The Way of Life of the ancient Eastern Orthodox Church
Previously, I taught you to wash the inside of your cup. That is, cleanse your heart through repentance. You do not purify your heart so that it remains empty, but so that it may be filled. Through repentance, you make your heart hospitable to the Presence of God. By living the Way, may the Divine Grace, and everything good the Grace brings, overflow within you.
Read: Psalm 23; John 4.4-14; Romans 15.13; 1 Peter 1.8
Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees
All Orthodox Christians share a priesthood together as members of Christ’s Holy Church. Within this shared priesthood, some individual men are chosen to serve as Clergy, ordained according to Apostolic Succession by the Grace of God. The Clergy of the Church include Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. Therefore, the priestly ministry of the Church as a whole includes both the work of the Clergy and the work of the Laity (that is, the people). Two extremes must be avoided to maintain harmony: Clericalism, which devalues the contribution of the Laity, and Laicism, which devalues the contribution of the Clergy. Both Clergy and Laity are called to harmoniously work together for the benefit of all.
A Bishop (Episkopos) holds the highest degree of the Priesthood. In earlier centuries Bishops were married. Today, a Bishop is chosen from among celibate men. He may be either a never-married man or a widower. (The current practice of choosing only unmarried men as Bishops is not a matter of doctrine, but a rule set forth in the canons. This rule could be changed if the Church, through the guidance of the the Holy Spirit, decided to do so.) Even though Bishops have different titles, such as Patriarch, Archbishop, or Metropolitan, which indicate certain honors or responsibilities, all Bishops are essentially equal. The Bishop alone presides over all the Seven Mysteries (Sacraments) as a successor of the Holy Apostles. Within his jurisdiction (diocese or archdiocese), the Bishop possesses the highest authority. If a Bishop disregarded his responsibility to keep the Faith and failed to carry out his sacred ministry faithfully, his brother Bishops, who together form a Synod, could remove him from his position and depose him as Bishop. In the Church, everyone is accountable to someone else.
A Bishop may ordain a man, either celebate or married, as a Priest (that is, a Presbyter). Through the Mystery of Holy Ordination, the man receives the Grace of the Holy Priesthood by the hand of the Bishop. Placing his hand upon the man to be ordained, the Bishop prays for the Divine Grace to make the man a Priest of the Most High God.
As the leader of a local Orthodox community (parish), the Priest watches over the spiritual flock as a loving, attentive shepherd and assists the Bishop, the chief shepherd, in the ministry of the Church. The Priest possesses the authority to preside over all the Holy Mysteries with the exception of Holy Ordination. Only the Bishop, under whose authority and care the Priest serves, possesses the authority to ordain.
The Priest stands before the Holy Altar of Heaven in the Sanctuary of the Orthodox Temple to preside over the worship of the Church. He offers gifts to God on behalf of the people and receives the Divine Gifts that God gives in return. He touches the Holy Things sanctified by God’s Presence and, as a Physician, administers these Grace-filled Medicines to the Faithful for the healing of their souls and bodies. The Priest instructs the Faithful in the life of virtue, prays for their salvation as an advocate before God, and guides them on the Way of salvation. He both cares for the sick admitted to Christ’s Hospital and goes out to bring the sick into the Hospital. The Priest proclaims the Way of salvation to the world. Keep in mind that the Priest possesses authority, but not Power. The Power that works through the Priesthood (that is, the Divine Grace) belongs to God alone.
The Bishop may also ordain a man, either married of unmarried, as a Deacon (Diakonos). Originally, the Twelve Apostles instituted the Holy Diaconate as a ministry dedicated to caring for the practical daily needs of Christians. The Deacons ensured that all the widows fairly received the food they needed. This division of labor allowed the Apostles to remain focused on the evangelistic ministry proper to their Apostolic office. The Deacons assist the Bishop and the Priests by fulfilling a liturgical role in worship as well as tending to other work in the Church, as needed.
In addition to the Ordained Clergy, called Major Clergy (that is, the Bishop, Priests, and Deacons), lower degrees also exist. The Minor Clergy, including Subdeacons and Readers, are formally blessed by the Bishop to serve in certain roles. The Subdeacon assists the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons in the Sancturary. The Reader bears the responsibility to read the Holy Epistle and other texts, as necessary, in the services. Some Readers also sing or chant during the services. When the word Clergy is used, it generally refers to the Major Clergy, but all the clerical offices should be given proper honor and respect.
Read: Exodus 30.22-33; Leviticus 8-9; 18; Psalm 133; Acts 6.1-7; 13.1-3; 1 TImothy 4.6-16; 5.17-25; 1 Peter 2.1-12
Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees / Image copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees
God has given the Mystery of Holy Unction to the Church for the healing of the sick. You suffer from illness in your soul and, at times, your body may be weakened by illness, too. In this Mystery, faith in Jesus Christ, prayer for the touch of Life-Giving Grace, and anointing with holy oil by the Priest are joined together.
Ideally, seven Priests gather together for the Service of Holy Unction, although only one Priest is necessary. The Priest consecrates the olive oil, praying for the Divine Grace to be present in the oil, and then anoints the faithful with the blessed, Grace-filled oil for the healing of body and soul. The word unction refers to the Priest’s act of anointing with the oil rather than to the sacred oil itself.
Although the Mystery of Holy Unction is associated with healing of the body, the anointing also purifies the soul through the forgiveness of sins and provides spiritual strength. In preparation for this Mystery, one should participate in Holy Confession prior to receiving the anointing.
Note: Different kinds of holy oil are part of the life of the Church. A catechumen about to be baptized is anointed with newly-blessed holy oil before entering the baptismal font. Holy Chrism and the oil of Holy Unction, both Holy Mysteries, are consecrated for different purposes. Sacred oil miraculously flowing from a Saint’s relics or pouring as tears from an Icon of the Theotokos may also be used for anointing the faithful. Likewise, oil taken from an oil lamp that burns in front of an icon of a particular Saint may also be used. For example, a Priest might anoint someone with oil from a lamp that sits in front of an icon of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon. The anointing with this oil would be joined with a prayer asking for healing by the intercessions of that Saint. The same Divine Grace works in diverse ways for the salvation of the soul and body of those who approach God with true faith, humility, and repentance.
Read: James 5.13-18
Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees / Image copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees
God created men and women equal in their humanness. He also designed them different from each other and complementary to each other. Notice that maleness and femaleness is not the same. Instead, the difference between male and female allows them to complete each other.
Through the Mystery of Holy Marriage, also known as Holy Matrimony, God joins together a man and a woman in the bond of Love as exclusive lifelong companions. This great Mystery can only be accomplished by the work of the Uncreated Energy (that is, the Divine Grace). The Presence of God unites the man and woman into one. The depth of this unity of husband and wife lies beyond rational comprehension. An Orthodox marriage, then, is far more than two people making a legal contract, declaring positive intentions, or exchanging promises. Rather, in the Mystery of Marriage, the Creator God makes something new by His Power, a sacred Christ-centered marriage, for the benefit of His creatures.
Standing together before God, the man and the woman are crowned as husband and wife. The crowns placed on their heads symbolize the crowns of martyrdom. God bestows the martyric crowns to the faithful who selflessly demonstrate their loyalty and devotion to Him even to death. The married couple is called to maintain such faithfulness to God and also to each other. The married life involves each dying to personal self-love, self-will, and self-interest for the good of the beloved.
God created and blessed marriage as a path of salvation. Do not be surprised when you encounter difficulty. Marriage requires mutual asceticism. Monastics struggle apart from others in isolation or with fellow monastics in communal monasteries. A married couple enters into spiritual struggle together as a team. The Way of the Cross is the path of self-denial and self-sacrifice. Marriage is the training ground where, through their mutual practice of the art of love, the husband and wife learn to become better disciples of Jesus Christ.
Pray for your spouse. Be your beloved’s steady support, empathetic listener, comforter when wounded, wise counselor before decisions, encourager in the struggle, advocate to God, and defender against spiritual attack. Remember that the two of you share everything. Carry each other’s concerns, difficulties, and sorrows as well as each other’s joys, blessings, and successes. In marriage, no problem is an individual problem. Reinforce each other. When one is weak, let the other offer strength.
Never turn your heart against your spouse. This will create disharmony and chaos in the relationship and within your own soul. Do not fall into the deception that your spouse is a problem. If a problem arises, keep in mind that your spouse is not the problem. The problem is the problem. Your greatest problem is within your own soul – your pride, your thoughts, your emotions, your assumptions, your expectations, your attitudes, your opinions, your passions, your distractions, your failures, and all of your sins. Seek to improve your marriage and progress on the Way by changing yourself. Become a more perfect partner in marriage. Repent of your sins and let your spouse be concerned with repenting from his or her own. Contribute to the solution, not the problem, by fulfilling your own duty to love.
Here is a secret to a joyful marriage: Do not judge your spouse. As a husband and wife you are co-disciples of Jesus Christ, complementary helpers to each other, and the most intimate confidants. If you judge your spouse, you create imbalance by assuming a self-righteous position of authority as a judge, an accuser, and a prosecutor. This fosters disharmony and imbalance in the soul and in the relationship. When you set yourself up as judge, you will likely self-justify your own sins and be distracted from your own work of repentance. Love your spouse. Forgive your spouse. Show empathy, understanding, and tender compassion.
Marriage is the only sacred temple, constructed by God from a man and woman, within which the most intimate physical union of a man and woman is permissible and blessed. The physical marital union, an outward expression of inner union and intimacy, serves to build a strong, shared bond between husband and wife. Through this union, the husband and wife bring forth children, physical symbols of the Mystery of Marriage through which two become one.
Always remain faithful to each other in your thoughts, words, and deeds. Guard your marriage as the most precious treasure and fountain of Grace. Do not let even the hint of temptation toward adultery enter your mind. When encountering even the most subtle suggestion of sin, stubbornly reject the idea as a deceptive scam, a deadly trap, an insult to your own spouse (who is part of you), and a threat of violence against your family. Keep your hearts close together and united as one in your pursuit of salvation on the Way. Secure your marriage as an impregnable fortress around your shared sacred private garden.
The crowns of the marriage service also represent the husband and wife as rulers of their own home. As models of Christian virtue, they preside together over their family. Make your home a domestic church where God is worshipped with thanksgiving and the Way of Christ is expressed daily. This is the training academy where children primarily learn how to live the Way from the words and example of their parents. When you are a parent, you are responsible for passing the precious treasure of the Apostolic Way on to your children whole and undefiled.
If you are not yet married, but desire to be, prepare yourself to be the best spouse possible. Keep your body and soul pure. Continually repent. Acquire maturity by living the Way of Christ fully. Pray for God to make you worthy of marriage. Also, pray that He will bring a faithful Orthodox believer into your life to be your suitable complement, one who will walk beside you, hand in hand, on the Way of salvation.
Read: Genesis 1.27-28; Genesis 2; Song of Songs 1-8; John 2.1-12; Matthew 19.1-15; Ephesians 5; 1 Corinthians 7; Hebrews 13.4-7
Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees / Image of wedding crowns and Gospel book copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees
Restore the purity of your Baptismal robe by entering into the Mystery of Holy Confession, also called the Mystery of Repentance. Stand before God. Your Priest will stand with you as a brother (a fellow sinner) and as a spiritual father. Confess your sins to God with honesty, humility, sincere sorrow, and a firm desire to leave your sins forever behind. Keep in mind that God already knows everything you have done. By confessing your sins, you admit your shameful failures to yourself and to God, and allow God to release you from the heavy chains that bind you and weigh you down.
During Confession, it is important that you only confess your own sins, not the sins of another. You are not responsible for someone else’s sins against you, but your own behavior. You do not need to tell a story during Confession. Simply confess the sins by specifically naming those sins that you have committed in thought, word, and deed, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Remember, you do not sin generally, but you commit specific sins.
Do not wallow in despair because of your failure, but be quick to repent. God’s love and forgiveness is always greater than your sin. God does not want to punish you for your sin, but He desires for you to be healed, for you to grow closer to Him and to become more like Him, and for you to be full of joy and peace. Turn away from your failure, leave your sin behind you in the past, and return to the Way that leads to Life. Through the prayers of your Priest, walk away from the time of your Confession purified and forgiven with the strength to make progress on the Way.
During your Confession, your Priest may offer guidance to help you heal and avoid falling into the same treacherous behaviors again. As a physician becomes acquainted with a patient through repeated clinical visits over time, the Priest can get to know you and your struggles over time. Be attentive to his spiritual guidance for the benefit of your salvation.
Read: Psalm 50 (51); 104 (103); Ezekiel 33.11; Matthew 6.14-15; Luke 11.1-4; 15.11-32; John 20.19-23; James 5.16-20; Galatians 6.1-2; 1 John 1.1-2.29
Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees