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.
What is baptism? Baptism is a Christian mystery in which a catechumen (student) is united with Christ. In Orthodoxy, if someone asked what is going on in Baptism, the best answer would likely be, “Everything.” To get a sense of what this means, let’s look at what the priest says within the Baptism Liturgy:
In the last few years, there has been a resurgence in interest in Mary Magdalene fueled in part by the repopularisation of old myths and legends. Behind all the stories though, is a real woman who was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches consider her a saint and celebrate her feast day on July 22nd. Who she was Mary’s name probably means “Mary of Magdala,” after a town located on the Western shore of the Lake of Tiberias. What follows is the Gospel account of Mary:
Christ calls us to meet with Him, and to be united to Him with cleansed hearts. The Orthodox respond through obedient and reverent worship, which brings praise and honour to God. Let’s discover a little more about the beautiful, reverent worship of the Orthodox Church.
I was a little mystified. I had just entered the Orthodox Church for the first time, and then I heard this term Theotokos being applied to Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. It took me some time to sort out just what the Orthodox mean by Theotokos. Let’s unpack just what’s going on here. Perhaps we can get a little “de-mystified” together!
Chrismation is performed after baptism, and by it Christians are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let’s learn about Chrismation. Chrismation Chrismation is the mark of the Holy Spirit that God places upon His people. Making the sign of the cross on various parts of our body with the blessed oil of Chrism, the priest says, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The use of the word seal comes from the scriptures. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.