The Iconography of St.Mary of Egypt: Portraying a saint who wore no clothing
An analysis of iconography based on eastern and western sources and traditions:
The Golden Legend's account of St. Mary of Egypt is based ultimately on a 7th-century Life by Sophronius of Jerusalem. According to the Legend, Mary was an Egyptian prostitute who at the age of 29 traveled to Jerusalem out of curiosity regarding the Holy Cross. Finding herself incapable of passing the threshold of the church where the cross was being worshiped, she repented her sins and became a solitary contemplative in the desert beyond the Jordan River, where she eventually died at an advanced age, her clothes having rotted away with the passage of time.
The Golden Legend's account of St. Mary of Egypt is based ultimately on a 7th-century Life by Sophronius of Jerusalem. According to the Legend, Mary was an Egyptian prostitute who at the age of 29 traveled to Jerusalem out of curiosity regarding the Holy Cross. Finding herself incapable of passing the threshold of the church where the cross was being worshiped, she repented her sins and became a solitary contemplative in the desert beyond the Jordan River, where she eventually died at an advanced age, her clothes having rotted away with the passage of time.
Two years
before her death she had been discovered by a monk named Zosimus. In Sophronius
her hair was short and white with age, a detail that Voragine omitted, and her
skin burned black by the sun. Zosimus gave her his cloak and returned the
following year to bring her communion. When he came back the year after that,
he found her dead and buried her with the help of a lion.
How to
portray a saint who wore no clothing
Mary's
nakedness is an important part of the story, but exhibiting it in a sacred image
was problematic. In the East, Zosimus' cloak usually hangs from one shoulder
and covers her from the waist down, with her upper body either turned modestly
to one side, as at right, or simply presented as if it were the chest of a man.
The hair is short and white, as in Sophronius, and the body is gaunt. Images in
the West follow a different strategy, giving the saint copious dark hair that
falls over her body, covering it to mid-thigh, as in the first picture at
right, or even to the ankles.
Hans
Memling's portrait of 1480 draws on the eastern tradition for the cloak draped
from the shoulder and abandons the long-hair strategy, leaving the saint's
upper body exposed to view. In Memling's and almost all other portraits she has
a fair young face, despite the statement in the legends that Zosimus found her
blackened by the sun.
Attributes
The
Memling panel also exemplifies an attribute often seen in portraits of this
saint: three loaves of bread held in one hand. In the Legend she took these loaves
with her into the desert and they lasted seventeen years.
She is
also sometimes shown with a book. No books are mentioned in the Golden Legend
account or in the much longer tale in the South English Legendary, but
according to Sophronius she had a knowledge of scripture that came directly
from God. The books in the images thus refer to this knowledge, even if actual
books were not its source.
Narrative
images
The
Russian icon above covers the whole story from when Zosimus is told to go
into the desert until he and the lion bury the saint and her soul is carried to
Heaven. Among images that focus on single events, the last communion and the
burial are the more likely to be presented.
Achieving Artistic Equality for the Children with Special Needs
An excerpt from the article by Sister Maria Kotova
Art as the territory of equality
The largest
mental Health Care Boarding Home in Europe is located in Minsk, just near St.
Elisabeth Convent. Those of us who has
met the special people living there are sure that there are things we all can
learn from them, such as impartiality, openness, sincerity, good attitude to life and
pure love… This is what makes them so happy!
Many people are
ready to share their time, energy, knowledge and emotions, when they come to
the boarding homes for children or adults with special needs and take part in
various artistic projects. Experience has shown that art and artistic activity
can become a great foundation for communication, integration, adaptation and
socialization of people with Down syndrome. Art as the territory of constant
and true equality. There are several examples I want to give.
There is an
animation studio at the convent. Children with special needs create there their
own cartoons together with other children. Together they work on cartoons from
the stage of drawing the background to the stage of making animation and
recording the voices of the characters. Children
learn to communicate with other people, to make friends and to work together.
The inhabitants
of the boarding home visit the Men’s rehabilitation center, where they undergo
the course of hippotherapy, which is a therapeutic horse riding. Children go to
the country and have opportunity to spend time with graceful and kind animals,
as well as visit a petting
zoo. All these things bring them joy and make their life more colorful,
impressive and entertaining. What is more, we all have a dream of a large summer
house, where children and adults with special needs, living in the boarding
homes, their relatives and friends and even volunteers could gather to spend
time together.
Alexander
Zhdanovich, an actor from Maxim Gorky Drama Theater, leads a theatre studio “Radost’”
(“Joy”) for ten years. Together with the inhabitants of the boarding home for
children, he managed to put on stage a play “Little Prince”, in which the
children play the parts themselves. It is a sincere and touching story, which
is not without the sense of irony, sensitive themes and deep Christian meanings.
The unusual
actors really need our help. Quite soon, on April 2, they will go up on stage
again in one of the concert halls in Minsk. They will come to surprise, to make
us laugh, to touch our hearts, to look us in the eyes and tell about the most
important things.
In conclusion
I have a good
and effective piece of advice for those people, who want to train themselves
both emotionally and spiritually. It has been proven by the experience of a
large number of people. The thing is, you just have to come to the boarding
home. Cast aside your fear, your doubt and you self-conceit. Get over your limitless
excuses, such as “I can’t”, “I don’t want”, “I don’t know” and “I fear”… This will
give your life a new meaning without any doubt. It will become more bright and conscious
after you meet these kind sunny people. The only thing they want in return is
equal treatment. The treatment without neglect, excessive pity and
indifference.
Here are a few more photos from their performance:
Here are a few more photos from their performance:
St. Elisabeth Convent
March 21, 2017
The Path to Orthodoxy: From Atheism to Priesthood
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Edwards
avoided his family's Episcopalian beliefs and focused on academics.
Valedictorian
of his 1996 high school graduating class, he served as student body president
and editor of the yearbook.
He referred
to himself as an atheist.
Then, as a
student at Brown University, he began to question the meaning of life.
Edwards'
spiritual inquiries led him to the Greek Orthodox Church, into which he was
received in April 2003.
After
graduating with a degree in religious studies from Brown in 2003, Edwards
worked as a teaching assistant and master's candidate in the religion
department at Florida State University. He volunteered with AmeriCorps,
managing soup kitchens and building houses for people in need. In 2006, he
enrolled as a doctoral student in the School of Theology at Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki.
On Feb. 22,
2009, he was ordained in the holy priesthood of the Orthodox Church.
Edwards, 38,
recently accepted a position at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in New Port
Richey. The church, at 9426 Little Road, welcomed him as its father in October.
I asked
Edwards about his path to faith, what it means to serve others and his new
position in Pasco County.
What appealed to you about the Orthodox
faith?
When I was
in college, I was an atheist, studying Nietzsche, Sartre, etc. At a certain
point, I came face to face with a real existential crisis. Why was I here? What
was the purpose of my life? Was it really only to get good grades so that I can
get a good job, so that I can buy a big house, fancy car? I came to realize
that there was a God, but I didn't know who he was. I wanted a relationship
with him because I understood that he was life. But how can you have a
relationship with someone you don't know? So I changed my major in college and
began studying the history of religions.
I went back
to the Protestant church I grew up in. But the Christianity that was being
presented to me in the U.S. didn't ring true. Disillusioned, I began exploring
Buddhism, and I was attracted by its mystical prayer and contemplation. But
something was missing there, too. I had never even heard of Orthodox
Christianity until it was mentioned by a professor in a course about the
history of Christianity. She said that the same worship service that Christians
were using in the 5th century was still being used today in the Orthodox
Church. I had to know where I could find this. The more I read about the
history of Christianity, the more I was convinced that the Orthodox Church had
preserved the Christian inheritance in a way that western Christianity had not.
I was especially moved by its unchanging doctrine and its focus on mystical
prayer.
Why did you decide to pursue a career
within the church?
Once I
discovered where the spring for the water of life was, I wanted nothing else
but to be near it at all times. Everything else, my promising worldly career,
suddenly paled in comparison. I felt I could do nothing else.
What is most rewarding to you about
serving others?
We
Christians believe that Christ came "not to be served, but to serve,"
Mark 10:45. He who is God assumed the form of a humble servant. For me then,
serving others is an imitation of Christ. I try to do it, however, not out of
some religious obligation, but out of the radical freedom that God has given me
by making me in his image and likeness, just as God himself became man of his
own free will.
I'm not
Greek, but I learned many things in my 10 years in Greece, one of which was the
concept of philotimo, which
actually can't be translated into English. It means something like "freely
responding with sincere goodness to the smallest good done by another."
When I look at how much God has done for me, I am moved by this sense of philotimo to serve Him and others.
What do you hope to offer your new church
home going forward? What do you like most about the church?
I was
fortunate to spend 10 years in Greece, soaking up the world view of the country
where Christianity first blossomed in Europe, the land of Thessalonica,
Corinth, the land which has preserved and maintained Christianity at great cost
for 2000 years. I hope to be able to bring some of this experience to the U.S.
and offer a translation to contemporary American culture. My goal is simply to
try to bring authentic Orthodox Christianity and most important to try to
embody it in my own person and life.
The thing I
like most about the parish of St. George is its warm sense of community, its
friendliness and openness to outsiders, including me, a former Protestant
raised in Pennsylvania. We welcome everyone to join us.
Source: http://www.tampabay.com/news/religion/priests-spiritual-path-leads-him-to-st-george-greek-orthodox-church/2300825
Why does the Orthodox church allow divorce and more than one marriage?
Orthodox canon law (and therefore Orthodox Churches)
do not allow or recognize divorce as such.
What actually
happens is that in some cases of divorce that has taken place (in spite of
every effort by the Church to prevent it), a party may after some time approach
the bishop and seek permission to obtain a penitential second marriage under
specific circumstances:
(1) The
innocent party who is the victim of adultery, according to Matthew 19:9 in
plain translation
(2) The innocent party who is the victim of another
absolute end of the marriage for other extraordinary reasons
(3) A party who has tried to save the marriage but at the
end of the process is able to convince the hierarch (bishop) that a second
marriage would be a safeguard toward salvation.
Remarriage is permitted up to three times in
Orthodoxy. Orthodox Christianity recognized that the unthinkable may sometimes
happen, and that the best approach is not to deny that there was a marriage in
the first place, but rather in some cases to recognize that a second
penitential marriage with reconciliation to the Church is better than the
alternative.
Source: http://www.orthodoxanswers.org/why-does-the-orthodox-church-allow-divorce-and-more-than-one-marriage-do-annulments-exist-in-orthodox-canon-law/
Climacus
“Oh, if only I could / At least to some degree, / Write eight lines I would / About passion’s properties. / About the / transgressions and the sins, / The running and the chasing, / The hasty inadvertences, / The elbows, my palms”1 — thus wrote Pasternak, aware that a precise, accurate word on the passions is difficult to give, and there can be few such words. Precise words on the passions slip out of your hands, like a wet and lively fish, and the passions themselves are interwoven together, knit together one with another, forming a repugnant unity. Obviously the word “passions” in the this case is used as a synonym for “disease of the soul,” and not as romantic longing or a noble fire in the blood.
That of which Pasternak confessed himself powerless
was done long ago by Abbot John, called Climacus. This
servant of God wrote not just eight lines, but an entire book on the passions
and the battle with them. This book was born out of the experience of the
struggle and victory, inasmuch as man, in his usual state, is found in
backbreaking labor for sin, and, O woe!—he does not notice its evil. Only when
man frees himself or begins to free himself is he given a view of himself from
outside, and, therefore, the possibility of describing the process of inner
healing.
This book is truly “about the transgressions and the
sins, the running and the chasing,” and it begins with a chapter on the flight
from the world. It’s the first of thirty rungs leading to Christ the King, and
therefore it befits monastics in particular to read The Ladder. This book is
also necessary for those remaining in the world and incapable of a full-fledged
and irrevocable flight, but not as a handbook. It is necessary as an example of
heavenly thinking while living in a fragile bodily shell. Perhaps, in Great
Lent, when the marriage bed cools and is sanctified by abstinence, when there
is no substantial difference between the food on the tables of monks and of the
laity , a person not wearing a black robe, can read something from among the
monastic books. To be engaged in such reading constantly and at all times can
be dangerous for laity. The danger is that our lifestyle should correspond to
our chosen reading. But if our books and our life differ, the soul bifurcates,
suffering itself and inflicting suffering upon those around it.
So, not leaving the world in our body, we should be
free from a worldly spirit to some degree. St. Symeon the New Theologian tells
us that, “The world is neither silver nor gold, nor horses, nor mules, nor
food, nor wine, nor bread. It is neither house, nor fields, nor vineyards, nor
country homes. What is it? Sin, addiction to things, and passions.” If it is
“the world which lies in evil,” then you can run, but you won’t get anywhere.
And the words of the wise better expose the sin living
in man than those of others. The words of the wise put everything in its proper
place, and give an exact value to those radiant forgeries that we ourselves are
inclined to call virtues.
Climacus, for example, writes that zealous devotion in
the world most often feeds upon vanity, as if upon some dirty and hidden
runoff. It’s impossible to know anything about the spirit of a man, so long as
he lives among people. A worldly analogy for such words can be the song
advising, “Take some friends to the mountains.”2 Any situation, carrying a risk
or unusual heaviness, that demands a sacrifice and brotherly cohesion and does
not promise a reward of flowers and medals, shows who is who. “There you will
understand, who is who,” the song says. And the words of the saint: “I have
seen how in the world they planted many different plants of the virtues, which
were watered by vainglory as by an underground sewage pipe, and were hoed by
ostentation, and for manure were heaped with praise. But when transplanted to a
desert soil, inaccessible to people of the world and so not manured with the
foul-smelling water of vanity, they withered at once.”3
These are barbed words, such as is becoming of words
of genuine wisdom. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails
fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd (Ecc.
12:1). The horror of the final and righteous Judgment may be not so much in
that we sinned, and sinned a lot, but in that even our best impulses and
efforts were deeply poisoned by sin and are unworthy of blessed eternity.
That’s where the real trouble is, and I don’t know where healing might come
from, if not from those salted with the wisdom of words of spiritual
experience. One of those having love in themselves said that the books of the
saints are worthy of the same honor as the relics of the saints, and maybe even
more.
Or another example:
That’s how it is. You suffer in secret in your heart
from the adulterous thorns for a day, two, and more. Then your boss suddenly
summons you, and sullies your good name, blaming you for all real and imaginary
shortcomings. Then the fornication will permanently depart from your soul,
giving place to bitter resentment, and God thereby delivers you from the chasm
at the edge where you were standing. The resentment will pass; resentment is
not so dangerous.
***
The so-called “mind of salvation” is necessary for
salvation, without which all our work risks turning out to have been a sowing
on asphalt and plowing in the swamp. The praying fool from the proverb really
does break his forehead doing prostrations, and besides this unnecessary trauma
he obtains no other fruit. Therefore, the crystallized experience of the Church
should be in demand by us, and we must find time to become attentively familiar
with it, with persistence, so we don’t run in the wrong direction and don’t
beat the air (cf. 1 Cor. 9:26).
The Ladder is not the Typikon; it has a different value.
There are no prayer rules written there, no defined number of prostrations or
amount of food to partake of. More important things are disclosed there, the
effect of which is not revealed to the superficial gaze. In fact, the reading
of such books is healing from blindness. And we ourselves, no matter how many
years the Lord metes out to us, will never understand our inner life with such
depth and clarity as did Abbot John of Mt. Sinai.
Books such as The Ladder can be read
for an entire life and digested slowly, according to the measure of our
practical effort. In them breathes that wisdom which is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy (Jas. 3:17). nion
with God, a livetc. , so when said about oursleves feel free.the be even more.
. ideist, and hte rnce in the owrld..
Archpriest Andrei Tkachev
Translated by Jesse Dominick
Source: Pravoslavie.ru
27 / 03 / 2017
7 reasons for which the Orthodox should light the oil-lamp
The oil that burns in our oil-lamps, "“τον του Θεού υπεµφαίνει έλαιον”" writes St. Symeon of Thessaloniki, the mercy
of God that was revealed when the dove returned to Noah's Ark to signify the
cessation of the flood, having in the beak an olive branch, or when Jesus,
prayed at length, He watered with the sweat of His clots the olive tree, under
the branches of which He knelt on the dreadful night on the Mount of Olives. Of
course, we all know how infinitely superior of the material light is the
internal light, a light lit by the Holy Spirit. So wrote the God-bearer Father
Gregory Nazianzus: “Φωτίσωµεν… γλώσσαν” “Let us lit…the tongue” and the commentator adds:
was this achieved? The oil symbolizes the infinite mercy of God, but the
oil-lamps also, symbolize the Church that is imparting of the Divine Mercy and
lighting. They also symbolize the saints themselves that their light shone
according to the word of the Lord, "let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Mt.
5:16)
There are many reasons for which the Orthodox we should lit the oil-lamp,
for example:
1.In order to remind us of the need for prayer.
2. To illuminate
the space and to drive-away the darkness where the evil forces are dominant.
3. To remind us that Christ is the only true light and the faith in Him is
light,
4. To remind us that our lives should be bright.
5. In order to remind us
that as the candle requires our own hand to light thus the soul requires the
hand of God, that is His Grace.
6. To remind us that our will must be burnt and
be sacrificed.
7. For the love of God, and many more...
Needless to say, that the
vigil-oil should be an olive oil and the best possible quality. Besides, the
Lord prayed in the garden of Olives and the temple with the oil-lamps is
converted to a new garden and mercy (oil) and Divine Mercy, their oil reminds
us of the compassion of God and their light in our lives, that should be bright
and holy. The shedding of light in the temple symbolizes the divine light of
God's presence that illuminates the hearts not only of neophytes but all
Christians as well. The Lord revealed this great truth about Himself in the
following words: "I am the light of world"(John 8:12). He is light
not only because of His luminous teachings, but mainly due to His luminous
presence. This is confirmed by the particular miraculous Transfiguration, where
"His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the
light."(Matth.17:2).
In the Symbol of Faith (The Creed), the Son of God is
presented as "light from light." In the service of Vespers the hymnographer
also presents the Lord as "Joyful Light." And the Christians with the
mysteries of the Church and their spiritual struggle can receive the light of
the grace of the Holy Spirit and to radiate it with their lives. In "the
sermon of the mount" the Lord advising His disciples told them: "Ye
are the light of the world .... Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
"(Matthew 5:14-16). Here it is clear that the light of Christ’s disciples
is the good works of their holy spiritual life. The saints, in the after-life
will be like the Lord, they will become "gods by grace." The Lord
expresses this clearly with His prophetic words: " Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. "(Matt.
13:43).
Source: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/The-Meaning-and-Use-of-Candles-Incense-and-Vigil-Lamps.pdf
I Never Learned that in Catechism!
Half a
decade ago, the few converts to Orthodoxy were usually individuals who wanted
to marry an ethnic Orthodox Christian. Catechetical preparation for reception
into the Orthodox Faith was minimal, at best.
In the
past thirty or so years, we have experienced a literal flood of converts to the
Faith. They are embracing Orthodoxy because they realize they have found the
true Faith. Almost every parish now has classes for those who are interested in
converting to Orthodoxy, and instruction in the beliefs of the Church is quite
intense.
Thanks be
to God!
While
catechumens and newly baptized adults learn about doctrine, worship and
Orthodox theology, there are a number of practices which often go unnoticed.
When people visiting monasteries see or hear about certain practices they are
amazed and say “I never knew that!” even though they had undergone extensive
catechetical instruction. Often they ask, “Where does it say that?” The truth
is that while we very often can point to canons and specific teachings, there
are many things that come from the “living tradition of the Church.”
Note that this is “tradition” with a small
“t”, not a capital one.
Many people
of ethnic background who grew up in the Faith had a grandmother who was their
first and primary teacher in Orthodoxy. A number of those grandmothers were
uneducated in the formal sense of the word, but they truly lived their Faith.
Perhaps they could not expound on theology, but their piety and faith spoke
louder than any words. One Greek priest referred to some of the things we
learned from our grandmothers as “Yiayia-ology”; a Russian priest called it
“Baba-theology”. While some things may be tinged with superstition, many of
these grandmothers’ teachings are true traditions that are not included in
formal catechism, but which form a valid practice in the life of the Orthodox
Christian.
We would
like to present a few practices which are very valid. Some of the following are
perhaps pious “grandmother theology” while others are very definitely things
that are included in the service books and/or in the holy canons of the Church.
The sign of the Cross
It is the
practice in every Orthodox country to make the sign of the cross when passing
by an Orthodox Church or cemetery, when beginning a task, and when setting out
on a journey by car, train, plane, bus, etc. In passing a church, it is done as
a sign of respect for the holy place; by a cemetery, it is a prayer for the
departed, and in beginning any task or journey, it is asking God’s blessing.
New clothing, vehicle, home
The first
time one would wear new clothes, shoes, etc. is to Church. Obviously this
practice would not include things like bathing suits or prom dresses! In
wearing something to Church for the first time, there is the sense that these
clothes are dedicated to God and are to be worn in honorable situations.
This same
understanding of something new being brought to the church is applied to a new
car. There is a blessing in the service books of the Church specifically for
this! The first place that a new vehicle should be brought is not to show one’s
friends and relatives, but to the priest for prayers to bless its use and keep
its occupants safe.
We know
that the priests bless homes at Theophany, but no Orthodox Christian brought up
with proper “grandmother theology” would ever move into a new dwelling before
it was blessed by the priest. For those who are building a home, there is even
a prayer for blessing the foundation of the house!
Patron feast days
Catechumens
have learned to observe their patron feast day by attending Divine Liturgy (if
it is served), to pray to their patron saint, and to greet others who celebrate
their feast day with “Many years!” There is more: the Church provides a special
blessing for a coliva on a saint’s day. We often think of coliva—the sweetened
boiled wheat—as something offered in honor of the departed, but there is also a
“coliva for the saint”. This coliva can be the sweetened boiled grain, or it
can be a bread, even fruit or pastries. It is brought to church and placed on a
small table (not in the place where the coliva for the departed is placed) and
then at the “Blessed be the name of the Lord” at the end of the Divine Liturgy,
the choir sings the troparion to the saint, the priest comes with censer and
holy water and reads the specific prayer for the blessing of this coliva in
honor of the saint. After the dismissal of the Liturgy, the person who has
offered the coliva distributes it to the people present in honor of his feast
day.
It is
also customary to make an offering either to the church, a monastery or the
poor on one’s feast day, in honor of the saint, for the saints were not only
offerings to God, but also teach us to show mercy and give alms.
Godparents
Those
serving as Godparents in parishes with a large percentage of converts, have
learned well that among their responsibilities as a Godparent they are to pray
for their Godchildren, help instruct them in the Faith through example, gifts
of books, icons, etc., remember them on their feast days, share in their other
special days (graduations, birthdays, etc.), take an infant or young Godchild
to the chalice for communion, etc. Many Godparents still feel that they should
be doing more. They are right. The canons state that he who is a father to
someone spiritually is more a father than the one who is the biological father.
(This “fatherhood” also applies obviously to those who are Godmothers). Just as
a biological parent has financial responsibilities regarding the birth of the
child, so the Godparent also has certain such responsibilities at the
child’s/individual’s spiritual birth. These responsibilities include all of the
expenses surrounding the baptism: the baptismal cross, clothing, towels,
offering to the church/priest, and festive meal following the service.
Icons
We know
that icons are venerated in our Faith, that we have icons in our churches and
homes, even in our vehicles. We need to remember that these are holy and must
be treated as such. Saints died for the sake of venerating icons, yet we who
venerate them, who “collect” them, who adorn our homes with them are often
iconoclasts! Just as no one would smoke a cigarette in church, he should also
not do so in a room or vehicle which has an icon in it. Icons should be put in
places of honor, not laying on top of a coffee table where something will spill
on it, not placed on the floor, not in a place of dishonor like a bathroom or
inside a barn.
Many
church bulletins, newspapers and other printed matter have icons on them. These
are still icons and should not be thrown into the trash can when we are done
reading them. The proper way to dispose of any holy item is to burn it and then
bury the ashes in a clean place (not in a garden which is fertilized with
manure). Icons on bulletins, newspapers, etc. can also be cut out, mounted or
framed, or sent to missions which are in need.
Prayers for the departed
There is
a way of speaking in Orthodoxy that is very distinctive and which makes our
very mention of someone who is departed a prayer in itself. Whenever someone
mentions the name of a departed loved one or relative, they immediately say,
“May God forgive him! her.” For example, “My grandfather, may God forgive him,
had a great influence on my life.”
Of
course, our faithful, both converts and those raised in the Orthodox Church,
know that we pray for the departed at specific Memorial Services and that they
are remembered at the Proskomedia before the Divine Liturgy. We can also
request a Memorial Service (Panakhida, Parastas) for an individual or for
family members at any time of the year (with only a few exceptions). It is
traditional when having a Memorial Service to also make a financial offering to
the church as well, and to host a meal in memory of the departed.
Very
often, when a family member falls asleep in the Lord, the family will make an
offering to the church of a needed item: an icon, candle stand, vestments, etc.
in that person’s memory.
Offerings
in memory of the departed can be given at any time whatsoever, even without a
Memorial Service. In fact, in villages in an Orthodox country it is very common
to have a complete stranger approach you and hand you a handkerchief, a small
bread or pastry, even a few coins, etc, saying, “this is in memory of my
mother! father/brother, etc.” In accepting this gift, the recipient says “May
God forgive him/her.”
It is
especially the practice to make an offering on behalf of the departed if/when
someone dreams of that person, for it is felt that the departed one is in need
of intercession at that time. St. Ephraim the Syrian affirms that “the departed
feel the prayers and sacrifices made for them.”
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Welcome to the official blog of the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent! The blog includes recent ministry updates of the convent, sermons, icons, personal stories and everything related to Orthodox Christianity. Join our Catalog of Good Deeds and become part of the ministry of St.Elisabeth Convent! #CatalogOfGoodDeeds