St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church
+ O A.
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Q: Does your church practice "Open Communion"
- Q: Isnt all our old-fashioned doctrine and worship a bit irrelevant to modern life
- Q: What significance does the event of the Ascension of Jesus Christ have for the Christian We should understand why we celebrate any feast, and its inner meaning.
+ O A. Πεντηκοστή, ονομάζεται κατά την Καινή Διαθήκη η επιφοίτηση του Αγίου Πνεύματος στους Αποστόλους που συνέβη την πεντηκοστή ημέρα από την Ανάσταση του Ιησού Χριστού (Πράξεις β' 1-41). Σε ανάμνηση του γεγονότος αυτού, κάθε χρόνο, οι Χριστιανοί εορτάζουν με ιδιαίτερη λαμπρότητα την εορτή της Πεντηκοστής και αυτό διότι θεολογικά η ημέρα αυτή θεωρείται η γενέθλια ημέρα της Εκκλησίας.
Η εορτή αυτή αντιστοιχεί με την επίσης μεγάλη ετήσια εορτή των Ιουδαίων η οποία στις Εβραϊκές Γραφές (Παλαιά Διαθήκη) αποκαλείται Γιορτή του Θερισμού ή Γιορτή των Εβδομάδων. (Έξοδος 23:16· 34:22) η οποία ήταν καθαρά γεωργική εορτή με τελείως διαφορετικό περιεχόμενο. Η τήρηση της λάβαινε χώρα την πεντηκοστή ημέρα μετά τις 16 Νισάν του Ιουδαϊκού ημερολογίου, την ημέρα κατά την οποία η κεφαλή κάθε οικογένειας προσέφερε στον Θεό ένα δεμάτι κριθάρι, που υποδήλωνε την επιθυμία για ειρηνική σχέση μαζί Του. (Λευιτικό 23:15, 16) Οι προσφορές για αυτή τη γεωργική γιορτή γίνονταν μέσω του ιερατείου αρχικά στην Σκηνή της Μαρτυρίας, ενώ αργότερα στον Ναό στην Ιερουσαλήμ.
Την ημέρα της Πεντηκοστής έλαβε χώρα η επιφοίτηση του Αγίου Πνεύματος στους 120 μαθητές (περιλαμβανομένων και των αποστόλων του Ιησού) οπότε, σύμφωνα με τις Πράξεις των Αποστόλων, έλαβαν Άγιο Πνεύμα μιλώντας σε ξένες γλώσσες (γλωσσολαλιά) «για τα θαυμαστά έργα του Θεού», γεγονός που έγινε αντιληπτό από Ιουδαίους και προσήλυτους που ήταν στην Ιερουσαλήμ για τη γιορτή των Εβδομάδων. Ως αποτέλεσμα, έπειτα και από το κήρυγμα του Πέτρου, βαφτίστηκαν εκείνη την ημέρα 3.000 νέα μέλη της χριστιανικής εκκλησίας. (Πράξεις 1:13-15· 2:1-41) Εκείνη η ημέρα ήταν 50 ημέρες μετά την ανάσταση του Ιησού Χριστού που συνέπεσε στις 16 Νισάν.
Η "Πεντηκοστή" άρχισε να γιορτάζεται από τους αποστολικούς χρόνους είτε στο ναό των Ιεροσολύμων μαζί με τους Ιουδαίους (Πράξεις κ'16), είτε χωριστά. Σύμφωνα με τους εκκλησιαστικούς Πατέρες και συγγραφείς του β' μισού του 4ου αιώνα γίνεται λόγος περί του εορτασμού από τους αποστολικούς χρόνους όπου κατά την εορτή αυτή γινόταν και η βάπτιση των κατηχουμένων όπου και για το λόγον αυτό συνεχίζεται και ψάλλεται ο τρισάγιος ύμνος: "Όσοι εις Χριστόν εβαπτίσθητε..."
Η Πεντηκοστή είναι εβδομαδιαία εορτή δηλαδή εορτάζεται όλες τις ημέρες της εβδομάδας με ιδιαίτερη έξαρση το Σάββατο. Από τις μεθεόρτιες ημέρες ξεχωρίζει η Δευτέρα που είναι αφιερωμένη στο Άγιο Πνεύμα όπου και επαναλαμβάνεται ομοίως όλη η ακολουθία της Κυριακής. 14
Koinonia May & June 2014 15
Koinonia May & June 2014
Q: Does your church practice "Open Communion?" ~ Glenda
A : In the strictest sense the Communion of the Orthodox Church is open to all repentant Orthodox Christian believers. That means we are glad to receive new members into the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox concept of "Communion" is totally holistic, and radically different from that of most other Christian groups. We do not separate the idea of "Holy Commun- ion" from "Being in Communion," "Full Communion," "Inter-Communion" and total "Communion in the Faith."
In the Orthodox Church therefore, to receive Holy Communion, or any other Sacrament (Mystery), is taken to be a decla- ration of total commitment to the Orthodox Faith. While we warmly welcome visitors to our services, it is understood that only those communicant members of the Orthodox Church who are prepared by confession and fasting will approach the Holy Mysteries.
A: We believe that God quite literally does exist. He is not a figment of pious fiction or wishful thinking. God and His will is therefore our "top priority." We believe that the Word of God quite literally became Incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth. We believe the Lord Jesus literally rose from the dead in a real though transfigured and glorified physical body. We believe that life apart from God is hollow and meaningless.
We notice that people today talk often of "meaningfulness," "the meaning of life," meaningful relationships," "the common good," "the good of humanity," "hope for the future of mankind" and so on. Also, various cults continue to attract many followers in all parts of our land. This indicates to us that people today are hungry for the answers we believe God has revealed through His Word, Who is Jesus Christ.
We believe ultimate human values are revealed to us by God, and serve as constant guides in the use of our steadily expanding scientific knowledge. We seek to evaluate technological advances in the light of those basic values. It is our experience that our venerable Liturgy and the ancient Christian doctrines about God and the meaning of human life are just as relevant today as yesterday. These define our basic values. We know the whole ancient Christian Faith as that which makes more sense than anything else in this world of constant change, confusion and conflict. God is the Source of all Meaning; we believe that "mankind's noble ideals" such as truth, beauty, freedom and love, are not "merely ideals," but real characteristics of a real Lord.
: Christ ascended to Heaven as man and as God. Once he became a man, being at the same time, as always, perfect God, he never put off His manhood, but deified it, and made it and us capable of apprehending heavenly things. The Ascension is a prophecy of things to come for those who love God and believe in Him in an Orthodox manner. Those who believe and live according to this belief will be in the heavens, in the flesh, with Him, just as He now abides in the Heavens in the flesh. Our flesh and souls will be saved, because Christ made human flesh capable of deification. We also call to mind the promise of the Holy Spirit, since Christ mentions this promise He had made before to them, and its advent is tied to His ascension thusly: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. {8} And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: {9} Of sin, because they believe not on me; {10} Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; {11} Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16:7-11)
What Christ has done for human flesh and our souls is impossible to understand, but the church, with sweet melody, medi- tates with fervor and thanksgiving and precise theology in her services. "O Christ, having taken upon thy shoulders our nature, which had gone astray, thou didst ascend and bring it unto God the Father" (Matins canon for the Ascension, Ode 7) "Having raised our nature, which was deadened by sin, Thou didst bring it unto Thine own Father, O Savior" (ibid.) "Unto Him Who by His descent destroyed the adversary, and Who by His ascent raised up man, give praise O ye priests, and supremely exalt Him, O ye people, unto all the ages." (Matins canon for the Ascension, Ode 8)
Since the disciples were "filled with great joy", we who are Orthodox in belief and way of life should naturally be this way also, and should hasten to the temple. There we can meditate upon the magnificent truths and promises in the ascen- sion by listening carefully to the divinely inspired theology, sung in sweet melody. If we pray with care, and expectation, having valued divine worship above our worldly cares, surely God will enlighten us and teach us the true meaning of Christ's Ascension.
Ask Father Nick
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