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Thoughts Concerning the Church
By New Martyr Patriarch Tikhon
From various sermons delivered while he was Bishop of North America and the Aleutian Isles

In Christ's Church peace is spread abroad. Here we pray for the peace of the whole world, for the union of all; here everyone calls one another brother, they help one another. Christians are called to love everyone; they even forgive their enemies and do good to them. And when Christians are obedient to the voice of the Church and live according to its precepts, then they truly experience peace and love. Let us only recall the first Christians, who had one heart, one soul, who even owned what they had in common (cf. Acts 4:32). By contrast, when people distance themselves from the Holy Church and live according to their own will, then there reigns self-love, divisions, discord, wars.

Ought we not to rejoice and thank the Lord that He, in His merciful kindness, regards His Church and preserves her unharmed and invincible even to this very day? After all, it was not only in the first centuries of her history that Christ's Church endured various troubles and was subject to persecutions, and it was not only during the time of the ‘cumenical Councils that she was attacked by false teachers, who elevated their minds above the mind of God. From the first days of its existence and to the end of time she will be like a ship with passengers, sailing upon a tempestuous sea that is ready at any minute to capsize the ship and swallow its cargo. And it seems that the further the ship sails, the more fiercely the waves lash against it. In the early centuries the Christians endured persecution from without, from the pagans. But when the Church proved victorious over them, an even greater danger arose, this time from another side: while troubles from the pagans ceased, there arose troubles from her own, troubles from false brothers, attacks from within. From within the bosom of Christianity itself there appeared one heresy and schism after another. Of course, the truth of God vanquished human falsehood, but members of the Church can never retire their weapons. They must wage war no longer against ancient heretics, but against new enemies: against unbelievers, against those who deny the truth, against those who pretend to be representatives of a powerful science. And we cannot say that with the passage of time this war has abated; no sooner does the Church manage to conquer one foe, than she is confronted with a new antagonist. Evil is like some hydra; as one head is decapitated, another appears in its place.

How can we not rejoice on seeing that Christ's Church-a kingdom not of this world, a kingdom that has no worldly means at its disposal, no earthly enticements; a kingdom that is despised, persecuted, powerless-has not only not perished in this world, but has grown and has conquered the world. How can we not rejoice at the thought that in spite of all manner of coercion, attacks, and opposition, the Orthodox Church has preserved the faith of Christ as a precious treasure, in its original purity and entirety, unharmed, so that our faith is the faith of the apostles, the faith of the fathers, the Orthodox faith....

Translated from Pravoslavnaya Rus', No. 16, 2000, where it was excerpted and reprinted from Vechnoye, June 1964.

A Manual of Divine Services
Archpriest D. Sokolof
Preliminary Ideas

The Nature of Divine Service.
By "Divine Service" the Orthodox Christian Church means a series of prayers, recited or sung in a given order, with certain ceremonies, by means of which prayers Orthodox Christians glorify God and His Saints, express their thanks and offer their petitions, and through the performance of which they receive from God mercies and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Divine service is private or domestic when it is performed in private by one or several persons; it is public when it is performed in the name of the whole Church, or of a community of Christians, by persons authorized to do so. The prayers used in public warship are divided into two categories: those for permanent services, i.e., services performed daily for the benefit of all Christians, and those for occasional services, i.e., services which are performed only on certain occasions, according to the special needs of the faithful, and therefore called tréba, a word which, translated, means "need."

The Origin of Divine Service.
Divine service made its appearance on earth simultaneously with man. The goodness and almightiness of the Lord impel men to glorify and thank Him; the consciousness of their wants prompts them to address their petitions to Him. And as man consists of both body and soul most closely united, therefore prayer is expressed in words and accompanied by certain m
otions of the body, and, vice-versa, external objects arouse a prayerful inclination in man. In this way private worship originated and developed, varied as to prayers and rites.
But men came together and formed communities, and this gave rise to uniform prayers for all the members of one community, and for these common prayers there were gradually appointed: place, time, order of services and persons to perform them. In this way, as human society became organized, public worship also developed.
In Old Testament times, previous to Moses, divine service was of the private, domestic type. The paterfamilias — the patriarch — on behalf of his entire family or kin (tribe), selected the place, appointed the time and laid down the order of prayer. Even then certain customs already began to harden into rules which the patriarchs themselves observed, following their fathers’ example. But since Moses’ time, the Israelites had a public worship, instituted by God Himself, with temple, priests and rites. Jesus Christ, the founder and the Head of the Christian Church, while himself complying with all the regulations of Jewish worship, did not give to His disciples any definite ritual. But He instituted the Sacraments, commanded His disciples to preach the Gospel, taught them how to pray, promised to be present in the gatherings of Christians assembled in His name, and thereby laid the foundation of His Church’s public worship. Thus it was that, immediately after Christ’s ascension to Heaven, a certain order of public worship gradually began to develop in the Christian community. In the Apostles’ lifetime already, certain holy persons were consecrated, certain places were appointed for divine service, and a ritual was instituted for those offices during which the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist are administered; furthermore the principal rites were devised to accompany the celebration of the other Sacraments, even to the appointing of the times for common prayer, certain feast-days and fasts. The persecutions which the Christians suffered during the first three centuries hindered them from composing an entire ritual for public worship and making it uniform for all Christians; such a ritual was fully developed and finally established only when Christianity was proclaimed the ruling religion of the Roman Empire.

External Signs.
Several of the external signs of prayer are common to all men; such are: inclinations of the body, as low as the waist or all the way to the ground, kneeling, bowing of the head, lifting up of the hands. All these gestures express devotion to God, humility, repentance, supplication for mercy, gratitude, and reverence.
But, apart from these universal expressions of prayerful feeling, Orthodox Christians, when praying, use a sign which belongs exclusively to them: the sign of the Cross. This sign, according to oldest custom, we make in the following manner: the thumb, the index and the middle finger of the right hand we join together, while we bend down the third and the little fingers till they touch the palm of the hand. Having arranged the fingers in this manner, we touch with them first the brow, then the breast, and after that first the right shoulder and then the left, thus making on our persons the sign of the Cross. By this sign we express our faith in the things which Christ the Saviour taught us and did for us: by joining the three fingers, we express our faith in the Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible; by the two fingers bent to the palm of the hand we express our belief in the descent to earth of the Son of God, and in His having assumed humanity without divesting Himself of His divinity, thus uniting both natures in Himself, the divine and the human. By touching our brow, breast and shoulders, we express our belief that the Triune God hath sanctified our thoughts, feelings, desires and acts; lastly, by making on our persons the sign of the Cross, we express our belief that Christ hath sanctified our soul and saved us by His sufferings on the Cross.

The Christian Church Building
Names of the Various Church Buildings.
We give the name of Temple or House of God to a building specially consecrated to God, or to a separate part of a building so consecrated, where Christians assemble to offer up to God their common prayers, and to receive from Him His grace through the Holy Sacraments. Because the totality of Christians taken together forms the Church, therefore the buildings in which they assemble for common prayer are likewise called churches.
Every church is consecrated to God and sanctified in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, and is therefore entitled "a temple or church of God." But apart from this general designation, each church has its own particular appellation, such as: "Church of the Holy Trinity," "of the Resurrection of Christ," "of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul," "of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God," "of St. Andrew the First-called," "of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker." Special names are given to churches erected on some particularly memorable occasion, because churches are frequently dedicated to the memory of some event or other out of the life of the Saviour or of His Mother, or else of some Saint who is especially honored in some given locality, or whose name was borne by the chief founder of the church.*

When one town or city holds several churches, one of them receives the title of "general" or "universal" (sobór), because, on solemn feast days, not only the church’s own parishioners, but people from all parishes assemble there for divine service. In large cities there frequently are several general churches. That in which is situated the episcopal cathedra or throne is called Cathedral.
Together with the organization on earth of the community of believers in Christ, Christian churches made their appearance as gathering places for these believers. The Apostles and the early Christians endured persecution for their faith from the heathen, and for that reason used to assemble for prayer in private houses; but even in such houses they used to set apart for worship one room on which they looked with reverence, as on a place where the Lord was present by His grace. When the Christians increased in numbers and room was lacking in private houses for their gatherings, while they were not permitted to build special temples for their own worship, they began to meet together to offer their prayers to God in woods, in mountain gorges and in caves, or, if they lived in cities or in the neighborhood of cities, they assembled in the underground cemeteries known by the name of catacombs. So long as they were persecuted for their faith they could not decorate the places where they assembled, even though they wished to do so. Still, impelled by their pious feelings, they used, in the place of decorations, certain allegorical signs or symbols, intelligible to them alone. Thus, on the walls of the catacombs, they represented the Cross of Christ by the sign T; sometimes they drew a square block of stone and on that a door, seeing in this a semblance of Christ, Who is the rock of salvation and the door through which whosoever passeth shall be saved. Frequently again, Christ was represented in the shape of a fish, because the Greek word for "fish," ichthys, is composed of the initials of the words: "Iesous Christos, Theou Yios, Soter," i.e., "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour." Still more frequently He is represented as a Lamb, or as a Shepherd carrying a sheep upon His shoulders. The Resurrection was depicted as the whale ejecting a man (the Prophet Jonah) out of its maw. At a later time they began to draw the portraits of martyrs somewhere about their tombs in the Catacombs. At that time they performed divine service in garments of the ordinary cut, only they wore their best and most ornamented clothes, preferably white ones. When Christians were allowed to publicly profess their faith, they began to build temples, or rather churches. Sometimes they transformed existing buildings into churches, adapting them to their requirements. But they mostly erected special buildings, which differed from others both in external appearance and internal arrangement. The first churches built by Christians differed from our modern churches in that they had no screen (iconostás), but the sanctuary was separated from the body of the church only by a curtain, or even merely a railing. Besides which, large extensions were added to the ancient churches for the use of catechumens, i.e., of persons who had not yet received Holy Baptism, but were preparing to receive it and were undergoing elementary instruction in the Christian faith.

External Appearance of Churches.
The most generally accepted shape for Christian churches is the oblong, in imitation of a ship. By giving their churches such a shape, Christians express the thought that, as a ship, under the direction of a good helmsman, carries men through stormy seas into a peaceful harbor, so the Church, governed by Christ, saves men from drowning in the deep waters of sin and brings them into the Kingdom of Heaven, "where there is neither sorrow nor sighing." Churches are frequently built in the shape of a cross, to show that Christians obtain salvation through faith in Christ crucified, for Whose sake they themselves are ready to suffer all things. Sometimes a church is given the shape of a circle in token that the Church of Christ (i.e., the community of those who believe in Christ) shall exist through all eternity and that it will for ever and ever unite the faithful with Christ, for the circle is the emblem of eternity. Sometimes, again, the shape is that of an octagon, — the shape of a star — in token that, as a star shows a man his way on a dark night, so the Church helps him to walk along the path of righteousness amid the darkness of iniquity which encompasses him. The latter two shapes are not so often used, as they are inconvenient for the inner arrangement of the church.

The entrance into a church is almost always from the west, the church itself being turned with its main part towards the east, in token that the Christian worshippers enter from the darkness of impiety into the light of truth (the East being the symbol of light, good, truth; while the West is the symbol of darkness, evil, error). This rule is departed from only if a building formerly erected for another purpose is changed into a church, or if a church is arranged in a private house, when the entrance and the main portion are located according to convenience.

On the roof there are usually one or several cupolas (towers with rounded or pointed roofs), signifying that Christians should detach themselves from earthly attachments and aspire heavenward. These cupolas are sometimes called crests or summits. One crest or cupola signifies that the community of Christians has only one head — Christ; three cupolas are erected in honor of the Most-Holy Trinity; five point to Christ and the four Evangelists, who left for us descriptions of Christ’s life; while seven indicate the seven sacraments (through which we receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit), and the seven Ecumenical Councils, by the ordinances of which Christians are guided to this day; nine crests remind us of the nine classes of angels who dwell in Heaven, whom Christians wish to join in the Kingdom of Heaven, while thirteen crests signify Christ and His twelve Apostles. Every cupola, or, where there is none, the roof, is surmounted with a Cross, the instrument of our salvation.

The Internal Arrangement.
The interior of a church is divided into several compartments: 1) the Sanctuary, where divine service is performed; 2) the Chapel of the Prothesis, containing the Table of Oblations, for the reception and preparation of the sacred Gifts; 3) the Vestry, for the keeping of sacred vestments; 4) the Body of the Church, for the worshippers; 5) the Vestibule and Porch, for the catechumens.

The Sanctuary.
For those who perform divine service, the eastern part of the Church is set aside. It is somewhat raised above the other portion, in order that the service be heard by all present, and is called the Sanctuary. Persons not consecrated to the service of the church are not permitted to enter this part of it. The sanctuary is divided from the worshippers by a curtain, and a partition or screen. In some churches there are several sanctuaries dedicated to the memory of various events and various persons. They are called annexes or chapels.
In the middle of the Sanctuary there stands a square table; it is the altar; also called Holy Throne, because the Lord is present on it, or Holy Table, because upon it Christians are offered the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and made to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. The altar is made square in token that Christ’s doctrine and sacrament are free to men of all four parts of the world.

The altar, as being the place on which rests the Glory of the Lord, is vested with two coverings; the first is of white linen, the second or outer covering is of rich brocade. Upon the altar is laid a silken or linen cloth, on which is represented the Descent from the Cross and the preparation of Christ’s body for interment. This cloth is called the Antimíns, which means "what is instead of the altar." The origin of the Antimins is as follows: The law demands that a Christian church shall be consecrated by a bishop; and as there was not always one on hand to do so, and, besides, as movable churches had to be organized for travelers, it became usual for bishops to consecrate only the upper boards of the altar, or even only linen or silken cloths, which, after signing them with their name, they sent to newly-built churches, or gave to people who were starting on a journey. Later on, an Antimins became a necessary feature of every altar, even in such churches as had been personally consecrated by bishops. Into every Antimins is sewed a particle of some holy relic (i.e., of the incorruptible remains of Saint’s bodies), in memory of the fact that in early times Christians used to assemble for divine service on or by the tombs of martyrs, and in token that the Saints, being near to God, intercede for us with their prayers. If the church is consecrated by a bishop, the relic is placed under the center of the altar, upon a stand in a special small casket, to keep it from injury; it is wrapped in a silken cloth called pleiton, which means "a wrap."

Indispensable attributes of the altar are the Cross and the Gospel.* The Cross is laid there as a sign of Christ’s victory over the devil and of our deliverance, and the Gospel, because it is the book which contains the Word of Christ, by following which we may obtain salvation. In the first ages of Christianity, before the execution of criminals by crucifixion had been abolished, Christians used Crosses adorned with ornaments, but without the representation of Christ crucified; sometimes only they painted on it a Lamb, either standing at the foot of the Cross or carrying one.

The Gospel which is kept on the altar always has a beautiful binding, in the middle of which is a representation of Christ Saviour (mostly of the Resurrection), while the corners are occupied by the four Evangelists. These are represented with their respective symbols, in other words, their characteristics, i.e., signs which allude to the contents of the books they wrote. With the Apostle Matthew we see the face of a man or an angel, in token that Matthew describes Jesus Christ principally as the Son of Man, the descendant of Abraham, as the Messiah expected by Israel, of whom the prophets wrote. The Evangelist Mark represented Christ as the One "Sent of God," possessed of almighty power, the King of all men, whether Jews or Gentiles, and therefore his symbol is the lion, the mighty king of beasts. The Evangelist Luke, because he represented Christ as the Saviour of all mankind, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of men, has the bull, the animal which the Jews used to sacrifice. The Evangelist John has given us more fully than the other Apostles the lofty doctrine of Christ as the Son of God; hence he is associated with the eagle, the bird which soars high and fixes his gaze on the Sun.
Besides the Cross and Gospel there stands on the altar an ark or tabernacle, in which are preserved the Holy Gifts (the Body of Christ, saturated with His Blood), reserved for giving communion to the sick, and to others at times when it is not lawful to celebrate the Liturgy. These tabernacles are sometimes made in the shape of a coffin, or a sepulchral cave, in which case they are called "Graves"; — at other times in the shape of a temple. A temple-shaped tabernacle, used, in old times, to be called "Sion" or "Jerusalem."* All tabernacles alike are called cibória. The ciborium used to carry the Holy Gifts into a private house, in order to give communion to a sick person, is a casket with several compartments. In one is placed a very small casket containing particles of the Holy Gifts. In another there is a small chalice with a tiny spoon, and in a third a small vessel with wine and a sponge to clean the chalice with. Such ciboria also are kept on the altar.

The space behind the altar is called Béma or "high place," because it is sometimes raised above the rest of the Sanctuary. On this spot is placed the Cathedra or throne of the bishop, and on both sides of it are seats for the priests. In our day, the episcopal Cathedræ are placed only in the principal (general) churches (sobór), which hence are called Cathedrals. On the eastern side of the church above the Bema, is a representation of the Saviour, and on both sides of it, are icons of Apostles, but more often of holy bishops. The lampada before the icon of the Bema is called High Light. In very ancient churches where the eastern wall always had a window, the Sacrament of the Eucharist was represented on both sides of it: on one side Christ giving to six apostles His Body in the form of bread, and on the other side Christ giving communion to the other six apostles out of the cup filled with His Blood in the form of wine.
Sometimes a canopy is erected over the altar, on four columns, and beneath it hovers a dove with outspread wings, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The Chapel of the Prothesis.
On the left-hand side of the Sanctuary is placed the chapel of the Prothésis or "offering." That is where the offerings of Christians for the divine service are received. This chapel sometimes forms a separate compartment, divided from the sanctuary by a wall with a door, or only by columns or a curtain. In most churches, however, it is connected with the Sanctuary. In this space there always is a table whereon are deposited the offerings. It is called the Table of Oblations and is vested with rich coverings, like the altar; the wall around it is decorated with icons. On this table are also placed the sacred vessels used in the preparation of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. They are the following.
The Paten or Diskos (which means a round dish) on which are laid the portions of bread cut out in memory of Christ, the Mother of God and the Saints; also for the good of the living and the dead. For greater convenience the paten is now made with a pedestal. To it belong two small dishes or plates. On one of these plates is laid the bread, out of which a portion has been taken in memory of Christ; the top of it is stamped in the middle with a Cross, while around the rim runs the inscription: "Before Thy Cross we bow down, O Master." On the other plate is laid the bread from which a portion has been taken out in honor of the Mother of God; it is stamped with an effigy of her and the inscription around the rim reads as follows: "It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos."

The Asterisk, consisting of two arched bands, held by a screw in such a way, that they may be put together, or turned around into the shape of a Cross. It is placed over the paten, to prevent the portions of bread, which are laid on it in a certain order from getting mixed up.
The Spear. — A spear-shaped knife, double-edged, used to take portions out of the bread.
The Chalice or Poterion ("a drinking cup"), into which is poured wine mixed with water during the preparation of the Sacrament. To it belongs a small dipper, in which wine and water is presented.
The Spoon, with which the Holy Sacrament — the Body and Blood of Christ — is administered to communicants.
The Sponge, which is used for cleaning the holy vessels after the Liturgy. In our church two sponges are used. With one the paten is wiped, after the portions of bread have been dropped into the chalice; this sponge is kept on the altar in the Antimins and called "Antimins sponge." The other, which is used to wipe the chalice after it has been washed, is kept on the Table of Oblations, and is called the "cleansing sponge."
The Veils — one of which covers the paten, another the chalice, and a third both paten and chalice together — are used to protect the Holy Gifts against dust and insects. These veils are also called Aërs, because they cover the holy vessels even as air covers the earth; the largest veil is especially known under this name.
The Fans are used for driving insects from the Holy Gifts, when the veils are removed. In ancient times they used to be made of peacocks’ feathers, linen or fine leather. At the present time they are made of metal, in the form of a circle, somewhat like the glory around a saint’s head, and with a long handle; in the middle of the circle a Cherub is represented. These fans are used mainly at pontifical services, and are to remind us that Cherubim worship God with us before His altar.

The Vestry.
On the right hand of the Sanctuary a space is partitioned off and called the vestry. Here are preserved the church vessels, the books which are used in the performance of the services, and the vestments of those who officiate in them. As all these articles are taken care of by the deacons, the vestry is also called diakonnicon. In ancient times all sorts of edible gifts for the clerics used to be brought there, such as boiled rice or wheat (kutyá), cheese, eggs, sweet Easter cheese (pascha).

The Nave of the Church.
The Sanctuary, together with the Prothesis and vestry, are divided from the space provided for the worshippers by a grating or screen, which is called the Ikonostás ("image stand"), because it is decorated with icons or sacred images. The Ikonostas has three doors. The folding doors in the middle, which lead into the Sanctuary, to the altar, are called the Holy Gates, because the Holy Gifts of the Eucharist are brought out through them, or the Royal Gates, because the King of Glory, Jesus Christ, passes through them in the Holy Eucharist. These doors are generally in open-work and decorated with carving and icons. These latter usually represent the Annunciation and the four Evangelists, with their symbols or characteristics, to signify that on the altar is offered the sacrifice for the salvation of mankind, the first tidings of which were received by the Virgin Mary from the Archangel Gabriel, as known to us from the narratives of the four Evangelists. Just behind the Royal Gates a curtain is hung. During the services the Royal Gates are opened for the celebrants to go in and out of the Sanctuary, while the curtain is drawn across or drawn away, even when the Royal Gates are closed, in order to emphasize certain prayers or the meaning of certain rites. Thus during penitential services, such as Compline, the Midnight Office and the Hours, the curtain remains drawn, in token that our sins remove us far away from heaven, from God. During solemn, joyous services, assuring us that the Lord hath saved us, such as Vespers and Matins, it is drawn away. During the Liturgy, the curtain remains drawn away almost all the time. The door on the left of the Royal Gates leads into the Prothesis and is called the "northern door," while that on the right leads into the vestry and is called the "southern" or "deacons’ door." On these two doors there are usually paintings representing either angels — the messengers of God, who minister unto Him in the Kingdom of Heaven — or sainted deacons, who in their lifetime, had charge of the Prothesis and vestry.

Besides the decorations of the doors, the entire screen which separates the sanctuary from the nave is decorated with icons, in one, two, or more tiers. Such screens, therefore, differ in appearance: they are either like an open-work grating, varying in height, or a solid wall up to the ceiling. The icons of the first tier are called "local icons." On the right of the Royal Gates there is always an icon of the Saviour, and next to it the "church icon," i.e., a representation of the Saint or event, in honor of whom or which the church has been named and dedicated. On the left side is an icon of the Mother of God. In the same tier, if there is room, are usually placed the icons of such Saints as are most honored in a given locality. Above the Royal Gates it is usual to place a painting of the Last Supper, in token that, in partaking of Christ’s Holy Sacrament, men are made worthy of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. The second tier is the place for the presentation of the different church feasts, i.e., of the principal events in the lives of our Lord and His Mother. The third tier contains the icons of the Apostles and in the middle of them, just above that of the Last Supper, is a representation of Jesus Christ — the subject of their preaching — in royal or episcopal vestments, with His Mother at His right hand and the Forerunner at the left. Such a presentation of Christ, bears the special name of Deisis.* If there is a fourth tier, it is filled with the icons of Old Testament prophets and in the middle of them is the Mother of God with the Divine Infant. A fifth and sixth tier will hold icons of holy martyrs and sainted bishops. The very top of the Ikonostas is adorned with the Cross, bearing the effigy of Jesus crucified. An Ikonostas decorated in this manner brings before us all the denizens of heaven and serves as a book, from which even those who cannot read may learn the history of Christ’s church and her doctrine.

The Ikonostas does not stand on the very edge of the raised floor of the sanctuary, but so that part of this floor projects into the nave. The part of the platform in front of the screen is called the Soléas (which means "an elevated place"). On this elevation Christians stand to receive Holy Communion, and the celebrants come out of the sanctuary and stand there while they recite public prayers and speak instructive addresses or read portions of Scripture. On both sides are placed the readers and singers. The middle of the platform just in front of the Royal Gates, where Holy Communion is administered, and prayers and addresses are read, is called the Ámbo, which means Ascent, and the place set apart at each end for the readers and singers is called Klíros. The word means lots. These places are called thus because in early times the readers and singers were chosen by lots.
Near each kliros are kept the portable icons, i.e., those which are used for divine services outside the church. They are fastened to long handles, sometimes by loops, more frequently by cords, and have the shape of banners. Indeed they are called banners, for they represent the banners of the church, under which Christians, being the warriors of Christ’s kingdom, go forth to fight the foes of truth and love.

The space in front of the soleas is reserved for the worshippers; the walls, as well as the square pillars which support the cupolas, are decorated with icons and paintings representing events from the history of Christ’s church.
Over against the Royal Gates, on the western side of the church, is an entrance door leading into the vestibule, and called the "beautiful door," because it usually is richly decorated — also simply the "church door," because it leads into the church. In large churches there are other smaller doors in the northern and southern sides of the church; through these the worshippers can go out into the side vestibules and to the porches.

Vestibule and Porch.
The vestibule is divided into two parts, the inner and the outer, the latter being called the "porch." The inner porch, used, in the early ages, to be set apart for catechumens — persons who wished to become Christians, were receiving Christian instruction and preparing for baptism — and for penitents, i.e., for Christians who, for their sins, were refused communion. In the vestibule was placed the fount for the performance of baptism; here, also, Christians used to take their food at a common table after the end of divine service. In some monasteries the vestibule to this day serves as dining-room or refectory. It is in the vestibules that the church orders the penitential services to be performed, in order more clearly to show that men remove themselves farther away from God by their sins and become unworthy to stand with His people. In the outer vestibule or porch the "weepers" used to stand in ancient times — a class of penitents who were forbidden to enter the church, and here implored the prayers of those who went in. In the East, funeral services over the bodies of departed Christians are held on the porch.

Articles For Divine Services
Lampadas, Candelabra and Candlesticks.
In all churches, on the Altar and on the Table of Oblations, also behind the Altar and in front of the icons, lights are kept burning, not only during evening and night services, but during day services as well. They signify that the Lord gives us the light of truth, and that our souls burn with the love of God and are penetrated with feelings of joy and devotion. It is quite in accordance with this conception that the illumination of the church is increased during solemn holiday services and decreased during penitential services.
For the illumination of a church, two things are needed: oil and wax. Oil (yielded by the fruit of the olive tree), is symbolic of grace, indicating that the Lord sheds His grace on men, while men on their side are ready to offer Him in sacrifice deeds of mercy. The pure wax, collected by the bees from fragrant flowers, is used as a token that the prayers of men offered from a pure heart are acceptable to God.

Of the candlesticks and candelabra used in the church, some are portable and some stationary, all varying in the number of candles or lamps which they bear. The candlesticks are always portable and carry one, two or three candles. One candle reminds us that there is but one God, Who is the Light Eternal; the candlestick with two candles is called Dikírion ("two candles"), and indicates that in Jesus Christ are united two natures — the divine and the human; that of three candles is called Trikírion ("three candles"), and alludes, to the three persons of the Deity. There are stationary candelabra, standing or suspended, in front of the icons, bearing both oil lamps and wax candles. These are called candils or lampádas if they carry only one candle; polycandils ("many lights"), if they carry seven or twelve candles (seven candles in allusion to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and twelve in allusion to the Apostles); lastly panicandils ("all light") are those that carry more than twelve candles. Some times, if a panicandil is made in the shape of a circle, garnished with candles, it is called khoros, which means "a circle," "an assembly."

Incense.
Besides the lampadas, candlesticks and candelabra, with their burning candles and lamps, an important item of divine service is the burning and swinging of incense (a fragrant tree-gum). This swinging is performed sometimes before the altar and the icons; then it expresses the wish of the worshippers that their prayer may ascend to Heaven, as the fumes of the incense mount aloft. Sometimes the incense is swung towards the worshippers; then it expresses the wish of the celebrant that the grace of the Holy Spirit may encompass these souls of the faithful as the fragrant cloud of the incense encompasses them. The vessel which holds the incense is called a censer; it is a cup with a cover running on three slight chains, which all unite into one handle.

Bell Ringing.
Every church has bells. They are placed either on the roof, in the turrets of the cupolas, or at the entrance above the porch, in the so-called "bell-chamber," or else next to the church in specially erected structures called "belfries." If the bell-chamber is made in the shape of a tall turret above the porch, it is also usually called a belfry.
The bells are used to call the faithful to divine service, to express the triumph of the Church, and to announce the principal acts of the service to those Christians who are not present at it, in order that they may join mentally in the common prayers of the worshippers. There are three ways of ringing the bells, according to the object for which they are rung:

1. One bell is struck several times at short intervals. This is done before the beginning of the service, to announce that it is about to begin, and is called the toll. In the same way is announced the moment of the Liturgy when the Great Mystery is accomplished, and sometimes the reading of the Gospel in other services. Where there are many bells, different ones are used on different days, and then they have different names — such as the "feast bell," the "Sunday bell," the "weekday bell," the "small bell."
2. Several bells are struck together three different times, in a "peal" (Russian, trezvón).This is usually done at the beginning of solemn services (the Liturgy, Vespers and Matins), after the single-stroke toll. On high feast-days the bells are rung in this way all day.
3. Every bell is struck once in turn, and after having gone over all the bells in this way two or three times, they are struck all together. This is called a carillon, and is reserved for special occasions, such as the bringing out of the Cross and the Sepulcher on Holy Fridays and during processions.

THE GREAT LENT - A WEEK BY WEEK MEANING
Rev. George Mastrantonis

THE INSTITUTE OF LENT

There are institutes and symbols adopted by nations, churches or groups of men which represent certain ideals accumulated in the past. These institutes, that is precepts recognized as authoritative, and symbols represent the thoughts and feelings of those who created or adopted them and put in them all the experience of the past, often through struggle and sacrifice. A few feet of ribbon for instance, red, blue and white in color, have little value as is. But if one puts them in a certain pattern of stripes and stars, they become the flag of the United States and represent the ideals and unity of the people of America. The flag reminds us of the people's struggle for liberty. It represents the national unity which attained for them their rights as a people. The same could be said for the institutes of a nation, army or any group of people. These institutes are created by the people and are used by them in certain ways for certain aims. Some of these institutes are the means for achieving certain values and ideals. In the life of the Church of Christ there are many institutes created and maintained to meet the needs of the people - the Ecclesia. Among these is the Great Lent which falls within the year-cycle of the life of the Church before Pascha-Easter. Lent is the period of time for self-examination by the believer; of putting on the spiritual armor of the Militant Church; of applying the riches of prayers and almsgiving; of adopting deeply the meaning of repentance; of atonement and reconciliation with God Almighty.

This great period of Lent before Easter (Pascha) is called by the Orthodox Church, Tessaracoste (Quadragesimal), which comes from the Greek word for "forty" (the 40 days of "fasting"). This Institute of the 40 days of Lent precedes the Resurrection of Christ. The celebration of the Resurrection of Christ does not fall on the same date each year, but according to the determination of the position of the moon and spring equinox, which is based on the original setting during the last Events of the life of Christ on earth. This 40-day period of Lent is a period of "abstinence" from foods, but primarily from personal iniquities. Abstinence from foods (fasting) alone is a means of attaining virtue; it is not an end in itself. During the period of fasting one makes a special attempt to evaluate his calling as a Christian; to listen to the voice of the Gospel and heed its commandments; to accept the constant invitation to enter Christ's Kingdom. It is an open invitation to everyone willing to enter; who believes in Christ and repents his iniquities; who makes an "about face" directly to Christ. To accomplish this - Which is a year-round concern - the Christian Church, dating back many years, out of experience and according to the nature of man instituted certain days of prayer and fasting as steps in a ladder to help those who need guidance to reach this spiritual plateau. All of these steps must have genuine personal meaning to avoid becoming merely a habit and routine. Fasting encompasses the entire pious life of the Christian, as Christ proclaimed, that symbolizes a deep acceptance of His admonition to "repent". This can be achieved not so much in terms of time, but in deeds in love of God and one's fellow man.

During the period of the Great Lent the awakening of the spirit of man comes about through inspiration from the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. It is a time of self-examination and preparation, and of taking an inventory of one's inner life. He and Christ know his exact condition. At this time one sees himself in the mirror of the Gospel - how he looks. One finds the means and ways to correct and improve himself. Lent is a period of time when one delves into himself with the light of the Holy Spirit in order to rid himself of the impediments which hold him back. It is a period when one strengthens his faith by more prayer and devotional life.

Let us then examine the meaning of fasting, which became an Institute of the Church. Fasting means the total abstinence from foods, as the original Greek word in the Bible, nesteia, literally means. The word fasting today is used for selection of foods and a limiting of their quantity. Fasting also can mean eating once a day bread, salt and water, after sunset. Although the period of Lent appeals to the function of man as a whole in repentance, self-examination, almsgiving, relationship with people with whom one is at odds, attitudes toward life, the abstinence from foods plays a vital role in the life of the Christian. The quantity and kinds of foods selected for this period of Lent help control carnal desires and develop discipline and a pious life. Fasting from foods is not a virtuous activity in itself, but a means for its achievement. But it has a distinct place in the life of the Christian, especially during the Great Lent.

THE ORIGIN OF FASTING

One may ask how the Institute of fasting originated. Was it a tradition handed down by the Apostles? Was it determined as such by the early Church? Was the duration of fasting established from the beginning? These and similar questions require an answer.
Fasting before Easter was not determined by the early Church as such either in specific days or for certain foods. In the New Testament the word for fasting, nesteia, means abstinence from food entirely, and was originally a Jewish custom reluctantly practiced by the Jews, although it was not an official requirement. Bishop Irenaios of Lyon (192) wrote a letter to the Bishop of Rome that there is a great difference about the duration of fasting before Easter. Some people, he wrote, fast one day, others two, still others more days. Some of them fast 40 hours continuously, day and night, from all foods (Eusebuis, Ecclesiastical History, 524,12). Tertullian, an ecclesiastical writer of the 3rd century, refers to abstinence from foods as being two days, Friday and Saturday. Some of the early Christians abstained from foods the whole day and ate only in the evenings, while others ate not at all, day or night, as did those who were fasting for 40 hours. Other Christians extended the period of fasting beyond the two days to one week (during the mid-third century),'but everyone was allowed to extend the duration of fasting as long as he wanted. Thus, these Christians added hours and days of fasting at their own will, beyond the customary duration of time (Dionysios, Bishop of Alexandria, P. G. Migne 10, 1278).

THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF FASTING

Over the years, the days of fasting increased to seven before Easter. These Christians ate in the evenings, and then only bread, salt and water, as recorded by Epiphanios in 403. The difference in counting the hours of fasting resulted from the different calculations of the time of the Resurrection of Christ in the Gospels (Matthew 28:1, before midnight; John 20:1, after midnight; Mark 16:2, at sunrise). The period of fasting before Easter was extended to 40 days without substantial evidence of any authoritative determination. The fact is that the 40 days of fasting was known to the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod (325). St. Augustine during the fifth century attributes the lengthy period of 40 days to the persecutions, 306-323. Others refer to the example of Christ fasting 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2); or to Moses (Exodus 34:28), or to Prophet Elias (1 Kings 19:8 - III Vasilion LXX) Probably the 40-day fasting period among the people was started during the persecutions, because the people took refuge in monasteries and followed the order of abstinence of the monks, which was very strict. Also hermits and other pious people of sobriety kept a fasting period of 40 days during the mid-third century, and this was handed down to the people. In reality, the 40-day practice for fasting before Easter was not a simultaneous practice in all the Christian lands, but a gradual process. Fasting as such was practiced by the people at the, very beginning for only two or three days per week, Wednesday and Friday and in some places Saturday (in the West).

In the course of time, a gradual increase in the number of weeks also took place. However, between East and West the number of weeks of Lent differed, with seven weeks being established in the East and six in the West by the mid-sixth century. The reason for the difference in the number of weeks between East and West was because in the West Saturday was a fast day along with Wednesday and Friday, while in the East Saturday was not a fast day except the Saturday of Holy Week, according to the Canons of the Church (Canon 66, Apostolic Fathers; Canon 55A Sixth Ecumenical Synod in 692 - Canon 18, Gangra Synod in 340-370). The adding of Saturday by the Church in the West as a fast day was related to the thought that the Body of Christ was in the tomb on this day. This innovation of fasting on Saturday was fought by Tertullian, Hippolytos (Ecclesiastical writer) and Bishop Jerome.
However, Bishop Inocentios of Rome (401-417) ratified the Saturday fast, and gradually this day became a fixed day in the West. In rebuke of this practice in the West, Bishop Ignatios of Antioch in a letter denounced this Saturday fast (ch. 13). During the seventh century, Bishop Gregory I of Rome added four days before the beginning of the six weeks of Lent, starting with Wednesday, known as Ash Wednesday. The Church in the East, on the other hand, added an additional week before the seven weeks, known as Cheese Week, to complete the 40 days of fasting in Lent before Easter, excluding the seven Saturdays and eight Sundays, which are non-fast days. The reason for the number of 40 days of fasting during the Great Lent is obscure. The famous canonist of the twelfth century, Balsamon, writes, "There is but a forty day abstinence, that of the Pascha, but if one also likes to keep the weekly fast for other feasts ... he is not to be disgraced" (Migne PG 138,1001).

Fasting from foods is relevant to the condition of the health of the Christian, however. Fasting is not for the sake of fasting alone: "Fasting was devised in order to humble the body. If, therefore, the body is already in a state of humbleness and illness or weakness, the person ought to partake of as much as he or she may wish and be able to get along with food and drink" (Canon 8 of St. Timothy of Alexandria, 381).

THE MEANING OF THE FEAST DAYS OF LENT

Great Lent is a period of time when the people are more conscious of their spiritual character. The passages of the Gospels and the Epistles, the hymnology and prayers, the spirit of the Church - all endeavor to help the Christian cleanse himself spiritually through repentance. "Repent" is the first word Jesus Christ spoke in His proclamation to the people, as the epitome of His Gospel. Repentance is the main motivation of the Christian which acts to free him from sin. One's recognition of his sin, his contrition over it and lastly his decision to make an about-face change of his attitude are the steps of repentance. For one can learn to recognize iniquities from the Bible and the teachings of the Church. During the period of Lent the Christian is called to self-examination and self-control by the radiance of the Event of the Resurrection of Christ. This is why the Church designated such a period of time be observed before this great feast day.

Fasting in its religious setting is abstinence from food, always in relation to a religious event or feast. Fasting in itself has no meaning in the Christian Church, but has a role the attainment of Christian virtues. It is not to be accepted as a mere custom without a spiritual purpose. Fasting is understood as a means of temperance and sobriety, especially in relation to prayer, devotion and purity. It is also understood to be related to giving alms to the poor. The roots of fasting in the Christian Church are to be found in the Old Testament and the Jewish religion, both for certain days and certain foods. As a general rule, fasting precedes a religious feast. Many verses in the Old Testament refer to this:
"Thus says the Lord of Hosts: the fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore, love, truth and peace", Zechariah 8:18-19.

In continuation of the practice of fasting, the Christian Church determined the period of Lent to depend upon the great Feast of Easter, as set forth by the First Ecumenical Synod in 325. The Church determined the day on which the Resurrection of Christ would be celebrated, according to the conditions that existed at the time of this Event. Thus, the Synod set forth that the great Feast of Easter would be celebrated on: the first Sunday, after the full moon, after the Spring Equinox (March 21), and always after the Jewish Passover. Thus, this great Feast is a moveable date in the calendar. Therefore, Great Lent, which depends upon the date of Easter, also is moveable, each year being celebrated on a different date, (Sunday), depending on the above conditions.

The four weeks which precede Great Lent are considered preparatory, a forerunner to Lent. These four weeks, along with the eight weeks of Lent, are characterized by the Church as Triodion, meaning "thrice-hymns", a name which has no bearing on the substance of Lent itself:

The four weeks preceding Lent are known as:
1. Sunday of the Tax Collector and Pharisee (from the Parable),
2. Sunday of the Prodigal Son (from the Parable),
3. Sunday of Meatfare (the Final Judgment),
4. Sunday of Cheesefare (Adam's expulsion from Paradise);

The six weeks of the Great Lent are:
1. First Sunday (Sunday of Orthodoxy),
2. Second Sunday (St. Gregory Palamas),
3. Third Sunday (Adoration of Cross),
4. Fourth Sunday (St. John of Climax),
5. Fifth Sunday (St. Mary of Egypt),
6. Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.

During Great Lent:
1. Every day the Great Compline is read,
2. Every Wednesday and Friday the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is officiated.

A. THE FOUR PREPARATORY WEEKS

SUNDAY OF THE TAX COLLECTOR AND PHARISEE (John 1:43-52).
Arrogance is the perversion of the soul and spirit of man; it is the greatest weapon of the evil one; it is the mother of hypocrisy; it is the obstacle of spiritual progress: it is the degradation of civilization; it is the greatest enemy of man; it is the opposite of repentance; it is the corruption of the conscience of man. This is why the Church designated the first Sunday of preparation for acceptance of the Message of the Resurrection of Christ, with the Parable of the Tax Collector and Pharisee being read. The root of evil, arrogance, should be uprooted and replaced with the virtue of humbleness, which is the teaching of this Parable. The highest degree of man's arrogance is when a person speaks to God in prayers as did the Pharisee, who said, "God I thank thee", only for the opportunity to enumerate his achievements publicly, comparing himself to others who, according to him, were sinners, saying "I am not like other men, sinners, or even like this tax collector". He extolled himself saying, "I fast, I give tithe", which he did. But the more he boasted, the more he condemned himself through arrogance.

On the other hand, the tax collector confessed: "God be merciful to me a sinner". The repentance of the tax collector is the basis of Christian life; it is the passage into the Kingdom; it is the reestablishment of the image of God in the soul of His creature. Humbleness is the queen of all virtues. Thus, the first phrase of the hymnology of the day is: "Let us not pray pharisee-like. . . . Open to me the doors of repentance". The combination of almsgiving, prayer and piety, along with the intention of repentance like that of the tax collector, is imperative in the life of a Christian. The attitude of the tax collector made him a steward of divine gifts. Repentance and confession of faith is the same two-sided coin.

SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON (Luke 15:11-32).
This Parable relates to man's prodigality with the divine gifts to man. It is the consequence of arrogance. Prodigality is the unreckoning extravagance in sensuality. The prodigal is one who cannot be saved, whose life is dissolute, who squandered his father's property. Prodigality, then, is the second basic corruption toward which man is inclined. This is why this Parable is known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the subject matter of this week. Despite the characterization in this Parable, its main subject is the warm parental love of the Father. The father's love was unbroken and firm for his prodigal son. His love was shown more at the return of his son than in the beginning, despite the fact that his son squandered his "properties". In the end, however, the son exchanged his prodigality for repentance, and this is the crux of the parable. This moment changes the prodigal son into the prudent son, expelling arrogance with repentance. While the son was returning to his father, he kept rehearsing over and over again: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you". But when the son saw his father's house from afar, his father saw him, and ran to him and embraced him warmly. Thus, the son did not have the opportunity to tell his father what he had been rehearsing. The son at the beginning said, "give me", but in the end he asked, "make me", which is the depth of repentance and obedience, the challenging factors of a Christian.

SUNDAY OF MEATFARE (Matthew 25:31-46).
It is a strong conviction and belief of the Church that Christ will come a second time into the world, not to save the world, but in "glory" to judge the world. In as much as God knew in advance the destiny of each man, why did He not prevent the non-believers and wrong-doers from being born and being condemned everlastingly, someone might ask. The fate of people is wrought on this earth, because after death, there is no opportunity for repentance in order to better one's state. Man's finite mind cannot comprehend God's love for his salvation and judgment for his condemnation. Yet, here is the center of the belief that there is a Supreme Judge for those who committed iniquities and wrong-doings without punishment or discovery while on earth. Approaching Lent and Easter, the Christian is admonished to correct his faults by fasting, praying and almsgiving, as recorded in the Gospel passage of the day. The Last Judgment will be made according to the good works of each person as a result of his faith in and worship of God. These good works are directed to the "least", those in need, as Christ Himself says, "as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me", (v. 45). This Sunday is the last day before Lent that the believer eats meat.

SUNDAY OF CHEESEFARE (Matthew 6:14-21).
The theme of this Sunday refers to the expulsion of Adam from Paradise. Adam in Paradise misused his freedom by allowing himself to be persuaded by the evil one to disobey the command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The evil one convinced him that by so doing he would know more than God. The Church in its hymnology presents the condition of Adam outside of Paradise as weeping and working hard for his livelihood. The Gospel passage of the day refers to the manner of praying, fasting, almsgiving and all good works. These are to be done in secret, without boasting. The meaning of this Sunday is the condescension of God to the human weakness, "for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (v. 14-15). This is emphasized in the Lord's Prayer.,The week (six days) preceding Sunday of Cheese and after Meat Sunday, is the addition to the period of the Great Lent which completes the forty days of fasting (excluding Saturdays and Sundays). The name of this Sunday, "Cheese", implies that the fast of this week is the gradual transition from eating meat to the strict fast of Lent, which starts the next day, Monday, with the first Sunday of Lent at the end of the preliminary seven days (Sunday of Orthodoxy).

B. THE SEVEN SUNDAYS OF THE GREAT LENT

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT - SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY John 1:43-52).
This Sunday commemorates the return of the Icons into the churches, according to the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Synod (787). The Church determined that this celebration would take place each year on the first Sunday of Lent, as the Sunday of Orthodoxy, starting March 11, 843. On this Sunday every year the triumph of the faith of Orthodoxy is celebrated with ceremony. The Icon of Christ, according to St. John Damascus, is a distinct affirmation and a reminder of the fact of His Incarnation, which has a vital significance for the salvation of the faithful, an affirmation which prevails to this day in the Orthodox Church. The celebration of the day includes the procession with the Icon of Christ around the inside of the church with pomp and reverence. The Sunday of Orthodoxy calls upon the people to rededicate themselves to the deep meaning of their faith and to declare in unison, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all".

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT - ST. GREGORY PALAMAS (Mark 2:1-12).
This Sunday commemorates the life of St. Gregory Palamas (14th century). The Church dedicates this Sunday to St. Gregory for his orthodox faith, theological knowledge, virtuous life, miracles and his efforts to clarify the orthodox teaching on the subject of Hesychasm (from the Greek, meaning quiet.) Hesychasm was a system of mysticism propagated on Mt. Athos by 14th century monks who believed that man was able, through an elaborate system of ascetic practices based upon perfect quiet of body and mind, to arrive at the vision of the divine light, with the real distinction between the essence and the operations of God. Gregory became noted for his efforts to explain the difference between the correct teaching and this theory. Gregory was dedicated to an ascetic life of prayer and fasting, which are practices of Lent.

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT - ADORATION OF THE CROSS (Mark 8:34-38; 9:1).
This Sunday commemorates the venerable Cross and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Cross as such takes on meaning and adoration because of the Crucifixion of Christ upon it. Therefore, whether it be in hymns or prayers, it is understood that the Cross without Christ has no meaning or place in Christianity. The adoration of the Cross in the middle of Great Lent is to remind the faithful in advance of the Crucifixion of Christ. Therefore, the passages from the Bible and the hymnology refer to the Passions, the sufferings, of Jesus Christ: The passages read this day repeat the calling of the Christian by Christ to dedicate his life, for "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Christ)" (v. 34-35). This verse clearly indicates the kind of dedication which is needed by the Christian in three steps:

1. To renounce his arrogance and disobedience to God's Plan,
2. To lift up his personal cross (the difficulties of life) with patience, faith and the full acceptance of the Will of God without complaint that the burden is too heavy; having denied himself and lifted up his cross leads him to the,
3. Decision to follow Christ.

These three voluntary steps are three links which cannot be separated from each other, because the main power to accomplish them is the Grace of God, which man always invokes. The Adoration of the Cross is expressed by the faithful through prayer, fasting, almsgiving and the forgiveness of the trespasses of others. On this Sunday the Adoration of the Cross is commemorated with a special service following the Divine Liturgy in which the significance of the Cross is that it leads to the Resurrection of Christ.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT - ST. JOHN OF THE LADDER (Mark 9:17-31).
This Sunday commemorates St. John of the Climax (6th century) who is the writer of the book called The Ladder (climax) of Paradise. This book contains 30 chapters, with each chapter as a step leading up to a faithful and pious life as the climax of a Christian life. The spirit of repentance and devotion to Christ dominates the essence of this book, along with the monastic virtues and vices. He was an ascetic and writer on the spiritual life as a monk-abbot of Sinai Monastery. These steps of the ladder as set forth by St. John are to be practiced by the Christian especially during this period of the Great Lent. Each step leading to the top step of the ladder, is the climactic essence of the true meaning of a Christian life.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT - ST. MARY OF EGYPT (Mark 10:32-45).
This Sunday commemorates the life of St. Mary of Egypt, who is a shining example of repentance from sin through prayer and fasting. She lived a sinful life for many years, but was converted to a Christian life. She went into the wilderness to live an ascetic life for many years, praying and fasting in repentance of her previous sinful life, and dying there. St. Mary's life exemplifies her conviction about Christ, which motivated the changing of her life from sin to holiness through repentance. Her understanding of repentance involved not a mere change from small things in her life, but an extreme change of her entire attitude and thoughts. The Church commemorates St. Mary for her recognition of her own sins as an example of how one can free oneself from the slavery and burden of wrongdoings. This recognition of sin is imperative during Lent for the faithful as a means of self-examination and preparation for a more virtuous life in anticipation of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ.

PALM SUNDAY (John 12:12-18).
This Sunday commemorates the triumphant entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem received Christ as a king, and, therefore, took branches of palms and went out to meet Him, laying down the palms in His path. The people cried out the prophecy of Zechariah: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel" (v. 13; of Zechariah 9:9). The celebration of the Jewish Passover brought crowds of Jews and converted Jews to Jerusalem. They had heard of the works and words of Christ, especially about the resurrection of Lazarus. All the events related to Christ had a Messianic meaning for the Jews at the time. This vexed the high priests and pharisees. As usual, Christ went to the Temple to pray and teach. That evening Christ departed for Bethany. The tradition of the Church of distributing palms on this Sunday comes from the act of the people in placing the branches of palms in front of Christ, and henceforth symbolizes for the Christian the victory of Christ over evil forces and death.

HOLY WEEK.
The period of Great Lent includes the days of Holy Week. This is the time when Christians who went through the whole period of Lent in prayer and fasting approach the Feast of Feasts to celebrate the Passions of Christ and His Resurrection. During the entire Lent the faithful try to practice and live the ideals and standards of this period in the light of Easter. This is why the Hymnology of the entire period of Lent, especially during Holy Week, refers to the Resurrection of Christ as the center of the Christian Faith. Each day of Holy Week is dedicated to the Events and teachings of Christ during His last week on earth. The faithful who participate in the services of this week are more conscious of their duties to themselves and to their neighbors through fasting, praying, giving alms, forgiving the trespasses of others; in other words, participating, day by day, in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GREAT LENT
Great Lent before Easter is when the Christian participates fully in preparing himself to praise and glorify his God as Lord and Savior. Great Lent is like a "workshop" where the character of the faithful is spiritually uplifted and strengthened; where his life is rededicated to the principles and ideals of the Gospel; where the faith culminates in deep conviction of life; where apathy and disinterest turn into vigorous activities of faith and good works. Lent is not for the sake of Lent itself, as fasting is not for the sake of fasting. But they are means by which and for which the individual believer prepares himself to reach for, accept and attain the calling of his Savior. Therefore, the significance of Great Lent is highly appraised, not only by the monks who gradually increased the length of time of the Lent, but also by the lay people themselves, although they do not observe the full length of time. As such, Great Lent is the sacred Institute of the Church to serve the individual believer in participating as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, and, from time to time, to improve the standards of faith and morals in his Christian life. The deep intent of the believer during the Great Lent is "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus", Philippians 3:13-14.

Love: The Foundation of Existence in Our World

By Metropolitan Macarius

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. (II Cor. 9:15)

Love, which rests in human hearts desires to make itself manifest in some visible form. Such is the nature of true love. It cannot remain hidden for long in the heart: inevitably it will make itself known. The gift of love is excellent, but love itself is even more wonderful. The greatness of love is incomparable; it is limitless. God Himself has been pleased to have Himself called by the name of Love. Love is not a characteristic of God but His essence itself. God is love and he who abides in love abides in God.

Love is the wellspring of blessedness. Is not blessedness found in love for the All-blessed? Is not the blessedness of the Father found in the love of the Son, who sees Himself in that blessedness [of the Father], sees His wisdom and power? Is not the blessedness of the Son in the love of the Father, to Whom the Father reveals all, by Whom the Father creates everything and in Whom He rests with all love? Is not the Holy Spirit always with the Son and the Father - Love from Love and Life-creating, proceeding from the Father and with Love resting in the Son?
Everything has been called out of non-being into being by love. The love of God preserves all, cares for everything. Love and blessedness live together inseparably. Where there is love, there also is blessedness and where there is blessedness, there also is love. The happiness of married couples is found in love. Love is the source of joy in the family. How warm, how radiant to be in the company of people where love for one another is the possession of each and every one, where love lays down its life for its friends!

Love brought the Son of God to the earth, love lifted Him upon the cross. Love united heaven and earth; love gathered together that which was divided. Love created one Church under One Head of the God-man out of the heavenly and earthly, out of angels and men.
Love is that power on the earth which unites all. All the separate parts of the limitless earth are tied together by love. Nothing lives only for itself but rather serves all and is upheld by all. What preserves order and existence in the world is not the struggle of the strong with the weak, not war with one another for existence, but the service of one for the other. Life is not preserved by the mother fighting with her children but by the mother's love for her children where she completely forgets about herself. The sun does not shine and warm for itself but for others. Water does not quench its own but others' thirst. The Czar lives for his subjects and the subjects for the Czar. The happiness of the citizens is found in their full unity; children live for their parents, the joy of the parents is in their children; their support in old age - their sons and grandchildren. The children's joy is in their parents; when close to them the children are happy, satisfied, and at rest. So here we see that the law of love, and self-sacrifice for others rules; and not the struggle for survival.

Along with this law of self-sacrifice there exists another natural law, that of self-preservation. Here the law of love divides into two parts - love as living for others, and love as living for oneself. But these two parts are not mutually exclusive, but rather only limit one another and thus equalize the life of all creation. As light and darkness, hot and cold, exist along side each other, so together exist the law of self-sacrifice for others' sake and the law of self-preservation for one's own sake.
We mention these two laws since now some teach that all life exists by one law, the law which they call the struggle for survival. Hence they deny the meaning of the law of self-sacrifice for the good of others, when in fact that law of self-sacrifice or living for others, has a preeminent significance. When, as the result of ruining their nature by sin, people began to be guided primarily by the law of self-preservation and for its sake entered into a struggle for their survival, and as a result began to scorn the law of self-sacrifice, the law of love, then the harmony in the world of rational creatures was shattered. The well-balanced order in life was disrupted and together with it happiness. In place of love enmity appeared, everyone began to look after himself disregarding others. Everyone began to arrange his own happiness even at the expense of others. Lawlessness increased, love withered, love, as well as happiness, departed from our lives. Instead of living like one body and soul, married couples divided into two and began to entertain malice towards one another. The stronger began to offend the weaker, the weaker to revenge herself on the stronger. Children rose up against their parents and parents against their offspring. A brother became not a brother but a next-door neighbor, the rich began to oppress the poor, the poor to carry off the goods of the rich. The leader began to boast over those under him, his subjects acted hypocritical towards him. For everyone it became unbearable, cold, and difficult. All of this because love waned.

A terrible bottomless pit appeared in our world, the pit of material inequality and poverty, separating the poor from the rich by an impassable chasm. What have we not tossed into this chasm in order to fill it up? Whole trainloads of money and capital of all sorts, endless sermons and edifying books, a flood of enthusiasm, thousands of social organizations dreamed up by us - and all this perishes in the chasm, and the pit gapes before us as always.
Once in ancient Rome the earth opened up and a bottomless pit appeared, threatening to engulf the whole city. No matter how much they labored, no matter how much they tried to correct the situation, nothing helped. Then they turned to the oracle; it answered that the pit would close if Rome were to offer that which was most precious to her as a sacrifice to the pit. It is well known what followed, Marcus Curtius, the noblest of all noble Romans, threw himself into the abyss - and it closed.
Is there no oracle that could give us the right solution? The advice of this "oracle" was given of old and is familiar to all: A new commandment I give to you as I have loved you, so should you love one another. If we were capable of entering into the depths of these words and of scaling their heights, if we were willing to toss into the abyss that which is most precious to us - our theories, our reasoning, our habits tied to that particular situation which we have been confirmed in, then we could offer ourselves to that pit as a sacrifice and it would always close. But will this happen?

The Lord lives, however, and the Church which is His body lives,. Truth and Grace abide in Her eternally. The love of Christ as the Head of the Church abides in Her eternally. Love will also never wane between Her members as members of the body of Christ. This love between Her members, between the pastors and their flocks will never disappear entirely, although it might grow weak at times due to sin. By the power of Christ's Grace abiding in the Church, unity can again be restored. That spark of love, which is hidden under the ashes of human weakness, can by Christ's Grace again revive and burst into flame. Having fired up it cannot remain hidden in the heart but goes forth appearing in various manifestations of love: in care for one another, in obedience even to the lowest. On the one hand it manifests itself in serving the salvation of others to the limit of complete self-forgetfulness, and on the other in the desire to hearken to the counsel and steadfastly follow the advice of those who direct us.

Glory to God for His unspeakable gift - the gift of love, where we find happiness on earth and blessedness in Heaven!

Macarius, Bishop of Tomsk, 1903
Originally Printed in "Orthodox Life" No. 3, 1997
Translated from "Pravoslavnaya Rus," February 1/14, 1996

On the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord

On the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, the Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Lk 2: 22-40). On the 40th day after birth the God-Infant was taken to the Jerusalem Temple -- the centre of religious life of the God-chosen nation. By the Law of Moses (Lev 12) a woman, having given birth to a child of the male gender, was forbidden for 40 days to enter into the Temple of God. After this interval the mother came to the Temple with the child, so as to offer to the Lord thanksgiving and a purification sacrifice. The Most-Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, did not have need for purification, since without defilement she had given birth to the Source of purity and sanctity, but in profound humility she submitted to the precepts of the Law.

At this time there lived at Jerusalem the righteous elder Simeon (the account about him is located under the day of his commemoration, 3 February). It had been revealed to him that he would not die until he should behold Christ the Saviour. By inspiration from above, the pious elder went to the Temple at that very moment when the Most-Holy Mother of God and Righteous Joseph had brought there the Infant Jesus, so as to fulfill the ritual ceremony of the Law.
The God-Bearer Simeon took the God-Infant in his arms, and having given thanks to God, he uttered a prophecy about the Saviour of the world: "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart, O Master, with peace according to Thy word, wherefore hath mine eyes beheld Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to the enlightening of gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel" (Lk 2: 29-32). Righteous Simeon said to the MostHoly Virgin: "Behold, This One is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel and for the sign spoken against, and for Thee Thyself a sword shalt pierce the soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed" (Lk 2: 35).

At the Temple also the 84 year old widow Anna the Prophetess, daughter of Phanuel (commemorated 3 February), "who did not leave the temple, serving God both day and night in fasting and prayer. And she also at that time, having drawn near, glorified the Lord and spake about Him (the God-Infant) to all awaiting deliverance at Jerusalem" (Lk 2: 37-38).

Before the Birth of Christ, all righteous men and women lived by faith in the Future Messiah the Saviour of the world, and they awaited His coming. The final righteous ones of the closing Old Testament -- Righteous Simeon and the Prophetess Anna -- were deemed worthy to meet at the Temple the Bearer of the New Testament, in the Person of Whom both Divinity and humanity do meet.

The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is among the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church. It is known, that on the day of this solemnity were proclaimed sermons by Sainted Bishops Methodios of Patara (+ 312), Cyril of Jerusalem (+ 360), Gregory the Theologian (+ 389), Amphylokios of Iconium (+ 394), Gregory of Nyssa (+ 400), and John Chrysostom (+ 407). But in spite of its early origin, this feast was not so solemnly celebrated until the VI Century. During the reign of Justinian in the year 528, a catastrophe befell Antioch -- an earthquake, in which many people perished. And upon this misfortune there followed others. In the year 544 there appeared a pestilential plague, daily carrying off several thousand people. During these days of widespread travail, it was revealed to a certain pious christian that the celebration of the Meeting of the Lord should be done more solemnly.

When at the day of the Meeting of the Lord the all-night vigil was finally made with church procession, the disasters at Byzantium ceased. In thanksgiving to God, the Church established in 544 that the Meeting of the Lord should be done more solemnly.
Church melodists adorned this feast with many a church work of song: in the VII Century -- Sainted Andrew Archbishop of Crete; in the VIII Century -- Sainted Cosma Bishop of Maium, Monk John Damascene, Sainted Germanos Patriarch of Constantinople; and in the IX Century -- Sainted Joseph the Studite, Archbishop of Thessalonika.

With the event of the Meeting of the Lord is associated the icon of the Most-Holy Mother of God named: "the Softening of Evil Hearts" or "Simeon's Prophecy", which it is necessary to distinguish from the icon "Seven Arrows".
The icon "Simeon's Prophecy" symbolises the fulfillment of the prophecy of the righteous elder Simeon: "for Thee Thyself a sword shalt pierce the soul" (Lk 2: 35).

God’s Fellow Workers
About Ministry and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy
By Bishop Alexander (Mileant)

"For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I havelaid the foundation, and another builds on it. But leteach one take heed how he builds on it… Foundation…
is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:6-11).

Ministry as a Divine Institution.
The Orthodox Church, as well as all ancient Churches (Armenian, Roman Catholic, Coptic, Nestorian etc.), are characterized by the presence of priestly ministry and divine services. Notwithstanding the fact that post-Luther (1520) unions of Christians do not recognize either the former or the latter, both priesthood and divine services have not resulted from some external, anthropogenic factors, but rather have been established by God himself.
Of course, in the spiritual and moral sense all people are equal before God, Who impartially judges and forgives everybody as His child. Nevertheless, according to St. Paul the Apostle, just like the human body needs its different parts to perform various functions according to their designation, the Church needs different orders of ministers. It were not the people, but Our Lord Jesus Christ himself who "gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ [the Church]" (Ephes. 4:11-13), because "as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ" (Romans 12:4-5).

The process of selection and training of the first ministers was taking place gradually. Almost from the very first days of His earthly mission Lord Jesus Christ chose a number of people from the ranks of his listeners, preparing them to be His envoys and followers in fulfilling His mission. He has entrusted them, through teaching and baptism (Matthew 28:19), with attracting new disciples, performing the Eucharist (Luke 22:19), forgiving sins (John 20:21-23), as well as spreading and strengthening the Church founded by Him. "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:22-23), and later: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). Here, Jesus Christ has not only entrusted His chosen disciples with a mission of apostolic ministry, but has also empowered them with a special
gift of the Holy Spirit. After the Ascension of the Lord to Heaven, on the day of the Pentecost, they have received that gift in all its fullness (Acts, Chap. 2).

The Apostles understood all that had happened to them as a sign from above. It was not their own decision, or the society, or any external factors, but God himself who has entrusted them with a mission of apostolic ministry. "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation," wrote Paul the Apostle about his mission (2 Cor. 5:18).

In the beginning, the Apostles themselves have taught the Christian doctrine, baptized the believers, laid hands upon them to confer the blessed gifts, performed the Eucharist, and governed the Christian communities founded by them. However, it is evident from the book of Acts, the apostolic epistles, as well as from early Christian written sources, that the Apostles had been continuously looking for new assistants ("pastors and teachers"), training them to be their successors and ordaining them to bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Not just everyone willing to do that, but rather the individuals chosen by the apostles, were entrusted by the latter with performing all the functions that the Apostles had originally performed themselves on the Lord’s command. Those were not some isolated incidents of a temporary nature, but a well-structured plan they were universally and unanimously guided by. By doing that, they established a solid, reliable hierarchical structure that was to ensure the correct development and growth of the Church of Christ for all times.

Here is what Paul the Apostle wrote about the necessity of certain ministries within the Church: "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if… ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation;… he who leads, with diligence" (Romans 12:6-8). While exhorting the authorized individuals to perform the functions delegated to them with diligence, the Apostle has strictly prohibited the people who showed too much diligence from unauthorized usurpation of any ministries within the Church, because, according to the Apostle’s teaching, "no man takes the honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was" (Heb. 5:4). Therefore, no matter how high his moral virtues or personal skills may be, no man should dare minister or direct others without being duly chosen and ordained by the people authorized to do that in the Church. Paul the Apostle wrote about himself: "an apostle not from man, not through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father" (Gal. 1:1). "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:1-2).

Apostolic Succession and Perpetuity of Ministry.

By comparing different parts of the Holy Scriptures that deal with the selection and ordination of candidates for church ministries, it can be seen that this process is always characterized by a close interaction of two factors: on one hand, we see that a candidate is chosen by God, and, on the other hand, he must be chosen and specially ordained by duly authorized Church officials.
For example, after the Ascension of the Savior to Heaven, His apostles have included a new disciple into their group of twelve to replace fallen Judas. Having prayed to God asking Him to show them the worthy candidate, they cast their lots. And the lot fell on Matthias (not to be confused with Matthew the Evangelist), who was thereon declared by the apostles to be their full-fledged fellow worker (Acts, Chapter 1).

As we can see from the New Testament, as well as from early Christian writings, ordination for a church ministry — including the ministries of a bishop, a priest or a deacon — was always performed by the laying on of hands, i.e. a formal laying of hands of those who were performing the ordination on the head of the person who was being ordained. For instance, the book of Acts of the Apostles says the following about the ordination of seven deacons: "…they [were] set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them" (Acts 6:6). With regard to the ordination of presbyters in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, Saint Luke wrote: "[Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed" (Acts 14:23). (The word translated "appointed" (Gr. cheirotoneo) means "to ordain by the laying on of hands.") Paul the Apostle gives Titus, who was appointed the bishop of Crete, the following reminder: "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you" (Titus 1:5); at the same time he cautions: "do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins" (1 Tim. 5:22) — apparently because the one who ordains is responsible for the one being ordained.

In is important to note that the laying on of hands by the apostles was not only perceived as a visible sign of appointment to a particular ministry in the Church, but also considered to be a medium for the real and perceivable, albeit invisible, Divine power. Only from that standpoint we come to understand the words of Paul the Apostle addressed to Timothy, who had been ordained to be the bishop of Ephesus: "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership"; and, some time later: "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying of my hands" (1 Tim. 4:14, 2 Tim. 1:6).
Meanwhile, the apostles, while ordaining the individuals selected by them to various church offices, have understood that the original source of both selection and ordination was not them, but God: "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. 4:1). Paul the Apostle told the presbyters of Ephesus: "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

According to the tradition that was doubtlessly established by the apostles, and was already firmly rooted as early as the first century of Christianity, performing ordinations was an exclusive prerogative of bishops. For ordaining a bishop, two or more bishops are required, while one bishop is enough for ordaining candidates to lower-level offices. Below are excerpts from the prayers that are read during ordination to priesthood. "The grace divine, which always healeth that which is infirm, and completeth that which is wanting, elevateth … the most devout Deacon, to be a Priest. Wherefore, let us pray for him, that the grace of the all-holy Spirit may come upon him." In reply, the choir slowly sings: "Lord, have mercy." And then, the bishop prays: "O God great in might and inscrutable in wisdom, marvelous in counsel above the sons of men: Do thou, the same Lord, fill with the gift of thy Holy Spirit this man whom it hath pleased thee to advance to the degree of Priest; that he may be worthy to stand in innocence before thine Altar; to proclaim the Gospel of thy kingdom; to minister the word of thy truth; to offer unto thee spiritual gifts and sacrifices; to renew thy people through the laver of regeneration. That when he shall go to meet thee, at the Second Coming of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, thine Only-begotten Son, he may receive the reward of a good steward in the degree committed unto him, through the plenitude of thy goodness."

From the very early days, the continuity of apostolic succession has been very closely watched in the Orthodox Church; i.e., every new bishop was supposed to be ordained by lawful bishops, whose ordination could be uninterruptibly traced to the apostles. From "History of the Church" written by Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea (beginning of the 4th century) we know that all local early Christian churches kept the lists of their bishops in their continuous succession. That gave them an opportunity to single out impostors.

According to St. Irenaeus of Lyons (middle of the 3rd century), "we can name those who were appointed bishops in churches, and their successors descending down to ourselves"; then, he indeed names the bishops of the church of Rome, in the order of their succession, almost to the end of the 2nd century. The same view on the issue of succession was expressed by Tertullian (3rd century). Here is what he wrote about the heretics of those times: "Let them show the beginnings of their churches, and manifest the succession of their bishops, that could be traced with such continuity that their first bishop would have as his originator or predecessor one of the apostles, or one of the co-workers of the apostles who would have communicated with the apostles for a long time. For that is how the apostolic churches keep their lists (of bishops): for example, the church of Smyrna presents Polycarp (beginning of the 2nd century) who was appointed by John; the church of Rome presents Clement, ordained by Peter; likewise, other churches point to the people who, having been made bishops by the authority of the apostles themselves, were the offspring of the apostolic seed among them."
If the chain of apostolic succession becomes broken for any reason whatsoever, the ordinations that take place thereon are considered invalid, while the divine services or sacraments ministered by people who were inappropriately ordained are considered to lack grace. This condition is so serious that the lack of succession of bishops in a particular Christian denomination prevents it from being a true Church, even if it has managed to preserve the dogmatic teaching in its unadulterated form. The Church has maintained this position for as long as it existed.

At the same time, the sacrament of holy orders, when properly executed, is perpetual. Therefore, it is prohibited to ordain a person to the same office twice. The sacrament of Holy Orders, as well as the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation, alter the essence of a man, giving him the right and the spiritual power to teach the believers and to celebrate divine services. However, such authority and power stay in place only as long as a minister remains in the Church and is fully obedient to it. Sacraments that are ministered by a priest who had been prohibited to minister, are not real.

Ranks of Clergy and Characteristics of a Bishop’s Ministry.

The fact that Christ is the High Priest (Heb. 7:26-28) means that He must have priests [For texts on this subject, see: Matt. 18:17, Matt. 28:19-20, John 20:21-23, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 14:23, Acts 20:28, James 5:14, 1 Pet. 5:1-5, Rom. 10:15, 1 Cor. 3:9-12, 1 Cor. 4:1-2, 1 Cor. 4:15, 1 Cor. 12:12-31, Gal. 1:1, Eph. 4:11-16, 1 Thes. 5:12-13, 1 Tim. 4:14, 1 Tim. 5:17-18, 1 Tim. 5:22, 2 Tim. 1:6-7, 2 Tim. 4:13, Titus 1:5-10, Heb. 5:4, Heb. 10:25, Heb. 13:7 and 17]. The New Testament mentions three different ranks of ministers: bishops, priests (presbyters), and deacons. As the successors of the holy apostles, they continue fulfilling the mission of the latter within the boundaries of their respective ministries.

We learn about presbyters (elders) from the book of Acts. Paul the Apostle, having "appointed elders in every church [of Christians in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch]," prayed with fasting and commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed (Acts 14:23). James the Apostle has entrusted the elders with ministering the sacrament of Holy Unction in order to h
eal the sick: "Is anyone of 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" (James 5:14).
Paul the Apostle has called upon the faithful to honor the presbyters in a way worthy of their ministry: "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages’" (1 Tim. 5:17-18). Speaking on the same subject in another epistle, Paul the Apostle taught: "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves" (1 Thess. 5:12-13).
The office of presbyters (later called priests) was considered to be lower than the office of bishops; presbyters (priests) baptized, performed the Eucharist, forgave the sins of those who repented, but they could not ordain others.
The book of Acts also speaks about the emergence of the office of deacons (the lowest office in the ecclesiastical hierarchy). The need for the office of deacons was occasioned by the fact that it was inconvenient for the apostles to combine their ministry of the word of God with caring for the poor and arranging meals for them: "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:2). After a while, helping bishops and priests in ministering the sacraments and preaching the word of God became the main responsibility of deacons. In the epistle to the Philippians Paul the Apostle greets the deacons together with the bishops (Phil. 1:1). He also describes the standards for the lives of deacons and their families (1 Tim. 3:8-12).

The office of a bishop is the highest. The bishops of the Church are the direct successors of the apostles and the followers of their cause. Paul the Apostle addressed them with the following words: "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). From these words, it can be seen that the bishops are responsible for the Church — for the purity of its doctrine, for the moral accomplishment of its members, and for the improvement of church life. As an example of first-century bishops, one could name Timothy, who is the addressee of two epistles of the New Testament. He was the bishop of Ephesus. Saint Titus, the addressee of one epistle, was the bishop of Crete.
First and foremost, within his ecclesiastical jurisdiction, a bishop is the main teacher of laity and other pastors alike. This fact is manifested in: a) the epistles of Paul the Apostle to Timothy, to whom the Apostle has addressed the following particularly strong orders: "take heed to yourself and to the doctrine." "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (1 Tim. 4:16, 2 Tim. 4:2-5). The Apostle has entrusted Timothy with the training of new bishops (2 Tim. 2:2), so that he would watch the presbyters, and count those who are diligent in ministering the word worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17). Canon 58 of the apostolic canons says: "A bishop who does not take good care of the clergy and the laity, and does not teach them piety, shall be excommunicated; if he still persists in his negligence and idleness, he shall be cast out."

Apostolic regulations, wherein bishops were ordered to make sure that the purity of the truth is preserved within the Church, as well as the rules of the subsequent Councils, provide that "the heads of all churches should teach the clergy and the laity with the words of devotion every day, and especially on Sundays." This is why the early apologists of Christianity, arguing against heretics, have stated that the true Christian tradition and teaching have originated from the apostles themselves, and have been kept in the Church through no other means but the continuous succession of bishops.

Secondly, a bishop, by the power of the Spirit, is the prime minister of divine services, and performer of the holy sacraments in his diocese. Some divine services — both in the early days and presently — are reserved exclusively for him. For example, only a bishop can ordain someone to priesthood or other ecclesiastical offices based on the Holy Scripture (Titus 1:5, 1 Tim. 5:22), the canons of the holy apostles and the holy Councils, as well as the unanimous teaching of the holy teachers of the Church who considered this rule to be the main advantage of a bishop as compared to priests, saying: "The main purpose of a bishop’s office is to originate fathers; for he is empowered to increase the number of spiritual fathers within the Church. The other office (that of a presbyter), is meant, through the bath of life everlasting, to give birth to the children of the Church, but not fathers or teachers. So, how would it be possible for a presbyter to ordain another presbyter, when he was not rightfully appointed for such ordination? Or, how could a presbyter be called an equal of a bishop? Likewise, only a bishop has the authority to consecrate the myrrh or the antimension, which is also evident from the rules of the Councils and the teaching of the Orthodox Church."

Lastly, a bishop is the main overseer of his church (Acts 20:28, 1 Tim. 5:19). He must oversee the fulfillment of God’s Commandments and ecclesiastical canons, govern the life of the churches in his diocese, appoint priests to parishes.

Spiritual Virtues of Clergy.

In his "pastoral" epistles, Paul the Apostle, on a number of occasions, discusses the subject related to the virtues that clergy must possess. For example, he writes: "… a bishop must be blameless…holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict" (Titus 1:7-9). Peter the Apostle gives the bishops and the priests the following directions:
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but creating examples for the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Pet. 5:1-5).
Paul the Apostle instructs Titus that a presbyter [a bishop] appointed by him must be:
blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or of insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict (Titus 1:5-10).
While expecting high moral standards from clergy, the laity must take into account the fact that, although the blessing of orders helps a person in his spiritual life, it does not make that person perfect. A priest or another clergyman is also a human, burdened by infirmities common of all humans, and subject to the same temptations as the laity. That is why the Church has always taught that the effectiveness of the sacraments and priestly blessings depends on the faith and devotion of those who receive them, rather than on the level of the spiritual heights achieved by those who perform them.

In general, the Lord and His apostles have prohibited the laity from judging their pastors, since the latter are responsible before God. "Whoever has been given a lot, will be judged by stricter standards." That is why Saint John Chrysostom (4th century) has said: "I do not think that many pastors will be saved."
Considering that there are very few people willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the spiritual wellness of their neighbors, we should at least appreciate those who have agreed to assume the responsibility of serving God and their neighbors.

"Remember those who rule over you, — says Paul the Apostle — who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct … Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account" (Heb. 13:7, 17). "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves" (1 Thess. 5:12-13). "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine" (1 Tim. 5:17-18).
Therefore, let us treasure the fact that our Church has preserved not only the teaching of Christ in its original purity, but also the blessed institution of orders, and the sacraments received by the Church from the holy apostles. Most of the modern "churches" have lost all that a long time ago. Let us pray for those who minister in the Church, helping our renewal, and strengthening us spiritually.

Signs of the Times
By Fr. Seraphim Rose

In the following talk,1 Fr. Seraphim speaks to us from twenty years ago, and yet his words are quite relevant to our times.
.Although some of the individual examples he gives are now dated, there are now even more extreme examples of the same phenomena of which he speaks. As always, he humbles his understanding before the holy Scriptures and their interpretation by the Orthodox Holy Fathers, and thus his teaching about the times remains timeless, free of the intellectual fashions and prejudices of this world. As time goes on, the Orthodox world-view from which he received his wisdom will become ever more necessary for the spiritual survival of true Christians.

1. WHY STUDY THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES?

THE SUBJECT of this talk is watching for the signs of the times. First of all, we have to know what it is meant by the phrase "signs of the times." This expression comes straight from the Gospel, from the words of our Saviour in Matthew 16:3. Christ tells the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to Him, "Ye can discern the face of the sky," that is, tell what the weather will be; "but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" In other words, He's telling them that this has nothing to do with science, or with knowing our place in the world, or anything of the sort. It's a religious question. We study the signs of the times in order to be able to recognize Christ.

During the time of Christ, the Pharisees and Sadducees did not study the signs of the times in order to see that Christ had come, that the Son of God was already on earth. There were already signs that they should have recognized. For example, in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, there is a prophecy concerning the seventy weeks of years, which means that the Messiah was to come about 490 years from the time of Daniel. Those Jews who read their books very carefully knew exactly what this was all about, and at about the time that Christ came they knew that it was time for the messiah.

But this is an outward sign. More importantly, the Pharisees and Sadducees should have been watching for the inward signs. If their hearts had been right with God, and if they had not been merely trying to fulfill the outward commandment of the law, their hearts would have responded and recognized God in the flesh when He came. And many of the Jews did—the apostles, the disciples, and many others.

This same passage in the 16th chapter of St. Matthew speaks further about signs. Our Lord told the Jews, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah." The events of the Old Testament contain prefigurations of events in the New Testament. When Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale, this was a prefiguation of our Lord's being three days in the tomb. And this sign—the sign of Jonah-was given to the people of Christ's time.
Our Lord was telling the Pharisees and Sadducees that an evil and adulterous generation seeks for spectacular events, that is, fire coming down from heaven, or the Romans being chased away, angels manifesting themselves and banishing the foreign government of the Romans, and things of that sort. Christ told them this kind of sign would not be given. An evil and adulterous generation seeks after this, but those who are pure of heart seek rather something more spiritual. And the one sign that is given to them is the sign of Jonah. Of course, it is a great thing that a man should be three days in the grave and the rise up, being God.

Thus, from our Savior's words, we know that we are not to watch for spectacular signs, but we are rather to look inwardly for spiritual signs. Also, we are to watch for those things which according to Scripture must come to pass.

2. THE SIGNS GIVEN US BY CHRIST

We Orthodox Christians have already recognized and accepted the signs of Christ's First Coming. The very fact that we're Orthodox Christians means that we've done this. We know what these signs mean: for example, the sign of Jonah, the 490 years of Daniel, and many other things which our Lord fulfilled. Our Orthodox Divine services are filled with Old Testament prophecies which were fulfilled in the coming of Christ. These we all see and recognize—it all seems clear. But now we have to look for different kinds of signs, that is, the signs of the Second Coming of Christ. The whole teaching about the Second Coming of Christ and the signs which will precede it is set forth in several places in the Gospels, especially in the 24th chapter of St. Matthew. St. Mark and St. Luke also have chapters about this.

This chapter of St. Matthew tells of how our Lord departed from the Temple, and how his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the Temple. Of course, in those days the Temple was the center of worship. Every Jew had to come to the Temple at least at Pascha, the Passover, for this alone was where God could be worshipped in the right way.

Our Lord looked at the Temple and told His disciples, "See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you: There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." To tell a believing Jew at that time that the whole Temple is to be thrown down, that nothing is to be left of it, is like saying it's the end of the world, because the Temple is precisely the place where God is supposed to be worshipped. How are you going to worship God if there's no Temple? So these words of our Savior made the disciples start thinking about the end of the world. They immediately said, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" In other words, they already knew that He was going to come again and that this would be bound up with the end of the world.
Then our Lord gives a whole set of signs which are to come to pass before He comes again. First of all He says, "Take heed that no man lead you astray. For many shall come in My name saying, 'I am Christ'; and shall lead man astray." That is, many false Christs will come. This we've already seen throughout the history of the Church: those who have risen up against the Church, those who have pretended to be God, pretended to be Christ.

Secondly, in the next verse He says, "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. Se that ye be not troubled, for these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Of course, from the very beginning of the Christian era there have been wars and rumors of wars, and even more so in our time. "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquake in diverse places." Again, wars, then famines, earthquakes. And He says, "All these things are the beginning of tribulation."
Then comes the next sign, which is persecutions. "Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake." So, first we have false Christs, then wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions—and then a very important sign for our times concerning the growing cold of love: "Because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of many shall wax cold." This is the most deadly of all the signs, because the sign of Christians, as St. John the Theologian tells us, is that they have love for each other. When this love grows cold, this means that even the Christians are beginning to lose Christianity.
Then another sign, in the next verse of the 24th chapter: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nation, and then shall the end come." This sign of the Gospel being preached unto all the nations we see about us now. The Gospel itself is produced in hundreds of languages now to almost all the tribes of the earth, and Orthodox Christianity is being preached in almost every country of the world. In Africa there are great missions: in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, the Congo, and spreading out from there.

Then a more difficult place: our Lord speaks concerning the abomination of desolation which is spoke of by Daniel the prophet. "When you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand)." That is, you're supposed to understand this from something else. This is another sign. It is concerned, of course, with the Temple in Jerusalem and some kind of desecration of it.

Then, in the 21st verse, there is the sign of great tribulation: "Then shall be great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be." That is, it will be the worst and most difficult time of suffering in the whole history of the world. You can read history books and find that there have been many times in the history of the world when there was great suffering. If you read about what happened to the Jews when Jerusalem was taken after the death of Christ, you will find that such suffering as went on then was unparalleled. In other places there has been almost as much suffering. And yet the great tribulation at the very end will be much worse. Of course, it will be worldwide and involve everyone, not just one people, and will be something of a very impressive character. It will be called "such tribulation that the world has never seen."

Just after this time, something even worse begins to come. Verse 29 reads: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." Such an event, of course, has never been before, and this obviously refers to the time just at the end of the world, when the whole of creation prepares to be annihilated in order to be refashioned.
Finally, the next verse: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven," that is, the sign of the Cross will appear in the sky. "And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." That is, the very coming of Christ shall be in the heavens with the sign of the Cross—and that is the very end of everything.

After telling all this about the signs of the end, our Lord gives a final command, saying, "Watch, therefore, for you know not on what day your Lord cometh.... Therefore, be also ready, for in an hour that you think not, the Son of Man cometh."

All this is in the 24th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew. But all this, for anyone not thoroughly acquainted with Scriptures and the writings of Holy Fathers, almost raises more question than it solves. We must understand what is the meaning of all these prophecies. How can we know when they are really being fulfilled? And how can we avoid false interpretations?—because there are many false Christs, false prophets, false prophecies, false