Monday, March 21, 2005
ORTHODOX OBSERVENCE OF LENT
The more I learn about the Orthodox, the more kinship I find with them. Since they have just begun their lenten observence, I've asked Justin to write a description of Orthodox services that I can blog. The first one appeared here last week and described the forgiveness ritual. The following is Justin's description of yesterday's observence:
Today on the first Sunday in Lent, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Seventh Ecumenical Council and the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" over the Iconoclasts. At the end of the Liturgy, we have what my friend likes to call our annual "Chrisitan Unity" ecumenical prayer service (I believe the Catholics celebrate such a Sunday at some point).
After a procession around the church in which everyone carries an icon followed by the priest carrying the cross, during which there are four stations (to represent the four corners of the world to which the Gospel has been preached), the following is read:
The passage from the Synodikon of the Seventh Ecumenical Council is read in unison by all.
As the Prophets beheld,
As the Apostles taught,
As the Church received,
As the Teachers dogmatized,
As the Universe agreed,
As Grace illumined,
As the Truth revealed,
As falsehood passed away,
As Wisdom presented,
As Christ awarded,
Thus we declare,
Thus we assert,
Thus we proclaim Christ our true God
and honor His saints,
In words,
In writings,
In thoughts,
In sacrifices,
In churches,
In holy icons.
On the one hand, worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord.
And on the other hand, honoring and venerating His Saints as true servants of the same Lord.
This is the Faith of the Apostles.
This is the Faith of the Fathers.
This is the Faith of the Orthodox.
This is the Faith which has established the Universe.
Priest: “Therefore, with brotherly love, we praise these preachers of piety, for the glory and honor of their own pious struggles for the Faith, and we say: “Eternal be the memory of the champions of Orthodoxy, pious Emperors, most-holy Patriarchs, Hierarchs, Teachers, Martyrs, and Confessors.”
People: May their memory be eternal. (3)
Priest: “Let us entreat God, that we may be instructed and strengthened by the trials and struggles of these Saints, which they endured for the faith, even unto death, and by their teachings, entreating them that we may imitate their godly life unto the end. May we be deemed worthy of obtaining our requests through the mercy and grace of the Great and First Archpriest, Christ our God, through the intercessions of our glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, of the divine Angels, and of all the Saints.”
People: Amen.
Priest: Who is so great a god as our God? You are the God alone who works wonders.
Cantor: (Verse): You have revealed Your power among the people.
Who is so great a god as our God? You are the God alone who works wonders.
Cantor: (Verse): I remembered the deeds of the Lord.
Who is so great a god as our God? You are the God alone who works wonders.
In the Cathedrals, this is followed by the solemn intoning of the Anathemas by the Archdeacon with the Bishop's authority, to which everyone responds thrice "Anathema!" The Russians in this country have added to this list the Anathema against Ecumenism. Pretty cool.
