A List of 12 Things a Normal Orthodox Christian Does
The
normal Orthodox Christian—who is living according to the norms of the Orthodox
faith—will be doing the following (this is not an exhaustive list, nor is this
in order of priority):
1. Participating in church services as often
as possible. Attendance
at every Sunday morning liturgy is a minimal baseline for worship life—in most
cases, it is not enough. And participation doesn’t just mean attendance, but
engagement, whether silently and attentively, singing along, making the Sign of
the Cross, etc.
2. Prayer
at home every day. Ideally,
at least morning and evening prayer, as well as prayer over meals. It is
especially important for husbands and wives to pray together regularly and for
parents to pray with their children. This will include reading Scripture, too,
especially Scripture that is prayer, such as the Psalms.
3. Receiving
the sacraments. This isn’t just communion and confession, but
also holy unction (when sick), marriage (in the Church, not outside!), baptism
and chrismation (for you and your children), and even considering whether you
or one of the men of your family should think about ordination.
4. Avoiding
immorality. What we
do with our bodies, minds and words has an effect on our salvation. Use them
for good, not for evil. Seek to serve rather than to be served.
5. Fasting
according to church tradition. Your father-confessor will help to apply the
fasting traditions of the Church for you and your family. We fast on most
Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as during the four major fasting seasons (Great
Lent, the Apostles Fast, the Dormition Fast and the Nativity Fast).
6. Confession. The sacrament of confession is critical to
our repentance. We should go at least once during each of the four fasting
seasons but also whenever there is a need, especially a sin that disrupts your
peace.
7. Getting
spiritual advice. This
often happens in confession, but your father-confessor is there for you at
other times, too. He’s a resource you should utilize frequently.
8. Tithing. Giving 10% of your income back to God (it is
His gift to you!) is a Biblical standard that Orthodox Christians should
embrace. If you’re not ready for 10% yet, choose another percentage and be
disciplined about it, working toward 10%. If you’re able to give more than 10%,
do so. Don’t “give until it hurts”—give until it feels good! Giving our money
to God in worship (not because we need to meet a budget) is one part of what it
means to give Him everything about ourselves so that it can be healed. (Is
tithing Orthodox? Yes! It’s mentioned in the Fathers many times, but here’s the
kicker–the Fathers usually say that Christians should exceed the tithe expected
by the Old Covenant.)
9. Almsgiving. This is directly aiding someone in need. It
might be monetary, but it also might be with your labor, your encouragement or
even just your attitude.
10. Education. We seek a deeper understanding of our faith
not only so that we can know what our piety means but so that we give even our
minds to God for His healing and transformation. Our whole intellect should be
engaged in Christ—whether through spiritual reading, classes or some other form
of education. Knowing and understanding the Scripture should be at the top of
our educational efforts.
11. Sharing
the faith. If you’re grateful for the
salvation God has given you, you will want to share it with others.
12. Going
on pilgrimage. It’s a
journey with a holy purpose. Common destinations include monasteries and
important shrines.
By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Source: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/roadsfromemmaus/2015/10/07/12-things-the-normal-orthodox-christian-is-doing/
