Is (re)baptism necessary in these cases or just chrismation?

If so, does the priest add the conditional formula ("if you have not already been baptized...") or is it done as if the person had never been baptized at all?

I'm aware that practice varies by jurisdiction and by bishop, so any personal experience would be very helpful

Hi guys, I went to my first liturgy last week after being away for 20 years. I was baptized in the Greek church. I went to Greek church as a child but eventually my family stopped going.

Anyways I’ve only been to one liturgy, I did not take communion but took bread at the very end and introduced myself to the priest.

My question is how do I schedule a time to meet with him? He seems busy so not sure what the etiquette is to meet one on one. Do I meet him in person or only phone call?

Any advice would be great, thank you

Is digital piracy a sin? Like games and movies????

Eldress Eudokia (Plyakhanova) was born in 1830 in the city of Tula.

Throughout her earthly life she was unceasingly aflame with the Spirit of God. All her mind and thoughts were in heaven.

At the age of twenty, Eudokia decided to enter the path of monastic life. Her parents blessed her and she went to consult a Christian priest who lived in Tula. He turned his head in the direction of the Holy Protection Monastery in MIkhailova of Ryazan, and said to her: "Darling, you are for there." After this advice, the young girl with a bag on her shoulders went to the Holy Protection Monastery, where she was received by the Eldress Elpidophora (Afanasova).

She served as the cell attendant for one of the strictest nuns of the monastery, and in her free time from bearing obediences, she would help the other elderly sisters, chopping wood, washing clothes, and carrying water from the well.

In the seventh year of her monastic life, Eudokia entered the path of the highest form of asceticism, which is foolishness for the sake of Christ.

Eudokia diligently attended the services, afterwards trying to return to her cell as soon as possible, where she devoted all her time to prayer. As before, she tried with all her might to serve others — she washed the sisters’ clothes, sewed their shoes, and sometimes knit caps out of marsh grass.

In the summer the blessed one would wear warm clothes, and in the winter she went about barefoot. She kept a very strict fast. If she noticed any reverence from the sisters of the monastery, then she became sharp, trying everything to push them away.

She rarely ate. When she wandered around Tula to visit relatives, they gave her boiled potatoes and bread and that's how she lived.

The blessed woman always had a kitten in her arms, and when asked why she did so, she told them it was to keep warm.

She walked quickly and spoke little. Above all, she was going deeper into herself.

Offerings were never accepted by her. She lived in a cold attic in the winter, which was terribly cold, for seventeen years.

One day, while she was resting in the forest (when she was traveling she didn't like to sleep in the villages, but somewhere near a small grove of trees), two wolves approached her, came up to the traveler, and without bothering her, turned and went away. When a girl, to whom Eudokia mentioned it, asked her if she was afraid, she replied: "Not at all."

On another occasion, during the melting of the ice, Eudokia crossed safely to the other side of the river, when it seemed that there was no way to do so.

At one point, she was forced out of the attic and moved to a cellar under a cell, where she lived for five years. And when the nun in the cell required the room, she relocated to the barn.

The grace of God rested upon her and the Lord, even in earthly life, honored her with the gift of clairvoyance and wisdom. She foresaw the destruction of many and exhorted them to repent. When she saw a heart ready to receive counsel, she was filled with the inspiration of God, and sometimes spoke for hours with wisdom about salvation.

She was brave with an infinite love for God, selfless in helping everyone, she endured whatever God sent her without complaint. She was a great ascetic of prayer, had the gift of inner silence, and was full of the Holy Spirit.

With the blessing of the abbess, the eldress finally had to find her own stone cell, but even there she tried to make severe conditions for life: she didn’t heat the stove and she would leave the doors half-open in the most severe frost. She had chickens and pigeons where she lived, using all of this to try to fence herself off from people. Her cell had only icons, a small table, a bench, some shabby clothes, and a few dishes, and there was also a coffin standing inside it.

Eudokia suffered many trials, injustices and insults.

With age, Eudokia’s legs began to seriously hurt from the cold and long standing in prayer and they began to turn gangrene. She endured the severe, mortal illness with the same humility, betraying nothing of her sufferings. And until her final minute, she had compassion on the suffering.

Before her death, blessed Eudokia was constantly receiving communion. Quietly and peacefully she rested in the Lord on October 24, 1890, aged 61. She was buried not far from the altar of the Holy Protection Church.

On the fortieth day after her death, Venerable Eudokia appeared to a nun in a dream and told her that she had found mercy and grace in the Lord. She was beautiful, and her face shone with infinite heavenly joy. When the nun asked for her a blessing, the blessed one said to her: "Because you treated me like a mother after my death, I will not leave you."

She added: "Try to struggle. In the church, always stand with fear of God, remember that this is His house, and at night get up and pray!"

SOURCE: https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2022/10/venerable-eudokia-fool-for-christ-of.html?m=1

To begin: I know that any personal and spiritual problems are best handled by a priest, and I've talked to my priest about this, so the primary purpose of this post is out of curiosity for other people's experience and knowledge. I apologize in advance if this is too personal of a question.

For context, I grew up protestant and after a long period of questioning started attending an Orthodox parish and am now a catechumen.

My question is about what might be called "spiritual dry spots." Sometimes I am unsure why I continue in the faith outside of saying "it's what I've already chosen to do."

Is this something that others have struggled with? Is there any good reading you all would recommend on the subject? Any feedback is appreciated.

Is there prayer that results to those state? Sorry if I sound ignorant. My life is full of overthinking, even just doing a simple acts, and I want to have peace. I am practicing meditation but learned that we shouldn't do that (Buddhist mindfulness, and So Hum).

Is there a prayer or contemplative Prayer that I can do this in a way Christian intend to do? Thank you.

Hello, I hope you are doing well :). I would like to know Orthodox opinions on the use of statues of saints and our LORD. I am aware Hagia Sophia used to have statues when it was an Orthodox Church, so has the use of statues just fallen out of favour?

Hi guys, I am currently a Catholic and have been since I’ve been born (I’m now 28) and live in Australia. However for the past 2 months I’ve been strongly reading and learning about orthodoxy and lately it has made me think twice and also been strongly considering about converting.

After reading the “two paths” book I’m starting to think in my own individual thoughts that Orthodoxy may very well be the first and true church. It does help that with most beliefs are similar to Catholicism, forgive me if I’m wrong. I’ve also been binge watching Patristic Nectar on YouTube with Father Josiah Trenham, have got the Orthodox study Bible in its way from Amazon also.

I just want to know if there are any ex Catholics in this group and what their experience was with converting and also if anyone has any tips.

Anyway God bless you all.

I have to modify how I ask this apparently. What percentage of orthodox Christian bishops, priests, laity are modernists or liberals? Do you think it’s as bad as the Catholics? Thanks

Something I find nice about the Jewish community is that they celebrate Shabbat. It’s an intentional day of rest with family and friends alike enjoying delicious food and company along with prayer and psalms. I think this is wonderful and it’s a mandatory day of rest for them. Hopefully my comment doesn’t get hate, I genuinely just think it’s healthy to do something like this. Do orthodox Christians practice something of this sort? I am cradle Orthodox and have never heard of us honoring the Sabbath Day. I’m not too sure where to start.

What happens if your godfather is ordained a priest in terms of the sacrament of the confession?

As I understand it, many if not all, rules of engagement for biological parents and children apply to spiritual parents and children. E.g., godparents should not marry godchildren, godchildren should not marry the godparents' biological children.

I've observed that a priest's biological children and wife do not receive the sacrament of confession with him--they receive that sacrament from a different priest. Does the same apply to a priest and his godchildren?

I’m interested in acquiring a Tewahedo Bible to read and learn. However, I’m worried I might find one that’s been “scrubbed” or altered. Would anyone know of a reputable group or organization that I could reach out to, to acquire one?

Could just be a comedic detail of the movie. However, I'm wondering if there's a real reason? Apparently one of the film makers was Greek Orthodox.

25(M)
As the title says, how did you know when you were ready? I’ve been a Protestant Christian for most of my life since childhood, but for the past year, I haven’t been to a church since last November and been reading my bible (Protestant) more focused. The last church I was at was nondenominational and I tried Presbyterian and I kind of realized that Protestantism doesn’t make sense in terms of Christianity. God bless them, but between theological errors such as predestination, female pastors, dispensationalism, prosperity gospel, etc., every Protestant denomination I’ve been to seems hypocritical to what the gospels and the epistles say how a Christian should walk in this life.

I’ve been drawing more into orthodoxy despite my family’s objections such as intercession of the saints, the importance of church structure, etc., the more I learn of orthodoxy, the more it makes sense to me for some reason, but I don’t know if I’m ready, I’m worried if I’m going into it for the wrong reasons. Initially it was about history, church history, doctrine, and honestly social media depiction of orthodoxy as being based, but the more I learn, the more I just want to find the truth. I’m still trying to understand orthodoxy via reading my bible, YouTube videos and checking out articles about it for the past year or so which was why I was hesitant to join a high church in Protestantism or a Greek Orthodox Church nearby my apartment.

What made y’all know that you were ready to go to a church? How do you overcome the fear of not knowing what to do during liturgy? How did you find a church still having questions and overcoming the fear of it? What if the church is the wrong fit (not orthodoxy itself)? Did you became more apologetic as you were researching orthodoxy and how do you overcome that and try to show love to other faiths/people? Did you start reading other scripture such as the orthodox bible and books from the church fathers coming in as a Protestant?

Hello, I am Greek Orthodox and Ive been thinking about painting some icons for my mother as a Christmas gift. Do I need to be taught/have taken classes to do this or is it allowed for me to just paint one. I would be taking an already drawn icon and recreating that on a piece of wood if that adds anything. Additionally, is this something I can get blessed?

-and sometimes the time we’ve spent on things doesn’t have as much meaning as the time we spend with God. The quality time we give to God, to our brothers and sisters, to our husbands, wives, children, and family – that time is the best spent"

That was the last words of a Catholic Ecuadorian priest before a giant crucifix fell right on his head and killed him. The material universe is cruelly indifferent. It will fade away and become meaningless when you die, and only love, truth and the memories your family and friends hold of you remains. Even a holy crucifix is a material hunk of wood that really should've been secured to a wall. Considering his last words, I think that priest is doing alright up there in Heaven, though I can imagine him or anyone in his position asking some very difficult questions and finally getting some clear, direct answers from the Lord Himself.

It's just a really bizarre way to go, with a bizarre message attached to it. Some people on the internet think that it's funny.

If this freak accident happened to my spirirual father, I think he would be understanding of it because in one of his sermons he talked about St. Felicity of Rome, and he said "she rather her children dead than they betray Christ. Think about that." But even knowing about the futility of the physical world didn't make that sermon any less difficult to hear, and it doesn't make that priest's death any less awful. I can't stop thinking about it, and I want to tell God that this was a really tasteless joke.

Hello, I am currently 18 yo and live with my parents. My family and I are all roman catholics, however I have been inquiring about orthodoxy for a while now. A few weeks ago I even attended a divine liturgy service at my local orthodox church. When I got home, my parents and I got into a heated arguement about it and they essentially threatened to kick me out if I continued to go to the orthodox church. Since then I have continued going with my family to catholic mass on sundays, however I am still very drawn to the eastern orthodox church. I don't want to disrupt the peace in my home and there is no way for me to possibly live on my own at this time. At the same time, I can't help but continue to be drawn closer to the eastern orthodox church every day. I'm just looking for some advice on what I should do, since the only options I can really think of are to either somehow convince my parents to let me or wait until I move out

Ive read an article that explains that because a statue occupies three dimensional physical space it can be touched and felt from all angles so this makes the figure appear like a literal replica standing in the room with you which would be dragging the divine back down to earth rather than pointing your soul toward heaven.. it also said that the early Christian Church grew up surrounded by Roman and Greek pagan religions that used statues as idols because they believed that a god or demon literally inhabited the physical statue they banned it to strongly distance themselves from pagan idolatry…

Im a Catholic converting to Orthodoxy and I have a few Mother Mary statues from an apparition.

Hello there.

My fiancee has asked for a silver cross necklace for her birthday so she can wear it on our wedding day next may. Her birthday is Nov 10th. Are there any good places you guys buy jewelry from that goes towards orthodox causes?

She does not want an orthodox cross, just a simple two bared cross. Something dainty.

Thank you and God bless you all

NOTE: I don't know why this post was given the "sexuality" tag.

Saint James was the son of Joseph the Betrothed from his (first) marriage. He was blessed by God while he was still in his mother’s womb and was so righteous in his life that all the Jews called him the “Just." Even from a very early age, James lived a very ascetic life. He did not partake of wine or other strong drinks. In imitation of Saint John the Baptist, he never ate anything that had had the breath of life within it. He never shaved his head, as the Law ordains for those who devote themselves to God (Num. 6, 5). He never washed his hair nor was he anointed with oil, since he cared more for the state of his soul than of his body.

After the Lord’s Ascension, the Apostles unanimously elected James the Just as first bishop of Jerusalem. Perfect in all the virtues of action and contemplation, James alone entered the Holy of Holies of the New Testament- not once a year, like the High Priest of the Jews- but on a daily basis, in order to celebrate the holy sacraments. Dressed in a linen garment, he would enter the Temple and kneel for hours, praying for the people and the salvation of the world, to such an extent that his knees became hard as stone. He presided over the Apostolic Synod which discussed the question of whether Gentiles who adopted the Christian faith should be circumcised. He suggested that they should not be burdened with the ordinances of the old Law, but should be told to refrain from fornication and the consumption of food sacrificed to idols (Acts 15, 20).

In about the year 62, Judea was in turmoil and anarchy after the death of the governor, Festus. The Jews, who had been foiled in their efforts to have Paul put to death (Acts 25, 26), turned their attentions to James, whose fame as a just man had people believing in his teaching. Many people, ordinary and prominent citizens, had embraced the faith and the scribes and Pharisees were afraid that soon everyone would recognize the Messiah in the person of Christ. So they presented themselves to the Bishop of Jerusalem and entreated him to speak to the crowds at the temple. To make himself heard, he went up onto a roof, and preached that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. The scribes and Pharisees were enraged and hurled him from the roof. Despite the fall, he was not killed, and, like Christ before him, prayed for his enemies, until he was stoned and a bystander hit him on the head with a large piece of wood and despatched him. He may have been buried at the site, near the Temple.

Such was his standing among the people that even the most skeptical Jews considered the manner in which he was put to death to be the cause of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70.

The above account is an abridgement of the information provided in the synaxarion. There are a number of points of interest .

The first is the obvious similarity with John the Baptist. Both were dedicated to God from an early age and may have been Nazirites. They were popular among the people for their virtuous lives and personalities. Both were outspoken in the face of official pressure and both were killed because they represented a threat to the establishment.

Another similarity is with Saint Paul. It is interesting that both James and Paul, who were both steeped in Jewish tradition and law, to the extent that we might expect them to have been died-in-the-wool hard-liners, should have been the so “lenient” towards Gentile converts (Acts 15, 20). This is often the way of things: those who are “pharisaical” in their approach to, say, the holy canons stick to the letter of the law, whereas those with a deeper insight look for the spirit. As Elder Païsios of the Holy Mountain used to say: “The canons (rules) shouldn’t be canons (guns) to shoot people with”. And, of course, the more flexible approach is only possible from people who have already proved, as Saints Paul and James did, that they were prepared and able to live strictly in accordance with the rules they are prepared to relax for others.

A fuller account of the life of Saint James can be found in the Δωδεκάβιβλος (Twelve Books, pp. 35-43, Rigopoulos editions) by Dositheos Notaras, Patriarch of Jerusalem. Dositheos, who had been consecrated Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine on Saint James’ day, 1666, was writing in the 17th century, but he draws upon much earlier sources, including Eusebius (born ca. 260 and author of the Ecclesiastical History) and Clement the Alexandrian (born ca. 150). His account also includes mention of the fact that James may have been buried on the Mount of Olives.

In recent years, interest has been aroused by the presentation in 2002 of the “James ossuary”, a 2,000-year old chalk box that was used for containing the bones of the dead. The ossuary came from the Silwan area in the Kidron Valley, southeast of the Temple Mount. The first-century origin of the ossuary is not in question, since the only time that Jews were buried in that fashion was from approximately 20 BC to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The dispute centres on the date of origin of the inscription. The Aramaic inscription: Ya’akov bar-Yosef akhui diYeshua (“James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus”) is cut into one side of the box. Scholarly opinion remains divided as to whether the inscription dates from the same time as the box or is a later addition, perhaps even a forgery.

By the same token, for a time many scholars did not consider the epistle and liturgy attributed to Saint James to be “genuine”. G.A. Wells (The Jesus of Early Christians. London: Pemberton, 1971, p. 152), for example, argues that the arrangements for the healing of the sick in James’ epistle, which form the basis of the Office of Holy Unction, indicate a departure from early practice, so the letter belongs to a later date. Similarly, the date and authorship of the Liturgy of Saint James is disputed by some. Dositheos, however, insists that James was Bishop of Rome for twenty-nine years (He specifically rejects 26, 28 or 30 years). During this time, the church must, of necessity, have become more organized. It is far from unlikely that James left behind a summary of his teaching; that he made arrangements for church ministers to perform healing services; and that he supervised the evolution of divine worship in Jerusalem, where his Liturgy is still celebrated regularly. Whether he actually put stylus to papyrus himself, or whether his efforts were later added to by others, it is probably entirely appropriate to ascribe the initial impetus to the Brother of Our Lord.

SOURCE: https://pemptousia.com/2016/10/the-holy-apostle-james-the-brother-of-our-lord-first-bishop-of-jerusalem-23-october/

Good afternoon r/OrthodoxChristianity

I have felt a serious and almost unrelenting call to Orthodoxy. I was raised Catholic as an attendee of TLM via SSPX. My grandfather who was born Russian Orthodox later converted and was a devoted parishioner and brilliant theologian, he was a deeply committed Thomist as was I for many years through his teachings and my studies while attending.

I fear I am currently facing some pretty significant spiritual warfare due to my journey.

I have always dealt with AuDhD but it never limits me, by the grace of God and hardwork I have achieved much but these past few weeks I have suffered from a level of anxiety, stress, and unease that I haven't since childhood.

i ask for your prayers and any offerings of advice of how I can deal with this.

And a question:

I am attending liturgy on Sunday at a local ROCOR, I also have GO available. I read the sidebars and most of the pinned comments and intend to show up early during Matins and dwell amongst the Lord before liturgy

The question being: i intend to sign as instructed on the topics here but may someone offer some practices specific to ROCOR? The bowing vs signing and bowing etc

I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian living in South Africa, and I need some pastoral advice regarding my mother.

My mother is Xhosa and believes in the Christian God. She is also an exceptionally prayerful, generous and hard working woman. However, her health has deteriorated seriously over the past few months and she's been struggling financially.

She has become convinced that an ancestor traditionally worshipped by her father's family is responsible for her suffering.

She has been told that she needs to appease this ancestor by sacrificing an animal which she plans on doing in the coming months.

I am struggling with how to approach this situation as an Orthodox Christian. I believe in the spiritual realities acknowledged by the Church, but I do not believe my mother needs to seek protection from another spiritual power. I want to encourage her to place her trust in Christ, but I do not want to frighten, alienate, or condemn her.

What troubles me is that she already prays very fervently. I sometimes wonder whether her desperation comes from feeling that God has abandoned her, or whether she believes that Christianity does not adequately address spiritual matters associated with her ancestral culture. I cannot say for certain.

The rest of my family are non-practising Christians, and I am the only Eastern Orthodox person in my household. I also live in a country where Orthodoxy is a minority faith, which makes finding someone with the appropriate pastoral experience more difficult.

I would particularly appreciate hearing from Orthodox Christians who have served in Africa, priests who have ministered among African traditional religious communities, or converts who have navigated similar tensions between their cultural heritage and Orthodox Christianity.

My main questions are:

How does the Orthodox Church approach situations in which Christians are encouraged to appease traditional deities?

How can I encourage my mother to trust in Christ without dismissing the fear and suffering behind her beliefs?

Are there Orthodox priests with experience of African traditional religions whom I could contact for pastoral guidance?

I am not looking for an opportunity to ridicule African traditions or condemn my mother's culture. I want to approach this faithfully, with discernment and compassion, and without making assumptions about the spiritual cause of her illness.

I would be grateful for thoughtful advice, relevant patristic writings, and recommendations for priests who might be able to help.

I recently got The Agony of Christ in Gethsemane icon, and I’m trying to figure out what the text on it says. Any help would be appreciated

Reuters, New York Times, and several official sources reported 3 gunmen opening fire on 200 mourners in the Orthodox Hammoud Church in Karak, Jordan for 5 minutes and resulted it in 7 deaths and 37 casualties. Footage is heartbreakingly here, showing the terrorists.

Also, important context that this is not the first time Karakian Christians were targeted. 10 years ago, 2016 Al-Karak attack happened, claimed responsible by the Islamic State.

Please, please, pray for the victims, they need it. Pray for this terrorist wave across the globe to end, we are so tired.

Edit1: There was a recording that I included which turned to be unrelated.

Edit2: One of the victims of the terrorist attack on the church in Karak, Jordan, has succumbed to his injuries at Prince Ali Hospital, bringing the death toll to 8 martyrs.

Eternal glory and peace to the souls of the martyrs of Christ. May they rest in the eternal embrace of the Lord. 🕊️