| John Anthony McGuckin Baptism SERGEY TROSTYANSKIY Baptism is the first sacrament of the Orthodox Church. In the Early Christian centuries this mystery was known under various names, including “the washing of regeneration,” Illumination (photismos) and “the sacrament of water.” In Christianity baptism is also considered the most important sacrament of the church, as it initiates one into mystical communion with Christ. Therefore, it is also called “the door” that leads peoples into the Christian Church. Baptism completely releases the believer from ancestral sin and personal sins committed up until that time. It is rebirth into new life, justification, and restoration of communion with God. The theological significance of baptism in Orthodox Christianity is summed up in its primary sacramental symbols: water, oil, and sacred chrism. As Fr. Alexander Schmemann noted, water is the most ancient and universal of religious symbols. It has multiple, in some cases contradictory, scriptural significations attached to it. On the one hand, it is the principle of life, the primal matter of the world, a biblical symbol of the Divine Spirit ( Jn. 4.10–14; 7.38–39 ); on the other, it is a symbol of destruction and death (the Flood, the drowning of the pharaoh), and of the irrational and demonic powers of the world (as in the icon of Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan). Sacramentally, the use of water symbolizes purification, regeneration, and renewal. It has an extraordinary significance in the Creation narrative of the Old Testament, and is also a key symbol in the Exodus story. In the New Testament it is associated with St. John the Baptist and his washing of repentance and forgiveness. These three biblical types are combined powerfully in the Orthodox ritual of baptism. In Christianity water became a symbol that incorporated the entire content of the Christian faith. It stands for creation, fall, redemption, life, death, and resurrection. St. Paul the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans (6.3–11) gives a foundational account of this mystical symbolism. St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in his 4th-century homilies on the “awe-inspiring rites of initiation” (Mystagogic Catecheses) described what takes place during baptism as “an iconic imitation” of Christ’s sufferings, death, and resurrection that constitutes our true salvation. Thus, here a believer dies and rises again “after the pattern” of Christ " s death and resurrection. Death symbolizes sin, rejection of God, and the break of communion with God. Christ, however, destroyed death by removing sin and corruption. Here death becomes a passage into communion, love, and joy. Baptism dispenses divine grace which is given in the Spirit to humankind through Christ’s mediation. |
| The New Testament presupposes the stream of Jewish worship and prayer. The Gospel of Luke records exquisite prayers by the Virgin Mary ( Lk. 1.46–55 ), the priest Zechariah ( Lk. 1.68–79 ), and the elder Simeon ( Lk. 2.29–32 ). Jesus himself, circumcised on the eighth day and presented at the Temple on the fortieth, grew up in the tradition of Jewish prayer and piety with frequent appearances at the Temple and the synagogue. He not only gave instructions on prayer but also practiced heartfelt prayer, seeking solitude in the hills where he could pray all night, not least before making important decisions ( Mk. 1.35 ; Lk. 6.12 ). The personal depth of Jesus’ prayers to God the Father breaks forth in dramatic moments of joyful confession ( Mt. 11.25 ), the giving of the Lord’s Prayer ( Mt. 6.5–13 ), the high priestly prayer to the Father ( Jn. 17 ), and the agony at Gethsemane ( Mk. 14.33–5 ), all of which exemplify the intimate relationship with God as a personal and loving Father which Jesus lived and taught. While the early church inherited much of the Jewish tradition of prayer, it gradually moved away from the Temple worship and cultic practices such as animal sacrifices, circumcision, and kosher foods, regarded as no longer compatible with the gospel. Instead, the church focused on its own rites of baptism, the Mystical Supper or Eucharist, and other rites that gradually developed into a whole tradition of worship continuously elaborated in content and structure. St. Paul, large sections of whose letters read like prayers, is a primary figure of the Christian renewal of prayer and worship in trinitarian forms based on the view that each baptized Christian is a living sacrifice to God ( Rom. 6.4, 13; 12.1 ) and the church is the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit ( 1Cor. 3.16–17; 12.12–27 ). Stirring echoes of early Christian prayers and aspects of worship, replete with Old Testament language, frequently occur in the Book of Revelation, where the eschatological drama of salvation itself is recounted from the perspective of the worship of God (Rev. 4.4–11; 5.8–14; 7.9–12; 11.15–18; 12.10–12; 15.3–4; 19.1–8). |
| Accepter Le site utilise des cookies pour vous montrer les informations les plus récentes. En continuant à utiliser le site, vous consentez à l " utilisation de vos métadonnées et cookies. Politique des cookies De la pentarchie aux dyptiques L’élaboration de « l’ordre d’honneur » dans les églises orthodoxes Pavel Kouzenkov, docteur en sciences historiques, chargé d " enseignement Le seul vrai Chef de l’Église orthodoxe est le Seigneur Jésus Christ, auquel tout pouvoir a été donné dans le ciel et sur la terre (Mt 28,18). Si, chez les catholiques, le pape dispose d’un « pouvoir plénier, suprême et universel sur l’Église » en tant que « Vicaire du Christ » (Catéchisme de l’Église catholique, art. 882), dans la tradition orthodoxe, les primats des Églises locales autocéphales sont considérés comme égaux en dignité. En même temps, il existe entre eux un ordre de préséance, en fonction duquel ils sont commémorés dans les dyptiques liturgiques. Comment cette tradition s’est-elle mise en place au cours des âges ? Le Christ et les apôtres sur la primauté dans l’Église Le Seigneur n’a pas désigné de « leader », doté de droits particuliers dans le collège des apôtres. Bien plus, Jésus Christ interdisait sévèrement aux disciples de se poser en privilégiés (Lc 22,24-30 ; Mt 18,1-2). « Que le plus grand parmi vous soit comme le plus petit, et celui qui gouverne comme celui qui sert » (Lc 22,24-26 ; cf Mt 23,11-12). Lui-même donna plus tard l’exemple de cette conception insolite de l’autorité, en lavant les pieds des apôtres à la Sainte Cène. Plus le maître est haut placé, plus nombreux sont les subordonnés qu’il sert : ce système était incompréhensible aux païens. De fait, dans le contexte de « ce siècle », il est inconcevable. Dans l’Église du Christ, au contraire, le principe de charité règne depuis depuis deux mille ans, contrairement au pouvoir séculier, fondé sur la force et sur l’orgueil. Dans l’Église, l’idéal du chef est celui du Bon pasteur biblique, qui donne sa vie pour ses sujets (Jn 10,11-16 ; cf Jn 40,11, etc). |
| Archive Message from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to the Primate of the Ethiopian Church on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his enthronement 3 March 2023 year 10:00 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus " congratulated His Holiness Patriarch Abune Mathias of Ethiopia on the tenth anniversary of his enthronement. HIS HOLINESS ABUNE MATHIAS, PATRIARCH OF ETHIOPIA Your Holiness, Beloved Brother in Christ, Please accept my cordial greetings on the tenth anniversary of your accession to the Throne of Patriarchs of Ethiopia. As a worthy continuator of your predecessors’ labours, you work selflessly for the good of the people entrusted to you. Millions of Ethiopian Christians have found in you a good shepherd who with all his heart shares their joys and afflictions and is ready, in accordance with the Gospel, to lay down his life for his friends (Jn 15:13). The Lord Almighty has ordained that you steer the church ship in the trying times for Christians in Ethiopia facing many sorrows and ordeals. But the righteousness of God has been manifested (Rom 3:21) and now we state with gratitude that the Lord keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him (Dt 7:9). The years of your Primatial ministry have been marked by the rise of faith in the country, by the reunification of the Ethiopian Church in 2018 and by overcoming new divisions in these latter days. I am glad that today the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Moscow Patriarchate continue their active high-level cooperation, as was yet again confirmed by the meeting of the Commission for Bilateral Dialogue held in Moscow on February 11-16, 2023. It is my sincere hope that this trust-based cooperation will make further progress and bear good fruit. May Christ the Chief Shepherd preserve Your Holiness in health and longevity and grant peace and welfare to the people of Ethiopia. With brotherly love in the Lord, +KIRILL PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA Календарь ← 7 December 2023 year |
| Archive Пн Patriarchal condolences over the passing away of Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo 10 August 2023 year 21:05 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia expressed condolences over the death of Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan. To His Eminence Seraphim, Archbishop of Sendai, Vicar of Tokyo To the honourable clergy and laity of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church Your Eminence, dear Vladyka Seraphim, All-Honourable Fathers, Dear brothers and sisters, Please accept my deep and heartfelt condolences over the passing away of His Eminence Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and All Japan. Before the Lord took him, His Eminence had served as Primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church for nearly a quarter of a century. The departed archpastor, now dwelling in eternal mansions, was a man of godly wisdom and ardent prayer, as well as a model of virtues for Orthodox Christians in the Land of the Rising Sun, who found in him a loving father. Born into a pious family, Vladyka Daniel responded to God’s call in his early youth, received theological education and holy orders, devoting his whole self to the Holy Church. A man of intelligence and vast knowledge, he had a quiet and meek disposition. His election to the Primatial Throne of the Japanese Orthodox Church was an act of Divine Providence. Never striving for a senior position or honours, he did not expect to be elevated to the lofty Primatial office and humbly accepted his lot. Over the years of his archpastoral service, Metropolitan Daniel did much to establish the Holy Orthodoxy in the land where St. Nicholas of Japan had performed his apostolic labours. I hold dear memories of my meetings with Metropolitan Daniel and our joint prayers. My heart grieved as I learned of his demise. Sharing your sorrow, I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25), may give rest to the soul of His departed servant in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Eternal and good memory to His Eminence Metropolitan Daniel! With love in Christ, +KIRILL PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA Календарь ← 12 апреля 2024 г. (30 марта ст.ст.) пятница Прп. Иоанна Лествичника (649). Свт. Софрония, еп. Иркутского (1771). Прор. Иоада (X в. до Р. Х.). Апп. Сосфена, Аполлоса, Кифы, Кесаря и Епафродита (I). Св. Еввулы, матери вмч. Пантелеимона (ок. 303). Прп. Иоанна безмолвника (VI). Прп. Зосимы, еп. Сиракузского (ок. 662). Литургия Преждеосвященных Даров. На 6-м часе: Ис. XXIX, 13–23 . На веч.: Быт. XII, 1–7 . Притч. XIV, 15–26 . Утреня только по Триоди. На часах и изобразительных кондак «Не ктому пламенное оружие...». В конце изобразительных совершается поклонение Кресту, после чего Крест через Царские врата относится в алтарь. 7 April 2024 year Share with friends |
| Tweet Нравится Pan-Orthodox Council: The Mission of the Orthodox Church in Today " s World Source: DECR Communication Service February 28, 2016 The contribution of the Orthodox Church to the attainment of peace, justice, freedom, brotherhood and love between peoples and the removal of racial and other discrimination. Draft of document of the Pan-Orthodox Council approved by the Synaxis of the First Hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches in Chambésy, January 21-28, 2016. Published in accordance with the Resolution of the Synaxis of First Hierarchs . The Church of Christ lives in the world but is not of the world (cf. Jn. 17:11 and 14-15).The Church is the sign and image of the Kingdom of God in history, proclaiming the good news of a " new creation " (II Cor. 5: 17) and of a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (II Pt. 3:13), of a world in which God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain (Rev. 21:4-5). It is with this hope that the Church lives, and foretastes it in particular when the Divine Eucharist is celebrated, bringing " together " (I Cor. 11: 20) the scattered children of God (Jn. 111: 52) without regard to race, gender, age, social status or any other station into a single body where there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28; cf. Col. 3:11). In this foretasting of a " new creation, " of a world transfigured, the Church lives in the countenances of her saints who, through their spiritual endeavors in Christ, have already in this life revealed the image of the Kingdom of God, proving and affirming by this that the hope of peace, justice and love is not a utopia, but the substance of things hoped for (Heb. 11:1), attained through the grace of God by means of the human person’s spiritual endeavors. In finding constant inspiration in this hope and the foretasting of the Kingdom of God, the Church cannot remain aloof from of the problems of the human person in each historical epoch, but shares his concern and everyday problems, taking upon herself, as the Lord did, the pain and wounds, the cause of which is evil that is active in the world and, like the Good Samaritan, with a word of patience and comfort (Rom. 15:4, Heb. 13:22) and through active love, pours upon his wounds oil and wine (Lk. 10:34). Her word, addressed to the world, has as its aim first of all not to judge and condemn the world (cf. Jn. 3:17) and 12:47), but to offer it as guidance the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, hope and the assurance that the last word in history is not evil, no matter what form it may take, and that we should not allow evil to dictate the course of history. |
| Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday The week following the Sunday of St Mary of Egypt is called Palm or Branch Week. At the Tuesday services of this week the Church recalls that Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died and that the Lord is going to raise him from the dead ( Jn 11 ). As the days continue toward Saturday, the Church, in its hymns and verses, continues to follow Christ towards Bethany to the tomb of Lazarus. On Friday evening, the eve of the celebration of the Resurrection of Lazarus, the “great and saving forty days” of Great Lent are formally brought to an end: Having accomplished the forty days for the benefit of our souls, we pray to Thee, O Lover of Man, that we may see the holy week of Thy passion, that in it we may glorify Thy greatness and Thine unspeakable plan of salvation for our sake. ...(Vesper Hymn) Lazarus Saturday is a paschal celebration. It is the only time in the entire Church Year that the resurrectional service of Sunday is celebrated on another day. At the liturgy of Lazarus Saturday, the Church glorifies Christ as “the Resurrection and the Life ” who, by raising Lazarus, has confirmed the universal resurrection of mankind even before his own suffering and death. By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy passion, Thou didst confirm the universal resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with the branches of victory, we cry out to Thee, O Vanquisher of Death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! (Troparion). Christ —the Joy, the Truth and the Light of All, the Life of the world and its Resurrection—has appeared in his goodness to those on earth. He has become the Image of our Resurrection, granting divine forgiveness to all (Kontakion). At the Divine Liturgy of Lazarus Saturday the baptismal verse from Galatians:As many as have been baptizedl into Christ have put on Christ ( Gal 3:27 ) replaces the Thrice-holy Hymn thus indicating the resurrectional character of the celebration, and the fact that Lazarus Saturday was once among the few great baptismal days in the Orthodox Church Year. Because of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, Christ was hailed by the masses as the long-expected Messiah-King of Israel. Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, he entered Jenrsalem, the City of the King, riding on the colt of an ass ( Zech 9:9; Jn 12:12 ). The crowds greeted him with brancfies in their hands and called out to him with shouts of praise: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! The Son of David! The King of Israel! Because of this glorification by the people, the priests and scribes were finally driven “to destroy him, to put him to death” ( Lk 19:47; Jn 11:53, 12:10 ). |
| Archive Christmas Message from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia 6 January 2023 year 08:00 Christmas Message from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monastics and all the Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church. Beloved in the Lord archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters, Today, as the Heavenly and earthly Church in conciliar unity glorifies God Incarnate, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you on the great and radiant feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Once again we look back at the events that occurred in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago, beholding the meek Infant lying in the manger, surrounded by His Most Pure Mother, the righteous Joseph and the shepherds who were the first to hear the glad tidings of the Saviour coming into the world. We join the heavenly hosts in praising the Most High Creator Who through His Begotten Son granted unto people peace and good will. St. Gregory the Theologian reveals the very essence of this feast, saying: It is this which we are celebrating today, the Coming of God to Man... that we might go back to God (Oration 38). Truly, the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 3:2); the long-expected Shiloh (Gen 49:10) has come to earth to fulfil the ancient prophecies; unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given... and his name shall be called... The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Is 9:6). Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you (Jn 14:27), Christ says to us. What kind of peace is it, which the Lord granted unto man and which the angels were singing of at the time of the Saviour’s birth? Has there been less enmity or conflicts in the world since then? We hear all around, Peace, peace; when there is no peace , as Jeremiah the prophet writes (Jer 8:11). Yet, the true peace of God that came down to earth with the Nativity of Christ surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7) and is unaffected by external circumstances or afflictions and hardships of this transient life. This invincible inner peace is in God Himself Who, having become a man like us in all things but sin, is not only active, but visibly present in the human history. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (Jn 1:14). The Lord is at hand, my beloved, let us never forget that and be of good cheer! In Him is our strength, our firm hope and spiritual comfort in all vicissitudes of life. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy From Pentarchy To Diptychs How the ‘order of honour’ is determined in the Orthodox Churches By Pavel Kuzenkov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor In the Orthodox Church it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is venerated as the one true Head to whom was “given all authority in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28.18). If in the Catholic Church the Pope enjoys “full, supreme and universal authority over the whole Church” ( The Catechism of the Catholic Church ), then in the Orthodox tradition the primates of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches are considered equal in their episcopal dignity. At the same time, there exists between them an established order of honour according to which they are commemorated in the liturgical diptychs. How was this centuries-old tradition formed? Christ and the apostles on primacy in the Church The gospels show that the Lord did not choose any of the apostles as a “leader” who would enjoy special rights over the others. Moreover, Jesus Christ cut short all attempts by his disciples to determine which of them enjoyed any advantage (Lk 22.24-30; Mt 18.1-2) and said to them: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves” (Lk 22.24-26; cf. Mt 23.11-12). Upon this he gave them an example of this unusual understanding of authority by washing the feet of the apostles at the Last Supper. A system whereby the higher one is in authority then the greater the number of subordinates oneserves was incomprehensible to the pagans. And indeed, in the context of “this world” it is unthinkable. But in Christ’s Church for two millennia this principle of love has reigned supreme, a principle opposed to that based on the force and pride of the provisions of worldly power. The ideal of ecclesiastical leadership is the biblical Good Shepherd who lays down his life for those who have been entrusted to his care (Jn 10.11-16; cf. Is. 40.11 et al.). |
| Metropolitan Philaret on Mid-Pentecost Sermons, Lectures Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2011 - 05:50:02 Metropolitan Philaret on Mid-Pentecost By Metropolitan Philaret of Eastern America and New York (+1985) Apr 28, 2010, 10:00 Discuss this article Printer friendly page Source: Ora et Labora We all know that, beginning Wednesday of this past week, the Church began to sing the meaningful and touching troparion of the feast of Mid-Pentecost, in which is said: “At Mid-feast give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of piety.” This appeal to the Christian soul is understandable to everyone, especially, of course, in our terrible time, when we hear not about the “waters of piety,” but rather about the waves of impiety pouring more and more over the entire world and over the entire human race. The Christian soul, under the pressure of this impiety, prays that the Lord would water it, thirsty, with the waters of piety. The answer to this appeal comes in the Gospel we heard today at the Liturgy, in which the Lord, as if coming out to meet the soul calling out to Him in the troparion, says: Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest [Mt 11:28]. You also know another moving passage in the Gospel, in which the Lord says: Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light [Mt 11:29]. An apostle said once that the Lord’s commandments are not grievous Jn 5:3]. Here the Lord calls us to learn from Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart. If we learned this meekness and humility from Him, we would immediately find rest for our souls. Here is our present life, with its vanity and defilement, with all its hardships and difficulties – is it some evil trick lying upon man, under which he suffocates and loses strength? The Lord says, in contradiction to this: My yoke is easy, and My burden is light, and not at all that terrible burden that the world, gone out of its mind, lays on its children. |
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