Sacraments of the Russian Orthodox Church. Seven Orthodox Sacraments. Communion or Eucharist
For our readers: 7 sacraments Orthodox Church briefly with detailed description from various sources.
SEVEN MYSTERIES OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
The Holy Mysteries were instituted by Jesus Christ himself: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). With these words, the Lord clearly pointed out to us that, in addition to the Sacrament of Baptism, He also instituted other Sacraments. There are seven Sacraments of the Church: the Sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance, Communion, Marriage, Priesthood and Anointing of the Sick.
Sacraments are visible actions through which the grace of the Holy Spirit, the saving power of God, invisibly descends on a person. All Sacraments are closely connected with the Sacrament of Communion.
Baptism and Chrismation introduce us to the Church: we become Christians and can take Communion. In the Sacrament of Penance our sins are forgiven us.
By taking Communion, we are united with Christ and already here, on earth, become participants in Eternal Life.
The Sacrament of the Priesthood gives the protege the opportunity to perform all the Sacraments. The Sacrament of Marriage teaches a blessing on married family life. In the Mystery of the Anointing (Unction) the Church prays for the forgiveness of sins and for the return of the sick to health.
1. THE MYSTERY OF HOLY BAPTISM AND ANOINTMENT
The sacrament of Baptism was established by the Lord Jesus Christ: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). When we are baptized, we become Christians, we are born for a new spiritual life, we acquire the title of Christ's disciples.
The condition for receiving Baptism is sincere faith and repentance.
Both an infant, according to the faith of the godparents, and an adult can proceed to Baptism. The “parents” of the newly baptized are called godparents, or godfather and mother. Only believing Christians who regularly attend the Church Sacraments can be godparents.
Without accepting the Sacrament of Baptism, Salvation is not possible for a person.
If an adult or a teenager is baptized, then before baptism he is announced. The word “announce” or “announce” means to make public, notify, announce before God the name of the person who is preparing for baptism. During training, he learns the basics of the Christian faith. When the time of Holy Baptism comes, the priest prays to the Lord to expel from this person every evil and unclean spirit hidden and nestling in his heart, and make him a member of the Church and heir to eternal blessedness; the one who is baptized, renounces the devil, makes a promise to serve not him, but Christ, and by reading the Creed confirms his faith in Christ as King and God.
For the baby, the announcement is made by his godparents, who take responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child. From now on, the godparents pray for their godson (or goddaughter), teach him to pray, tell him about the Kingdom of Heaven and its laws, and serve as a model of Christian life for him.
How is the Sacrament of Baptism performed?
First, the priest sanctifies the water and at this time prays that the holy water will wash the person being baptized from previous sins and that he will be united with Christ through this sanctification. Then the priest anoints the baptized with consecrated oil ( olive oil).
Oil is an image of mercy, peace and joy. With the words “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, the priest crosswise anoints his forehead (imprinting the name of God in the mind), chest (“for the healing of the soul and body”), ears (“for the hearing of faith”), hands (to do deeds, pleasing to God), feet (to walk in the ways of God's commandments). After that, a three-fold immersion in holy water is performed with the words: “The servant of God (name) is baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen".
In this case, the person who is baptized receives the name of a saint or saint. From now on, this saint or saint becomes not only a prayer book, intercessor and defender of the baptized, but also an example, a model of life in God and with God. This is the patron of the baptized, and the day of his memory becomes a holiday for the baptized - name day.
Immersion in water symbolizes death with Christ, and exit from it - new life with Him and the coming resurrection.
Then the priest with the prayer “Give me a light robe, clothe yourself with light like a robe, Christ our God, many-merciful,” puts on a newly baptized white (new) clothes (shirt). Translated from Slavic, this prayer sounds like this: “Give me clean, bright, spotless clothes, Himself clothed in light, the Many-merciful Christ our God.” The Lord is our Light. But what kind of clothes are we asking for? That all our feelings, thoughts, intentions, actions - everything was born in the light of Truth and Love, everything was renewed, like our baptismal clothes.
After that, the priest puts on the neck of the newly baptized a chest (pectoral) cross for constant wear - in remembrance of the words of Christ: "Whoever wants to follow Me, deny yourself and take up your cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16, 24).
Mystery of Chrismation.
As birth is followed by life, so Baptism, the Sacrament of new birth, is usually immediately followed by Confirmation - the Sacrament of new life.
In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the newly baptized receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is given “strength from above” for a new life. The Sacrament is performed through the anointing with the Holy Myrrh. The Holy Myrrh was prepared and consecrated by the apostles of Christ, and then by the bishops ancient church. The priests received chrism from them during the sacrament of the Holy Spirit, since then called Chrismation.
Holy Myrrh is prepared and consecrated every few years. Now the place of preparation of the Holy Peace is the Small Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery of the God-saved city of Moscow, where a special oven was tripled for this purpose. And the consecration of the World of Steel takes place in the Patriarchal Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo.
The priest anoints the baptized person with holy myrrh, making them the sign of the cross on different parts of the body with the words "seal (i.e. sign) of the gift of the Holy Spirit." At this time, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are invisibly given to the baptized, with the help of which he grows and strengthens in his spiritual life. The forehead, or forehead, is anointed with myrrh to sanctify the mind; eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears - to sanctify the senses; chest - for the consecration of the heart; hands and feet - for the sanctification of deeds and all behavior. After that, the newly baptized and their godparents, with lit candles in their hands, follow the priest three times in a circle around the font and the lectern (the lectern is an inclined table on which the Gospel, Cross or icon is usually placed), on which the Cross and the Gospel lie. The image of the circle is the image of eternity, because the circle has neither beginning nor end. At this time, the verse “They were baptized into Christ, put on Christ” is sung, which means: “Those who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
This is a call everywhere and everywhere to carry the Good News about Christ, bearing witness to Him in word and deed, and in one's whole life. Since baptism is a spiritual birth, and a person will be born once, the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation over a person are performed once in a lifetime. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:4).
2. THE MYSTERY OF REPENTANCE
The Sacrament of Repentance was established by the Lord Jesus Christ so that, confessing our bad deeds - sins - and striving to change our lives, we could receive forgiveness from Him: “Receive the Holy Spirit: to whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, on that they will remain ”(Inn 20, 22-23).
Christ Himself forgave sins: “Your sins are forgiven you” (Luke 7:48). He urged us to keep purity so that we would avoid evil: “Go and sin no more” (Inn 5, 14). In the Sacrament of Penance, the sins we have confessed are forgiven and left through the priest by God Himself.
What is required for confession?
To receive forgiveness (permission) of sins from the penitent, it is required: reconciliation with all neighbors, sincere contrition for sins and their oral confession. As well as a firm intention to improve their lives, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and hope for His mercy.
Preparing for confession should be in advance, it is best to re-read the Commandments of God and thus check what our conscience convicts us of. It must be remembered that forgotten unconfessed sins burden the soul, causing mental and bodily malaise. Deliberately concealed sins, deceit of the priest - out of false shame or fear - make Repentance invalid. Sin gradually destroys a person, prevents him from growing spiritually. The more thorough the confession and testing of conscience, the more the soul is cleansed of sins, the closer it is to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Confession in the Orthodox Church is performed at an lectern - a high table with an inclined table top, on which lie the cross and the Gospel as a sign of the presence of Christ, invisible, but hearing everything and knowing how deep our repentance is and whether we have concealed anything out of false shame or specially. If the priest sees sincere repentance, he covers the bowed head of the confessor with the end of the stole and reads a prayer of permissiveness, forgiving sins on behalf of Jesus Christ. Then the confessor kisses the cross and the Gospel as a token of gratitude and fidelity to Christ.
3. THE MYSTERY OF ST. COMMITMENT - THE EUCHARIST
The Sacrament of Sacraments - The Eucharist was instituted by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, in the presence of His disciples (Matthew 26:26-28). “Jesus took bread and, having blessed, broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying: “Take, eat: this is My body. And he took the cup, and having given thanks, gave it to them, and said, Drink all of you from it; For this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (see also Mk 14:22-26; Lk 22:15-20).
In Communion, under the guise of bread and wine, we partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and so God becomes a part of us, and we become a part of Him, one with Him, closer than the closest people, and through Him, one body and one family with by all members of the Church, now our brothers and sisters. Christ said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him” (John 6:56).
How to prepare for Communion?
Christians prepare in advance for Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. This preparation includes intense prayer, attendance at divine services, fasting, good deeds, reconciliation with everyone, and then confession, that is, the cleansing of one's conscience in the Sacrament of Penance. You can ask the priest for details about preparing for the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Regarding Communion in relation to Christian worship, it should be noted that this Sacrament constitutes the main and essential part of Christian worship. According to the commandment of Christ, this sacrament is constantly performed in the Church of Christ and will be performed until the end of the age at the divine service called the Divine Liturgy, during which bread and wine, by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, are changed, or transubstantiated, into the true Body and into the true Blood of Christ .
4. THE MYSTERY OF THE WEDDING. MARRIAGE - MARRIAGE
A wedding or marriage is a Sacrament in which, with a free (before the priest and the Church) promise by the bride and groom of mutual fidelity to each other, their marital union is blessed, in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, and the grace of God is requested and given for mutual help and unanimity, and for the blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children.
Marriage was established by God Himself in Paradise. After the creation of Adam and Eve, “God blessed them and God said to them: be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1, 28). In the Sacrament of the Wedding, two become one soul and one flesh in Christ.
The rite of the Sacrament of Marriage consists of betrothal and wedding.
First, the rite of betrothal of the bride and groom is performed, during which the priest, with prayers, puts them on wedding rings(in the word “betrothal” it is easy to distinguish the roots of the words “hoop”, that is, a ring, and “hand”). A ring that has neither beginning nor end is a sign of infinity, a sign of union in boundless and selfless love.
When the Wedding is performed, the priest solemnly lays crowns - one on the head of the groom, the other on the head of the bride, saying at the same time: “The servant of God (name of the groom) is married to the servant of God (name of the bride) in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." And - “The servant of God (the name of the bride) is married to the servant of God (the name of the groom) in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Crowns are a symbol of the special dignity of those who are getting married and their voluntary acceptance of martyrdom in the name of Christ. After that, blessing the newlyweds, the priest proclaims three times: "Lord our God, crown them with glory and honor." “Crown” means: “unite them into one flesh”, that is, create from these two, who have lived separately until now, into a new unity, carrying in itself (like God the Trinity) fidelity and love for each other in any trials, sickness and sorrow.
Before performing the Sacrament, the bride and groom must confess and have a special conversation with the priest about the meaning and goals of Christian marriage. And then - to live a full-blooded Christian life, regularly approaching the Sacraments of the Holy Church.
5. PRIESTHOOD
Priesthood is a Sacrament in which a properly chosen person receives the grace of the Holy Spirit for the sacred service of the Church of Christ. Ordination to the priesthood is called ordination, or ordination. In the Orthodox Church there are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, then presbyter (priest, priest) and the highest - bishop (bishop).
The ordained deacon receives the grace to serve (help) during the celebration of the Sacraments.
The consecrated bishop (hierarch) receives grace from God not only to celebrate the Sacraments, but also to consecrate others to celebrate the Sacraments. The bishop is the heir of the grace of the Apostles of Christ.
The ordination of a priest and a deacon can only be performed by a bishop. The Sacrament of the Priesthood is celebrated during the Divine Liturgy. The protege (i.e., the one who takes the dignity) is circled around the Throne three times, and then the bishop, laying his hands and omophorion on his head (Omophorus is a sign of episcopal dignity in the form of a wide strip of fabric on the shoulders), which means the laying on of hands of Christ, reads a special prayer. In the invisible presence of the Lord, the bishop prays for the election this person priest - assistant to the bishop.
Handing over to the ordained the objects necessary for his ministry, the bishop proclaims: “Axios!” (Greek “worthy”), to which the choir and all the people also respond with triple “Axios!”. Thus, the church assembly testifies to its consent to the ordination of its worthy member.
From now on, having become a priest, the ordained person assumes the obligation to serve God and people, just as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and His apostles served in His earthly life. He preaches the Gospel and performs the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation, on behalf of the Lord forgives the sins of repentant sinners, celebrates the Eucharist and gives communion, and also performs the Sacraments of Marriage and Unction. After all, it is through the Sacraments that the Lord continues His ministry in our world, leading us to Salvation: Eternal Life in the Kingdom of God.
6. UNION
The Sacrament of the Unction, or the Consecration of the Unction, as it is called in the liturgical books, is the Sacrament in which, when the sick person is anointed with consecrated oil (olive oil), the grace of God is invoked on the sick person to heal him from bodily and spiritual illnesses. It is called unction, because several (seven) priests gather to celebrate it, although, if necessary, one priest can also perform it.
The sacrament of unction goes back to the apostles, who, having received from Jesus Christ “the power to heal diseases,” “they anointed many sick people with oil and healed” (Mk. 6.13). The essence of this sacrament is most fully revealed by the Apostle James in his conciliar message: “Is any of you sick, let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15).
How does congregation take place?
In the center of the temple is placed a lectern with the Gospel. Next to it is a table on which stands a vessel of oil and wine on a platter of wheat. Seven lit candles and seven brushes for anointing are placed in wheat - according to the number of passages from the Holy Scriptures read. All congregants hold lit candles in their hands. This is our witness that Christ is the light in our lives.
Chants are heard, these are prayers addressed to the Lord and the saints, who became famous for miraculous healings. This is followed by a reading of seven passages from the Epistles of the Apostles and the Gospels. After each gospel reading, the priests will anoint the forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest and hands with consecrated oil on both sides. This is done as a sign of purification of all our five senses, thoughts, hearts and works of our hands - all that we could sin with. The Consecration of the Unction ends with the laying of the Gospel on their heads. And the priest prays over them. Unction is not performed on babies, because a baby cannot have consciously committed sins. Physically healthy people they cannot resort to this sacrament without the blessing of the priest. In case of a serious illness, you can call a priest to perform the Sacrament at home or in the hospital.
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Christian sacraments. Seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Sacrament of the Eucharist, Sacrament of Repentance, Sacrament of Priesthood, Sacrament of Marriage, Consecration of the Unction.
Christian sacraments.
Sacraments must not be confused with rites and called rites. Rite is any external sign of reverence that expresses our faith.
The sacrament is such a sacrament during which the Church calls on the Holy Spirit, and His grace descends on the faithful. There are seven sacraments in the church: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (Eucharist). Repentance (Confession), Marriage (Wedding), Consecration of the Unction (Unction), Priesthood (Ordination).
For the life of the Church, the main place is the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, which are actually called the Holy Mysteries. The sacrament itself is also called the Eucharist, i.e. “thanksgiving” is the main work of the Church. The main divine service of the Church, respectively, is the Divine Liturgy - the service of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Further, the sacrament of the priesthood is extremely important in the life of the Church - the consecration of the chosen persons to serve the Church at the hierarchical levels through ordination (ordination), which gives the necessary structure to the Church. The three levels of the priesthood differ in their attitude to the sacraments - deacons officiate at the sacraments without celebrating them; priests perform the sacraments while being in subjection to the bishop; Bishops not only administer the sacraments, but also give others, through the laying on of hands, the gift of grace to administer them. Finally, the sacrament of baptism, which replenishes the composition of the Church, is especially important. The rest of the sacraments, designed to receive grace for individual believers, are necessary for the fullness of life and the holiness of the Church. In each sacrament, a certain gift of grace is communicated to the believing Christian, which is characteristic of this particular sacrament. A number of sacraments, such as baptism, priesthood, and chrismation, are unique.
Since, in the narrow sense of the word, the sacraments are “like heights in a long chain of hills of other liturgical rites and prayers,” they are only the most obvious expressions of the fullness of the hidden life of the Church, which is why their categorization and calculation are not absolutized by the Orthodox Church. Historically, the delimitation of the sacramental rites did not always correspond to the current one, and the number of sacraments included such as:
1. Monasticism
2. Burial
3. Consecration of the temple
Seven Sacraments.
1. In Baptism, a person is mysteriously born into spiritual life.
2. In Confirmation he receives grace, spiritually regenerating (contributing to spiritual growth) and strengthening.
3. In Communion (a person) feeds spiritually.
4. In repentance, one is healed of spiritual illnesses, that is, of sins.
5. In the Priesthood he receives grace to spiritually regenerate and educate others through teaching and the Sacraments.
6. In Marriage he receives the grace that sanctifies marriage, the natural birth and upbringing of children.
7. In the Anointing of the Sick, he is healed of bodily diseases by healing from (diseases) spiritual.
The concept of church sacraments.
The Creed speaks of Baptism, “because faith is sealed by Baptism and other Sacraments…” “The Sacrament is a sacred action through which the grace, or, what is the same, the saving power of God, acts on a person in a secret way.”
The Creed speaks only of Baptism and does not mention other sacraments for the reason that in the 4th century there were disputes about the need to re-baptize heretics and schismatics coming into the Orthodox Church. The Church has decided not to baptize such a second time in those cases where the baptism was performed, even if in a community that separated from the Church, but in accordance with the rules of the Catholic Church.
1. Baptism.
“Baptism is a Sacrament in which the believer, when the body is immersed three times in water with the invocation of God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, dies to a carnal, sinful life, and is reborn from the Holy Spirit and into a spiritual, bright life”
“... unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The Mystery of Baptism was established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, when He sanctified Baptism by His example, having received it from John. Finally, after His resurrection, He gave the apostles a solemn command: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
The perfect formula of Baptism is the words:
“In the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen".
The condition for receiving Baptism is repentance and faith.
“Peter said to them: Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins…” (Acts 2:38)
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…” (Mark 16:16)
The sacrament of Baptism is performed only once in a person's life and under no circumstances is repeated, because "baptism is a spiritual birth: and a person is born once, therefore he is baptized once."
2. Confirmation.
“Anointing is the Sacrament in which the believer, when the parts of the body are anointed with the sanctified world, in the name of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of this Spirit are given, which restore and strengthen in spiritual life.”
Initially, the apostles performed this sacrament through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17).
Later, anointing with chrism was used, which could be exemplified by the anointing used in Old Testament times (Ex. 30:25; 1 Kings 1:39).
About the internal action of the sacrament of chrismation in the Holy Scriptures it is said as follows:
“You have an anointing from the Holy One and know everything… the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; but as this very anointing teaches you everything, and it is true and true, what it has taught you, abide in him” (1 John 2:20, 27). “And he who confirms us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who both sealed us and gave the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:21-22).
The perfect formula of the sacrament of Chrismation is the words: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Holy chrism is a fragrant substance, which is prepared according to a special order and consecrated by the highest clergy, usually the primates of autocephalous Orthodox Churches, with the participation of the Synods of Bishops, as the successors of the Apostles, who "themselves performed the laying on of hands for almsgiving of the gifts of the Holy Spirit."
The anointing of each part of the body has a specific meaning. Yes, the anointing
a) chela means "sanctification of the mind or thoughts"
b) perseus - "sanctification of the heart and desires"
c) eyes, ears and mouth - "sanctification of the senses"
d) hands and feet - "sanctification of deeds and all behavior of a Christian."
In reality, Baptism and Confirmation are twofold sacraments. In holy Baptism, a person receives a new life in Christ and according to Christ, and in holy chrismation, he is given the grace-filled powers and gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as the Holy Spirit Himself as a gift, for a worthy passage of the divine-human life in Christ. In chrismation, a person as a person is anointed with the Holy Spirit in the image and likeness of the Divine Anointed One - Jesus Christ.
3. The Sacrament of the Eucharist.
3.1. The concept of the sacrament of the Eucharist
The Eucharist is the sacrament in which
a) bread and wine are changed by the Holy Spirit into the true Body and into the true Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ;
6) believers partake of them for the closest union with Christ and into eternal life.
The service of the sacrament of the Eucharist - Divine Liturgy, which is a single and inseparable sacred rite. Of particular importance in the order of the Liturgy is the Eucharistic canon, and in it the epiclesis occupies a central place - the invocation of the Holy Spirit on the Church, that is, on the Eucharistic assembly, and on the offered Gifts.
3.2. Establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist
The sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Supper.
“And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and having blessed it, broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the Cup, and having given thanks, gave it to them, and said, Drink all of you from it; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28). The holy Evangelist Luke completes the narrative of the Evangelist Matthew. While teaching the Holy Bread to the disciples, the Lord told them: “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).
3.3. The Change of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Orthodox theology, unlike Latin, does not consider it possible to rationalistically explain the essence of this sacrament. Latin theological thought to explain the change taking place with Sts. Gifts in the sacrament of the Eucharist, uses the term "transubstantiation" (lat. transubstantiatio), which literally means "change in essence":
"Through the blessing of the bread and wine, the essence of the bread is wholly transformed into the essence of the Flesh of Christ, and the essence of the wine into the essence of His Blood." At the same time, the sensual properties of bread and wine remain unchanged only in appearance, remaining only as external random signs (accidents).
Although Orthodox theologians also used the term “transubstantiation,” the Orthodox Church believes that this word “does not explain the way in which bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of the Lord, for this cannot be comprehended by anyone except God; but it is only shown that truly, really and essentially, bread is the very true Body of the Lord, and wine is the very Blood of the Lord.
For St. The fathers in the doctrine of the Eucharist are alien to rational schemes, they never sought to express the essence of the greatest Christian sacrament through scholastic definitions. Most St. The Fathers were taught about the transformation of the Holy Gifts as their perception into the Hypostasis of the Son of God by the action of the Holy Spirit, as a result of which the Eucharistic bread and wine are placed in the same relation to God the Word as His glorified humanity, being inseparably and inseparably united with the Divinity of Christ and His humanity.
At the same time, the Fathers of the Church believed that the essence of bread and wine is preserved in the sacrament of the Eucharist, bread and wine do not change their natural qualities, just as in Christ the fullness of the Godhead does not in the least detract from the fullness and truth of humanity. “Just as before, when bread is sanctified, we call it bread, but when Divine grace sanctifies it through the mediation of the priest, it is already free from the name bread, but has become worthy of the name of the body of the Lord, although the nature of bread has remained in it.”
Bring this mystery closer to our perception of Sts. the fathers tried by means of images. So, many of them used the image of a red-hot saber: iron, heated, becomes one with fire so that it is possible to burn with iron and cut with fire. However, neither fire nor iron lose their essential properties. At least until the 10th century, neither in the East nor in the West, no one taught about the illusory nature of the Eucharistic views.
The Latin doctrine of transubstantiation deforms the believers' perception of the sacrament of the Eucharist, turning the sacrament of the Church into some kind of supernatural, essentially magical, action. Unlike Western scholastics, Sts. The Fathers never contrasted the Eucharistic Gifts and the glorified humanity of the Savior as two external entities whose unity must be rationally substantiated. The Fathers of the Church saw their unity not at the natural, but at the hypostatic level, in the participation of Sts. Gifts and humanity of Christ to a single mode of existence in the Hypostasis of God the Word.
The miracle of the transposition of St. The gifts are like the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Blessed Virgin Mary; in other words, the very nature of people and things (bread and wine) does not change in the sacrament of the Eucharist, but the mode of existence of their nature is transformed.
3.4. Necessity and Salvation of Communion of the Holy Mysteries
On the need for salvation to partake of St. Mystery says the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:
“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever walks in My Flesh and drinks in My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day…” (John 6:53-54)
Saving fruits or actions of communion of Sts. Mystery essence
a) the closest union with the Lord (John 6:55-56);
b) growth in spiritual life and acquisition of true life (John 6:57);
c) a pledge of the future Resurrection and eternal life (John 6:58).
However, these actions of communion apply only to those who approach communion worthily. Communion brings greater condemnation to those who partake unworthily: “For whoever eats and drinks unworthily, the same eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not considering the Body of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11, 29).
4. Sacrament of repentance.
“Repentance is the Sacrament in which the one who confesses his sins, with a visible expression of forgiveness from the priest, is invisibly absolved from sins by Jesus Christ Himself.”
The sacrament of repentance was undoubtedly established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Savior promised the apostles to give them the power to forgive sins when he said: “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).
After His Resurrection, the Lord really granted them this power, saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit: to whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, on that they will remain ”(Jn. 20, 22-23).
Those approaching the sacrament of repentance are required to:
a) faith in Christ, for "... everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sin in His name" - (Acts, JU 43).
b) contrition for sins, because “sorrow for the sake of God produces unchanging repentance unto salvation” (2 Cor. 7:10).
c) the intention to improve his life, because after "the lawless one turned from his iniquity and began to do justice and righteousness, he will live for that" (Ezek. 33, 19).
Fasting and prayer serve as auxiliary and preparatory means in relation to repentance.
5. Sacrament of priesthood.
“Priesthood is a sacrament in which the Holy Spirit ordained the rightly chosen one through the laying on of hands as a bishop to perform the Sacraments and shepherd the flock of Christ.”
Shortly before His Ascension, the Lord told His disciples: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
Thus, the priestly ministry includes teaching (“teach”), priesthood (“baptizing”), and the ministry of administration (“teaching to observe them”).
This tripartite ministry - teaching, priesthood and administration - has the common name of shepherding. Priests are appointed to "shepherd the Church" (Acts 20:28).
The institution of the priesthood in the Church is not a human invention, but a divine institution. The Lord Himself "appointed some as Apostles, ... others as shepherds and teachers, to perfect the saints, for the work of service..." (Eph. 4:11-12).
Election to the priestly service is also not a human matter, but presupposes being chosen from above: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and ordained you…” (John 15:16).
“And no one by himself accepts this honor, but he who is called by God, like Aaron” (Eph. 5:4).
Ordination, the elevation of a person to a hierarchical degree, is not only a visible sign of appointment to the ministry, as Protestants believe, who believe that there is no fundamental difference between a layman and a clergyman.
Holy Scripture leaves no doubt that special gifts of grace are taught in the sacrament of the priesthood, which distinguish the clergy from the laity.
Ap. Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy: “Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the priesthood” (1 Tim. 4:14). “…I remind you to kindle the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6).
In the Orthodox Church, there are three necessary degrees of priesthood: bishop, presbyter and deacon.
“The deacon serves at the Sacraments; The presbyter performs the Sacraments, depending on the Bishop; The bishop not only celebrates the Sacraments, but also has the power to teach others through the laying on of hands the gift of grace to celebrate them.”
In addition, only the bishop has the right to consecrate the temple, the antimension and St. peace.
For normal functioning Church organism needs all three hierarchical degrees. Since ancient times, this has been considered a necessary condition for the life of the Church. Shmch. Ignatius the God-bearer wrote: “Everyone revere the deacons as the commandments of Jesus Christ, the bishops as Jesus Christ, the Son of God the Father, the presbyters as the congregation of God, as the host of the apostles - without them there is no Church.”
6. Sacrament of marriage.
Marriage is a Sacrament in which, with a free promise before the Priest and the Church by the bride and groom of their mutual fidelity, their marital union is blessed, in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, and they ask for the grace of pure unanimity, to the blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children.
The fact that marriage is indeed a Sacrament is evidenced by St. Paul: “... a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great…” (Eph. 5:31-32)
In the Christian understanding, marriage is not a means to achieve some goals, for example, the continuation of the human race, but an end in itself.
Marriage in Christianity also has a special religious dimension. By the will of the Creator human nature divided into two sexes, two halves, neither of which individually possesses the fullness of perfection. In marriage, spouses mutually enrich each other with the properties and qualities inherent in their gender, and thus both sides of the marriage union, becoming “one flesh” (Gen. 2, 24; Matt. 19, 5-6), that is, a single spiritual and bodily being, reach perfection.
The Christian family is called the "little Church", and this is not just a metaphor, but an expression of the very essence of things, for in marriage there is the same type of unity of people as in the Church, " big family”, - unity in love in the image of the Persons of the Holy Trinity.
The main goal of a person's life is to hear the call of God addressed to him and respond to it. But in order to answer this call, a person must commit an act of self-denial, reject his egoism, learn to live for the sake of others. This goal is served by Christian marriage, in which the spouses overcome their sinfulness and natural limitations "so that life can be realized as love and self-giving."
Therefore, Christian marriage does not move a person away from God, but brings him closer to Him. Marriage in Christianity is seen as a joint path of spouses to the Kingdom of God.
But Christianity, which highly values marriage, at the same time frees a person from the necessity of married life.
In Christianity, there is also an alternative path to the Kingdom of God - virginity, which is a rejection of the natural self-denial in love, which is marriage, and the choice of a more radical path through obedience and asceticism, on which the call of God addressed to a person becomes for him the only source of existence.
"Virginity is better than marriage, if one can keep it pure."
However, the path of virginity is not available to everyone, because it requires a special choice:
“…not everyone can accommodate this word, but to whom it has been given… He who can accommodate, let him accommodate” (Mt. 19:11-12).
At the same time, virginity and marriage in Christianity are not morally opposed. Virginity is higher than marriage, not because marriage as such contains something sinful, but because, under the existing conditions of human life, the path of virginity opens up great opportunities for total surrender to God: but a married man cares about the things of the world, how to please his wife ”(1 Cor. 7, 32-33).
Church canons (canons 1, 4, 13 of the Gangra Council, 4th century) provide for strict prohibitions against those who abhor marriage, that is, who refuse to marry not for the sake of achievement, but because they consider marriage unworthy of a Christian. In Christianity, both virginity and marriage are equally recognized and revered as two paths leading to the same goal.
7. Unction.
“The consecration of the oil is a Sacrament in which, when the body is anointed with oil, the grace of God is called upon the sick, healing the infirmities of the soul and body.”
This sacrament originates from the apostles, who, having received authority from Jesus Christ,
“Many sick people were anointed with oil and healed” (Mark 6:13).
Ap. James testifies that this sacrament was performed in the Church already in the apostolic period of its history: “Is any of you sick? let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15).
In the sacrament of the Unction, the sick person also receives the forgiveness of forgotten sins. This is “the completion of the remission of sins in the sacrament of repentance, - the completion not for the insufficiency of repentance itself to resolve all sins, but for the weakness of the sick to use this saving medicine in all its fullness and salvation.”
Other popular prayers:
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Sending disciples to preach, Jesus Christ told them: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The point here, as the Holy Church teaches, is about the Sacraments established by the Lord. A sacrament is a sacred action in which, through some external sign, the grace of the Holy Spirit is mysteriously and invisibly given to us, the saving power of God is given without fail. This is the difference between the Sacraments and other prayer actions. At prayer services or memorial services, we also ask for God's help, but whether we receive what we ask, or we will be given another mercy - everything is in the power of God. But in the Sacraments the promised grace is given to us without fail, so long as the Sacrament is performed correctly. Perhaps this gift will be our judgment or condemnation, but the mercy of God is taught to us!
The Lord was pleased to establish seven sacraments: baptism, chrismation, repentance, communion, marriage, priesthood, and unction.
Baptism
Baptism is, as it were, the door to the Church of Christ, only those who have accepted it can use the other Sacraments. This is such a sacred action in which a believer in Christ, through threefold immersion of the body in water, with the invocation of the name of the Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is washed from original sin, as well as from all the sins committed by him before Baptism, is reborn by grace the Holy Spirit into a new, spiritual life.
The Sacrament of Baptism was established by Jesus Christ Himself and sanctified by being baptized by John. And so, just as the Lord in the womb of the Holy Virgin took on human nature (excluding sin), so the one who is baptized in the font becomes a partaker of the divine nature: “You were baptized into Christ, put on Christ” (Gal. 3, 27). Accordingly, Satan also loses power over a person: if before he ruled over him as over his slave, then after Baptism he can only act from the outside - by deception.
For an adult to be baptized, a conscious desire to become a Christian is required, based on strong faith and heartfelt repentance. The Orthodox Church baptizes infants according to the faith of their parents and recipients. For this we need godfathers and mother, to vouch for the faith of the baptized. When he grows up, the godparents are obliged to teach the child and make sure that the godson becomes a true Christian. If they neglect this sacred duty, they will seriously sin. So to prepare for this day a beautiful cross and a white shirt, to bring a towel and slippers with you - - does not mean to prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism, even if an unintelligent baby is going to be baptized. He must still have believing godparents who know the basics of Christian doctrine and are distinguished by piety. If an adult comes to the font, let him first read New Testament, Catechism and accept the teachings of Christ with all their heart and mind.
Chrismation
In the sacrament of chrismation, the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which from now on will strengthen him in the Christian life. Initially, the Apostles of Christ prizes the Holy Spirit to descend upon those who turn to God through the laying on of hands. But already at the end of I, the Sacrament began to be performed through the anointing with chrism, since the apostles simply did not have the opportunity to lay hands on all those who joined the Church in different, often distant places.
Holy chrism is a specially prepared and consecrated composition of oil and fragrant substances. It was consecrated by the apostles and their successors, the bishops. And now only hierarchs can sanctify chrism. But the Sacrament itself can be performed by priests.
Usually chrismation follows immediately after Baptism. With the words: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen ”- the priest crosswise anoints the believer’s forehead - to sanctify his thoughts, eyes - so that we follow the path of salvation under the rays of grace-filled light, ears - let a person be sensitive to hearing the word of God, lips - so that they are capable of broadcasting Divine truth, hands - for sanctification for deeds pleasing to God, feet - for walking in the footsteps of the commandments of the Lord, chest - so that, having put on the whole armor of the Holy Spirit, we could do everything about Jesus Christ strengthening us. Thus, through the anointing of different parts of the body, the whole person is sanctified - his flesh and soul.
Repentance (confession)
Repentance is a Sacrament in which the believer confesses his sins to God in the presence of a priest and receives through the priest forgiveness of his sins from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Savior gave St. to the apostles, and through them to the priests, the power to absolve sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit. To whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; upon whom you leave, they will remain on him” (John 20:22-23).
To receive the forgiveness of sins, the confessor requires: reconciliation with all his neighbors, sincere contrition for sins and true confession of them, a firm intention to improve his life, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and hope for his mercy. The importance of the latter is evident from the example of Jude. He repented of a terrible sin - the betrayal of the Lord, but in despair he strangled himself, because he did not have faith and hope. But Christ took upon Himself all our sins and destroyed them by His Death on the Cross!
Communion (Eucharist)
In the Sacrament of Communion, an Orthodox Christian, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes of the very Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and through this is mysteriously united with Him, becoming a communicant. eternal life.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion was established by Christ Himself during the Last Supper, on the eve of His suffering and death: taking bread and giving thanks (God the Father for all His mercies), he broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying: take and eat, this is My Body, which for betrays you. He also took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: Drink all of you from it, for this is My Blood, for you and for many, pouring out the remission of sins (Mt. 26:26-28; Mk. 14:22-24; Lk. 22 , 19-24; Cor. I, 23-25). Having established the Sacrament of Communion, Jesus Christ commanded the disciples to celebrate it always: "Do this in remembrance of Me."
Shortly before that, in a conversation with the people, the Savior said: “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink. Whoever walks in My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56).
The Sacrament of Communion will be performed in the Church of Christ until the end of the age during the Divine service called the Liturgy, during which bread and wine, by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, are transubstantiated into the true Body and into the true Blood of Christ. In Greek this Sacrament is called "Eucharist", which means "thanksgiving". The first Christians took communion every Sunday, but now not everyone has such a purity of life. However, the Holy Church commands us to take communion every fast, and in no way less than once a year.
How to Prepare for Holy Communion
It is necessary to prepare oneself for the Sacrament of Holy Communion by fasting - prayer, fasting, humility and repentance. Without confession, no one can be admitted to Communion, except in cases of mortal danger.
Those who wish to receive communion worthily should begin preparing for this at least a week in advance: pray more and more fervently at home, attend Church regularly. In any case, you must be at the evening service on the eve of the day of communion. Fasting is combined with prayer - abstinence from fast food - meat, milk, butter, eggs, and generally moderation in eating and drinking.
Those who are preparing for Holy Communion must become imbued with the consciousness of their sinfulness and protect themselves from malice, condemnation and obscene thoughts and conversations, and refuse to visit places of entertainment. The best time to spend is reading spiritual books. Before confession, one must certainly reconcile both with the offenders and with the offended, humbly asking everyone for forgiveness. The one who wishes to take communion must come to the priest, who is making confession at the lectern, on which the Cross and the Gospel lie, and bring sincere repentance for the sins committed, without concealing any of them. Seeing sincere repentance, the priest places the end of the stole on the bowed head of the confessor and reads a prayer of permissiveness, forgiving him his sins on behalf of Jesus Christ Himself. It is more correct to confess the day before in the evening, so that the morning can be devoted to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. IN last resort, you can confess in the morning, but - before the start of the Divine Liturgy.
Having confessed, it is necessary to make a firm decision not to repeat former sins. There is a good custom - after confession and before Holy Communion, do not eat, drink or smoke. It is definitely forbidden after midnight. Children should also be taught to abstain from food and drink from an early age.
After singing "Our Father" you need to approach the steps of the altar and wait for the removal of the Holy Gifts. At the same time, skip forward the children who receive communion first. Approaching the Chalice, one must bow to the ground in advance, fold his arms crosswise on his chest and do not cross himself in front of the Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Pronounce your Christian name clearly, open your mouth wide, reverently accept the Body and Blood of Christ, and immediately swallow it. Having received the Holy Mysteries, without being baptized, kiss the bottom of the Chalice and immediately go to the table with warmth to drink Communion. Until the end of the Divine service, do not leave the church, be sure to listen to prayers of thanksgiving.
On the day of communion, do not spit, do not eat too much, do not get drunk on alcohol, and generally behave decently in order to “honestly keep Christ accepted in yourself.” All this is mandatory for children from 7 years old. For prayerful preparation for Holy Communion, there is a special rule in more complete prayer books. It consists of reading three canons the day before in the evening - the Penitent to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel and prayers for the future sleep, and in the morning - morning prayers, the canon and special prayers for Holy Communion.
Marriage
Marriage is a Sacrament in which, with a free (before the priest and the church) promise by the bride and groom of mutual fidelity to each other, their marital union is blessed and the grace of God is asked for mutual help and the blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children.
Marriage was established by God Himself in Paradise. After the creation of Adam and Eve, he blessed them and said: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Jesus Christ sanctified the Sacrament by his presence at the marriage in Cana of Galilee and confirmed its divine institution: two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matt. 19:4-6).
“Husbands,” says St. Paul, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her... Wives, obey your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, and He is the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5 , 22-23, 25). The sacrament of marriage is not obligatory for everyone, but those who remain celibate are obliged to lead a virgin life, which, according to the teachings of Christ, is higher than marriage - one of the greatest feats.
What else do you need to know who wants to get married in the Church?
That the Sacrament of marriage is not performed during the fasts: Great (48 days before Easter), Assumption (August 14-28), Christmas (November 28 - January 7), Petrovsky (from Sunday after Trinity, until July 12), at Christmas time (between Christmas and Epiphany - from January 7 to January 19) and on the Bright (Easter) week, as well as on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and on some other days of the year.
That marriage is a great Sacrament, and not just a beautiful ceremony, and therefore it should be treated with the fear of God, so as not to scold the shrine by divorce. That civil marriage is recognized as the main thing in our state, why a marriage certificate issued by the registry office is desirable for the performance of the Church Sacrament. That one of the parts of the Sacrament is the betrothal of the bride and groom, for which they must have wedding rings.
Priesthood
In the Mystery of the Priesthood, a correctly chosen person, through episcopal ordination (in Greek, consecration), receives the grace of the Holy Spirit for the sanctified service of the Church of Christ.
There are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, presbyter (priest) and bishop (bishop). There are also titles that denote not a new degree, but only the highest honor: for example, a bishop can be elevated to the rank of archbishop, metropolitan and patriarch, a priest (priest) - to an archpriest, a deacon - to a protodeacon.
The one who is ordained a deacon receives the grace to serve during the celebration of the Sacraments, the one who is ordained a priest - to celebrate the Sacraments, the one who is ordained a bishop - not only to celebrate the Sacraments, but also to consecrate others to celebrate the Sacraments.
The sacrament of the priesthood is a divine institution. The Holy Apostle Paul testifies that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself "appointed... others as shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of service, for the building up of the Body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:1-12). The apostles, celebrating this Sacrament, through the laying on of hands were elevated to deacons, presbyters and bishops. In turn, the bishops appointed by them consecrated people destined for sacred service. So, like fire from candle to candle, a line of correctly ordained clergy has come down to us from apostolic times.
For people who have recently entered the Church, the whole problem is what to call them? Clergymen in the degree of deacon and presbyter are usually called "fathers" - by name: father Alexander, father Vladimir - or by position: father protodeacon, father housekeeper (in the monastery). There is also a special, affectionate address in Russian: father. Accordingly, the spouse is called “mother”. It is customary to address the bishop as follows: “Vladyka!” or “Your Eminence!”. The Patriarch is called “Your Holiness!”. Well, and the clergy, church workers are ordinary parishioners? It is customary to address them like this: “brother”, “sister”. However, if in front of you is a person much older than you, it will not be a sin to tell him: “father” or “mother”, they are also addressed to monastics.
Unction (unction)
The sacrament of unction, in which, when the sick person is anointed with consecrated oil (oil), the grace of God is called upon him to heal from bodily and mental illnesses and forgive him for sins forgotten without malicious intent.
The sacrament of unction is also called unction, because seven priests gather to perform it, although, if necessary, one priest can perform it. Unction originates from the Holy Apostles. Having received from the Lord Jesus Christ the power to heal every disease, they anointed the sick with oil and healed” (Mark 6:13). James: “Is any of you sick, let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And prayer will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15). Babies are not unified, because they cannot have consciously committed sins.
Previously, the unction was performed at the bedside of the sick, now - more often - in the church, for many people at once. A small vessel with oil is placed in a dish with wheat (or other grain), as a sign of God's mercy, to which, in imitation of the Gospel merciful Samaritan and as a reminder of the Blood shed by Christ, red wine is added. Seven candles and seven sticks with cotton at the end are placed in wheat around the vessel. All those present hold lit candles in their hands. After special prayers, seven selected places from the epistles of the apostles and seven gospel narratives are read. After each of them, with the utterance of a prayer to the Lord - the Physician of our souls and bodies, the priest crosswise anoints the forehead, cheeks, chest, hands of the sick. After the seventh reading, he lays the opened Gospel, like the healing hand of the Savior Himself, on the head of the sick and prays to God for the forgiveness of all their sins.
Grace in any case acts through the consecrated oil, but this action is revealed, according to God's care, differently: some are completely healed, others receive relief, while others awaken strength for the complacent transfer of the disease. Forgiveness of sins, forgotten or unconscious, is granted to the one who gathers.
Orthodox Sacraments - sacred rites, revealed in Orthodox church rites, through which the believers are informed of the invisible Divine grace or the saving power of God.
In Orthodoxy it is accepted seven sacraments: baptism, chrismation, Eucharist (communion), repentance, sacrament of priesthood, sacrament of marriage and unction. Baptism, repentance and the Eucharist were instituted by Jesus Christ himself, as reported in the New Testament. Church Tradition bears witness to the divine origin of the other sacraments.
Sacraments are something that is unchanging, ontologically inherent in the Church. In contrast to this, the visible sacred rites (rites) associated with the performance of the Sacraments were formed gradually throughout the history of the Church. The Performer of the Sacraments is God, who performs them with the hands of the clergy.
The sacraments make up the Church. Only in the Sacraments does the Christian community transcend purely human standards and become the Church.
ALL 7 (SEVEN) Sacraments of the Orthodox Church
sacrament such a sacred action is called, through which the grace of the Holy Spirit, or the saving power of God, is secretly, invisibly given to a person.
The Holy Orthodox Church contains seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance, Communion, Marriage, Priesthood And Unction.
In the Creed, only Baptism is mentioned, because it is, as it were, the door to the Church of Christ. Only those who have received Baptism can use other sacraments.
In addition, at the time of the compilation of the Creed, there were disputes and doubts: should not some people, such as heretics, be baptized a second time when they return to the Church. The Ecumenical Council pointed out that Baptism can only be performed on a person once. That is why it is said - "I confess united Baptism".
Sacrament of Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism is such a sacred action in which the believer in Christ, through triple immersion in water, with the invocation of the name of the Most Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is washed from original sin, as well as from all the sins committed by him before Baptism, is reborn by the grace of the Holy Spirit into a new spiritual life (spiritually born) and becomes a member of the Church, t .e. blessed Kingdom of Christ.
The Sacrament of Baptism was established by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He sanctified Baptism by His own example by being baptized by John. Then, after His resurrection, He gave the apostles the command: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit(Matthew 28:19).
Baptism is necessary for everyone who wants to be a member of the Church of Christ. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God- said the Lord Himself (John 3, 5).
Baptism requires faith and repentance.
The Orthodox Church baptizes babies according to the faith of their parents and godparents. For this, there are godparents at Baptism, in order to vouch for the faith of the person being baptized before the Church. They are obliged to teach him the faith and see to it that their godson becomes a true Christian. This is the sacred duty of the beneficiaries, and they sin gravely if they neglect this duty. And the fact that gifts of grace are given according to the faith of others, we are given an indication in the Gospel during the healing of the paralytic: Jesus, seeing their faith (who brought the sick), says to the paralytic: child! Your sins are forgiven(Mark 2:5).
Sectarians believe that infants cannot be baptized and condemn the Orthodox for performing the Sacrament on infants. But the basis for Infant Baptism is that Baptism replaced the Old Testament circumcision, which was performed on eight-day-old babies (Christian Baptism is called circumcision without hands(Col. 2:11)); and the apostles performed baptism on entire families, where, undoubtedly, there were children. Infants, as well as adults, are involved in original sin and need to be cleansed from it.
The Lord Himself said: Let the children come to Me and do not forbid them, for of such is the Kingdom of God(Luke 18:16).
Since Baptism is a spiritual birth, and a person is born once, then the Sacrament of Baptism is performed on a person once. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism(Eph. 4:4).
Chrismation there is a Sacrament in which the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, strengthening him in the spiritual Christian life.
About the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ Himself said: Whoever believes in Me, from the one, as it is said in Scripture, from the womb(i.e. from the inner center, the heart) rivers of living water will flow. This He said concerning the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were to receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet upon them, because Jesus was not yet glorified.(John 7:38-39).
The Apostle Paul says: But He who confirms us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, Who both sealed us and gave the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.(2 Cor. 1:21-22).
The gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit are necessary for every believer in Christ. (There are also extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit that are communicated only to certain people, such as prophets, apostles, kings.)
Initially, the holy apostles performed the Sacrament of Chrismation through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17; 19:2-6). And at the end of the first century, the Sacrament of Confirmation began to be performed through anointing with holy chrism, following the example of the Old Testament church, since the apostles themselves did not have time to perform this Sacrament through the laying on of hands.
Holy chrism is a specially prepared and consecrated composition of fragrant substances and oil.
The chrism was certainly consecrated by the apostles themselves and their successors, the bishops (bishops). And now only bishops can sanctify chrism. Through the anointing with holy chrism consecrated by the bishops, on behalf of the bishops, presbyters (priests) can also perform the Sacrament of Confirmation.
During the performance of the Sacrament, the following parts of the body are cross-anointed with the believer: forehead, eyes, ears, mouth, chest, arms and legs - with the words "Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Some call the Sacrament of Confirmation "the Pentecost (descent of the Holy Spirit) of every Christian."
Sacrament of Repentance
Repentance is a Sacrament in which the believer confesses (orally reveals) his sins to God in the presence of a priest and receives forgiveness of sins through the priest from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Jesus Christ gave the holy apostles, and through them to all the priests, the power to forgive (forgive) sins: Receive the Holy Spirit. To whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, on that they will remain(John 20:22-23).
Even John the Baptist, preparing people for the acceptance of the Savior, preached baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins... And they were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins(Mk. 1, 4-5).
The holy apostles, having received authority for this from the Lord, performed the Sacrament of Penance, many of those who believed came, confessing and revealing their deeds(Acts 19, 18).
To receive forgiveness (permission) of sins, the confessing (repentant) requires: reconciliation with all neighbors, sincere contrition for sins and their oral confession before the priest, a firm intention to correct one's life, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and hope for His mercy.
In special cases, a penance is imposed on the penitent (the Greek word is "prohibition"), which prescribes some hardships aimed at overcoming sinful habits, and the performance of certain pious deeds.
During his repentance, King David wrote a prayer-song of repentance (Psalm 50), which is a model of repentance and begins with these words: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your bounties, blot out my iniquities. Wash Me many times cleanse me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."
Sacrament of Communion
communion there is a Sacrament in which a believer (Orthodox Christian), under the guise of bread and wine, receives (tastes) the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and through this is mysteriously united with Christ and becomes a partaker of eternal life.
The Mystery of Holy Communion was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself during the last Last Supper, on the eve of His suffering and death. He Himself performed this Sacrament: taking bread and thanking(God the Father for all His mercies to the human race), broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying, Take, eat: this is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Also, taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying: drink from it all; for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. Do this in remembrance of me(Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-24; 1 Cor. 11:23-25).
So Jesus Christ, having established the Sacrament of Communion, commanded the disciples to perform it always: do this in remembrance of me.
In a conversation with the people, Jesus Christ said: If you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him(John 6:53-56).
According to the commandment of Christ, the Sacrament of Communion is constantly performed in the Church of Christ and will be performed until the end of the age at the divine service called Liturgy during which bread and wine, by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, offered or are transubstantiated into the true body and into the true blood of Christ.
The bread for Communion is used alone, since all those who believe in Christ constitute one body of His, the head of which is Christ Himself. One bread, and we many are one body; for we all partake of the same bread- says the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 10, 17).
The first Christians took communion every Sunday, but now not everyone has such a purity of life to take communion so often. However, the Holy Church commands us to take communion at every fast, and in no way less than once a year. [According to the canons of the Church, a person who missed without a valid reason three Sundays in a row without participating in the Eucharist, i.e. without Communion, thereby placing himself outside the Church (canon 21 of Elvira, canon 12 of Sardica and canon 80 of Trullo Councils).]
Christians must prepare themselves for the Sacrament of Holy Communion fasting, which consists in fasting, prayer, reconciliation with everyone, and then - confession, i.e. cleansing one's conscience in the Sacrament of Penance.
The sacrament of Holy Communion is called in Greek Eucharist which means "thank you".
Marriage is the Sacrament in which, with a free (before the priest and the Church) promise by the bride and groom of mutual fidelity to each other, their marital union is blessed, in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, and the grace of God is requested and given for mutual help and unanimity and for a blessed birth and Christian parenting.
Marriage was established by God Himself in Paradise. After the creation of Adam and Eve, God blessed them, and God said to them: be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it(Gen. 1:28).
Jesus Christ sanctified Marriage by His presence at the marriage in Cana of Galilee and confirmed its divine institution, saying: created(God) in the beginning he created them male and female(Gen. 1:27). And said: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.(Gen. 2:24), so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate(Matthew 19:6).
The Holy Apostle Paul says: This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church(Eph. 5:32).
The union of Jesus Christ with the Church is based on the love of Christ for the Church and on the complete devotion of the Church to the will of Christ. Hence the husband is obliged to selflessly love his wife, and the wife is obliged to voluntarily, i.e. lovingly obey your husband.
Husbands says the Apostle Paul, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself up for her... he who loves his wife loves himself(Eph. 5:25, 28). Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, and He is also the Savior of the bodies. a (Eph. 5:2223).
Therefore, spouses (husband and wife) are obliged to keep mutual love and respect, mutual devotion and fidelity throughout their lives.
Good Christian family life there is a source of personal and public good.
The family is the foundation of the Church of Christ.
Being in Marriage is not obligatory for everyone, but persons who voluntarily remain celibate are obliged to lead a pure, immaculate and virgin life, which, according to the teaching of the Word of God, is one of the greatest feats (Matt. 19, 11-12; 1 Cor. 7, 8 , 9, 26, 32, 34, 37, 40, etc.).
Priesthood there is a Sacrament in which, through the ordination of a bishop, an elected person (to the office of bishop, or presbyter, or deacon) receives the grace of the Holy Spirit for the sacred service of the Church of Christ.
Initiate deacon receives the grace to serve in the performance of the sacraments.
Initiate into a priest(presbyter) receives the grace to perform the sacraments.
Initiate to the bishop(hierarch) receives grace not only to perform the sacraments, but also to consecrate others to perform the sacraments.
For many people, church life is limited to occasional trips to the temple in those cases when things are not going as well as we would like. We usually light a couple of candles and leave a donation. After that, we wait for some relief or serious positive changes in life, sincerely believing that we received some grace at the moment of attending church. But in fact, spiritual nourishment cannot be limited to superficial and often thoughtless actions. If you really want to feel the grace of the Holy Spirit, then you need special rituals - church sacraments. Our article will be devoted to them.
Church sacraments: definition and general characteristics
Every person who has at least occasionally come across the Christian religion has probably heard such a phrase as " church sacrament". It is understood as a kind of sacred action, which should give a person grace from the Holy Spirit.
It is necessary to clearly understand the differences between ordinary church services and rites from the sacraments. The fact is that most of the rites were invented by people and only over time became mandatory for those who lead a spiritual life. But the mystery of the sacraments of the Church lies in the fact that they were established by Jesus Christ himself. Therefore, they have a special divine origin and act on a person at the psychophysical level.
Why is it necessary to participate in the sacraments?
This is a special act that guarantees a person grace from higher powers. Quite often, to ask for healing or well-being for our loved ones, we come to the temple and take part in the service. It is also quite common in Orthodoxy to transfer notes with names for clergy who pray for the people indicated in the paper. But all this may or may not work. Everything depends on the will of God and his plans for you.
But the sacraments of the Church in Orthodoxy make it possible to receive grace as a gift. If the sacrament itself is carried out correctly and a person is set to receive a blessing from God, then he falls under the influence of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and it depends on him how to use this gift.
The number of church sacraments
Now Orthodoxy has seven church sacraments, and initially there were only two. It is they who are mentioned in Christian texts, but over time, five more sacraments are added to them, which together formed the ritual basis of the Christian religion. Every clergyman can easily list the seven sacraments of the Church:
- Baptism.
- Chrismation.
- Eucharist (communion).
- Repentance.
- Unction.
- Mystery of Marriage.
- Sacrament of the Priesthood.
Theologians claim that Jesus Christ himself instituted baptism, chrismation, and communion. These sacraments were obligatory for any believer.
Classification of the sacraments
Church sacraments in Orthodoxy have their own classification, every Christian who takes the first steps on the path to God should know about this. Sacraments can be:
- mandatory;
- optional.
- baptism;
- chrismation;
- participle;
- repentance;
- unction.
The Sacrament of Marriage and the Priesthood are the free will of man and belong to the second category. But it should be borne in mind that in Christianity only the marriage that is consecrated by the church is recognized.
Also, all the sacraments can be divided into:
- single;
- repeatable.
A one-time church sacrament can be performed only once in a lifetime. This category fits:
- baptism;
- chrismation;
- sacrament of the priesthood.
The rest of the rituals can be repeated many times depending on the spiritual needs of the person. Some theologians also rank the Sacrament of Marriage as one-time rites, because a wedding in a church can be done once in a lifetime. Despite the fact that many are now talking about such a ceremony as dethronement, the official position of the Church on this issue has not changed for many years - a marriage entered into before God cannot be canceled.
Where are the sacraments of the Church taught?
If you do not plan to connect your life with serving God, then it is enough for you to have a general idea of what the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church are. But otherwise, you will need to carefully study each rite that takes place during training in the seminary.
Ten years ago as study guide a book was published for seminarians " Orthodox teaching about church sacraments". It reveals all the secrets of rituals, and also includes materials from various theological conferences. By the way, this information will be useful to anyone who is interested in religion and wants to penetrate deeply into the essence of Christianity in general and Orthodoxy in particular.
Sacraments for children and adults: is there a separation
Of course, there are no special church sacraments for children, because they have equal rights and obligations with adult members of the Christian community before God. Children take part in baptism, chrismation, communion and unction. But repentance causes certain difficulties for some theologians when we talk about a child. On the one hand, children are born practically sinless (with the exception of original sin) and have no deeds behind their backs for which they need to repent. But, on the other hand, even a small children's sin is a sin before God, therefore, it needs awareness and repentance. It is not worth waiting for a series of minor offenses to lead to the formation of a sinful consciousness.
Naturally, the Sacrament of Marriage and the Priesthood are inaccessible to children. Participation in such ceremonies can be taken by a person who, according to the laws of the country, is recognized as an adult.
Baptism
The Church Sacraments of Baptism literally become the gate through which a person enters the Church and becomes a member of it. To perform the sacrament, water is always needed, because Jesus Christ himself was baptized in the Jordan to set an example for all his followers and show them the shortest path to the atonement of sins.
Baptism is performed by a clergyman and requires some preparation. If we are talking about the sacrament of the Church for an adult who consciously came to God, then he needs to read the Gospel, as well as receive instructions from the clergyman. Sometimes, before baptism, people attend special classes during which they receive basic knowledge about the Christian religion, church rites and God.
Baptism is performed in the temple (when it comes to a seriously ill person, the ceremony can be performed at home or in a hospital) by a priest. A person is placed facing east and listens to cleansing prayers, and then, turning to the west, renounces sin, Satan and his former life. Then he plunges into the font three times to the prayers of the priest. After that, the baptized person is considered born in God and, as a confirmation of his belonging to Christianity, receives a cross, which must be worn constantly. It is customary to keep a baptismal shirt for a lifetime; it is a kind of amulet for a person.
When the sacrament is performed over the baby, then all questions are answered by the parents and godparents. In some churches, participation in the rite of one godfather is allowed, but he must be of the same sex as the godson. Keep in mind that becoming a godfather is a very responsible mission. After all, from this moment you are responsible before God for the soul of the child. It is the godparents who should lead him along the path of Christianity, instruct and admonish. We can say that the recipients are spiritual teachers for a new member of the Christian community. Doing these duties improperly is a grave sin.
Chrismation
This sacrament is performed immediately after baptism, it is the next stage in the churching of a person. If baptism washes away all his sins from a person, then chrismation gives him the grace of God and the strength to live as a Christian, fulfilling all the commandments. Confirmation occurs only once in a lifetime.
For the ceremony, the priest uses myrrh - a special consecrated oil. In the process of the sacrament, myrrh is applied in the form of a cross on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, ears, lips, hands and feet of a person. The clergy call it the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, a person becomes a real member and is ready for life in Christ.
Repentance
The Sacrament of Repentance is not a simple confession of one's sins before a clergyman, but an awareness of the unrighteousness of one's path. Theologians argue that repentance is not words, but an act. If you come to the realization that you will do something sinful, then stop and change your life. And in order to be strengthened in your decision, you need repentance, which cleanses from all committed unrighteous deeds. After this sacrament, many people feel renewed and enlightened, it is easier for them to avoid temptations and adhere to certain rules.
Only a bishop or priest can receive confession, since it was they who received this right through the Sacrament of the Priesthood. During repentance, a person kneels and lists to the clergyman all his sins. He, in turn, reads cleansing prayers and overshadows the confessor with the banner of the cross. In some cases, when a person repents of any serious sins, penance is imposed on him - a special punishment.
Consider, if you have gone through repentance and are again committing the same sin, then think about the meaning of your actions. Perhaps you are not strong enough in the faith, and you need the help of a priest.
What is a sacrament?
The sacrament of the Church, which is considered one of the most important, is called "communion". This rite connects a person with God on an energetic level, it cleanses and heals a Christian spiritually and materially.
The church service at which the Sacrament of Communion is performed takes place on certain days. In addition, not all Christians are admitted to it, but only those who have undergone special training. You must first speak with the clergyman and declare your desire to take the sacrament. Usually a church minister appoints a post, after which it is necessary to undergo repentance. Only to those who have fulfilled all the conditions, the church service becomes available, at which the Sacrament of Communion is performed.
In the process of the sacrament, a person receives bread and wine, which are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. This enables the Christian to partake of divine energy and be cleansed of everything sinful. Church officials claim that the sacrament heals a person at the deepest level. He is reborn spiritually, which always has a positive effect on human health.
Church Sacrament: Unction
This sacrament is also often called the consecration of oil, since in the process of the ceremony, oil is applied to the human body - oil (olive oil is most often used). The sacrament got its name from the word "cathedral", meaning that the ceremony should be carried out by several clergymen. Ideally, there should be seven.
The Sacrament of Unction is performed on seriously ill people who need healing. First of all, the rite is aimed at healing the soul, which directly affects our bodily shell. During the sacrament, the clergy read seven texts from various sacred sources. The oil is then applied to the person's face, eyes, ears, lips, chest and limbs. At the end of the ceremony, the gospel is placed on the head of the Christian, and the priest begins to pray for the remission of sins.
It is believed that it is best to conduct this sacrament after repentance, and then go through communion.
Sacrament of Marriage
Many newlyweds think about the wedding, but few of them realize the seriousness of this step. The Sacrament of Marriage is a very responsible one that unites two people forever before God. It is believed that from now on there are always three of them. Invisibly, Christ accompanies them everywhere, supporting them in difficult moments.
It is important to be aware that there are some obstacles to performing the sacrament. These include the following reasons:
- fourth and subsequent marriages;
- unbelief in God of one of the spouses;
- refusal of baptism by one or both spouses;
- the presence of spouses in kinship up to the fourth knee.
Keep in mind that it takes a long time to prepare for the wedding and approach it very thoroughly.
Sacrament of the Priesthood
The Sacrament Ordination to a church rank gives the priest the right to conduct services and independently perform church rites. This is a rather complicated procedure, which we will not describe. But its essence lies in the fact that through certain manipulations, the grace of the Holy Spirit descends on the minister of the church, which gives him special power. Moreover, according to church canons, the higher the rank of the church, the greater the power descends on the clergyman.
We hope that our article has given you some idea of the sacraments of the Church, without which the life of a Christian in God is impossible.
My little daughter came to church at the age of five and was very frightened of the new environment. I had to wait a couple of years for the child to perceive going to the temple calmly and kindly. It was my mistake, because I did not prepare the girl in advance and did not explain the meaning of the visit god's temple. When the daughter got used to and got used to the new environment, then she was baptized with confidence. After that, I explained to her what the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church are, and she took the sacrament with pleasure and went to the first confession. In the article I want to talk about the seven Church Sacraments, and what role they play in the life of a believer.
Some church rites are sacraments that are incomprehensible to the human mind. For example, during the Sacrament of Communion, bread is miraculously transformed into the body of Christ, and wine into blood. To accept this, one needs faith that such a thing is possible and permissible.
Consider in detail the 7 Sacraments of the Orthodox Church:
- baptism;
- chrismation;
- repentance (confession);
- communion;
- unction;
- wedding;
- priesthood.
These Sacraments were determined by the Lord Christ himself, he commanded his disciples to bring to people the light of the divine truth of the gospel. Through the Sacraments we receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, mercy and salvation. It is in the acquisition of grace that the Sacrament differs from other ceremonies and actions in the church.
If during a prayer service or memorial service we rely on the mercy of God and are not sure whether we will receive an answer. Then, during the Sacraments, the grace of God abides on the believers constantly. If during ritual actions we express our faith and reverence for God, then during the Sacrament grace descends on the flock.
Communion is the most important of all the Sacraments of the Church, when a believer is united in spirit with the flesh and blood of the Savior. It is through him that we receive the inheritance of eternal life. The word "eucharist" is translated from Greek as "thanksgiving". We thank Jesus for the gift of soul salvation.
The second most important is the Sacrament of the priesthood: ordination and consecration to the church rank. The ordination is performed by the bishop, passing on the gift of grace of the Holy Spirit.
Of the sacraments, baptism is also of particular importance; with the help of it, the number of Christians increases. The rest of the sacraments of the Church are necessary for the revelation of the Christian life and the holiness of the Church.
What gifts does a person acquire during the Sacrament:
- at baptism, a spiritual person is born;
- with chrismation, the Orthodox acquires strengthening grace;
- communion nourishes the believer with spiritual food;
- repentance cleanses the soul from sins;
- the priesthood gives grace to instruct the flock on the path of faith;
- the wedding sanctifies married life;
- unction frees from physical and mental ailments.
The Three Sacraments are unique, that is, they are performed only once in a lifetime. These include baptism, chrismation, and the priesthood. The rest of the Sacraments are repeated as the believers participate. For example, the sacrament of unction can be performed annually, while the sacrament of confession can be performed every week.
Baptism
This Sacrament was instituted by the Lord Christ himself when he was personally baptized in the Jordan. After his resurrection, the Savior commanded the apostles to baptize people in the name of the Holy Trinity. Baptism is carried out only once, because it is impossible to be born twice in a spiritual body.
Three times immersed in water is symbolically washed away original sin. After baptism, the believer becomes churched and can partake of the Holy Gifts.
After baptism, the power of the devil over the soul is completely destroyed, now he can only tempt a Christian to sin by deceit. Why does the Orthodox Church baptize babies who do not understand what is happening to them? For this they are given God-parents who vouch for their godchild and are obliged to educate him in the traditions of the faith. If godparents do not cope with their duty, this places a heavy burden of sin on their shoulders.
Chrismation
Through this Sacrament, a Christian receives special grace from the Holy Spirit to strengthen in faith and follow the path of truth. This is the seal of the Holy Spirit on a person. The apostles performed anointing with the laying on of hands, later this rite began to be carried out differently - with the help of anointing with holy chrism.
Miro is a specially prepared oil with fragrant substances (40 items), which was blessed by the apostles. Later, the myrrh began to be consecrated by their followers, the bishops. Today the world is sanctified by the bishop. By using consecrated chrism the seal of the Holy Spirit is placed. The first chrismation takes place immediately after a person's baptism.
For the confessor, it is necessary to admit his sins, sincerely repent and have a firm intention to improve. Jesus Christ took the sins of mankind upon himself voluntarily, suffered for each of us. It was a voluntary sacrifice, so a Christian should be aware of the greatness of the gift of the Savior and not be ungrateful. To admit one's sin is an acknowledgment of a redeeming sacrifice, and to make a decision to correct oneself is a gratitude for the gift of soul salvation.
The Holy Fathers say that repentance is the foundation of the Christian life. A person is weak and weak spiritually according to his nature, therefore he hopes only for the grace and mercy of God in salvation. However, one cannot turn the mercy of God into profanation and sin in an unscrupulous way. This is an expression of ingratitude to the Savior. Sins alienate the believer from God, but sincere repentance and correction brings them closer. Repentance is also called baptism with tears.
Recognition of one's sinful nature brings a person closer to God. He who does not see his sins is spiritually sick.
However, it should be remembered that God sees people's hearts, so formal repentance has no power and no forgiveness. If a person thinks about sin in his heart, having formally repented, this causes great harm to his soul. This is called spiritual sickness. The Orthodox must realize his sins, take a firm intention to get rid of passions and ask the Lord for help in correcting.
Sincere repentance prepares us for the Last Judgment. Whoever constantly confesses and strives to improve, he can not be afraid to answer to God. There is no need to be ashamed of the priest to whom you confess, because he was appointed for this purpose by God himself. One must be afraid and ashamed of unrepentant sin. If a person suffers from forgetfulness, you can write down your sins on paper and read to the priest. It is important not to forget anything.
First confession
When a child turns 7 years old, parents should prepare him for the first confession, on which his future life as a Christian depends. You can’t frighten a child with God’s punishment, you need to instill love for God and talk more often about his concern. Fear of punishment can lead the adult child to further abandon the faith.
It is necessary to help the child overcome shyness before confession, to help and approve his determination to tell about sins. Therefore, children are prepared for the first confession in advance, and are not confronted with a fact. The task of parents is to explain the meaning of repentance and the danger of sinful deeds for the soul. Danger should not appear to the child as something fatal, but as the chagrin of God, a loving father. It is necessary to instill in the child a trusting attitude towards the priest and confession, to explain the importance of repentance for his correct relationship with the heavenly father.
sacrament of communion
The Eucharist is one of the most important sacraments when a believer partakes of the Holy Gifts and becomes one with Jesus Christ. Without communion it is impossible to enter eternal life and gain the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. The Eucharist was determined by the Lord Christ at the Last Supper, when he broke the bread and called it his Body. After giving the apostles wine, he called it his blood. Since then, believers have been constantly partaking of the Holy Gifts at divine services.
How can wine be transubstantiated into blood, and bread into a body? This cannot be explained logically, since we are talking about spiritual things. Wine and bread do not change their physical properties, but their spiritual component changes.
At the same time, one should be aware that the wedding is not some kind of magical rite that unites husband and wife forever. Spouses should lead a pious life, take part in church life and raise children in Orthodox traditions. God sends his grace to those who are getting married, but they must live according to the gospel commandments. Unfortunately, not all couples fully understand this, but simply hope for a miracle or magic.