ORTHODOX TEACHINGS

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.

St. Augustine

Our Created Nature: Made for Communion with God

Each person is created with profound dignity and value, bearing within themselves the very image and breath of God. This isn't just beautiful theology—it's the foundation for understanding who we truly are and the intimate relationship with God for which we were created.

Created in Love, Created for Love

In Orthodox understanding, humans are not merely physical beings, nor are we souls trapped in bodies. Rather, we are created as unified beings—body, soul, and spirit—each aspect reflecting God's artistry. We are crafted with the capacity to love and be loved, to know and be known, to experience deep connection with God and one another.

This capacity for relationship isn't accidental—it reflects the very nature of God Himself. Just as the Holy Trinity exists in perfect communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we too are made for communion. Our ability to love, to create, to show compassion all spring from being created in God's image.

Becoming Who We Are

The Orthodox Church teaches that we are created with the capacity to participate in God's ultimate vision for us, to grow ever closer to Him, and to be transformed by His love. This process, which we call theosis, means becoming, by grace, nearer to what Christ is by nature.

This might sound overwhelming, but it's really about a relationship of love. Just as a child is an individual with his or her own innate character, but naturally grows to reflect the actions, approaches, and characteristics of loving parents', so we are invited to grow in our relationship with God, gradually being transformed by His love. This transformation has the capacity to touch every aspect of our being—healing our wounds, illuminating our minds, and opening our hearts to greater peace and love.

A Personal Relationship

When we speak of relationship with God, we're not talking about something distant or abstract. God knows each of us personally and intimately. As Orthodox tradition teaches, God is closer to us than our own breath.

This relationship isn't based on earning God's love—we already have it. Rather, it's about discovering the relationship we already have with our Creator and growing in the love that has always been there.

Living Our True Nature

Understanding our created nature changes how we view ourselves and others. When we allow God's love to transform us, and pray for the grace to see reality through His eyes, we begin to discover that:

Every person we meet bears God's image
Our struggles and wounds can be healed through communion with God
We have worth and value regardless of our circumstances or challenges
Our diversity and different gifts enrich the whole Body of Christ
We are never alone in our journey

The Journey of Wholeness

Our capacity for communion with God isn't diminished by our struggles or imperfections. Christ instructs us, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) But the Greek word translated to "perfect" is τέλειος which means complete or whole. Christ isn't asking for human perfection, but rather is inviting us into a journey to become more whole and complete persons, fully alive in His perfect love.

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Christian faith is not a doctrinal system but a way of restoration for fallen man.

St. Theophan the Recluse

The Orthodox Understanding of Sin and Redemption

The Orthodox Church has always understood sin and salvation through the lens of healing rather than legal punishment. When we speak of sin, we're talking about a sickness that needs healing, not primarily about breaking rules that require punishment. This understanding transforms how we view our struggles, stumblings, and mistakes.

Understanding Sin

In Orthodox understanding, sin is anything that damages our relationship with God and distorts our true nature as His beloved children. Like a disease, sin affects our whole being, clouding our perception, weakening our will, and disrupting our relationships. But also like a disease, sin can be healed through proper treatment and care.

This view changes how we relate to our sinfulness:

We need not hide our struggles in shame
We can face our difficulties with hope
We understand that healing takes time
We know that Christ meets us with love

Christ the Healer

Because we think of sin as akin to illness or sickness, we consider the Church a spiritual hospital and Christ as the Physician of our souls and bodies. We come to Him not primarily for judgment, but for healing and restoration. A wise doctor treats illness with compassion and understanding while also offering honest counsel on behaviors that are hurting us. In the same way, our Lord receives us with love, meeting us exactly where we are while also guiding us toward spiritual health.

When we say "Christ saves us," we mean both that He opened the path to everlasting life and that He heals us. Through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, Christ didn't simply pay a debt, He transformed human nature itself, making it possible for us to be restored to completeness and health. He became what we are so that we might, through grace, become more like what He is by nature.

Salvation: The Process of Healing

Salvation in Orthodox understanding is a process, like recovery from illness, rather than a single moment of pronouncement. When Orthodox Christians speak of their own salvation, they often say, "I have been saved, I am being saved, I hope to be saved." This reflects our understanding that healing takes place over time, through our cooperation with God's grace.

The Church's Medicine

Through His Holy Church, Christ the Great Physician offers us a profound means of healing and transformation. The Holy Eucharist, His very Body and Blood, becomes our essential spiritual nourishment, strengthening and sustaining us on our journey toward wholeness.

In the Mystery of Confession, we receive His healing grace and mercy, restoring our relationship with God and one another. Through daily prayer and the discipline of fasting, handed down from the Apostles themselves, we cultivate spiritual clarity and vigilance . All of this occurs under the loving guidance of our spiritual fathers, who help us navigate our path in Christ with wisdom and discernment.

A Journey of Hope and Healing

This therapeutic understanding fills us with hope as we realize there is no sin sickness Christ cannot heal. We need not wait to become perfect before approaching the Divine Physician—He receives us exactly as we are. Whether you're taking your first steps toward God or have been on this journey for years, Christ the Healer receives you with love. In His Church, you'll find not condemnation but compassion, not judgment but healing, not rejection but restoration.

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And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Luke 1:37-38

The Mother of Our Lord: The Theotokos

Mary, the mother of Jesus, holds a special place in Orthodox Christian understanding and devotion. Through her willing participation in God's plan, she became the mother of our Savior, and her example shows us what it means to say a complete "yes!" to participating in God's will.

Mary in Scripture

The Gospel introduces us to a young woman chosen by God for an extraordinary purpose. When the angel Gabriel announced that she was invited to bear the Son of God, Mary responded with both humility and courage: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). This moment of faithful acceptance changed human history.

In the Magnificat or Ode of Mary from Luke 1:46-49 we see Mary's faith and joy. "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. " In Orthodox Christianity, we fulfill Mary's prophecy, honoring her unique and blessed role in our salvation while always maintaining Christ at the center of our faith.

At the Wedding in Cana (John 2), when the wine runs out, Mary simply brings the need to her Son, and despite His response that "My hour has not yet come," she tells the servants with complete confidence, "Do whatever he tells you." From Christ's first public miracle to her intercessions today, the Orthodox Church understands that Mary sees our needs, brings them to her Son, and always guides us to follow Him.

Why We Call Her “Theotokos”

We call Mary Theotokos, a Greek word meaning "Birth-giver of God" or "Mother of God." This title, officially recognized by the Church at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 AD, isn't about elevating Mary to divine status. Rather, it's a statement about who Jesus is. Because Jesus is fully God and fully man, His mother can be called the Mother of God. This title protects a core truth of our faith: that in Jesus, God truly became human.

A Model of Faith

Mary shows us what it means to live in complete openness to God, whatever comes. Throughout her life, she demonstrated unwavering trust in the Lord, remaining faithfully present to Christ from His birth to His death on the Cross.

In joy she treasured and "pondered all these things in her heart," teaching us how to respond with awe and humility to God's blessings. In deepest anguish and sorrow, enduring perhaps the worst scenario any parent can imagine, the Theotokos remained constant in her faith. Her example teaches us how to respond to God with complete trust and devotion, despite the profound challenges we may face.

As we sing in the lamentations of Holy Friday, the Theotokos wept bitter tears as she faced laying her Son in the grave. She had lost He who was both her son and her God—her "Life and Christ." Orthodox Christianity honors both Mary's profound motherly love and her unwavering faith through the darkest hours of Christ's three-day burial. Every year when we sing, "Every generation, to Your grave comes bringing, dear Christ its dirge of praises," we join her in steadfast faith and witness to Christ's sacrifice.

Our Relationship with Mary

Orthodox Christians have a warm, personal relationship with the Theotokos, much as we might have with our own mother. We turn to her in prayer not because she replaces Christ, but because she continually points us toward her Son, as she does in nearly every Orthodox icon of her.

We honor Mary in our services with beautiful hymns and prayers, always understanding that the honor we give her flows from and returns to Christ. She is, as one of our ancient prayers says, "more honorable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim"—not because of her own power, but because of her unique relationship with Christ and her role in our salvation.

An Invitation to Know Her

As you explore Orthodox Christianity, we invite you to get to know Mary as she truly is—not a figure from the historical past, but as a living member of God's family who continues to pray for and care about all Christians. Through her example and prayers, she helps us grow closer to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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God is wonderful in His saints.

Psalm 67:36

The Communion of the Saints

The Orthodox Church is filled with stories of real people who, despite their struggles and challenges, allowed God's grace to transform their lives. These holy men and women, our saints, aren't distant figures on pedestals—they're our extended family in Christ, showing us that a life of holiness is possible whatever our current challenges or situation.

Our Cloud of Witnesses

Scripture tells us we are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1). These witnesses—our saints—aren't just historical figures, but are members of Christ's Body. They've walked the path we're walking, faced similar struggles, and found strength, humility and transformation in Christ.

Saints Are People Like Us

The saints faced the same challenges we face today:

St. Mary of Egypt found healing from destructive behaviors
St. Moses the Ethiopian struggled with anger before finding peace in Christ
St. Nektarios of Aegina faced false accusations
St. Porphyrios suffered from poor health throughout his life
Elder Paisios showed how to maintain love and joy despite chronic pain

Their stories show us that sanctity isn't about being perfect—it's about allowing God's grace to meet us in our struggle and pain.

Each saint shows us a unique way of reflecting Christ's light. Their diverse paths remind us that holiness doesn't mean conforming to a single pattern. Rather, it means allowing God's grace to work through our unique personalities and gifts and to transform our unique circumstances.

Understanding Veneration and Prayers

When Orthodox Christians honor saints, we're not worshiping them. Worship belongs to God alone. Rather, we're showing love and respect for family members who have grown close to Christ. Just as you might cherish and kiss a photo of a loved one, we venerate the icons of saints as a way of expressing our connection with and love for them.

Similarly, asking saints to pray for us is as natural as asking our friends and family. Just as we might ask a spiritually mature friend to pray for us during difficult times, we ask these experienced and Spirit-filled members of our Christian family to join their prayers to God with ours. We ask the Saints for prayers and for their intercessionary help, but we do not pray to them in the manner we pray to God.

Saints in Our Parish Life

Our parish is dedicated to and named for the Holy Apostles, who serve as our patron saints. These were ordinary people—fishermen, a tax collector, everyday workers—who were transformed by their encounter with Christ. They faced doubts (like Thomas), made mistakes (like Peter's denial), struggled with their past (like Matthew), and yet allowed Christ to heal and transform them.

Through the Holy Spirit, these simple men became the foundation of the Church, spreading the Gospel throughout the world despite persecution and hardship. As our parish's patron saints, they particularly inspire and guide our community, reminding us that Christ can work through anyone who opens his or her heart to Him, no matter their background or struggles. The example of the Holy Apostles continues to shape our parish life as we strive to grow in Christ, showing us that transformation is possible for everyone who says "yes" to God's call.

The saints remind us that sanctity isn't reserved for a special few. Their lives encourage us that with God's grace, genuine transformation is possible for everyone.

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