For many people, church life is limited to occasional trips to the temple in those cases when things are not going as well as we would like. We usually light a couple of candles and leave a donation. After that, we wait for some relief or serious positive changes in life, sincerely believing that we received some grace at the moment of attending church. But in fact, spiritual nourishment cannot be limited to superficial and often thoughtless actions. If you really want to feel the grace of the Holy Spirit, then you need special rituals - church sacraments. Our article will be devoted to them.
Church sacraments: definition and general characteristics
Every person who at least occasionally encountered the Christian religion must have heard such a phrase as "church sacrament". It is understood as a kind of sacrament,which should bestow upon man the grace of the Holy Spirit.
It is necessary to clearly understand the differences between ordinary church services and rites from the sacraments. The fact is that most of the rites were invented by people and only over time became mandatory for those who lead a spiritual life. But the mystery of the sacraments of the Church lies in the fact that they were established by Jesus Christ himself. Therefore, they have a special divine origin and act on a person at a psychophysical level.
Why is it necessary to take part in the ordinances?
The sacrament of the Church is a special act that guarantees a person grace from higher powers. Quite often, to ask for healing or well-being for our loved ones, we come to the temple and take part in the service. It is also quite common in Orthodoxy to transfer notes with names for clergy who pray for the people indicated in the paper. But all this may or may not work. It all depends on the will of God and his plans for you.
But the sacraments of the Church in Orthodoxy make it possible to receive grace as a gift. If the sacrament itself is carried out correctly and a person is set to receive a blessing from God, then he falls under the influence of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and it depends on him how to use this gift.
Number of Church sacraments
Now Orthodoxy has seven church sacraments, and initially there were only two. They are mentioned in Christian texts, but over time they are addedfive more sacraments, which together formed the ritual basis of the Christian religion. Every clergyman can easily list the seven sacraments of the Church:
- Baptism.
- Anointing.
- Eucharist (Communion).
- Repentance.
- The Unction.
- The Sacrament of Marriage.
- The Sacrament of the Priesthood.
Theologians claim that Jesus Christ himself established baptism, chrismation and communion. These sacraments were obligatory for any believer.
Classification of sacraments
Church sacraments in Orthodoxy have their own classification, every Christian who takes the first steps on the path to God should know about this. Sacraments can be:
- mandatory;
- optional.
The following rituals belong to the first category:
- baptism;
- chrismation;
- communion;
- repentance;
- unction.
The Sacrament of Marriage and the Priesthood are the free will of man and belong to the second category. But it should be borne in mind that only the marriage that is consecrated by the church is recognized in Christianity.
Also, all the sacraments can be divided into:
- single;
- repeatable.
A one-time church sacrament can be performed only once in a lifetime. Suitable for this category:
- baptism;
- chrismation;
- the sacrament of the Priesthood.
The rest of the rites can be repeated many times independing on the spiritual needs of a person. Some theologians also rank the Sacrament of Marriage as one-time rites, because a wedding in a church can be performed once in a lifetime. Despite the fact that many are now talking about such a ceremony as dethronement, the official position of the Church on this issue has not changed for many years - a marriage entered into before God cannot be canceled.
Where are the sacraments of the Church taught?
If you do not plan to connect your life with the service of God, then it is enough for you to have a general idea of what the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church are. But otherwise, you will need to carefully study each rite that takes place during training in the seminary.
Ten years ago, the book "Orthodox Teaching on Church Sacraments" was published as a textbook for seminarians. It reveals all the secrets of the rites, and also includes materials from various theological conferences. By the way, this information will be useful to anyone who is interested in religion and wants to penetrate deeply into the essence of Christianity in general and Orthodoxy in particular.
Sacraments for children and adults: is there a separation
Of course, there are no special church sacraments for children, because they have equal rights and obligations with adult members of the Christian community before God. Children take part in baptism, chrismation, communion and unction. But repentance causes certain difficulties for some theologians when we talk about a child. On the one hand, children are born practicallysinless (with the exception of original sin) and have no deeds behind them for which they need to repent. But, on the other hand, even a small children's sin is a sin before God, therefore, it needs awareness and repentance. Do not wait for a series of minor offenses to lead to the formation of a sinful consciousness.
It is natural that the Mystery of Marriage and the Priesthood are inaccessible to children. Participation in such rituals can be taken by a person who, according to the laws of the country, is recognized as an adult.
Baptism
The Church Sacraments of Baptism literally become the gate through which a person enters the Church and becomes a member. Water is always needed to perform the sacrament, because Jesus Christ himself was baptized in the Jordan to set an example for all his followers and show them the shortest path to atonement for sins.
Baptism is performed by a priest and requires some preparation. If we are talking about the sacrament of the Church for an adult who has consciously come to God, then he needs to read the Gospel, as well as receive instructions from the clergyman. Sometimes, before baptism, people attend special classes during which they receive basic knowledge about the Christian religion, church rites and God.
Baptism is performed in the temple (when it comes to a seriously ill person, the ceremony can be performed at home or in a hospital) by a priest. A person is placed facing east and listens to cleansing prayers, and then, turning to the west, renouncesfrom sin, Satan and the former life. Then he plunges into the font three times to the prayers of the priest. After that, the baptized person is considered born in God and, as a confirmation of his belonging to Christianity, receives a cross, which must be worn constantly. It is customary to keep a baptismal shirt for life, it is a kind of amulet for a person.
When a sacrament is performed over an infant, then all questions are answered by the parents and godparents. In some churches, participation in the rite of one godfather is allowed, but he must be of the same sex as the godson. Keep in mind that becoming a godfather is a very responsible mission. After all, from this moment you are responsible before God for the soul of the child. It is the godparents who should lead him along the path of Christianity, instruct and admonish. We can say that the recipients are spiritual teachers for a new member of the Christian community. Doing these duties improperly is a grave sin.
Anointing
This sacrament is performed immediately after baptism, it is the next stage in the churching of a person. If baptism washes away all his sins from a person, then chrismation gives him the grace of God and strength in order to live as a Christian, fulfilling all the commandments. Confirmation occurs only once in a lifetime.
For the ceremony, the priest uses myrrh - a special consecrated oil. In the process of the sacrament, myrrh is applied in the form of a cross on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, ears, lips, hands and feet of a person. The clergy call it the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, manbecomes a true member of the Orthodox Church and is ready for life in Christ.
Repentance
The Sacrament of Repentance is not a simple confession of one's sins before a clergyman, but an awareness of the unrighteousness of one's path. Theologians argue that repentance is not words, but an act. If you come to the realization that you will do something sinful, then stop and change your life. And in order to be strengthened in your decision, you need repentance, which cleanses from all committed unrighteous deeds. After this sacrament, many people feel renewed and enlightened, it is easier for them to avoid temptations and adhere to certain rules.
Only a bishop or a priest can accept confession, since it was they who received this right through the Sacrament of the Priesthood. During repentance, a person kneels and lists to the clergyman all his sins. He, in turn, reads cleansing prayers and overshadows the confessor with the banner of the cross. In some cases, when a person repents of any serious sins, penance is imposed on him - a special punishment.
Remember, if you have repented and are committing the same sin again, then think about the meaning of your actions. Perhaps you are not strong enough in the faith and need the help of a priest.
What is the sacrament?
The Sacrament of the Church, which is considered one of the most important, is called "Communion". This rite connects a person with God on an energy level, it cleanses and heals a Christianspiritually and materially.
Church service, where the Sacrament of Communion is performed, takes place on certain days. In addition, not all Christians are admitted to it, but only those who have undergone special training. You must first speak with the clergyman and declare your desire to take the sacrament. Usually a church minister appoints a post, after which it is necessary to undergo repentance. Only those who have fulfilled all the conditions become available to the church service, at which the Sacrament of the Eucharist is performed.
In the process of the sacrament, a person receives bread and wine, which are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. This enables the Christian to partake of divine energy and be cleansed of everything sinful. Church officials claim that the sacrament heals a person at the deepest level. He is reborn spiritually, which always has a positive effect on human he alth.
Church Sacrament: Unction
This sacrament is often called the consecration of oil, since in the process of the ceremony, oil is applied to the human body - oil (most often olive oil is used). The sacrament got its name from the word "cathedral", meaning that the ceremony should be carried out by several clergymen. Ideally, there should be seven.
The Sacrament of Unction is performed on seriously ill people who need healing. First of all, the rite is aimed at healing the soul, which directly affects our bodily shell. In the process of sacramentthe clergy read seven texts from various sacred sources. The oil is then applied to the person's face, eyes, ears, lips, chest and limbs. At the end of the ceremony, the gospel is placed on the head of the Christian, and the priest begins to pray for the remission of sins.
It is believed that it is best to conduct this sacrament after repentance, and after taking communion.
The Sacrament of Marriage
Many newlyweds think about the wedding, but few of them realize the seriousness of this step. The Sacrament of Marriage is a very responsible church ceremony that forever unites two people before God. It is believed that from now on there are always three of them. Invisibly, Christ accompanies them everywhere, supporting them in difficult moments.
It is important to be aware that there are some obstacles to performing the ordinance. These include the following reasons:
- fourth and subsequent marriages;
- disbelief in God of one of the spouses;
- refusal of baptism by one or both spouses;
- finding spouses in kinship up to the fourth generation.
Keep in mind that it takes a long time to prepare for the wedding and approach it very thoroughly.
Sacrament of Priesthood
Sacrament Ordination to church gives the priest the right to conduct services and independently perform church rites. This is a rather complicated procedure, which we will not describe. But its essence lies in the fact that through certain manipulations, the grace of the Holy Spirit descends on the minister of the church, which giveshis special power. Moreover, according to church canons, the higher the rank of the church, the greater the power descends on the clergyman.
We hope that our article has given you some idea of the sacraments of the Church, without which the life of a Christian in God is impossible.
