What is the Jesus Prayer?

In order to enter more deeply into the life of prayer and to come to grips with St. Paul's challenge to pray unceasingly, the Orthodox Tradition offers the Jesus Prayer, which is sometimes called the prayer of the heart. The Jesus Prayer is offered as a means of concentration, as a focal point for our inner life. Though there are both longer and shorter versions, the most frequently used form of the Jesus Prayer is: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." This prayer, in its simplicity and clarity, is rooted in the Scriptures and the new life granted by the Holy Spirit. It is first and foremost a prayer of the Spirit because of the fact that the prayer addresses Jesus as Lord, Christ and Son of God; and as St. Paul tells us, "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3). by Bishop Kallistos Ware

Why do Orthodox Christians fast on Wednesdays and Fridays?

Orthodox Christians fast on Wednesday in remembrance of the betrayal of Christ and on Fridays in remembrance of His crucifixion and death.

Who decided that Orthodox fasting must include abstaining from animal products?

This form of fasting was passed on in the early Church from Jewish practice. In Matthew, Christ says, "When you fast do not be like the hypocrites," which indicates that the Jews fasted -- it also indicates that Christ assumes that one fasts, for He says "when you fast" not "if you fast." Fasting is not something that only developed alongside Christianity; rather, it is a practice that had been followed by the Jews, and even Scripture mentions that Christ fasted.

Courtesy www.oca.org and Further Q&A on the Orthodox Faith by Fr. John Matusiak

When are we not rewarded for fasting?

When indeed we abstain from foods, but do not abstain from iniquities - when we do not eat meat, but gnaw to pieces the homes of the poor - when we do not become drunkards with wine, but we become drunkards with evil pleasures; when we abstain all the day, but all the night we spend in unchastened shows. Then what is the benefit of abstention from foods, when on the one hand you deprive your body of a selected food, but on the other offer yourself unlawful food?" by St. John Chrysostom

How old is the orthodox faith?

If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517. If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry. If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560. If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582. If you are Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England, founded by Samuel Senbury in the American colonies in the 17th century. If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1606. If you are of the Dutch Reformed Church, you recognize Michelis Jones as founder because he originated your religion in New York in 1628. If you are a Methodist, your religion was founded by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1774. If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, New York, in 1829. If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865. If you are Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.

If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as "Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal Gospel," "Holiness Church," or "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past hundred years.

If you are Roman Catholic, your church shared the same rich apostolic and doctrinal heritage as the Orthodox Church for the first thousand years of its history, since during the first millennium they were one and the same Church. Lamentably, in 1054, the Pope of Rome broke away from the other four Apostolic Patriarchates (which include Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem), by tampering with the Original Creed of the Church, and considering himself to be infallible. Thus your church is 1,000 years old.

If you are Orthodox Christian, your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It has not changed since that time. Our church is now almost 2,000 years old. And it is for this reason, that Orthodoxy, the Church of the Apostles and the Fathers is considered the true "one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." This is the greatest legacy that we can pass on to the young people of the new millennium.

by Rev. Dr. Miltiades Efthimiou

What does the Orthodox Faith tell us about suicide ?

Our faith teaches us that, no matter how hopeless our plight in life may seem, with God there is always cause to have hope. Our Lord continually emphasizes this, not only by His words, but likewise by His deeds, and most specifically by the miracles that He performed which transformed what often seemed to be hopeless situations into occasions of joy. As seen in the image of Judas, who sunk into despair and hopelessness and hung himself -- he, like the Wise Thief, could have repented and sought and received forgiveness -- when one forgets that "with God, all things are possible," one can indeed sink to such a state of despair that suicide might appear to be a solution. However, as we know, suicide is never a valid solution to life's trials and difficulties and, as such, it might be termed the ultimate form of despair, the ultimate admission that even with God, there is no hope for one's life and crises. God is the Source and Giver of life -- life which is sustained by the Holy Spirit, Who dwells within each of us. To willfully take one's life, then, is to willfully cut oneself off from the Source of one's life, to project a sense of hopelessness that cannot be reversed, even by the God Who sent His Son into this world precisely to give us the faith and hope to see, to accept, and to share His divine love. There is no problem, no crisis, no sin that is too great to overcome, if only we hold fast to that hope which is, as Scripture teaches, in us by virtue of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Who abides in us and claims us as God's own. Of course, there are many factors to consider in cases of suicide, just as there can be many factors which would lead someone to despair and hopelessness. There are those who would, on the one hand, see suicide as an unpardonable sin, one which precludes one's salvation. On the other hand, there are those who would acknowledge that one who takes his or her own life cannot possibly be acting in a clear and conscious manner, being overcome by darkness or intense mental or emotional illness. In the case of any given suicide, of course, it is difficult to discern the multitude of factors that can lead to such personal destruction, leading many to reserve personal judgment against a victim of suicide. Complex as the issue can be, one thing, however, is certain: Our lives are not our own but, rather, a gift from God -- a sacred gift entrusted to us which must be used wisely, nurtured lovingly, and accepted thankfully, regardless of the difficulties one may encounter. As such, our life is not ours to take, any more than taking the life of another is ours to take. There are those who would categorically claim that those who commit suicide are victims -- victims of overwhelming odds, victims of a bad upbringing, victims of abusive situations or addictions or any number of unfortunate circumstances. Indeed, such can be the case; regardless, it is precisely to lighten such burdens that Our Lord came into the world, proclaiming new life for all who would opt to change their hearts and minds and vision and direction and accept the hope that He freely offers to everyone who desires it, regardless of their sins or odds or upbringing or addictions. In Him, there is no situation, no problem that is too great to overcome; in Him, we are reminded that what overwhelms us today is often forgotten tomorrow, if only we focus on Him in faith, cling to Him in hope, and become one with Him in love. In short, suicide never solves the problem; rather, it prevents us from putting the problem behind us, with God's help, while delighting in the new life that He, and He alone, promises to all who place their burdens on Him.

Courtesy www.oca.org and Further Q&A on the Orthodox Faith by Fr. John Matusiak

Can you describe the Orthodox wedding ceremony ?

In general, the Orthodox wedding ceremony follows this outline:- The Rite of Betrothal, in which rings are exchanged as a sign of commitment and devotion to one another.- The "Crowning," in which crowns or wreaths [customs vary in each parish] are placed on or held above the heads of the bride and groom. This signifies that in marriage there is a certain amount of sacrifice, especially in the area of "give and take." It also signifies that in a certain respect the bride and groom become the "king and queen" of their own "kingdom," or family, which is an integral part of the Kingdom of God.- The sharing of a common cup of wine, which signifies that in marriage all things are shared equally.- The procession around the sacramental table, during which the priest leads the couple three times as they take their first steps together as husband and wife.- The removal of the crowns and the final blessing, in which all gathered wish the couple many years of blessings.- There are no "vows" in the Orthodox ritual, as found in other confessions. A priest should be able to elaborate on all of this in greater detail than is possible in an email and, if you can find a video of a wedding from the same parish, you will gain a much clearer understanding of what happens and how it takes place. If you have never been baptized, it is also best to speak directly with the priest. Orthodox Christians may be married in an Orthodox ceremony to a non-Orthodox Christian provided the non-Orthodox party had been baptized with water and "in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Orthodox Christians may not be married in an Orthodox ceremony to non-baptized individuals, however. Surely the priest will be happy to explain what would be involved in Baptism and reception into the Church. I hope this helps somewhat, but I cannot underscore the importance of speaking to the priest at your husband's parish before any firm plans are made.

Courtesy www.oca.org and Further Q&A on the Orthodox Faith by Fr. John Matusiak

What is the symbolism / significance of the three bar cross ?

The significance of the three-bar cross is a simple one. The short bar on the top represents the sign that was placed on the cross which read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (in Latin the initials are "INRI"). The middle bar -- the longest -- is the bar upon which Our Lord's arms were stretched and nailed. The bottom bar is the footrest which supported Our Lord's body. While many people popularly refer to this cross as a "Russian" cross, it actually predates the Christianization of Russia in 988 AD, although generally, in earlier depictions of the Crucifixion, the bottom bar is horizontal rather than angled. Very early depictions of the crucifixion, even those originating in Egypt, generally portray the triple bar cross. In certain parts of Central and Eastern Europe, the triple bar cross with a slanted footrest indicates that a given church is an Orthodox one, while a triple bar cross with a horizontal footrest indicates that a given church is a Byzantine Rite, or Greek Catholic, one.Various reasons have been given for slanting the bottom bar. There is one tradition which states that, at the moment of His death, Our Lord's foot slipped and the footrest tilted. A highly symbolic interpretation states that the slanted bar refers to the thief crucified on Our Lord's right side -- the "Wise Thief" who repented -- who went to heaven and to the unrepentant thief crucified on Christ's left side who did not. Another explanation is that the slant is an attempt to depict that the footrest slanted downward, toward the viewer, albeit in a two, rather than three, dimensional form.

Courtesy www.oca.org and Further Q&A on the Orthodox Faith by Fr. John Matusiak

What is the position of the Orthodox Church regarding embryonic stem cell research ?

In light of the fact that Orthodox Christianity accepts the fact that human life begins at conception, the extraction of stem cells from embryos, which involves the willful taking of human life -- the embryo is human life and not just a "clump of cells" -- is considered morally and ethically wrong in every instance. In a testimony to the National Bioethics Advisory Commission published in Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research, Volume III, Religious Perspectives, National Bioethics Advisory Commission, Rockville, Maryland, June 2000, the Reverend Demetrios Demopulos, Ph.D. writes, "The Orthodox Church promotes and encourages therapeutic advances in medicine and the research necessary to realize them, but not at the expense of human life. The Church considers human life to begin with the zygote and to extend beyond our physical death, as we were promised eternal life by our God and Savior. Recognizing that we are all in a sinful and imperfect state, the Church admonishes us to strive for perfection through God's grace as we strive to become authentic human persons in communion with God. Because we tend to follow our own will rather than God's, we are reminded to be discerning so that we do not commit outrages by putting a gift of God's to bad use."

At present, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America is drafting a statement on this timely issue.