-9, 2014; having deliberated in fraternal love on matters concerning our Holy Church today; and concelebrating in the Patriarchal Church of St. George on the glorious occasion of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we address you with these words of love, peace and consolation. Inasmuch as our One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Orthodox Church dwells in the world, it also experiences the challenges of every age. Faithful to Holy Tradition, the Church of Christ is in constant dialogue with every period of time, suffering with human beings and sharing their anguish. For “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and to the ages” (Heb. 13.8). The trials and challenges of history are especially acute in our days, and Orthodox Christians cannot remain uninvolved or indifferent to them. This is why we have assembled “together in one place” (Acts 2.1) in order to reflect on the problems and temptations facing humanity today. “There is fighting without and fear within.” (2 Cor. 7.5) These Apostolic words are also valid for the Church today. 2. In reflecting upon people’s suffering throughout the world, we express our support for the martyrdom and our admiration for the witness of Christians in the Middle East, Africa, and other parts of the world. We call to mind their dual martyrdom: for their faith as well as for the safeguarding of their historical relationship with people of other religious conviction. We denounce the lack of peace and stability, which is prompting Christians to abandon the land where our Lord Jesus Christ was born and whence the Good News spread to the entire world. |
| Archive His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent Paschal greetings to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches 28 April 2019 year 15:18 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent Paschal greetings to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches: His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria; His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch; His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem; His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Iliya II of All Georgia; His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia; His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania; His Holiness Patriarch Neofit of Bulgaria; His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus; His Beatitude Archbishop Hieronymos II of Athens and All Greece; His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania; His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland; His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada. The text reads as follows: CHRIST IS RISEN! By these life-asserting words I cordially greet you with the Triumph of Triumphs – the Feast of Holy Pascha. On this day let us embrace one other joyously and glorify God “which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3) and made us “heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit 3:7). “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:2), let us “be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love and be of the same mind one toward another” (Rom 12:10,16), in order to do all those things which are commanded us by the Lord (cf. Lk 17:10) and to bear witness to the evangelic truth before the world. I prayerfully wish you radiant Paschal joy from the All-Generous God and good health for successfully continuing your lofty and responsible Primatial ministry. With brotherly love in Christ Risen, +KIRILL PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
| Synaxis of the Archangel Michael & the other Bodiless Powers: Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salaphiel, Jegudiel & Barachiel SOURCE: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America November 8/21 Reading All the Angels, according to the Apostle Paul, are ministering spirits, - sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation - (Heb. 1:14). God set them as overseers of every nation and people, and guides to that which is profitable (Deut. 32:8); and while one Angel is appointed to oversee each nation as a whole, one is also appointed to protect each Christian individually. He commands them to guard them that hope on Him, that nothing should harm them, neither should any evil draw nigh to their dwelling (Ps. 90:10-12). In the Heavens they always behold the face of God, sending up to Him the thrice-holy hymn and interceding with Him in our behalf, seeing they rejoice over one sinner that repents (Esaias 6:2-3; Matt. 18:10; Luke 15:7). In a word, they have served God in so many ways for our benefit, that the pages of Holy Scripture are filled with the histories thereof. It is for these reasons that the Orthodox Catholic Church, wisely honouring these divine ministers, our protectors and guardians, celebrates today the present Synaxis that is, our coming together in assembly for their common feast to chant their praises, especially for the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, who are mentioned in the Scriptures by name. The name Michael means " Who is like God? " and Gabriel means " God is mighty. " The number of Angels is not defined in the divine Scriptures, where Daniel says that thousands of thousands ministered before Him, and ten thousands of ten thousands attended upon Him -(Dan. 7:10). But all of them are divided into nine orders which are called Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim, Dominions, Powers, Authorities, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone O Commanders of the Heavenly Host, we the unworthy beseech you, that through your entreaties you will fortify us, guarding us in the shelter of the wings of your ethereal glory, even as we fervently bow before you crying: " Deliver us from all danger, as Commanders of the Powers on high! " Kontakion in the Second Tone Chief Commanders of God; ministers of divine glory; guides for men and leadership of the Incorporeal; as Chief Commanders of the Incorporeal, plead for our welfare and for great mercy. 19 ноября 2012 г. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Michael Prokurat, Alexander Golitzin, Michael D. Peterson Скачать epub pdf APOSTASY APOSTASY. From the Greek “defection” (or literally “standing off”) and beginning with a political association (“rebel”), it came to mean an abandonment or renunciation of God and religion in the Septuagint (q.v.) (Josh 22:22; 2 Chr 29:19). Paul is accused of apostasy in Acts 21when he did not require Christian Jews to keep the Law of Moses. Another different reference to general apostasy is recorded in 2 Th 2:3–4, which reflects Jewish apocalyptic expectations (cf. Dan 11:36–37 ) of the end time. Apostasy from Christianity is considered an unpardonable sin in Heb 6:1–8. Theological justification for strictness in dealing with apostasy is given in 2 Clement 8: Since there is no repentance after death, it is important to keep the flesh pure and the seal of baptism undefiled (see also chs. 9, 17). Whether these references were a localized interpretation, tautological (i.e., one who is defecting cannot be simultaneously repenting), or the universal teaching in the 1st c. A.D., denunciations of apostates soon changed somewhat and appeared in a modified form. In the earliest Christian interpretation, apostasy-as murder or fornication-was accounted unpardonable sin (q.v.). In the Shepherd of Hermas (q.v.), dated to about the same time as 2 Clement (mid-2nd c.), there are numerous references to the possibility of repentance after apostasy, although apostates are in the last instance labeled worse than unbelievers (Similitude 9.XVIII.1–4). Mandate 4.III speaks of repentance for sin after Baptism (q.v.), and the next section goes on to talk about second marriages. Sim. 8.VI explains the possibility of repentance with many examples illustrating that almost every, if not every, apostasy or sin may be absolved. Similarly, Sim. 9.XIII.6 f. describes the “rejected stones” who were apostate after fleshly things, and that they also have the possibility of repentance (9.XIV. 1–3). The Church continued to utilize the antithetical tension between Hebrews and Hennas, frequently requiring public penance of baptized persons guilty of apostasy. (See Confession.) Читать далее Источник: The A to Z of the Orthodox Church/Michael Prokurat, Alexander Golitzin, Michael D. Peterson - Scarecrow Press, 2010. - 462 p. ISBN 1461664039 Поделиться ссылкой на выделенное |
| The sacrament of marriage and its impediments: Draft document of the Pan-Orthodox Council Source: DECR The document is approved by the Synaxis of the Primates of Local Orthodox Churches on January 21 – 28, 2016, in Chambesy, with the exception of representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Antioch and Georgia. It is published by the decision of the Synaxis of the Primates. 1. Orthodox marriage 1) The institute of family is threatened today by such phenomena as secularization and moral relativism. The Orthodox Church asserts the sacral nature of marriage as her fundamental and indisputable doctrine. The free union of man and woman is an indispensable condition for marriage. 2) In the Orthodox Church, marriage is considered to be the oldest institution of divine law since it was instituted at the same time as the first human beings, Adam and Eve, were created (Gen. 2:23). Since its origin this union was not only the spiritual communion of the married couple – man and woman, but also assured the continuation of the human race. Blessed in Paradise, the marriage of man and woman became a holy mystery, which is mentioned in the New Testament in the story about Cana of Galilee, where Christ gave His first sign by turning water into wine thus revealing His glory (Jn. 2:11). The mystery of the indissoluble union of man and woman is the image of the unity of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:32). 3) The Christ-centered nature of marriage explains why a bishop or a presbyter blesses this sacred union with a special prayer. In his letter to Polycarp of Smyrna, St. Ignatius the God-Bearer stressed that those who enter into the communion of marriage “must also have the bishop’s approval, so that their marriage may be according to God, and not after their own lust. Let everything be to the glory of God” (Poly. 5).The sacred nature of the God-established union and its lofty spiritual content explain the Apostle’s affirmation: Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure (Heb. 13:4). That is why the Orthodox Church condemned any defilement of its purity (Eph. 5:2-5, 1 Thes. 4:4, Heb. 13:4ff). |
| Why do We Fast? When you fast, do you ever feel sorely challenged, irritated and impatient; annoyed with the lack of food? Sometimes the fasting experience seems negative. “Why do I put myself through this?” I sometimes ask. What keeps us fasting, attending services, observing a daily rule of prayer and following the ascetical practices of the Church? Source: Orthodox New England, Summer 2008 By faith Moses, . . . considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward. (Heb. 11:26) . . . let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross . . . (Heb. 12:1-2) The Church gives us several fasting seasons throughout the year: Great Lent, the Apostles Fast, the Dormition Fast and the Advent Fast. Additionally, there is the ongoing Wednesday and Friday fasting. But why do we fast? Why do we have these seasons? When you fast, do you ever feel sorely challenged, irritated and impatient; annoyed with the lack of food? Sometimes the fasting experience seems negative. “Why do I put myself through this?” I sometimes ask. What keeps us fasting, attending services, observing a daily rule of prayer and following the ascetical practices of the Church? As I was growing up in rural Northern Illinois, my friends and I used to love to go camping. The kind of camping we did was not state park camping. No, our favorite spots were in pastures where cows would graze, perhaps beside a creek that wound its way between cornfields, or near a stand of timber on the back acreage of a farm. We’d get permission from the farmer, usually someone who knew who we were or belonged to our church, and we’d load the car with all the necessary stuff to spend a night outdoors. Food and utensils were boxed up; water was put in coolers; sleeping bags and bug spray were rounded up. We’d also throw in our tents, plastic to put on the ground, pillows, flashlights, and all the stuff needed to start a fire and keep it going. We’d drive as close as we could to the camping spot and then haul all that stuff by hand the rest of the way. It was a lot of work! Then we’d sleep on the ground, fight the bugs, get smoke in our eyes, wake up damp and unrested . . . only to pack everything up again and haul it away. |
| On the Saints of the Old Testament St. Gregory Palamas Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. David indicates that our Lord Jesus Christ has no genealogy with regard to His divinity (Ps. 110:4), Isaiah says the same (Isa. 53:8), and later so does the apostle (Heb. 7:3). How can the descent be traced of Him “who is in the beginning, and is with God, and is God, and is the Word and Son of God” (cf. Jn. 1:1-2, 18)? He does not have a Father who was before Him, and shares with His Father “a name which is above every name” and all speech (Phil. 2:9). For the most part, genealogies are traced back through different surnames; but there is no surname for God (cf. Gen. 32:29), and whatever may be said of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they are one and do not differ in any respect. Impossible to recount is Christ’s descent according to His divinity, but His ancestry according to His human nature can be traced, since He who deigned to become Son of Man in order to save mankind was the offspring of men. And it is this genealogy of His that two of the evangelists, Matthew and Luke, recorded. But although Matthew, in the passage from his Gospel read today, begins with those born first, he makes no mention of anyone born before Abraham He traces the line down from Abraham until he reaches Joseph to whom, by divine dispensation, the Virgin Mother of God was betrothed (Matt. 1:1-16), being of the same tribe and homeland as him, that her own stock may be shown from this to be in no way inferior. Luke, by contrast, begins not with the earliest forebears but the most recent, and working his way back from Joseph the Betrothed, does not stop at Abraham, nor, having included Abraham’s predecessors, does he end with Adam, but lists God among Christ’s human forebears (Lk. 3:23-38); wishing to show, in my opinion, that from the beginning man was not just a creation of God, but also a son in the Spirit, which was given to him at the same time as his soul, through God’s quickening breath (Gen. 2:7). It was granted to him as a pledge that, if, waiting patiently for it, he kept the commandment, he would be able to share through the same Spirit in a more perfect union with God, by which he would live forever with Him and obtain immortality. |
| John Anthony McGuckin Cross JOHN A. MCGUCKIN Orthodox theology approaches the cross of Christ most characteristically as a trophy of divine glory. It is the cipher above all others that sums up and encapsulates the love and mercy of the Lord for his adopted race. It is the “sign of salvation,” the icon of hope. In many Orthodox painted crosses the title bar does not read “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” (INRI in Latin, INBI in Greek, IHЦI in Slavonic), but is made to read “The Lord of Glory,” and often on Orthodox devotional crosses one reads marked there the generic superscription Philanthropos Theos: “The God Who Loves Mankind.” At first, early Christian theology demonstrated mainly a horrified sense of awe that the powers of wickedness could treat the Lord in such a violent way (Acts 2.22–35). But the tone was decidedly that God’s glorification of his servant Jesus far outweighed the dishonor that the dark spiritual powers tried to inflict. The Apostle Peter, in his speech to the people of Jerusalem, sums it up in the words: “God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2.36). There is a regular contrasted pairing of the ideas of humiliation (in the cross) and exalted glorification of Jesus by God (because of the faithfulness to the point of crucifixion) such as can be seen in the ancient hymn which the Apostle Paul quotes ( Phil. 2.6–11 ), as well as in the schemes of Ascent (Anabasis) and Descent (Katabasis) that structure St. John’s theology of crucifixion and glorification in his profound gospel (cf. Jn. 3.13–15 ). St. Paul took a decisive step when he made the cross not merely a scandal to be explained away but a mystery of faith and God’s love that ought to be celebrated as pivotal ( Gal. 6.14 ). The cross in Christian use was already, and rapidly, shifting away from a thing of shame to being the great sign of the new covenant of reconciliation ( Eph. 2.16 ; Col. 1.20; Heb. 12.2). In the early apologists and apostolic fathers the cross is rarely mentioned (though see Ignatius of Antioch, Letters to the Ephesians 9.1; 18.1; To the Trallians 11.2; To the Philadelphians 8.2). But popular devotion to it as a confident symbol of Christian victory over the powers of this world was steadily growing, as can be seen in the appearance in art and inscription from the 2nd century onwards of the cross-shaped monogram Fos – Zoe (“Light and Life in the Cross”: one must imagine the words written at right angles to one another, Fos down vertically, Zoe horizontally, making a cross, with the middle letter of both being shared in common). |
| How angels help us pass through the tollhouses. Examples from the Lives of the Saints The Way of All Flesh: Conversation 2, Part 5 Archpriest Oleg Stenyayev On the angels’ help for people in life and in passing through the tollhouses That the angels act as intercessors (“those angelic spirits in their boundless love defended and supported me”—see Conversation 2, Part 3 ) is something we find in Holy Scripture, where it is written: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Heb. 1:14)—that is, their very function consists in helping us struggle against the demons. And if we become the offenders of the defenseless, unfortunate, and “little ones” (Mt. 18:60), then Christ warns us that their special status of being God’s close ones can be used against us: Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels (that is, those who we might disdain, insult, or persecute.—Archpriest O. S.) do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven (Matt. 18:10)—it follows that they can intercede for those whom they protect. Without a doubt, the angels watch after the paths of each of us, are not removed from our problems, and experience great joy if we step upon the path of repentance and correction. It has been said, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth (Luke 15:10); they are the ones who bear our prayers before the throne of God, as it is written: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand (Rev. 8:3-4). The phrase, “with the prayers of the saints” witnesses to the fact that the prayers of a living or reposed saint reach the Son of God not without the help of the angels, and the Son of God, as the only Intercessor one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5), intercedes for us before His Heavenly Father. |
|
|
