Dear Hos Erof,
Some good and interesting thoughts, but they don't detract from what was said at the Council of Jerusalem. Circumcision was the symbol of the old covenant - baptism of the new. Is that not so?
In Christ,
Anglian
Interesting looking back through this one.
Could one summarise as follows:
There is nothing in the Orthodox Faith that bans the use of alcohol; indeed, despite what one earlier poster wrote, there is no firm evidence that in turning water into win…
Dear Aidan,
A good question. I suspect that it comes down to a matter of practice.
I do know Christians who either do not eat read meat, or abstain from all meat products; and, of course, during the periods of fasting in the Church, we should all …
Dear Mina,
I'm glad.
Of course I would add that there is here no question of one way being 'right' and the other not, or one way being 'better'; it is simply a case of different Liturgies having a different practice. Whenever I am at a Coptic Chur…
Κηφᾶς outlines the position very well.
Here we may be in the presence of another possible confusion between ethnic practice and Orthodox praxis. It is most definitely not Orthodox praxis that you have to be circumcised; that was decided back at the…
Dear Mina,
The instruction in the St. James about how to receive the 'lamb' comes in the rubrics, which reads thus:
In The Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem lecture XXIII, the Holy and God-inspired Saint tells us:
21. In approaching t…
Thomas' comments were right on target.
Only through showing each other mutual respect and love will a marriage have any chance of working. Those who want obedient wives walking ten paces behind them can form an orderly queue and head for part of Af…
Dear Κηφᾶς,
You are absolutely correct in your interpretation of the saying.
I'm sure there must be a reason why Vassilios has acquired a new name here, but there's no mistaking his 'voice' - which is always good to 'hear'.
When he asks At what p…
Dear Orthodox11,
Many thanks for your response.
There are usually taken to be five principal families of early liturgies:
1. That of St. James, or Jerusalem
2. That of St. Mark, or Alexandria,
3. That of St. Thaddeus, or the East,
4. That of St. P…
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Good discussion here, but it looks as though the balance is well in favour of suggesting that smoking is sinful for the reasons given: damaging one's own health with any addiction is sinful.
In Christ,
Anglian
Dear Mical,
We are praying for the Patriarch, and the British Orthodox Church is holding a special service for him on 27 June in London.
We must all pray for his safety, and that he be given the strength to bear his ordeal; to him has fallen the m…
Smoking damages your body - which is the temple of your spirit; that is a sin.
Smoking damages others around you - who are the children of God; that is a sin.
Smoking is an indulgence of selfishness; that is a sin.
Smoking wastes money that might…
Well, we could, but the point I am making applies to individuals, not to whole groups. We know what the Church teaches, which is that the only sure place to get the spiritual healing we need is within it and through it. Outside of it, well, who know…
There is an English saying, 'marry in haste, repent at leisure'; there is much truth in that. It is better to spent time getting to know each other, and time talking to your priest. Prayer is never wasted, and always well employed in this delicate a…
Dear Κηφᾶς,
I don't believe John, anywhere in his posts, ever said anything remotely close to this.
Thank you for pointing this out; indeed nothing remotely like the interpretation offered of what I wrote was meant.
People often misunderstand the …
A similar set of values is essential - the same opinions on everything would be like marrying yourself - which is, alas, what some people seek to do! Men who wish their wives to be submissive and obedient usually forget that they are called to be ca…
Dear Kerestina,
Interesting and good points. You should not treat your spouse any different after the first year. However, what is perhaps being reflected in such a statement is the sad reality that in some relationships familiarity breeds complace…
Dear Thomas,
This does not make it imminent that Jesus had to have sin. In fact He assumed sin for us, but He never committed them.
Yes, I would agree that this is what the Church teaches. Our Lord was like unto us in everything except He was sinle…
Dear Thomas,
I do understand what you are saying, but the concept of sin it incorporates is not how the Church has understood this matter.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all point…
Dear Thomas,
Αριψαλιν is correct. It has been the tradition of the Church back to Apostolic times. A bishop gives himself wholly to his people, he has no time for another love - just God and his flock - a huge responsibility for any man.
Our own b…
Dear Mina,
Yes, you are quite correct.
The British Orthodox Church was originally established in 1866 when a Frenchman, Jules Ferrette, was consecrated as a bishop by the Syrian Orthodox Church with the purpose of re-establishing Orthodoxy to the …
It does, indeed depend on the individuals concerned. Two egotists are unlikely to work out, precisely because what they have in common is what will eventually divide them.
Christian faith is a good place to start and finish, because if you are both…
Dear Orthodox11,
Indeed, and one of the reasons that the British Orthodox Church is part of the Coptic Church is that we firmly believe what you say about not needing an autocephalous Church. But what that does require, if it is going to work, is a…
I suspect that it is that as children we think we are the centre of the universe and expect love and attention to be centred on us; as adults we come to realise that it is a two-way process, and that we have to love others and care for them; we are …
Forgiveness is a great virtue - as is forbearance.
Never say: 'I knew it was a mistake to get married!'
or: 'You're just like your mother!'
or: 'How can anyone be that stupid!'
or: 'It is all your fault!'
Set aside one day a month for each other a…
Dear Mina,
We are told that the Incarnate Word was like unto us in everything save sin.
As we have seen several times here, our Church does not believe in the Augustinian version of original sin (or at least in what is popularly assumed to be that…
Dear Mina,
excellent points, thank you, yet again; I learn much from your contributions here.
The point of lying to God escapes me, as no doubt it does others here; He knows it already! If in doubt, confess it, your foc will know what to do.
In C…
Dear Peter,
welcome here - unlike another site we both know, this one does not have a problem with Coptic Orthodoxy!!! ;D
Dear Mina,
The 'British' refers only to ethos - that is, if you like, ethnic practice; Orthodox praxis is what it is in all …