Services, Special Occasions, Prayers and Blessings

There are many different prayers and services associated to the different occasions in life. A priest or a Bishop performs the Services and the Blessings. Individuals can say the prayers.

Besides the Eucharist and the major Sacraments, the Orthodox Church has a number of Special Services and Blessings which are associated with the needs, events, and tasks of human life. In celebrating these various Services and Blessings, the Church is constantly bearing witness to the presence and action of God in our lives. Our God is one who loves us, cares for us, and is near to us. The liturgical Services and Blessings also serve to remind us that all of life is important, and that the many events and gifts of life can be directed toward God and receive their fulfillment in Him.

The Special Services are often referred to as Non-sacramental Services in the sense that they are events of community worship which are not usually counted among the major Sacraments. However, they clearly have a sacramental quality in the sense that they reveal the presence of the Holy Trinity. Many of these Services, such as the Funeral, the Blessing of Water, and the Entrance into Monastic Life, just to name a few, are very significant to the life of the Church. The various Blessings are brief ceremonies which are occasional and do not necessarily involve directly the entire parish community.

Holy Services

• Blessing service of new home or business place
• Blessing service at the beginning of the new academic year
• Prayers before or after meal (no need of priest if there is no one around the table)
• Prayers when we wake up
• Prayers when we leave the house
• Blessing service when we buy a new car, boat, ship, plane etc.
• Prayers when we start lessons
• Blessing when someone is sick
• Prayers before starting work
• Prayers before traveling
• Service for the soldiers who go to war
• Service for asking peace to reign
• Blessing for rain after a period of drought
• Blessing Service for somebody who is dying
• Funeral
• Blessing Service for door opening ceremony of a Church
• Blessing of a new icon, cross or an object
• Icons and crosses are left at the Altar for forty days. After the 40th day, the priest reads a prayer and places Holy Chrismation on the icon and gives the icon or the cross to the owner, and at this point becoming a Holy Icon or Holy Cross
• Blessing Service for a Church where in it somebody died
• Blessing service after accidental abortion
• Service of Exorcism
• Service of Supplication to Virgin Mary. (For Health)
• Service of the Akathyst Hymn or Salutations to Virgin Mary
• Service of Great Compline to Virgin Mary
• Service to the Holy Cross
• Service to Holy Trinity
• Service to Jesus Christ
• Service of the Holy Communion
• Service of Vespers
• Service of the Midnight
• Service of the Hours
• Service of Matins
• Service of the Great Blessing of the Waters
• Service to be freed from the evil eye
• Blessing service with the Holy Lance
• Service of Feet Washing
• Service of forgiveness
• Memorial services
• When somebody dies, at the home, the grave on the 3rd. 9th and 40th day. 3rd, 6th, 9th month. 1st, 2nd, 3rd year on the Saturday of souls or when we visit the grave side with a priest
• Memorial cakes called Kollyva should be made on the 3rd, 9th, 40th day. 3rd, 6th, 9th month. 1st, 2nd and 3rd year
• On the 4 designated Saturday of Souls of the year. The names of the deceased can be given to the priest in the Altar to be read at the anniversary of their departure

Special Occasions

• For Newborns
• Blessing service of a new born babe and the mother on the 1st day of birth. (At the hospital)
• Naming service the newly born babe on the 8th day of his/her birth. (At home before sunset)
• Blessing service the baby and the mother on the 40th day at the Church.
• A Mother that gave birth can not enter into a Church if she does nor receive these prayers and also can not receive holy communion except in case of emergency.
• Blessing service of the foundations of a house or a building
• Consecration Service for a Church.
• Consecration Service for a chapel or shrine.
• Blessing Service for the gardens, fields and vineyards.
• Blessing Service of eggs, cheese, milk and meat on Easter Day.
• Blessing Service of the Palms on Palm Sunday.
• Blessing Service of the Grapes on Transfiguration Day.
• Vasilopita
• Doxology Service
• New Year's Day
• National anniversary
• March 25th
• October 28th - OXI Day
• Engagement Service
• In the Orthodox tradition, when two people decide to be engaged, they buy their wedding rings to make their engagement announcement, they invite their relatives and friends and also the priest.
• At a small table, two candles are lit and the priest blesses the rings by reading some special prayers and gives the rings to the couple and they pass their rings to each other by expressing their feelings to each other. The service is concluded by words of congratulation of the priest.
• The engagement service before the wedding is different then this one. The newly engaged couple put the rings on their left hand on this service. At the service prior the wedding the Koumbaros or koumbara puts them in the right hand. Married orthodox people around the world keep their wedding bands, rings on the right hand and not on the left.
• Blessing of the Waters (Jan 5th & 6th)
• Procession of the Holy Cross on the Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (9/14)
• Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross 3rd Sunday of Lent
• Blessing Service of the 5 loaves for health
• Blessing of a special cake dedicated to St. Fanourios for thanks giving.