We believe in one true God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible (Genesis ch. 1 and 2). We also believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, became incarnate of the Holy Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit (St. Matthew 1:16). He was crucified for us, resurrected, ascended into Heaven, and promised to come again to judge the living and the departed (Acts 1:11). This is the basic ideology of the Orthodox Christian faith. Through the teachings of the Holy Bible and our Church Fathers, the Orthodox faith manifests as a compilation of prayers and hymns practiced every Sunday during the Divine Liturgy. As a cradle Orthodox Christian myself, I am privileged to grow up in the Church, and I view …show more content…
Everything in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist symbolizes an event or occurrence in the Holy Bible. In St. Matthew 3:16-17, the complete Holy Trinity is revealed during the baptism of Jesus. At this time during the service, the priest takes the censer and first prays to the Father, holding one chain. Next, he takes two more chains of the censer and prays to the Son, acknowledging Christ's Divinity and Humanity. Finally, the priest takes the fourth chain and prays to the Holy Spirit. This part of the service is called the Blessing of the Censer, and it symbolizes the manifestation of the Holy Trinity as well as the start of Jesus’ ministry. Another symbolic part of the service is when the priest faces the congregation holding up the Holy Eucharist. This symbolizes the promised Second Coming of Christ. Holy articles of the Church, such as bells and marbasas, signify angels and departed souls around in the altar. Symbolism involves all five senses: sight and hearing in singing and praying, touch in the Kiss of Peace, taste when receiving the Holy Eucharist, and smell when incense is given. By incorporating all five senses, the manifestation of Christ’s body and blood through the Holy Eucharist becomes clear to everyone. Because of the seemingly surreal reality in the service, I can understand and meditate on more carefully the deep theology of the
The bread represents Christ's body and the wine represents his blood. When they take this bread and wine, Catholics believe that they are becoming one with Christ and are renewing their faith. According to the Gospels, Christ shared bread and wine with his disciples to symbolise them becoming one body. The final section of the Mass, the Concluding Rite, consists of a final prayer ( postcommunion ), the blessing ( benediction ) and the dismissal. A hymn may be sung as the clergy leave the church.
The prayer evokes the many theological events about the relationship between God and man, and the omnipresence and power God encompasses. The prayer reveals the prefiguration of the sacrament of baptism and how the power and purpose of water, created by God, has through theological history and its relationship with present faithful. The sign of the cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for man by his cross. The different effects of Baptism are signified by the perceptible elements of the sacramental rite. Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification, but also regeneration and renewal. Thus the two principal effects are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy
In Donald Fairbairn's "Eastern Orthodoxy Through Western Eyes", Fairbairn takes the basic beliefs of Orthodoxy and explains them from a Western point of view. It's evident that this book was written for those of the Protestant faith due to the language used and the issues they address. Although he describes the theology correctly, his interpretation of what the theology means and what it means to Orthodox Christians is inaccurate and almost offensive.
In its doctrine statements, "the Greek Orthodox church strongly affirms that it holds the original Christian faith, which was common to East and West during the first millennium of Christian history" (Meyendorff 18).
Christianity has evolved over several centuries into three major branches, and from there they have been further divided into numerous denominations. The branches are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Roman Catholicism is headed by the Pope and is known for several distinctive beliefs and practices that set them apart from the rest of Christianity. Eastern Orthodoxy is not one united church; instead it is an association of thirteen self-governing bodies denominated by the nation where they are located. Each church is headed by a Patriarch. The Patriarch of Constantinople is recognized as the universal patriarch, he is the closest counterpart to the Roman Catholic’s Pope, he enjoys special honor but has no real power the
The Catholic Church is based around the Eucharist. It is the rock of our faith. The Eucharist is the Sacrament that makes the death and Resurrection of Christ present in Mass. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1323) states that the Eucharist is “a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.’” Even though Christ is not physically with us during mass, he is
Behind the elaborate fresco paintings and splendid architecture, Eastern Orthodox Church has played a significant role in the preservation of Christian tradition throughout history. Since the transfer of the imperial capitol of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople, the Eastern Orthodox Christianity has evolved into a distinct branch of Christianity (Steeves). As Timothy Ware, the author of The Orthodox Church, suggests, major intellectual, cultural, and social developments that were taking place in a different region of the Roman Empire were not entirely consistent with the evolution of Western Christianity (Ware 8). These traditions and practices of the church of Constantinople were adopted by many and still provide the basic patterns and ethos of contemporary Orthodoxy. The Eastern Orthodox Church has adopted unique organizational features, beliefs, and traditions constituting itself as a unique branch of Christianity.
Scholars have been trying to come up with a well-founded, acceptable and universal definition of religion for years; however, none of these definitions so far are a perfect fit for all religions of the world. There are many things in our life that are well defined and well understood but, unfortunately, religion is not one of them. There is no common ground and understanding of what religion really means. Religion is what we make of it, so no one can truly define religion in a way that is meaningful across all borders as it is outside of the realm of reason and rationale and the definitions we give could be either too exclusive or inclusive.
For Catholics, it is put forth by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy, that "the gift of Christ and his Spirit, which we receive in Eucharistic communion superabundantly fulfills the yearning for fraternal unity deeply rooted in the human heart” (McNamara, 2004), where this connects people with Christ and provides the opportunity to engage in personal healing. Through the sacred transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, the congregation can acknowledge the sacrifices made, eternally connecting Catholics to their
Religion plays an enormous role in the history of mankind. Wars have been fought over it, lives have been surrounded by it, and it has directly or indirectly shaped the lives of many individuals. Culture and religion play a large role in developing each other. People’s religion is decided by their culture. The prominence or the lack of religion will develop someone’s religious identity have play a core role in determining what that person believes.
Christ Jesus entrusted the liturgy and sacred mysteries to his apostles, and through apostolic tradition, to his clergy for two thousand years. In modern times, the extravagance of such services and ceremonies appear ritualistic, repetitious, or even boring to the uninformed observer. A deep understanding
This sacrament also brings us together as a community, recipients rely on each other to bring everyone closer to god, and by that, they also from a physical bond with each other. “Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” (Hebrews
Easter in Roman Catholicism The Easter celebrations in Roman Catholicism is the most significant Christian festival in the liturgy for it commemorates the resurrection of Christ three days upon his crucifixion. Christ’s death represents the overcoming of the power of death and sin (BBC 2018) therefore Catholics believe this was their redemption of sin and promise of a life after death (BBC 2018). Multiple Easter masses are conducted over a course of two days, one on the eve of Easter Sunday and the others on Easter Sunday itself.
While inside the church, I noticed many different items that helped make this a holy, sacred place. Some of these holy items were things that I have seen in my Lutheran church, but a few things were definitely different. One of the first things I saw when I entered church was a pool of water; the baptismal pool, or baptismal font, which ideally stands at the door of Catholic Churches and reminds Catholics that every time they come to Eucharist, or as I know it, communion, they come through baptism. They dip their hand in the water and mark themselves anew with the sign in which they were bapt...
Only through the words of consecration, “This is my Body… and this is my Blood”, can we truly experience the fruits of the Eucharist. This is only possible through God’s accordance with the Scriptures, Sacraments(the Eucharist in this case), minister(priest or bishop), and the people of the Church(The Body of Christ). Just like Jesus and his disciples during the Last Supper, all of the members of the Mass join in intercession in order to properly bestow power upon the Sacrament of the Eucharist. As the priest serves as a representation of Jesus, we serve as his disciples.