Sources of Orthodox Tradition: The Icons

One of the distinctive features of Orthodoxy is the place that we assign to icons. An Orthodox Church today is filled with them: dividing the sanctuary from the body of the building there is a solid screen, the iconostasis, entirely covered with icons, while other icons are placed in special shrines around the church; and perhaps the walls are covered with icons in fresco or mosaic. An Orthodox prostrates himself before these icons, he kisses them and burns candles in front of them; they are censed by the priest.

Sources of Orthodox Tradition: The Saints

In our services and in our piety we praise the saints, those who were with Christ on earth and whom we know to be “alive” in Christ’s presence now although departed from the body. Hebrews 12:1 writes, “…we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” In God and His Church there is no division between the living and the departed. As we pray for one another and ask for one another’s prayers, so we ask the faithful departed to pray for us and we continue to pray for them out of love.

Sources of Orthodox Tradition: The Councils

The life of the early Church was dominated by the seven Ecumenical Councils. These Councils defined once and for all the Church’s teaching upon the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith: the Trinity and the Incarnation. Although these are mysteries the Church recognized that certain teachings were false and met in Council to address these heresies.

Sources of Orthodox Tradition: The Liturgy

When the Church, literally the assembly of people who are called together to perform a specific task, assembles as God’s People to worship, this gathering is called the liturgy of the Church. The word liturgy means the work of the people. Thus the divine liturgy of the Christian Church means the common work of God done by the people of God.

Sources of Orthodox Tradition: The Bible

Orthodox Christians hold that the Bible is the written Word of God. All parts of the Bible are interpreted in the Orthodox Church in the light of Christ through the lens of the cross. The Church views everything in the Bible as leading up to Christ and speaking about Him (Lk 24: 44). But how [...]

Sources of Orthodox Tradition

The ongoing life of God’s People is called Holy Tradition…The New Testamental or Christian Tradition is also called the apostolic tradition and the tradition of the Church. The central written part of this tradition is the New Testament… This Christian tradition is given over from people to people, through space and time. Tradition as a word means exactly this: it is that which is “passed on” and “given over” from one to another. Holy Tradition is, therefore, that which is passed on and given over within the Church from the time of Christ’s apostles right down to the present day

Saints Peter and Paul: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

These men were as different as men get. One was a fisherman and the other a man of letters. St. Paul said, “When Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to blame.” (Gal 2:11) St. Peter will say that Paul says a great many things that are difficult to understand. The Church makes it clear that these men are to be remembered together.

Icon of Christ and His Friend

Nowhere is this image of God drawing close to us more profoundly demonstrated than in the 5th century Egyptian icon of Christ and Abba Menas currently hanging in the Louvre in Paris. The French, however, do not call it Christ and Abba Menas they title it Christ and His Friend. Reflection upon this icon can be used to demonstrate what it is to live the Christian life, to do pastoral work and, more specifically, how to form disciples in Christ.