BAPTISM
"As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ" (Galatians 3: 27)
What does it mean to put on Christ? Simply, it means to be clothed with Him, so when the world sees the Christian, it recognizes a disciple of Jesus Christ--and Christ recognizes His own body.
The witness and manner of life of the early Christians was so powerful that Aristedes the philosopher remarked about their character:
"They observe the precepts of their Messiah with much care, living justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and every hour they give thanks and praise to God for His loving-kindnesses toward them; and for their food and their drink they offer thanksgiving to Him."*
As such, the one who is baptized becomes a child of the kingdom of God, and a member of the one body of Christ, whose new life must now honor Jesus Christ. The "old man," as Saint Paul says, no longer exists; it is Christ who lives within (Romans 6; Galatians 2: 20), and as a member of Christ's body, the newly baptized labors to help sustain the rest of the body and build it up.
In the classical Christain tradition, baptism is by triple immersion in the baptismal font, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (as the Great Commission calls for; Matthew 28: 19 - 20). Children are baptized from infancy with an Orthodox Christian sponsor (Godparent) pledging to care for the spiritual upbringing of the child.
As the Guidelines of the Archdiocese state, baptisms may not be performed from Christmas Day through the Feast of Theophany (December 25-January 6), during Holy Week, or on any of the Great Feastdays of the Lord.
* The quote from Aristedes is taken from www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/aristides-kay.html
CHRISMATION
"He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee" (2 Cor. 5: 5)
"The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen" -- Service of Baptism
During the Service of Baptism, after the triple immersion, the newly illumined servant of God is then chrismated with oil known as holy chrism. The Spirit of God is granted to the new member of the body of Christ as a promise of the life that God has prepared for the children of God. The newly baptized is therefore anointed with the Spirit of God, establishing that the Christian is indeed a member of the body of Christ. The Spirit is a seal in that He marks the believer as a Christian, and He is a gift because it is He who cries in our hearts "Abba! Father!" to God (Romans 8: 15).
In general, anyone who has been baptized in the Name of the Trinity (i.e., Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and is to be received into the Orthodox Church is not re-baptized but chrismated.
MARRIAGE
"Be subject to one another, out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5: 21)
The Apostle Paul says that the marriage of a husband and wife should reflect the love of Christ for the Church, His Bride. The Roman world, not unlike our own, was obsessed with power and prestige--yet as we hear from Saint Paul, the Gospel commands us to be in one another's service.
This, as Saint John Chrysostom emphasized in his homilies on marriage, is what Christian marriage means. It is a witness to the new life we have received. He says, "If we seek the things that are perfect, the secondary things will follow. The Lord says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). What sort of person do you think the children of such parents will be? What kind of person are all the others who associate with them? Will they not eventually be the recipients of countless blessings as well?**
Within the Service of Marriage, the prayers and hymns reinforce how Christian marriage is a witness. During the Service, the bridegroom and bride are crowned with wreaths, not only to emphasize their royal status within their own home, but to teach that witness to the Faith comes with being a disciple of Christ.
Marriages are not performed on fast days or during fasting seasons; these include the Great Lent and Holy Week, August 1-15, August 29 (Beheading of St. John the Baptist), September 14 (Exaltation of the Holy Cross), and December 13-25. Nor are marriages celebrated on the day before and the day of a Great Feast of the Lord, including Theophany (January 5 and 6), Pascha, Pentecost, and Christmas (December 24 and 25). Marriages may be performed on these days only by permission of the diocesan Bishop.
** taken from On Marriage and Family Life by St. John Chrysostom, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1986.
CONFESSION
"How can we who died to sin go on living in it?" (Romans 6: 2)
Confession is also known as the Sacrament of Repentance, or the Sacrament of Penance, and in the western Christian tradition, as the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
As the Letter to the Romans indicates, Saint Paul found it illogical that a Christian would continue in sin after baptism. Because the baptized believer may not sin, the natural question is what happens when this does occur. From the earliest days of the church, as we hear from Saint Paul's letters, Christians were granted the time to be "washed anew" by having a new heart strengthened within them. This is what repentance is, a return back to God after having gone in a separate direction.
One reason why Confession is also known as the Sacrament of Penance is that some sins require a period of reflection and prayer so that the Christian may grow in faith and realize that God is merciful. The hope is that repentance happens, and the Christian is restored.
At His Coming, may Christ recognize the one who has confessed his or her sin as indeed being blameless and as having maintained their baptismal garment spotless.
HOLY UNCTION
"Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5: 14).
The Sacrament of Holy Unction is a healing service for those members of the Church who are suffering from physical and spiritual illness. It is also celebrated on Holy Wednesday each year for all the believers as part of the services approaching the Passion of Christ.
Because "the righteous one will live by faith" (Habbakuk 2: 4; Romans 1: 17), unction is, "at heart," a confession of faith by the believer, who puts his or her trust in God.
ORDINATION AND HOLY EUCHARIST
See the Education section for the Sacrament of Ordination and the upcoming series on the Eucharist.
Contact the Church Office to arrange for a Baptism, Wedding. If you would like to have Confession or are calling about Holy Unction for a loved one in the hospital, please contact Father Panteleimon at frpanteleimon@dormitionchurch.org.
Kindly note that the Sacraments of Marriage and Baptism/Chrismation require an Orthodox Christian sponsor who is in ecclesiastical good standing. The sponsor is not simply fulfilling a family role, but is primarily a witness and is thus placing their Christian voice to support the marriage or baptism of which they are now a part.
This is why the sponsor at a wedding and baptism should be selected for their faith and genuine concern for the spiritual well-being of the couple and intended godchild. If you have any questions about this, please call the office or email Father.
To learn more about the Sacraments of the Church, click the following link: www.goarch.org/ourfaith/sacraments
Sacraments
Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Greek Orthodox Church
Somerville, Massachusetts
Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central Street, Somerville MA 02143
Phone: 617-625-2222 | Fax: 617-628-4529 | office@dormitionchurch.org
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