The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church: this is a profound statement: We are ONE, Because we are united as the One Body of Christ; we are Holy because we are ordained and blessed by God through the decent of His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost when the Orthodox Church was born; we are Catholic , because we are truly universal, the original Greek meaning of the word; we are Apostolic , because we are the true Church handed down from the Apostles adhering to their teachings as well as having an unbroken succession of Ordinations of all our Bishops, Priests, and all Clergy from the original Apostles.
What does all this mean? What do we believe/teach? Where does our theology come from?
These are the most common questions of Orthodoxy.
What we believe/teach:
I will not get too involved with the depth of theology on this but give you a working brief, further question can be directed to sub-deacon@att.net Where either myself or one of our Priests will contact you for a more involved discussion
The Holy Trinity
The Orthodox Church holds to the teachings that Their is One God in three Persons, correctly name as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Ghost); all three are given the name and title of O W N, Greek for "The One who Is." All three persons are God from before all the ages and not any are created.
Jesus Christ
This is very important for we believe that the Son is Jesus Christ the Only Begotten son of God the Father. Jesus Christ has two distinct natures that coexist perfectly. Jesus Christ is first God, and secondly he is true and perfect Man. Both natures being complete and distinct, Christ the man had all of our human frailties and possessed free will that was not subject to His Divine nature. Christ was also Divine, God before the ages and with the Father Created all things, as in the First Gospel of St. John the Theologian:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-3
Also as in the proclamation of the Sixth Ecumenical Council:
"Christ had two natures with two activities: as God working miracles, rising from the dead and ascending into heaven; as Man, performing the ordinary acts of daily life. Each nature exercises its own free will. Christ's divine nature had a specific task to perform and so did His human nature. Each nature performed those tasks set forth without being confused, subjected to any change or working against each other. The two distinct natures and related to them activities were mystically united in the one Divine Person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
The Holy Spirit
From the Nicene Creed:
"And in the Holy Spirit, The Lord, The Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
The Holy Spirit as third person of the Holy Trinity is also without beginning, as in Genesis:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)
The Orthodox Church teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity or "hypostasis." Unlike others who teach that The Holy Spirit is just a Dynamic or Power of God, this heresy was first taught by Macedonia who was condemned by the Second Ecumenical Council .
It should be also noted that the Orthodox Church strictly condemns the Filioque Clause (the addition of "and the Son" to the above excerpt as seen here: "And in the Holy Spirit, The Lord, The Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son") adopted by some Western Faiths, and adheres to the original Nicene Creed and to the proclamation of the Third Ecumenical Council:
The Council declared the text of the "Creed" decreed at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils to be complete and forbade any change (addition or deletion). (Ecumenical Council of Ephesus)
Mary Mother of God
Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
First off one most often asks, "What are all these titles?". Let’s start with Theotokos: this is a Greek word most closely meaning God-bearer or Mother of God. This title is derived from the pronouncement of Elizabeth Mary's cousin who was also with child, St. John the Baptist, when Mary came to visit here:
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:39-43)
Elizabeth, "filled with the Holy Spirit referred to Mary as "blessed", and "mother of my Lord", for truly the Lord is our God. Also in Luke we read the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel as he announced to Mary the Good News of her bearing the Christ:
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."
In this passage Gabriel also regards Mary as "blessed" also as "highly favored." So by these accounts we know Mary to be Theotokos or Mother of God, (this title was established at the Third Ecumenical Council) also as Blessed, and highly favored or Glorious.
Let us look into the final two titles, Most Pure and Ever-Virgin.
We have read in The Gospel of Luke that Gabriel was sent to a virgin whose name was Mary. We also know from the Protoevangelium of St. James that Mary lived in the Temple from age 3 to about age 12 when she was betrothed onto Joseph. We can also include passages from Old Testament prophecy:
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Also another prophecy:
2 Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. (Ezekiel 44:2)
Thus the Lord, God has entered into Mary's womb and thus into the world, by the writings of the Prophet Ezekiel no man could enter the gate. Therefore God preserved her virginity by His power through the Birth of the Christ and for all eternity. Also we finally read that at the time of Christ's Crucifixion the words he spoke to his Disciple John concerning His mother:
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. (John 19:26-27)
Jesus knowing that His mother had no other children, gave charge to one of His Disciples of her care.
Icons: Veneration vs. Worship.
Many times you will see Orthodox Christians prostrating (bowing) before icons and even kissing icons. This is not worship as is most often the mistaken impression. To the Orthodox this is a very profound veneration. Icons were used since the early church began, many "written" by St. Luke himself. Icons are not painted or drawn since they are not artistic impressions or pictures. An icon is written since it is a holy image. Some tell a story, all are windows into heaven giving us a glimpse into the eternal. Also it should be noted that the physical materials are not venerated but rather the event or person which is depicted. Worship is only properly devoted to God Himself. Icons have always come under scrutiny considered unlawful images under the 10 commandments, and always defended by the Holy Church. The conflict under the heresy of the iconoclasts was finally triumphed over during the Seventh Ecumenical Council which proclaimed:
"We define that the holy icons, whether in color, mosaic, or some other material, should be exhibited in the holy churches of God, on the sacred vessels and liturgical vestments, on the walls, furnishings, and in houses and along the roads, namely the icons of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, that of our Lady the Theotokos, those of the venerable angels and those of all saintly people. Whenever these representations are contemplated, they will cause those who look at them to commemorate and love their prototype. We define also that they should be kissed and that they are an object of veneration and honor (timitiki proskynisis), but not of real worship (latreia), which is reserved for Him Who is the subject of our faith and is proper for the divine nature (Ópr rendered tyµpis) icon is in effect transmitted to the prototype; he who venerates the icon, venerated in it the reality for which it stands."
This triumph is celebrated the First Sunday of Great Lent named the Sunday of Orthodoxy. On this day we the Orthodox process within the Holy Churches bearing icons, reciting and affirming the Synodikon:
As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received , as the Teachers have dogmatized, as the Universe has agreed, as Grace has shown forth, as Truth has revealed, as falsehood has been dissolved, as Wisdom has presented, as Christ rewarded, thus we declare, thus we assert, thus we preach 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 as true servants of the same Lord of all and accordingly offer them veneration.
This is the Faith of the Apostles, this is the Faith of the Orthodox, this is the Faith which has established the Universe .