As is known, Old Believers refer to the “nominal” finger arrangement used by Nikonite priests during blessings as “Malaksa.” This practice is named after Nikola Malaksa, a native of the city of Nafplion on the Peloponnese peninsula.

Nikola was born after 1573 and received his education in Constantinople. Following the Turkish conquest of the region in 1540, he relocated to Venice. According to Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky), in 1558, Nikola worked as a proofreader of books at the Venetian Greek printing house of Andrea Spinelli, who, following the custom of the time, edited printed books at his own discretion. Nikola Malaksa’s interpretation of the nominal finger arrangement was translated and published in 1656 in the Nikonite “Skrizhal” (Tablet) under the title “On the Significance of the Joined Fingers of the Priest’s Hand When Blessing the Christ-Named People.”

After the Greek Church came under intense cultural and religious pressure from Muslims and Crusaders, it lost its universal, catholic character of confessing Christ, leaning more toward a national identification of its faith. Thus, the Greeks began to assert that only the modern Greek language, along with new Greek customs and traditions, formed the basis of the Orthodox faith. However, some of these new Greek traditions directly contradicted the universal Orthodox tradition. For instance, the Greeks claimed that clergy should bless the people using the so-called “nominal finger arrangement,” meaning arranging the fingers to form the Greek letters IC and XC. They further stated that the fingers, shaped to represent these Greek letters, were given to humanity by God: “By divine providence, from the beginning, the Creator of all arranged the fingers of the human hand thus, neither more nor less… but sufficient for such a signification” (Skrizhal, sheet 817). Additionally, the Greeks and the Nikonites who followed them claimed that the Savior Himself was the first to bless using these Greek letters in Israel: “We have learned this form of blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself” (Zhezl, sheet 63). Such speculations by Greek and Russian innovators were the result of teachings about the messianic role and Christian primacy of the Greek people. The Patriarch of Alexandria, Mitrophan (Kritopoulo), in his “Confession of the Eastern, Catholic, and Apostolic Church” (1625), justified the idea of Greek exceptionalism by arguing that the Jews and Romans rejected and crucified Christ, while the Greeks glorified Him.

By adopting the teaching of the nominal finger arrangement and other nationalistic Greek customs, Russian Nikonites went even further. They began to assert that only the Greek form of the Lord’s name, “Iisus,” could be salvific. At the councils of 1666–1667, the use of the Slavic form of the Savior’s name, “Isus,” was prohibited. Nikonite Archbishop Dmitry of Rostov (Tuptalo) explained this as follows: “It is better for us to write ‘Iisus’ rather than ‘Isus,’ since the extended name of the Savior, as used by the Greeks, is pronounced in three syllables, not merely two. In the Russian language, however, schismatics, pronouncing ‘Isus’ in two syllables, do not confess the Savior and Healer of our souls… but some sort of ‘Isus’ with equal ears…” (Dmitry, Metropolitan of Rostov. Investigation of the Schismatic Bryn Faith. Moscow, 1855, pp. 47–48).

The teachings about the nominal finger arrangement and the spelling of the Savior’s name are undoubtedly heretical, not only because the Lord did not create human fingers in the shape of Greek or Slavic letters, nor because the Savior did not preach to the Jews in the Greek language, but because these teachings directly contradict the commandments of Christ, the apostles, and the holy fathers to preach the Son of God “in all languages.”

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This year, according to the civil calendar, marks 1,000 years since the martyric death of the holy passion-bearers Princes Boris and Gleb. A thousand years is an immense span of time that erases both the bad and the good from memory. However, there are enduring values over which time should have no power—at least, it ought not to. These are spiritual and moral values. Since such values do not exist in isolation but are preserved through their real embodiment in the lives of specific individuals, the memory of those individuals should also be immune to the passage of time. At the very least, if we wish to preserve spiritual and moral guidelines, we are obligated to maintain the memory of those who steadfastly followed these principles, so that by imitating their lives, we ourselves become guardians and continuators of this virtuous path. In this regard, it is troubling that in contemporary Old Belief, the memory of such spiritual luminaries of the Russian Church as Saints Boris and Gleb has been almost entirely forgotten. No churches are built in their honor, solemn services are scarcely held anywhere, and the lives of these holy brothers are hardly known to the vast majority of Old Believers. Undoubtedly, it is difficult, if not impossible, to venerate all the saints who have shone forth equally, not only in the universal Church but even here in Rus’, for their number far exceeds the days in a year. However, Saints Boris and Gleb are not just among the many; their place among Russian saints is unique—they are the first. The first to head the official diptych of Russian saints, the first to be embraced by the heart of the people, celebrated and glorified by the Russian Church. It was in them that the Russian people saw the true embodiment of Christian ideals. The sacrificial feat of Boris and Gleb served as a source for understanding Russian national identity and had a profound impact on shaping Russian historical and religious consciousness. What, then, is the essence of the feat of these holy brothers that exerted such a tremendous influence on the Russian people? Boris and Gleb were among the younger sons of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. Besides them, Prince Vladimir had 10 other sons and 14 daughters. Yet Boris and Gleb stood out among all of Vladimir’s children for their pious lives, love for reading spiritual books, and acts of charity. Like their father, they were renowned among the people for their care for the poor. In 1015, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir reposed. Vladimir’s adopted son, Svyatopolk, usurped the Kyiv throne and, to secure his rule, decided, like the biblical Cain, to shed the innocent blood of his younger brothers. Such behavior is not unique in human history; on the contrary, there are many such examples. What is exceptional and extraordinary in this story is the conduct of Svyatopolk’s brothers. The faithful passion-bearer princes Boris and Gleb not only refused to engage in internecine strife against their elder brother Svyatopolk, humbly honoring him as a father, but, knowing his wicked intentions, they did not resist him in any way. Like their heavenly Teacher, they meekly accepted their brother’s betrayal and did not seek to escape the swords of the assassins sent by Svyatopolk, forgiving their executioners with Christian humility. The ideals revered by a particular people offer insight into their culture, morality, and spirituality. For instance, Christian Egypt particularly venerated ascetics, Byzantium—preachers, and Rus’—innocent sufferers for the truth, as exemplified by Saints Boris and Gleb. Caring for the poor during their lives and faithful to the Gospel commandments unto death, the holy passion-bearer princes, through their personal example, conveyed to the Russian people the image of a loving, meek, uncomplaining, and voluntarily suffering Savior. The Gospel story was vividly reflected in the innocent blood of the holy brothers, becoming even closer and more comprehensible to the Russian people, who, just a few decades before these events, had declared themselves a Christian nation, though their Christian consciousness was still in its formative stage. It was precisely the feat of Saints Boris and Gleb that laid the foundation and effectively defined the religious ideals of the Russian people—their national understanding of Christ’s faith: mercy, non-resistance to evil with evil, and humble submission to God’s will. Thus, for centuries, the passion-bearer Princes Boris and Gleb were among the most venerated Russian saints. Despite the growing number of God’s saints shining in the firmament of the Russian Church, their veneration did not fade until the schism of the 17th century. Their names were not lost in the expanding diptych of Russian saints. Numerous churches and monasteries were built in their honor, and their memory was celebrated with particular solemnity. How, then, has it come to pass that today there is not a single church, chapel, or prayer house among Old Believers dedicated to these holy brothers who suffered for the truth of the Gospel? One would think that Boris and Gleb, as the first Russian saints, would inspire Old Believers as symbols of ancient, pre-schism Rus’. Yet, their veneration is not widespread in Old Belief. Their lives and deaths ought to resonate deeply with every Old Believer’s heart. Like Boris and Gleb, Old Believers have endured betrayal, persecution, injustice, and often death at the hands of their kin by blood for centuries, as the holy Protopriest Avvakum once wrote: “Our Nikonite brethren were ours, but the thief, the devil, stole them.” Yet, for some reason, Old Believers today do not feel this spiritual kinship with these Russian Abels. Moreover, the veneration of saints has, in most cases, been reduced either to addressing mundane concerns (e.g., venerating the Prophet Elijah for good weather, St. Nicholas for success in travels or other worldly matters, etc.) or to ideological purposes, where the veneration of certain saints is directly tied to the applicability of their lives and deeds to religious polemics and apologetics (e.g., holy Princess Anna of Kashin, Venerable Maximus the Greek, the fathers of the Stoglav Council, etc.). How can this situation be changed? How can the holy Russian passion-bearers be restored to the hearts of Russian Old Believers? The answer is simple: through spiritual education and the renewal of the original ideals of the defenders of ancient piety, which have faded over years of comfortable and peaceful living. Christians must come to understand that Old Orthodoxy is not the mechanical preservation of certain church forms, signs, and symbols, but an active, sacrificial stand—and, if necessary, suffering—for the Gospel and ecclesiastical truth. As it is written in Scripture: “All flesh is joined according to its kind, and a man clings to his own kind” (Sirach 13:20). So it will be with us. When the true ideals of Christianity are restored within us, the holy passion-bearer Princes Boris and Gleb will appear to us as close and spiritually kindred. Then, their sincere and widespread veneration will be restored without any administrative efforts, as it was in ancient Rus’ 1,000 years ago. May God help us all in this through the prayers of His holy passion-bearers! Priest Andrey Marchenko (RDC) source

“May the Lord bring together those who are divided, so that in love for one another we may confess and glorify with one mouth and one heart the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity.” (From the Acts of the New Ritualist Council of 1971)

A few years ago, I asked a New Ritualist bishop who participated in lifting the anathemas from the old rites: “What guided your decision to lift the anathemas?” His response was not a direct answer to the question but rather an evasion: “Yes, the anathemas have been lifted,” he said, “but the Old Believers showed no interest in this.” For this reason, and because of certain efforts by the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) aimed at rapprochement with the Old Believers, I decided to share my perspective on this matter. Indeed, the anathemas on the ancient rites have been lifted, but is this a great act of God’s mercy, setting us all on the path to reconciliation, or yet another step toward the theological liberalization of New Ritualism? If it is the former, then it is foolish and unforgivable to ignore and neglect this immense gift from a God who loves us all—a God who said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27); “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). But if it is the latter? Let us try to understand. The New Ritualists took centuries to reach the decision to lift the anathemas. The effect of the anathemas from the Moscow Council of 1666–67 was first limited in the “Exhortation” of 1765, then through the establishment of Edinoverie (a form of union with the Old Believers). There was also an attempt to practically abolish the anathemas at the council of 1917–18 under Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin), followed by the Synod under Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) in 1929, which also spoke out against the anathemas. Finally, the council of 1971 definitively consigned the anathemas to oblivion. More than thirty years have passed since this event. It is clear to everyone that any decision can only be judged by the fruits of its implementation. So, what are these fruits? The schism has not been overcome. There are practically no trends toward reconciliation. Those sincerely interested in reconciliation are few and far between. The New Ritualists attempt theological dialogue with anyone, even African Voodoo sects,¹ but not with the Old Believers. In general, there is no interest in ensuring that the seed planted in 1971 bears any fruit. The only feeble attempt at some semblance of dialogue was the much-criticized March Memorandum of 1999. According to this memorandum, if the Old Believers abandon their critical view of Nikon’s reforms, they would, for instance, be allowed “with the approval of local church authorities, to make pilgrimages to ancient shrines (miraculous icons, relics of saints, etc.) under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, where they would be permitted to hold molebens (prayer services) according to the old rite.” Is this a profound misunderstanding of the true reasons for the division, or yet another attempt at a Edinoverie-style union? And how are the Old Believers regarded? Is it really conceivable that Old Believers would forsake their ideals—sanctified over centuries by rivers of martyr’s blood—for the dubious “crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:27)? In the past, principles were sold for thirty pieces of silver; now, relics and icons are offered in exchange, which, without spiritual principles, have no value in themselves. The most comical aspect of all this is that, in essence, the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate impose no restrictions on those wishing to venerate shrines, such as those in Sergiev Posad or the Kyiv Caves. The religious indifference of the New Ritualists is such that they allow anyone into their churches, usually without inquiring whether they are Orthodox or heretics. The long-standing spiritual isolation of New Ritualists and Old Believers from one another has played its fatal role: the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate largely form their opinions about Old Believers either from unreliable books, such as the works of Melnikov-Pechersky, or from rare and superficial personal contacts. This is why, even if the steps taken by MP hierarchs are sincere, they are doomed to failure when made in the spirit of seeking a ritual compromise. Old Believers continue to be treated as ritualists, as semi-pagans. This is why attempts at rapprochement begin not with theological dialogue about the validity of Patriarch Nikon’s reforms but, for example, with the Synod’s resolution of June 4, 1999: “to organize joint evenings of ancient Russian church singing with Old Believers.” What an astonishing misunderstanding of the issue! What singing? If Old Believers are schismatics, how can one perform prayerful hymns with them? And is it even appropriate to turn liturgical hymns, from which even catechumens are excluded, into a secular concert? Truly, Russian Christianity has reached the pinnacle of spiritual decline! A complete secularization of sacred liturgical life. And so, one begins to wonder: are all these overtures toward the Old Believers, all these council decisions and memoranda, not some kind of trap? Where is this wind blowing from? Who is behind this so-called “Old-New Ritualist” dialogue? Let us look at the facts. It is noteworthy that the report to the 1971 council on the necessity of lifting the anathemas from the old rites was delivered by a controversial figure, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov). Protopriest Lev Lebedev of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) provides a striking testimony about this man: “I recall an article by a Ukrainian Catholic priest titled ‘On the Question of Catholicism in Russia,’ published in the second issue of the samizdat journal Bulletin of the Christian Community by V. Ogorodnikov in 1987. The author was once a cell-attendant of the aforementioned Metropolitan Nikodim and had many candid conversations with him. He writes that ‘Metropolitan Nikodim was always a sincere Catholic and a secret Catholic bishop.’ It’s no surprise, then, that he died not just anywhere, but in the arms of the Pope himself.” Rotov initiated the “dialogue” with the Old Believers, and it is continued in the same outwardly pious spirit by the author of the infamous memorandum—Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev). Regarding Metropolitan Kirill and the situation in the Moscow Patriarchate (MP), Protopriest Lev Lebedev further testifies: “I remember how Archbishop Kirill of Smolensk (also once a cell-attendant of Nikodim) tried to convince me that there is essentially no difference between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, just as other clergy close to Metropolitan Nikodim tried to convince me of the same. It became clear that within the episcopate and clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate, there is an active and cohesive group of secret Catholics.” Thus, both the past and present leaders of the “Old-New Ritualist” dialogue are characterized as secret Catholics. This raises the question: could it be that Catholics, who instigated the schism in the Russian Church in the 17th century through the machinations of the schemer and papist Paisios Ligarides, are behind this apparent warming toward the Old Believers? After all, the lifting of the anathemas in 1971 did not occur without their involvement: the council was attended by the Pope’s personal legate, Bishop John, Cardinal Willebrands, a key figure in the dialogue between the MP and Rome. Moreover, leaders of various heretical and sectarian communities were present. The current orchestrator of the “Old-New Ritualist” dialogue, Metropolitan Kirill Gundyaev, besides his sympathies toward Catholics, is also a Doctor of Theology honoris causa of the Reformed Church of Hungary. This title was conferred upon him by heretics in 1987. Furthermore, Metropolitan Kirill’s theological views were equated with those of the Anglican leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie. However, it is not only the ideologues of the “Old-New Ritualist” dialogue who have been identified as secret Catholics; their very model of uniting with the Old Believers is a direct replica of the Brest Union. At that time, Catholics allowed the Little Russians to preserve their worship provided they accepted Catholic doctrine. The essence of Edinoverie is the same: Catholics of the Eastern rite then, and Nikonians of the old rite now. Despite being “forest people,” the Old Believers are well aware of the theological views of the MP. Where Rome is involved, nothing good can be expected. And is it logical to anticipate any positive outcome when the parties do not trust each other? For the modern New Ritualist hierarchy, there is no difference with whom to conduct “fraternal” dialogue or form a union. Evidence of this includes the Chambésy Union with the Monophysites in 1990, the Balamand Union with the Catholics in 1993, and now the memorandum with the Old Believers. The most appalling thing is that some Old Believers fell for this counterfeit reconciliation. Who could have imagined that those who most vehemently attack our Church, slanderously calling it the “fifth column of the Nikonians,” would be the ones to endorse this absurd memorandum? The first to fall for it were the Latvian priestless Old Believers, who signed the memorandum and even entered into Eucharistic communion with the New Ritualists. However, this absurdity was seen by the majority as betrayal, and the memorandum was ultimately rejected. The second group swayed by the MP’s promises of property and singing was the Belokrinitsa Old Believers. At the council of their metropolis on February 18, 1999, they approved the idea, making only minor amendments to the memorandum. Indeed, what won’t one do for “lush pastures”? Fortunately, their laity proved more steadfast than their shepherds and rejected the memorandum. In general, only those Old Believers who perceive the old rites sensually or aesthetically, seeing in them merely external beauty, will fall for this trap. The schism did not begin with the cursing of the old rites but with the introduction of new ones, contrary to sacred tradition and the anathema of the Stoglav Council. Therefore, the mere lifting of the anathemas does not resolve the problem. Do not think, dear brothers, that I or any other who considers themselves a Christian take joy in the schism. Perhaps the hierarchs of the MP were guided by sincere intentions when they attempted some form of dialogue. We do not know the true reasons behind these steps, but what is certain is that they were poorly thought out. Notes: All of this was done with a complete misunderstanding of the internal state of Old Belief. If the cause of the schism were merely rituals, singing, or finger gestures, the issue would have long been resolved through Edinoverie. But we know that Edinoverie was sustained primarily by state support, not by the recognition of the people. Artificially assembled from fainthearted Old Believers driven into it by force or blackmail, supplied with Old Believer property treacherously seized, it collapsed as soon as that support was withdrawn. Now, no more than a couple dozen Edinoverie parishes participate in this ritual union. So, what do we expect? What do we want? How do we envision the path to overcoming this exhausting schism? In the acts of their 1971 council, the New Ritualists wrote that they reject derogatory expressions related to the old rites. Glory to God! But it is not enough to sheepishly shuffle one’s feet, mumbling, “We sinned, but tsarism is to blame.” Without concealment, they must openly recount how their ancestors mocked the eight-pointed cross, burned and chopped it down, how they ridiculed the name of Christ—Isus, how they blasphemously, like pagan tormentors, forcibly poured their communion into the mouths of Old Believers. How they seized our churches, how they burned our elders, women, and children. How they committed countless other evils. These should not be superficial statements but a public, resounding condemnation of specific deeds and names. For it was not merely secular authorities that persecuted and tormented Old Believers; priests and bishops with hardened hearts orchestrated and carried out this genocide. They destroyed Christians for preserving Orthodoxy. What the Old Believers preserved, for which they were killed for over three hundred years, was recognized in 1971 by the descendants of their persecutors as salvific. It was not just the Romanovs who raised the sword; figures like Patriarch Nikon, Metropolitan Dmitry of Rostov, Bishop Pitirim of Nizhny Novgorod, Bishop Isidor Kolokolov, and many other champions of innovations played a role in inciting it. When a person repents of a sin, they do not merely say, “I have sinned,” but expose the specific nature of their sin. The same must be done here. Recall the words of John the Forerunner addressed to the hypocritical spiritual leaders of Judea: “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:7–8). God forbid we hear such words ourselves. It is necessary to ask God’s forgiveness for all this, to renounce these grievous sins, and then to convene a general council to discuss all specific canonical, ritual, and administrative issues. Believe me, brothers, there is much to discuss, but without acknowledging the harm and invalidity of Nikon’s reforms, as well as an honest account of all the tyranny and genocide against Old Belief, there will, alas, be no peace. Moreover, a serious discussion is needed on whether peace is possible while simultaneously using pre- and post-reform rites. How, and in what way, can they coexist—if at all? There is no need to panic and claim that “Old Believers want to impose their rites on three-finger signers.” No. But if the canonicity of the Stoglav Council was recognized in 1971, and the Stoglav anathematized any finger gesture other than the two-finger sign, then a joint, reconciliatory council is necessary to discuss the appropriateness and possibility of revisiting this decision. Years pass, but the New Ritualists stubbornly refuse to acknowledge their ancestors’ guilt in the schism. They persistently refuse to convey to their flock the meaninglessness and harm of Nikon’s reforms. In all these years, the New Ritualists have not published a single modest pamphlet to explain to their poorly educated flock the significance, or even the fact, of the 1971 council’s decisions. Open any of their catechisms, and in the section on the sign of the cross, you will find information only about the three-finger gesture, with not a word about the two-finger sign. What about the decision on the equal dignity of the rites? Moreover, the fanaticism and phobia toward ancient Orthodoxy among New Ritualist neophytes and clergy are so great that they often consider even their own Edinoverie Old Believers to be heretics. And the latter repay them in kind, re-baptizing those baptized by pouring in neighboring New Ritualist parishes, forgetting that a good half of the MP’s episcopate was baptized by pouring. In all these years, there has not been a single call to convene an all-Russian council with equal participation of Old Believers and New Ritualists to identify and discuss all perplexing issues, disagreements, and grievances. There is no sincere desire to truly grasp the significance and fateful importance of the 1971 decisions. There is much to ponder. Nikon’s reforms and the anathemas on the ancient rites were justified by the claim that those rites contained heresy. This is why hundreds of New Ritualist missionaries and “fighters” against the schism fearlessly spewed terrible blasphemies against the ancient Russian church order and way of life. The 1971 council declared all this madness to be “as if it never happened.” Consequently, it was acknowledged that Nikon’s reforms were meaningless and unnecessary, for if the old rites were salvific, why correct them? Seeing the outwardly decorous faces of the MP hierarchs, one sincerely wants to believe their assurances of fraternal love. However, the canonical chaos, simony, and profiteering that have engulfed New Ritualism compel us to restrain our feelings and trust our eyes more than our ears. A universal blindness prevents the New Ritualists from hearing the voice of even their own accusers. Long before the revolution, the eminent New Ritualist theologian Bishop Theophan (Govorov), the recluse of Vysha Hermitage, foretold of these times and the current New Ritualists: “The Gospel will be known to all, but one part will remain in disbelief, while another—the majority—will fall into heresy, not following God-given teaching but constructing their own faith through their inventions, albeit based on the words of Scripture. There will be countless such self-invented faiths… There are already many of them now, and there will be even more. Each kingdom will have its own confession, then each region, then each city, and in the end, perhaps each individual will have their own confession. Where people build their own faith instead of accepting God-given teaching, it cannot be otherwise. And all such people will claim the name of Christian. There will also be a portion holding the true faith as it was handed down by the holy Apostles. But even among these, no small number will be orthodox in name only, lacking in their hearts the disposition required by faith, having loved this present age. Although the name of Christian will be heard everywhere, and churches and church rites will be seen everywhere, all this will be mere appearance, while inwardly there will be true apostasy.” Indeed, the New Ritualists have filled their churches with the crudest fetishism, peddling all sorts of amulets left and right and hanging “church” awards on all manner of criminals. The vast majority of canons are violated, the very idea of the Church is trampled, and the New Ritualists have divided their Christian community into a caste of priests and a flock that they deem unnecessary to teach, guide, or nurture—but which they can fleece, milk, and deceive. Is this a lie? No! To our great sorrow, it is the bitter truth. Visit nearly any New Ritualist church, and you will see for yourself how much attention and interest they show you—and, most importantly, in what form. All criminals, drunkards, drug addicts, oligarchs, and other filth consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. And the priests approve of them, admitting them to the churches, extorting their stolen money, and indiscriminately communing and admitting them to all other sacraments. Will you say that not all act this way? Yes, but sincere priests are so few that all of Russia knows them by name. Of them, it can be said that it is easier to lead a righteous man out of Sodom than to tolerate the lawlessness of the majority for his sake. Yet, despite this evident decline, the New Ritualists continue to “float in the clouds,” naively considering themselves orthodox and untainted by any heresies or vices. Why boast of the number of saints when the Judgment has not yet come, and it is unknown what God will say about all these canonizations? As we mentioned earlier, most of these spiritual authorities of New Ritualism angrily condemn it. Why boast of the multitude of members? The Bolshevik persecutions showed how many true Christians there actually were in Russia, and even now, the churches are essentially empty. Mass baptisms of unbelieving, uninstructed people have not increased the number of members but only blurred the boundaries. Why boast of the favor of the authorities when Scripture says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1)? Why boast of learning and puff up under the weight of self-invented awards when “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27)? It is painful to the point of tears that, forgetting their purpose, Christians fiercely tear at each other’s throats, proving their primacy, but the Gospel says that people will be judged by their fruits, not their roots. Let us stop! Let us cleanse the churches of random people, let us observe the canons, let us serve one another in love, fulfilling the Divine Gospel. For where there is no Gospel life, no amount of ornate decoration or golden domes will help. Before God, all this is mere stagecraft, a vile spectacle, and pastors who do not care for their flock are wolves: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13); “For from the least of them to the greatest, every one is greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, every one deals falsely. They have healed the wound of My people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 6:13–15); “Of what use to Me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to Me” (Jeremiah 6:20). Let us fear the wrath of the Lord, abandon harmful disputes, and together, with united efforts, begin to gather what our fathers scattered. Let us cease tormenting the already bloodied Bride of Christ—the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church! Priest Andrey Marchenko (RDC) source

Ingredients:

• Farmer cheese – 450 g
• Eggs – 5
• Flour – 450 g
• Baking powder – 1 packet
• Butter – 150 g
• Vanilla – 1 packet
• Raisins – 100 g
• Sugar – 400 g
• Salt – a pinch

1. Blend the farmer cheese until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add the previously mixed ingredients, along with the salt and melted butter.
4. Add the sifted flour and baking powder.
5. Mix everything thoroughly and stir in the raisins.

Grease your baking molds with butter and fill them about two-thirds full with the batter. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 350°F (adjust according to your oven).

Let the kulich cool and decorate as desired! Makes 6–7 small kulich cakes.

AN ANGEL IS AT THE TABLE!

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What is the Creed?

The Creed is a brief yet precise exposition of the Christian faith, composed by the Holy Fathers. The first brief Creed was composed by the Holy Apostles themselves at their Council in Jerusalem in the year 50. Later, at the First Ecumenical (Nicene) Council in 325, which assembled to affirm the true teaching about Christ, the Son of God, in opposition to the heresy of Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria who held impious views about Christ, a new and more detailed Creed was composed and approved. Half a century later, it was completed by the Holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council, held in Constantinople in 381, which confirmed the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Ghost in opposition to the false opinions of Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople. This Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed consists of twelve articles (sections).

How is the Creed read?

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, who from the Father is begotten before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, but not created, of one essence with the Father; by him all things came to be. For us men and for our salvation he came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary became man. Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. And rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; of his kingdom there is no end.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, True and Life-giving, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son art worshipped and glorified, who spake the prophets. And in one holy, conciliar, and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism unto remission of sins. I await the resurrection for the dead. And of the life of the age to come. Amen.

What is confessed in each article of the Creed?

• The first article confesses our faith in the true God, especially God the Father, the first Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
• The second article expresses our faith in the true Lord God Jesus Christ, the Son of God—the second Person of the Trinity. We believe that Christ was begotten, not made, by God the Father before all ages.
• The third article concerns Christ descending from heaven to earth for our salvation and becoming incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary.
• The fourth article concerns the crucifixion of Christ, His suffering, and His burial.
• The fifth article affirms that Christ rose from the dead on the third day, as foretold in the Old Testament and confirmed in the New Testament.
• The sixth article teaches that Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
• The seventh article teaches that the glorious Second Coming of Christ and the Dread Judgment over the living and the dead shall come to pass, after which the unending Kingdom of God shall begin.
• The eighth article affirms our faith in the true Lord God—the Holy Ghost, the third Person of the Trinity, Who proceeds from the Father and is glorified with the Father and the Son.
• The ninth article speaks of our faith in the One, Conciliar, Apostolic, Old-Rite Church of Christ.
• The tenth article concerns Holy Baptism and, more broadly, all the Sacraments of the Church.
• The eleventh article is about the future resurrection of the dead.
• The twelfth article is about eternal life beyond the grave.

On the 1st Article: I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the visible and invisible.

What does the first article of the Creed teach us?

It teaches that we must believe and confess that God is one in essence but triune in Persons (Hypostases): the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost—the Holy Trinity. God Himself revealed to us the great mystery of the Trinity in His Revelation: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).

What does it mean to “believe in God”?

To believe in God means to have a living and firm assurance in His existence, attributes, and actions, to accept with all our heart His Revelation concerning the salvation of mankind, and to strive to fulfill His will.

Who is God?

The Lord says of Himself: “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God. And who is like Me?” (Isaiah 44:6). When man attempts to describe the essence of God with words, he makes the thought of God captive to language, for it is impossible to describe the Lord with our weak, impoverished, and pitiful words. It suffices to say that God is the Supreme Being, endowed with perfect reason, absolute perfection, and omnipotence, the Creator and Governor of the world. With the name of God are united all the pure and radiant hopes of humanity. God is an absolutely Free Person, Infinite Power, the First Cause of all things, Perfect Reason, and Boundless Love, as Scripture says: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). There is none equal to Him anywhere, neither on earth nor in heaven.

Can we know God?

We, as mortal humans, cannot fully comprehend God with our weak minds. By our own power we could learn nothing about Him unless He Himself had revealed Himself to us. All that we know about God has been revealed to us by Him through the holy prophets and the teachers of the Church.

What else do we know about God?

We must also know that God is One, but Triune in Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. These are not three gods, but one God in three Persons—the Holy and Undivided Trinity.

What do we know about the Trinity?

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the greatest mystery in the world. It is beyond the grasp of human reason and cannot be explained rationally; it is an object of faith, a divine axiom that we must accept without dispute. We must simply acknowledge that the God in Whom Christians believe and to Whom they offer worship is One in essence and Triune in Persons (Hypostases). The word “Person” in Church Slavonic means “Individual” or “Personality.” Therefore, the Trinity of God in Persons must be understood as the unity of Three Divine Persons. All the Persons of the Trinity possess the same Divine dignity—there is neither greater nor lesser among Them. Just as God the Father has always existed, so have God the Son and God the Holy Ghost always existed together with Him. They differ only in the following: God the Father is neither begotten nor does He proceed from anyone; the Son of God is begotten of the Father; and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father. This is a very important point and must be firmly understood.

Saint Gregory the Theologian writes the following about man’s inability to comprehend the mystery of the Trinity:

“I had not yet begun to think of the Unity when the Trinity shone forth upon me with Its glory. Scarcely had I begun to consider the Trinity, when the Unity again enveloped me. When One of the Three appears to me, I consider Him the whole, so full is my vision of Him, and the rest eludes me; for my mind, too limited to grasp even One, has no room left for the others. When I combine the Three in one thought, I see but one light, and cannot divide or examine the light that is united.”

What are the essential attributes of God?

God is incomprehensible. Neither man nor angel knows what God is in essence—that is, what the divine substance is—for the Lord “dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). Not only God Himself, but even His works are beyond our comprehension:

“God thundereth marvellously with His voice… He doeth great things past finding out” (Job 37:5).
With our meager intellect, man cannot fathom the Lord. The holy Apostle Paul exclaims:
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?” (Romans 11:33–34).
Saint Mark the Ascetic writes of God:
“God is wondrous in all things and entirely incomprehensible to the mind; but we, men, attempt to describe with words a portion of His wonders, relying on the Scriptures and being enlightened by them.”

God is bodiless and invisible. He Himself has revealed that He is a Spirit (John 4:24)—that is, He has neither body nor flesh, nor anything of the material kind that constitutes the visible world. Therefore, mankind cannot behold Him; yet at every hour, men behold the beautiful world, the work of His ineffable providence. The Lord Himself said to the holy prophet Moses:

“Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20).
The Apostle John also testifies:
“No man hath seen God at any time” (John 1:18).

God is almighty, for nothing is impossible for Him. There is nothing He could not do. He willed to create the world and created it out of nothing by His word alone:

“For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 32:9).
And so God can accomplish whatsoever He wills:
“Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He” (Psalm 134:6).

God is omnipresent. He Himself says:

“Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23–24).
God is everywhere, at all times. There is no place in the world where He is not. None can hide from Him:
“Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 138:7–10).

God is all-knowing. He alone knows all things—past, present, and future. At all times He sees and hears everything:

“From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth” (Psalm 32:14).
He knows each one of us—not only what we do or say, but what we think and desire. Nothing is hidden from God, as the Apostle Paul says:
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him” (Hebrews 4:13).

God is all-good. As He revealed about Himself:

“There is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17).
God is always good and loves all of us more than any man can.
“The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 144:8–9).
He gives us everything we need for life. All that we see in heaven and on earth, God created for the benefit and welfare of mankind. He is ever ready to give us every good thing and cares for us more than the most loving father for his children. He is equally merciful to the righteous and to sinners:
“For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

God is eternal. He has neither beginning nor end, for He Himself is the beginning and end of all things, as He revealed about Himself:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come” (Revelation 1:8).
God had no birth or origin, but has always been, before the creation of time, heaven, and earth:
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Psalm 89:3).
God, having no beginning, has no end, and shall never cease to be. He always was, is, and ever shall be. God is outside of time.

What else do we learn from the first article of the Creed?

We learn that God is the Creator “of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible”—that is, everything has been created by the Lord, and nothing can exist apart from Him:

“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16).
The invisible was created before the visible, as Scripture says:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The Holy Church teaches that by “heaven” or “invisible” we are to understand the unseen, spiritual world to which the holy angels belong. By “earth” or “visible,” we are to understand our visible, material world.

Why did God create the world?

In answering this question, it should be explained that the great God is self-sufficient and all-perfect, for He neither needed nor now needs anything or anyone. However, He willed that other beings should come into existence to become partakers in His goodness. Thus, the world was created by the Lord solely out of His goodness and love—more than that, out of the superabundance of His love. God brought all His creation from non-existence into being so that it too might partake of the blessedness of divine love.

What are angels?

“Angel” is a Greek word that means “messenger” or “envoy” in Russian. Angels are incorporeal and invisible spirits, endowed with a special intellect, free will, and significant power; they are instruments of God’s Providence. The purpose of angels is to serve the Triune God, giving Him glory and carrying out His will toward mankind and the elements of creation. Many times, angels have appeared to people in visible form, taking on a bodily appearance when God sent them to deliver His will. For example, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to the Virgin Mary to announce the miraculous conception of the Savior (Luke 1:26–38).

When were the angels created?

The holy angels were created before the visible world. As God laid the foundation of the earth, the angels rejoiced:

“Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof? When the morning stars sang together, and all My angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:6–7).

What else do we know about angels?

They are supernatural, immortal beings—rational spirits, heavenly ministers of the Lord:

“Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flaming fire” (Psalm 103:4).
The angels’ ministry before God in heaven includes the ceaseless glorification of the Creator, singing:
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

Are all angels equal to one another?

The Holy Church teaches that angels are divided into nine ranks, which are grouped into three orders.

• The first order: Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim;
• The second order: Authorities, Dominions, and Powers;
• The third order: Principalities, Archangels, and Angels proper.
  Angels are bodiless and immortal, as are human souls, but God has endowed the angels with higher faculties and powers than those of humans. Their minds are more perfect than ours. They always fulfill God’s will and do not sin, for by God’s grace they are so firmly established in doing good that they are incapable of sinning.

How do angels serve us?

First and foremost, angels convey God’s will to mankind. But they also guard us from all evil and assist us. Once, an angel of the Lord freed the holy apostles from prison in Jerusalem:

“But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5:19–20).
Angels lead the souls of the departed into the afterlife, as they once carried the soul of the beggar Lazarus:
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22).
Angels bring our prayers to God, as the Archangel Raphael once did for the pious Tobit:
“When thou didst pray with tears… I brought thy prayer before the Lord God” (Tobit 12:12).
Finally, at the Dread Judgment of the Lord, the angels will separate the wicked from the righteous:
“The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:40–50).

Who is the guardian angel?

Angels are servants of God, but the Lord appoints them to care for people. Scripture says that the Creator commands His angels to guard the righteous:

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 33:8);
“He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).
And the Apostle Paul writes of the angels:
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).
To every Christian, at Baptism, God assigns a guardian angel who invisibly protects him throughout his earthly life from harm and misfortune, warns him against sin, preserves him at the dreadful hour of death, and does not abandon him even after death. The guardian angel invisibly helps a person in doing good works and in the work of salvation, guarding him against the evil actions of the devil. But by our sins and wicked deeds, we often drive away our guardian angel. If, however, we recognize our sins and repent, the angel of God returns to us.

Saint Anastasius of Sinai teaches:

“To every believer in Christ, at holy Baptism, God grants a guardian angel for the duration of his life, and he remains inseparably with the person—unless the person himself drives him away by evil deeds. Just as smoke drives away bees, and foul odors drive away doves, so also our heavy sins—drunkenness, fornication, malice, and other wicked acts—drive from us the holy angel, our guardian.”

Were all angels originally created good?

Yes, all angels were created by God as good, bright, and pure beings. For God Himself is only good and light, as it is written:

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
Thus the Lord created only good things:
“For every creature of God is good” (1 Timothy 4:4).
But one angel, the highest and most powerful, named Lucifer (“the Morning Star”), became proud of his might and power, and no longer desired to love God or fulfill His will. Instead, he desired to become like God Himself. Lucifer ceased to be a bearer of light; the divine light departed from him forever, and he became an evil spirit—Satan, the devil, the enemy of God and of all that is good.

He was cast out of heaven. The Lord Himself says of this:

“I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
And the holy prophet Isaiah exclaims:
“Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:11–15).
The devil also enticed many other angels to follow him, who likewise became evil spirits—demons. Together with him, these demons were cast into hell, the abyss, that is, separated from God:
“The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6).
The Lord Himself warns us of the devil:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Can the devil force a person to sin?

Since their fall, Satan and his demons have been man’s foremost enemies. They constantly attempt to manifest themselves through various wicked and destructive deeds. They sow, nurture, and spread every kind of evil among people. They ceaselessly seek to tempt the faithful in every possible way, in order that they too might be condemned with them to eternal torment after the Dread Judgment.

However, without a person’s own will, the devil cannot force even the smallest sin. Man, as the most perfect of God’s creations, possesses reason and free will in order to resist the devil’s cunning and avoid sin. The Holy Church teaches us how to do this.

Saint Peter the Apostle exhorts us to spiritual sobriety:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Do the demons acknowledge God?

Yes, they do acknowledge and believe in Him. For once, they were radiant angels standing before the throne of God, unceasingly glorifying the Lord. After their fall from the Creator and the loss of the grace and light of His glory, they retained the memory of God. The Apostle James, the brother of the Lord according to the flesh, writes: “The devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). The Evangelists testify that the demons confess Christ as the Son of God (Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24; etc.) and that they fear even the mere mention of His name. For this reason, demons are cast out by the most holy name of God, as the Lord Himself said: “These signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils” (Mark 16:17). Thus, we see that the demons not only acknowledge God and believe in Him, but even tremble and quake at the mention of His holy name.

What is man?

For thousands of years mankind has asked this question:

“What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him? and that Thou shouldest set Thine heart upon him? And that Thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?” (Job 7:17–18).
The holy king and prophet David, filled with the Holy Ghost, answers this way:
“What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:5–7).
Therefore, we may say that man is a created and mortal being, endowed with an immortal soul, with free will, and with the gifts of reason and speech. God created man so that man might love God, know and glorify Him, and thereby be eternally blessed. The Lord God appointed man as ruler over all His creatures and, in this, made him like unto Himself. Yet at the same time, this powerful and sovereign creature is subject to sin, illness, death, and corruption:
“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1–2);
“Man is like to vanity: his days pass away as a shadow” (Psalm 143:4).
Yet God loves man more than all other creatures and never changes in His love for us:
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15).
Indeed, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

What is the purpose of human life?

The purpose of human life is the salvation of the soul. To be saved, a person must first be enlightened by the faith of Christ and cleansed from the original sin of Adam through holy Baptism, becoming a member of the Orthodox Church, for salvation is possible only in the Church. Once made a member of the Church, a person must live a life of prayer, humility, and almsgiving, doing only good deeds. He must diligently observe the Church’s Ustav and be sanctified through the saving Mysteries (especially the Mysteries of Confession and Communion), thereby being cleansed from sin.

Yet even then, as Saint Abba Dorotheus writes, “a man should not cease from watchfulness. For it happens that even after all this, the devil finds occasion to deceive him—either through self-justification, or pride, or by planting in him thoughts of unbelief or of a wicked heresy, and thus not only ruins all his labors, but also drives him away from God.”

How was man created?

The Lord God created the first man, Adam, in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26):

“God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of His own eternity” (Wisdom of Solomon 2:23).
The holy Apostle Paul says man was created “in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
Saint John of Damascus explains that the phrase “in the image” refers to man’s rationality and free will, while “after the likeness” refers to virtue, to the extent that it is attainable by man. Saint Abba Dorotheus writes similarly:
“‘In the image’ means that God made the soul immortal and self-governing, while ‘after the likeness’ refers to virtue.”
Thus, Adam was created like unto the Lord: righteous, holy, endowed with free will and virtue.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his face the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).
The first woman, Eve, was created by God from Adam’s rib:
“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:21–22).
The Creator placed the first human beings in Paradise:
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed” (Genesis 2:8).

What do the names Adam and Eve mean?

The name Adam means “earthly” in ancient Hebrew—“formed from the earth”—for he was made of earth:

“All men are from the ground, and Adam was created of the earth” (Sirach 33:10).
The name Eve means “life,” for “she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20).

Why did the Lord God expel Adam and Eve from Paradise?

Thus, “the Lord God took the man whom He had formed, and placed him in the garden of delight to till it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). God intended that man “should have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26). Having placed Adam and Eve in Eden, the Lord allowed them to eat the fruit of every tree—except that of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was “a tree good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6) and stood in the middle of the garden. God commanded: “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:3).

But the devil, man’s murderer from the beginning, envied the Creator and desired to ruin His highest creation. Taking on the form of a serpent, he beguiled Eve and persuaded her to taste the fruit of the forbidden tree, promising her: “Your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). Eve listened to the serpent, plucked the fruit, ate it, and gave it to Adam, and he ate. Immediately, “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7).

For this disobedience, the Lord God cursed Adam and Eve. To Eve He said: “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children” (Genesis 3:16). And to Adam: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life” (Genesis 3:17). Thus, God cursed the first humans and cast them out of Paradise.

What is “original sin”?

Adam, Eve, and all people are endowed with free will. God “created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own counsel. If thou wilt, thou shalt keep the commandments, and perform acceptable faithfulness. He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whichever thou wilt. Before man is life and death, and whichever he chooses shall be given him” (Sirach 15:14–17).

Adam and Eve could have obeyed, or disobeyed, the Creator. They chose the latter, misusing their free will for evil, and sinned. Sin is the transgression of God’s law. For this, the Lord expelled them from Paradise. But the consequences of their sin did not end there. God cursed not only Adam and Eve but also all their descendants—the entire human race. Whereas man had been created immortal, like the angels, now death, disease, and decay entered human life. All of this was the result of original sin:

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Thus sin and death entered the world:
“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men” (Romans 5:12).

Is every person subject to original sin?

Yes—absolutely every one. For we all descend from the same forebears, Adam and Eve.

“What hast thou done, Adam? For though it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee” (3 Esdras 7:48).
That man is subject to original sin from the moment of conception and birth is stated by the holy David:
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 50:7).
Saint Paul also writes:
“In whom (i.e., Adam) all have sinned” (Romans 5:12); and
“In Adam all die” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Thus, all of us are born in original sin, are subject to suffering, and must die.

What punishment did the first people receive for disobeying God?

Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were immortal and sinless. But after sinning, they entered into a state of death, sin, decay, and curse. Yet the most dreadful consequence was that God deprived the forebears and their descendants of Paradise. Having lost access to Paradise, all people began to descend into hell after death, regardless of whether they had lived righteously or sinfully.

But the Lord said to the serpent (i.e., to the devil):

“I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).
In these words, the Lord foretold to the serpent and the first people the coming of the Redeemer—Christ, who would be born of the Most Pure Virgin, blessed among women (Luke 1:42), and would overcome the serpent and his seed, delivering Adam, Eve, and their descendants from the bonds of hell.

All the ancient patriarchs and righteous ones lived in hope of this divine promise, and the prophets of the Old Testament comforted the people with it until Christ came into the world. That promise of God was fulfilled: the Savior, Jesus Christ, was born of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, redeemed the human race, and opened to us the gates of Paradise.

The 2nd Article: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, who from the Father is begotten before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, but not created, of one essence with the Father; by him all things came to be.

What is sin?

Sin is any departure—whether voluntary and conscious, or involuntary and unconscious—in deed, word, or even thought, from the commandments of God; it is the violation of the law of God. According to the definition of the Apostle John:

“Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).
Sin does not come from God, but from the misuse of reason and free will by man—from willful estrangement from the Creator, the substitution of God’s holy will with one’s own, from self-will and obedience to the devil.

The causes of sin are the passions. Saint Abba Dorotheus says:

“The passions are: anger, vanity, lust, hatred, wicked desire, and the like. The sins are the actual deeds of the passions, when someone carries them out bodily—committing with the body the acts to which the passions drive him. For it is possible to have passions, yet not act according to them.”
Therefore, a Christian must strive to destroy in himself every passion and sin.

The means to struggle against sin is constant and sincere repentance. As Saint John Chrysostom teaches:

“Through sin the devil casts us into Gehenna; through repentance Christ leads us into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What is a mortal sin?

A mortal sin is that sin which, through a person’s obstinacy in impiety and devotion to evil, destroys love for God in the soul and renders the person dead to the reception of divine grace. The mortal sins include: pride, vanity, despondency, anger, avarice, fornication, and gluttony. But the most fearful sin is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall never be forgiven, as God Himself says:

“Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 3:28–29).

What does the second article of the Creed teach us?

It teaches us that the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, our Lord God Jesus Christ, is the Only-begotten Son of God the Father, as God Himself bore witness:

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
Christ is not created, but eternally begotten of the Father:
“From the womb before the morning star have I begotten Thee” (Psalm 109:3).
Christ is true God, begotten of true God, Uncreated Light of Uncreated Light. Through the Son, God the Father created the whole world:
“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).
The Apostle Paul also writes:
“By Him were all things created” (Colossians 1:16).

What does the most holy name of God, Jesus, mean?

In ancient Hebrew, Jesus means “salvation.” This name was announced by the Archangel Gabriel to the Most Holy Virgin Mary:

“Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31),
for “He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
From that time on, the name Jesus became a special, sacred name, belonging only to the Son of God:
“For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
This name was granted such honor that both the bright spirits—angels—and the evil spirits—demons—bow before it:
“God hath also given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:9–10).

What does the word Christ mean?

In Greek, Christ means “Anointed One.” In the Old Testament, anointing with oil (a fragrant ointment) was performed to consecrate someone as a priest or a king. Thus, the prophet Moses anointed his brother Aaron and his sons for the priesthood (Exodus 29:7), and the prophet Samuel anointed Saul as king (1 Kings 10:1).
Since Jesus is both High Priest and King, He received anointing from God the Father with the Holy Ghost:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind” (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18).

Why do we call Christ a Priest?

Because God the Father Himself called Him so:

“The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 109:4).
In the New Testament, Christ is constantly called a Priest or High Priest. The Apostle Paul writes:
“We have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14);
“We have such a High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

Why do we call Christ a King?

Because He is King and Lord of all—of angels and of men. The Archangel Gabriel said of Him:

“The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32–33).
Scripture frequently calls Christ a King:
“King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16; 1 Timothy 6:15).
Saint Paul teaches us to give honor and glory “unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God” (1 Timothy 1:17).

Why is Christ often called the Word of God?

The Savior is called the Word of God (Logos) already in the Old Testament, where it is said that through Him God created the world:

“By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 32:6).
Christ is often called the Word in the New Testament as well:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life” (John 1:1–4).
We call the Lord the Word by comparing His eternal begetting to the birth of our human word: just as our word is born passionlessly from our mind and thought, so also is the Son of God begotten passionlessly and spiritually of the Father; and just as our thought is revealed in our word, so Christ in His very being and perfection is the exact image of the Father, and is therefore called “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person” (Hebrews 1:3). Just as we communicate our thoughts to others through words, so God, who formerly spoke through the prophets, finally spoke through His Son, who fully revealed the will of His Father. And just as our word may be the cause of actions, so too God the Father created all things through His Word.

Why is the Son of God often called Iсус?

In ancient Hebrew, the divine name of Christ was pronounced Yehoshua or Yeshua. In Greek, in apostolic times, this same name was rendered as Iesous. Over time, however, Greek pronunciation changed, and by the fourth century the name came to be pronounced Iisous—that is, the “e” sound shifted to “i” (a process known in linguistics as itacism).
But for the Slavic tongue, two initial “i” sounds are unpronounceable—there are no such words in our language as iistina, iimia, or iiiva. So when Saints Cyril and Methodius began to translate the Scriptures into Slavonic in the ninth century, they wrote the name of Christ as Iсус. This spelling was used by all Orthodox Slavs.

Every nation pronounces the name of the Son of God in its own way: the English say Jesus, the Arabs Isa, the Spaniards Jesús, the Germans Jesus, the French Jésus—and no one has ever been scandalized by this. But in the 17th century, Patriarch Nikon began his reforms and insisted that the holy name of Christ be written and pronounced in Russia just as the Greeks then pronounced it—Iисус. Nikon was not troubled by the fact that this went against the structure of Russian and Slavonic speech. The Nikonians, followers of Patriarch Nikon, adopted the new form. But we, the Orthodox, preserved the ancient spelling, sanctified by the centuries-long authority of the Church. And “though we write and pronounce the name of the Savior as Iсус, we do not dare to revile the written or spoken form Iисус” (Circular Epistle).

The 3rd Article: For us men and for our salvation he came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary became man.

What does the third article of the Creed teach us?

It teaches us that the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, for the salvation of all mankind from sin and eternal death, came down to earth and, humbling Himself, became man:

“He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man” (Philippians 2:7).
Just as Christ is truly God, so having taken upon Himself human nature, He became the God-man—true God and true Man:
“Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16).
Becoming man, Christ took upon Himself original sin in order to redeem it by His death on the Cross.

How did the Incarnation of Christ take place?

Through the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Holy Ghost. The Virgin Mary was of the lineage of King David and lived in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of the righteous elder Joseph, to whom she was betrothed. The Lord God sent to Mary His messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, who announced to her the will of God:

“Thou hast found favor with God; behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son” (Luke 1:30–31).
The Virgin Mary asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” and the Archangel answered:
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee” (Luke 1:34–35).
And the Spirit of God came upon the Virgin, and she conceived in her womb. The righteous Joseph, having learned that Mary was with child by the Holy Ghost, was troubled and “was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:19–20). Saint Joseph fulfilled the will of God and kept the Virgin Mary in his home.

In fulfillment of which divine promises and prophecies was the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary?

The first promise of the coming of the Savior was given by the Lord God to Adam and Eve after their expulsion from Paradise (Genesis 3:15). Later, God repeatedly reminded mankind of this promise and prepared them for the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, who would be born of a Virgin and save the human race.

God promised this to Abraham (Genesis 22:18), and to his descendant, King David (2 Samuel 7:12–13), that from their seed the Savior would come, in whom all nations would be blessed, and whose Kingdom would be everlasting.

Through the holy prophet Isaiah, God foretold that the Savior would be born of a pure Virgin:

“Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son” (Isaiah 7:14).
The same prophet Isaiah also prophesied with extraordinary clarity and majesty the sufferings of the Lord (Isaiah 53).

Through the prophet Micah, God foretold that Christ would be born in the city of Bethlehem:

“And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, art thou little to be among the thousands of Judah? Yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting days” (Micah 5:2).

Through the prophet Malachi, the Lord revealed that a Forerunner would be sent before Christ, like the prophet Elijah (Malachi 3:1 and 4:5).

The prophet Zechariah, by the Holy Ghost, foretold that the King Christ would enter Jerusalem triumphantly on a young donkey:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9).

Through the Archangel Gabriel, God revealed to the prophet Daniel the coming of Christ the Prince, His death, and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:22–27).
And the prophet-king David described in Psalm 21 the crucifixion and death of the Lord with such accuracy as if he had stood beneath the Holy Cross himself.

It was in fulfillment of these prophecies and divine promises that Christ came into the world.

Are we obliged to bless, venerate, and glorify the Most Pure God-bearer?

Yes, we must honor and glorify her not only above all the saints but even more than the angels, cherubim, and seraphim, placing her first after the Triune God. Before us, she was glorified by the heavenly Archangel Gabriel, who said to her:

“Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28).
And the Mother of God herself prophesied:
“From henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
Not without cause did the Lord Himself set apart the Virgin Mary from all other virgins:
“As the lily among thorns, so is My beloved among the daughters” (Song of Songs 2:2).

The 4th Article: Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried.

What do we learn from this article of the Creed?

We learn that Christ was crucified for us during the time of Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator (governor) of Judea; He suffered on the Cross and was buried.

Christ “hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor” (Ephesians 5:2).
Therefore, as the Apostle Peter says, we are redeemed:

“with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).

Why did Christ suffer?

The Lord God Jesus Christ took on human flesh, was born, lived, and suffered in order to redeem mankind from original sin.
Christ became true man—that is, along with human nature, He also accepted original sin, the sin of Adam. This was necessary for the restoration of fallen man, for man by himself cannot overcome the sin of Adam. For this reason, God sent His Son into the world:

“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4–5).

God gave His beloved Son over to death:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
And Christ was crucified for us. By His sufferings and Passion on the Cross, He delivered all who believe in Him from original sin and from hell, opening the gates of Paradise and eternal life to all the righteous.

Now, through Baptism, a person can be cleansed from original sin and united to Christ:

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

Who was Pontius Pilate?

Scripture gives us the following prophecy from Jacob, son of Abraham: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10). That is, the Jews would have their own nation, their own rulers and elders, until the coming of Christ—the Reconciler of God and man. In 64 B.C., the Jewish kingdom of Judea was annexed by the Roman Empire as part of the province of Syria, but continued to be ruled by its own kings, the last of whom was the hard-hearted Herod, the murderer of John the Forerunner. After Herod’s death, the Jews no longer had their own rulers, but were governed by Roman officials (procurators, governors). The first procurator of Judea was Pontius Pilate—a Gentile placed in authority over God’s people. Thus was the prophecy fulfilled: the Reconciler had come, and Judea was stripped of her kings and princes.

Christ was crucified on the Cross; must we then venerate the Cross?

Crucifixion was the most shameful form of execution in the Roman Empire—used especially for rebellious slaves. Among the Jews, crucifixion was likewise held in contempt as a cursed and dishonorable death:

“And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God)” (Deuteronomy 21:22–23).

And yet, we Christians must venerate the holy Cross, for even in ancient times a prophecy was uttered by King Solomon, the son of David: “Blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh” (Wisdom 14:7). Therefore, we must revere the Tree of the Cross, for by it—and by the sufferings of the Lord upon it—we have received salvation, as the holy Apostle Paul teaches us:

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14), and also: “The preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Saint Ephraim the Syrian extols the honorable and life-giving Cross in these words:

“O what mouth, what tongue can rightly praise this invincible wall of the Orthodox, this victorious weapon of our great King Christ! The Cross is the resurrection of the dead. The Cross is the hope of Christians. The Cross is the staff of the lame. The Cross is the comfort of the poor. The Cross is the bridle for the rich, the overthrow of the proud. The Cross is a monument of victory over demons, the tutor of the young… The Cross is the father of orphans, the counselor of the righteous. The Cross is the comfort of the sorrowful, the guardian of infants, the glory of men, the crown of elders. The Cross is light to those who sit in darkness… The Cross is the proclamation of the prophets, the companion of the apostles, the praise of the martyrs. The Cross is the chastity of virgins, the joy of priests. The Cross is the foundation of the Church, the establishment of the universe… The Cross is the cleansing of lepers, the renewal of strength to the paralyzed. The Cross is the bread of the hungry, the fountain of the thirsty. The Cross is the surety of monks, the covering of the naked.”

What is the true Cross of Christ?

The Holy Church teaches us that Christ was crucified on an eight-pointed Cross, made of the following parts: two intersecting beams, a footrest, and a title board. Concerning the three kinds of wood used for the Cross, God Himself spoke through the prophet Isaiah:

“The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary” (Isaiah 60:13).

Accordingly, the Orthodox Church teaches that the vertical beam of the Lord’s Cross was made of cypress, the horizontal beam of pine, and the footrest of cedar. The footrest of the Cross is mentioned multiple times in Old Testament prophecy, for instance: “We will go into His tabernacles: we will worship at His footstool” (Psalm 131:7; cf. Psalm 109:1 and others).

The title board refers to the placard inscribed with the words “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” which Pilate ordered to be affixed to the Cross (John 19:19).

Thus, the Holy Cross of God consists of two beams, a footrest, and a title board, and is eight-pointed in form. The Holy Church teaches us to venerate only such a Cross. However, the image of the equal-armed four-pointed Cross (the “Greek Cross”) is by no means condemned or rejected by Orthodoxy, but is accepted and used wherever prescribed by Church order—for example, during the anointing with oil and chrism in the Mysteries, in censing, and in making the sign of the Cross with the hand. The four-pointed Cross also appears on the sacred vestments of our clergy.

What is the sign of the Cross?

It is the making of the image of the Lord’s Cross by the hand, either over a person or over some object. Prophecies concerning the sign of the Cross are found already in the Old Testament. Thus, God says: “I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory. And I will set a sign upon them” (Isaiah 66:18), and also: “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Ezekiel 9:4). In the Hebrew original of this latter passage, it reads: “mark with the letter Tav”—and this letter, in ancient times, had the form of a cross.

In the New Testament, the sign of the Cross is called a “seal” (Revelation 7:2–4). According to Church Tradition, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and His Apostles made use of the sign of the Cross and commanded us Christians to do likewise.
According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, to properly make the sign of the Cross, one must bring together three fingers of the right hand: the thumb, ring finger, and little finger—signifying our faith in the Holy Trinity. The remaining two fingers (the index and middle) are held together, with the middle finger slightly bent. These two fingers symbolize the two natures in the Crucified God-man Jesus Christ: the divine and the human. In this way, we confess and believe that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man. With these two fingers, we piously trace the sign of the Cross upon ourselves, placing them:

1. On the forehead — professing that Christ, the Son of God, born eternally and without beginning from the Father, is our true Head;
2. On the stomach (the level of the waist) — signifying the descent of the Son of God to earth and His birth from the Most Pure Virgin Mary;
3. On the right shoulder — as a sign of our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, His Ascension into heaven, and His sitting at the right hand of God the Father;
4. On the left shoulder — in witness to our belief in Christ’s future Second Coming, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, placing the righteous at His right hand, and the sinners at His left.

Of the great power of the sign of the Cross, St. Cyril of Jerusalem teaches us:

“Let us not be ashamed to confess the Crucified; with boldness let us make the sign of the Cross with our fingers upon our brow and upon all things—upon the bread we eat, upon the cups from which we drink; let us make it in our comings and goings, in our lying down and rising up, while traveling and at rest. It is a mighty safeguard, freely given to the poor, and without toil to the weak. For it is the grace of God—a sign to the faithful, and a terror to evil spirits.”

Therefore, we must always make the sign of the Cross piously, without haste, and with reverent attention. To make the sign of the Cross improperly (as do the Nikonians or the Catholics), carelessly, hastily, or without mindfulness is a grave sin.

The 5th Article: And rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

What do we confess in the fifth article?

We confess that the Son of God voluntarily died and was buried, as had already been foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 53:9), and then, by the power of His divinity, rose again on the third day, as was likewise foretold in various prophecies of the Holy Scriptures. The Lord Himself speaks of this, saying:

“I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:17–18).

Before His Resurrection, the Savior descended into Hades in order to proclaim His victory over death and to bring forth from thence the souls of the righteous of old who had been waiting in hope for His coming, as was foretold even in the Old Testament:

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2).

Concerning the Savior’s descent into Hades, the Apostle Peter writes:

 

“Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18–19).

How did the Lord rise from the dead?

The soldiers who were guarding the Savior’s tomb were struck with terror when they realized that Christ had risen. This was revealed to them when an angel of the Lord rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb, and a great earthquake occurred. The angel proclaimed Christ’s resurrection to Mary Magdalene and several others. The Lord Himself, on the day of His resurrection, appeared to many: to the myrrh-bearing women, to Peter, to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and finally to all the apostles gathered together in a locked house.

Christ rose with the same body in which He had lived, suffered, and died, as was evident from the wounds on His hands, feet, and side, which He showed to His disciples after the resurrection:

“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39).

Why did the Lord rise on the third day?

To fulfill the prophecy of the Old Testament: “And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 2:1). Christ Himself spoke of this, saying: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Thus, the Lord remained in the tomb for three days.

The 6th Article: And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father.

What is spoken of in this article of the Creed?

This article speaks of the ascension of the Lord God Jesus Christ into heaven and His sitting at the right hand of God the Father. Christ ascended into heaven in the presence of His disciples: “While they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9), and thus Jesus “was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

The Apostle Paul also writes of Christ’s ascension and exaltation: “We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

Does Christ now dwell both in heaven and on earth in His body?

In His divinity, Christ is present everywhere, as the omnipresent and almighty God; but in His most pure body, He abides only in heaven. At present, Christ comes to earth in His body only in the Mystery of Holy Communion, when the bread becomes truly His Body, and the wine becomes truly His Blood.

The 7th Article: And is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; of his kingdom there is no end.

What do we learn from this article of the Creed?

We learn that the Lord God Jesus Christ will come again to earth—not as He came the first time, humble and meek (“For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17))—but as a dreadful Judge, coming with great power and glory to judge the living and the dead. He Himself said of this: “Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).

The second glorious coming of Christ the Righteous Judge will happen suddenly, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). And at that time, “all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and shall come forth—they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28–29).

Will the Second Coming of Christ be soon?

No one knows this except God Himself: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32).

Therefore, we must live in such a way as to always be prepared for Christ’s coming, just as the Lord warned us: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13).

And as the Apostle Peter teaches: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:9–10).

For what will God judge people?

The Lord God will judge people for every sin in deed, word, or thought, as it is written: “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).

And the Apostle Paul says: “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Are any signs of the Second Coming of Christ mentioned in the Bible?

In His Gospel, the Savior tells us that in the last times:

“Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:7–14).

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not” (Matthew 24:24–26).

Thus, we are told to expect the following signs: a decline in faith and love among people, the increase of sin and suffering, the preaching of the Gospel to all nations, and, finally, the coming of Antichrist.

Who is the false Christ?

Antichrist is the false Christ, the adversary of Christ and servant of the devil. Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria asks: “Who is he? Is he Satan himself? No, but a man who has received all of Satan’s power.” In the last times, God will permit him to reign over the earth for forty-two months—that is, three and a half years (Revelation 13:5).

Antichrist will be born of a harlot who will be taken for a pure virgin. He will manage to seize power over the whole world, will possess great strength, and, with the help of Satan, will perform many false signs and wonders. At first, Antichrist will appear meek, intelligent, pure, and merciful—thus deceiving many people. But in truth, he will be “that man of sin, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).

Nearly all people will accept Antichrist as a god and will worship him. Only a small number will remain faithful to the Christian faith. Antichrist will persecute and torture the Holy Church, seeking to annihilate the true Orthodox faith entirely—but he will himself perish in a terrible manner: “whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons writes about the Antichrist:

“He, being an apostate and a robber, desires to be worshiped as God; and being a slave, he wishes to be proclaimed king. Receiving all the power of the devil, he shall not come as a righteous and lawful king, but as a godless and lawless one, an apostate, an evildoer, a murderer—like a thief repeating the apostasy of the devil. He shall remove all idols to make it seem that he alone is God, but in truth he shall exalt himself as the only idol, gathering into himself all forms of deception tied to idols, so that those who formerly worshiped the devil through many abominations will now serve him through this one idol.”

The 8th Article: And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, True and Life-giving, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son art worshipped and glorified, who spake the prophets.

What do we learn from this article?

We learn about the third Person of the Holy Trinity—the True Lord, God the Holy Ghost, to Whom is due the same glory and worship as to God the Father and God the Son.

Mention of the Holy Ghost is found on the very first page of the Bible:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1–2).

Why is the Holy Ghost called “the Giver of Life”?

Because the Holy Ghost, together with the Father and the Son, gives life to all creatures, as Scripture says:

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (Job 33:4), and:
“Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the earth” (Psalm 103:30).

And through Baptism, the Holy Ghost gives eternal life to man in the Kingdom of Heaven:
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

How do we know that the Holy Ghost proceeds only from the Father?

Because the Holy Ghost proceeds only from the Father, just as the Son of God is eternally begotten of the Father alone. We know this from the words of Christ Himself:

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me” (John 15:26).

What is meant by the words “Who spake the prophets”?

These words indicate that in the Old Testament, the Spirit of God spoke through the prophets:

“No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20–21).

And in the New Testament, the Holy Ghost speaks through the apostles. Saint Peter writes that the prophets: “were shown that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12).

The 9th Article: And in one holy, conciliar, and apostolic Church.

What is the Church?

The Church is a society of people established by God, united freely here on earth by the Orthodox faith in Christ, by the law of God, the sacred hierarchy, and the holy Mysteries. The Holy Church strictly and unwaveringly observes the statutes and canons of the apostles, the seven Ecumenical Councils, and the holy fathers. The one and only Head of the Church is the Lord God Jesus Christ Himself: “And He is the Head of the Body, the Church” (Colossians 1:18).

The sanctifier of the Church is the Holy Ghost, Who acts upon Christians through the word of God and the Mysteries. Saint John Chrysostom compares the Church to a ship sailing across a stormy sea, and says: “Our vessel is not built of planks, but constructed from the Divine Scriptures; and it is not guided from above by stars, but by the Sun of Righteousness—Christ God, Who directs our voyage; and we keep watch at the helm, awaiting not the wind, but the gentle breeze of the Spirit.”

What does it mean to “believe in the Church”?

It means to revere the True Church of Christ and to obey her teachings and commandments, believing with full conviction that within her the grace of God abides unceasingly, acts for salvation, teaches, and governs—granting to the Church eternal salvation and the remission of sins. As Christians, we must in all things obey and submit to the Church. And whoso “will not hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:17).

Blessed Augustine of Hippo writes: “He who is not among the members of Christ cannot have Christian salvation. One may have honor, may possess the Mystery, may sing ‘Alleluia,’ may answer ‘Amen,’ may hold the Gospel, may believe in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and proclaim it—but outside the Orthodox Catholic Church, salvation cannot be found.”

Why do we believe in “One” Church?

Because the Church is one, and all other so-called “churches” are heretical gatherings—sects. God Himself said: “There shall be one fold and one Shepherd” (John 10:16). And the Apostle Paul declares: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4–6).

Elsewhere he writes: “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5–6).

Therefore, all Christians who belong to the Church must remain united in one faith, one doctrine of Christ, one mind, and glorify God with one voice. Whoever departs from this is cut off from God and from His Church.

Why is the Church called “Holy”?

The Church is called Holy because the Lord Jesus Christ sanctified her by His saving teaching, prayer, redeeming Passion on the Cross, and the holy Mysteries. As it is written:

“Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19–22).

Though the earthly Church consists of people—and all people sin—the holiness of the Church is not impaired, because the Head of the Church is the infinitely holy Lord God, and by His holiness the entire Church is sanctified. He constantly calls us to holiness: “Be ye holy; for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).

A clear example that the sins of individual members do not harm the Church as a whole in her work of saving sinners is the image of a tree: though it may have dry branches, this does not hinder it from bearing fruit, so long as its root is healthy and able to draw in water and nutrients.

Why is the Church called “Conciliar”?
The Church is called Conciliar because it gathers within herself all who truly believe in Christ, regardless of place or time of their life, or to which people they belong.

For the Lord commanded the apostles: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

And Saint Paul writes: “There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

The Church is also called Conciliar because she makes her decisions through Ecumenical and Local Councils, not through the arbitrary will of any one member. The Conciliar Church is also called the Universal Church.

Why is the Church called “Apostolic”?

The Church is called Apostolic because she is “built upon the foundation of the apostles” (Ephesians 2:20). She received her structure from the holy apostles; her teaching is founded on their preaching; the apostles established the rites and customs of the Church and instituted her sacred hierarchy, which will preserve the succession of the gifts of the Holy Ghost until the end of time.

Therefore, we must firmly and unwaveringly hold to the teaching and Tradition of Christ’s apostles: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Why is the Church also called “Orthodox”?

The Holy Church is called Orthodox because only she preserves the true faith of Christ and only she rightly glorifies and worships the Lord.
The Orthodox Church alone holds the right confession of the faith and is the full revelation of Christianity.

From ancient times, the term “Orthodoxy” (right belief, right worship) was used to designate the faith of the entire Church in contrast to the heterodoxy and diverse teachings of heretics.

Modern Orthodoxy is the collection of dogmas and decrees of the Church, whose criterion is the unaltered preservation of the teaching of Jesus Christ and His apostles, as laid out in Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Why is the Church called “Old-Ritualist”?

The Church of Christ is called Old-Ritualist because she has faithfully and steadfastly preserved the ancient rites, orders, and customs that have existed in her since the time of the holy apostles, in obedience to their command to guard Holy Tradition. While various heretics (Catholics, Nikonians, Protestants) rejected the ancient rites and invented new ones, the Church has always preserved and continues to preserve the apostolic inheritance unchanged.

The holy fathers of Christ’s Church have repeatedly urged us to maintain fidelity to the ancient ways in all things—both in dogma and in ritual. Saint Vincent of Lérins beautifully writes:

“Polish the precious stones of divine dogma, arrange them faithfully, distribute them wisely, give them brightness, charm, grace. Strive so that, by your clearer expression, people may more clearly understand what was formerly believed less clearly. Aim so that the descendants may glorify with understanding what the forefathers once revered in simplicity. But teach only what you have been taught; and though you speak in a new way, say nothing new.”

Saint Vincent also calls us to follow antiquity in all things, for “to follow antiquity means in no way to depart from that teaching which was certainly held by our holy fathers and ancestors.”

Saint Avvakum likewise exhorts us to preserve the traditions of the fathers, warning: “A single dot can confound theology; with a single letter, heresy is introduced!”

The 10th Article: I confess one Baptism unto remission of sins.

What is taught in this article of the Creed?

This article affirms our belief in the saving power of the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Baptism, as well as in the other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church: Chrismation, Communion, Repentance (Confession), Holy Orders, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick (Unction).

What is Baptism?

Baptism is a Sacrament in which a person, by threefold immersion of the body in water “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19), is invisibly cleansed of original sin and becomes a Christian—a member of the Church. As the Apostle Paul writes:

“But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

The one baptized dies to the carnal and sinful life and is reborn by the Holy Ghost into a new, spiritual life:

“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5–6).

The Orthodox Church recognizes only one valid form of Baptism—Baptism by three full immersions. “Baptism” performed by a single immersion or by sprinkling is not recognized by the Church as a saving Sacrament but only as a mere washing. A properly performed Baptism is never repeated, for “one Lord, one faith, one Baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

What is required of someone who wishes to be baptized?

Repentance and faith, as taught in Holy Scripture:

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38);
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

Is it necessary to baptize infants?

Yes, it is absolutely necessary. Infants, while they have no personal sins and cannot yet believe or repent, nonetheless bear from birth the dreadful mark of original sin, which bars them from the Kingdom of God. For in Adam “all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Therefore, if an unbaptized infant dies, his soul departs to Hades.

For the salvation of the souls of infants, the Lord God and His apostles commanded that children also be baptized. Christ Himself said: “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16).

And though infants cannot profess the faith, the Lord grants them His grace through Baptism by the faith of their sponsors (godparents).

What is Chrismation?

Chrismation is a Sacrament performed immediately after Baptism, in which the believer is anointed with holy chrism (blessed oil) on various parts of the body—forehead, eyes, ears, nostrils, lips, chest, and hands—in the name of the Holy Ghost. Through this, he receives the gifts of the Spirit for the sanctification, strengthening, and growth of his spiritual life.

What are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?

The Bible speaks of the gifts of the Holy Ghost as follows:

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2–3).
Therefore, the gifts of the Holy Ghost are: wisdom, understanding, godly counsel, strength, knowledge, piety, and the fear of God.

What does Scripture say about Chrismation?

At first, the apostles conferred the Holy Ghost upon believers not through anointing, but through the laying on of hands: “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:17). But later, by the example of the Old Testament Church, the apostles began to perform the seal of the Spirit through anointing with holy chrism, since they could no longer personally lay hands on all newly baptized Christians.

Saint John the Theologian writes of the anointing of the Holy Ghost:

“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things… The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (1 John 2:20, 27).

The great apostle Paul also writes:

“Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22).

What is Holy Chrism?

Holy Chrism is a sacred compound containing the grace of the Holy Ghost, used by the Orthodox Church in the Sacrament of Chrismation and for the consecration of churches.

Holy Chrism is made from olive oil, white wine, and fragrant spices. Only a bishop, as a successor of the apostles through the grace of ordination, has the right to prepare (cook) holy chrism, for “through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given” (Acts 8:18).

What is Communion?

Communion (the Eucharist) is a Sacrament in which the believer, under the appearance of bread and wine, receives the true Body and Blood of Christ for eternal life. This Sacrament was instituted by the Lord Himself at the Mystical Supper (cf. Matthew 26:20–29; Mark 14:17–25, etc.).

Christ said of the partaking of His Body and Blood:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53–56).

What benefit does Communion bring?

By worthily partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we receive within ourselves the Lord God Himself and are united to Him so that He dwells in us.

This Sacrament contains the miraculous and healing power of grace for the soul wounded and slain by sin, which it heals and revives.

In other holy Sacraments, believers receive the gifts of God’s saving grace—but in Communion, the Lord gives not simply His gifts but His very Self: His Body and His Blood as food for the faithful.

He who partakes unworthily commits sin and receives Communion to his own condemnation:

“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:27–29).

How often should one receive Communion?

The early Christians strove to receive Communion every Sunday. Later, as piety diminished and faith cooled, Christians began to commune less frequently, mainly during the fasts. Today, the Holy Church calls upon her children to prepare, confess, and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ at least three or four times a year—during the fasts—or, if spiritually weak, at least once a year, during Great Lent.

Saint John Chrysostom urges us to receive Communion as often as possible and writes:

“I see many who do not often partake: this is the work of the devil, who interferes with frequent Communion. And clearly, one who does not partake often gives great power over himself to the devil, and the devil takes control of him and leads him to all evil.”

Will Communion always exist in the Church?

Yes, always. The Apostle Paul says that Communion will be preserved among Christians until the very Second Coming of Christ:

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

What is Repentance?

Repentance is a Sacrament in which a person, sincerely confessing his sins to the Lord God before a priest, receives invisible forgiveness and absolution of sins from Christ Himself, through the priest’s visible declaration of forgiveness.

This Sacrament was first instituted by John the Forerunner, to whom people came to be baptized, “confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5).

Christ gave His apostles the authority to forgive sins when He said:

“Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18), and: “Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:23).

The holy apostles decreed that a believer must confess his sins to those in ecclesiastical authority: “And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds” (Acts 19:18).

The apostles passed on the authority to forgive sins to their successors, the bishops, who in turn bestow this authority upon Orthodox priests.

What is required of one who repents?

One who repents must have sincere contrition for sins committed, a wholehearted intention to amend his life, faith in Christ, and hope in His Divine mercy — “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Every believer in Christ “shall receive remission of sins through His name” (Acts 10:43). The repentance of a sinner must be genuine and true, meaning it must be accompanied by deep remorse over sins, hatred and revulsion for them, and a firm resolve never again to commit the same sins and errors. Therefore, everyone who comes to Confession must bear in mind, first, that right faith is required of him, for without faith there can be no repentance; and second, that no one but a priest can absolve the penitent, since outside the Orthodox Church there is no absolution and no salvation. But above all, the penitent must constantly remember that he confesses his sins not merely to a mortal priest, but above all to the Immortal Judge Himself — the Lord God, All-knowing and All-merciful, as Saint John Chrysostom says:

“When you come to Him, do not come with hypocrisy, nor with a double mind, but with a pure conscience. Before you utter anything — whether it be great or small — He foresees what you will say. And before you open your lips, He already knows what is in your heart. Do not hesitate nor hide your disease. The Physician is not cruel, but compassionate.”

How does the Church cleanse the conscience of the repentant sinner?

By means of epitimia (penance). This word means “punishment” in Greek. By epitimia, depending on necessity, the priest prescribes for the penitent certain specific pious exercises and abstinences, which serve for the blotting out of guilt, for correction, for spiritual healing, for overcoming sinful inclinations, and for acquiring skill in Christian virtues. Epitimia may take various forms: fasting beyond what is normally required, prayer with a lestovka accompanied by prostrations, and the like. According to the teaching of the Holy Church, without the fulfillment of the penance prescribed by the priest, there is no forgiveness of sins. For especially grievous sins, the Church excludes one from Holy Communion for a certain period.

Why is it that a person, having repented, may sin again?

It has already been said more than once that man possesses free will; thus, he has the will both to repent of his sin and the will to obey the demons and fall again into sin. But let us not forget that we can overcome our sin, as God once said to Cain: “Unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him” (Genesis 4:7), that is, we can so act that sin does not reign over us, but we over it; and then we shall be able to destroy sin within ourselves.

What is the Priesthood?

The Priesthood is a Sacrament in which the Holy Ghost, through the laying on of hands by a bishop (called ordination or cheirotonia), appoints a chosen candidate to be a sacred minister for the performance of the Sacraments and divine services, and for the spiritual instruction and governance of the flock of Christ. The first bearers of the Sacrament of the Priesthood, the holy apostles, spoke of their sacred rank in this way:

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1).
Holy Scripture teaches us that the Sacrament of the Priesthood will abide in the Church forever, just as Christ Himself is Eternal, Who “because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:24).

How many degrees of the Priesthood are there?

In the Holy Church there are three degrees of the Priesthood: bishops, priests, and deacons.

A bishop — in Greek this word means “overseer” — is also called a hierarch, that is, a “high priest.” A bishop is the successor of the full apostolic grace of the Holy Ghost. A hierarch performs all the Sacraments, but only he has the right to perform the Sacrament of the Priesthood and to bestow upon others, by the laying on of hands, the grace to perform the Sacraments. The Apostle Paul thus instructs the bishops:

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).
Hierarchs constitute the highest order in the Church; they are all equal among themselves, but the one presiding among them bears the title Metropolitan.

Priests in Greek are called hiereis or presbyters, meaning “elders.” Priests are ordained by bishops and receive the grace to perform the Holy Sacraments — all except the Sacrament of Priesthood itself — according to the authority granted them by their hierarch.

A deacon — in Greek this means “helper” or “servant” — does not perform the Sacraments, but assists the bishop or priest in their performance.

What is Marriage?

Marriage is a Sacrament in which a man and a woman, through a free promise of mutual love and fidelity spoken before God, His Church, the priest, and witnesses, are blessed for the marital union, and grace is bestowed upon them for the bearing and Christian upbringing of children. The Sacrament of Marriage was established by the Creator in Paradise when He said to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Jesus Christ confirmed the divine nature of Marriage, saying:

“For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:5–6).

Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica writes thus about the Sacrament of Marriage:

“Marriage is a gift of God’s condescension, given for the sake of childbearing, and is to endure as long as this corruptible world exists. For God did not will that we should be conceived irrationally and in the uncleanness of carnal lust; but since by our own will we subjected ourselves to death, He permitted the propagation of the race to occur also as among the irrational animals, so that we might know how far we had fallen. And so it shall remain until He Who is Incorruptible, Who died and rose again for us, shall raise and make immortal our nature. It is for this reason that He Himself blesses Marriage, that the beginning of our life may not remain estranged from blessing.”

Is it necessary for everyone to enter into Marriage?

No. A pure and virginal life is superior to marriage. Christ Himself, while living on earth, had neither wife nor children but led a life of solitude. Such a solitary and virginal life is called monasticism. Just as with marriage, monasticism also requires the blessing of the Church. Concerning monasticism, Saint Paul — who had neither wife nor children — says:

“It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband… But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I” (1 Corinthians 7:1–8);
and also:
“But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction” (1 Corinthians 7:32–35).

Saint John of the Ladder (John Climacus) writes:

“A monk is one who, while clothed in a body and subject to its limitations, imitates the life of the bodiless angels. A monk is one who holds fast to the words and commandments of God at all times, in every place, and in every deed. A monk is one who continually compels his nature and guards his senses unceasingly. A monk is one whose body is purified, whose lips are clean, and whose mind is illumined. A monk is one who, grieving and sorrowing in soul, continually remembers and reflects on death, whether in sleep or in waking.”

What is Holy Unction?

Holy Unction (Soborovanie) is a Sacrament in which, through the anointing of the sick with sanctified oil (fragrant vegetable oil) by a priest, the forgiveness of sins is sought, bodily healing is granted, and both soul and body are restored from infirmities. This Sacrament is traditionally performed by a gathering (sobor) of several priests — hence the name Soborovanie — though in cases of necessity it may be performed by a single priest. Holy Unction has existed in the Church since apostolic times, for when the apostles received power from God,

“they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13).

Saint James writes clearly about this Sacrament:

“Is any among you afflicted? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14–15).

The 11th Article: I await the resurrection for the dead.

What do we learn from this article?

We learn that, at the end of this visible world, there must certainly be a resurrection of all the dead — both the righteous and the sinners. Then, by the power of God’s omnipotence, all the bodies of departed men will be reunited with their souls and will be made alive again — spiritual and immortal.

Holy Scripture speaks thus of the resurrection of the dead:

“For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25–27);
“The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth — they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28–29);
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53).

As for those who remain alive at the time of the general resurrection, their present gross, material bodies will be changed in an instant into spiritual and everlasting bodies:

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica writes the following concerning the resurrection of bodies:

“He [God], in order to make us perfect as He created us to be, will raise the dead and reestablish the bodies with which we lived and acted, so that we may receive recompense according to our deeds. Thus, when He raises us perfect (for He made nothing in vain), He will not leave even our bodies in corruption, for He made all things for existence and desires that nothing should perish.”

What is required… But first of all, the penitent must constantly remember that he confesses his sins not to a mortal priest, but first and foremost to the Immortal Judge Himself, the Lord God, All-knowing and All-good, as Saint John Chrysostom says: “When you draw near to Him, come not with hypocrisy, not with a double heart, but with a pure conscience. Before you say anything—be it trivial or important—He foresees what you are going to say. And before you open your mouth, He already knows what is in your heart. Do not hesitate, and do not conceal your ailment. The Physician is not cruel, but compassionate.”

What will become of our material world?

Our world, just like our bodies, will be transformed into an incorruptible state. The Apostle Peter says:

“The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men… Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:7, 13).

How do the souls of the departed await the Day of Resurrection and Judgment?

The souls of the righteous dwell in the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22), in anticipation of eternal blessedness; while the souls of the wicked await eternal torment, for final reward or condemnation shall only be given at the Dread Judgment of Christ:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Holy Church teaches that we, the living, can help the souls of Christian departed who died in the faith but did not have time to bring forth fruits of repentance — we can ease their condition after death by offering prayers for them and giving alms in their memory. Most beneficial to the souls of the departed is the offering of the bloodless Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ during the Divine Liturgy.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem writes that we offer the sacrifice of Christ:

“On behalf of all who have fallen asleep before us, believing that great benefit comes to the souls for whom the prayer is offered at the time when the dread and holy sacrifice is present upon the altar… Thus, for the departed — even if they have sinned — when we offer prayers and present Christ, the Lamb slain for our sins, we do not weave a crown for them, but we offer the Merciful God Himself as a propitiation for them and for us.”

The 12th Article: And the life of the age to come. Amen.

What does this article speak of?

It speaks of the future, eternal life which shall begin after the general resurrection, the renewal of the entire world, and the judgment of God.

What will the eternal life of the righteous be like?

All believers who love God and do good shall partake in joys so great that we cannot even imagine them:

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

The bodies of the righteous shall be changed, just as the Body of Christ was changed during His Transfiguration on Mount Tabor:

“His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:2).
“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:49).

In their renewed bodies, the righteous shall enjoy eternal blessedness — not equally, but in proportion to each one’s striving in faith, love, and piety in this life:

“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:41–42).

What will the eternal life of sinners be like?

All sinners shall be given over to everlasting death — a death without dying — and to dreadful torment:

“To be cast out from God, and to be tormented with a conscience that is never at rest” (Saint Gregory the Theologian).

The horrors of this torment surpass the understanding of man. Sinners shall suffer in hell, together with the devil and his demons:

“Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

The Lord will deal so severely with sinners not because He desires their destruction, but because:

“They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

And the torments of the sinners shall never end, just as the blessedness of the righteous shall have no end.

source

[Note: The original version of this article is in English, however, there are many grammatical mistakes and errors. I have taken the liberty of correcting the ones I found. The link to the original is at the bottom of the page.]

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you

A Guide to the Orderly Presence in God’s Church

Publication to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Saviour and Transfiguration Cathedral Temple. Moscow 2010

This booklet is a practical guide to the orderly presence of an Orthodox Christian in the Church of God. Canons and rules, existing traditions and customs of the Church of Christ were used to write this booklet. Some chapters are supplemented with quotes from works of the Church’s Holy Fathers.

Chapter 1: What Is the Purpose of Going to the Church of God?

In the Gospel, the Saviour, speaking to His disciples, gives them the promise concerning the establishment of the Church of Christ in the world: “And I say also unto thee… and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Later, before the Ascension, God promises the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—to all who believe in Him: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). And truly, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles on Pentecost in the form of tongues of fire: “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:3–4). Thus, the True Church of Christ was born in the world: a gathering of people loyal to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, united throughout the world by the confession of faith and the Apostolic teachings, as members of one body—the Body of Christ—under one Head, our one God, Jesus Christ, and abiding in obedience to Him.

Over time, special buildings were constructed for the gathering of Christians, called temples or churches, where they could meet together for communal (conciliar) prayer to God. A church building is constructed with a strict orientation to the cardinal directions: the altar is in the eastern part, while the narthex and bell tower are in the western part.

Everyone is familiar with how a church appears from the outside. Its distinguishing features are rounded or pointed domes, large crosses atop them, and beautiful decorations. Churches have been built in this way since very ancient times. The main dome above a church is called the “head.” An eight-pointed cross is erected upon it to glorify Jesus Christ, who was crucified. Sometimes several domes are built over a church, each decorated in a wondrous manner.

Bell towers rise above some churches. As the name suggests, they are designed to house bells. Sometimes, bell towers are built separately in the churchyard. Metal bells come in many sizes—some very large, weighing several tons, others medium or small. Each has its own voice—its own pitch. When a bell-ringer begins to clang the bells, one hears a sound of incomparable beauty. The ringing summons Christians to prayer, and the beautiful chiming glorifies feast days.

Inside, churches are generally divided into the following parts: the altar, the nave (central part), and the narthex. Those present in church are generally divided into clergy and laity.

The altar is the sacred and most important part of the church. Only priests may stand there to perform certain liturgical rites. Women are strictly forbidden to enter the altar.

The altar is separated from the nave by a special screen on which holy icons are placed in rows from bottom to top. This screen is called the iconostasis. It has three doors leading into and out of the altar. The central doors are shaped like two-leaved gates and are called the “holy doors” or “royal doors.”

Directly in front of the holy doors, in the center of the church, is a small raised area called the ambo. A priest stands there to deliver the sermon. On each side of the ambo are special areas for readers and singers, called the right kliros and the left kliros. The congregation stands behind the kliros during the service. According to Orthodox tradition, men stand behind the right kliros during services. Upon entering the church, one finds oneself first in the narthex. In ancient times, this area was reserved for catechumens—those not yet baptized. Today, it is also used by Christians who, for various reasons, may not participate fully in communal prayer.

After construction, the church building is consecrated by a special rite, after which it acquires unique characteristics through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. It ceases to be a mere building and becomes, in the words of the Holy Fathers, “heaven on earth.” The Lord Himself, Jesus Christ; the Holy Mother of God; the holy angels and archangels; and countless saints mysteriously dwell here. In the church, priests offer prayers and perform liturgical sacraments for the spiritual purification, instruction, and sanctification of Orthodox Christians. Here the greatest of all sacraments is performed: during the Divine Liturgy, through specially prepared prayers and rites, the bread and wine are transformed—in a manner unfathomable to the human mind—into the true Body and Blood of Christ the Saviour. This is the Mystery of the Eucharist.

From the church ambo, the sublime teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the holy prophets, the apostles, and the holy fathers—who spoke by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—are proclaimed in pastoral sermons. These words and teachings reveal to us the true wisdom and light, both for this temporary life and for the life eternal. For this reason, every church also has a school where people are instructed in the chief disciplines: the true faith given by God and the practice of Christian piety.

In summary, the church may rightly be called the source of our life. As Jesus Christ says: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We come to church with faith in Jesus Christ, hope for salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, and love for God—the Saviour of the world—by the grace of God poured out upon us, His children. Therefore, we should remember these two Gospel truths: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:24), and, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him… he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever” (John 6:56, 58). The one who does not do so shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, as the Saviour warns: “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).

The same may be said of one who attends church without feeling—mechanically, by habit, and without proper attention to the sacraments, the singing, and the readings. Such a person, though physically present, receives no benefit. We must all remember the Saviour’s words: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8–9).

But we, by keeping the Gospel commandment—“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19)—hope that this guide may help both those who are only beginning their path to God through the Church, and those who have long belonged to the Church of Christ but feel they lack knowledge of proper discipline, so that they may receive the blessings that are offered.

Chapter 2: How to Prepare Oneself for the Visit to a Church of God, and Whether Everyone Enter It.

The church is a sacred place of the invisible presence of God. Therefore, when a person enters the church, he comes to meet God Himself—the Creator and Master of the entire world, both visible and invisible. As such, he must prepare himself for this meeting. As it is written in the Canon for the Holy Eucharist (Tone 2): “We face with fear the powerful king of the earth; how much more should we stand with fear before the Master of all.”

All ancient instructions on church conduct are unanimous: before going to church, one should first collect one’s thoughts and “multiply one’s conscience.” One should recall one’s sins and ask oneself: May I—am I worthy—to come before God today?

Spiritual and bodily impurity hinder one’s ability to remain in church and to touch sacred objects. Spiritual impurity consists of unrepented sins, especially such sins as pride, judgment of others, and unforgiveness. These and other spiritual illnesses must be treated through wholehearted forgiveness of both neighbors and enemies, through almsgiving, self-reproach, and sincere confession.

In certain cases, the rules of the Holy Church forbid a person from entering the temple or touching its holy things. These cases are few, but we shall list them all here:

1. Those who are unbaptized, or baptized outside the Russian Ancient Orthodox Church. However, remembering the words of the Psalmist: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:15), such persons may, with the blessing of a priest or his appointed representative, remain in the church if they have come to study the Orthodox faith or to seek the True Church. But they should stand silently, without outward signs of prayer—that is, without making bows or the sign of the cross—and remain near the entrance (in the narthex or porch). If such a person wishes to light a candle, he should ask a parishioner to do so on his behalf, as a sign of his sincere intention and spiritual weakness, so that he may not be driven away from the true faith.
2. A woman within forty days of childbirth. It is well known that a natural impurity occurs during childbirth, and, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, a woman is purified from it over forty days. She may only enter the church after a priest reads the appointed prayers of purification. A “woman after childbirth” may not enter the church without these prayers—even if more than forty days have passed.
3. Women during their monthly period.
4. Married Christians who have engaged in marital relations that day. As Saint Basil the Great teaches: “One should withhold from spousal acts before offering prayers.”
5. Christians who have committed grave sins and have been excommunicated for them. There are times when remaining outside the church and away from the Divine Services does not correct the sinner but rather leads him to even deeper sin. In such cases, “according to his conscience,” a person who has committed a grave sin may remain in church and pray, but—like the unbaptized or those outside the Church—he should stand near the doors and refrain from kissing the holy icons, the Cross, or other sacred objects. With humility and heartfelt repentance, he should mourn his fall, “as Adam mourned before the gates of Paradise.”

“Only then will you glorify God worthily when you imprint upon your soul His likeness through virtues.”
—Venerable Evagrius

“One ought not to honor God with smoke and stench, but with a virtuous life—not with the body, but with the spirit. Even pagan demons demand sacrifices.”
—Saint John Chrysostom

“Let us learn to be pious and to honor Christ in the manner that He Himself desires. That honor is most pleasing to the one who is honored which he himself has chosen, not what we consider best… Thus, you will honor Him with the honor He commanded: namely, by giving your treasure to the poor. God does not need golden vessels, but golden souls.”
—Saint John Chrysostom

Chapter 3: Is It Necessary to Wear Special Clothing When Visiting the Church?

Orthodox Christians preserve an ancient and pious tradition of coming to church for prayer in special clothing: for men, this may be a Russian gaberdine or a shirt worn either untucked or tucked under a belt; for women, a sarafan is customary. A woman should cover her head with a headscarf. The headscarf should be made of opaque material and should be neither too bright nor overly colorful, but rather modest and appropriate for prayer and being in the presence of God. It should cover the head completely, concealing the hair, and be large enough to drape over the shoulders and chest.

When coming to church, we seek spiritual communion with God. Therefore, physical beauty—perishable by nature and given according to God’s will—should not distract us from this higher purpose. As the Apostle says: “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Peter 3:3–4). That is, let us adorn the soul with Christian virtues, and remember the words of Saint John Chrysostom: “True beauty is recognized not by outward appearance, but by conduct and decent behavior.”

It is customary to wear white or other light-colored headscarves on Sundays and feast days, while on fast days—including such major feasts as the Elevation of the Life-Creating Cross (September 14) and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (August 29)—dark-colored headscarves are traditionally worn. A married woman should also wear, beneath her headscarf, a povoinik—a traditional headdress for married Russian women—which is blessed by a priest during the wedding ceremony.

If one is unable to obtain special clothing for prayer due to financial or other difficulties, it is permitted to wear ordinary clothes, provided they are modest, neat, loose-fitting, not brightly colored, and with long sleeves. Whatever clothing one wears, it should not be unbuttoned or revealing. It is unacceptable for women to appear in church without a headscarf, or to wear trousers or immodest, provocative clothing (such as mini-skirts, low-cut blouses, sheer garments, or short sleeves). A dress or skirt should be long—well below the knees—without slits or other fashionable embellishments of the secular world. Let us remember the Apostle’s admonition: “The friendship of the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4).

It is also considered inappropriate for women to come to church in high-heeled shoes, as they create loud, sharp noises while walking and distract from prayer. Moreover, such footwear makes it difficult to perform bows or to remain in church comfortably until the end of the service.

Many of these instructions apply to men as well. Men should not enter God’s temple wearing a necktie, sportswear, jeans, or a shirt tucked into trousers.

From ancient times, the Church has preserved the pious tradition of wearing a belt. This practice has its roots in the Old Testament: “Gird up now thy loins like a man” (Job 38:3); “He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins” (2 Kings 1:8). In the New Testament, God Himself commands: “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning” (Luke 12:35)—that is, live actively, not in darkness or thoughtlessness.

The symbolic meaning of the belt: chastity, moderation, and self-restraint.

This tradition is also preserved in the Mystery of Baptism: a belt is placed on every newly baptized Christian along with the baptismal cross, both of which are not to be removed, as they are signs of one’s belonging to Christ.

Men should wear the belt over the shirt, and women should wear it under the sarafan.

“The one end of dress is that it should be a sufficient covering alike in winter and summer. As for color, avoid brightness; in material, the soft and delicate. To aim at bright colors in dress is like women’s beautifying when they color cheeks and hair with hues other than their own.”
—Saint Basil the Great

“The more exquisite your clothes, the more repulsive you make yourself and the farther you remove yourself from God.”
—Saint John Chrysostom

“Love poor clothing, that you may humble the thoughts that arise within—a proud heart. He who loves splendor cannot possess humble thoughts, for the heart is shaped inwardly by outward appearances.”
—Venerable Isaac the Syrian

Chapter 4: The Purpose of the Lestovka (Prayer Rope)

The first mention of the prototype of the prayer rope dates back to the 4th century. In the monasteries founded by Saint Basil the Great, the prayer rope—a small looped cord with 103 knots—was used by illiterate monks to perform the daily prayer rule. They would repeat the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” For instance, six thousand such prayers were said in place of the entire Book of Psalms, six hundred for the Midnight Office, one thousand five hundred for Matins, and so on. If you wish to learn more about the specific number of prayers corresponding to each service, you may consult, for example, the book Small Home Ustav.

Later, the prayer rope came to be used not only by all monks—both literate and illiterate—but also by pious laypeople. It was employed not only to count prayers, but more importantly, as a means of calling upon the name of God through the Jesus Prayer, which became an inseparable part of Christian life. After the Baptism of Rus’, the Russian Church adopted this pious practice along with the Orthodox faith, though the form of the prayer rope developed somewhat differently from its Byzantine counterpart.

According to the Canon on the prayer rope:

“Every Christian, before praying to God each day, should have seven rosaries, in remembrance of the seven Church Mysteries, which encompass the law of the Christian life.”

The Russian-style lestovka (prayer rope) contains four triangular sections that symbolize the four Evangelists. The embroidery near these triangles represents the Evangelical teaching. Between these sections are seven movable pieces, symbolizing the seven Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church. Where the prayer rope is tied, there are three steps on each side; in total, nine such elements symbolize the nine angelic ranks, and also the nine months during which the Divine Child was carried in the womb of the Most Holy Mother of God.

From the knot that begins the prayer rope (symbolizing the earth), one proceeds through:

• Twelve knots (bobochkas), representing the twelve apostles who walked with Christ on the earth;
• Thirty-nine knots, symbolizing the thirty-nine weeks and two days of the God-bearer’ pregnancy;
• Thirty-three knots, for the thirty-three years of Christ’s earthly life;
• Seventeen knots, representing the seventeen Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ.

When you begin to pray before an icon of God, recite both aloud and inwardly:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (your name).”

Then, pray for your parents, for your sovereign or ruler, for their health and salvation, for the departed, for your spiritual father, and for all Orthodox Christians. Make as many bows as you are able, every day: at Vespers, Matins, the Hours, and the Divine Liturgy. And may you be saved. Amen.

As noted above, the prayer rope is used for unceasing prayer. All pious Christians should use it daily.

The prayer rope is held in the left hand, and the worshipper progresses through its segments beginning from “the earth,” reciting the Jesus Prayer at each knot to keep the mind and heart focused on God. As the Apostle commands: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). While doing so, the fingers of the left hand should be held in the same form used by the right hand when making the sign of the cross.

The prayer rope in the hand serves as a reminder of spiritual ascent—an inner ladder by which we rise to God through prayer. As it is written:

“Behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it” (Genesis 28:12).

During the divine services, the faithful should strive to listen attentively to the readings and chants in the church. However, for the deaf, hard-of-hearing, or those who are in parts of the church where it is difficult to hear the readers, it is acceptable to recite the Jesus Prayer silently using the prayer rope.

“For just as the more the rain falls upon the earth, the more it softens the earth; so too the holy name of Christ, when invoked continually and without distraction, softens the soil of the heart, filling it with joy and gladness.”
—Saint Hesychius of Jerusalem

Chapter 5: Do We Enter the Church in the Right Way?

“One should forget about spousal relations before beginning prayer; forget about cares and desires for wealth and earthly glory, about the enjoyment of pleasures, about envy and every evil action against our neighbors, so that—once the soul is quiet and undisturbed by any passion—God’s enlightenment may be reflected in it clearly, without shadows, like in a mirror.”
—Saint Basil the Great

Preparation for communion with God begins at home. One should ready the soul even before setting foot in church. Prepare everything you will need in advance so that nothing distracts you from the Divine Service, and so that you do not cause disruption during worship, thereby distracting or disturbing the congregation.

A pious tradition has been preserved: before leaving the house, make bows before the holy icons. Do the same upon returning from the church. It is recommended to say the Jesus Prayer on your way to church, thus preparing your heart for prayer in the temple. Likewise, on the way home, repeat the same prayer so as not to lose the grace received during the service in the distractions of daily life. The Holy Scriptures teach: “Before thou prayest, prepare thyself; and be not as one that tempteth the Lord” (Sirach 18:23). And remembering the words of the Saviour: “Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:24), let us leave outside the church gates all diabolic confusion, idle thoughts and temptations, all impurity, resentment, and anger. In a word, let us reconcile our conscience with God.

Above the entrance to every Orthodox church, there is usually an icon—of the Saviour, the Holy Mother of God, a saint, or the Holy Cross. Upon reaching it, one should make three bows to the waist, with the sign of the cross, saying the following prayers:

• “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (bow)
• “God, my Creator, be merciful to me.” (bow)
• “God, pardon me and have mercy on me, for I have sinned without number.” (bow)

Then enter quietly—without slamming the door—into the narthex, and repeat the same prayers. Upon entering the nave and facing the iconostasis or another visible icon, again make three bows to the waist, with the same prayers. If you arrive before the service begins, make bows with the assembled faithful and greet the priest or the senior officiant. If you arrive after the service has begun, make bows on your own, as no prayer should be offered without bows, according to the Church’s Canon.

An exception to this rule is the Litia for the departed when it is performed independently of other services. In that case, only three bows to the waist are required before it begins. The same applies to the prayers said before or after meals—at dinner and supper.

Every Orthodox Christian should know these Entrance Prayers by heart. You can find them, for example, in the book Matins and Vespers or in the Ancient Orthodox Calendars published annually.

Exit bows are made in the same way as entry bows, at the end of every service. During the Great Lent, all entry bows are made to the ground (full prostrations) at the daily services.

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).
Therefore, unless it is absolutely necessary, do not leave the church before the service has concluded and the sermon has been delivered—for the sermon is an integral part of the service and is prescribed by the Church for our spiritual benefit. To leave prematurely is a grave sin before God and must be confessed with repentance.

“When thinking about God, be pious, not envious, kind, virtuous, meek, and generous to the extent of your ability; be sociable, not argumentative, and so forth. For it is the inner richness of the soul, which no one can steal, that is most pleasing to God. Judge no one. Do not say of anyone that he is bad or sinful. Instead, search your own deeds, and consider whether your life is pleasing to God.”
—Saint Anthony the Great

“Careless and indifferent, without zeal to please God, when such a man falls through the devil’s temptations, he pays no attention to the sin he has committed, for his heart is hardened like a stone. He is like a tame mule with reins, upon whom anyone may ride without resistance. The devil performs all his corruptions and defilements through such people and can lead them wherever he wishes. And when the illusion ends, they will die with groaning and tears.”
—Saint Anthony the Great

Chapter 6: How Should One Behave in Church During the Service, and How Should Candles Be Placed?

“When others look at us, learn from our example, and glorify God, then we are truly worthy of His great mercy.”
—Saint John Chrysostom

For this reason, we must behave in the most reverent and pious manner during services—showing respect for the clergy, the congregation, the temple itself, and its sacred objects. Regular churchgoers often have established places to stand, either shown to them previously or chosen by them for prayer. If you are coming to church for the first time, find a place where you can pray without distraction, and try to remain in that location during future visits. After completing the initial “seven bows,” do not walk about the church unless absolutely necessary.

Greet those standing nearby with a bow to the waist and quiet words:
“Have mercy on me, fathers and brothers.”
Greet the clergy and hierarchy with a full prostration and the words:
“Have mercy on me, holy grace (or venerable father); bless me and pray for me, a sinner.”

During prayer, one should stand upright, with feet together (although the toes may be slightly apart for balance). Cross your hands over your chest—right hand over left—placing them horizontally. As one patristic commentary notes, this posture mirrors the folded wings of the bodiless heavenly hosts standing before the throne of the All-Glorious God. Remember:

“During prayer, let our words be joined with piety, quietness, and modesty. Let us remember that we are standing before God, and our bodily posture and tone of voice should be pleasing in His sight.”
—Hieromartyr Cyprian of Carthage

In earlier times, when more men attended church, they typically stood in the center of the temple, with women standing behind them. Today, men generally stand behind the right kliros.
Men and women should stand separately.

At certain moments of the service, the Church canon strictly prohibits any movement or talking. The following moments require stillness and silence:

1. At the beginning of any service, from the priest’s first exclamation or the choir leader’s opening to the prayer “O come, let us worship,” inclusive.
2. During the reading of the Six Psalms (Hexapsalmos) at the beginning of Matins, beginning with “Glory to God in the highest.” These penitential psalms are of great spiritual importance, and during their reading, one should not only remain still but bow the head to the chest as a sign of humility and repentance.
3. During the readings of the Apostle and the Gospel. The faithful should listen with bowed heads in reverence.
4. During the reading or chanting of the Creed: “I believe in one God…”
5. During the Trisagion prayers through the Lord’s Prayer, regardless of where they appear in the service, and also whenever “Our Father” is read or sung.
6. During all prayers in which the congregation is instructed to bow their heads.
7. During the Great Doxology, whether it is sung at festal Matins or read during regular services.
8. When the officiant (usually the priest) gives the dismissal, beginning with: “May Christ, our true God…”
9. During the singing of “O Only Begotten Son…” at the Divine Liturgy or canonical hours.
10. During the Cherubic Hymn (“We who mystically represent the Cherubim…”) and the Great Entrance when the Eucharistic Gifts are brought forth. The faithful should bow their heads with humility and compunction. The part of the Liturgy following the Cherubic Hymn is especially sacred, for it is during this time—between the Great Entrance and the hymn “It is truly meet…”—that the Sacramental transformation of the bread and wine into the true Body and Blood of Christ occurs. No movement should take place during these holy moments. Likewise, refrain from walking during the chanting of the Communion Verse, the Psalm verse appointed for the day, as the clergy are receiving communion in the altar and preparing the Holy Gifts for the laity.
11. During the reading of the Akathist to the God-bearer, which consists of twelve alternating kontakia and ikoi, ending with “Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride” and “Alleluia.” The Akathist is appointed during fasting seasons in the “regular canons” after the beginning of Confession, and also during Matins on the Fifth Saturday of Great Lent, at the glorification of the God-bearer (often transferred to the preceding Friday evening in modern usage).

If you happen to arrive at church during any of the moments listed above, quietly make the sign of the cross and remain standing near the entrance. If it is one of the more solemn moments (e.g., the Gospel reading or the Cherubic Hymn), bow your head in reverence. Only after the reading or hymn has concluded should you proceed to your place.

Avoid all conversation during the service—especially with latecomers. Those whose obedience is to maintain order in the church must themselves follow these same rules and set an example for others. If someone disturbs the peace or behaves improperly, corrections should be made gently and respectfully—not with anger. One must never drive away a non-Orthodox visitor; instead, kindly show them where to stand. Remember: If you cause even one soul to turn away from the true faith, your own soul is in danger of perishing.

Children must be taught how to behave in church beforehand, at home, so that they come already prepared. In church, correct them only by quiet whispering. Do not speak to them aloud or rebuke them during the service. Teach everything in advance.

Children are expected to follow the same rules as adults: no talking, no walking or running about. Ensure that they behave reverently, listen to the prayers, and develop fear of God regarding improper behavior. Children must not eat in church. If a baby begins crying, take the child out immediately.

You may lead a toddler by the hand only if the child is barely able to walk on their own. Teach them to make the sign of the cross slowly and reverently, for by it we call upon God’s mercy and grace.

If a child bursts into tears before Confession or refuses to approach the Chalice at Communion, the parents should seriously examine their own spiritual life and strive to live in a way worthy of the name Christian.

While in church, do not judge the involuntary mistakes of the clergy or the faithful. It is far more profitable to grieve over and examine your own sins and shortcomings, and to ask God for mercy. If, during the service, someone distracts you from prayer, try to overcome the temptation without irritation—either by exercising patience or quietly moving to another place. As Saint Basil the Great teaches:

“Prayer without unity among the faithful is often powerless, but God has promised: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them’” (Matthew 18:20).

If, during the service, you must leave the church due to urgent necessity (and not during the solemn moments previously listed), you should quietly say the prayer: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” make three bows to the waist, and depart quietly and reverently. When returning, pause at the door, listen to what is being read or sung, make three bows again, and repeat the same prayer. If it is not possible to return directly to your place, wait near the entrance until an appropriate moment, then return and rejoin the communal prayer.

“For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 1:11).

In ancient Israel, worship in the Temple of Jerusalem was accompanied by the burning of incense, symbolizing the prayers rising to God. This incense was placed in special metal vessels with chains (thuribles) and offered by the priests at specific times. The Christian Church inherited this tradition. Thus, during the service, the priest often censes the church while quietly reciting the 50th Psalm (“Have mercy upon me, O God…”). When he censes the people, he says:
“May the Holy Spirit come upon you, and may the power of the Most High overshadow you.”

At every full swing of the censer, the faithful respond with a bow to the waist—without making the sign of the cross—and quietly say:
“Thy good Spirit shall lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psalm 142:10).
According to the Church Fathers, the rising incense is an image of the invisible grace of the Holy Spirit abiding in the Church.

Another form of liturgical offering is the lighting of wax candles:

“He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually” (Leviticus 24:4).

Their burning before holy icons expresses our inward flame of prayer and love toward God, His Most Pure Mother, and the saints. Therefore, candles should be offered with prayer. That prayer should correspond to the icon before which the candle is placed. For example:

• In front of the icon of the Saviour, make the sign of the cross and say:
  “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
• Before the icon of the Holy Mother of God:
  “Most Holy Mother of God, save us.”
• Before the icon of the Cross of Christ:
  “We venerate Thy Cross, O Master.”
• Before icons of saints, address a prayer to the saint, e.g.:
  “Holy Father Nicholas, pray unto God for us.”

Candles should be placed upright, not leaning to either side. After placing the candle, make the sign of the cross and offer three bows to the waist, saying the appropriate prayer. In some churches, it is customary to make three bows before and after placing the candle, and to make the sign of the cross without a bow while placing it. This is permitted outside of services, either before or after, but not during the service, as it distracts both you and others and violates the discipline of communal prayer.

It should also be noted that laypeople should not step onto the solea—the elevated area before the iconostasis—without a special blessing. If you wish to place a candle before an icon in the iconostasis, you should give it to one of the laypeople who serve at the kliros and ask them to place it on your behalf.

The desire to light a candle or to remove candle stubs from the candlesticks is not a valid excuse to walk around the church during the times prohibited by Church Canon. Our offering is acceptable and pleasing to God only when it is made in accordance with the proper order and reverence prescribed for divine services.

In the Old Testament, every offering had to be free of blemish:

“Your lamb shall be without blemish” (Exodus 12:5).

Likewise, in the Church of Christ, incense, oil, and wax should be pure and natural, without artificial additives. Any monetary offerings should come from honest and righteous earnings.

But above all, remember that the sacrifice most pleasing to God is this:

“A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 50:17).

Chapter 7: Who May Take Prosphora, and How?

Originally, it was a tradition in the Church to perform the Divine Liturgy every day, with the congregation present: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God” (Acts 2:46–47). The bread that everyone brought to church was called the gift or prosphora. Today, it is a small round loaf made of kvass bread, baked from the finest wheat flour and water with the addition of leaven. The leaven is made only from flour, water, and salt. The prosphora is baked with special cleanliness by people who have been specially blessed. A seal with the image of the eight-pointed Cross of Christ and the inscription, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” is placed on the upper part of the prosphora.

During the reading of the Hours, the Preface is performed over seven prosphoras (on special occasions prescribed by the Ustav, the Preface is performed at Vespers). These seven prosphoras are: the Lamb; the prosphora of the Mother of God; the prosphora for the Heavenly Hosts, the Prophets, the Apostles and Evangelists, the holy fathers, martyrs, venerable ones, wonderworkers, and holy women; the prosphora for the Church hierarchs; the prosphora for the country, the military, and all who labor for the good of the nation; the prosphora for the health of Orthodox Christians; and the prosphora for the repose of Orthodox Christians.

At the end of the Liturgy, the prosphoras from which parts were removed are distributed to the faithful for consumption (sometimes, in large parishes, they are given out cut into pieces).

When taking the prosphora, one should remember that it is not ordinary bread but a sacred object of the Church. Therefore, those who are not worthy of it because of their sins should not partake: “As the clergymen do not know all sinners and those unworthy of Communion in the Holy Mysteries, God often… punishes such people as Judas was punished, and delivers them to Satan. In times of illness, slander, troubles, misfortunes, and other disasters—these arise for this reason” (Saint John Chrysostom). Those who are worthy of receiving this sacred gift must approach it with reverence and fear of God.

It has been a tradition in Russia since ancient times to eat prosphora with all due care: laying out a clean cloth, eating it standing (not seated), and doing so over a table or another clean surface, lest any crumbs fall to the ground and be trampled, for this bread is holy. One should strive to participate in the entire daily cycle of services—Vespers, Small Vespers, Midnight Office, Matins, the Hours, and the Divine Liturgy—in order to partake of the prosphora worthily. One who could not attend church the day before due to illness or distance, and thus missed Vespers, Small Vespers, and Matins, but still desires to receive this holy bread, should read those services privately at home.

Prosphora should not be eaten in haste, but quietly, without hurried swallowing, and always in silence. After eating it, one should give thanks to God in prayer and make three bows with the sign of the Cross: the first two down to the waist, and the third to the ground. While doing so, say the prayer:

“Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom” (bow).
“Master, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom” (bow).
“Holy Father, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom” (prostration).

Chapter 8: When and What Bows Are Made During the Service

All bows—whether bows at the waist or prostrations—should be made by the congregation at the same time, in accordance with the Church canons, and not according to personal inclination. Bows must be performed reverently and with dignity, without excessive haste or sluggishness. When the canon prescribes making the sign of the cross along with a bow, one should first make the sign of the cross, carefully touching the prescribed parts of the body, and then perform either a bow at the waist or a prostration, according to the specific moment of the service.

Prostrations are performed on a small prayer rug, a specially woven mat used to keep the hands clean. To make a prostration, one should first place the prayer rug in front of oneself, then make the sign of the cross and proceed with the prostration: both palms are placed flat on the prayer rug, side by side, while simultaneously bending the knees and lowering the head to the ground so that the forehead touches the hands.

The following types of bows are made during services in church:

• “Tossing” bows (a prostration without making the sign of the cross)¹

• Bows at the waist
• Prostrations

In some cases, for example during the prayer “O Heavenly King,” one should make only the sign of the cross, without bowing. Once a year, on the feast of Holy Trinity, during Vespers after the Divine Liturgy, the priest reads the Kneeling Prayers while kneeling.

Now we shall present the complete Canon of Bows according to the patristic tradition:

During the prayer to the Holy Spirit, “O Heavenly King,” which is read or sung at the beginning of any service, we make the sign of the cross without bowing. However, during Great Lent, we make a prostration at the end of this prayer, along with the sign of the cross.

At the Trisagion: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us” (three times), we make three bows. The only exception is when this prayer is sung at the end of the Great Doxology after the Night Service, or during the Liturgy before the reading of the Apostle; in those cases, bows are not made.

At the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father”), we make the sign of the cross. At the end of the prayer, when it is sung at the Liturgy or before meals, we also make a prostration.

At “O come, let us adore”, we make three bows.

Whenever the words “I bow,” “we bow,” “let us bow,” etc., are read in the Psalms, stichera, or troparia, we make bows at the waist.

At “Alleluia”, when it follows “Glory” in any Psalm (e.g., “Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory to Thee, O God” three times), we make three bows at the waist. However, during the Six Psalms, no bows are made.

At the prayers “May God help us keep away from sin this night” (during Vespers) and “Glory to God in the highest” at the beginning of Small Vespers and Matins, we make three bows at the waist.

When the priest or deacon intones the Litany of Fervent Supplication, at the petition ending with the words “Let us all say”, we make three bows at the waist at the beginning of the chant “Lord, have mercy” (12 times). In some services, this may be chanted 30, 40, or 50 times. When the service is conducted without a priest, the Litany of Fervent Supplication is replaced by the chant “Lord, have mercy” forty times. Likewise, at the Litia (a procession to the narthex after Night Services, Sunday services, and other special services), we chant “Lord, have mercy” 30, 40, or 50 times. In all these instances, we make three bows at the beginning of the chant.

At the memorial litany during the Liturgy, after the Gospel, and during the memorial Litia, we respond to the intonation “Let us pray to the Lord” with “Lord, have mercy” forty times, and we make a bow at the waist at the beginning of the chant.

Before the dismissal prayer at Matins and Vespers, and at the Moleben (Prayer Service) beginning with “More honourable than the Cherubim,” as well as at the Liturgy and Obednitsa, we say: “It is truly meet,” “Glory,” “Both now,” “Lord, have mercy” (twice), “O Lord, bless.” In each of these cases, we make four bows. At Matins, Vespers, and the Prayer Service, all four are bows at the waist. At the Liturgy and Typika, the first bow is a prostration, and the others are bows at the waist.

When “More honourable than the Cherubim” is read in the middle of a service (e.g., during the meal prayer), we make a bow at the waist.

At the beginning of the Midnight Office, during the prayer “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee for all things,” we make the sign of the cross once, without bowing. At the following prayer, “O Lord, blot out my transgressions,” we make three bows at the waist.

After the first and last glorification to the feast during festal Matins, we always make prostrations.

A special procedure is prescribed for the veneration of festal icons after the glorification, for kissing the Gospel at Sunday Matins, and for kissing the Cross on its feast days.

Veneration proceeds in the order of clergy and then laity, following seniority. First come the clergy, with the senior-ranking bishop or priest venerating first. After venerating the icon, Gospel, or Cross, he makes a bow at the waist toward the congregation, and all present bow at the waist in response, without making the sign of the cross. Then junior clergy approach in pairs—priests, deacons, and readers (if present)—followed by the laity: monks first, then laymen, followed by virgins and women.

The order of veneration is as follows: as they approach the icon, two laymen make two prostrations with the sign of the cross, reciting a festal prayer appropriate to the occasion, usually the opening verse of the festal canon—for example, during feasts of the God-bearer: “Most Holy Mother of God, save us.” Then they recite the Jesus Prayer with the sign of the cross. According to Church tradition, they place their hands crosswise upon their chest, with the right hand over the left, fingers arranged as for the sign of the cross, so that the fingertips touch the shoulders. They then kiss the icon. A clergyman often stands nearby to indicate the part of the icon to be kissed.

The person standing on the right, typically the senior, kisses the icon first. Afterward, both again make a prostration with the sign of the cross, repeat the festal prayer, and then, without making the sign of the cross, make a final prostration. Facing the clergyman (usually to the right of the icon), they say: “Honourable Father, forgive me for Christ’s sake,” or, to a bishop, “Holy Master.” Then, they exchange a final prostration with each other, again without the sign of the cross, standing so as to have their right hands toward one another. The one on the right says: “Christ is in our midst,” and the one on the left responds: “He is and ever shall be.” Between Pascha and the leave-taking of the Feast, the Paschal greeting is used instead: “Christ Resurrected!” – “Indeed He is risen!” This practice also applies to clergy.

The same procedure is observed when venerating the Holy Gospel after the Night Service on Saturday evening, when the Gospel is brought to the center of the church for veneration following its reading. However, there are slight differences. When a bishop or priest brings the Gospel out through the Holy Doors, the faithful make the sign of the cross and bow at the waist, saying: “O God, glory be to Thy Cross and Resurrection.” When approaching to venerate the Holy Gospel, at the first prostration they say: “With fear and love I come to Thee, O Christ, and believe Thy words.” At the second prostration: “With fear because of sin, with love because of salvation.” Then, making the sign of the cross, they kiss the feet of the crucified Savior on the Gospel, saying the Jesus Prayer. Afterwards, they make a final prostration and say: “O God, I believe in Thy Holy Gospel. Christ Almighty, help me and save me.” The rest of the veneration follows the tradition described above.

After all have venerated the Gospel, the priest returns it to the altar through the Holy Doors. From there, facing the congregation, he blesses the people by making the sign of the cross with the Gospel and says: “O Lord, save us by the power and protection of Thy Holy Gospel.” At this moment, all present make a bow at the waist with the sign of the cross, saying: “O God, glory be to Thy Cross and Resurrection.” The canon reader must pause, bow together with the congregation, and recite the prayer.

When venerating the Cross at Matins, the same procedure is followed. During each prostration, the prayer “O God, glory be to Thy Cross” is said, and the faithful kiss the image of the Savior on the Cross in the same way as they do when venerating the Gospel.

While singing “Glory to Thee, O Lord” before and after the reading of the Gospel, we bow at the waist each time.

At the first introductions to the first and ninth odes of all canons, we always make a bow at the waist.

After the eighth katavasia of the canon at Matins, we bow at the waist.

During litanies, after each ode and at each katavasia, we bow at the waist. After the final katavasia, we also say “Lord, have mercy” three times, with three bows at the waist.

At the Hymn of the God-bearer, “My soul doth magnify the Lord,” sung before the ninth ode of the canon at Matins, we make a bow at the waist at every refrain “More honourable than the Cherubim.” At the sixth and final refrain, we make a prostration.

When this hymn is omitted according to the Typikon, and only the heirmoi of the ninth ode are sung, we make bows at the waist only during those heirmoi.

After the hymn to the God-bearer, “It is truly meet,” or any hymn replacing it, we always make a prostration.

During Great Lent, at daily services, nearly all the above-mentioned bows become prostrations. The only exceptions are at the beginning of Vespers (before “May God help us keep away from sin this night”), at Small Vespers (before “Glory to God in the highest”), and at daily Matins (before the first “Glory” during the kathismata)—in these cases, we make bows at the waist.

During Lent, there are also additional bows. Most notably, the seventeen prostrations prescribed during the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian (“O Lord and Master of my life…”) are made at the end of every service. However, at Sunday Vespers (for Monday) and festal (Polyeleos) services during Lent, this prayer is shortened to four prostrations, and at the end of festal Lenten Matins, it is reduced to three prostrations.

During Lent, at Great Small Vespers in church, after the reading of the Creed (“I believe in one God”), the choirs sing twice at the kliros: “O Holy Merciful Mother, pray to God for us sinners,” and similar refrains, with prostrations. After the refrain is sung, the kliros, along with the congregation on the same side of the church (right or left), makes a prostration. Meanwhile, the opposite kliros and their side of the congregation do not bow. At polyeleos services during Lent, and when the festal Night Service begins with Great Small Vespers (as on the eves of the Nativity of Christ, the Theophany, and the Annunciation), these bows are made at the waist, though the sequence remains the same. After the refrains to the Holy Mother during Great Small Vespers, the Trisagion follows, during which three bows are made, all at the waist.

According to the Typikon, all bows during the Midnight Office on the Monday of the First Week of Lent are at the waist, as are those on Saturdays and Mondays throughout Lent. Beginning with Vespers on Friday evening, prostrations are generally not made—except for those that are appointed throughout the year or specified earlier in this guide.

During Lent, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as on certain festal days that fall during the week. At this Liturgy, the verse is chanted: “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.” When this verse from the Psalms is sung for the first time, the entire congregation makes a prostration without the sign of the cross, and both the kliros and congregation “lie with their faces to the ground and pray” throughout the chant.

The rule for bows thereafter is similar to the structure already described for Great Small Vespers during the refrain “O Holy Merciful Mother.” When the leading kliros chants “Let my prayer be set forth,” the people on that side of the church rise and recite the prayer standing. Then the next verse is sung, and the other kliros repeats “Let my prayer be set forth.” At that point, the singers and their side of the church rise, while the opposite side makes a prostration and remains bowed until the verse is completed. This alternation continues five times. After the final repetition of “Let my prayer be set forth,” the entire congregation, together with the priest, makes three prostrations with the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian.

All other bows during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts are prostrations. However, there are exceptions. When this Liturgy is served on a Friday, the Vespers that precede it—being part of the Saturday service—contain only bows at the waist, since all Saturdays during Lent exclude prostrations. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts proper, beginning with “Let my prayer be set forth,” is considered part of Friday; thus, all bows during it are prostrations, as noted above.

This rule regarding bows—waist or prostration—is also followed when the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served on the eve of a feast that allows only prostrations, such as the Annunciation. During Lent, bows made at the Sacraments, funerals, and prayer services are generally at the waist.

During the days of fasting, pious Christians customarily confess their sins to God in the Sacrament of Confession.

While waiting their turn for confession, the faithful should stand quietly and reverently, reflecting on their sins and attending to the service. Immediately before approaching the priest, it is customary to make three prostrations before the icon of the Savior, with the prayer: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Then, without making the sign of the cross, a prostration is made before all present in the church, saying: “Forgive me, for Christ’s sake.” The congregation responds with bows at the waist, saying: “God will forgive you.”

Upon approaching the priest, the penitent makes four prostrations before the Gospel and Cross on the analogion, saying the following prayers:

• “O Lord, rebuke me not for my sins, but have mercy on me” (prostration),
• “O Lord who formed me, have mercy on me” (prostration),
• “I have sinned greatly; forgive me and have mercy on me, a sinner” (prostration),
• “Receive me, O Lord, in my repentance, and have mercy on me” (prostration).

After the confession is complete, the penitent again makes three prostrations before the Cross and the Gospel, saying: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” and then asks the priest for a blessing to receive the Holy Mysteries. When leaving the priest, the penitent makes the same three bows—now at the waist—that were made before the confession. The people respond to the departing penitent with the words: “A pure confession.”

The Eucharistic Hours, the reading of the list of sins, and the final part of Confession—when the prayers of absolution are read—are performed the next morning in church. During these services, all bows are made at the waist, although there are a few prostrations, for example after “It is truly meet.”

On the eve and the day of receiving Holy Communion, one must read the Canon in preparation for the Holy Eucharist, which includes the Rule of Preparation, the Eucharistic Hours, the Canon and Prayers before Communion, as well as Vespers, Small Vespers, Midnight Office, Matins, the Hours, and the Divine Liturgy. At the end of the Liturgy, after the exclamation “Holy things are for the holy,” and before the opening of the Holy Doors, the communicants come forward to the ambo. At the exclamation “With fear of God and faith draw near,” they listen attentively to the prayers read by the priest. When the prayers conclude, all communicants make the sign of the cross, perform a prostration before the Holy Mysteries, and approach the chalice in order: readers, boys, girls, virgins, husbands and wives—first the choir, then the rest, following the order in which they stood in church.

As each communicant approaches the chalice, they say the Jesus Prayer and fold their hands crosswise over the chest, right over left. Having received the Body and Blood of Christ with fear and reverence, the communicant again says the Jesus Prayer and kisses the base of the chalice. Then, still with hands folded crosswise, the communicant proceeds to the nearby table, where hot water and prosphora are set out. There, they take a piece of prosphora, eat it, and drink some hot water. At this station, a pious helper stands with a clean towel, ready to assist the communicants in wiping their lips.

After the Liturgy, all communicants are to remain in church and listen attentively to the thanksgiving prayers.

In addition to the usual bows, there are several specific bows appointed during the Divine Liturgy throughout the year:

• At the Little Entrance with the Gospel: a bow at the waist, with the prayer “O God, glory be to Thy Holy Cross and Resurrection.”
• During the Great Entrance, after the first part of the Cherubic Hymn, three bows are made in sequence:
  1. At the first exclamation of the priest, “May the Lord God remember all of you…”: a bow at the waist, with the prayer “Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.”
  2. At the second exclamation: the same bow and prayer.
  3. At the third exclamation: a prostration, with the prayer “Remember me, O Holy Master, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.”
• At the words of institution (“Take, eat…”, “Drink ye all of this…”, and “Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee…”), a bow at the waist is made with the Jesus Prayer.
• At the exclamation “Especially for our most holy, pure…”: a prostration with the prayer “Most Holy Mother of God, save us.”
• At “With fear of God and faith draw near”: a bow at the waist with the Jesus Prayer.
• At “Now and ever and unto the ages of ages”: a bow at the waist with the prayer “Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Lord.”
• At “Let us pray to the Lord” before the Prayer Behind the Ambo: a bow at the waist with the prayer “Lord, have mercy.”
• During “Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore”: three bows at the waist. These same bows may also be made when this hymn is sung at the Midnight Office and during Typika (Short Mass), when the Liturgy is not celebrated.

When a bishop serves the Liturgy, he makes a ceremonial visitation and blesses the congregation with a double-branched or triple-branched candlestick. The faithful respond with a prostration, without making the sign of the cross, and may say a brief doxology such as “Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.”

When the bishop or priest gives the dismissal at the end of the Liturgy and makes the sign of the cross over the people with the communion cross, the faithful bow at the waist and say, “Glory to Thy Holy Cross, O Lord.”

At the final dismissal, the priest may say, “When you come to the Cross, test your conscience to be found worthy of it.” As he blesses each person with the Holy Cross, the faithful may say inwardly the prayer: “By the power and protection of Thy Precious and Life-giving Cross, save Thy servant, O Lord.” Approaching the Cross, they make the sign of the cross (without bowing) and say: “O Lord, I believe and venerate Thy Precious and Life-giving Cross, for by it Thou hast saved us.” They then kiss the Cross, followed by the hand of the priest who holds it. However, those who have already received Communion at that Liturgy kiss only the Cross, not the priest’s hand.

A bow at the waist, without making the sign of the cross, is made whenever the priest proclaims, “Peace be unto you.” Internally, the faithful respond together with the choir: “And with thy spirit.”

In conclusion, it must be emphasized that bows are not to be performed mechanically, as if they were exercises in a gym. Rather, they are a vital and meaningful part of worship, uniting bodily labor with inner contrition and spiritual attentiveness. As Saint Basil the Great teaches: “Every time we fall upon our knees and rise from them again, we demonstrate by our action that by sin we fell to the earth, and by the mercy of our Creator we are raised again to heaven.”

Chapter 9: How to Receive a Blessing from a Bishop or a Priest

The Divine Liturgy in the church is celebrated and headed by priests. The Church of Christ has established a threefold hierarchy: deacons, priests, and bishops. Upon ordination to their rank, they receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. From that point on, all of their sacred actions are performed in the name of God Himself. Each clerical rank is given authority to perform specific sacramental acts. For example, only priests and bishops may perform baptisms, weddings, hear confessions, and give blessings.

The first ministers of the Church—the apostles and bishops—were appointed by Jesus Christ Himself. According to the command of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the apostles in turn ordained other bishops, priests, and deacons. This unbroken line of succession has been preserved to this day, and our clergy continue to receive ordination in direct continuity from the apostles. Therefore, we show them reverence, as they are representatives of Christ and bear His grace.

Every faithful Christian has the opportunity to receive a divine gift at any time—the blessing of a bishop or a priest. When life becomes difficult, when sickness arises, or when a significant undertaking begins, the first and greatest help is God’s blessing. As Saint John Chrysostom writes: “Even if friends forsake us, and we are overtaken by calamity, we shall feel no distress if that grace be with us and fortify us.” Do not pass up the opportunity to receive a priest’s blessing—whether in church or when meeting him by chance in the street.

The blessing hand of a priest conveys to us the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Church prescribes a particular manner in which this blessing is received. One should approach a priest and say: “Father, forgive me and bless me.” When asking for the blessing of a bishop, one should say: “Master, forgive me and bless me.” Then, without making the sign of the cross, one performs a prostration at the priest’s feet.

To receive the blessing, one should fold the hands as follows: place the back of the right hand on the open palm of the left and extend them toward the priest. After receiving the blessing, one kisses the priest’s hand, through which the grace of Christ is imparted, and says: “Amen.” Then, with gratitude, one bows at the priest’s feet and says: “May Christ save you.”

A defining trait of the Christian life is obedience to one’s spiritual father. One may—and indeed should—seek his guidance on all matters. Even the gravest sin must be entrusted to God through the priest in confession. If repentance is sincere, God accepts it and, through the priest’s pastoral care, may help the penitent overcome the consequences of sin.

Through the priest’s blessing—and especially that of a bishop—God invisibly sends every good thing to those who ask with faith and sincerity and receive it with trust. The holy fathers write that anyone who neglects or despises a priest’s blessing is an unbeliever and has rejected Christ, who ordained the priesthood (Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer).

Let us also say a few words regarding the Christian manner of greeting clergy. In place of the ordinary “Hello” or “Good day,” when meeting a bishop or priest (even by telephone, regardless of who calls first), the junior person should first say: “Forgive me, Father, and bless me.” The senior replies: “God forgive you; God bless you.” Only after this exchange should they proceed to speak of other matters.

Likewise, at parting, one should not say the common expression “Goodbye” to a clergyman. Instead, all Christians should use the phrase sanctified by the spirit of the Gospel: “Forgive me, for Christ’s sake.” The proper response is: “God forgive. And forgive me.” These words should not be spoken carelessly or as a mere formality, but from the heart. For in them we ask forgiveness for anything by which we may, knowingly or unknowingly, have offended our neighbor. In the same spirit, we ourselves forgive others from the heart and pray with peace and love that God will likewise forgive and pardon them.

It is also customary to ask for forgiveness and a blessing from bishops and priests in written letters. The Apostle Paul concluded all his epistles with a blessing, invoking the grace of God upon all those whom he had strengthened in Christian faith and virtue.

Forgiveness and blessing imparted by the clergy are not merely formal rituals, but true spiritual gifts from God Himself, which bishops and priests merely transmit. All Christians should treat these gifts with seriousness, reverence, and a sense of responsibility. Only in this spirit will God’s blessing become active and saving in our lives. As St. Isaiah the Recluse teaches: “Submit your heart to obedience toward your spiritual fathers, and the grace of God will dwell within you.”

In conclusion, we remind the faithful of the following: it is not customary for laypeople to extend a hand for shaking when greeting or parting from clergymen. We recall the words of Saint Ambrose of Milan: “Kings and princes bowed their heads to the clergy and kissed their hands, hoping to be protected by their prayers.”

“…But to those whom we benefit, we often appear stern and severe, burdensome and unpleasant. For we help not by the pleasure we give, but by the pain we cause. So it is also with the physician: although he is not too disagreeable, the benefit of his art is immediate, whereas ours is delayed” (Saint John Chrysostom).

“Insofar as God permits him to celebrate divine services, do not neglect to receive from him the gift; for it is not he who grants absolution from sins, but Christ the Great High Priest, who entrusted the priesthood to him” (Saint John Chrysostom).

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Chapter 10: How to Behave During Baptism and Marriage

One should attend the joyful and solemn Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Matrimony with reverence, with prayer both in the heart and on the lips, and with heartfelt joy for the one being baptized or married. Therefore, it is irreverent to speak idly, joke, laugh, run about with a video or photo camera, or otherwise act disruptively during the performance of the Sacraments instead of joining in the prayer. These sacred moments should be remembered through prayer, not distraction.

Special attention should be given to the appearance and conduct of those attending the Sacrament of Marriage. Though the bride and guests may wish to adorn themselves in fine clothing, Christians must instead clothe themselves with modesty and piety, for they are entering the house of God. Women should not wear garments with deep necklines, revealing cut-outs, short sleeves, or insufficient length, nor should they wear high-heeled shoes. The bride and other women present must cover their heads with a scarf or kerchief and wear long, modest clothing. The wearing of a bridal veil is not permitted.

Men, too, should dress and behave with modesty and dignity. In church, wearing a necktie is discouraged, and shirts should not be tucked into trousers.

A few words should be said regarding the Sacrament of Baptism.

According to the rite of Baptism, the Creed must be recited either by the one being baptized (if an adult) or by the godfather (if a child is being baptized). Therefore, knowledge of the Creed is a required preparation for the Sacrament.

According to the canons of the Church, anyone preparing to receive Baptism must first be instructed in the fundamental truths of the Christian faith, become accustomed to daily prayer, and begin to observe the fasts established by the Church. Priests must take care to ensure this preparation and strive to teach the catechumen properly before administering the Sacrament. The same requirements apply to the godparents of infants: they must be practicing Orthodox Christians, leading a pious life, and capable of instructing the child in the faith. In fact, godparents bear a greater spiritual responsibility before God for the child’s Christian upbringing than the natural parents. Therefore, they must be Christians not only in word, but in deed. Otherwise, godparents may hinder rather than enlighten the child, and the priest who proceeds with such a baptism risks becoming an accomplice to sin.

If non-Orthodox guests are present at the Sacrament, they should be kindly instructed beforehand regarding appropriate dress and behavior—for example, to remain in the narthex, not to make the sign of the cross, and not to bow.

Only through reverence, discipline, and gratitude to God for the gift of each Sacrament will we preserve—and even increase—the grace of God within ourselves.

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Chapter 11: How to Perform the Last Kiss of the Deceased During a Funeral

Relatives of the deceased should remember that what the soul of the departed needs most is fervent prayer and acts of almsgiving. Therefore, unlike those who do not believe, we should not cry out with loud wailing in church, for, as the Apostle teaches, we have hope in the resurrection.

Non-Orthodox relatives of the deceased should be gently and respectfully informed that, according to the canons of the Church, they are not permitted to enter the church, hold candles during the funeral, or take part in the final farewell. If it is known in advance that such persons intend to be present, they should be advised beforehand about proper attire and conduct. They ought to remain in the vestibule, at the entrance, or in the narthex, and refrain from any visible liturgical or prayerful actions.

It is the duty of the priest to ensure that all those present at the funeral behave with reverence and decorum, so that the mercy of God—which we seek for the soul of the departed—may not be hindered or provoked by disorder or irreverence.

The last kiss is performed as follows. A lectern with a holy icon is placed to the left of the coffin at a respectful distance. During the chanting of the farewell sticherons, the priest and deacon approach the icon, followed by the family and the faithful, in an orderly manner—women following the men, proceeding two by two. They approach the icon from the left side of the coffin, make two bows at the waist, venerate the icon in turn, and then make a single prostration.

After venerating the icon, each person approaches the coffin individually from the right side. They bow before a small prayer rug laid near the feet of the deceased—without making the sign of the cross—and say the words: “Forgive me, for the sake of Christ.” Then, making the sign of the cross, they kiss the cross printed on the paper band placed on the forehead of the departed.

In connection with this topic of reverent and orderly behavior in the house of God, it is fitting to speak also of how we ought to conduct ourselves during services for the departed: the General Pannikhida, private memorial services (Requiems), and the Litia (during or after the Divine Liturgy). The most important principle is to understand when it is permissible to move about the church to distribute alms on behalf of the deceased.

As with any church service, prayers for the departed require our active inward participation—of mind and heart. Therefore, it is inappropriate to walk around the church giving alms in a way that distracts oneself or others from prayer. The proper and most orderly practice is to distribute alms quietly and reverently during the reading of the memorial book (diptychs) or of commemoration slips for the departed, and only after receiving the blessing of the celebrant, as is customary in most parishes. This act of charity should be done in silence, with inward prayer and a spirit of reverence.

“…And in the ages to come… not everyone shall receive the same rewards, for it would be unjust for the One who created inequality to repay all equally” (Saint Isidore of Pelusium).

Chapter 12: How to Write Names in Notes for the Living and the Departed

In private prayer, according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, one may pray for the health and salvation of any person, even if he or she is not baptized. As it is written: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:3–4). In church, we also offer common “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks… for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life” (1 Timothy 2:1–2)—but without pronouncing the names of unbelievers, non-Orthodox, or the unbaptized aloud.

As for those who share our Orthodox faith, we may pray for them by name in church—but not at all services, nor in all parts of the service. For example, we may not commemorate by name, nor remove a particle at the Proskomedia, for those who are unrepentant in grave sins: such as those who live in fornication, refuse to fast, are addicted to smoking, use foul or blasphemous speech, practice magic, or otherwise live in manifest disobedience to Christ’s commandments. The names of such persons may not be submitted for the Liturgy unless, by the priest’s discretion, they have come to confession. In that case, their names may be commemorated during the petitions of the Litany (Ektenia).

All names should be written in proper ecclesiastical form, which often differs from everyday speech. It is advisable to group names by category in commemoration books or slips—for example, separating clergy from laity, and men from women—for the convenience of the reader.

Names of bishops are listed first, followed by monastic clergy, priests, and deacons; then monks and nuns; then laymen, women, boys, girls, virgins, and finally infants, by gender.

It is well known that notes for the departed should begin with expressions such as: “O Lord, remember the souls of Thy departed servants,” or “Grant rest, O Lord, to the souls of Thy servants…” (or: the soul of Thy servant…). Since we are remembering the immortal souls of those who have reposed, their names are written in the genitive case.

The soul of whom?—of Nicholas, of John, of Zachariah, of Maria, of Daria, of Tatiana, etc.

However, when the priest reads the prayer “Remember him in the faith and hope of eternal life,” which occurs in every memorial service, the names are spoken in the accusative case: for example, “Thy departed servant Maria.”

Names of the unbaptized, non-Orthodox, heretics, suicides, and Orthodox Christians who died unrepentant are not to be written in church commemoration books.

People often ask: may we pray for such souls? Is there hope for their salvation?

The Holy Fathers of the Church express different views on this matter, but we are all taught to hope in the boundless mercy of God, who desires not the death of a sinner, but that all should come to repentance.

For example, what should a mother do who has committed infanticide, but has sincerely repented, grieves for the souls of her lost children, and longs with all her heart to fulfill her maternal and Christian duty by praying for them? In such a case, she may pray privately to God for those children, trusting in His infinite compassion and care for every human soul—especially for infants. Scripture attests repeatedly to God’s providential love for newborns: “The Lord preserveth the infants” (Psalm 114:6); “For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 138:13); “Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts” (Psalm 21:9).

As Saint John Chrysostom says:

“Let us not concern ourselves with tombs and monuments—this is the greatest memorial. Speak his name aloud, and urge all to pray for him, to offer their supplications. This will move God to mercy.”

And again:

“Just as we pray for the living, who in their sin differ little from the dead, so also may we pray for the departed.”

And elsewhere:

“It was not in vain that the apostles decreed remembrance of the departed in the dread Mysteries. They knew that great benefit would come to them. When the entire people stands with arms uplifted, when the priestly assembly gathers, and the awesome Sacrifice is offered—how could we call upon God and fail to obtain help for them?”

Chapter 13: About Holy Water

The blessing of water is one of the most grace-filled services performed by the Church of Christ. The Holy Church recognizes two types of water blessing: the Great Blessing of Water and the Small Blessing of Water.

The Great Blessing is performed at Vespers on the eve of the Feast of the Baptism of Christ (the Theophany), January 5th (18th), and again on the feast day itself. This rite is conducted in remembrance of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As early as the fourth century, Saint John Chrysostom, in one of his homilies for the Theophany, said:

“This is the day on which Christ was baptized, and by His baptism He sanctified the element of water. Therefore, at midnight on this feast, all draw water and store it in their homes for the entire year…”

Since ancient times, the Russian Church has preserved the tradition of a double blessing of water at Theophany. According to the ancient rubrics, on the eve of the feast, the blessing is performed inside the church, after the Prayer Behind the Ambo, at a font. Then, on the feast day itself, after the end of Matins, the clergy and faithful would process with the Cross and hymns to a spring or river, called the “Jordan,” where the blessing of water was performed outside, often in an ice-hole cut in the shape of a cross.

Today, however, the tradition of processing with the Cross to an outdoor “Jordan” for the blessing of water has nearly disappeared. Instead, the blessing of water on the feast day is performed in the church after the dismissal of the Liturgy, during the moleben at the sixth ode of the canon.

The Small Blessing of Water is also performed annually on August 1st (14th). Saint Theodore Valsamon, Patriarch of Antioch and a well-known interpreter of the canons, considered the Small Blessing of Water to be a Christian replacement for the pagan observance of the first day of the month. The canons prescribe this rite also for the Feast of Mid-Pentecost, patronal feast days, and any occasion when there is a particular need—such as for the blessing of homes.

Although the Ustav instructs that the Small Blessing of Water be performed at the end of Matins, after the Great Doxology, modern practice usually places it after the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy.

According to the order of the Holy Church, after the rite of blessing, the altar and the icons are sprinkled with holy water. Then, during the blessing of the faithful, the priest makes the sign of the cross over the congregation, while a deacon, standing beside him, sprinkles everyone in the form of a cross and says: “The grace of the Holy Spirit.” The people respond: “Amen.” Then, with reverence, all partake of the holy water, or, in the words of the tradition, they “take communion” of it. Meanwhile, the choir sings either the troparion “When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan…” or “O Lord, save Thy people…”

According to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, holy water possesses many miraculous properties. As Saint John Chrysostom writes in the same homily:

“These waters, in their very nature, do not spoil with time, but remain fresh throughout the year, sometimes for two or even three years, and afterward, for a long time, they do not cease to be water, just like that drawn from a spring.”

In remembrance of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church pronounces the following prayers over the water:

“O Loving King, come now and by the descent of Thy Holy Spirit, sanctify this water. Grant it the grace of redemption, the blessing of the Jordan. Make it a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a remission of sins, a healing of sickness, a destroyer of demons, inaccessible to hostile powers; fill it with angelic strength, so that all who partake of it and are anointed with it may be purified in soul and body.”

A sincere believer undoubtedly trusts that, by these prayers, the water truly receives the gifts asked of God: “a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a healing of sickness,” and that all who partake of it receive blessing, purification, and health.

Therefore, after the performance of either the Great or the Small Blessing of Water, every Christian desires to bring some of the sanctified water home—to sprinkle the house and to keep it for future use, either in time of need or as a spiritual blessing. One must be patient, waiting until the end of the service, and then, with the blessing of the priest or senior chanter, take the water quietly and reverently, without pushing or disturbing others.

It is inappropriate to bring large containers to the church. If more holy water is needed later, it may be diluted at home with clean water, remembering that the holy water must be poured into regular water—not the other way around.

Upon returning home, the Orthodox Christian should prepare a clean vessel for storing the water, as well as a sprinkler (or aspersorium). Standing reverently before the holy icons, and having made three bows with the prayer “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” one begins the rite with: “Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers…,” followed by the Trisagion prayers and the Lord’s Prayer. Then, one recites the Jesus Prayer, and, while singing the troparion “When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan…” (on Theophany) or “O Lord, save Thy people…” (for other occasions), proceeds to sprinkle the home with holy water.

Just like any other sacred object, holy water—whether taken at Theophany or on August 1st—must be kept in a clean and reverent place, with care and godly fear.

The Great Agiasma (the water blessed on January 5th [18th], the Eve of Theophany) may be used to bless homes “in all places, even the most neglected, and even beneath our feet,” within the first three hours after the blessing. If the distance from the church to the home is great, the canons permit its use—for drinking and sprinkling—within one hour after arriving home.

After the expiration of this time, the Church strictly prohibits laypeople from using the Great Agiasma for any purpose. Moreover, if it is accidentally spilled, the place where it fell—just as when the Holy Gifts are spilled—must be treated with great reverence: it is to be burned or cut out with an axe and buried in an inaccessible place. Therefore, pious Christians are advised to use all the water within the prescribed hours and not to keep it for later use.

Additionally, the Great Agiasma is used by clergy to commune those Orthodox Christians who, due to certain sins, are temporarily excluded from receiving the Holy Eucharist. For this reason, the clergy retain the Great Agiasma in the church.

As for the water blessed on the day of Theophany itself, neither the canons nor other liturgical texts give specific instructions regarding its consumption or storage after the feast. However, according to a pious oral tradition, this water may be kept throughout the year and used as needed—either taken on an empty stomach, or after receiving antidoron or prosphora, and especially on feast days.

Water blessed by the Small Blessing may likewise be stored reverently and used both for personal consumption and for various blessings—for example, for blessing dishware, tools, or the rooms of a house.

As the Holy Fathers teach:

“The Spirit, freely flowing forth, is restrained by no limits, is checked by no closed barriers within certain bounded spaces; it flows perpetually, it is exuberant in its affluence.”
—Saint Cyprian of Carthage

“Grace, working in secret, manifests its love: it turns bitterness into sweetness and transforms a cruel heart into a tender one.”
—Saint Macarius of Egypt

“Grace is not consumed, it is not exhausted—it is like a fountain, constantly springing forth. By His fullness, we are all healed—both in soul and in body.”
—Saint John Chrysostom

Chapter 14: About the Sign of the Cross

The sign of the cross is a sacred action by which a devout Christian traces upon himself the sign of the Cross of Christ, using the fingers of the right hand folded in a specific manner. It is both a personal expression of faith and a profession of the essential truths of the Christian doctrine. Bishops and priests also use the sign of the cross to bless people and sanctify objects.

According to pious tradition dating back to the Holy Apostles—as testified by Saint Maximus the Greek in his Homily XL—and in accordance with the instructions of the Larger Catechism and the Book of Cyril, Orthodox Christians are to make the sign of the cross by folding the fingers of the right hand in a specific way. The thumb, ring finger, and little finger are folded together into the palm—this signifies the confession of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—one God in three Persons.

The index and middle fingers are extended, signifying the two natures of our Lord Jesus Christ—fully God and fully Man. The slightly inclined position of the middle finger toward the index finger visually represents the “Heavenly Bowing,” symbolizing the condescension of God in the Incarnation for our salvation.

Thus, having arranged the fingers as prescribed, we begin by placing them upon the forehead, professing that Christ is our one true and eternal Lord. Then we move them to the abdomen, signifying His descent to earth, His conception in the immaculate womb of the God-bearer without seed, and His nine-month dwelling therein. Next, we touch the right shoulder, confessing that Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father. Finally, we touch the left shoulder, expressing our belief that Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and will reward each according to his deeds.

The ancient tradition of making the sign of the cross with two fingers is preserved in early Christian art. For instance, a third-century fresco in the Catacomb of Saint Priscilla in Rome bears witness to this practice, as does a fourth-century fresco of the miraculous catch of fish in the church of Saint Apollinaris in Rome, and a fifth-century depiction of the Annunciation in the Church of Saint Mary in Rome. The two-finger sign of the cross is also depicted in numerous ancient Russian and Greek icons of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy God-bearer, and the holy fathers.

The Council of Constantinople in 1029 decreed:

“He who does not make the sign of the cross with two fingers shall be anathema.”

Likewise, the Stoglav Council held in Moscow in 1551 declared:

“He who does not bless with two fingers, as Christ did, and does not make the sign of the cross with two fingers, let him be anathema.”

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1. This kind of bow, also called “throwing”, can also be described as a semi-prostration, wherein the head does not lower itself to touch the hand or prayer mat after falling upon ones knees with hands upon the prayer mat. ↩︎

By Archpriest Andrey Marchenko

“And grant us with one mouth and one heart to glorify and hymn Thy most honorable and majestic Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (from the rite of the Divine Liturgy).

One of the most precious gifts bestowed upon the Church is sobornost—conciliarity or spiritual unity. It is precisely sobornost that testifies to the deep, mutually penetrating unity of the Church’s members with one another through the one Orthodox faith, the one liturgical life, and the one common hope. The spiritual unity of the Church’s members in her one Body may be likened to the unity of the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. The Great High Priest and Redeemer of the Church Himself desired that His Bride should manifest Herself as one Body, encompassing all truly believing Christians, united to one another by love and like-mindedness: “That they may be one, even as We are” (John 17:11).

The very naming of the Church in the Creed as Catholic (that is, Sobornaya, Conciliar) testifies both that the Church is a Council, and that everyone who becomes a member of the Church becomes a participant in this all-church Council.

By the gift received through divine anointing, every member of the Church is equal to the others; and therefore, each one partakes in the Church’s sobornost, in spiritual equality before our common Heavenly Father.

The pastors of Christ’s flock must not only refrain from fearing sobornost, but must actively encourage it in each member of the Church. They should help each of their spiritual children to find their place in church life, to uncover their gift for service to the common good, and to discover their personal path in the work of building up the Church.

Clergy must not neglect the counsel and opinion of the laity, remembering the teaching of the holy fathers on this matter:

“The first have need of the last, for the former cannot by themselves constitute the Church”
— Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:21.

“The mutual need of the Church’s members for one another engenders great love among them”
— St. Ephraim the Syrian, commentary on Ephesians 4:1–16.

“The head cannot say to the feet, ‘I have no need of you,’ for we have members that appear weaker, yet are indispensable to us—God has proportioned the Church just like the body, and has given greater honor to the lesser, so that there be no division in the Body itself, just as there is no discord among the members of the body”
— St. Ephraim the Syrian, commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:14–25.

The expression of this unity of God’s people ought to be the convening of joint Councils, composed of representatives from every rank of clergy and laity. This is necessary not only for the practical and well-balanced resolution of urgent church matters, but first and foremost to satisfy the natural spiritual need of every Christian: to be in constant communion with one another in all matters concerning the Church’s life.

In the Church, there can be no such thing as an unimportant issue for any of Her members. Even a matter that at first seems insignificant must find a response in the hearts of all Her children without exception. Sobornost must be living and vital—not limited to consultations among hierarchs alone, but involving the entire body of the faithful, and extending its concern, as far as possible, to every question of ecclesiastical life, both great and small.

We must understand that Councils fulfill not only a function of church governance and organization, but are also a means of communication among the members of the Church—a way of expressing the true unity of the entire Church in the Holy Spirit. A Church Council is a testimony to the Church’s spiritual life. The Apostle Paul especially valued this aspect of Christian gatherings, urging believers not to neglect fellowship (Hebrews 13:16) and not to quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Therefore, fraternal communion among all members of the Church—without exception—is the very meaning of true sobornost.

Recognition of the laity’s right to full participation in church life clearly testifies that the Church is not merely a hierarchy, but a hierarchy and the people together. For together we form one family and are all responsible for its well-being; thus, all must participate in shaping the life of the Church.

This vision of the Church as one family, as a community in which all members take part fully in ecclesiastical building, goes back to apostolic times. The example of true sobornost and unanimity is shown to us already in the first Church Council in history—the Council of the Apostles. The Evangelist Luke, describing the acts of the Apostolic Council, testifies to the participation of all Christians who were at that time in Jerusalem, and all of them took the most active and direct part in the Council. “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole Church” (Acts 15:22), it says in the Acts.

But the Apostolic Council was not the first and last assembly of the whole people. The Church historian Eusebius writes about similar gatherings of the faithful in opposition to the Montanist heresy: “The believers began to gather frequently and in many places in Asia.” Saint Cyprian of Carthage also bears witness to the unanimous participation of both clergy and laity in Church Councils, for “the Church consists in the bishop, the clergy, and all who stand firm in the faith.” Based on this principle, Saint Cyprian always convened Councils with the participation of both hierarchs and laypeople: “From the very beginning of my episcopate,” he wrote to the presbyters and deacons, “I resolved to do nothing on my own authority, without your counsel and the consent of the people.” According to Saint Cyprian, Councils were conducted similarly in the Roman Church—the Roman bishop Cornelius always discussed all matters with “the glorious clergy sitting with him, and the most holy and distinguished people.” The entire ancient Church was united in the building up of the Body of Christ: “But speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15–16).

Since the ancient Church embodied the unity of all members, it is necessary even now to preserve that same structure, so that the people of God may in harmony build up their common House—the Church—that the laity may not be mindless executors of the hierarchy’s will, but active participants in Church life and organization.

However, this is not to say that the hierarchy in the Old Orthodox Church (Drevlepravoslavnaya) has set itself in opposition to the laity or limited their rights merely to participation in liturgical life. Not at all—for we have always preserved a living principle of sobornost within the Church. Retaining the people’s place in the Church, Old Orthodox Christians have always held Church Councils communally, with the involvement of both clergy and laity. We know that at certain times, the laity even comprised the majority—and this in no way led to the collapse of Church order. On the contrary, it was precisely such Councils that guided our Church for many years, and it was precisely such a Council that restored the episcopal rank in the Old Orthodox Church 80 years ago.

Unfortunately, during the years of Bolshevik persecution, the practice of parishes delegating lay representatives to Councils became more of a rare exception than a living tradition. That is, while laypeople may be present at Councils, it is infrequent, and in most cases their participation cannot truly be called active—or, more importantly, positive. Interest in church life among the laity has significantly declined; and whereas previously this might have been excused to some extent by persecution, such indifference today becomes deeply reproachable. If this continues, the Church risks becoming divided into a spiritual caste and a mindless, indifferent crowd of laypeople. The principal foundation of Christ’s Church—the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, which Holy Scripture exhorts us to guard diligently (Ephesians 4:3)—will be disrupted.

When speaking of a Joint Council of clergy and laity, we must not ignore the canonical aspect of this matter. In drawing laypeople into active church life, it must be ensured that the canonical decrees are not violated—those which assign the final authority in Church decisions to the bishops (cf. 4th Ecum. Council, Canon 19; 6th Ecum. Council, Canon 8; 7th Ecum. Council, Canon 6; Carthage Canons 14, 27, 87, 141, 142; Laodicea, Canon 40; and others).

The canonical structure of the Church allows for both clergy and laity to take part in conciliar activity—as counselors, not as legislators. Therefore, the proper way to hold Church Councils is to ensure, where possible, the presence of representatives from all parishes of the Church, with the freedom to express their views on various church matters. Yet the authority to affirm decisions of such Councils must remain with the bishops, as overseers of Christ’s Church, established in that role by the Lord Himself. For though “we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13), we must remember that within the Church there exists, despite our equality in faith, a distinction of ministry: “God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers…” (1 Corinthians 12:28), writes the Apostle Paul. Thus, the goal is not to entrust the fate of the entire Body of the Church to the lesser members—the laity—who are appointed by the Lord not as shepherds but as the flock; rather, the aim is to grant the laity, following the model of the ancient Church, the opportunity to serve as witnesses to conciliar decisions and as advisors to the hierarchy.

Including both clergy and laity in conciliar participation allows bishops to gain an objective understanding of the actual state of Church affairs and the thoughts of the faithful regarding various issues, thereby enabling the adoption of well-considered and correct decisions.

Church Councils should not function as parliamentary sessions, and decisions should only be made when there is no one who can object to them on the basis of Holy Scripture or Holy Tradition. It is unacceptable to resolve Church matters by majority vote, for we know that very often the majority has stood apart from the Lord, while only a faithful remnant preserved the Truth. Therefore, a decision should be confirmed only when it is unanimously acknowledged by all the faithful, “for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Only of such a Council can it be said: “It seemed good to the Holy Ghost”; if everything is decided by voting, then it will no longer be the will of the Spirit, but the will of the majority. A Church Council is not a party meeting, and it must be guided not by majority opinion, but by the authority of Church Tradition, for “let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

The hierarchy must unswervingly strive to ensure that there always exists within the Church a true unity of clergy and laity through joint participation in Church life and structure, in accordance with Holy Scripture and the canons of the Church—so that the Church’s people may be united one with another, as the Persons of the Almighty Trinity are united: “that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28), and that within us all there may be “one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32).

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