Salvation
What is the Orthodox understanding of salvation? The Orthodox understand that “salvation” is the term used to describe deliverance from sin and death, union with Christ, and abiding with God forever in eternity.
What is the Orthodox understanding of salvation? The Orthodox understand that “salvation” is the term used to describe deliverance from sin and death, union with Christ, and abiding with God forever in eternity.
The Mission of the Orthodox Church as a whole is very simple and straightforward, and the specific goal of the Orthodox Church in Australia aligns with this mission. Let’s learn what this mission is, and how it is specific to Australia. The Mission The Orthodox Mission has as its twin goals: the “incarnation of the Logos of God into the language and customs of a country,” and the “growth of an indigenous church which will sanctify and endorse the people’s personality.”(1)
The Orthodox faith teaches that as souls before God women and men stand equal. Women are not “second class citizens” in the Kingdom of God. They can and should take an active role in the life of the Church; indeed the Church’s life would be immeasurably impoverished without their contribution. We do not however, confuse equality before God with ‘equality’ or sameness of earthly roles. We believe in the headship of the male and accept the traditional teaching of the Church that reserves the Priesthood to men.
Over the years I’ve noticed that some visitors to Orthodox services feel uncomfortable and uncertain about kissing the cross at the end of the Liturgy Service. I’d like to try to explain why we do it. Kissing the Cross of Jesus We have to admit, that from a modern perspective, it is a really a strange thing to do. Kissing the depiction of a man being executed could, in fact, be seen as grotesque. The reason we do it, however, is because of what this particular person means to us.
There are two types of “word”—the Living Word and the written word. The passage in the first chapter of John's Gospel refers to the Living Word, but when we say in the Liturgy “This is the word of the Lord” following the Gospel reading, we are referring to the written word. Logos The Greek for “Word” in the passages in John 1 is “Logos.” This has an intricate meaning it would seem. It conveys “wisdom”, “reason” and “Creator.” The Greek for “Creation” is “Logikos.” “The Word” is synonymous with “The Son.”
Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev - The Need to Act Bishop Hilarion, who is Russian Orthodox, was born in Moscow, studied at Oxford, and is presently the Russian Orthodox Bishop for Central Europe based in Vienna, Austria Tuesday, May 09, 2006 by Dr. Robert Moynihan INSIDE THE VATICAN: A major conference involving Catholics and Orthodox is scheduled to take place in Vienna in early May. Can you tell us something about the background of this conference, and its chief purpose?
The Lenten season is about penitence and reconciliation with God. The Holy Orthodox Faith gives us a prescribed way to achieve this through fasting, prayer and almsgiving. During the time of Lent we endeavour to prepare ourselves in holiness that we might properly greet the Risen Christ at the greatest of all Christian Feast Days, Pascha (also known as Easter). Let's learn more about the purpose of Lent, the weeks of remembrance during Lent, and how Lent is practiced.
Someone once called the Orthodox Church “The Candlelight Kingdom.” Candles are so much a part of our worship that it has been said “to light a candle is to pray.” Why do we use candles? And what has prayer to do with lighting candles? Let's learn about candle-lighting and what it means. God: Light of the World Every time we light a candle the flame and the light should remind us of God. In the Bible God is often described in terms of fire and light: “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).
In the seven weeks approaching Pascha, the Orthodox fast and pray during a season that we call, “Lent.” Lent is a practice that has been part of the Orthodox tradition for thousands of years. Let’s discover what Lent is, and learn a little more about its long historical development. Great Lent We can divide Eastern Orthodox Lent into three basic periods: