On the Departure of the Soul According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Christian Church (Part II)

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON THE DEPARTURE OF THE SOUL ACCORDING TO THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Part II)

Christ's Redemptive Love for Humanity

"The devil, the enemy of our race", writes Saint Athanasius the Great, "having fallen from Heaven, wanders about our lower atmosphere, and there bearing rule over his fellow-spirits...tries to hinder them that are going up...while the Lord came to cast down the devil, and clear the air and prepare the way for us up into Heaven...Stretching out His hands upon the Cross, He overthrew "the prince of the power of the air, that now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2) and made the way clear for us into the heavens".

Whereas by His descent into Hades, Christ demolished the gates that were detaining the souls of the dead, similarly His Crucifixion cleared the air of the demonic ranks opposing the heavenly ascent of departing souls. Christ in His human nature first died and ascended to the Throne of God, leaving us the path of His Commandments so that we might follow Him to our eternal heavenly homeland. But just as the imprisoning gates of Hades are reforged, as it were, by disobedience to Christ's Commandments so too this disobedience obscured the way He cleared for those Christians who would follow Him to Heaven. Displaying the record of the soul's sins, the heavy debt of which hinders the ascent to God, the demons once again occupy their aerial stations, blocking our free passage and demanding reparation.

However, in His boundless love for the human race, God appointed Guardian Angels to accompany human beings (cf. St. Matthew 18:10) in order to help them in the struggle against the passions in this life and to assist them in that more arduous hour of death.

The help of the Holy Angels during the departure of the soul is immeasurable. The demons intend to bring the soul to despair by accusing the soul of sin, causing it to lose hope in the mercy of the Lord. But the Holy Angels comfort the terrified soul so that it might continue its ascent bolstered by its confidence in God. To counterbalance the handwriting against us (cf. Col. 2:14)--the evidence of the passions in our soul and the details of all unconfessed sins together with our lack of remorse over them--the Angels guarding us bring forward the record of our virtues, our repentance and sincere attempt toward amendment, and all the good deeds we may have performed in this life. In this way, as the departing soul passes through the lower atmosphere, a trial occurs.

The measure of mastery that the passions acquired over the soul--or the soul over the passions--is critical in determining the outcome of the trial. This is the lesson in our Savior's Salvific words to us: "The ruler of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me" (St. John 14:30)--that is, nothing of the culpable passions. The Angels and demons bring forth the evidence of either the elements of virtue or the remainder of the passions in our souls. And then comes the moment of the announcement of the verdict. For this, a Judge is required.

The Particular Judgment

As God is our Creator and Savior, the Giver of every good and the Bestower of life, He is also rightfully our judge. Having given us such generous gifts, with great concern our Master also watches over the contest of our life. Far from lording His blessing over us as would a tyrant, our Benefactor reviews, weighs and appraises how we spent this precious treasure of our time in this life which he gave to us in his kindness. Having both supervised and supported our struggle for salvation which He dearly desires to award to us, it is evident that our Lord Jesus Christ will be the Judge of each person, since the Father "has entrusted all judgment to the Son" (St. John 5:22).

As stated in the Orthodox Nicene Creed (Symbol of Faith), at the end of time Christ "shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead." Additionally, the Gospel Parable of the rich man and Lazarus shows that prior to the Last Judgment, the Lord also conducts an immediate judgment at the departure of the soul (cf. St. Luke 16:23-25). The Apostle Paul noted this judgment: "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). The Orthodox Church calls this judgment the "Particular Judgment". At this trial, the soul receives its allotment in the afterlife according to the life which it led on earth, either in Paradise, a place of repose and joy, or in Hades, a place of torment and sorrow. It then awaits the General Resurrection that will take place at the Second Coming of Christ. (The Departure of the Soul According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Church, St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

On the Departure of the Soul According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Christian Church

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON THE DEPARTURE OF THE SOUL ACCORDING TO THE  TEACHING OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Concerning the Worth of Salvation
By Saint Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain

1. My salvation is a matter entirely my own. If I do not have concern for it, who else will?

2. My salvation is a matter concerning my whole soul and body. If I do not make sure of my salvation, who else will make sure of it for me?

3. My salvation is a matter concerning all eternity. If I do not work for it, who else will work for it for me? And what do I do? Why don't I care at all for the salvation of my soul? I do not have anything better than this soul. I do not have anything worth more than this immortal soul. So, if I lose it just one time, I will have lost the greatest good for all eternity.

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Death is indeed a mystery, but it is also dreadful as an event because it fills the soul with deep pain and bewilderment, numerous unanswered questions, distress and uncontrollable fear. Death defeats common sense, breaks down our sentimental world, and exceeds human measures. One cannot comprehend it, bear it, or even deal with it. Only one thing can defeat death: faith, or even more so, faith in the Resurrected Lord. When we chant the Paschal hymn, we say: "Christ is risen from the dead, by death hath He trampled down death, and upon those in the graves hath He bestowed life." The Resurrection of Christ marks the defeat of death and transforms it from a definite end and merciless threat into a passage to the true life."O Death, where is thy sting?" exclaims Saint John Chrysostom. Man is made for life, not for death. That is why we so greatly honor the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.

Death, apart from being a terrible mystery, is also beyond reach. Therefore, the only way to approach it is by the revelation and grace of God, not through intellectual theological contemplation. What happens to the body during the moment of death is of medical concern; yet, what happens to the soul, its state and course, is purely a matter of the Church, namely, of its theology and life, of its divine teaching and the experience of its Saints. "How is the soul forcibly parted from the body, from its frame? And how is that most natural bond of union cut off by the will of God?" No science can speak of this mystery, not even formal scholastic theology. As with the Incarnation of the Logos/Word of God by the Virgin Mary, "we cannot fathom this mystery," but we can only confess it with faith, so also with the mystery of death: "Every tongue is at a loss, even a spirit from the world above is filled with dizziness" in trying to conceive it, or, all the more, to express it. They mystery cannot be conceived, nor can it be interpreted. We can only describe it through the experience of faith and the illumination of divine revelation.

Some say that death could mean the final return of man to the state of non-existence after his fleeting life in this world. Others say it could also mean an endless journey to the unknown. However, the Orthodox Christians know it very well as standing before the righteous judgment seat of God: being translated either to eternal life in His Kingdom or to separation from God in Hades. Within the Church we experience death as the translation to eternity, the passage from this ephemeral world to the truth of the real life, to the eternal of God. That is why in the funeral service we chant to the departed: "Blessed is the way in which thou shalt walk today, O soul; for a place of rest is prepared for thee."

According to Orthodox Christian theology, our life is the greatest gift from God; its beginning and end are entirely in His hands. In this life the grace of God encounters the free will of man, and in this way his salvation is effected. Time constitutes the guarantee of the bond between soul and body.

The moment of death is the par excellence moment during which the value of a human being is defined, and for this reason we ought to deal with it with humility, awe, respect, and an awareness of our limits. In no way should we degrade the mystery to a mere event occurring in time. It is terrible to remove from the body the magnificent vestment of its dignity, when at the same time it is being denuded of the protection of the soul. According to Orthodox Christian theology, death can be described in general terms, but it cannot be accurately defined in its details, because it is more of an unknown mystery than any biological event. And when it comes, we welcome death, as it introduces us to a higher state of life.

In this sense, we are entitled neither to break the sacred bond between soul and body, nor to shorten the lifespan of the psychosomatic (soul and body) union. Although life is a great gift, yet death may become a greater blessing. Therefore, we do not examine the event of death with boldness or excessive curiosity, based on our knowledge, but we stand before this unknown mystery with reservation, respect, and holy fear.

This is the reason why those who attempt to interpret death based on their own intellectual comprehension often fail, and instead of expressing the Truth of God, they preach false assertions and erroneous teachings. Thus, it is of imminent importance to clarify the Orthodox Christian Truth from the various fallacies--something which is not easy to do. The initiative taken by Saint Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Arizona is a wise one, and the load of the undertaken task quite heavy. The entire work is indeed praiseworthy.

"Strive to enter in at the strait gate" (St. Luke 13:24).

Heaven, the Kingdom of God, the eternal life is open. From the moment our Christ died upon the Cross, with His expiration Paradise became wide open. Our Christ, spreading His immaculate arms and opening His embrace on the Cross, embraced the entire human race to give them eternal life.

The ultimate goal of our Orthodox Christian life is for us to be found worthy of entering into the glory of this Kingdom which now lies open to us. Just the mere thought of seeing what "eye hath not seen" and becoming an inheritor of "the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9) brings joy to the hearts of the faithful. And with such great hope, we patiently endure every affliction and temptation in this world in order to become permanent inhabitants of the Upper Jerusalem. "For our citizenship is in Heaven" (Phil. 3:20).

But we are also ever mindful of the terrifying desolation of Hell awaiting those who neglect to love God and keep His word. The greatest commandment is this: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (St. Matthew 22:37). Failure to struggle to keep God's Commandment results in the torments of being shut out of the Kingdom and gives rise to the pain of eternal separation from Christ: "Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (St. Matthew 25:41).

To save us from this dreadful, endless estrangement from Him, our Lord Jesus Christ came not only to open the entrance to Heaven by His Sacrifice on the Cross, but as He Himself is the Way (cf. St. John 14:6). Christ also revealed the path to eternal life: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Saint Matthew 19:17) [Source: The Departure of the Soul According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Church, St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery)

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father Georg

Human Earthly Life: Illness, Suffering and Death

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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HUMAN EARTHLY LIFE: ILLNESS, SUFFERING AND DEATH

Our life on this earth is a sacred journey and unquestionable a gift of God. Father Alexander Schmeman wrote, "All that exists is God's gift to man, and it all exists to make God known to man, and to make man's life communion with God." Life is totally unpredictable and anything can happen to anyone of us in an instant. Our life can change dramatically when one becomes ill, has an accident, sudden death, or experience a tragic circumstance. Our life is turned upside down and we experience a sense of loss. The most profound loss occurs with the death of a loved one. Death, anticipated or sudden, is capable of devastating those left behind. We pray that God will protect us "from sudden death". It is only human for us to respond emotionally and be filled with sorrow, anxiety, tears, anger, regret and disbelief. Sadness is a human response of our love for one another, a love that continues even in their absence.  

But at a time of illness, suffering and death, where is faith? Is one so paralyzed by the tragic loss of a loved one that we find that we are unable to turn to the Almighty God and pray? Do we not find comfort in God?  

Over the many years of my diakonia I have been there with husbands and wives, with mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters who are devastated by the death of their loved one. I have visited children dying from cancer and other children who have died from accidents and whose funerals I am preparing to conduct. Speaking of faith, however, I have never been more inspired than when I would meet with young children with terminal illness. Children who never ask the question 'why'. Why is this happening to me? They never showed fear of death but were calm and accepting the end of their earthly life with confidence and joy. I recall a young child, a little girl who was dying from cancer and while visiting her at the hospital her mother walked in the room and when she saw her daughter without hair and pale started to weep uncontrollably. The young child very sternly turn to her mother and said, "Mom, if you come to see me and begin to cry I don't want you to come again." I have never seen such courage as that little girl. Another young boy who also was dying from cancer never complained of the chemotherapy and radiation and all other treatments. When the boy fell asleep in Christ the entire city turned out for his funeral as though he was the Mayor of that city. People were inspired by this little boy's faith in God.

Faith, prayers, and trust in God is the only way that a believing person responds to any unfortunate and painful circumstance. Yes, we feel the deep grief and sorrow when a loved one dies we are reminded of the words of Saint Paul the holy Apostle, who said, as Christians, we don't grieve "as others who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Our Lord Jesus Christ exemplified grief when He wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus (St. John 11:32-35). However, we believe as Orthodox Christians that Christ defeated death. In the gospel of Saint John Jesus is speaking to Martha said, "Your brother will rise again. Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, Who is come into the world" (St. John 11:23-28). This is the kind of faith that we need at time of grief, pain and death.

There are only two ways to deal with suffering and pain. Either we accept them and be transformed by them into the way of salvation for oneself and others; or one is crushed by them turn away from God with anger and a sense of hopelessness. People without a faith, even as little as a mustard seed, blame God and fall into despair and darkness.

Through adversity we, as Christian believers, become stronger in our faith and commitment to our Creator. We cannot allow fear or grief to overtake us and destroy us. Also, we cannot allow our human emotions to take control of us to the point where are not able to seek God and to find solace in Him. Saint John Chrysostom says, "Glory Be To God for all things!"

There is no question that those who suffer through sickness and disease with every virtue of Christ will receive "sufficient grace" from Him to be strong in the Lord in their bodily weakness, and so direct their sufferings "not unto death" but to the "glory of God" (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

God allows evil, illness, suffering, and death as an expression of respect for our freewill knowing that the greatest human good is possible in the midst of these terrible experiences. As the holy Apostle Paul says, "All things work together for good to those who love God" (Romans 8:28). "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (St. James 1:2-4).

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who was given to us" (Romans 5:3-5).

"The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." Amen (Divine Liturgy) 

With sincere agape in Our Risen and Merciful God,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George  

God the Holy Spirit

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory To Thee, Our God, Glory To Thee!

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Thou are everywhere and fill all things Treasury of blessings and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One!

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From among the numerous testimonies in Holy Scripture which concern the Holy Spirit, it is especially important to have in mind those passages which a) confirm the teaching of the Church that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal Divine power, but a Person of the Holy Trinity, and b) which affirm His Oneness in Essence and equal Divine Dignity with the Father and Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

a) A testimony of the first kind--that the Holy Spirit is a Person-we have in words of the Lord in His farewell conversation with His Disciples, were He calls the Holy Spirit the "Comforter" Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me" (St. John 15:26). "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not in Me of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (St. John 16:8-11).

The Apostle Paul speaks clearly of the Spirit as a Person when, in examining the various Gifts of the Spirit-the Gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, the discerning of spirits, diverse tongues, and the interpretation of tongues-he concludes, "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will" (1 Corinthians 12:11).

b) The Apostle Peter speaks of the Spirit of God in the words addressed to Ananias, who had concealed the price of his property: "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (Acts 5:3-4).

Concerning the equality of honor and the oneness of essence of the spirit with the father and the son there is the testimony of such passages as:

"... Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (St. Matthew 28:19).

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:13). Here all Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are named as equal. And the following words of the Savior Himself expressed the Divine dignity of the Holy Spirit: "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the holy spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come" (St. Matthew 12:32).

"If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (St. John 14:15-17).

What a great promise, that God the Holy Spirit will be in us till the end of time!

Saint Seraphim of Sarov spoke of the Holy Spirit as a fire: "warming and igniting the heart and inward parts. So, if we feel coldness in our hearts, which is from the devil (for the devil is cold), then let us call the Lord: He, in coming, will warm our heart with perfect love, not only toward Himself, but our neighbors as well. And the coldness of the despiser of good will run from the face of His warmth."

Our Holy Orthodox Church has proclaimed that the Holy Spirit is of the same substance with the Father and the Son in the Godhead of the Trinity. The Church has incorporated this Truth in the Nicene Creed (Symbol of faith) as pronounced by the Second Ecumenical Synod (381 A.D.) It says: [I believe] "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 worshipped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets."

The Holy Spirit in truth remains in the Church, protects and preserves its Truth and sanctifies its members. The Holy Spirit is the Power and Comforter of the believers, and was promised by Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Life-giving energy and power which makes the Church "The pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).

Every Orthodox Christian must come to know that Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given only to those who believe in the True faith, and not to those who have gone astray and have fallen into heresy. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and therefore He dwells in the Authentic Church of Christ, the Orthodox Christian Church. It is blasphemous to consider even the possibility that He would be connected in any way with those who spread lies, heresies, distortions, deceptions, and confusion among Christian believers and the world. The people who are engaged in these heresies are the enemies of God the Holy Spirit and one day they will answer to Him for spreading evil.

The Holy Spirit guides and protects the Church of Christ. The sincere and genuine Christian must devote himself to the True Gospel and True meaning and practice of his/her faith in Christ.

A true Christian can only have 'a spiritual life' only if he or she is guided and inspired by God the Holy Spirit anything else is false and foolish. Furthermore if He is to dwell in our hearts, our hearts must be clean and pristine. (Referances: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology; Orthodox Spirituality)

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DIVINE SERVICES FOR MONDAY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Orthros (Matins) at 9:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

"...And they were filled with the Holy Spirit..."

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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"AND THERE APPEARED TO THEM DIVIDED TONGUES AS OF FIRE...AND THEY WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT." (Acts 2:3)

So that by gradual increase... and progress from glory to glory, the Light of the Trinity might shine upon the more illuminated...for this reason it was, I think, that He gradually came to dwell in the Disciples. He measured Himself out to them according to their capacity to receive Him: at the beginning of the Gospel, after the Passion, after the Ascension, making perfect their powers, being breathed upon them and appearing in fiery tongues...You see Lights breaking upon us, gradually, and knowledge of such order of theology, as is better for us to maintain, neither proclaiming things too suddenly nor yet keeping them hidden to the end...He said that all things should be taught us by the Spirit Himself, made clear at a later time, when such knowledge would be seasonable and capable of being received after our Savior's restoration; when it would no longer be received with incredulity because of its marvelous character. For what greater thing than this did either He promise, or the Spirit teach...If He is not to be worshiped, how can He deify me by baptism?...And indeed from the Spirit comes our new birth and from the new birth our new creation, and from the new creation our deeper knowledge of the dignity of Him from Whom it is derived...Look at these facts: Christ is born; the Spirit is His Forerunner, He leads Him up. He works miracles; the Spirit accompanies them. He ascends; the Spirit takes His place.

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

Eternal Life

The eternal survival of the person as a unique, unrepeatable and free "hypostasis," as loving and being loved, constitutes the quintessence of salvation, the bringing of the Gospel to man. In the language of the Holy Fathers of the Church, this is called "divinization" theosis, which means participation not in the nature or substance of God, but in His personal existence. The goal of salvation is that the personal life which is realized in God should also be realized on the level of human existence. Consequently, salvation is identified with the realization of personhood in man...Patristic theology sees man in the light of two "modes of existence." One may be called the hypostasis of biological existence, the other the hypostasis of ecclesial existence...

Death is the "natural" development of the biological hypostasis, the cessation of "space" and "time" to other individual hypostasis, the sealing of hypostasis as individuality...In its attempt to affirm itself as hypostasis [it] discovers that finally, its "nature" has led it along a false path towards death...

The Holy Spirit provides every Gift: He inspires prophecy, perfects the priesthood, grants wisdom to the illiterate, makes simple fishermen to become wise theologians, and establishes perfect order in the organization of the Church. Wherefore, O Comforter, equal in nature and majesty with the Father and the Son, glory to You...

In the days of old, pride brought confusion of tongues to the builders of the Tower of Babel, but now the diversity of tongues enlightened the minds and gave knowledge for the glory of God. There, God punished infidels for their sin, while here Christ enlightened fishermen through the spirit; there the confusion of tongues was for the sake of vengeance, while here there was variety so that voices could be joined in unison for the salvation of our souls.

Redeeming THE Time

What he means is this. The time is not yours. At present you are strangers, and sojourners, and foreigners, and aliens; do not seek honors, do not seek glory, do not seek authority, or revenge; bear all things, and in this way, 'redeem the time'. Give up many things, anything they may require...only preserve the principal thing, i mean the Faith...So also Christ says, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (St. Matthew 6:34)...In what sense then does He call the days 'evil'?...It is not the essence of the thing, not the thing as so created, but it is the things transacted in time. In the same way, as we are in the habit of saying, "I have passed a disagreeable and wretched day.'  And yet how would it is disagreeable, except for the circumstances which took place in it? Now the events which take place in it are good things from God, but evil things from bad men...What then? Are we to give thanks for everything that befalls us? Yes, be it even disease, be it even penury. For if a certain wise man gave this advice in the Old Testament and said, "Whatsoever is brought upon you take it cheerfully and be patient when you are changed to a low estate' (Eccles. 2:4); much more ought this to be the case in the New...Let us, therefore, give thanks not only for blessings which we see, but also for those which we do not see, and for those which we receive against our will. (Source: The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Should Orthodox Christians Kneel on Sundays?

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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SHOULD ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS KNEEL SUNDAYS?
By Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens

Preamble

The issue of kneeling on Sundays continues to engage clergy and laity, due to the fact that diametrically opposite views have been formulated concerning this practice.

On the one hand there are those who claim that this practice is prohibited by the Sacred Canons. In particular, Canon 20 of the First Ecumenical Synod states that no kneeling should be practiced on Sundays and during the period of Pentecost. According to this canon, kneeling, it states, is not consistent with the joyous and Paschal character of these days, because kneeling is an expression of repentance and for godly sorrow.

On the other hand, there are other who make the opposite claim. They argue that kneeling at the time of the blessing of the Bread and Wine, at the point we say "Your Own from Your Own we offer...," is not a kneeling of sorrow, but of worship which is done because of the miracle which is effected at that moment by the God of our worship.

There is also a third category of theologians, who claim that kneeling on Sundays is neither recommended nor prohibited. It is simply tolerated, wherever it is enforced and observed.

There is no doubt that those Christians who kneel on Sundays, do not do this out of irreverence, but out of great piety. They do it because they have been taught that at the point when we say "Your Own from Your Own we offer...," awe-inspiring mysteries take place: the Bread and the Wine that are used in the Eucharist are changed by the invocation (epiklesis) of the Holy Spirit into the Body and Blood of Christ. At the same time, however, it is certain that these Christians have not read the Sacred Canons, and have not studied the Holy Fathers. They simply behave according to what their Christian conscience dictates, without realizing that their behavior violates the order of the Church.

In the following paragraphs, we try to present in an analytic and objective manner the various aspects of this issue in an attempt to specify what is right and should be followed by the faithful Christians.

A. What does the Term Kneeling (In Church) Mean?

The sacred canons on lesser and proper kneeling: Before we proceed to the next step, it is useful to observe what the Sacred Canons mean by the term kneeling in church. To begin with, kneeling in church is an ancient religious tradition, whereby the people who are at prayer express their faith. Such kneeling is distinguished by two types:

Firstly, there is the kind when a person that prays bends the knees while holding the boy upright and looking towards the foreground. This position is usually accompanied by simultaneous crossing oneself. It is the position we take at the Vespers (Esperinos) of Forgiveness, i.e., the Vespers (Esperinos) of Pentecost, (Indeed, the first prayer of this Vespers alludes to this in saying, "offering supplication by bending the neck and inclining the knees"). (Note: This is the Vespers special service that we at St. Andrew conduct following the Divine Liturgy on Pentecost.)

Secondly, there is the type when a faithful rests on his knees on the ground, places his hands on them and bends down his forehead onto the earth, or when he is standing up and decides to go down on the knees to the point that his face touches the floor and then stands up again. This is repeated several times.

Kneeling and repentance: The first kind of kneeling is called a minor repentance, and the second, major repentance are practiced in the Presanctified Divine Liturgies, at the point when the Holy Gifts pass by the faithful. Greater use of them is made by Monastics, and sometimes spiritual masters impose these major repentances as a penance on those Christians who have sinned and repented for their sins. Saint John the Faster introduced this tradition of penances, and called the major type of (church) kneeling simply kneeling. Basil the Great closely identified repentance and the prostration.

When do we kneel and when do we not kneel in church: A differentiation is made between the minor and the major types of kneeling in the Kollyvadian Book of Liturgical Rubrics of the erudite economos Father George Regas of Skiathos, Greece, where we read the following: "Repentances (metanoies or prostrations), are of two kinds, minor and major. The minor ones are the prostrations we do when we cross ourselves and bow only our head without bending the knees. These minor metanoies (repentances) are done each day and on many occasions throughout the day without ceasing. The major metanoies or prostrations are characterized by the bending of the knees. These are never allowed on a Saturday or Sunday (apart from the Feast of the Precious Cross), but are done only during the Great Lent and on any day except Saturday and Sunday."

On Sundays we neither kneel nor fast: Along with fasting, the Sacred Canons prohibit kneeling on Sundays.

Saint Basil the Great says in his Canon 91: "We offer our prayers on the first of the Sabbaths (Sunday) in a standing position." The reason is basically the fact that Sunday (Kyriaki) is the day of the Resurrection of our Lord and consequently we are obligated to remain standing in an upright position as resurrected persons. Besides, every Sunday (Lord's Day) is a symbol of the eighth day, i.e., of the age to come and for this reason the Church trains and teaches the faithful to remember the age to come and to be prepared to welcome it in an upright position which indicates vigilance. "In which (Sunday) the upright position of prayer should be preferred as the stipulations of the Church have trained us to do, so that by a sort of active reminder our mind transmigrate from the present to the future realities."

The view of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. "On the matter of kneeling the Committee proposed the following: 'That kneeling on Sunday is not required at the Consecration and is not imposed. It is simply tolerated."

"There is no reason to allow the infiltration into the Divine Liturgy of personal and sentimental elements which change its character. Also, there is no need to try to find on every occasion pretexts or explanations of deviations which are not approved by the Church. The Divine Liturgy is not a personal affair. The Church lays down the order and she has specified that Paschal character of the Divine Liturgy which stresses the Resurrection and which has been from the beginning associated with Sunday. We do not need to prove the Paschal character of the Divine Liturgy which is connected with the Resurrection and the Last Things (Eschatology). Besides, the Church prohibited the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on days of fasting and this, of course, has been today restricted to the Period of the Great Lent, but the primary sense still remains intact: the Divine Eucharist is an eschatological event and cannot be anything else but a celebratory occasion, full of joy and radiance.  

[Please note: Whether one kneels or does not is not an issue in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as far as I know. It is simply tolerated. The majority of Greek Orthodox Christians and clergy always kneel during the Consecration (Epiklesis), the invocation of the Holy Spirit, for no other reason than reverence, humility, a sense of sinfulness, a sense of unworthiness, and acknowledgment of the Great Miracle taking place at the time of the Consecration and no other reason. No Orthodox Christian deliberately sets out to violate the Sacred Canons of our Church. The joy of the Resurrection and of the Divine Eucharist remain undiminished.]

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George