The Holy Mysteries (Sacraments)
The Sacraments: The Meaning and Importance of Liturgical Life
The prayer “Heavenly King”, which begins many prayer services of the Orthodox Church, speaks of the spirit of God being "present everywhere, and filling all things”. This profound affirmation is central to the Orthodox understanding of God and His relationship to the world. Although God cannot be seen, He is not apart from His creation; He is truly near to us!
Although God is always “present everywhere, and filling all things”, there are specific moments in the liturgical life of the Church where God’s presence is more profound. These services have been named Church Sacraments. Traditionally, the Sacraments are known as Mysteries, not only on account of the mysterious way God reveals Himself to the world through them, but because participation in them was for those who were initiated into the Orthodox Church.
The Sacraments not only reveal God to us; they also serve to make us receptive to God. The transformative Grace conveyed through the Sacraments affects our personal relationship to God and to one another. The Holy Spirit works through the Sacraments. He leads us to Christ who unites us with the Father. So, by participating in the Sacraments, we grow closer to God and receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This process of deification, or theosis, as it is known by Orthodoxy, takes place not in isolation from others, but within the context of a believing community. Although the Sacraments are addressed to each of us by name, they are experiences which involve the entire Church.
The Sacraments were instituted by Christ Himself and were practiced by the early Church. In the Orthodox Church, their rubrics, or order, are composed of prayers, hymns and scripture readings.
In the sacraments, physical matter is transformed by the Holy Spirit to convey an invisible Grace. For example, the Grace of the Holy Spirit transforms the water of baptism into a “washing of rebirth” and “water of sanctification”. This serves to remind us that matter is good and can become a vessel of the Holy Spirit. More importantly, it affirms the central truth of the Orthodox Christian faith: that God became flesh in Jesus Christ and entered into the midst of creation thereby redirecting the cosmos toward its vocation to glorify its Creator.
The Eucharist
The Holy Eucharist, which is known as the Divine Liturgy, is the central and most important worship experience of the Orthodox Church. Often referred to as the "Sacrament of Sacraments", it is the Church's celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, and our personal participation in the Last Supper through the receiving of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion.
In the Eucharist, we give thanks for all the blessings, “seen and unseen, known and unknown that have been bestowed on us”. All the other Sacraments of the Church lead toward, and flow from the Eucharist, which is at the centre of the life of the Church.
Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism initiates us into the Church, the Body of Christ, and is our introduction to the life of the Holy Trinity. Through the triple immersion in the waters of baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity, one participates in the death and resurrection of Christ. The old sinful person dies to sin and the new person is born to a new life in Christ.
Following the practice of the early Church, the Orthodox Church practices infant baptism. From the day of their baptism, the faithful strive to mature in the life of the Spirit in the Church.
When an adult who has not been baptised in the Name of the Holy Trinity wishes to join the Church, they are received through baptism.
Chrismation
The Sacrament of Chrismation (known as confirmation by other Christian churches) immediately follows baptism. This is based on the baptism of Jesus Himself. When Jesus rose from the waters of the Jordan, the heavens were immediately opened and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended upon Him.
Chrismation, the receiving of the Holy Spirit, is one’s personal participation in Pentecost. As the ministry of Christ was enlivened by the Spirit, and the preaching of the Apostles was strengthened by the Spirit, so the life of each Orthodox Christian is sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Confession (Penance)
Through baptism, the faithful receive forgiveness of sins. However, as we journey through life, we can succumb to temptation and alienate ourselves from God.
Following His resurrection, Jesus gave the disciples the authority to forgive or bind sins. This ministry was passed by the apostles to their successors, the bishops, and through them, to the priests given the responsibility to administer the sacrament.
In the Orthodox practice, the penitent confesses to God and is forgiven by God. The priest is the sacramental witness who represents both Christ and His people. The priest is not a judge, but a physician and guide. It is an ancient Orthodox practice for every Christian to have a spiritual father to whom one turns for spiritual guidance and counsel.
Marriage
Marriage is not a compulsory way of life in Orthodox spirituality, nor is it viewed contractually. Rather, it is the voluntary union of a man and a woman in a relationship of mutual love.
Through this marriage, a man and a woman are joined as husband and wife, entering into a new relationship with each other, with God and with the Church.
Marriage is not simply a social institution; it is an eternal vocation of the kingdom. A husband and a wife are called by the Holy Spirit not only to live together but also to share their Christian life together so that each, with the aid of the other, may grow closer to God.
Holy Orders (Ordination)
The Holy Spirit preserved the continuity of the Church through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Through ordination, men who have been chosen from within the Church are set apart by the Church for special service to the Church. Each is called by God through His people to stand amid the community, as pastor and teacher.
According to Orthodox teaching, the process of ordination begins with the local congregation; but the bishop alone, who acts in the name of the universal Church, can ordain. He does so with the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the laying on of hands.
Following the custom of the Apostolic Church, there are three major orders each of which requires a special ordination. These are bishop, who is a successor of the Apostles, priest (presbyter) and deacon, who act in the name of the bishop. Each order is distinguished by its pastoral responsibilities. In the Orthodox Church, men are permitted to marry before ordination. Since the sixth century, bishops have been chosen from the celibate clergy.
Holy Unction (Anointing of the Sick)
When one is ill and in pain, this can very often be a time of life when one feels alone and isolated. The Sacrament of Holy Unction reminds us that when we are in pain, either physical, emotional, or spiritual, Christ is present with us through the ministry of his Church. In the Epistle of James, the faithful are exhorted thus, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15).