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CHRISTIAN LIFE IS CENTERED in that act of God becoming man:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”
(John 1:14). This union of the Divine and human nature in
one person, the Incarnation of our Lord, has once and for
all bridged the gap between God and Creation. By the
Incarnation, the material world is redeemed.
Creation is brought back to the possibility of
harmony with its Creator. Our redemption, however, is no
one‑time event, over and done with at the moment of the
Passion or Ascension. God did not become man simply to
provide for the inspiration of future generations; His
saving acts have brought about in the world in which we live
a permanent alteration. Prior to the Incarnation, man could
only know God as if at a distance, even as a shadow. But now
God Himself lives among us, as Jesus promised: “I am with
you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt.
28:20).
This enduring presence of Christ in Creation is
not the vague and dilute divine presence that a muddled
pantheism preaches. God is certainly present in all of His
Creation. But He is more specifically and intensively
present in particular and reliable ways that He Himself has
established.The Fathers most frequently call these
particular forms of the Lord’s enduring presence a
“Mystery.” The most familiar term in English is “Sacrament.”
For our purposes here, the two terms will be used
interchangeably — for “mystery” conveys a truth about God’s
Grace which is lacking in the word “sacrament.”
The Holy Mysteries are no mere signs or symbols;
they are not just external indications of the presence of
some invisible reality. A Sacrament is the Divine presence,
just as the man Jesus Who walked among men 2,000 years ago
was God Himself incarnate. When some portion of this created
world (a cup of wine, a piece of bread, a vial of oil, a
touch upon the head, etc.) becomes a Mystery, it becomes
thereby “of God”; it is divinized; it becomes the real and
present location of that continuing presence — of Christ,
and in some sense it is Him.
Sacraments are indefinite in number, not
restricted to an easily‑identified, categorizable few.
Neither are they of uniform intensity; there are varying
degrees of universality and sharpness of focus of His
presence. Fundamentally, the whole of Creation is in
some degree a sacrament, for He is everywhere present and
fills all things. But we must not fall into the trap of
assuming a bland universality of that presence which recedes
into a pointless vagueness. The eternal Christ came and
dwelt among us as a man in a particular place and time. He
continues to dwell among us in quite specific and
identifiable ways, radiating His presence throughout the
world in specific and orderly forms. This is not to say that
He may not also manifest His presence in other, less
predictable manners. . . .indeed, He does!
Even though the term is not often used in this
context, the most fundamental form of this real presence of
Christ is in the Church and the Scriptures: “Where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). St. Paul instructs us:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim
3:16). The measure of the Divine presence in both Church and
Scriptures is that of universality: Christ is fully present
in the whole of Scripture, not some selected portion,
and likewise in the whole Church.
We speak here, and throughout, of the Church as
the living Body of Christ, constituted by all those in this
world and the next who have truly united themselves to
Christ by obedience to Him and by a pious life. The Church
is no mere human association, nor is it a vaguely defined
community of believers. It is that body constituted of
individual members, living and departed, who do and have
united themselves to Christ through obedience to His
commands, most conspicuously in Holy Baptism and partaking
of His Body and Blood, in adherence to the faith delivered
to us through the Holy Apostles, and through love.
Beyond this universal presence of our Lord in
the Church and in Scripture, Christ has provided through the
Church certain specific and regular forms of His presence.
These “channels of Grace,” are what we specifically refer to
as the Mysteries. Above all else, the term refers to the
Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Unction, Holy
Orders, Marriage, and Confession. It is, however, by no
means limited to these seven. Before we turn our attention
to the individual Mysteries, let us consider in some greater
detail the nature of “mystery” or “sacrament.”
A Sacrament is something real — it does
something. Through it, in it, and by it, a substantial
change is made in some person or thing of the created order:
bread is no longer just bread. The Mystery does not
merely indicate some change which has occurred for some
unrelated reason but rather is the effective cause of the
alteration. Sacraments are, however, above all else
mysteries, and this effective causality is not reducible
to the level of ordinary technological causality. A
Sacrament is not some form of magic or technique; it always
operates only by and through Divine Grace and can in no way
be manipulated by men for their own self-centered purposes.
In any attempt to define “Grace,” we enter upon
dangerous theological waters. Perhaps the less said the
better. But we must at least understand that in using this
term, we refer to the specific and effective action of God
upon man’s life and being, whereby man is enabled to
approach the oneness with God for which he was created and
to which he is called. Only in virtue of God’s Grace is this
possible — we cannot make our way to the Kingdom of Heaven
by our own resources.
This Grace is most evident in our lives in the Holy
Mysteries, which are the continuing, operative form of the
act of Redemption. They are the means by which the
restoration of communion made possible in the Incarnation is
made effective and present in the lives of Christians of
this and every age. In the Fall, it was the whole of
man that fell (body and soul alike), entering into a state
of alienation and separation from God. In the continuing
sacramental 1ife of the Body of Christ, it is the whole man
who is brought back into communion with God — not just some
spiritual part of him. In its fulfillment, this restoration
to divine communion is life in the Kingdom of God. The
Mysteries, by which we approach that restoration, provide
the means by which we even now to some degree experience
that Kingdom.
As it is not just our thinking or our willing,
but our whole being, that is to be redeemed, it is in
the nature of a Sacrament always to have visible form.
There is no such thing as a “purely spiritual” Mystery;
there is always a concrete, visible manifestation of
sacramental Grace. Further, just as there were specific
agents of the Fall (Adam) and the Redemption (the Lord
Jesus), so also for any Sacrament there is a proper agent
or minister. This minister is not just any person, but
rather one appointed by Christ (through the Church) as His
agent for the purpose.
It is further necessary that both minister and
recipient approach the Mysteries with a proper intent; God
does not impose His Grace upon us willy-nilly, in spite of
ourselves. Rather, He grants us ordinary and reliable means
in the Holy Mysteries whereby we may turn to Him for the
Grace and energy needed for leading the life to which He
calls us.
The application of these characteristics of the
Holy Mysteries will become more apparent as we turn to
specific manifestations of sacramental Grace. If we truly
grasp the nature of the Sacraments, we shall see that the
whole of human life is transformed by His Grace. Not the
smallest niche of Creation escapes the possibility of
divinization by the flow into it of sacramental Grace.
Holy Baptism:
Rebirth into the Kingdom
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost” (Matt. 28:19). This command initiates the most
fundamental of all the Mysteries, as it is the prerequisite
for all the others. The Sacraments are the vehicles of
participation in the Kingdom of God, and Baptism is the
path of entry into that Kingdom.
Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus says: “I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). There is
no equivocation here, but simply a straightforward
“except . . . cannot.” Of “born . . . of the Spirit,”
there is more in the next chapter. If we had only these two
statements of our Lord to rely upon, we would know clearly
that Baptism is a necessity for salvation and that it is the
duty of Christians to lead others to it. But we would know
nothing of why it is so important, or of the manner
of doing it.
It is apparent from the New Testament that there
are four primary dimensions to the event of Baptism:
-
In Baptism, we are made
partakers of the
Divine nature. Therein, we are incorporated into the
death and resurrection of Christ and made one with Him in
these events: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were
baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?
Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of
life” (Rom. 6:3ff). This is no mere symbolism but rather
something which happens to the believer in Baptism, as is
clear from the language St. Paul uses.
-
In Baptism, we are cleansed of our
sinfulness. We are brought into a new state of being with
regard to God: “Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). This cleansing applies not
just to the individual believer but to the whole Church made
up of those who have undergone it: “Christ loved the
Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Eph.
5:25ff).
-
Baptism is a
new birth, making of us
new men and women: “Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet.
1:3). The new birth comes through “water and the Spirit.”
It is given “according to His mercy . . . by the washing
of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”
(Titus 3:5).
-
Baptism is an
enlightenment, an
illumination, a movement from the darkness of fallen mankind
into union with “the true Light which lighteneth every
man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). “But
call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were
illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions”
(Heb. 10:32). The early Fathers of the Church often referred
to Baptism as “illumination.”
In summary then, Baptism does four things to the
recipient: it incorporates him into the death and
resurrection of Christ; it purifies him of his previous
sinful state of being; it makes of him a new person,
new‑born in the faith; and it confers upon him illumination,
the possibility of living in light rather than in darkness.
All of these things happen to him in Baptism . . .
but the choice is yet his whether he will live and grow in
this new state of being. Just as a baby has only begun when
he is born, so a Christian has only begun when he is
baptized.
By these means, we are made members of the holy
people of God, the Church. We are given in Baptism the
ability to begin our struggle for salvation — and the Grace
whereby we may so strive. We enter thereby upon the
“spiritual combat” clothed with the armor of salvation.
We know something from this of what Baptism
does, but little of how it is done. Clearly, four elements
are necessary: one who does the baptizing, water, a verbal
action, and the recipient. It is apparent from the Acts of
the Apostles and from later Church documents that it was
usual for whole households to be baptized — men,
women, slaves, children, and infants alike. Belief was not
just an individual affair but rather that of a whole
family. So the answer to the question “Who can be
baptized?” is “Any person who believes, either individually
or as part of a believing household.”
The New Testament does not clearly answer the
question “Who can baptize?” as all baptisms there recorded
are at the hands of the Apostles. But soon the Church did
answer the question: any bishop in succession from the
Apostles or a priest or deacon empowered by him to do so or,
in an emergency, any Christian. At first it may seem that
the New Testament is ambiguous as to what words are to be
used in a Baptism, but the ambiguity disappears when we look
at the universal practice of the Church in the early
centuries, at a time in which even the specific contents of
the New Testament were not yet generally agreed upon:
Baptism is to be “in the Name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Again, we have no clear evidence from the New
Testament concerning the exact manner of Baptism except the
important evidence that the Greek word itself means “to
plunge” into water. Two invaluable early documents (the
Didache, ca. A.D. 75 and the Apostolic
Traditions, ca. A.D. 225) are specific: Baptism is to be
in running water; that failing, in a lake or pond; in case
of critical illness, by pouring water over the head three
times. It is apparent from these and other early documents
that Baptism was most often (and later universally
throughout Orthodox Christianity) by triple total
immersion. In keeping with the transformative character
of the Sacrament, it was common if not universal practice
for Baptism to take place with the candidate stripped of
clothing, preparatory to ceremonial reclothing in a clean
white tunic, which was then worn for a week.
We have only just begun to enter into the
character and manner of Holy Baptism, the wonders and depths
and riches of which escape the scope of such a brief
treatment. Hopefully, the exploration is sufficient to lay
to rest some questions and arouse new ones. As Baptism
cannot be properly understood apart from its completion in
Holy Chrismation, we turn our attention to that Baptism in
the Holy Spirit.
Chrismation: Baptism
In the Spirit
THE MYSTERY OF CHRISMATION is usually performed immediately
after the Mystery of Baptism, comprising with it a single
church rite. The Mystery is also performed on those who are
united to the Church from heretical communities as one of
the means of their being united to the Church. The
words by which this Mystery is performed, “The seal
of the gift of the Holy Spirit,” indicate its significance
and effect. It is a culminating act of being united to the
Church, the confirmation or seal of the union, and the seal
of the Grace-given powers which are bestowed in it for
strengthening and growth in spiritual life.
In this Sacrament, with the eightfold repetition of words
“the seal of the gift . . . ” the priest (or bishop) anoints
the newly‑baptized Christian on brow, eyes, nostrils, lips,
ears, breast, hands, and feet. Only in this anointing is the
rebirth of Holy Baptism made complete, for “Except a man
be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The Holy Chrism,
also called Myrrh, used for this purpose is itself in
continuity with the Apostles. When needed, additional
Chrism, olive oil prepared with spices, is consecrated by
the chief hierarchs of the Church for distribution to the
parishes. Those familiar with the Orthodox Christian liturgy
are immediately struck by the extreme brevity of the
Chrismation rite. To all intents and purposes, the brief
repetitive formula above and the imposition of the Chrism is
all there is to it — this in a liturgical tradition where
nothing is done quickly or hurriedly.
St. Cyprian writes, “Those baptized in the
Church are sealed by the seal of the Lord after the
example of the baptized Samaritans who were received by the
Apostles Peter and John through laying of hands and prayer
(Acts 8:14-17) . . . That which was lacking in them, Peter
and John accomplished . . . Thus is it also with us . . .
They are made perfect by the seal of the Lord.”
This observation does not, however, permit us to
shrug our shoulders, say “It’s a mystery,” and pass on. It
is apparent from the evidence of Holy Scripture, as well as
our own experience, that the relationship between Holy
Chrismation and a truly Spirit‑filled life is not one of
simple cause and effect. Again, the workings of divine Grace
cannot be reduced to mere technology. We read in the Acts of
the Apostles of instances in which the Holy Spirit was
received even before Baptism, but we also read of others in
which converts had been baptized but had never even heard of
the Holy Spirit — a state of affairs the Apostles promptly
corrected by teaching and the imposition of hands (Acts
19:1-6), which was equivalent to Chrismation in later
apostolic practice. In the Epistle of the Apostle John we
read: “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you
know all things . . . The anointing which you have received
from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone
teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning
all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it
has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John 2:20-27).
The term “anointing” indicates that by the end of the first
century, at least in Asia Minor, this Mystery was performed
by using a specially blessed oil.
God gives but does not compel. In the Sacrament
of Chrismation, the gift of the Holy Spirit is conferred and
sealed as an indelible mark upon the newly‑baptized
Christian. That gift must be received, accepted, and allowed
to grow in its recipient, and it grows in him as a
seed. Someone may be offered the seed of a very
precious plant. He may or may not joyfully accept it and
continue to value it. If he does, we may presume that he
will plant it, water and nurture it with the best care and
food he can give it, and finally live with it in loving
care. On the other hand, he may refuse the gift, or, having
once accepted it, he may keep it hidden in a dark closet.
Too often, perhaps, the seed of the Spirit suffers this last
fate in those who receive it.
Baptism and Chrismation together constitute the
manner of entry into the Kingdom, of initiation into the
Mystery of the Church. They put an end to the state of
separation between God and the individual Christian,
instituting a new reality in a human life. Sadly, for most
of us this new state of sinless freedom does not last long .
. . We have soon fallen into denial in our actions of the
new state of being with which we have been gifted. We are
overcome by temptation and by the continuing sinful
inclinations of our human nature — which, although cleansed
and redeemed, is not altogether abolished. For this most
dangerous of all human ailments, our Lord in His mercy
provides a specific remedy — for He is the physician of our
souls and bodies.
Confession: The
Mystery of Purification
"Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19). “To bind” and
“to loose” are opposite technical terms used by the Jewish
rabbis with reference to the Law in matters of
discipline/behavior and also of faith and opinion. We may
safely assume that it is in that sense that our Lord uses
them here. Jesus gave the authority of the Church to loose
and to bind human consciences when He said to the Apostles:
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they
are retained” (John 20:22-23). This authority is so
general that it extends not only to the here‑and‑now life of
the Church on earth but also is considered effective even in
heaven.
Why is such authority needed and given? While
Baptism washes away the stain of prebaptismal sins, it is
unfortunately obvious that we continue even after Baptism to
fall into sin and separation from God and His Body (“If
we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves . . . ”
(1 John 1:8). So then what do we do about sin after
Baptism? The Church soon confronted this problem. Guided by
the Holy Spirit, she found an answer in what is now known as
the Mystery of Confession. This Sacrament is no late‑date
novelty; it is clearly intimated in the Epistle of James
(5:13‑18). While the Father alone actually forgives sins, on
condition of our acknowledgment and repentance, it is the
function of the Church to declare that forgiveness to the
sinner, to make it effective in his life, to recognize his
repentance, to absolve (loose) him from the earthly bondage
created by the separation from God. Such a state of
separation may arise either from moral (behavioral) sin or
from error or inadequacy of faith. Most often, the one is
reflected in or even caused by the other: faith and life are
intricately related.
There are those who would have us believe that
after Baptism no sin is possible. As we have seen, the
Apostle John replies to this outright heresy with the
affirmation that such thought is self‑deception (1 John
1:8). There are others who would say that sin is indeed
possible but that if it occurs, all is lost and damnation is
certain. Were this so, Jesus’ words concerning binding and
loosing would be meaningless, as would all His teaching
concerning our loving, merciful and forgiving Father. There
are others yet who say that sin is inevitable, that we all
do it, and that since God is merciful it cannot be all that
serious so long as we feel sorry for it.
To all these falsehoods (and to their
disastrous consequences in guilt, separation,
hopelessness, or perhaps worst of all, superficiality and
complacency) Orthodox Christianity replies with the
Sacrament of Confession. It affirms that we can and do sin
after Baptism, that this failure is serious, even unto
death, that separation from God and His Church does occur
both through ungodly behavior and inadequacy of faith — and
that God in His mercy has provided a means of healing,
of reconciliation, of restoration to
cleanness and oneness.
If we would be healed, reconciled, reunited to
God and His Church, then we must first “confess our sins”
(1 John 1:9) — the first step toward absolution. We come
before a priest, who is the designated representative of the
Church, and openly acknowledge our sinfulness. It is not
sufficient that we simply admit our sinfulness to ourselves
and in prayer to our Lord — the Apostle James directs us to
“confess your faults one to another” (Jas. 5:16).
Human experience tells us that it is difficult, if not
impossible, for us to become adequately aware of the deepest
realms of our misdeeds and guilt unless we verbalize
them to another.
Neither is it adequate that we only generally
admit that we are sinful. We must search our lives and our
faith deeply, examine ourselves as might the most critical
judge, and seek to discover in what ways we may have
offended God and our brethren. It is for healing that
we come to this Mystery. Our sinful behavior and inadequate
faith are symptoms of our sickness. Insofar as we refuse to
acknowledge those symptoms to ourselves, our brethren in the
faith, and to Christ Himself, we impede our healing. In the
Orthodox rite of Confession, the priests charge to the
penitent before his self-examination concludes, “Take heed,
therefore, lest having come to the Physician, thou depart
unhealed.”
Mere self‑awareness, however, is
insufficient. Were it adequate, the lives of many
“self‑aware” people would be dramatically different. In the
Mystery, we are called upon to give up our sinfulness, to
let go of it, in humility to allow it to be borne by our
Lord.
We must submit it to Him, to the Church, that it
may be taken from us, just as a cancerous growth might be
taken from us. All too often, there are depths of our being
in which we identify with that sinfulness, cling to it, and
are quite unwilling to be parted from it — even as we
consciously reject it.
Confession might well be termed the “sacrament
of liberation” — from the bondage to sin which we
impose on ourselves in the depths of our being. Consciously, I may
identify my sinfulness; I may be “sorry” for my behavior — but I am
unable to loose myself from its tentacles with which I ensnare
myself and to dissolve the muck with which my being is contaminated.
In this Mystery, our Physician provides a means of healing surgery
which can free us from bondage to our false, sinful selves. He
offers us the healing touch of His Hand in the ministration of His
Body and in the hand of His priest laid upon the penitent’s head as
he at once prays for and declares forgiveness and absolution: “May
our Lord Jesus Christ by the grace and bounties of His love toward
mankind, forgive thee, my child, all thy transgressions. And I, an
unworthy priest, through the power given unto me by Him, do forgive
and absolve thee from all thy sins, in the Name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
The Mystery of Confession is the specific remedy for our
sicknesses; it restores us to a state of health in
which we can participate fully in the life of the Kingdom.
So it is that it is part of the normal preparation for the
reception of the Holy Communion which is the food and drink
of that life in the Kingdom.
The Divine Liturgy:
The Bread of Life
KNOWN BY MANY NAMES throughout Christian history — the
Divine Liturgy, the Holy Mystery, the Mass, the Lord’s
Supper, Holy Communion — this is the heart and soul of the
Christian sacramental life. It is here that we partake of
bread and wine beyond all mere earthly food, the Body and
Blood of Christ our Lord, the Food which is for salvation.
It is here that the Body of Christ, the Church, truly finds
its oneness, becoming one even as our Lord and the Father
are one (cf. John 17:20-21). So central is this Mystery to
the life of the Church that in the early centuries of
Christian history only baptized believers in good standing
were permitted to be present at its celebration.
It is no mere symbolic act which is
celebrated in the Holy Mystery, but a real presence
of and participation in the actual substance of our Lord.
This is a Mystery far beyond human understanding, something
which must be experienced to be accepted — but which,
paradoxically, can only be experienced by those who accept
it. It is one of the supreme ironies of history that the
very “fundamentalists” who most adamantly insist upon the
literal acceptance of every word of Scripture suddenly wax
figurative when confronted with the teaching of our Lord on
this matter.
“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).
Lest we suppose that in some way we misunderstand, let us be
aware that “from that time many of His disciples
went back, and walked no more with Him” (John 6:66) —
they understood how radical and terrifying was the reality
of which Jesus spoke! To leave no doubt as to His intent, on
the eve of His Passion Jesus “took bread and gave thanks,
and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body
which is given for you: do this in remembrance of Me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the
new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke
22:19ff). It is apparent that the infant Church at once
understood that this was to be a frequently repeated action,
for St. Paul writes: “For as often as ye eat this bread,
and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He
come” (1 Cor. 11:26).
This Mystery is no “mere remembrance.” The
history of the western schisms from the Orthodox faith has
seen two opposing errors (and numerous shades in between),
both equally alien to the Scripture and the universal
Tradition of the Church from the time of the Apostles. At
the one extreme this profound Mystery is reduced to a
technical “transubstantiation” effected by the proper person
over the proper matter. This mentality has often shown
itself in the effort to determine how little could be
done (of the full Liturgy) and still have it “work.” At the
opposite extreme is the heretical teaching that nothing
really occurs at all — that the event is a mere
commemoration — although so it becomes for those who so
teach and thus set themselves apart from the one Church.
Equally alien to the Apostolic teaching is the doctrine that
Christ becomes present in this act only in the mind of the
believer and that in no way do bread and wine become His
Body and Blood.
It is obvious that not just any bread and wine
constitute the Body and Blood of Christ. There were
certainly some ambiguities and even difficulties in the life
of the early Church concerning the form and manner of the
celebration of this Mystery (cf. 1 Cor 11:17-34), but it
was not too long before there was general agreement as to
the form in which the celebration was to take place and the
manner of participation of the members of the Body. For the
bread and wine brought to the celebration truly to become
the Body and Blood, it was necessary that they be offered,
that thanks be given for them— and for this thanksgiving to
be quite specifically for That which this ordinary bread and
wine was about to become. In our earliest documents
concerning the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, the
partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ is in every case
preceded by a prayer of thanksgiving in which are present:
the offering of the gifts of bread and wine; the specific
mention of Jesus’ institution of this Mystery at the Last
Supper; a recitation of the acts of His life by which
salvation came to us; an invocation of the Holy Spirit upon
the Gifts and the assembled Body, for their transformation;
and prayers of intercession for those present, those absent
for due cause, the saints, and all the departed. This prayer
is followed by the “Our Father.”
In both ancient and modern practice, this prayer
is preceded by the physical preparation of the bread and the
chalice, by the singing of hymns, reading from Holy
Scripture, and the proclamation of the Gospel. In Orthodox
Tradition, the preparation of the Gifts is recognized as so
important as to warrant a distinct service of its own, in
which commemorations are made in detail concerning our
Lord’s Nativity, life, and sacrifice on Calvary; further, of
all the saints, the hierarchs of the Church, and of the
living and those who have died in the faith (for all are
alive in Christ) for whom prayers are requested.
Just as it was soon apparent to the early Church
that this Mystery was not to be celebrated in just any way,
so also was it seen that not just anyone was to preside over
it. This function was reserved to the lineal descendants by
ordination of the Apostles; that is, by bishops and those
ordained by them for this service — the presbyters/priests
(the words are identical in their early Christian context).
Neither was participation in the Holy Mysteries
permitted without preparation. To this day, Orthodox
practice allows participation in the Mysteries only to those
who are baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians; are in
unity of faith with the Apostolic Tradition, as expressed in
Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition, and the decrees of the
Ecumenical Councils of the Church, and the Symbol of Faith
(the Creed); have prepared themselves for such participation
as the Church provides; and are not canonically restrained
from participation on account of some unabsolved grave sin
or other impediment. The Church is concerned that her
children not fall into receiving the Body and Blood of the
Lord unworthily (1 Cor. 11:27). In this Mystery we
are called upon to become one with Him and one another —
truly to be united in the one Body of Christ.
Holy Orders:
Sacramental Continuity
TO SPEAK OF “holy orders” in the Church is of necessity to
speak of the Church herself. The Church is a living body,
perpetuated through time and space. No living organic being
is formless and orderless — and no more so is the Church. It
is not within our scope here to provide a detailed history
of the growth of order in the Church — a magnificent story
of the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the first century of
the Church’s life. Neither can we here enter into an
extended apologetic, citing the extensive writings of the
early Fathers of the Church concerning her order and the
place of orders within the Body. But it is necessary that we
attempt to sketch the form which became quite clear in the
Church before the first hundred years of her life had
passed, and the place within that order of sacramental
ordination.
It was the Apostles’ mission to go forth into
the world to preach the Good News, to “teach all
nations... to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you” (Matt. 28:20). As this mission was carried out,
there came into being many local assemblies of the Church —
the faithful in a given place who came together in oneness
of spirit with the whole Church to worship and live. The
Apostles did not leave these local congregations formless
but rather appointed over them elders to lead, teach, serve
and preside at the celebrations of the Mysteries — both
“episcopos” (bishop) and “presbyteros” (elder/priest) were
used to designate these persons. These successors to the
Apostles, consecrated by them, clearly stood at the center
of life of the local congregations as living links
with the Apostles and the other congregations and thereby
with Christ Himself. As they neared the ends of their lives
and as bishops were needed in other newly‑established
congregations, they in turn consecrated successors to carry
on this living, vital tradition. “Tradition” means
“that which is handed on.”
The bishops, as they came to be called, were the
teachers of the faith, the carriers of Tradition, and the
living vessels of the Grace which enables the true
celebration of the Holy Mysteries. Wherever true Orthodox
Christianity continues to be lived and taught, they continue
to fulfil the same function today. While our Lord alone is
the head of His Body the Church, the bishop is the head —
the center of life and direction — of each local
congregation of the Church, usually called a diocese.
It soon became apparent that bishops alone were
inadequate to the task of the celebration of the Mysteries
and teaching the faith in all the places where these were
needed, and there came into being a distinct second order,
that of priests, extensions of the bishop, to do his
work with and for him. Priests were and are ordained by the
bishop. They are given, by laying‑on‑of‑hands, Grace to
function as the bishops’ right‑hand‑men, doing his work
(with the exception of ordinations and some blessings
reserved to the bishop) in places and at times when the
bishop cannot personally serve.
The third principal order of the Church
is that of deacons — those appointed to serve. The
ordination of the first deacons is recorded in the sixth
chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Their function then and
now is to attend to the material works of mercy of the
Church and to assist the bishop or priest in the celebration
of the Mysteries.
Each of the orders (bishops, priests, deacons)
exists for service to the Church — to provide for the whole
Church the Holy Mysteries and to serve as a bearer of the
Holy Tradition. This function, which is performed on behalf
of and as part of the whole people of God, the Church, is
one which cannot be arrogantly claimed by an individual but
rather must be bestowed upon him by the action of the
Church. For any ordination, Orthodox Tradition clearly
insists upon the common action of the bishop, who as the
vessel of the sacramental Grace must actually perform the
ordination, and of the people as a whole, who must either
actually elect the candidate, or during the ordination
itself ratify his selection by proclaiming him “Axios” —
Worthy!
All ordinations have essentially the same form:
the laying of the bishop’s hands upon the candidate’s head
with an invocation of Divine Grace, the bestowal upon the
candidate of the instruments of his office (both the
particular vestments to be used and appropriate books), and
the proclamation by the bishop, attending clergy, and the
people present of his worthiness. The consecration of a
bishop is initiated by his election by the whole hierarchy
of his Church, continues with his declaration before his
fellow bishops of the faith he proclaims, and is confirmed
by all the consecrating bishops (at least two or three, as
he is consecrated for the whole Church and not just for a
single diocese), each of whom places one hand on the new
bishop’s head and the other on the open book of the Gospels.
The Holy Spirit is not subject to human
constraint, but it is apparent to anyone who has experienced
the life of Orthodox Christianity that this very Holy Spirit
has provided an orderly manner for the continuation
in their midst of the Grace of Pentecost for the people of
God. This Grace in the Mysteries provides for true spiritual
food and drink, forgiveness of sins, healing, and life for
the members of the living Body of Christ. We deceive
ourselves if we suppose that apart from this Grace, apart
from membership in the Body of Christ, we are assured of
life as followers of Christ Jesus and inheritors of the
Kingdom of God.
Holy Matrimony: Icon
of Christ and the Church
OF THE PRINCIPAL MYSTERIES, two are experienced only by
individuals called into special states within the Body of
Christ. The previous chapter discussed Holy Orders; the
other is Holy Matrimony. It is sometimes erroneously assumed
that all Christians are called to be married unless (if this
is even considered) they perceive some specific call to
monastic celibacy — the state of consecrated sexual
abstinence. It may be more legitimately supposed that the
contrary is true — for indeed we all enter life as virgins,
and are expected by the Tradition of the Church to remain in
that state unless and until we are clearly called into
marriage and that call is blessed. In general, the Church
blesses two paths, both of which find their primary purpose
in the struggle for salvation: marriage and monasticism or
celibacy.
A legitimate choice for marriage does not come in the form
of succumbing to the forces of our sensual nature. Rather,
it is something to be perceived in prayer and
counsel. It may well be accompanied by no overwhelming
romantic feelings whatever — indeed, the presence of such
feelings can only serve to cloud our ability to discern the
genuineness of the call. It is precisely because of this
emotional clouding that it is almost always best to seek and
hear prayerfully the counsel of hearts wiser and more mature
than our own.
The state of marriage is something so central to
the life of the Church that her members are normally
permitted to marry only other committed believers. It is
equally apparent from the Apostolic teaching and the
Tradition of the Church that in a Christian context
“marriage” has not the same meaning as it does for the
world. First and foremost, Christian marriage is an
embodiment, an icon of the relationship between Christ and
the Church. At the same time and in the same way, it is the
simplest, most basic unit of the Church: that fundamental
congregation in which “two or three are gathered together
in My name.” It exists, neither for the procreation of
the human race nor for the well‑being and good order of
“society,” but rather for the living of the life of the
faith, for mutual support and encouragement in that life and
the growth toward salvation — and for the nurturing of
Christian children.
The bond formed by sacramental marriage is by
nature timeless, one which admits of no conditions in either
time or behavior. The Church knows of no such thing as a
contract in which are specified the rights and
obligations of each partner. The Christian charter
for marriage is given us clearly in the Holy Scriptures and
in the rite of marriage itself. The Scriptures are perhaps
more exhaustive in this area than in any other area of human
behavior. We are told at quite some length how husbands and
wives are to behave toward one another and their children.
Despite the timeless character of marriage, Orthodox
Tradition has long recognized that there are circumstances
in which there is no hope whatever for a marriage to fulfill
even a semblance of its true character. In such cases, the
Church permits the victims of such “dead” marriages to
remarry if, in the prayerful judgment of the bishop, the
remarriage is justified and likely to be a truly Christian
union.
The Church’s celebration of marriage, of the
creation of a new icon of her life in Christ, is lavish. A
complete description of the service is out of place here,
but let us at least note that the rites prescribed for this
celebration are amongst the most elaborate of the Church’s
festivities. The union of man and woman is celebrated with
the placing of rings on both, the crowning of both, and the
sharing of a cup of blessed wine.
The bestowal of the Church’s blessing upon a
marriage, with the use of the material tokens mentioned
above, is the function of the priest. The full meaning of
this Mystery suggests that both parties to the marriage are
truly “members of Christ.” Nevertheless the Church has
permitted the celebration of marriages of Orthodox
Christians with non-Orthodox Christians.
Like any of the Mysteries, Christian marriage is
more than just a celebration of something which already
exists. It is also the creation of something — the
imparting to the couple of that Grace which transforms them
from a couple into husband‑and‑wife, into the image
and reflection of the love between our Lord and His Church.
The two individual lives are bound together in the Church
as part of the Body of Christ. The two are no longer two,
but one, created a single member of the Body of our
Lord, to live a unified life in witness to the oneness to
which we are all called in Him.
Holy Unction: Divine
Healing
BODILY SICKNESS, THE RESULT of sinfulness, is inextricably
intertwined in human life. Part of the mission of the
Apostles and of the Church is the liberation of the children
of the Kingdom from the bondage to sickness, sin, and death
which is a consequence of the Fall. So it was that the
Apostles “went out, and preached that men should repent.
And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil
many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:12-13).
This mission of healing was clearly, understood by the
Apostles, as the Epistle of James witnesses: “Is any sick
among you? 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” (Jas.
5:14-15).
The Church continues this mission of healing in
the Mystery of Holy Unction — so called from the anointing
with blessed oil. In it, our Lord, our Physician and Healer,
ministers to the whole person healing, forgiving, and
purifying. While the effects of topical medicine, the
technological treatment of some acute manifestation of human
disease, may in some cases be impressive, such treatment
never ministers to the real problem — to the total
sickness of the patient, which arises from his state of
fallenness and separation from his Creator. Let this not be
misunderstood: Holy Scripture teaches quite clearly that
there is no necessary connection between a specific sin and
a specific illness; but with equal clarity it teaches that
our subjection to sickness arises from our fallen state and
our sinfulness as a race. For true healing to occur,
it is necessary that the “treatment” respond to the
total condition of the sick man, a condition which
originates and is centered in his spiritual disease. If we
rely on human wisdom for our well‑being, we can reasonably
expect simply to go from one sickness to the next — for what
human wisdom perceives as sickness is merely the symptomatic
manifestation of the real problem. But if we turn to our
Lord for healing, throwing ourselves upon His mercy and
submitting ourselves in faith to His Body, we can be quite
confident that, even if the superficial manifestations of
our disease continue, the real problem is being
treated and that its outcome in our lives will be in
accordance with His will and purpose.
This should not be construed as a rejection of
medical intervention and treatment. But such treatment is
not complete unless it is sought in the context of prayerful
submission of ourselves to the ministrations of the Holy
Spirit. In His love for His people, our Lord has provided in
the Church the means for true, total healing. This healing
begins at the heart of the problem, in the core of our
being; habitual, chronic symptoms may linger on even after
healing has begun, annoying and disheartening us in the
weakness of our faith.
In obedience to the example and direction of the
Apostles, the Church continues to respond to illness with
the Mystery of Holy Unction. While Holy Unction may be
administered for any serious illness, and as many times as
needed for an individual, usually it is given only once for
any one illness. Our first response to awareness of our
sickness should be to turn to the Body of Christ for
healing, seeking the “prayer of faith” which
will “save the sick man.” For Orthodox
Christians, the Mystery of Unction is the obvious response.
We must be wary of a counterfeit form of ‘spiritual healing’
which arises from an immature (or even demonic) spirituality
separated from the one Body of Christ. Spectacular healings
of superficial symptoms of the inner sickness of man may
arise in this context, with the result that those so
“healed,” like so many of the patients of human medicine,
search no further and remain victims of their true inner
sickness.
The Church does not take this Mystery lightly.
In its full form it should be performed by seven priests,
but it may be performed by only several or by just one
priest. Seven selections from the Epistles and seven from
the Gospels are read, accompanied by seven lengthy prayers
for healing, forgiveness and restoration of the sick
person. Seven times he is anointed with blessed oil mixed
with wine. At the conclusion of the anointings, a prayer for
the healing and forgiveness of the supplicant is said while
the Gospel‑book is laid upon his head in blessing.
Throughout the rite, there are sung Psalms and hymns which
speak of our own fallen state, our weakness and need for the
Lord’s mercy — and of our assurance that Grace is poured out
upon us by our loving God.
This ministration of the Church is a source not
of mere bodily healing. To wish and seek mere physical
well‑being is to declare ourselves children of this world.
It is a corruption of our Christian understanding to see in
our sickness divine punishment for our sinfulness — but its
presence in our lives is allowed that we may become more
deeply aware of our true inner sickness/sinfulness and more
readily seek genuine restoration to oneness with our Lord
and Creator.
A World of Mysteries
IT WOULD BE QUITE MISLEADING to leave this discussion of the
sacramental life at this point, giving the impression,
despite the disclaimer in the first chapter, that there are
“seven sacraments.” On the other hand, it is quite
impossible adequately to explore the multitudes of
sacramental acts that so deeply infuse the lives of devoted
Orthodox Christians. We must content ourselves with a brief
indication and description of only a few of these.
We earlier defined “sacrament” as something real
that does something that makes a material change in the
created order. Sacraments are the continuing, operative form
of the act of Redemption, in which spiritual and material
reality are alike and together brought into that communion
which in its fulfillment is the Kingdom of God. A multitude
of actions and created objects participate in this creative
process.
Perhaps most obvious are the manifold blessings
bestowed by the Church upon the Creation in which she
exists. While nearly any dimension of this Creation may be,
and sometimes is, blessed, perhaps the most conspicuous is
the blessing of water. Done in its most solemn form
on the feast of Theophany (January 6/19, also known by the
name Epiphany), the blessing of water is also done in a
lesser form at any Baptism, on August 1/14th, and at
numerous other times throughout the year. In it, the descent
of the Holy Spirit upon the waters is invoked in a manner
directly analogous to His invocation in the Divine Liturgy.
By it, the water so blessed is transformed from mere created
water into a vessel of the “rivers of divine Grace”
flowing throughout Creation. This water blessed at the
Theophany celebration is sprinkled upon the faithful and
drunk by them. It is taken for use in the blessing of homes
and other objects. This Blessed water is kept in the church
and many Orthodox homes throughout the year. Especially in
times of adversity or sickness it is sprinkled upon the
faithful and/or taken as a drink; in many homes the custom
is to partake of it daily, often together with a particle of
blessed bread (not the consecrated Body and Blood of the
Lord) from the Divine Liturgy. Further, its use is
prescribed in the blessing of various objects.
The blessed bread is the remainder of the
loaves offered at the Divine Liturgy, “prosphora,” from
which the particles to be consecrated as the Body of our
Lord Jesus were taken. These portions of bread are blessed
simply by their having been brought into the altar and
offered. They are thereby transformed into something which
is no longer just ordinary bread, but neither are they the
Body of Christ. They are treated with great respect and
partaken of after the Liturgy and at other times “instead of
the Gifts” — “antidoron,” as they are known.
The consecration of a temple
(church) is an unusually elaborate blessing. A building is
not just set apart for worship or dedicated in the sense
that one might dedicate a building for the purposes of
learning or living, but it is actually made what it was not
before. It is no longer “just a building” but becomes a
focal point, a locus, of the divine presence and
Grace. Its use for any purpose other than that of worship
becomes permanently and absolutely inappropriate. It cannot
be abandoned to secular purposes or “deconsecrated.”
As we indicated earlier, the Holy Scriptures
themselves constitute a Mystery. Above all else is this true
of the Gospels: the book containing them is always
enshrined upon the holy table (the altar) of an Orthodox
temple, and usually elaborately bound and decorated. Even
more than the Book itself or the written text which it
contains, the proclamation of the word of God is a
sacramental act — it has, of itself, power to change those
who in faith receive it. The book itself is placed upon the
head of one to be blessed in the Mystery of Holy Unction, in
the consecration of bishops, and, less formally, in blessing
upon those who celebrate their namesdays or some other
special occasion.
Just as the word of God has power in and of
itself, so also does a name. In the life of a
Christian child, the first event after his birth is his
reception of a name. For Orthodox Christians, this act is
placed firmly in the context of the Church. The name is
given at the door of the temple, and the child brought at
once into its midst, there to be dedicated to his Creator.
The name is normally that of some predecessor in the faith,
one of the saints, who thereby becomes a special protector
and guide for the child. Many are the instances in which
this patronage has had some readily discernible effect on
the life of a child.
An Orthodox Christian who receives and heeds a
call to the monastic life is given a new name upon
entering into that state. By the blessing bestowed upon him
and the vows he takes upon himself, he is made what he was
not before. He takes upon himself and is given a new life, a
life dedicated entirely to the service of his Lord. He
renounces all attachments to the things of this world:
possessions, his own will and desire, and the comforts and
joys and trials of marriage and family. In his profession,
he is given the Grace necessary to this new state.
The final event in every Christian’s life in
this world is his burial. The sacramental character
of burial is perhaps less obvious than is that of some other
acts, but again there is a conferral of Grace, even as the
Christian departs from this world. It is not merely in some
vague sort of “immortality of the soul” that we as
Christians believe but in the resurrection of the whole
person. In keeping with this belief, the whole
person is attended by the prayers and rites of Christian
burial.
Even as the body is lovingly cared for in
burial, so also in our lives as Christians our worship is a
worship involving the whole person. We do not merely think
or feel our faith but live it out continually in the action
of our bodies. Such actions as the continual signing of
ourselves with the Cross, reverences, and prostrations are
not mere dramatic expressions of our faith. They are
causative acts that invoke the Divine Grace upon us and our
lives.
Further, there are the many lesser blessings
bestowed upon persons and objects. Most
obvious of these is the blessing of food and drink: the
recognition that it is God’s gift to us, its dedication to
His purposes, and the calling down of His Grace upon it that
it may be for our health and salvation. Beyond this, we
bless houses, crops, animals, water sources — indeed, any
object which is part of our life here on earth. Persons may
be blessed in preparation for a special task or for a
journey. Indeed, we should bless ourselves before beginning
any work.
Orthodox Christians customarily receive a
priest’s or bishop’s blessing upon meeting and parting; in
many Orthodox homes children receive a blessing with the
sign of the Cross from the head of the household upon rising
and before retiring, as well as at other times of the day.
Such blessings partake of the nature of Mystery and
Sacrament, for they are real and effective means of
furthering our “spiritual armor.”
The icon as a form of the infusion of
Grace into our lives forces us to extend our definition of
Sacrament. Our Lord has not left us blind, with no means of
perceiving anything of the true reality which lies behind
this transient world. Icons — sacred depictions — provide us
with windows through which we may perceive something of that
reality. The sacramentality of icons becomes apparent if we
recognize that an Icon is to an ordinary picture as is the
Body and Blood of Christ as we perceive and receive It in
the Holy Liturgy to ordinary bread and wine.
This brief summary by no means exhausts the
specific sacramental acts identifiable in Christian life. It
may, however, enable us to perceive more clearly the call to
truly sacramental living that is our vocation and birthright
as children of God.
Sacramental Living
WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE in such a way as to make holy
ourselves and the whole of Creation. This is the true
meaning of sacramental living — and of the word itself. Our
whole life and experience is to be given up to become one
with and a part of the Mystery by which God became man. The
reduction of our concept of “Sacrament” to an enumerable
list of Sacraments — whether two, seven, or fifty —makes of
it a mere technology. Rather, a Sacrament is the means and
form for the total transformation of our lives: the
creation and living of a Christ‑like style of life.
It is Sacraments — the infusion of Grace into
the Creation in definite, specific forms — that distinguish
a truly Christian life from a merely “good life.” The world
has known many masters and teachers of good, healthy, caring
living. It has known only one God-become‑man. Our call is to
far more than simple good living; it is to a total
transformation of reality, including our own lives. In that
transformation, accomplished by the systematic
sacramentalization of all Creation, we accomplish our true
mission as christs — persons anointed and consecrated to
oneness with Christ Himself
As we have insisted before, the Grace which is
poured out upon us and the world cannot be manipulated, used
as if it were magic. As Christians we are called to love one
another and the whole of our Lord’s Creation. If that love
is not present in our lives — and it is one of the purposes
of the Mysteries to nurture its growth — life itself becomes
empty, hollow, a “tinkling cymbal” — and in that emptiness,
the sacramental living to which we are called becomes a
pointless series of magical manipulations.
An equally serious trap awaits us if we
arrogantly suppose that we are capable of loving out of our
own “goodness,” that is, apart from the food, drink,
breath, and life our Lord has prepared for us in the
Mysteries entrusted to His Body. Without this support,
guidance, and nourishment, all our well‑intentioned attempts
at love are almost certain to fall into mere worldly
affection and attraction. Love in its Christian sense is a
demanding reality, not a comfortable and cozy refuge. It
requires strength, valor, sacrificial self-abnegation. Only
the best of diets, the most invigorating of environments,
and the most rigorous training can provide the strength
essential to genuine Christian loving. It is precisely this
need which sacramental living and that alone can meet.
It is, nevertheless, of course true that under
extraordinary circumstances — e.g., in concentration camps,
at times of natural and man‑made catastrophes, etc.— the
ordinary sacramental means of Grace may be inaccessible.
Under such circumstances the Holy Spirit provides that which
man cannot, and great heights of Christian love may be
manifest under the most adverse conditions.
We have previously insisted upon some of the
traps from which a correct understanding of the Holy
Mysteries protects us: a vague niceness, a magical
manipulation of reality, and a pointless diffusion of energy
into a weak and senseless pantheism. An equally serious trap
— and one into which human beings have repeatedly fallen in
their attempts to understand reality — is that of dualism.
In its most extreme form, this is the teaching that our
present condition is the work of two different creators, one
good and one evil, one as the Creator of the spiritual good
and the other as that of the material evil.
The anti‑Christianity of this blatant form of
dualism is self‑evident, but various less drastic forms have
repeatedly insinuated themselves into Christian life
and teaching. The Sacramental life, in its insistence upon
the goodness and the possibility of divinization of
Creation, of its essential role in our growth and life in
Christ, guards against such a perversion of the Gospel. If
mere bread and wine are able to become the Body and Blood of
our Lord, mere oil the vessel of His Grace poured out upon
us — the list could go on endlessly — then it is obvious
that this matter within which we live and of which we are
made is good. It is not only good, it is in some sense
capable of becoming of God while yet remaining matter. No
higher calling or possibility can exist.
In His Divine humility, our Lord Jesus by His
Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection restored Creation to
its state of original Paradise — even in some sense
transcending that of the first days of Creation. But since
this is a world of process and change, even though that
restoration and transcendence was accomplished in the
Incarnation of our Lord, it must yet be worked out and
completed in the living history of the human race and of
the Church — in the order of “becoming.” It is the function
of the continuing, living sacramental Body of Christ to
carry out this mission.
Go to the Top
Missionary
Leaflet # E23b
Copyright ©
2001 Holy Trinity Orthodox Mission
466 Foothill Blvd, Box 397, La Canada, Ca 91011
Editor:
Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
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