THE
ORTHODOX FAITH
Orthodoxy
holds that the eternal truths of God's saving revelation
in Jesus Christ are preserved in the living Tradition
of the church under the guidance and inspiration of the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Scriptures are at the heart
of the Tradition and the touchstone of the faith.
While the Bible is the written testimony of God's revelation,
Holy Tradition is the all-encompassing experience of the
Church under the abiding guidance and direction of the
Holy Spirit. Essentially, Orthodox Christians consider
that their beliefs are very similar to those of other
Christian traditions, but that the balance and integrity
of the entire Apostolic faith once delivered to the Saints
has been preserved inviolate. . . .
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THE
CREED
The
Creed is recognized as the authoritative expression of
the fundamental beliefs of the Orthodox Church in its
briefest form and is often referred to as the "Symbol
of Faith." This description indicates that the Creed is
not an analytical statement, but that it points to a reality
greater than itself and to which it bears witness. .
. .
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THE DIVINE LITURGY
In
the latter part of the 10th century, Vladimir (Prince
of Kiev) sent envoys to various Christian centers to study
their form of worship. These are the words they spoke
when they returned from the celebration of the Eucharist
in the Great Church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople:
We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for
surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere on
earth. We cannot describe it to you; we only know that
God dwells there among men and that their Service surpasses
the worship of all other places. . . .
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THE GOSPELS
The
Greek word commonly used for Gospel is evanghelion. In
the New Testament it means the glad news of salvation,
first brought to earth by the Son of God, our Lord Jesus
Christ, and afterward delivered by the Apostles by word
of mouth to the world. Toward the end of the first century
or the beginning of the second, the word was applied to
the books containing "the glad news," and their authors
were called "evangelists." The word Gospel is from the
Anglo-Saxon godspel, an abbreviated form of good-spell,
which means "good tidings." . . .
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WHAT IS THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
The
eastern or Greek orthodox Church is one of the original
Churches of Christianity, which was founded on the Day
of the Pentecost in Jerusalem in 33 A. D. Ten days
after Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, He sent His Holy
Spirit on the Heads of His Disciples, which according
to the description at the Acts of the Apostles, stood
like burning tongues. Since that Day the Orthodox
Church has kept unbroken the Holy Tradition of the Church
given by Jesus Christ and His Disciples. Later he
accepted the Decrees of the Seven Ecumenical Synods, which
were convened by the Church in order to solve religious,
dogmatical questions. The decrees of the Seven Ecumenical
Synods are infallible. . . .
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GOING TO CHURCH
Individuals
who attend church only infrequently sorely deprives themselves.
Those parents who do not see to it that their children
go to church commit a terrible sin. Remember the words
of the Saviour: Where two or three are gathered together
in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20).
. . .
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HOLY WEEK AND EASTER IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND TRADITIONS
THAT COME WITH THE HOLY DAYS
Easter
in the Orthodox Ecclesiology and church tradition is the
most important feast of all the feasts. Even Saint John
of Damascus at his famous hymn that we sing on Easter
morning calls it: "Feast of feasts and festival of festivals".
Other Holy fathers of the Church stresses the importance
of the Holy Week and Easter at their homilies. The reason
is that through the Crucifixion and the tomb of Christ
Resurrection was promised to all his children and the
kingdom of death was destroyed with His descent to the
Hades. With His Holy Resurrection the New Life started
and the gates of paradise were opened.
Prepared
by Very Reverend Archimandrite Alexander Kile.
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