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THE ORTHODOX CHURCH HAS TWO GREAT SOURCES
OF AUTHORITY:
Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition
Holy Scripture is comprised of the writings of both the New and the Old
Testaments. The New Testament reveals the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ, and His sacred teachings that we are charged
to follow. The Old Testament is a history of the Hebrew people. It contains, among other sacred writings, the prophecies and
the writings of the Prophets that foretold the coming of the Messiah. It therefore serves as an introduction to the revelation
and the saving message of the New Testament.
Holy Tradition, of which Holy Scripture is a part, includes the writings,
teachings, acts of the Apostles, saints, martyrs, and fathers of the Church, and her liturgical and sacramental traditions
throughout the ages, the oral tradition of the early Church and the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils. All of this collective
wisdom and experience through the centuries are combined to form this second great source of sacred authority. (1)
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What We Believe - The Creed
Orthodox Christians hold to the Faith expressed by the Nicene-Constantinopolitan
Creed, which was written in 325 and 381 AD.
I believe in one God, the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
the Only-Begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one
essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was
incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man; And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered
and was buried; And on the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven and sits at the
Right Hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no
end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, I acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
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THE SACRAMENTS
The Sacraments are seven in number. They are the visible means by which
the invisible Grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to us. Four Sacraments are obligatory:
1. Baptism
2. Chrismation (anointment with holy oil)
3. Confession, and
4. Holy Communion.
Three are optional:
1. Matrimony
2. Holy Orders (Ordination)
3. Unction (anointment of the sick).
OTHER SACRAMENTS AND BLESSINGS
The Orthodox Church has never formally determined a particular number of
Sacraments. In addition to the Eucharist (Holy Communion) she accepts the above six Mysteries as major Sacraments because
they involve the entire community and most important are closely relation to the Eucharist. There are many other Blessings
and Special Services which complete the major Sacraments, and which reflect the Church's presence throughout the lives of
her people. (source: GOArch)
THE CHURCH CALENDAR
The Church Calendar begins on September 1st and ends on August 31st. Each
day is sacred for the Orthodox Christian. The Church venerates at least one saint or sacred event in the life of the Church
every day of the year. There are, however, several major feast days observed annually, and of these Easter, or Pascha, is
the most important.
THE DIVINE LITURGY
The central worship service of the Church is the Divine Liturgy
which is celebrated each Sunday morning and on all holy days. The Liturgy is also the means by which we achieve union with
Jesus Christ and unity with each other through the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
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The Twelve Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church
Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα),
also called Easter, is the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Pascha is a transliteration of the
Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew pesach, both words meaning Passover.
Pascha is the greatest of the feasts of the Orthodox
Church. It is not counted among the twelve major feasts of the Church since it is considered by itself as the "Feast
of Feasts." It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (see Paschalion).
There are other days of great importance in the life of the Church -- the
Twelve Great Feasts, which commemorate and present us again to the historic presence of major events in the lives of
our Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Mother.
Seven greats feasts in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ and five great
feasts honoring the Theotokos constitute the Twelve Great Feasts.
1. September 8, the Nativity of the Theotokos
2. September 14, the Elevation of the Holy Cross
3. November 21, the Presentation of the Theotokos
4. December 25, the Nativity of Christ (Christmas)
5. January 6, Theophany, the Baptism of Christ
6. February 2, the Presentation of Christ
7. March 25, the Annunciation
8. The Sunday before Pascha, Palm Sunday
9. Forty Days after Pascha, the Ascension of Christ
10. Fifty Days after Pascha, Pentecost
11. August 6, the Transfiguration
12. August 15, the Dormition (Falling Asleep)
of the Theotokos
source: OrthodoxWiki |
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(1) source: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
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