SACRAMENTS

The Holy Eucharist, which is known as the Divine Liturgy, is the central and most important worship experience of the Orthodox Church. Often referred to as the "Sacrament of Sacraments", it is the Church's celebration of the Death and Resurrection of Christ offered every Sunday and Holy day. All the other Sacraments of the Church lead toward and flow from the Eucharist, which is at the center of the life of the Church.

We expect that children who are Baptized will be reared as members of the Church, with Sponsors and parents seeing to it that the child is raised in a Christian home and is brought to services and to Communion regularly. For this reason, Baptisms are typically performed for persons who are members of St. Tikhon Orthodox parish, with Sponsors/Godparents who are known to be practicing, faithful Orthodox Christians. 

THE RITES OF INITIATION INTO THE CHURCH, SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, ARE:

• Water baptism (“in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” Mt 28.19)

• Anointing with Chrism (“the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” Acts 19.6)

• Holy Communion (“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” Jn 6.56)

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…" (Matthew 28:19).

​With these words, the Lord sent his disciples as apostles into the world. They were the last words He spoke before His Ascension, and they define the entire life of the Church from that time. In them we see the centrality to the Christian life of the Sacrament of Baptism.

​For all that it is central to our life in Christ, Baptism is perhaps the least understood of the Sacraments. We know that it is necessary, but few of our people could say that they truly understand what it means, and why it is the central rite of initiation in the Orthodox Christian Faith.

To understand this, we must return to Christ's baptism. For in His baptism at the hands of John in the Jordan, He prefigured His Death and Resurrection, and at the same time showed us what those great events meant. By immersing Himself in the water, He signifies the harmony, the union between Creator and Creation which He establishes by His presence in our midst, and which was completed in His death and descent into Hades. By rising again from the water, He prophecies His glorious Resurrection, by which He transforms our life, leading us and all creation from Hades into Paradise, from sorrow into rejoicing, from darkness into glory.

​In our baptism, then, there is a reciprocity. As Christ joined Himself to our nature, we too now join ourselves to His nature. By our immersion beneath the water, we die to what we have been before; by our rising again from the water, the love and grace of God is granted to us, bringing transformation and newness of life; and by the invocation of the Holy Trinity as we are immersed and brought up again, we become partakers of the Divine Nature as we gain the title "Christian," or "Christ-like." In our baptism, we experience our own, personal Pascha, dying and rising again with Christ.

After the Baptism, we are Chrismated, receiving the "Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit," in our own personal Pentecost, following which we are tonsured, offering the first of our hair to the Lord, and are then clothed in the white garment of righteousness granted to those who are called by Christ's name and baptized into His life. And finally, we receive Holy Communion for the first time, becoming full communicants and participants in the life of the Church.

Under usual circumstances, at St Tikhon, a child is baptized between 40 days and 3 months. Age is not a barrier to baptism, however, and children may be baptized at a younger or older age. It is far easier, and much less traumatic, to baptize a child under six months of age than an older child! Adults are usually baptized after a program of instruction in the Orthodox faith. For a child to be baptized at St Tikhon both legal parents must give full and express consent to the baptism.

Most baptisms are done on Sudays, in the context of the liturgy, so that the rite of illumination is completed in the child receiving Holy Communion that day. A baptism may take place on the day before a special feast marked by a liturgy. The date must be confirmed by the Priest.

A sponsor of the same gender is required, and must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing and a regular communicant in an Orthodox parish. The sponsor is often referred to as a godparent. There may be two godparents, a godfather and a godmother. Before choosing a sponsor, parents ought to read the Baptismal service very carefully and understand that the sponsor will be making an explicit confession of his or her personal, Orthodox Christian faith before God and the Church. This is not something to take lightly. A non-Orthodox Christian may have an honorary role in the baptism, but this must be discussed with the priest performing the baptism before an invitation is issued.

• Service of baptism

• Picking a godparent/sponsor

• Form for those Seeking Entrance into the Church

The parents and sponsors should discuss how they will go about obtaining baptismal cross and white garment with which the child will be clothed immediately after the baptism. Often the sponsors provide these. In addition to the cross and white garment, a large white towel or two will be needed. A baptismal candle may be obtained at the back of the church.

The Orthodox Church views baptism as a Mystery or Sacrament of the Church. Non-Orthodox guests at a baptism should be reminded in advance that the Church is a sacred place. There should be no eating or drinking, gum chewing, or men wearing hats. We expect people to dress modestly. Please make sure that someone will be responsible for cleaning up afterwards.

FOUR WEEKS BEFORE BAPTISM

Schedule a date after talking with the priest. Submit the attached Record of Baptism and Chrismation form to the priest.

ONE WEEK BEFORE BAPTISM

Contact the priest to confirm everything. Sponsor should go to confession and communion close to the time of the baptism.

DAY OF BAPTISM

For an infant: While at home, dress the child in a comfortable, easy to remove garment. You will need: at least one large bath towel, a new white baptismal garment. A baptismal cross and icon of the child’s patron is often supplied by the sponsor or godparent.
For an adult: The priest will have advised you about the best way to dress for your baptism. In addition you will need an adult equivalent of the new white baptismal garment, two or more large towels, a baptismal cross.

The Mystery of confessing our sins is a great gift to us in our life of repentance. Considered a sacrament of healing, it is a chance to come before the Lord as Physician of our souls. The priest stands not as judge but as witness and friend as the penitent confesses to the Lord. See below for resources to prepare for confession.

SELF-EXAMINATION BEFORE CONFESSION

Our Holy Tradition has given us many resources to help focus our preparation to confess our sins. Many prayer books include such a guide, and here is one by the Holy Martyr Nicolas Varzhansky (+1918).

SELF-EXAMINATION

THE CONFESSION OF ST JOHN

Another way to learn how to confess our sins is to read the confession of a Saint. Our Righteous Father John of Kronstadt (+1908) wrote this beautiful — and comprehensive! — confession.

CONFESSION OF ST JOHN

The Church’s vision of marriage is as an icon of the Trinitarian life of God Himself. In such a union, human love and desire for companionship become a love pervaded and sanctified by Divine Grace. God unites in body and spirit, heart and mind. Love unites in such a way that two lives become one life in perfect harmony. Such love implies a relationship in marriage that is total in character. To live up to its high calling, the Christian family must be firmly established in the faith.

GUIDELINES FOR MARRIAGE

1. The priest must make sincere and determined efforts through preaching and teaching to make his parishioners aware that the Mystery of Marriage takes place within the context of the total life of the parish.

2. The rector must seek to know who among his parishioners intend to marry and must make himself available for guidance and advice. His responsibilities include instructing the couple on the Orthodox Christian teaching of marriage. This should take place well before wedding plans are made so that the couple may understand and follow the Church’s teaching and discipline on the Mystery of Marriage.

3. Pre-Marital Counseling is Required (except in rare cases, with the blessing of the bishop): Counseling and teaching should include the following:

   • Procreation of children is not in itself the sole purpose of marriage; nevertheless, marriage presupposes a desire to have children. The couple should pray for God to grant them the blessings of childbirth and wise nurturing of the family.

   • “Let marriage be held in honor, and let the marriage bed be undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4). Sexual union is one of the blessings of marriage. The priest should remind the couple that they belong to each other. Couples may abstain from sexual union for a season by mutual consent, but should be made aware that refraining entirely from this act may result in unnecessary difficulties in their marriage.

4. The priest should make known to his faithful that before setting a date, renting a hall, or considering any activity related to the social aspect of the marriage day, a couple planning marriage must first seek the blessing, guidance, and advice of their parish priest.

5. The couple must respect the seasons, times, and days during which marriage may be blessed. The priest must also uphold the teaching of the Church in regard to these things. The most appropriate time for a wedding is Sunday, following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

6. Marriages are not to be celebrated on:

   • evenings before Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year

   • Saturday evenings throughout the year

   • evenings of the twelve Great Feasts or patronal feast of the parish

   • during the course of all the fasts

   • the Great Forty Day Fast, Apostles’ Fast, Dormition Fast, and Nativity Fast

   • from Sunday of Meatfare to the Sunday of Cheesefare

   • during the course of Bright Week

   • from the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord (Dec. 25) through the Feast of the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist (Jan. 7)

   • on the evening and day of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Aug. 29)

   • on the evening and day of the Elevation of the Cross (Sept. 14).

7. Because marriages are normally celebrated on Sunday after the Divine Liturgy, the request to hold the ceremony on a Saturday requires a written petition for consent to the diocesan hierarch by the rector of the church where the marriage is to be performed. The couple must be exhorted to attend the Divine Liturgy on the following Sunday so that the marriage can be sealed by the reception of the Holy Eucharist. If permission is given for a Saturday wedding, it shall be celebrated no later than a time of day established by the hierarch so that the priest may serve the Vigil or Vesper service.

8. The ritual of the marriage ceremony is to be celebrated in an Orthodox Church building. Halls, gardens, and other places are not appropriate.

9. The priest, as a pastor of souls, must also be available to counsel those already married, who are experiencing difficulties in their married status.

10. The priest is responsible for entering into the metrical book the required information.

MIXED MARRIAGES

A mixed marriage is a marriage between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Orthodox Christian who is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and who confesses the unique Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Church tolerates this because of her pastoral concern and love for the faithful. Thus, a mixed marriage is not the norm, but is permitted in the hope that the non-Orthodox spouse will seek entrance into the Church.

1. A petition for a mixed marriage must be submitted to the diocesan hierarch for his blessing.

2. In a mixed marriage, the Orthodox partner should not consent to have children of the union baptized outside the Orthodox Church as a pre-marriage agreement.

3. Toleration of a mixed marriage does not extend to marriage between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Christian person, such as a Christian Scientist, Jehovah’s Witness, Jew, Mormon, Moslem, Unitarian, etc.

4. Active participation on non-Orthodox clergy in this service, as in all the mysteries of the Orthodox Church, is not allowed. Conversely, Orthodox clergy may not participate in NonOrthodox services and rites.

SECOND MARRIAGE AND MARRIAGE BETWEEN DIVORCED PERSONS

1. The Orthodox norm for those who marry is one marriage. A second marriage is tolerated under certain conditions. A third marriage is extended under certain precise circumstances.

2. The Church does not grant divorces. However, it recognizes that because of human weaknesses and sin marriages sometimes disintegrate and are ended by civil decree (divorce).

3. In her mercy and wisdom, the Church may grant permission to remarry through the diocesan hierarch. Petition is made to the hierarch through the parish priest. A clear statement of repentance from the divorced party, whether or not he/she is considered the culpable one in the divorce, and a clear statement that the reason he/she desires to enter a second marriage is that it is considered necessary for his/her salvation is to be addressed to the diocesan hierarch through the parish priest. (See: Synodal Affirmations on Marriage, Family, Sexuality, and Sanctity of Life, Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America, Tenth All-American Council, 1992, page 5.)

4. Under no circumstances can there be a fourth marriage.

5. The Order of Service:

   • If one party of the marriage is being married for the first time (even if that person is not Orthodox), the order of the first marriage is used.

   • If both the partners are divorced and/or widowed, the order for the second marriage is used.

MARRIAGE OUTSIDE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

1. Orthodox Christians who marry outside the Orthodox Church thereby exclude their marital life from the life of the Church, exclude themselves from participation in the Holy Eucharist, and therefore exclude themselves from full membership in the Church.

2. Such persons, after a period of penance, may be restored to Eucharistic fellowship by recommendation from the priest and on the approval of the hierarch.

3. Normally, such an act of restoration includes the confirmation of the marriage through a rite approved by the hierarch.

4. Priests are reminded that converts to Holy Orthodoxy are not to be remarried when they embrace the Orthodox faith. See: On Marriage, Encyclical.

The Holy Spirit preserved the continuity of the Church through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Through ordination, men who have been chosen from within the Church are set apart by the Church for special service to the Church. Each is called by God through His people to stand amid the community, as pastor and teacher, and as the representative of the parish before the Altar. Each is also a living icon of Christ among His people. According to Orthodox teaching, the process of ordination begins with the local congregation; but the bishop alone, who acts in the name of the universal Church, can complete the action. He does so with the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the imposition of his hands on the person being ordained.Following the custom of the Apostolic Church, there are three major orders each of which requires a special ordination. These are Bishop, who is viewed as a successor of the Apostles, Priest and Deacon, who act in the name of the Bishop. Each order is distinguished by its pastoral responsibilities. Only a Bishop may ordain. Often, other titles and offices are associated with the three orders. The Orthodox Church permits men to marry before they are ordained. Since the sixth century, Bishops have been chosen from the celibate clergy.

When one is ill and in pain, this can very often be a time of life when one feels alone and isolated. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, or Holy Unction as it is also known, remind us that when we are in pain, either physical, emotional, or spiritual, Christ is present with us through the ministry of his Church. He is among us to offer strength to meet the challenges of life, and even the approach of death. As with Chrismation, oil is also used in this Sacrament as a sign of God's presence, strength, and forgiveness. After the reading of seven epistle lessons, seven gospel lessons and the offering of seven prayers, which are all devoted to healing, the priest anoints the body with the Holy Oil. Orthodoxy does not view this Sacrament as available only to those who are near death. It is offered to all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit.

The Orthodox Church has never formally determined a particular number of Sacraments. In addition to the Eucharist she accepts the above six Mysteries as major Sacraments because they involve the entire community and most important are closely relation to the Eucharist. There are many other Blessings and Special Services which complete the major Sacraments, and which reflect the Church's presence throughout the lives of her people.