The Catalog of Good Deeds: Quick Facts

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A Baptismal Cross is not merely jewelry or a decoration for an Orthodox Christian, but rather the sign our belonging to Christ, Our King and God. The Cross is sacred symbol for Orthodox Christians and therefore should be taken care of accordingly.

How to choose a Baptismal Cross?

The Orthodox Church calls upon us not to treat the Cross as decoration, because the cross does not serve such a purpose. Therefore, one should not strive at all costs to purchase an expensive gold cross or studded with precious stones. Luxury and self pride is not the primary goal here.

Priests often advise against purchasing a cross without a special need. This means if you already have one it is not recommended to buy a lavish upgrade or just because you decided to get a new cross. That is something one would do with typical jewelry accessories: rings, earrings or bracelets. Only when your old cross has gotten worn out, then it may be necessary to change it and buy another one.

Consecration of the Baptismal Cross

Orthodox priests call upon the faithful not to consecrate the crosses themselves for any reason, even if they know the required prayers and what need to be done. Such consecration should only be performed by a priest. After all, there are certain prayers that are delegated specifically to the church clergy.

How to wear a cross?

Our ancestors never wore crosses over their clothes. Even shirts in Russia were sewn with a closed collar so that the cross would not fall out. So why should the cross be hidden under our clothes? First of all , because a cross should not be compared to beads or necklaces, which are worn over clothing to serve as a decoration. And, secondly, it is not customary to put one’s faith on display.

Only priests wear crossed over their clothes. But these crosses are not Baptismal, but referred to as pectoral. A priest’s pectoral cross is also hidden under his clothes just like a layperson’s.

Orthodox clergy does not recommend removing the cross without a special need. Our ancestors knew about this. In Russia, there were even special wooden crossed made for bath houses, so that one would never be without a cross. They would put them on instead of the metal crosses, when they went into the steam rooms. If for some reason you had to take off your cross, a person would then have to read a prayer before putting it back on again.

Also,one should not wear any amulets or zodiac sign pendants on the chain with a cross(or at all for that matter), as this is nothing more than superstition. And, therefore, also a sin.

Priests advise against carrying their Baptismal Crosses in a handbag, in their ears as a type of an earring or a bracelet. This is simply considered blasphemy.

What to do with a broken cross?

If your cross is damaged or for some reason has become defective, it should never be thrown out together with ordinary garbage. In fact it is important to remember that none of the consecrated and sacred objects should ever be disposed of in a regular manner, whether it is a bottle of Holy Water or a church calendar. Therefore, if the cross can still be repaired, it is entirely fine to take it to a regular repair shop. But if this is no longer possible, it is better to just give the cross to the church.

Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds

1. Houses are traditionally blessed with "Theophany water" each year. A house can be blessed at any time, but the usual season for yearly blessings is from Theophany until the beginning of the Lenten Triodion, which begins four Sundays before Great Lent begins. This is not a hard and fast rule, but a good rule of thumb.

2. Some people place great importance on "Theophany water". This is just water that has been blessed with the Great Blessing of the Waters service on Theophany. Another name for this water is simply "Holy Water". We can bless water any time of the year that there is a need for it. In Moscow, for example, there is a huge vat of holy water that the faithful partake of regularly. On regular basis, the vat is refilled with water when it becomes empty, and this new water is blessed. The water blessed in for instance, August is no more and no less "holy" than the water blessed on Theophany.

3. Water is blessed using the “Great Blessing of the Waters” service two distinct times during Theophany: after Vespers on the Eve of Theophany and after the Divine Liturgy on Theophany. The blessings are identical, and the water is identical.

4. In many places, it is traditional to bless water in lakes or rivers. In Russia, clergy often go to such a place, and bless the cold water after a hole has been cut in the ice. Many people will take a dip in the water after it is blessed.

5. When a home is blessed, the priest brings everything needed for the blessing:

- holy water;

- a "krupilla" (brush for flinging the holy water);

- bowl for the water;

- candles;

- Theophany icon.

Many pious homes supply a bowl, candles and the family Theophany icon.

The family should provide the priest with a list of all family members, living and deceased.

The bowl and icon should be placed on a clean table with a cloth on it, preferably near the family icon corner. It is good for candles to be lit. The house should be clean, with all radios and televisions off.

The priest will bless all rooms of the house except the bathrooms. In homes with children, it is always good for the little ones to carry a candle or a small cross and "lead" the priest throughout the house. An elder member of the house may also do this.

6. The basic order for a simple home blessing is as follows.

a. The bowl of water, icon and lit candles are placed on a clean table. If there is a censer, it may be lit.

b. The priest begins the service with a blessing and the Trisagion prayers (O heavenly King through the "Our Father".) It is always preferable that the eldest of another member of the family say the Trisagion prayers.

c. After this the entire home is blessed, with the family walking with the priest holding candles and the Theophany icon while the Theophany Troparion is sung over and over:

Tone 1: When Thou, wast baptized in the Jordan, O Lord,/

the worship of the Trinity was made manifest; /

for the voice of the Father bare witness to Thee, /

calling Thee His beloved Son. /

And the Spirit in the form of a dove /

confirmed the certainty of the word. /

O Christ our God, Who hast appeared //

and hast enlightened the world, glory be to Thee.

It is a very good idea for the family to sing this troparion, and know it by heart. Otherwise, of the priest has many houses to bless, his voice will get tired!

d. Upon finishing blessing the house, the family gathers again at the table, and a short litany is said for the welfare of the family. The priest should have been provided a list of all family members, including those who are ill.

e. After this a short prayer, and the service is ended.

f. It is entirely appropriate the deceased loved ones of the family be commemorated from a list provided to the priest.

g. Sometimes the family wants to give the priest a little something to eat; depending on the time the priest has, he may stay and visit.

7. When a priest visits, it is NEVER required that the family gives him money. The scripture tells us "Freely you have received, freely give".

It is a pious custom among some to give the priest a donation at this time, but this should never be though of as a requirement. The priest comes to the home because he wants God's blessing to be upon it, and to know those in his flock better and to be available to them.

Source: http://byztex.blogspot.com/2010/01/house-blessing-primer.html

Since ancient times, there is a pious tradition to decorate churches on the day of Pentecost with greenery – leaves, flowers, birch branches and so on.

What is the origin of this tradition? Many people ask this question.

I think there are two reasons for it: the first reason is church-historical, while the second one is symbolic.

From the historical viewpoint, I believe, this branches remind us about the Mamre oak-wood: there was the oak under which the Lord, the Holy Trinity, appeared to Abraham in the shape of three angels. We can see this episode in the icons that are lying on the analogion on this feast day.

Besides, the day of the Jewish Old Testament Pentecost, on which the Holy Spirit descended to the apostles, was the day of commemoration of the 50^th day after the exodus out of Egypt. On the 50^th day they came to Mount Sinai, where the Lord gave Moses the tablets with the ten commandments, which serve us as the guideline in our life until now. It was the time of spring, and the whole mountain was covers with blooming flowers and trees. So, maybe this is why in the ancient Church there was a tradition to decorate homes and churches with greenery – people imagined as if they were on mount Sinai with Moses again.

There is no doubt that when the disciples gathered on the day of Pentecost, their chamber was also covered with greenery. In remembrance of this, we decorate our churches today and hold flowers in our hands.

However, there is also a symbolical meaning.

It symbolizes the soul, which blossoms and turns green after its winter sleep because the grace of God has touched it. In winter, there were only bald branches, but the spring came and turned them green, flowers and leaves appeared. There was winter in our heart, but then the grace of the Holy Spirit touched us, and our heart became alive.

A branch is fresh only when it grows on the tree. If it is cur from the tree, it will dry out in several days. The same concerns our soul: until it holds on to the stem, to the vine to which it is grafted, it remains alive and blossoms. Should it separate from this vine, it will dry out, too. The Lord told us: “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). If the soul separates from its Vine, it begin to dry out just like a branch. This is why let us strive to be with God.

Let us always try to be with our Vine, which fills our hearts with the life-giving juice, blessing rays of the Divine light, and the grace of the Holy Spirit. On this feast day we should pray to God even more sincerely and ask Him that He does not abandon us and does not deprive us of this grace that was given to us at the moment of our baptism, that we receive thorough the sacraments of the Holy Church and from which we often distance ourselves because of our sins.

By Fr. Boris Stark

Source: http://www.pravmir.ru/pochemu-na-troicu-xramy-ukrashaut-vetkami-berezayut-vetkami-berez/

For 2000 years in the Orthodox Church, the tradition has been for women and girls to veil their heads during worship, whether at church for the liturgy, or at home for family prayer time.

What is the Scriptural and Patristic evidence for this tradition, and why is it important?

In this article, we will take a look at headcoverings in the Old Testament, headcoverings in the New Testament, headcoverings according to the early Church, headcoverings in icons, and headcoverings today. At the end of the article there are links to additional resources for learning about Christian headcoverings.

Headcoverings in the Old Testament

Centuries before the birth of Christ, women’s headcoverings were an accepted practice for God’s people. It was not merely an option for those who wished to be holy. Rather, it was a matter-of-fact expectation that all women would cover their heads.

When the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to pen the first five books of Scripture, women’s headcoverings were simply assumed to be the normal practice. In the book of Numbers, when a unique ceremony is performed that requires an uncovered head, Scripture makes a point to say that the woman’s headcovering needs to be removed:

“the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands” (Numbers 5:18)

Of course, such a requirement would make little sense, if women did not normally keep their heads covered.

Even earlier than this, in the book of Genesis, we read about Rebekah, on a journey to meet her future husband, Isaac:

Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself. (Genesis 24:64-65)

Her godly discretion is a model for women today. She did not flaunt her physical beauty. Rather, she veiled herself, increasing her allure through an outward display of modesty.

Women’s headcoverings can also be found in the story of Susanna. It is the captivating story of a beautiful, virtuous woman who was falsely accused, and later vindicated by the wisdom of young Daniel. Susanna wore a veil that covered not only her head, but her face as well. Scripture looks disapprovingly upon the removal of her veil:

Now Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to behold. But those wicked men commanded that her face should be uncovered, (for she was covered,) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty. Therefore her friends and all her acquaintance wept. (The Story of Susanna / Daniel 13:31-33)

In this passage of Scripture, virtuous people approve of women’s headcoverings and veils, while ungodly men seek their removal.

Headcoverings in the New Testament

Women’s headcoverings are one of the many points of similarity between Israel and the Church. Godly women had covered their heads for thousands of years prior to the advent of Christ. And when the New Testament Church was born, godly women continued the practice.

In St. Paul’s first epistle to the church in Corinth, he instructs everyone to follow the holy traditions which have been received:

Now, I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)

Women’s headcoverings are one of the holy traditions which the Church had received, and St. Paul spends the next several paragraphs discussing them. He says that headcoverings manifest honor, in the context of worship:

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. (1 Corinthians 11:4)

Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. (1 Corinthians 11:5)

The message is pretty clear: It is honorable for a woman to wear headcoverings during worship, but it is dishonorable for men to wear them. This is why men remove their hats for prayer, even to this day.

Not content to make his point only once, St. Paul reiterates himself a few verses later. Women are to cover their heads, and men are not to do so:

A man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. (1 Corinthians 11:7)

The woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:10)

The Old Testament reveals that this holy tradition is ancient, but it only begins to hint at the reasons.

Here in the New Testament, we are given some reasons for the practice. According to 1 Corinthians 11, headcoverings manifest a woman’s honor. They also are important “because of the angels”.

Angels are present with us when we pray, and when we worship. While we may not fully understand why headcoverings are important to the angels, it is sufficient for us to know that this reason is given in Scripture. If Scripture says that women’s headcoverings are important to the angels, then it is something we should take seriously.

Headcoverings according to the Early Church Fathers

St. John Chrysostom (d. A.D. 407), in a sermon at the Feast of the Ascension, spoke both of angels and the veiling of women:

“The angels are present here . . . Open the eyes of faith and look upon this sight. For if the very air is filled with angels, how much more so the Church! . . . Hear the Apostle teaching this, when he bids the women to cover their heads with a veil because of the presence of the angels.”

Origen, another prominent teacher in the early Church, said,

“There are angels in the midst of our assembly . . . we have here a twofold Church, one of men, the other of angels . . . And since there are angels present . . . women, when they pray, are ordered to have a covering upon their heads because of those angels. They assist the saints and rejoice in the Church.”

The Apostolic Tradition was written in the second century, and the author is believed to be St. Hippolytus of Rome. This book has instructions for catechumens, including this:

“And let all the women have their heads covered with an opaque cloth . . .”

And St. Cyril of Alexandria, commenting on First Corinthians, wrote:

“The angels find it extremely hard to bear if this law [that women cover their heads] is disregarded.”

Headcoverings in Icons

Icons in the Orthodox Church are a visual guide to the Faith, a sort of “picturebook” of Christianity. Icons teach us about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and about the lives of many Christians who have gone before us.

Icons also teach us about headcoverings.

Virtually every icon of an Orthodox woman displays her wearing a headcovering. As far as I know, the only exception is St. Mary of Egypt, and she was a solitary saint who lived alone in the desert, far away from any people.

Among the female saints who participated in society, all of them wore headcoverings, and their headcoverings are shown in icons.

Even Mary the Mother of God–the most blessed woman in the entire universe–is shown in icons, wearing a headcovering.

Can you think of a better role-model for women?

Headcoverings Today

In our church, all women and girls are asked to wear headcoverings, in obedience to God’s command in Scripture, and out of respect for the holy traditions of the Orthodox Church. Just inside the front door of the church, we keep a basket of headcoverings, just in case a woman forgets hers at home and needs to borrow one for the day. Headcoverings are also worn at home, during family prayer time.

While honoring God’s direction is a reward unto itself, there are many other benefits as well. For example:

Headcoverings manifest a woman’s honor. As St. Paul points out in Scripture, a woman brings honor to herself by covering her head during prayer.

Headcoverings encourage humility. Godly women come to church to focus on worship, not to draw attention to themselves. A girl may be tempted to show off an attractive hairdo. When a woman wears a headcovering, this temptation is removed. She can focus on prayer, instead of on hair.

Headcoverings save time. In today’s culture, it can be tempting to spend a lot of time and energy on hairstyles. But headcoverings are quick and easy. It takes a lot less time to put on a headcovering, than it does to prepare a hairdo for display.

Headcoverings help us show love and consideration for our brothers. Godly men come to church to focus on worship. But the flowing locks of beautiful woman can be distracting. By veiling her hair, a woman can display her modesty, and remove an unnecessary distraction.

A mainstream theological journal recently published an article about women’s headcoverings. Soon after, the author of the article became a member of the Orthodox Church. In the article, she beautifully illustrates the iconic purpose of headcoverings:

“My wearing a head covering is not only a symbol or sign that I am in agreement with His order, but that I visibly, willingly submit to it. With submission comes blessing.” (Christa Conrad)

In an issue of The Handmaiden, a lady named Elizabet gives her testimony about wearing headcoverings:

For twelve years I have worn a scarf [headcovering] at all times. I now perceive that it has been—and continues to be—essential for the pilgrim journey and salvation of my soul. The bottom line for me—and a growing number of my sisters—remains obedience. And with it comes a sense of being in our rightful place in God’s ordered universe, rejoicing with the angels. Now I gratefully say, “I am!” in the presence of the great I AM—at prayer and in church, surrounded by the angelic host, worshipping our Lord and King. To God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be the glory, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!

By Fr Joseph Gleason

Source: https://theorthodoxlife.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/womens-headcoverings/

Orthodox cross themselves from right to left. First, we will describe the mechanics of making the sign of the Cross, then explain why it is indeed important that we make the sign of the cross correctly.

Placing the cross on oneself

1) We place our thumb and first two fingers together in a point, and our last we fingers flat against our palm. The three fingers together represent the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the two fingers in the palm represent the two natures of Christ.

2) We touch our forehead, then our belly, tracing the vertical part of the cross.

3) From our belly, we bring our hand up to our right shoulder, touching it.

4) We finish placing the cross on ourself by touching our left shoulder.

The act of "Placing the cross on oneself" is a request for a blessing from God. We make if from right to left to mirror the actions of the priest when he blesses us. The priest, looking at the parishioners, blesses from left to right. Therefore, the parishioners, putting on the sign of the cross on themselves, do it from right to left.

Because the Lord separated the sheep from the goats, putting the faithful sheep on His right side, and the goats on the left, the Church always treats the right side as the preferred side. We only cross ourselves with our RIGHT hand. The priest, when blessing a person, first touches or points to their RIGHT side, then their left. Also the censing of the Holy Table in the Altar is always done from the RIGHT side first; censing of the Ikonostasis, the Congregation and of the Church itself always begins with the right side. The priest always gives communion with his RIGHT hand, even if he is left handed. There are other examples of this right side preference.

When a parent makes the sign of the cross over a child, they will cross them from left to right, just as the priest blesses. When they make the sign of the cross over themselves, they would do it, logically, the other way.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states that in the Roman Catholic Church, the faithful crossed themselves from right to left, just as the Orthodox do, until the 15th or 16th century. They must explain why they have changed an ancient and apostolic tradition. We cannot answer as to their motivations.

Is it important to cross ourselves a particular way? In a word, YES. We do not have the authority to choose willy-nilly what parts of the Christian Tradition we want to follow. Our fathers, and countless saints crossed themselves from right to left. Ancient icons show Christ or bishops beginning a blessing from right to left. the right side is referred to in a preferential way many times in scripture and our sacred hymns What should we want to change?

Source: http://www.orthodox.net/articles/about-crossing-oneself.html

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Some Things to Know about Your Baptismal Cross

7 Facts About the Blessing of Home

Why Do We Decorate Churches with Grass, Flowers and Tree Branches on Pentecost?

A Guide to Women’s Headcoverings in the Orthodox Church

Matushka: Lots of Titles for the Priest’s Wife

The Reason Why Orthodox Christians Cross Themselves from Right to Left

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