The Holy Eucharist is the oldest experience of Christian Worship as well as the most distinctive. Eucharist comes from the Greek word which means thanksgiving. In a particular sense, the word describes the most important form of the Church's attitude toward all of life. The origin of the Eucharist is traced to the Last Supper at which Christ instructed His disciples to offer bread and wine in His memory. The Eucharist is the most distinctive event of Orthodox worship because in it the Church gathers to remember and celebrate the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ and, thereby, to participate in the mystery of Salvation.
An account of the approach to death, it's Christian meaning of Hope and Eternity, as well as excerpts and meaning of the Burial Service in the Eastern Orthodox church.
Rev. Dr. George C. Papademetriou explores the growing concerns that religious cults present to our youth today, and why they are a target audience. He outlines the theology of The Unification Church, The Children of God, Hare Krishna, Scientology, The Divine Light Mission, how mystical religions utilize drugs in their practices and way of life, as well as the variety of tactics used for new recruits. Papademetriou emphasizes the importance of family as an institution, and the awareness of young people in an effort to avoid involvement with these groups.
The life of the Orthodox Church perpetuates and fulfills the ministry of Jesus Christ. The close association between Christ and His Church is reflected in the images from the Scriptures which declare that Christ is the Head and the Church is His Body; and that Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is His bride. These images express the reality that the Church does not exist independently from Christ.
An article written by an Archbishop of the 18th century, addressing an issue that is very contemporary in our present age, how frequently should we partake of the Eucharist.
Although generally referred to as canon law, such a name given to the Church's law suggests a parallel to secular law. It would be more correct to call it the tradition of the holy canons, since they are the object of its concern. This law of the Church, her canonical tradition, is an outgrowth of the holy canons; and it appears on the surface to have much in common with secular law, involving persons invested with authority (bishops), as well as the means of creating, formulating, interpreting, executing, validating, amending and revoking laws (through synods or conciliar actions).
Within the Orthodox Church feast days and fast days are reckoned according to two distinct calendars, the Julian Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar. The first is attributed to the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, whose name it bears. It was later corrected in the sixteenth century by Pope Gregory XIII due to the ever-increasing discrepancy between calendar time and calculated astronomical time. Thus the Gregorian Calendar came into being.