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Typical Psalms

2018-11-16T13:04:41Z

Wgw: Added details concerning the priest’s prayers and the alternate psalms sung during a Weekday Simple Service

The '''Typical Psalms''' are [[Psalter|Psalms]] 102 (103), “Bless the Lord, O My Soul”, and 145 (146), “Praise the Lord, O My Soul,” which may be included in either the [[Divine Liturgy]] (in Slavic practice, and in Byzantine [[monasticism|monastic]] practice) or the [[Typika]]. In the context of the liturgy, these Psalms form the first two [[antiphon]]s along with [[Only-begotten Son]]. The third antiphon (which is also included in the Typika) is the [[Beatitudes]].

If the service is a Weekday Simple Service, with no directions in the Menaion concerning the Beatitudes, Psalms 91, 92, and 94, or simple antiphons taken from them, are sung instead.

Each antiphon is followed by the Little Litany, except in the use of [[New Skete Monastery]]. The priest says a prayer during the antiphons and Litany, which at New Skete is said aloud instead of the Litany. These prayers are identical in the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great, and the seldom used Liturgy of St. Peter, however, they differ in the 1893 edition of the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark published by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria (the synaxis of which is otherwise identical to that of the liturgies of St. John and St. Basil).

When the Presanctified Liturgy is served, four antiphons, consisting of variable psalms, are sung, and the priestly prayers for each are the Fourth through the Seventh Lamplighting Prayers from Vespers (as the Presanctified Liturgy is a vesperal liturgy). In some parishes the Presanctified Liturgy follows the Typika.

== External links ==
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/typica.htm Text of the Typika]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/liturgydoc.htm Text of the Liturgy]

[[Category:Liturgics]]

Template:Services

2015-02-08T16:08:44Z

Wgw:

{| style="margin:0" align="right" class="toccolours"
|style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"| '''Services of the [[Orthodox Church]]'''
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | Eucharist: [[Divine Liturgy]] | When the Eucharist cannot be served: [[Typika]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|[[Daily Cycle]] (Divine Office)
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Vespers]] | [[Compline]] | [[Midnight Office]] | [[Matins]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Hours|Little Hours (Prime,Terce,Sext,None)]] | [[Royal Hours]] | [[Mesorion]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|Other Services
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Akathist|Akathist Hymn]] | [[Paraklesis]] | [[Moleben]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Great Blessing of Water]] | [[Artoklasia]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Baptism-Chrismation Service]] | [[Holy Unction]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Ordination Service]] | [[Marriage#Marriage Service|Marriage Service]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Funeral Service]] | [[Memorial Services|Memorial Service]]
|}<includeonly>[[Category:Services]]</includeonly>
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[[Category:Series templates|Services]]</noinclude>

Mesorion

2015-02-08T16:05:01Z

Wgw:

{{stub}}

The Mesoria, or Inter Hours, are served on certain days in the [[Apostles' Fast]] and [[Nativity | Nativity Fast]].

There is a Mesorion for each of the Hours (Prime, Terce, Sext, None). On days when the Mesoria are served, the Divine Liturgy is not served.

{{Services}}

[[Category: Liturgics]]

Liturgy of St. Mark

2015-01-21T18:58:14Z

Wgw: Corrected factual error

{{stub}}
[[Image:Apostle Mark.jpg|left|frame|The Apostle Mark]]
The '''Divine Liturgy of St. Mark''' was at one time the primary worship service of the Orthodox [[Church of Alexandria]]. The oldest extant copy of this liturgy dates from the fourth century.

This [[liturgy]] is currently served annually on the [[feast day]] of the [[Apostle Mark]] at [[Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York)]] of the ([[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]]) and at [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)]]. The text authorized by the Holy Synod of ROCOR is the translation of Protopriest John Shaw, (now Bishop [[Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan|Jerome of Manhattan]]), and is based upon the 1586 edition of Patriarch Meletios Pegas of Alexandria and the 1890 edition of St. [[Nectarios of Aegina]].

==Sources==
*''Liturgiia Apostola Marka: The Divine Liturgy of St. Mark'' (1997).

==External links==
*[http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/Liturgy/Liturgy-Mark.html Text of the Liturgy of St Mark]

[[Category:Liturgics]]

Mesorion

2015-01-21T18:55:41Z

Wgw: Added article on the inter hours

{{stub}}

The Mesoria, or Inter Hours, are served on certain days in the [[Apostle's Fast]] and [[Nativity Fast]].

There is a Mesorion for each of the Hours (Prime, Terce, Sext, None). On days when the Mesoria are served, the Divine Liturgy is not served.

{{Services}}

[[Category: Liturgics]]

Template:Services

2015-01-21T18:52:53Z

Wgw: Added Royal Hours, Mesorion, Moleben

{| style="margin:0" align="right" class="toccolours"
|style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"| '''Services of the [[Orthodox Church]]'''
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | Eucharist: [[Divine Liturgy]] | When the Eucharist cannot be served: [[Typika]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|[[Daily Cycle]] (Divine Office)
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Vespers]] | [[Compline]] | [[Midnight Office]] | [[Matins]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Hours|Little Hours (Prime,Terce,Sext,None)]] | [[Royal Hours]] | [[Mesorion]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|Other Services
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Akathist|Akathist Hymn]] | [[Paraklesis]] | [[Moleben]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Great Blessing of Water]] | [[Artoklasia]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Baptism-Chrismation Service]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Ordination Service]] | [[Marriage#Marriage Service|Marriage Service]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Funeral Service]] | [[Memorial Services|Memorial Service]]
|}<includeonly>[[Category:Services]]</includeonly>
<noinclude>

This template adds the series box. It also includes the article in [[:Category:Services]].

[[Category:Series templates|Services]]</noinclude>

Template:Services

2015-01-21T18:42:30Z

Wgw: Added some space

{| style="margin:0" align="right" class="toccolours"
|style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"| '''Services of the [[Orthodox Church]]'''
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | Eucharist: [[Divine Liturgy]] When the Eucharist cannot be served: [[Typika]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|[[Daily Cycle]] (Divine Office)
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Vespers]] | [[Compline]] | [[Midnight Office]] | [[Matins]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Hours|First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hour Services]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|Other Services
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Akathist|Akathist Hymn]] | [[Paraklesis]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Great Blessing of Water]] | [[Artoklasia]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Baptism-Chrismation Service]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Ordination Service]] | [[Marriage#Marriage Service|Marriage Service]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Funeral Service]] | [[Memorial Services|Memorial Service]]
|}<includeonly>[[Category:Services]]</includeonly>
<noinclude>

This template adds the series box. It also includes the article in [[:Category:Services]].

[[Category:Series templates|Services]]</noinclude>

Template:Services

2015-01-21T18:38:32Z

Wgw: Added Typika to the template next to Divine Liturgy as it is an important service offered when the liturgy cannot be served.

{| style="margin:0" align="right" class="toccolours"
|style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"| '''Services of the [[Orthodox Church]]'''
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Divine Liturgy]] [[Typika]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|[[Daily Cycle]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Vespers]] | [[Compline]] | [[Midnight Office]] | [[Matins]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Hours|First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hour Services]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; background: #ccf"|Other Services
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Akathist|Akathist Hymn]] | [[Paraklesis]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Great Blessing of Water]] | [[Artoklasia]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Baptism-Chrismation Service]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Ordination Service]] | [[Marriage#Marriage Service|Marriage Service]]
|-
| style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | [[Funeral Service]] | [[Memorial Services|Memorial Service]]
|}<includeonly>[[Category:Services]]</includeonly>
<noinclude>

This template adds the series box. It also includes the article in [[:Category:Services]].

[[Category:Series templates|Services]]</noinclude>

Prelest

2014-12-21T01:33:40Z

Wgw: Undo revision 120464 by Mike78 (talk). Mike78 appears to have accidentally blanked the page.

'''Prelest''' ({{lang-ru|прелесть}}, from {{lang-ru|лесть}} - cajolery; (charm, seduction), {{lang-el|πλάνη - ''plani''}}), also known as: spiritual delusion, spiritual deception, delusion, illusion, – according to Holy Fathers of [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], a false spiritual state, a spiritual illness, "a wounding of human nature by falsehood" - a man's assimilation of falseness as truth (St. [[Ignatius (Brianchaninov) of Caucasus|Ignatius Brianchaninov]]).<ref name="ign">[http://orthodoxleader.paradosis.com/articles/on-spiritual-deception/ On Spiritual Deception. Orthodox Life, July-August 1980.]</ref> The concept of prelest should not be confused with somatic mental illness of any kind, prelest is rather a spiritual illness<ref>{{Fr icon}} Jean-Claude Larchet, Thérapeutique des maladies mentales. L’expérience de l’Orient chrétien des premiers siècles (1992, 3rd edition 2008) ISBN 2204045187 {{Ru icon}} [http://www.sociodinamika.com/lib/larshe1.html Жан-Клод Ларше, Исцеление психических болезней. Опыт христианского Востока первых веков] Jean-Claude Larchet writes in his book about mental illnesses and sets apart 3 kinds of them: natural, demonic and spiritual based on the words from many Holy Fathers. Natural illness is associated with body (brain) malfunction, demonic one - with action of demons, and spiritual illness in the first place depends on the person's free will (though free will and demons can also partially participate in the first 2 kinds).</ref> - an illness of the soul in its personal relation to God, an illness that is to be cured by humility and Holy Sacraments and under the guidance of the spiritual father. The most often sources of false thoughts and views that result in prelest are vainglory and pride (prelest of conceit and excessive zeal) and self-love and laziness (prelest of carelessness). The state opposite to prelest is spiritual sobriety.

==General information==

Strictly speaking, any human error i.e. any acceptance of a false thought as truth can be the beginning of prelest: "The source of self-delusion and demonic deception is the false thought" (St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)). But Holy Fathers, speaking about prelest, considered not any errors but wrote mainly about the errors in the human judgement about spiritual matters and especially about the errors in understanding of the personal spiritual state.

True view of oneself (of own spiritual condition, position relative to God, sinfulness etc.) is tightly connected with the passions of pride and vainglory and is distorted by these passions. The degree of prelest is the degree of such distortion, i.e. the amount of falseness in the view of oneself and the degree of difficulty of change from the false view to the true one.

Different kinds of prelest are described by many Holy Fathers, including the Fathers of [[Philokalia]]: St. [[Gregory of Sinai]], St. [[Maximus the Confessor]], St. [[Symeon the Metaphrast]], St. [[Symeon the New Theologian]] and others. Even when some Holy Father does not use the term "prelest" explicitly, writing about acetic life implies writing what spiritual practice is true, i.e. leads to salvation, and what is false, i.e. leads to the opposite and, therefore, accepting it as true is prelest.

A modern reader can find the most thorough explanation of prelest in the writings of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) where he relentlessly keeps the traditions of Holy Fathers. Some of these writings were incorporated into a book "On prelest"<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/09i/ignatii/charm/contents.html St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On prelest.]</ref> dedicated solely to different forms of delusion (wrong way of prayer, trust to dreams, excessive zeal, false humility etc.), which St. Ignatius explains on the basis of the words from Holy Fathers of the first centuries and provides information about different recent cases of delusion.

Some modern ascetics such as elder [[Joseph the Hesychast]],<ref name="joseph">[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/134-false-visions/310-true-visions-from-god-are-often-a-consolation-in-suffering Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Monastic Wisdom, From letter 55.] Elder Joseph writes in a letter to a priest about true and false visions and pride. If the person becomes proud - the demons can start to made a mock of him, showing their own visions that imitate the true ones.</ref> elder [[Paisios (Eznepidis)|Paisios of the Holy Mountain]],<ref name="paisios">Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, Spiritual Counsels, Vol. 3. Spiritual Struggle. Large part of volume 3 is dedicated to different cases of delusions.</ref> elder [[Daniel Katounakiotis]]<ref name="daniel">{{Ru icon}} [http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/10k/katunakskii/katunakskii1/16.html Elder Daniel Katounakiotis. Angelic living.] Elder Daniel had a spiritual gift of counsel allowing him to guard or cure people from delusion. The book contains several his letters about it.</ref> also wrote about prelest.

The concept of prelest is very important in Orthodox spirituality and ascetics. It is one of the main dangers for a Christian (especially monastic) starting to pray with the [[Jesus Prayer]].<ref name="piligr">[http://www.pravmir.com/the-way-of-a-pilgrim-and-bishop-ignatius-brianchaninov%E2%80%99s-teaching-on-prayer-2/ Interview with prof. A.I. Osipov. "The Way of a Pilgrim" and Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov’s) Teaching on Prayer".]</ref>

Identifying prelest in its particular manifestations is called discernment (or discrimination) of spirits. The virtue of discrimination "is greater than any other virtue; and is the queen and crown of all the virtues".<ref>Philokalia, Vol.2, St. John of Damaskos, On the Virtues and the Vices.</ref> It corresponds to a very high degree of spiritual age and requires "three renunciations" (St. John Climacus): of the worldly concerns, selfishness and vainglory.<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 2.</ref> True discrimination comes after a long previous experience of fighting with passions. The source of discrimination is in the action of Divine grace and the virtue of humility.

In general, the safest spiritual path in relation to prelest is to live in obedience to an experienced and holy elder, or at least to live on the advice of others. The fastest way to fall into prelest - to trust own thoughts and not to listen to any advices.

==General prelest and prelest proper==

According to Saint [[Ignatius Brianchaninov]], "Spiritual deception is the state of all men without exception, and it has been made possible by the fall of our original parents. All of us are subject to spiritual deception. Awareness of this fact is the greatest protection against it. Likewise, the greatest spiritual deception of all is to consider oneself free from it".<ref name="ign"/>

[[Theophanes (Bystrov) of Poltava|Theophan]], the Archbishop of Poltava, comments on this statement of St. Ignatius briefly by setting apart "general prelest" and prelest in its "proper sense" of the word. On the bases of all the above mentioned he gives the following definition: "Briefly, the difference between 'general prelest' and prelest in the particular sense of the word can, on the basis of the above, be expressed thus. General prelest is forgetting and not noticing one's sinfulness. That which we call prelest proper is attributing to oneself righteousness when it does not actually exist. If a man thinks he is righteous, then his righteousness is not divine, but diabolical, foreign to the grace of God and to humility. One should recall the famous saying of Abba Poemen the Great: 'I prefer a man who sins and repents to one who does not sin and does not repent. The first has good thoughts, for he admits that he is sinful. But the second has false, soul-destroying thoughts, for he imagines himself to be righteous' (Bp. Ignatius, Patericon, 75)".<ref>[http://www.roca.org/OA/66-68/66n.htm Letters of Theophan, Archbishop of Poltava, Letter 31.]</ref>

==The most likely time to fall into prelest==
Elder [[John Krestiankin]] in his word about spiritual guiding says that the most dangerous time in relation to prelest is the beginning of the spiritual life. "Upon entering the Church, winged with new sensations, the newly-born reaches with his consciousness straight for the Kingdom of Heaven, to the heights of mysteries that are hidden behind the impenetrable curtain of Divine revelation. At that moment the spiritual father and his spiritual child enter into a unified struggle with the dark powers, the latter of which are ready with their deceit to turn the new convert from the path of salvation. The enemy's deception will hunt after this person for the rest of his life, offering him its dangerous sweetness. This initial period is particularly dangerous, for this sweetness still resonates with the nature of the fleshly man, and finds sympathy and response deep within his soul. The spiritual father's strength in this struggle lies in prayer and love for his spiritual child's soul, which has come to desire its own salvation. The spiritual child's protection lies in his trust of the pastor, in the awareness of his own sinfulness, and mistrust of himself".<ref>[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/7204.htm Letters of Fr. John Krestiankin. On the work of a pastor.]</ref>

St. Gregory of Sinai also writes that "around beginners and those who rely on their own counsel the demons spread the nets of destructive thoughts and images, and open pits into which such people fall; for their city is still in the hands of the workers of iniquity, and in their impetuosity they are easily slain by them. It is not surprising that they are deceived, or lose their wits, or have been and still are deluded, or heed what is contrary to truth, or from inexperience and ignorance say things that should not be said. Often some witless person will speak
about truth and will hold forth at length without being aware of what he is saying or in a position to give a correct account of things. In this way he troubles many who hear him and by his inept behavior he brings abuse and ridicule on the heads of hesychasts. It is not in the least strange that beginners should be deceived even after making great efforts, for this has happened to many who have sought God, both now and in the past".<ref>St. Gregory of Sinai. On Prayer: Seven Texts. On Delusion and Other Subjects. Philokalia, Vol. 4.</ref>

==Premature desire of impossible virtues==
St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes that there is a spiritual law of interrelationship of virtues so that one certain virtue cannot be acquired without acquiring another that is in close relationship with the first one. For a spiritually inexperienced person, the very idea that some virtue can be premature seems almost blasphemous<ref>[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/53476.htm A.I. Osipov. The Basics of Spiritual Life Based on the Writings of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Part 1.]</ref>, but this is true according to Holy Fathers. St. [[Isaac of Syria]] writes that "It is the good will of the most wise Lord that we reap our spiritual bread in the sweat of our brow. He established this law not out of spite, but rather so that we would not suffer from indigestion and die. Every virtue is the mother of the one following it. If you leave the mother who gives birth to the virtue and seek after her daughter, without having first acquired the mother, then these virtues become as vipers in the soul. If you do not turn them away, you will soon die".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/isaaksr/txt71.htm St. Isaac of Syria. Ascetic words. Word 72.]</ref> St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes that "the fallen angel strives to deceive monks and draw them to destruction, offering them not only sin in its various forms, but also lofty virtues that are not natural to them". St. John Climacus writes that "the devil proposes impossible virtues to those who live under obedience, and unsuitable ideas to those living in solitude. <...>The enemy persuades them to look too soon for these virtues, so that they may not persevere and attain them in due time."<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 4.</ref>

St. Ignatius warns that the books of Holy Fathers can act on novices so much that they, in inexperience and ignorance, easily dare to leave the place of residence, which has all the convenience for personal salvation by means of execution of evangelical commandments, and to seek for another higher way of life, seductively painted in their imagination.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/09i/ignatii/charm/3.html St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On Prelest. On caution when reading the books on monastic life.]</ref> Such desires are the basis of many forms of prelest: desire of visions, revelations, and other supernatural gifts, execution of very long prayer rule, extreme fasting, premature desire of stillness and seclusion.

==Expectation of grace==

The very thought about forthcoming grace and receiving Divine gifts, expectation of grace is a clear manifestation of pride. St. Ignatius writes: "If there is an expectation of grace within you – beware, you are in a dangerous state! <...> Prelest exists already in self-conceit, in considering oneself worthy, in the very expectation of grace."<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/stbrianch/strannik_b.htm St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Wanderer (from Works, Vol. 2).]</ref>

The Gospel says: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation" (Luke 17:20). According to St. Isaac of Syria<ref name="isaac55">{{Ru icon}} [http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/isaaksr/txt54.htm St. Isaac of Syria. Ascetic words. Word 55.]</ref> and St. [[Macarius of Optina]]<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.optina.ru/lec_mac/42/ Letters of St. Macarius of Optina. Prelest.]</ref>, these words mean that the ones who prematurely desired to acquire grace, acquired pride and fall. And this is not a sign that a man loves God but a mental illness. Saints who acquired grace, thought that they did not have it, and this humility kept them safe from the fall. St. Isaac adds: "How can we strive for high Divine gifts while Apostle Paul glories in tribulations." The same idea is expressed by St. [[Nectarios of Aegina]]: "The ones who seek the Divine gifts and insights while being immersed in the passions are in proud and foolish delusion. First, one need to work on cleansing oneself. Grace is sent as a gift to those who are cleansed from the passions. And they get it quietly, at the moment that they do not notice."<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Nektarij_Eginskij/put-k-schastju St. Nectarios of Aegina. Path to Happiness.]</ref>

St. Ambrose of Optina provides in one letter an example of such expectation of Divine gifts. A nun thought that she will receive all spiritual gifts at the day of the feast of [[Archangel Michael]]. But on that day, she instead received depression and thoughts of suicide from the demons. St. Ambrose writes that it was a delusion and that living in complete solitude will be dangerous for her because of such demonic attacks.<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.optina.ru/starets/amvrosiy_letters_chart2_24/#245 Letters of St. Ambrose of Optina. Letter 245.]</ref>

==Prelest in the New Testament==

In the scene of temptation in the desert, the Devil tries to delude Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1–11).

In the [[Sermon on the Mount]], Lord Jesus Christ says about false miracles (Matthew 7:21–23).

Also Lord Jesus says about prelest and false prophets (Matthew 24:4–5, Matthew 24:11).

In Acts 16:16–18, Apostle Paul expels the spirit of false prophecy.

In 1 John 4:1, Apostle John writes about false prophets and trust to spirits.

In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Apostle Paul writes about false visions.

In 1 Timothy 2:14, Apostle Paul mentions the deception of Adam and Eve.

In 1 Timothy 6:20, Apostle Paul advises to avoid delusion - "oppositions of science falsely so called".<ref>The interpretation of these words, i.e. that "false science" is prelest, is taken from the above mentioned article of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov).</ref>

==Kinds==

[[Saint]] Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes there are many kinds of prelest. Each kind corresponds to the particular passion, from which it resulted, and each kind is somehow associated with pride. All kinds of prelest are also associated with improper prayer and occur when repentance is not the basis of the prayer. St. Ignatius notes that in terms of prayer, there are two distinct kinds of prelest:
# ''imagination'' – the person imagines in himself or outside something that does not exist. Such wrong kind of prayer (with imagination of Heaven, Lord [[Jesus Christ]], [[Angels]], Saints), when it is used by someone who did not reach dispassion, results in hallucinations mixed with real visions on the same subject originating from the demons.
# ''self-conceit'' (pride, arrogance) – the person attributes to himself dignity before [[God]] that he does not have. Self-conceit in relation to prayer can manifest itself in false attribution of natural feelings during the prayer to the action of Divine grace.

St. Ignatius says that the first kind of prelest results from the wrong action of the mind and the second - from the wrong action of the heart.

Saint [[Gregory of Sinai]] also says about several forms of delusion:<ref name="greg">St. Gregory of Sinai. On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; On Thoughts, Passions and Virtues, and Also on Stillness and Prayer. Ch. 131. Philokalia, Vol. 4.</ref>
# ''illusory visions and mental images and fantasies'', caused by arrogance and self-conceit: "arrogance is followed by delusion, delusion by blasphemy, blasphemy by fear, fear by terror, and terror by a derangement of the natural state of the mind".
# ''diabolic influence'' - "it has its origin in self-indulgence, which in its turn results from so-called natural desire. Self-indulgence begets licentiousness in all its forms of indescribable impurity." This form includes visions and gift of prophecy that some people have, in fact originating from the demons of licentiousness.
# ''mental derangement'' - a result of the first two forms.

===False visions===

According to the Holy Fathers, false visions are associated with pride. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov says that those people, who want to see visions, and whose mind is not renewed and recreated by the Holy Spirit, are filled with pride<ref name="ign1">{{Ru icon}}[http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/stbrianch/prelest.htm St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On prelest.]</ref> - that means, as writes St. Ignatius, that there is a connection between prelest of the first and the second kind (i.e. between "imagination" and "conceit"). Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev) says: "Where there is pride and at the same time one has a vision - it can not be from God, but by all means - from the evil one."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.3rm.info/10811-nastavlenie-o-voznoshenii-sebya-i-lozhnyx.html Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev). Instruction on the self-conceit and the false visions.]</ref>

Romanian elder Cleopa (Ilie) specifies 7 ways of falling into delusion of false visions and dreams:<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/43216.htm Elder Cleopa. On dreams and visions. 2012. Extracts from the book.]</ref>
# Pride;
# Vainglory;
# Weak and inexperienced mind;
# Reckless zeal;
# Disobedience;
# Following own will and concealment of thoughts in confession;
# Not knowing self and the Divine Scriptures.

If the person who saw a vision is humble, he rejects the vision as elder Cleopa also writes in his book "On dreams and visions", providing examples of different Saints from the Patericon.

Elder [[Joseph the Hesychast]] says that true visions are always preceded or followed by very intense suffering and sorrows and are given by God only as a consolation.<ref>Elder Joseph the Hesychast. Monastic wisdom. Letter 37.</ref> Even if the vision is true, it is very difficult to withstand the fight with thoughts and not to get proud of the fact of the vision. "What happens after that? A person becomes the mock of the demons. They fool him with writings and visions, with dreams and revelations, with symbols and numbers, with oracles and a heap of superstitions."<ref name="joseph"/> Elder [[Paisios (Eznepidis)|Paisios of the Holy Mountain]] tells a story about a woman who had one true vision. Then the Devil suggested her a thought that she was chosen by God and she believed it. Then the demons started to torment her with different visions and revelations. In the end, she had another true vision and was told to write to elder Paisios so that he could help her.<ref name="paisios"/> So elder Paisios says that out of all her visions, only 2 were from God.

False visions as any demonic action can be very harmful to the soul. Elder [[Daniel Katounakiotis]] writes in a letter about one hierodeacon by the name of Ierotheos who had a lot of visions. Even though he confessed everything, nobody of the confessors understood that this was a delusion. Then elder [[Sabbas the Father Confessor of Mount Athos‎|Sabbas]] advised him how to find out the truth. When the delusion was revealed and when the visions ceased after repeated exorcism, the injury to the soul of Ierotheos remained very serious and later he broke all monastic vows.<ref name="daniel"/>

===Self-conceit===

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes that "people infected with prelest of 'conceit' are very common. Anyone who does not have a contrite spirit, who recognizes any own merits and achievements, anyone not holding steadily the teaching of the Orthodox Church, but discussing about any dogma or tradition arbitrarily, at his discretion, or according to the heterodox teaching, is in this kind of prelest. The degree of deviation and persistence of deviation determines the degree of prelest".<ref name="ign1"/> St. Ignatius adds: "As there is no, as noted by the St. [[Macarius the Great]], person completely free from pride: there is no person who would be completely free from the action on him of a subtle delusion called 'conceit'".

There is an example when "conceit" may also result in a mental disease. Hieromartyr Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky) in his "Spiritual Diary" writes about one woman who was in this kind of delusion. She wanted to take the Holy Communion every day. When she was forbidden to do so, she started to serve a kind of "liturgy" herself at her home using prosphora and wine. "Her case, however, ended sadly. She lost her mind and she is currently in the mental hospital."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://true-orthodox.narod.ru/library/book/Arseny/diary/index.html Hieromartyr Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky). Spiritual Diary.]</ref>

===False gifts===

Sometimes the demons can "help"<ref>Saints Barsanuphius and John, Guidance Toward Spiritual Life: Answers to the Questions of Disciples. Letter 421. In this and several other consecutive letters Sts. Barsanuphius and John write about demonic "help". From the answers it is clear that demons do not do only evidently sinful things. They can do something and help in something that, for inexperienced person, looks like good. For example, the person prays to God but does it with conceit, not with the intention to fulfill the will of God. In this case, the demons can be allowed to "help" this person and to do the deed that he wanted against the will of God. The sign of "help" is pride after such prayer. "When you have been praying and feel that your prayer has been heard, if indeed you are elated, it is clear that yon have neither prayed according to God nor have you received the help of God, but rather the feeling that worked in you was from the demons so that your heart might be elated. For whenever assistance comes from God, the soul is never elated; instead, it is always humbled."</ref> a deluded person. This "help" can include either recommendations about certain things, even theological and very complicated, or can take the form of false spiritual gifts: false healing ability<ref name="cass">[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers2/NPNF2-11/Npnf2-11-65.htm Saint John Cassian, Conferences. Conference 15. The second conference of Abbot Nesteros. On Divine gifts. Chapter 1. Discourse of Abbot Nesteros on the threefold system of gifts.] St. John Cassian mentions the demonic gift of healing as one of the 3 sources of supernatural healing.</ref>, false clairvoyance<ref name="nic">[http://www.roca.org/OA/66-68/66p.htm Living of Saint Nicetas of the Kiev Caves.]</ref>, false gift of prophecy<ref name="greg"/>, false unceasing prayer<ref name="raph">{{Ru icon}} [http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/16r/rafail/secret/33.html Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). The mystery of salvation. Conversations about spiritual life. Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim.]</ref>, false power over demons<ref name="cass"/>, false reading of thoughts<ref name="ant">{{Ru icon}}[http://video.mail.ru/mail/lapin737/1170/1357.html?autoplay=1 Conversations with Bishop Anthony of Sourozh. On prelest. Spas TV]</ref>, false dispassion<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/psychology/vlhs_4.htm#n4 Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos. Orthodox psychotherapy. Dispassion.] Metropolitan Hierotheos writes about true and false dispassion based on words from many Holy Fathers. The main property of true dispassion is perfect love. Dispassion with the lack of love resulting in condemnation of others, in noticing others' sins is a manifestation of false dispassion, e.g. when the passion of pride temporarily expels other passions.</ref> etc. The term "false" here means "not Divine".

An inexperienced person, not knowing enough about true Divine gifts, to whom and under which conditions they can be given<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Dobrotoljubie/dobrotoljubie_tom_5=23#sel=116:90,116:146 Philokalia, Vol 5, Sts. Kallistos and Ignatius Ksanthopoulos, Instructions for hesychasts, in 100 chapters, ch. 40] Sts. Kallistos and Ignatius say that each Divine gift should have a corresponding part in the soul that naturally receives such gift. E.g. the ones who made their mind clean from foreign thoughts - they receive wisdom; the ones who made their mind to control our inborn passions, anger and lust - receive prophecy; who has strong belief in Divine matters - receive all-mighty faith; the ones who succeeded in love for mankind - after elimination of self-love receive gift of healings.</ref>, can easily accept such false gift as being Divine. Such false gift can be received either together with some evident external event like an appearance of false "Christ" sending the "gift"<ref name="paisios"/>, or can happen gradually and unnoticeably for the receiving person. Some people who received false gifts prematurely<ref name="isaac55"/><ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://aleteia.narod.ru/neofit/prelest.htm St. Neofitos, Recluse of Cyprus. Word on some monk in Palestine, who in 6693, in September, was deluded by demons and fell miserably.]</ref> and due to conceit prayed to God asking to send them a gift and they did receive it, but from the demons. Others did not ask anything explicitly, but were already conceited and considered themselves worthy, i.e. were in the state of prelest of the second kind.<ref>[http://stvladimirs.ca/wordpress/letters-of-elder-macarius-of-optina/ Excerpts from the Letters of Elder Macarius of Optina.]</ref>

Metropolitan [[Anthony of Sourozh]] recalls that when he was young, he had an ability to read thoughts of other people. Once he asked God: "If this gift is not from You, dispel it". And this ability immediately disappeared.<ref name="ant"/> It is very difficult for a conceited person to decline such gift, to consider oneself unworthy of receiving it and ask God to take the gift away. If these false gifts are accepted by the deluded person, it can lead him/her into demon possession or suicide.<ref>[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/136-healing-ability-from-demons/341-healing-ability-from-the-demons The Letters of Elder John (Krestiankin).] Elder John (Krestiankin) writes to one person about the "gift" of healing. Elder John says from his experience that such "gifts" often end in irresistible desire of suicide in both the healer and the patient.</ref>

===Trust in dreams===

A rather dangerous kind of prelest is trust in dreams. The Holy Fathers say that we should never pay attention to them because they may originate from the demons.<ref>Philokalia, Vol. 1, St. Diadochos of Photiki, On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination. One Hundred Texts. Ch. 36-38.</ref> St. [[John Climacus]] says: "The devils of vainglory do their prophecies in dreams. They guess the future and, as part of their deceit, they inform us of it so that we are astonished to discover our visions coming true. Indeed we get carried away with the notion that we are already close to the gift of foreknowledge."<ref>Saint John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 3.</ref> The Wisdom of Sirach reads: "The hopes of a man void of understanding are vain and false: and dreams lift up fools. Whoso regardeth dreams is like him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind."(Wisdom of Sirach 34:1-2) "For dreams have deceived many, and they have failed that put their trust in them."(Wisdom of Sirach 34:7) If the person starts to notice dreams, looks for signs about the future in the dreams, the demons can quickly increase his trust to dreams to such extent that will lead to suicide or can turn the person into heresy<ref>[http://st-takla.org/books/en/ecf/211/2110599.html Saint John Cassian, Conferences, The Second Conference of Abbot Moses. On Discretion. Chapter VII. Of the fall and deception of a monk of Mesopotamia.]</ref> or other deadly sins.

===Passion of teaching===
Apostle James warns against unauthorized teaching in his Epistle: "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1). If the desire of teaching in the particular person originates from the passions of vainglory and pride rather than from love and humility, it becomes a kind of prelest, being based on a false idea of personal dignity and ability to teach and that such teaching is pleasing to God. Archbishop [[Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse|Averky (Taushev)]] in his analysis of James 3:1 says that one should start teaching with the great caution and distrust to oneself.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/hristianstvo/bibliya/tolkovanie/averkiy_sobornye_poslaniya_10-all.shtml Archbishop Averky (Taushev). Exegetic analysis of the Epistle of James.]</ref> Such inner determination is opposite to pride and conceited opinion about personal merits. St. [[John Climacus]] also warns about forbidden teaching when he speaks about vainglory: "Ignore him when he tells you to accept the office of bishop or abbot or teacher. It is hard to drive a dog from a butcher's counter."<ref>St. John Climacus. The ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 22.</ref>

Teaching can be a king of prelest in the following situations:
* arbitrary teaching and advices without being asked (except for the cases when the person was explicitly appointed to teach without being asked);
* teaching someone who is not interested in the topic or who does not have previous experience and knowledge to understand;
* teaching of something that the teacher does not know well, in particular, that he knows only from the books, not from experience;
* arbitrary acquisition of the dignity of a teacher belonging to bishops and priests, e.g. teaching publicly on faith in the church.

One of correct motivations of teaching is the obedience to share information with others according to the commandment "Give to every man that asketh of thee" (Luke 6:30, Matthew 5:42). In particular, Elder Joseph the Hesychast quotes these words in his letters when he explains why he gives advices not arbitrary, but only when being asked.<ref>Elder Joseph the Hesychast. Monastic Wisdom. Letters 41,45</ref> St. Ignatius (Briachaninov) also writes about arbitrary teaching that "fathers forbid advising neighbors on own accord, without questioning from the neighbor; unauthorized council is a sign of presence of a consciousness of own competence and spiritual dignity – which is obvious pride and self-deception (Opinion of hieromartyr Peter, Metropolitan of Damascus, and other Fathers. Philokalia, Vol. 3). This does not apply to the rectors and superiors, who are required to teach the brotherhood handed to them at all times and on every encountered need without being asked (2 Tim 4, 2). But when they visit other monasteries, they should be guided by the advice of St. Macarius of Alexandria given to St. Pachomius the Great. Pachomius said to Macarius about the guidance of the brethren and judgment over them. Abba Macarius said, "Teach and judge your subordinates and do not judge anyone outside" (Patericon and Memorable Tales of Abba Macarius of the City, Ch. 2). This rule was and is respected by all the abbots wishing to please God."<ref>[http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/09i/ignatii/charm/6.html St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). On Prelest. On Living with Advice.]</ref>

The conceited teacher often does not notice that he does harm to his students because they do not understand, understand incorrectly or even cannot understand at all some subject not having enough experience or knowledge, but the teacher does not cease his teaching. Lord Jesus warns against teaching those who are unprepared and cannot understand: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matthew 7:6). St. [[John Chrysostom]] in the interpretation of these words says that the corruption of life is the reason why the teaching is not understood.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XXIII.html St. John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. VII.]</ref> St. Symeon the New Theologian speaks in a similar way about teaching of something that cannot be understood: "the one who speaks about the ultimate steps of perfection to the novices and especially to the most lazy of them, not only does not help them, but also makes them to go back".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Dobrotoljubie/dobrotoljubie_tom_5=2 St. Symeon the New Theologian. Practical and theological chapters. Ch. 160.]</ref> The same idea about teaching of high matters is expressed by [[Apostle Paul]]: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The teacher, according to St. [[Symeon the New Theologian]]<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.pagez.ru/lsn/simeon/83.php St. Symeon the New Theologian. Word 83.]</ref>, should know the subject from experience. Elder Joseph the Hesychast writes that when one passionate person starts to teach another passionate person, the first one immediately loses the grace because God gives the privilege of teaching only when the teacher achieved the state of dispassion and contemplation, i.e. already knows the subject from personal experience.<ref>Elder Joseph the Hesychast. Monastic wisdom. Letter 22.</ref> Also the main role in the human understanding belongs not to the efforts of the teacher but to the action of Divine grace. Elder Joseph notes that he witnessed many times that unless God will help with His grace to understand, no human efforts alone can make the teaching successful. St. [[Innocent of Alaska]] writes about the action of the spirit of love that only the one who have plenty of faith and love can have a mouth and wisdom, which all hearts of the listeners shall not be able to resist.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/russian/innocent_alaska_r.htm St. Innocent of Alaska. Instruction for a missionary priest.]</ref>

Regarding arbitrary (i.e. without permission of the bishop) teaching in the church, the rule 64 of the [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]] reads: "That a layman must not publicly make a speech or teach, thus investing himself with the dignity of a teacher, but, instead, must submit to the ordinance handed down by the Lord, and to open his ear wide to them who have received the grace of teaching ability, and to be taught by them the divine facts thoroughly. <...> If anyone be caught disobeying the present Canon, let him be excommunicated for forty days."<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0835/__P3S.HTM Canons of the seven [[Ecumenical Councils|ecumenical councils]]. [[Quinisext Council|Quinisext Ecumenical Council]]. Rule 64]</ref> The interpretation of this canon then reads: "But if any layman chance to be experienced in discourse and modest in manner, he is not prohibited from answering and teaching in private those asking questions, as Zonaras states, and ch. 32 of Book VIII of the Apostolic Injunctions declare. For they shall be, it says, all taught of God: in which manner Apollos spoke, and taught the facts about the Lord, and in spite of the fact that he only knew the baptism of the Lord (Acts 28:25), and Aquilas and Priscilla, who taught the same Apollos the way of God more exactly".

===Carelessness===
Delusion of carelessness and negligence is gradual and unnoticeable weakening of zeal for virtues in a man and appearance of a false idea that salvation can be achieved without labors. St. Ambrose of Optina writes in one of his letters about carelessness as about a kind of delusion: "The delusion of carelessness (maybe); but regular delusion will not occur because we are not ascetics".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.optina.ru/lec_amvr/11/ Letters of St. Ambrose of Optina. Prelest.]</ref> In another letter, he cites the Gospel: "You complain about the coldness and reluctance to fulfill your Christian duties. Remember the words of the Gospel, that the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12), and force yourself according to your abilities and opportunity."<ref name="ioann1">{{Ru icon}}[http://www.ioann.ru/parts/strasti/xochetsya-otdoxnut-ot-duxovnoj-borby Words from Holy Fathers about carelessness]</ref> True ascetic is never satisfied with his current state. He understands that it is never enough, that he has to fight and that he does not fulfill the commandments.<ref>[http://www.sestry.ru/church/content/library/blagaja_chast/92_chapter/view Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman). The Good Part. V. 3.]</ref> In the state of negligence and in the absence of spiritual zeal, the human condition inevitably worsens: "The human soul as being immortal, can not remain in the same state: it either improves or worsens". (St. Macarius of Optina).<ref name="ioann1"/>

St. Gregory of Sinai says that the cause of carelessness is self-love.<ref name="ioann1"/>

Bishop Pankratius (Zherdev), the abbot of Valaam monastery, says in an interview<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/3742608.html Interview of Bishop Pankratius (Zherdev)]</ref> about monastic life that both extremes are dangerous: excessive zeal and carelessness. The latter it is a delusion too and it predominates now. In the state of carelessness, a monk is deceived thinking that he still conducts monastic life while in fact, according to the words of St. [[Seraphim of Sarov]], he is just a black firebrand. Though he wears black clothes, he differs from a layman only in that he does not have a wife.

Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman) in his book of conversations with the monastics<ref name="reidm1">{{Ru icon}}[http://www.sestry.ru/church/content/library/blagaja_chast/82_chapter/view Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman). The Good Part. V. 3. Between Scylla and Charybdis.]</ref> also thinks that carelessness is delusion and says that carelessness in some sense is opposite to pride, but even more dangerous. A very common manifestation of carelessness is the weakening of abstemiousness in food. With excessive nutrition, the passions begin to act in the person and darken the mind, especially the passion of sexual lust, and especially in the young persons. Also carelessness can manifest itself in laziness to physical labor, when the person is too sparing himself, is lazy to attend long church services, abandons the daily prayer rule. In obedience, a monk can be lazy to fight with himself cutting out his will, not striving to do exactly according to the blessing of the spiritual father but rather trusting his own intellect and reasoning.

Schema-archimandrite Abraham considers the abandonment of Jesus prayer to be the most dangerous manifestation of the carelessness for monastics: "If a person abandons the Jesus Prayer, he rejects the spiritual life", "abandonment of the prayer rope rule means that you do not conduct any monastic life." Holy Fathers say the same about abandonment of the prayer. St. John Climacus writes: "Self-will is the ruin of the monk living in obedience. But ruin for the solitary is the interruption of prayer."<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Word 27.</ref> St. Isaac of Syria says that "The start of the mind derangement (when the sign of it starts to show up in the mind), is primarily seen in the laziness to the Divine service and to the prayer."<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.hesychasm.ru/library/isaaksr/txt01.htm St. Isaac of Syria. Ascetic Words. Word 2.]</ref>

In addition, St. John Climacus names carelessness as one of the reasons for the demon attacks as well as one the reasons why God may not fulfill the prayers of a man: "Every demonic upheaval within us arises from the following three related causes namely, carelessness, pride, or the envy of demons. The first is pitiable, the second deplorable, but the third is blessed"<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Word 26.</ref>; "When requests are made to God and are not immediately answered, the reason may be one of the following: either that the petition is premature, or because it has been made unworthily or vaingloriously, or because if granted, it would lead to conceit, or because negligence and carelessness would result."<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Word 26.</ref>

==Prelest and Jesus prayer==

Many Orthodox Holy Fathers and modern ascetics wrote about the dangers of wrong practice of the [[Jesus Prayer]] and prayer in general: Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, Saint [[Theophan the Recluse]], Saint Ambrosius of Optina, Saint Macarius of Optina, elder Joseph the Hesychast, Valaam elder John (Alexeev) and others.<ref name="ioann">{{Ru icon}} [http://www.ioann.ru/?id=424&partid=19 Gleanings from Holy Fathers on the dangers of the prayer of the heart.] In particular, St. Theophan the Recluse writes: "Madness from the Jesus prayer may occur when the one who practices this prayer does not abandon some sins or sinful habits, which the conscience condemns. At that, a deep dissonance occurs inside driving away any peace of the heart."</ref>

Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy [[Alexei Osipov|A.I. Osipov]] analyzes<ref name="piligr"/><ref name="apol">[http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/apologetics_osipov_e.htm A.I. Ospiov. Apologetics.]</ref> the teaching on the prayer by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and points out that the prayer should have three properties: attention, reverence, repentance. Also humility should be the basis of the prayer as St. Ignatius says: "Today I read the declaration of St. Sisoes the Great, which I always particularly liked. A [[monk]] said to him: 'I am in constant memory of God'. St. Sisoes responded to him: 'That is not great; it will be great when you consider yourself to be worse than any creature.' St. Sisoes continues: constant memory of God is a very elevated activity!! However, this height is very dangerous, when the ladder to it is not founded on the solid rock of humility".<ref name="apol"/>

If at least one of the following exists:
#the person prays without keeping the attention in the words of the prayer and imagines heavenly hosts, Lord Jesus,<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 28. St. John writes: "Make the effort to raise up, or rather, to enclose your mind within the words of your prayer; and if, like a child, it gets tired and falters, raise it up again."</ref><ref>St Gregory of Sinai. On Stillness: Fifteen Texts. Different Ways of Psalmodizing. Ch. 10. St. Gregory writes: "Unceasingly cry out: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy', and do not allow yourself to retain any concept, object, thought or form that is supposedly divine, or any sequence of argument or any color, but concentrate solely on the pure, simple, formless remembrance of Jesus."</ref>
#the person does not use the prayer for repentance but seeks for some "spiritual feelings",<ref>St. John Climacus. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 28. St. John writes: "And even if you have climbed the whole ladder of the virtues, pray still for the forgiveness of sins".</ref>
#the person does not truly repent of some sins, e.g. lives in licentiousness,<ref name="ioann"/><ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.ioann.org/pisma/molitva.html Letters of elder John (Krestiankin). On Prayer.] Elder John (Krestiankin) writes to some person who has demonic attacks because of the previous devotion to heretic and demonic teachings. Elder John says that when someone starts to pray with Jesus prayer while keeping the passions in the soul and in the heart - that can cause mental damage. So elder John advises that person to reduce the prayer rule.</ref>
he/she can fall into prelest.

St. Ignatius tells a story about the proper way of the prayer. A monk came to him from [[Mount Athos]]. This monk did not need warm clothes in winter because of the internal heat in his body caused by the prayer and was wearing chains. At first, St. Ignatius thought that this is a true ascetic and wanted to hear something useful from him about the prayer. But then he found out that the monk uses wrong way of prayer with exaltation and imagination. St. Ignatius gingerly asked the monk to try to keep the mind in the words of the prayer. That was enough to cure him. All his visions disappeared and he could not make them return. When the monk returned later, he no longer looked conceited. He took off the chains and could not do without warm clothes.<ref name="ign1"/>

St. Ambrose of Optina several times wrote in his letters that for a beginner, especially without an experienced mentor, it is much safer to start with audible verbal prayer rather with purely noetic (silent) one because many people who prayed with noetic prayer, were mentally deranged, while St. Ambrose does not know any examples of people falling into prelest with verbal prayer.<ref name="ioann"/>

During practice of the Jesus prayer, the person always encounters an opposition from the demons through the thoughts. They attempt either to make the person abandon the prayer or to make the prayer unpleasing to God, i.e. to drive the person into pride and prelest. Because of that, it is very important to confess frequently, including the confession of thoughts, as elder Joseph the Hesychast notes: "It is not just a matter of saying the prayer, but it is also a matter of being attentive. You must be vigilant with your thoughts, masterfully controlling them. Otherwise, they will take control of you and in the end you will become the laughing-stock of the demons. I have never seen a soul make progress in the prayer without frankly confessing secret thoughts".<ref>[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/concealment-of-sins-in-confession/309-noetic-prayer-is-incompatible-with-concealment-of-thoughts Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Monastic Wisdom, From letter 55.]</ref>

===False unceasing prayer===

Sometimes, very rarely, God gives some humble and pious individuals, who reached the highest degree of purification from passions, a gift of unceasing heart prayer.<ref name="ambr">{{Ru icon}} [http://www.optina.ru/starets/amvrosiy_letters_chart2_29/#294 Letters of St. Ambrose of Optina. Letter 294.] St. Ambrose warns a nun in a letter about dangers of following own will and unauthorized teaching. That nun thought of herself as received a self-moving prayer when asleep. St. Ambrose says that even among holy men, unceasing prayer happens rarely. So there is a danger for her to fall into delusion, which is difficult to cure.</ref><ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Varsonofij_Ioann/otvety=178 Sts. Barsanuphius and John. Answers to the Questions of Disciples. Question 178.] A question about which stage of spiritual age does unceasing prayer correspond to. The answer reads that unceasing prayer corresponds to dispassion.</ref> That is one of the greatest blessings from God that a person can receive. Many people, practicing the Jesus prayer, would like to receive such gift. But if the person is conceited, he may get a similar gift from the demons or may confuse the Divine gift with something natural.

Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin) writes about Saint [[Seraphim (Romantsov)]], elder of the Glinsk monastery, and about the importance of obedience which is required to receive the Divine grace. Once Fr. Seraphim spoke to a nun who thought of herself as having an unceasing prayer. She lived in the mountains and severely fasted. Fr. Seraphim said: "Once a day, you have to have a hot meal". She stared at Father Seraphim: "Do I have to waste the time and distract the mind from the prayer to prepare lunch?" Fr. Seraphim widely crossed himself: "Cross my heart, that you do not have any prayer and never had it". When she left, Fr. Seraphim said, "She did not understand anything. The one, who gave her the schema, he was in prelest himself. Poor soul, how much struggles she will have!"<ref name="raph"/>

Another time St. Seraphim (Romantsov) said to a monk: "You do not have any prayer of Jesus: you just got used to it, as some people get used to the bad language".<ref name="raph"/>

St. Ambrose of Optina also writes in a letter that one person has had an unceasing prayer when asleep. And when he listened closer to what his heart was saying, he heard: "Meow" − like a cat but not the Jesus prayer.<ref name="ambr"/>

==Magicism and "automatic" view of prayer==

One of the kinds of false attitude to prayer originates from a widespread view on God, prayer, and spiritual life, implying that God can be "forced" to execute the petition that is asked in the prayer, i.e. as if the prayer acts "by itself", solely by pronouncing the words, with no regard to the spiritual condition of the person who prays.

This "automatic" view can apply to any relationship with God, to any action of Divine grace including the prayer and Sacraments. Orthodox theologian Deacon Valery Dukhanin writes that such view has nothing to do with Orthodox faith and rather belongs to magic: "The main property of magic – correct ritual. That is a drastic difference with the Sacraments of the Church, which cannot help without man’s personal relation to God".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/44908.htm Magic and Magicism – How They Appear in Our Life.]</ref>

Unconditional action of prayer assumes that free will does exist neither in man nor in God and that God can do something harmful and with no regard to the inner determination of all involved persons. St. Hilarion of Optina writes that though we should pray about each other, the view on prayer that every petition is necessarily executed originates from pride and leads to delusion. <ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://www.optina.ru/starets/ilarion_letters_4/#51 Letters of St. Hilarion of Optina. Letter 51.]</ref>

Professor A.I. Osipov writes that "an awareness of magic is deeply present in our 'old man'. For very many people, Orthodoxy consists in placing candles, 'venerating', donating something, leaving prayer requests, ordering Liturgies, molebens and pannikhidas, joining in the cross processions, visiting holy shrines, confessing and receiving Communion. The most important part of salvation, life according the commandments and repentance, remains undone".<ref>[http://www.alexey-osipov.ru/web-files/books/Put_razuma_v_poiskakh_istiny/Pyt_razuma_english_(A_I_Osipov).doc A.I. Osipov. Search for Truth on the Path of Reason. P. 240.]</ref>

Also such false "automatic" attitude to the action of Holy Sacraments is named by A.I. Osipov as one of the reasons of degeneration of Christian faith and backsliding into paganism.

==Prelest and saints of the Roman Catholic Church==

According to Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), some of the most respected saints of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] who were glorified since it turned to papal supremacy were in a state of prelest and therefore could not have been considered as saints. St. Ignatius provides examples of visions and other mystical experiences of St. [[Francis of Assisi]], St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Thomas à Kempis and compares them with experience of Orthodox saints of the first centuries.

Professor A.I. Osipov analyzes teachings on this subject by St. Ignatius and points at a significant difference in Orthodox and Roman Catholic view on spirituality, repentance and humility:<ref name="apol"/><ref>[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/42352.htm A.I. Osipov. Individual revelation and its indications.]</ref>

''Saint Francis's very life's goal, ("I have labored and want to labor … because this brings honor," "I want to suffer for others and redeem the sins of others"), shows his fall which he himself does not see; it shows his own sins. At the end of his life, he said, "I am not aware of any sin I have committed which I have not redeemed through confession and repentance. His dying words were, 'I have fulfilled what I should have fulfilled."''

''By comparison, we shall cite the last moments of Saint Sisoes the Great (fifth century):''

''Surrounded by the brothers at the moment of his death, he was as if talking with invisible beings. The brothers asked him, "Father, tell us, with whom are you speaking?" He answered, "With angels who have come to take me; but I am begging them to leave me for a short time, in order to repent." The brothers knew that Sisoes was perfect in the virtues, and protested, "You have no need to repent, Father." Sisoes answered, "Truly, I do not know if I have even begun to repent."''

''Sisoes' deep understanding of his own imperfection is the main outstanding trait of all true saints and is the most important sign that their revelations where true.''

A.I. Osipov also says<ref name="lec1">{{Ru icon}}[http://alexey-osipov.ru/video/kurs-seminarii-i-akademii-2006-2007/2007-01-22-s5-mistika-i-prelest/ A.I. Osipov. Lecture for the students of the 5th year at Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy, 22.01.2007.]</ref> that there are 3 main manifestations of delusions of Catholic mystics:

* compassion of Christ that reaches its ultimate degree;
* matrimony with God, flirting with God, romance with God etc.;
* dreaminess of imagination.

Russian philosopher [[Aleksei Losev|A.F. Losev]] analyzes Western spirituality and in particular, visions of St. Angela of Foligno: "That is not a prayer and conversation with God. These are very strong hallucinations on the basis of hysteria i. e. prelest".<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.ccel.org/contrib/ru/Other/Losev/PLATO_IV.HTM A.F. Losev. Essays on Antique Symbolism and Mythology. 1930.]</ref>

Another Russian philosopher [[Mitrofan Vasilyevich Lodyzhensky|M.V. Lodyzhenskii]] compares Orthodox and Roman Catholic mystics and points at the differences in humility between St. [[Seraphim of Sarov]] and St. [[Francis of Assisi]].<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://pagez.ru/olb/048.php M.V. Lodyzhenskii. Seraphim of Sarov and Francis Assisi. In: Light Invisible. 1912.]</ref> In his opinion, the reason why St. Francis did not reach the true humility is that Roman Catholic Church at that time did not have the true humility at all. The strongest evidence of the spiritual pride the author finds in the papal supremacy.

New-martyr [[Mikhail Novoselov|Mihail Novoselov]] compares the teaching of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), St. Theophan the Recluse, writings of M.V. Lodyzhenskii and the writings of Roman Catholic mystics.<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://pravbeseda.ru/library/index.php?page=book&id=221 Mihail Novoselov. Mystics of the Church and mystics of Western faiths. 1912.]</ref> He writes that it is enough to read several pages of the writings of the Western mystics, in particular, the writings of St. Teresa of Ávila, to see that they were in prelest.

Father George Macris also compares the mysticism of St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Francis of Assisi and analyses in detail different manifestations of their humility. He writes in the conclusion that St. Francis "moved progressively in his life in a growing condition of plani"; "as startling as it may appear to some, he bore many characteristics which are prototypical of Antichrist, who will also be seen as chaste, virtuous, highly moral, full of love and compassion, and who will be regarded as holy (even as a deity) by people who have allowed carnal romanticism to replace the Sacred Tradition of the Holy Church"; "The sad fact is that the attainment of a true spiritual relationship with Christ was never a possibility for Francis, for being outside the Church of Christ, it was impossible that he could have received Divine Grace, or any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His gifts were from another spirit".<ref>[http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/st_francis_st_seraphim.htm George Macris. A Comparison of the Mysticism of Francis of Assisi With That of St. Seraphim of Sarov.]</ref>

Prof. A.I. Osipov says that deviations in the Roman Catholic Church started from such things that are rather subtle and not easy to understand for everyone, even for the person who knows the basics of the spiritual life. A.I. Osipov gives an example of his personal misunderstanding. He speaks in one of his lectures<ref name="lec1"/> about the time when he studied in the Moscow Theologial Seminary in 1950-60s. He knew about the book "Imitation of Jesus Christ" by Thomas à Kempis – in Ignatius Brianchaninov’s writings, there is a case when a landlord saw his daughter with this book, took it out of her hand and said: "Stop flirting with God." And A.I. Osipov took and read the book and did not see anything bad: "Why do they criticize it? It is true, we must imitate Jesus Christ." When he looked into this book again after a long time – he saw prelest everywhere: rapture, exaltation, false love. A.I. Osipov adds: "I did not understand, imagine that! I did not see. The people who just knew it and felt it – they understood. They saw where the falseness is."

Also Prof. A.I. Osipov says that, in his opinion, this is the key to the separation between the Eastern and Western Churches - not filioque or papal supremacy - these are only consequences visible to everyone. The beginning was in the spiritual deviation of the people who turned from the path of fight with passions to the path of false love to God.

Another Orthodox theologian Deacon [[w:Andrey Kuraev|Andrey Kuraev]] compares several times in his books the Eastern and the Western mystical practices. He says that often religious paths are compared by means of formal dogmatic differences – but that is not the most important part. In his opinion, the most important difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is the practice of meditative prayer. He writes that "Western spiritual authorities strongly recommend that way of spiritual practice, which the spiritual teachers of the East categorically prohibit (plus, since the time of the unity of the Church)".<ref> {{Ru icon}} [http://www.wco.ru/biblio/books/kur11/H07-T.htm Andrey Kuraev. Challenge of Ecumenicism. Orthodoxy and Catholicism in the Experience of the Prayer.]</ref>

==Causes of prelest==

According to Saint Gregory of Sinai, there are 3 sources for prelest: "arrogance, the envy of demons, and the divine will that allows us to be tried and corrected. Arrogance arises from superficiality, demonic envy is provoked by our spiritual progress, and the need for correction is the consequence of our sinful way of life. The delusion arising solely from envy and self-conceit is swiftly healed, especially when we humble ourselves. On the other hand, the delusion allowed by God for our correction, when we are handed over to Satan because of our sinfulness, God often permits to continue until our death, if this is needed to efface our sins. Sometimes God hands over even the guiltless to the torment of demons for the sake of their salvation".<ref>Philokalia, Vol. 4, St. Gregory of Sinai, On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; On Thoughts, Passions and Virtues, and Also on Stillness and Prayer:
One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Texts, Ch. 132.</ref>

If the person conceals sins or thoughts in confession or does not trust to his spiritual father, he can also fall into prelest: "Think in this wise: the Holy Spirit dwells in your confessor, and he will tell you what is right. But if you say to yourself that your confessor lives a careless life, how can the Holy Spirit dwell in him, you will suffer mightily for such thoughts, and the Lord will bring you low, and you are sure to fall into delusion".<ref>Archimandrite Sofronii. Saint Silouan the Athonite. P. 292.</ref> Also, elder Ephraim of Philotheou speaks about his teacher, elder Joseph the Hesychast, who used to say to his disciples about some people who suffered from prelest. Such people quite often committed suicide because they believed that an Angel appeared to them, whereas it was a demon. The delusion was in the thought: "Do not tell that to the Elder".<ref>{{Ru icon}} Elder Ephraim of Philotheou. My life with elder Joseph.</ref>

==Prelest and insanity==

According to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, St. Gregory of Sinai,<ref name="greg"/> St. Symeon the New Theologian,<ref>[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/symeon_threeways.html Saint Symeon the New Theologian, The Three Ways of Attention and Prayer.]</ref> Valaam Elder Schema-Abbot [[John (Alexeev)]]<ref>[http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/413-how-to-pray Letters of the Valaam Elder Schema-Abbot John (Alexeev), On Prayer]</ref> and other ascetics, the first kind of prelest (prayer with imagination) very often leads to insanity. The second kind (conceit) sometimes does not result in a mental disease, but the person cannot achieve salvation being in a state of one of the seven deadly sins - pride. St. Ignatius writes about it: "This kind of prelest - is terrible: it is equally fatal for the soul as the first one, but is less evident; it rarely ends in madness, suicide, but definitely corrupts both the mind and the heart."<ref name="ign1"/>

==Healing==
The above mentioned kinds and properties of prelest suggest possible general means of curing it. These are opposite to different manifestations of prelest:
* Holy Sacraments (Confession, Communion, Unction);
* Humility;
* Obedience;
* Prayer without side thoughts, especially without imagining Lord [[Jesus Christ]], [[Angels]], Heaven, etc., paying attention to the words of the prayer;
* Prayers of other people of the holy life about the deluded person;
* Reading the Holy Scripture and the writings of Holy Fathers;
* Work therapy.

Nevertheless, as there is no common pattern of development of prelest, there is no universal and suitable for everyone advice for curing it. From the general point of view, fight with prelest is a fight with demonic thoughts mostly containing pride, which, as St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) notes<ref name="ign1"/>, in the deluded persons sometimes changes into deep sadness and desire of suicide. Keeping this in mind, the means of curing prelest should include some means of fighting with sinful thoughts and decreasing their influence on the deluded person. Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain says<ref name="paisios"/> that if a spiritual person trusts his thoughts - that is already the beginning of delusion. Pride darkens the mind and even the prayers of holy people do not help such person. He should understand that keeping such thoughts (like "I am holy", "I am better than others" etc.) in the mind - that is prelest. Such thoughts should be disclosed either to the elder, or to the spiritual father, or to the abbess of the monastery, and then thrown away. Because of that, the first way to get rid of prelest is the Sacrament of Confession. If the person saw any vision, he should tell it immediately to his spiritual father not concealing anything.<ref>[http://www.saintseraphimbookstore.com/?page_id=243 Nun Macaria, The Angel of Light and Spiritual Discernment in the Orthodox Tradition.] The article contains a story about a deluded monk who concealed from his elder the fact of talking with an "angel". Concealment of something from the elder can be a sign of delusion or can cause delusion.</ref> Then the person should follow exactly the specific advices of the spiritual father. Other Sacraments are needed as well but sometimes deluded persons are forbidden to take the Holy [[Communion]] by their spiritual father for some period of time, sometimes rather long (1–3 years).

For example, it is written in Patericon of Mt. Athos about one monk who was living with his elder in a skete at Mt. Athos. Because of conceit, he gradually started to fulfill his own will, prayed more and more but without asking his elder about it. Then he was deluded by false visions, almost died and finally revealed everything to his elder. The elder sent him to a monastery and forbade to take Holy Communion for 3 years. The monk started to live there with many brethren, washed dishes and recovered.<ref>{{Ru icon}} Архимандрит Иоанникий (Коцонис). Афонский отечник. 2011. Стр. 352. ISBN 9785985990645.</ref>

One woman saw a lamp before icon at her house lit by itself. That happened every midnight and even in the presence of other people. She accepted that as Divine. But when she told that to her spiritual father, a known ascetic Bishop Basil (Preobrazhensky), he said: "No, this phenomenon is not from grace, but from the enemy. And because you accepted it as being from grace, I am giving you a penance: do not receive the Holy Mysteries for one year. The lampada will not light itself again". Truly, the lampada did not light by itself from that day on.<ref>[http://www.alexey-osipov.ru/web-files/books/Put_razuma_v_poiskakh_istiny/Pyt_razuma_english_(A_I_Osipov).doc A.I. Osipov. Search for Truth on the Path of Reason. P. 197.]</ref>

Sometimes in monasteries people suffering from prelest are also given ignoble obediences to humble them. Such obediences often include some hard and dirty work. Such work therapy decreases pride and demonic attacks that cause prelest and helps to switch the mind from the sinful thoughts to something else. St. Joseph of Optina writes in one letter to the abbess of some monastery about a deluded nun by the name of Mavra. He writes that Mavra should wash dishes or peel potatoes - it can decrease the pride that caused prelest. He also writes that she should not take Holy Communion often - the spiritual father should first incline her to humility and self-abasement. At the same time, solitary life should be completely forbidden for Mavra - otherwise she will go completely mad.<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.optina.ru/starets/iosif_letters_chart_69/#695 St. Joseph of Optina. Letter 695.]</ref>

Another story about healing through work therapy is told by Hieromartyr Archimandrite Kronid (Lyubimov). A novice by the name of Alexander from Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra arbitrary increased his prayer rule and started to see visions. When his condition was revealed, he was sent to another monastery and was given an obedience to clean the horse stalls in the stable yard. At first, he protested: "You appoint such a great ascetic to such a humiliating obedience", but then he agreed and all brethren started to pray about him. Alexander worked all day long and did not have time for his previous intensive prayer feats. Several years later Archimandrite Kronid met Alexander who was already tonsured a monk as Athanasius and, for his humble and good monastic life, was made hierodeacon. When asked whether he remembered what had happened to him, he replied: "I remember everything, but only now realize the full horror of my state of mind."<ref>{{Ru icon}} Hieromartyr Archimandrite Kronid (Lyubimov). Trinity Lavra flowers from the spiritual meadow.</ref>

When fighting with sinful thoughts, also it can be useful to have a daily routine with alternating mental and physical work as it was shown by an Angel to St. [[Anthony the Great]].<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life234.htm Living of St. Anthony the Great.] It is written that once in the beginning of his ascetic life St. Anthony was confused with different sinful thoughts and prayed to the Lord what to do with it. Then he saw an Angel nearby in a form of a man. The Angel showed to St. Anthony what to do: to alternate mental prayer with bodily labor.</ref>

It should be noted that though work therapy sometimes is very useful, the deluded person can become very lazy. While in delusion he could easily pray and do prostrations for hours, recovery from this state can be accompanied by strong relaxation of will, melancholy and laziness to the prayer and physical work. Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) tells a story about a deluded woman who arbitrary increased her payer rule to 1000 or more prostrations every day because of conceit. She was concealing it from her spiritual father. When the spiritual father revealed the delusion through her hidden anger and petulance, she no longer could execute even her initial smaller rule of prayer and prostrations, she could not fast at all and even could not read morning and evening prayers.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/01a/amvrosii/amvrosii1/156.html Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov). Questions about Faith and Salvation. 156. How do people fall in delusion.]</ref>

Regarding the opposite form of prelest, which is associated not with the excessive zeal but with the lack of it, the delusion of carelessness, Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman) notes<ref name="reidm1"/> that everyone should remember that a man can change and everyone, due to carelessness and self-justification, can quickly and unnoticeably change to their opposite. To prevent that, we need to gain a skill of self-restraint, in the first place, for the Jesus prayer. St. Anthony the Great names<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Dobrotoljubie/dobrotoljubie_tom_1=5_5 Sayings of St. Anthony and about him. 5. How to increase the zeal?]</ref> several means of increasing the zeal to virtues and fighting with carelessness: inner means include remembrance of death (i.e. living every day as the last day), thinking about the time after death, fear of God; external and more advanced means include: feeling of sweetness of living with God, love to God, love to do good and according to God. Elder Ephraim of Philotheou writes in a similar way that "you can conquer carelessness using constant prayer, with the mouth and mind, with the remembrance about possibility of sudden death, about the tortures of hell, about Heaven etc. We need to enforce ourselves to our spiritual duties and especially to silence and prayer".<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://lib.eparhia-saratov.ru/books/06e/efrem_svatogor/advice/35.html Archimandrite Ephraim of the Holy Mountain. Fatherly Counsels. Ch. 8. On carelessness, fear, cowardice, betrayal and apostasy.]</ref>

Nevertheless, even with Divine and human help, as Saint [[Ambrose of Optina]] notes, "It is easier to turn every sinner to repentance than to bring a deluded person to reason".<ref name="ambr"/>

==Orthodox saints who suffered from prelest and recovered==

When Saint Niphon, bishop of Cyprus, was an ordinary monk, he was struggling against demons and fell into partial insanity for 4 years but later was cured.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%94%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8C/23 Living of Saint Niphon of Cyprus.]</ref>

Saint [[Symeon the Stylite]] was deluded by demons who showed him a chariot wanting to take him to Heaven as it was with Prophet Elias. The chariot disappeared when St. Symeon wanted to enter it but made the sign of the Cross.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8C/1 Living of Saint Symeon the Stylite]</ref>

Saint Iakovos worshiped a demon who appeared as Lord Jesus and who disappeared after Iakovos made the sign of the Cross. <ref>[http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/06/saint-iakovos-who-was-deluded-to.html Living of Saint Iakovos.]</ref>

Saint Isaac the Recluse of the [[Monastery of the Kiev Caves|Kiev Caves]] was living in seclusion for 7 years and was deluded by a false vision of Lord Jesus. He was left by demons lying unconscious. Saints Antonius and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves were nursing him and praying about him for 2 years. After that, St. Isaac got better and in the end of his life he received the power over demons.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%A4%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C/14 Living of Saint Isaac the Recluse]</ref>

Saint Nicetas of the Kiev Caves attempted an excessive feat of seclusion without sufficient experience. He was deluded by an "angel" who helped him and gave him a false gift of clairvoyance. When the Holy Fathers of the monastery unraveled the demon tricks and casted the "angel" away, St. Nicetas lost his supernatural abilities and even could not read at all. Later, following the way of humility, St. Nicetas became the Bishop of Novgorod and received the gift of miracleworking.<ref name="nic"/>

Saint Theodore and Basil of the Caves suffered heavily from the demon tricks. St. Theodore was deluded by a vision of "angel" and false appearance of a demon in the form of St. Basil and was listening to them. Later, St. Basil brought St. Theodore to reason and convinced that it was a delusion.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%90%D0%B2%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82/11 Living of Hieromartyrs Theodore and Basil of the Caves.]</ref>

Saint [[Silouan the Athonite]] was in delusion 2 times as written in the book of elder Sofronii. Once St. Silouan accepted a vision and nobody, whom he asked about it, told him that this was a false vision. "But I was beguiled by vanity and began to see devils again. Then I knew that I had been deceived, and I made full disclosure to my confessor and asked him for his prayers; and because of his prayers I am now saved and ever beseech the Lord to grant me the spirit of humility."<ref>Archimandrite Sofronii. "Saint Silouan, the Athonite". P. 432.</ref>

==Unsuccessfull attempts to delude Orthodox saints and modern ascetics==

When Holy martyrs Timotheos and Mavra were crusified, the Devil tried to delude St. Mavra on the cross. She had two similar visions. An "angel" came to "help" her and offered a cup with water and honey. When she suggested him to pray together, the "angel" did not pray and could not look to the east. From this St. Mavra found out that this was a delusion. Then she had another vision of a man who brought her to a river of water and honey and again suggested to drink. When she refused again, the vision disappeared.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%B9/3 Living of the saints by St. Demetrios of Rostov. May 3.]</ref>

When St. Pachomius the Great was living in solitude, the Devil appeared in front of him as "Christ" and said: "Greetings, Pachomius, I am Christ paying you a visit, my faithful friend." But St. Pachomius was in turmoil and had confusing thoughts. So he understood the delusion and rejected the vision: "Devil, depart from me, cursed are you and your visions and your insidious arts. You have no place among the servants of God."<ref>[http://www.vitae-patrum.org.uk/page16.html Life of St. Pachomius. Chapter XLVIII.]</ref>

St. [[Peter of Mount Athos]] had many false visions trying to scare or delude him. During the first year of solitary life at Mt. Athos, St. Peter suddenly saw a "boy", whom he knew before. They started to speak and the "boy" tried to convince St. Peter to return home. St. Peter replied that he would listen only to the Mother of God since She had commanded him to settle at Mt. Athos. When St. Peter pronounced the name of the Mother of God, the demon disappeared.

7 years later a demon appeared in front of St. Peter as an "angel of light". The "angel" commanded him to go to the world for salvation of others. When St. Peter refused again and prounced the names of the Mother of God and St. Nicholas, the "angel" disappeared.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%98%D1%8E%D0%BD%D1%8C/12 Living of the saints by St. Demetrios of Rostov. June 12.]</ref>

When St. [[Gregory the Decapolite]] was living in a cave, he had many demonic assaults. Once the demons appeared as [[Forty Martyrs of Sebaste]] and said that they came to give him the grace and power over demons. But St. Gregory understood their plots and rejected the vision.<ref>{{Ru icon}}[http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%96%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%85_%28%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9%29/%D0%9D%D0%BE%D1%8F%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8C/20 Living of the saints by St. Demetrios of Rostov. November 12.]</ref>

When elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain lived in the Stomion Monastery, he had a vision: the roof opened and he saw a pillar of light reaching the sky. At the top of it he saw a young man who looked similar to Jesus Christ. "You are honored to see Christ" - elder Paisios heard inside him. "Who am I, unworthy, to see Christ" - replied Paisios and the vision disappeared.

Another time, when elder Paisios lived at Mt. Sinai, he had to go out in the night. There were several steps near his kellia and elder Paisios used a lighter to descend safely. But this time the lighter did not want to fire. Suddenly a ray of light like from a flood lamp shone from one of the rocks. Elder Paisios understood that this "help" had demonic nature and went back. The light immediately disappeared.<ref name="paisios"/>

==Prelest in the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church==

The notion of prelest is used in some of the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church.

In the Akathist to the Mother of God:<ref>[http://www.stsymeon.com/akathist.html Akathist to the Mother of God.]</ref> "For thou hast quenched the furnace of deception" (Ikos 5); "For thou hast trampled on the delusion of error" (Ikos 6).

In the [[Great Canon]] of St. [[Andrew of Crete]]:<ref>[http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/canon.htm The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete]</ref> "I lie naked and ashamed, for the beauty of the tree, which I saw in the middle of the garden, deceived me" (Monday, Ode 2); "O God, Trinity yet One, save us from delusion, temptations and misfortune!" (Monday, Ode 3); "But you, my hopeless soul, have rather imitated Esau, surrendering to the crafty evil the beauty you inherited from God. In two ways, works and wisdom, have you been deceived and now is the time for you to change your ways" (Tuesday, Ode 4).

In the Holy Anaphora of the Liturgy of St. [[Basil the Great]]:<ref>[http://www.goarch.org/chapel/liturgical_texts/basil Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.]</ref> "and was led astray by the deception of the serpent", "Releasing us from the delusions of idolatry".

==References==
<references/>

[[ro:Înșelarea]]
[[ru:Духовная_прелесть]]

User talk:FrJohn

2014-06-13T04:33:37Z

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==August 17 Menaion==

Should we call our father among the saints Theodoretus the enlightener of the Sami, as opposed to the enlightener of the Lapps. Lapp is considered something of an ethnic slur; much like calling the Inuit by the name Eskimo. On the other hand, should we wait until the Menaion itself is changed to reflect the better name for the people of northern Scandinavia. [[User:Eddieuny|Eddieuny]] 03:22, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Eddieuny, Thanks for your question. My take is that, since he is in the menaion as "Enlightener of the Lapps" we should do this, but with a footnote explaining what you just said -- it would be good to make people aware of this. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:30, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

==Ukrainian version==

Dear Father, I thought to start Ukrainian version. How can I do that? I work with articles related to Orthodoxy on Ukrainian wikipedia.

--[[User:Roman Z|Roman Z]] 21:38, March 12, 2009 (UTC)

==Orthodox Source==
Hi father john, it is with much sadness and hurt that I see you close down Orthodox Source. Mainly because I invested a huge amount of time to put information onto that site that took a lot of my time and I dont have access to any more. I am a bit saddened because you didnt even give me some notice that you were going to close the site down so that I could at least download some of the information onto my personal computer that I can access in the future ... a bit disappointed that this was not considered and an opportunity given to do this. It only proves that the Internet is not a very viable Christian tool. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 05:50, November 27, 2008 (UTC)

== Fact check ==

Dear Father,
I am trying to recall the name of the cemetery chapel at Saint Anna's Skete on the Holy Mountain. I wondered if you or any of your readers/discussants might help me.

Thanks,
Isaak Scott Cairns

:One source tells me it's "Holy Cross" — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 20:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

== Hymns of Contrition ==

Father John, I bought a CD last night that in Greek is called "Kataniktika of Great lent". So, I set about doing a google today to find out just what are these hymns (although I understand the words). Many articles come up but they are primarily from the Catholic church and are seven Psalms ... these do not seem to be the format of the kataniktiko service. Can you help me. What are the Kataniktika of Great Lent? I want to post an article onto OrthodoxWiki for others to reference too.!! Thanks in advance. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 22:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

:O man, these Greek terms -- best ask a Byzantine-style cantor, I think. Anyone around here? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Триоди в Воскресенья - the CD translates the "Kataniktika" as the "Hymns of Contrition". However, if you do a google on that term it comes up with the Catholic version of Hymns of Contrition - which are not the same! Oi! What is wrong with the Greek terms? The church lasted 2,000 years because of the beauty in the Greek language :-) Do you want us to convert everything to Russian so you can understand? LOL ANYWAY! You are a priest - you should know what these are! ROFL [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 23:07, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

::: The ''Katanyktikoi Hymnoi'' (it helps to use standard Latinization for Greek!) may be called the "Hymns of Contrition" or "Penitential Hymns," and the term refers to a wide set of pieces of hymnography used throughout the period of the Triodion, most especially in the stichera of Lenten Vespers (most often referenced in Sunday night Vespers).

::: They are not the same thing as the "Penitential Psalms." —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 23:53, March 16, 2009 (UTC)
:::: Thanks! What I did was cut and paste what you just said and inserted it into an article. Hopefully we can develop it a little ... there is not much available on the Internet for this. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:34, March 17, 2009 (UTC)

== ΒΟΗΘΕΙΑ ==

ΧΡΕΙΑΖΟΜΑΙ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΜΙΑ ΠΑΛΙΑ ΑΙΡΕΣΗ, ΛΕΓΕΤΑΙ ΑΦΘΑΡΤΟΔΟΚΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΙΔΡΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ Ο ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΛΙΚΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΥ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΣ

:Ελληνικά, παρακαλώ. Δεν μιλούν ελληνικά. Σε ευχαριστώ. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

==User Creation - Proposal==
Greetings Fr. John,
With the amount of Vandalism we have, I propose that anyone requesting a new account first has to submit a request online, with some brief info about temselves, and THEN THE REQUEST WILL REQUIRE APPROVAL by yourself or Fr. Andrew or other Sysops. '''The ability for anyone to automatically create accounts will be disabled''', unless they are sincere and simply request a free account which they can then of course have; I think that the Conservapedia and some other wikis might have this system in place. Anyhow, just an idea I wanted to pass along :)

By the way, regarding the note immediately above this one (in greek), it reads something like this: ''"I require information on an ancient heresy, called "Aftharto-Docetism"?, and its proponent was the Bishop of Halicarnassos Julianos."'' I see that it was an unsigned comment however.

Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 00:10, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Angellight, given the number of users we have, this sounds like an awful lot of work. I'd rather just clean up occasionally as needed, but let me keep my eyes open for another solution. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:17, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::other forums require that you Verify your "humanity" by typing into a box the combination of numbers/letters you can see on the screen to verify that you are indeed "real" and not a bot. maybe that is all you need. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:51, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::::Yep, was just posting that I've just installed a captcha test for new user registrations. It won't block disturbed individuals, but should help with the automated creation of accounts from multiple un-blacklisted IPs where email verification can be performed. Amazing we have to deal with that, eh? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:55, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::::Yeah, you have to wonder why they havent got better things to do than hurl abuse at people who are minding their own business ... I learnt something yesterday. A priest called Fr Demetrius wrote an email about praying for the deceased soul of a "george" who was a pro-abortionist in America. When you read with what tenderness and love Fr Demetrius writes about this "sinner" you realise how much we just pity these people - for they know not what they do. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:04, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::The only effect really is to drain a little bit of my time away :-(. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Hey, I just did an EDIT on an article and it asked me to fill out a box ... is this going to be the standard practise from now on for editing as it will grow tedious I think for regulars? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:37, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::Whoops, I'll fix this. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:43, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::I missed the setting that said "Require captcha when user edits page and adds a link" - let me know if it happens again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Sure, also while I have you and you are in a good mood :D I would like to ask for a favour (as far as practical) my heart is to complete the most comprehensive Table of Saints (in Chronological order) - as you can witness by this new article. At present, I am systematically and patiently working through the information ON OrthodoxWiki ... how can I identify saints I have missed NOT listed on OrthodoxWiki. Do you have any suggestions? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:53, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::Wow! Sounds like a big job. I guess you'd have to check the websites of the various Orthodox jurisdictions around the world, or get your hands on a really good synaxarion (I like the one published by at Ormylia) and refer to its index. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:56, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

== Glitch ==

See [[Talk:Alban|this]]. —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 01:59, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

::Thanks, message left. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 05:38, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

== Sysop. ==

Hello Fr. John.
I am a Greek Orthodox user. I was wonderign if you can add me as a sysop to help you out with the site. I have a lot of time on my hands.

In his service,
--[[User:Greeks|Greeks]] 15:23, February 1, 2010 (UTC)

==Hello!==
Hi sir! I would like to create a project OrthodoxWiki dutch language and I have rights bureaucrat, administrator, renameuser, Checkuser and oversight, thanks. —[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 17:23, February 20, 2010 (UTC)ﻧ

:You are active or no? For 2 months you no response me. --—[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 15:15, February 22, 2010 (UTC)

Many Orthodox believers have asked about the Icon of Christ and the Ancient of Days and confusing this elder sitting next to Christ with God the Father.
They are not alone, for the entire Roman Catholic Church believes that this is the case and their belief has by the process of osmosis been picked up by many of our clergy and this icon has been ejected from many of our Churches. It is not true for the Ancient of Days is the Son of God who was begotten before all time. If they recall, Christ in the incarnation had divested Himself of those signs of being God and had assumed the appearance of a mere servant. The icon of the Platytera teaches us that the Holy Virgin's womb contained the "uncontainable, therefore those aspects of God the Son of God remained in the mystery of Heaven. Read on with what I have written:

QUESTION:

v Do you recall ever having seen this icon of Jesus Christ holding his cross, sitting at the right of an elderly man with white hair?
at their feet there are cherubic figures, and about them there are clouds. They both have a nimbus above their head and above them
there is a white dove, sometimes within a circle or a triangle.
v Is there anything incorrect about it ?
v Why is it not found in today’s churches ?
v What is its origin ?

For those of us who are old enough, this icon is familiar. We had seen it in most of the Greek Orthodox Churches when we were children. It was located on the iconostasion on the right side of the royal entrance, the spot currently occupied by the icon of Christ. I do remember it in St. Sophia Cathedral (until the 1960’s) and in the Holy Trinity Church in Waterbury, Connecticut (in the 1920’-30’s). St. Sophia’s oldest icons were contributed to a more recently established parish in Virginia and this icon was still in use there as of seven years ago.

What is wrong with it? It has a perfectly good representation of Christ. He is seated at the right hand of an elderly man who is giving a blessing and they are both apparently seated in majesty in heaven. There are little, western style cherubs at their feet. The elderly man supposedly represents God the Father. Instead of a halo, His head is usually surrounded by a triangle which, I presume, represents the Holy Trinity. I have heard of Him in this representation being named the “Ancient of Days.” What is wrong with all this is that God the Father is purely spirit and cannot be portrayed in any manner. Christ said in the New Testament, “When you see Me, you see my Father.” This is the reason why this icon has been supplanted by one of Christ alone, for when we see Christ in an icon, we see the Father.

How did we come to portray God the Father in this manner? I could not discover the answer in any book on iconography or theology available to me. It was not until I came across a passage in the Septuagint Scriptures that I found the answer in the Book of Daniel chapter VII, verses 9 - 10 and 13 - 14.

[9] I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire. [10] A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
[13] I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and he came on to the Ancient of Days, and was brought near to him. [14] And to him was given the dominion, and the honour,and the kingdom; and all the nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

This vision and prophesy of Daniel has been identified, in both Latin Catholic and Protestant sources as a prefiguration of God the Father and the powers and glory which He has bestowed upon God the Son, Jesus Christ - the Son of Man. This passage may have been the source of the artistic rendering of God the Father as the “Ancient of Days.” Whether this conception was original with our iconographers or was influenced by the realistic presentations of western artists is not known. Indeed we have a prime example of this in Michaelangelo’s painting of God in the Sistine Chapel and the western style cherubs at their feet. His portraiture is that of an old man with white hair and a white beard, reaching out with his finger to endow Adam with life. None of these features are found in Orthodox iconography and their being in this icon suggests the influence of western imaging since large portions of Greece had been occupied for several centuries by Venetian, Catalan and other Latins.

Regardless of its origins, this icon is considered erroneous today.

Providence has a way of providing us with truths to heal our ignorance. I believe that I have discovered the significance of this icon while reading A Discourse On the Nativity of Christ by St. Gregory Thaumatourgos, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea (died 260) . He wrote:

“The new wonders do strike me with awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God. Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth in a manger of dumb beasts.”

Do the words of Gregory’s statement imply that this icon could represent a “double image” of Christ? First as the “Ancient of Days”, the only-begotten Son of God, born before all ages. Adjacent to Him is the younger Incarnate Jesus Christ, Son of Man(-kind) as He appeared to us on earth in His kenotic form (i.e. when He “emptied Himself” and “became as a base servant”). Gone would be the mistaken identification of the Ancient of Days as God the Father, which is the mainstay of western explanations. Such an interpretation of this icon sheds a completely new light upon it, a light which may render it theologically legitimate. Even so St. Gregory goes on to say: “The Impassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners.” If the Ancient of Days has these chacteristics, is it permissible to portray him in an icon? Does the fact that He becomes incarnate as Jesus Christ repeal the prohibition of showing Him as an aged man?
However, St. Gregory’s words have allowed me to learn the true meaning of this prophesy from the Book of Daniel. It is a prophesy of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, when the “books will be opened” and the “secrets of men will be revealed.” I am thankful to have gained this knowledge so that I can look upon this icon with greater appreciation. Later yet, I discovered that there is an icon in St. Katherine’s Monastery at Sinai which depicts the Ancient of Days, and on his lap rests Jesus as a child. This icon is said to confirm the concept voiced by St. Gregory that The Ancient of Days is the heavenly manifestation of the Son of God.

The Ancient of Days with a child Jesus Christ on His Lap, 12th century
At St. Katherine’s Monastery Church, Mt. Sinai
(You can find this icon on the internet)

== Psalter quote ==

Father John,
Bless!
My name is Manoli and I'm an 18 year old recent high school graduate. I am distantly acquainted with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and I'm writing an essay for the PanHellenic Foundation, trying to get a scholarship for college. I want to use the "golden thread" quote from "one modern commentator" on the OrthodoxWiki "Psalter" page. If you know who that person is, or who would know who that person is, I'd appreciate any info...Fr. Andrew doesn't and although I'm registered on OrthodoxWiki as CampNazFanatic, I don't know much about using the site so I decided to contact you. Please respond asap as this essay is due like tomorrow.
Thanks,
Manoli
--CampNazFanatic[[CampNazFanatic]]

==IMAGES ISSUES==
Warm greetings Fr. John,

I hope it is okay that I am contacting you directly, but this problem has not been resolved for some time. Could you kindly look into rectifying the long-standing problem with uploaded images not displaying - they do not display once they are uploaded and they do not display especially as thumbnails.

See here: the [http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/Special:Newimages Gallery of New Image Files];

I had left a note at the OrthodoxWiki Trapeza [[OrthodoxWiki:Trapeza#Thumbnails_Error|here]] regarding this error some time ago, but it has gone unanswered and the problem is not resolved.

Surely there must be a process to have this investigated? -- i.e. Where is the OW site hosted? Which person(s)/webmasters or what entity is in charge of maintenance? Who needs to be called? Who is in control? And WHERE is their accountability???? Why have they ignored this for so long? Was this change done intentionally for some reason and if so why is there no notice informing the users? This problem has persisted for a very long time now, and it appears that it is a feature that has been disabled. If it stays non-functional this way I fear that this will discourage further users from wanting to contribute to OW. If there is something I have overlooked apologies in advance. Hoping something can be done. Thanks and kind regards :) [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:49, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

::Hi Angellight -- I apologize for the frustration. Sadly, it is I -- the negligent webmaster. and the volunteer in charge of site maintenance (but with many distractions). Please be assured that there is nothing intentional in the problem - the site just needs an upgrade. Because of the way the databases are tied together for each localization, it gets a little complex. I will strive to find some time to fix this soon. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 07:28, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

:::Many thanks for the info dear Fr.; good to know the site will be eventually upgraded and that this will be addressed then. Please forgive my initial frustration. This is a wonderful resource and I hope to see it grow. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 18:55, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

----

:Fr. John, this may be part of the same problem, if one tries to add a image and re-size it they get an error:
Error creating thumbnail: Warning: passthru() has been disabled for security reasons in
/home/owiki/public_html/shared/includes /GlobalFunctions.php on line 1839 
:(just an FYI) - [[User:Andrew|Andy]] 16:41, November 24, 2010 (UTC)

::I apologize for the delay in getting this resolved. Thumbnails should now be working again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

== Suppression ==

Unfortunately, after going through some articles and dead links, it seems that the Oriental Orthodox Church is suppressed on this OrthodoxWiki. it is a shame becuase this wiki is what should unite us together in Christ, not divide us and furthurmore insult our brothers and sisters. No one would dare do that to Christ. Eastern Orthodoxy and Oreintal Orthodoxy are probably the closest, most Orthodox, unchanging groups of Churches. I pray that one day we will once again be reunited as one in His Church.

God Bless

:: Hello [[Cmd|User:Cmd]] - It is certainly not my heart to suppress Oriental Orthodoxy in any way. In fact, just about 30 minutes ago I was speaking about my respect for Oriental Orthodox Christians, and talking about how the Christological differences have been largely resolved. This is a joy to me. Please see [[OrthodoxWiki:Style_Manual_%28Point_of_View%29]] for the stated policy of this site. If you can point to specific examples of suppression, that would be helpful. In Christ, — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 23:32, October 3, 2010 (UTC)

== About the 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'' ==

Dear Father John. I have added 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'', but they do not appear in the article, however they appear when I ''clic'' on them. Could you please help me make them appear at the article. Is it a problem from your server? Please help me and you will have the bless of Saint Pastapios. [[User:688dim|688dim]] 22:15, November 29, 2010 (UTC)

::Dear 688dim, Thanks for the bug report. This should now be fixed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])
:::Thanks, Fr. John for catching the "bug". I missed the pictures![[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 22:56, December 20, 2010 (UTC)

== Italian Version ==

::: Dear Father, I thought to start Italian version. How can I do that?
me and my boyfriend !! We've a lot of articol en Italian about orthodoxia.

Thanks. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 15:30, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

Hi Raggiodisole, I would be very happy to see an Italian version. The place to start is [[OrthodoxWiki:Localization]] -- would you be up for this translation work? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:48, February 8, 2011 (UTC)

:: Dear Father, ok, I gladly accept.
Then, if I may, I would like to post new articles in Italian orthodoxy
Technically, I would like you opened your site because I have these technical skills, so I will translate the pages essential for the initiation site and part Italian and enrich it later.
How do I send you the translation? the insert here?
Thank you for your trust, we are now going to translate the page you showed me.
I greet you and thank you Father. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 13:12, February 22, 2011 (UTC)

:: Father this is the translation you asked me:

OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione

Questa pagina fornisce i principi di politica ufficiale sull’enciclopedia OrthodoxWiki. Questa pagina è stata redatta consensualmente degli editori ed è considerata uno standard che tutti gli utenti devono seguire. Se si parte dell'amministrazione, non esitate ad aggiornare questa pagina, se necessario, ma occorre fare in modo che le modifiche apportate a questa politica
le voci che vi appaiano devono rispecchiare fedelmente il punto di vista ortodosso e si candidano quindi ad essere un punto di riferimento, una riflessione, per chi vuol conoscere la Chiesa Ortodossa.

Localizzazione e le relazioni inter-wiki (PROGETTO IN PROGRESS)

I commenti sono accolti

Indice [nascondi]
1 Definizioni
2 Contributori
2,1 Amministrazione
2,2 Responsabilità dei contributori
2,3 Loghi e Identità
2,4 Hosting e domini
2,5 Problemi di copyright
3 Colleghi
4 Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki
5 Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo
6 Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione
7 Appendice D: Risorse

Definizione : Cos’è OrthodoxWiki [Modifica]
La localizzazione si riferisce al processo di porting del progetto OrthodoxWiki in lingue diverse dall'inglese (la lingua originale).

Si riconoscono due accordi separati. 1. Affiliati, e 2. Colleghi.

Contributori ( Affiliato)

Un rapporto "affiliato" si ha quando un gruppo canonicamente ortodosso di persone che condividono la visione OrthodoxWiki, e il desiderio di estendere il progetto OrthodoxWiki's in altre lingue. Siamo molto felici quando per avere altri wiki-based ortodossi formalmente si aderisce all’OrthodoxWiki come affiliati pieni.

Amministrazione [Modifica]

Un rapporto di affiliazione inizia quando i volontari una o più persone dedicano sforzi sostanziali per creare e mantenere una OrthodoxWiki localizzata in una lingua che non dispone già di uno. Tutti i contatti dovrebbe passare attraverso Fr. John.

Se approvata, una o più persone del gruppo affiliato sarà data sysop di stato e sarà aggiunto alla mailing list sysop OrthodoxWiki.

Responsabilità di Contribuzione (Affiliazione) [Modifica]

E 'la responsabilità della filiale/i di mantenere e gestire attivamente il sito OrthodoxWiki localizzato in conformità con le linee guida principali OrthodoxWiki, in particolare la sua politica sul copyright (per motivi legali) e OrthodoxWiki principio di neutralità. Saranno anche responsabile della traduzione di testi fondamentali OrthodoxWiki dall'inglese in altre lingue.

All'interno di questi parametri, agli operatori locali viene dato un grande margine di manovra per quanto riguarda come è strutturato il loro wiki, stabilendo le priorità per quale tipo di materiale di importazione e di esportazione dalla lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki, e così via.

Se non riescono a soddisfare queste responsabilità, stato di affiliazione può essere revocata, e la loro sottodominio di hosting e annullato. Questo tipo di misura sarà usata, tuttavia, con parsimonia solo nei casi più gravi.

Loghi e identità [Modifica]

Gli OrthodoxWiki affiliati sono autorizzati e tenuti ad adottare il logo ufficiale OrthodoxWiki, anche se possono tradurre in altre lingue, se a loro piace. Allo stesso modo, si dovrebbero utilizzare la favicon OrthodoxWiki e il plugin di ricerca icona, permettono essi possono adattare queste come vogliono (per esempio, la modifica a un diverso colore per differenziare tra le versioni di OrthodoxWiki nella casella di ricerca o per i segnalibri).

Link a tutti gli OrthodoxWikis localizzate dovrebbero essere ben descritto sulla home page di ogni discreto / sito localizzato OrthodoxWiki.

I contributori (Affialiates) possono utilizzare uno dei linkbuttons OrthodoxWiki, tradotto o meno, o può creare il proprio.

Hosting e domini

Vi forniremo un sottodominio localizzato (come ru.orthodoxwiki.org, gr.orthodoxwiki.org, bu.orthodoxwiki.org, ecc.) Questo può essere indicato un altro indirizzo IP che sarà ospitata a livello locale, oppure possiamo fornire uno spazio sul server che ospita OrthodoxWiki (un server appartenente alla ortodossa Internet Services). In alcuni casi, un nome di dominio più appropriato per la lingua in questione può anche essere sistemato sul sottodominio.

Hosting e gestione tecnica del software MediaWiki può essere fornito gratuitamente da OrthodoxWiki, in associazione con gli ortodossi Internet Services. Tuttavia, è anche possibile per gli affiliati ospitare e gestire la propria installazione MediaWiki

Problemi di copyright

Per motivi pratici, è importante che OrthodoxWikis localizzato mantenga lo stesso copyright / accordo di licenza, come la lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki.

Dato che il wiki è localizzato nel progetto OrthodoxWiki, riteniamo che tutte le immagini e gli articoli per i quali OrthodoxWiki ha ottenuto un permesso speciale da utilizzare potrebbe essere utilizzato anche su OrthodoxWikis localizzato utilizzando lo stesso nome di dominio.

I colleghi [Modifica

Un rapporto "collega" è particolarmente appropriato in cui l'attenzione di un altro wiki (ad esempio, la loro interpretazione del NPOV e "mainstream Chalcedonian bias ortodossi") è diverso da OrthodoxWiki's. Ci aspettiamo che questo sarebbe il caso, ad esempio, se un vecchio gruppo Calendarist greco voluto creare il proprio wiki, o per copto / non-Calcedoniani o romana (o altro) wiki cattolica, o se un altro gruppo di ortodossi orientali ha voluto avviare una wiki con una particolare attenzione sostanzialmente diverso o missione. In alcuni casi, si possono riconoscere altri Wiki come "colleghi", anche se non si definiscono cristiani.

Il "collega" parola presuppone che noi abbiamo un senso della missione comune o di complementarietà, e siamo felici di lavorare insieme e sostenere ogni lavoro altrui.

In questo caso, non si può condividere un comune branding - nomi di dominio, i loghi, linkbuttons, ecc sarebbero tutti distinti. Allo stesso modo, speciali autorizzazioni per l’ immagine e l'articolo sarebbe gestiti separatamente.

I colleghi riceveranno un riconoscimento pubblico, i link sul wiki, così come il permesso esplicito di utilizzare qualsiasi materiale appropriato OrthodoxWiki (a patto che si inserisce il loro sistema di licenze) e di ogni altra assistenza o incoraggiamento siamo in grado di fornire.

Collega status può essere revocato in qualsiasi momento, soprattutto se la missione della vira altri wiki di là di un generale "NPOV" o presa di posizione "descrittivo" e formalmente adotta una forte polemica contro un altro gruppo in modo tale che non sono utili non avendo alcun rapporto formale con loro.

Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki

Si tratta di un elenco di documenti essenziali OrthodoxWiki che deve essere tradotto (in forma abbreviata, se necessario) e mantenuta coerente in localizzazioni. Il testo in lingua inglese rimane il testo "canonico".

Pagine principali sono:

OrthodoxWiki: A proposito - abbiamo bisogno di lavorare su una revisione di questo anche in inglese!
Almeno queste pagine politica OrthodoxWiki:
OrthodoxWiki: Copyrights
OrthodoxWiki: General disclaimer
OrthodoxWiki: Informazioni sulla privacy
OrthodoxWiki: Manuale di stile
Help: titoli di immagine
Core modelli includono:

Il più generico Modelli generali, in particolare:
Template: Benvenuto
Template: Stub
Template: Pulitura
Template: disambig
Tutti i modelli Copyright richieste per il materiale utilizzato sul sito affiliato, in particolare:
Template: Copyright
Template: non verificato
Template: Fairuse
Template: OWiki
Template: Skete.com
Template: Oca
Template: Htm
Template: Pd

Altre pagine che arricchiscono il funzionamento del wiki, ma non sono strettamente necessarie, o può essere più liberamente adattato per l'uso locale, sono:

OrthodoxWiki: News
OrthodoxWiki: Buzz
Le pagine di aiuto e le pagine nel namespace OrthodoxWiki.
Altre pagine template - vedi OrthodoxWiki: Modelli per un elenco completo

Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo

Bulgaro OrthodoxWiki (http://bg.orthodoxwiki.org) – Riferimento per un contatto: Costantino per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Rumeno di lingua OrthodoxWiki (http://ro.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Inistea per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Per una discussione in lingua araba OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ar.orthodoxwiki.org), andare al OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / arabo. Vedi anche qui.
In lingua russa OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ru.orthodoxwiki.org) - Vai alla OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / Russo.
Di lingua greca OrthodoxWiki - EL: Αρχική_σελίδα

Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione [Modifica]

Di lingua neerlandese OrthodoxWiki (nl.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Stephan per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
Castigliano e portoghese –
Contatti Utente: Theofilactos (vedi anche qui).
Spagnolo: User: Alstradiaan.

Appendice D: Risorse [Modifica]

meta: MediaWiki_localisation
meta: Help: Esportazione e meta: Help: Import
meta: Recent_changes_extension - se si volesse unire elenchi delle ultime modifiche
meta: Meta: Babel_templates - mostra competenze linguistiche dell'utente
meta: transwiki
Estratto da "http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Localization"

I send this translation in another place?
Thanks

:::Hi, Father John, I look forward to the Italian site and its address. Please Provide the technical aspect for you, after I insert the contributions to make it grow and I can call other people to feed.
Thanks a lot. Your sister in Christ!

::Dear [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - sorry for the delay! This is wonderful. Please give me a little more time to set this up. I will get back to you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

ok! thanks ! RAGGIODISOLE

::Thanks [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - would you be able to post this on the Italiano wiki, and also cover the pages mentioned in that document under Appendix A: Core Documents ? The copyright pages are especially important. Grazie! I'm excited to see it.orthodoxwiki become a reality. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Hi,I would like to publish this translated page but I do not know where to place it on the Italian site, such as system?
Me and my boyfriend have already started working on the site, are the first entries that will improve with time. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 14:04, March 4, 2011 (UTC)

== New Server (Nov 15) ==
Great news about the new server Fr John! :)
I did notice that a bug while uploading an image file - the image does not show, even though it was only 79kb small. Thought i would mention it. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:17, November 19, 2011 (HST)
:Thanks! It was long overdue. This bug should be fixed now. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 09:47, November 19, 2011 (HST)

==Account requests==
Fr. John, I notice numerous account requests on Orthodoxwiki Commons that are still open. Bill Kosar [[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 10:03, May 16, 2012 (HST)

::Thanks for the heads-up, Bill! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:13, May 16, 2012 (HST)

== pt.orthodoxwiki ==

Father John, bless! I sent two emails, one to info@orthodoxwiki.org and another to frjohn@stjuvenaly.org, but i haven't received your reply. It's about OrthodoxWiki in portuguese. I wanna say that we (my friends and I) can start translating what is needed. Please, i look forward to your response! -- [[User:SerafimBR|SerafimBR]] 10:41, October 11, 2012 (HST)

==Directory==
Hi Fr John, I'm looking for responses for my proposal (to delete the parish directory pages for Australia) on http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Administrators#Eliminating_directory_articles - your thoughts? — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 19:15, January 31, 2013 (HST)

== deleting the pages of Greek Orthodox Church listings in Australia by PISTEVO ==

Hi Fr John,

We have noticed that the Australian orthodox pages have become very biased and not right. It seems that sysops such as Pistevo are deleting and replacing pages to suit others and there own agendas. Please dont allow this as it is not fair. These pages should be informative and state facts. The listings of the Greek Orthodox Churches should have clear classifications of Parishes with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Parishes of Old Calender Greek Churches etc, regardless if they are in 'communion' with 'official churches' or not. Pistevo should not be able to delete the whole page and replace it with a link to ONLY the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Even up to now, the official position eg of when the OCA churches was in Australia is that According to Archbishop Stylianos and the Archdiocese-they were and are uncanonical. Does that mean they should not of been included in the list of Orthodox Churches in Australia then? The same with the Russian Church Abroad, up to two years ago.Please find the message below i posted to Pistevo.

Dear Pistevo
Deleting it is NOT RIGHT OR PROPER. There are now Greek Orthodox churches which are recognised by the GREEK GOVERNEMENT as they are under recognised Old Calender Synods. REGARDLESS if they are recognised or not by the "official" other churches or even if they are branded schismatic, this page STATES 'GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES', and they are all still GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES. These are the FACTS. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is NOT the only greek orthodox churches in Australia! FILOIGIAPANTA

:Fr John: My response to Filiogiapanta's message is on the [[Talk:Greek Orthodox Churches in New South Wales]] page. I can respond further (e.g. regarding the claim about OCA-AU parishes) if you request. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 14:28, February 3, 2013 (HST)

Fr John, it is not proper to change the page as PISTEVO did.
Pistevo you said wiki is not a Parish listing and I agree, yet why did you add the listing of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese here http://orthodoxwiki.org/Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales. It is a direct link to their parish directory. We would also like you therefore to add the site www.orthodoxchurch.org.au, to not be biased, and other Greek orthodox sites of Australia-regardless if they are old calenderists- not in communion with 'official churches'. Dont you think?

:Fr John - I apologise for responding to someone else on your talk page.
:Filoigiapanta - I do not because, as I stated, [[OW:MCB|OrthodoxWiki has a bias]]. Additionally, please direct all messages to me either to the [[Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales|article's talk page]], or (if necessary) to my own Talk page. I'll not post any further responses to messages from you to me on this page. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 15:10, February 3, 2013 (HST)

== Lingua Latina ==

Greetings Fr. John, I thought that making a Latinized version of OrthodoxWiki wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm very good at Latin and I would just like to know how I could do that? -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 10:51, July 20, 2013 (HST)

:Hi Shen, sorry for my delay in replying. I'm not so sure about Latin -- seems like it would be very hard to sustain. I don't think it would provide the user base needed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 12:07, July 31, 2013 (HST)

Hi Fr. John, I don't know why I didn't think about this before, but since there is a Church of Albania, it would only be fitting for there to be an Akbanian OrthodoxWiki.

::I'd be happy to see an Albanian wiki, but we'd need the right people in place to make it happen. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:33, August 9, 2013 (HST)

== Request for Additional Content on the Divine Liturgies of St. Mark and St. James ==

I would very much like to see links to videos of these liturgies being celebrated in the seminaries, or in actual parishes in the Alexandria and Jerusalem patriarchates, if any such videos exist. I have read the rubrics for the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark. Regarding that of St. James (aside from the Syriac version, which I have viewed), contrary information exists; my local parish priest has told me that it requires three priests and one bishop, and could be celebrated using a normal holy table behind the Iconostasis, but the another article I came across on the Net (I believe the Wikipedia article) indicated it required 12 priests and one Bishop, or 13 Priests, and a Western-style open altar in front of the Iconostasis. Given the obscurity of these two liturgies, and the interest they hold for many Orthodox who like me are liturgical enthusiasts, it would be delightful if a priest who has personal knowledge of these liturgies could provide more details on them, or better yet, a link to audio or video recordings. I have searched fruitlessly for these on Youtube, without success.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 10:23, August 13, 2013 (HST)

:: Sorry, Wgw, I don't know where to point you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 11:16, August 13, 2013 (HST)

You may just have to visit an Oriental Orthodox Curch -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 02:24, August 21, 2013 (HST)

Shen, I have visited, with the permission of my father of confession, Oriental Orthodox churches, but my desire is to see more of these liturgies, which are authentically Eastern Orthodox, performed according to our rubrics, which still exist, and are quite different than the versions of these liturgies as they are now used by the Copts, Syriacs and Maronites. The respective versions of these liturgies are all quite different; the most recent recension of the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, from the 1890s, for example, has all the modern features of Eastern Orthodox liturgy; it is not very different from that of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. It would just be a pity if we let such historically significant parts of our Sacred Tradition die off from neglect. By the way, I should also add, the Coptic Church only uses their version of the St. Mark liturgy on Christmas and in Lent, and the Syriacs primarily use the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, combined with a generic liturgy of the Catechumens which is not unique in any way to the Divine Liturgy of St. James, which they celebrate only on certain specific occasions. Though the Syriac Orthodox in theory have more than 80 anaphoras, in practice, they only ever use two of them (St. James on rare occasions, and Mar Bar Salibi the rest of the time, simply because its the shortest). I did by the way find on YouTube videos of portions of the Divine Liturgy of St. James being celebrated in a Greek Orthodox parish, apparently in the Middle East; it wasn't clear where exactly. Would it be appropriate to add links to them from the relevant article?

By the way, FrJohn, on another matter, is there any chance you could write a short, simple article explaining the interrelationship between the Orthodox service books, and how a typical bishop or parish priest knows how to celebrate the liturgy on a given day? Merry Christmas, by the way, both to the New Calenderists who celebrated it, and the Old Calendarists who are about to. :) I myself was terribly ill for the New Calender Christmas, and with the blessings of my father of confession will be celebrating it in a nearby ROCOR parish.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 18:41, December 26, 2013 (PST)

:: Here is search request in youtube in Russian rather than in English with many videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0&sm=3

See for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY for complete Liturgy.
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 23:04, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Mike, thank you so much for that link! I'm going to add it to the article on the Divine Liturgy of St. James. Could you give me the Cyrillic for the even more obscure liturgy of St. Mark? [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 00:19, April 10, 2014 (PDT)

I was not able to find any other Russian video for the liturgy of St. Mark besides a brief 14 min. video of Coptic Paschal service http://my.mail.ru/inbox/ierei/video/9/10.html
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 08:31, April 11, 2014 (PDT)

No problem. To my knowledge, the liturgy of St. Mark has only been rarely celebrated since the 19th century, in a few Orthodox seminaries. I have a link to a video of the entire Liturgy of St. Cyril (the Coptic version of St. Mark), which I might provide a link to on the appropriate page. The Coptic version is similar, but lacks the Byzantine-style litanies, and also lacks some of the diaconal petitions during the consecration, among other differences. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 17:27, April 13, 2014 (PDT)

Oh by the way, Mike, could you post the correct Russian for the names of each of the Divine Liturgies, perhaps on my talk page? I'd like to find some good videos of Slavonic celebrations of each on Youtube, (Greek, Romanian, et cetera, as well), and link them to the relevant pages. I recently found a stunning rendition of St. Basil. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 07:56, May 21, 2014 (PDT)

== Thanks ==

Dear Fr. John, thank you very much for such prompt reply and activating my account. - [[User:Erin Navan|Erin Navan]] 02:11, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

== Add Unction to Category:Services ==

Dear FrJohn, the Services category popup does not list Holy Unction; I added it to the page, but I don't know how to edit the list of articles in the actual category display. If you could put it in there that would be good, I think, as the Unction service is I think one of everyone's favorite parts of the liturgy.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 21:32, June 12, 2014 (PDT)

User talk:FrJohn

2014-06-13T04:32:53Z

Wgw: fixed a formatting mistake

<div id="shortcut" style="border: 1px solid #CC9; margin: 0em 1em 0em 1em; text-align: center; padding:5px; clear: both; background-color:#F1F1DE">
''Welcome to my discussion page. Please post new messages to the bottom of the page and use headings when starting new discussion topics. Please also sign and date your entries by inserting '''<nowiki>- ~~~~</nowiki>''' at the end. Thank you. [{{SERVER}}{{localurl:{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}|action=edit&section=new}} Start a new discussion topic.]''
----
''[[/archived discussion 1]] (through 09-07-2005)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 2]] (through 11-20-2005)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 3]] (through 05-24-2006)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 4]] (through 04-13-2007)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 5]] (through 05-28-2008)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 6]] (through 11-25-2008)''
</div>

__TOC__

==August 17 Menaion==

Should we call our father among the saints Theodoretus the enlightener of the Sami, as opposed to the enlightener of the Lapps. Lapp is considered something of an ethnic slur; much like calling the Inuit by the name Eskimo. On the other hand, should we wait until the Menaion itself is changed to reflect the better name for the people of northern Scandinavia. [[User:Eddieuny|Eddieuny]] 03:22, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Eddieuny, Thanks for your question. My take is that, since he is in the menaion as "Enlightener of the Lapps" we should do this, but with a footnote explaining what you just said -- it would be good to make people aware of this. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:30, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

==Ukrainian version==

Dear Father, I thought to start Ukrainian version. How can I do that? I work with articles related to Orthodoxy on Ukrainian wikipedia.

--[[User:Roman Z|Roman Z]] 21:38, March 12, 2009 (UTC)

==Orthodox Source==
Hi father john, it is with much sadness and hurt that I see you close down Orthodox Source. Mainly because I invested a huge amount of time to put information onto that site that took a lot of my time and I dont have access to any more. I am a bit saddened because you didnt even give me some notice that you were going to close the site down so that I could at least download some of the information onto my personal computer that I can access in the future ... a bit disappointed that this was not considered and an opportunity given to do this. It only proves that the Internet is not a very viable Christian tool. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 05:50, November 27, 2008 (UTC)

== Fact check ==

Dear Father,
I am trying to recall the name of the cemetery chapel at Saint Anna's Skete on the Holy Mountain. I wondered if you or any of your readers/discussants might help me.

Thanks,
Isaak Scott Cairns

:One source tells me it's "Holy Cross" — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 20:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

== Hymns of Contrition ==

Father John, I bought a CD last night that in Greek is called "Kataniktika of Great lent". So, I set about doing a google today to find out just what are these hymns (although I understand the words). Many articles come up but they are primarily from the Catholic church and are seven Psalms ... these do not seem to be the format of the kataniktiko service. Can you help me. What are the Kataniktika of Great Lent? I want to post an article onto OrthodoxWiki for others to reference too.!! Thanks in advance. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 22:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

:O man, these Greek terms -- best ask a Byzantine-style cantor, I think. Anyone around here? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Триоди в Воскресенья - the CD translates the "Kataniktika" as the "Hymns of Contrition". However, if you do a google on that term it comes up with the Catholic version of Hymns of Contrition - which are not the same! Oi! What is wrong with the Greek terms? The church lasted 2,000 years because of the beauty in the Greek language :-) Do you want us to convert everything to Russian so you can understand? LOL ANYWAY! You are a priest - you should know what these are! ROFL [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 23:07, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

::: The ''Katanyktikoi Hymnoi'' (it helps to use standard Latinization for Greek!) may be called the "Hymns of Contrition" or "Penitential Hymns," and the term refers to a wide set of pieces of hymnography used throughout the period of the Triodion, most especially in the stichera of Lenten Vespers (most often referenced in Sunday night Vespers).

::: They are not the same thing as the "Penitential Psalms." —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 23:53, March 16, 2009 (UTC)
:::: Thanks! What I did was cut and paste what you just said and inserted it into an article. Hopefully we can develop it a little ... there is not much available on the Internet for this. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:34, March 17, 2009 (UTC)

== ΒΟΗΘΕΙΑ ==

ΧΡΕΙΑΖΟΜΑΙ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΜΙΑ ΠΑΛΙΑ ΑΙΡΕΣΗ, ΛΕΓΕΤΑΙ ΑΦΘΑΡΤΟΔΟΚΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΙΔΡΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ Ο ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΛΙΚΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΥ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΣ

:Ελληνικά, παρακαλώ. Δεν μιλούν ελληνικά. Σε ευχαριστώ. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

==User Creation - Proposal==
Greetings Fr. John,
With the amount of Vandalism we have, I propose that anyone requesting a new account first has to submit a request online, with some brief info about temselves, and THEN THE REQUEST WILL REQUIRE APPROVAL by yourself or Fr. Andrew or other Sysops. '''The ability for anyone to automatically create accounts will be disabled''', unless they are sincere and simply request a free account which they can then of course have; I think that the Conservapedia and some other wikis might have this system in place. Anyhow, just an idea I wanted to pass along :)

By the way, regarding the note immediately above this one (in greek), it reads something like this: ''"I require information on an ancient heresy, called "Aftharto-Docetism"?, and its proponent was the Bishop of Halicarnassos Julianos."'' I see that it was an unsigned comment however.

Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 00:10, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Angellight, given the number of users we have, this sounds like an awful lot of work. I'd rather just clean up occasionally as needed, but let me keep my eyes open for another solution. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:17, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::other forums require that you Verify your "humanity" by typing into a box the combination of numbers/letters you can see on the screen to verify that you are indeed "real" and not a bot. maybe that is all you need. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:51, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::::Yep, was just posting that I've just installed a captcha test for new user registrations. It won't block disturbed individuals, but should help with the automated creation of accounts from multiple un-blacklisted IPs where email verification can be performed. Amazing we have to deal with that, eh? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:55, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::::Yeah, you have to wonder why they havent got better things to do than hurl abuse at people who are minding their own business ... I learnt something yesterday. A priest called Fr Demetrius wrote an email about praying for the deceased soul of a "george" who was a pro-abortionist in America. When you read with what tenderness and love Fr Demetrius writes about this "sinner" you realise how much we just pity these people - for they know not what they do. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:04, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::The only effect really is to drain a little bit of my time away :-(. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Hey, I just did an EDIT on an article and it asked me to fill out a box ... is this going to be the standard practise from now on for editing as it will grow tedious I think for regulars? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:37, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::Whoops, I'll fix this. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:43, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::I missed the setting that said "Require captcha when user edits page and adds a link" - let me know if it happens again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Sure, also while I have you and you are in a good mood :D I would like to ask for a favour (as far as practical) my heart is to complete the most comprehensive Table of Saints (in Chronological order) - as you can witness by this new article. At present, I am systematically and patiently working through the information ON OrthodoxWiki ... how can I identify saints I have missed NOT listed on OrthodoxWiki. Do you have any suggestions? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:53, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::Wow! Sounds like a big job. I guess you'd have to check the websites of the various Orthodox jurisdictions around the world, or get your hands on a really good synaxarion (I like the one published by at Ormylia) and refer to its index. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:56, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

== Glitch ==

See [[Talk:Alban|this]]. —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 01:59, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

::Thanks, message left. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 05:38, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

== Sysop. ==

Hello Fr. John.
I am a Greek Orthodox user. I was wonderign if you can add me as a sysop to help you out with the site. I have a lot of time on my hands.

In his service,
--[[User:Greeks|Greeks]] 15:23, February 1, 2010 (UTC)

==Hello!==
Hi sir! I would like to create a project OrthodoxWiki dutch language and I have rights bureaucrat, administrator, renameuser, Checkuser and oversight, thanks. —[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 17:23, February 20, 2010 (UTC)ﻧ

:You are active or no? For 2 months you no response me. --—[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 15:15, February 22, 2010 (UTC)

Many Orthodox believers have asked about the Icon of Christ and the Ancient of Days and confusing this elder sitting next to Christ with God the Father.
They are not alone, for the entire Roman Catholic Church believes that this is the case and their belief has by the process of osmosis been picked up by many of our clergy and this icon has been ejected from many of our Churches. It is not true for the Ancient of Days is the Son of God who was begotten before all time. If they recall, Christ in the incarnation had divested Himself of those signs of being God and had assumed the appearance of a mere servant. The icon of the Platytera teaches us that the Holy Virgin's womb contained the "uncontainable, therefore those aspects of God the Son of God remained in the mystery of Heaven. Read on with what I have written:

QUESTION:

v Do you recall ever having seen this icon of Jesus Christ holding his cross, sitting at the right of an elderly man with white hair?
at their feet there are cherubic figures, and about them there are clouds. They both have a nimbus above their head and above them
there is a white dove, sometimes within a circle or a triangle.
v Is there anything incorrect about it ?
v Why is it not found in today’s churches ?
v What is its origin ?

For those of us who are old enough, this icon is familiar. We had seen it in most of the Greek Orthodox Churches when we were children. It was located on the iconostasion on the right side of the royal entrance, the spot currently occupied by the icon of Christ. I do remember it in St. Sophia Cathedral (until the 1960’s) and in the Holy Trinity Church in Waterbury, Connecticut (in the 1920’-30’s). St. Sophia’s oldest icons were contributed to a more recently established parish in Virginia and this icon was still in use there as of seven years ago.

What is wrong with it? It has a perfectly good representation of Christ. He is seated at the right hand of an elderly man who is giving a blessing and they are both apparently seated in majesty in heaven. There are little, western style cherubs at their feet. The elderly man supposedly represents God the Father. Instead of a halo, His head is usually surrounded by a triangle which, I presume, represents the Holy Trinity. I have heard of Him in this representation being named the “Ancient of Days.” What is wrong with all this is that God the Father is purely spirit and cannot be portrayed in any manner. Christ said in the New Testament, “When you see Me, you see my Father.” This is the reason why this icon has been supplanted by one of Christ alone, for when we see Christ in an icon, we see the Father.

How did we come to portray God the Father in this manner? I could not discover the answer in any book on iconography or theology available to me. It was not until I came across a passage in the Septuagint Scriptures that I found the answer in the Book of Daniel chapter VII, verses 9 - 10 and 13 - 14.

[9] I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire. [10] A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
[13] I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and he came on to the Ancient of Days, and was brought near to him. [14] And to him was given the dominion, and the honour,and the kingdom; and all the nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

This vision and prophesy of Daniel has been identified, in both Latin Catholic and Protestant sources as a prefiguration of God the Father and the powers and glory which He has bestowed upon God the Son, Jesus Christ - the Son of Man. This passage may have been the source of the artistic rendering of God the Father as the “Ancient of Days.” Whether this conception was original with our iconographers or was influenced by the realistic presentations of western artists is not known. Indeed we have a prime example of this in Michaelangelo’s painting of God in the Sistine Chapel and the western style cherubs at their feet. His portraiture is that of an old man with white hair and a white beard, reaching out with his finger to endow Adam with life. None of these features are found in Orthodox iconography and their being in this icon suggests the influence of western imaging since large portions of Greece had been occupied for several centuries by Venetian, Catalan and other Latins.

Regardless of its origins, this icon is considered erroneous today.

Providence has a way of providing us with truths to heal our ignorance. I believe that I have discovered the significance of this icon while reading A Discourse On the Nativity of Christ by St. Gregory Thaumatourgos, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea (died 260) . He wrote:

“The new wonders do strike me with awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God. Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth in a manger of dumb beasts.”

Do the words of Gregory’s statement imply that this icon could represent a “double image” of Christ? First as the “Ancient of Days”, the only-begotten Son of God, born before all ages. Adjacent to Him is the younger Incarnate Jesus Christ, Son of Man(-kind) as He appeared to us on earth in His kenotic form (i.e. when He “emptied Himself” and “became as a base servant”). Gone would be the mistaken identification of the Ancient of Days as God the Father, which is the mainstay of western explanations. Such an interpretation of this icon sheds a completely new light upon it, a light which may render it theologically legitimate. Even so St. Gregory goes on to say: “The Impassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners.” If the Ancient of Days has these chacteristics, is it permissible to portray him in an icon? Does the fact that He becomes incarnate as Jesus Christ repeal the prohibition of showing Him as an aged man?
However, St. Gregory’s words have allowed me to learn the true meaning of this prophesy from the Book of Daniel. It is a prophesy of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, when the “books will be opened” and the “secrets of men will be revealed.” I am thankful to have gained this knowledge so that I can look upon this icon with greater appreciation. Later yet, I discovered that there is an icon in St. Katherine’s Monastery at Sinai which depicts the Ancient of Days, and on his lap rests Jesus as a child. This icon is said to confirm the concept voiced by St. Gregory that The Ancient of Days is the heavenly manifestation of the Son of God.

The Ancient of Days with a child Jesus Christ on His Lap, 12th century
At St. Katherine’s Monastery Church, Mt. Sinai
(You can find this icon on the internet)

== Psalter quote ==

Father John,
Bless!
My name is Manoli and I'm an 18 year old recent high school graduate. I am distantly acquainted with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and I'm writing an essay for the PanHellenic Foundation, trying to get a scholarship for college. I want to use the "golden thread" quote from "one modern commentator" on the OrthodoxWiki "Psalter" page. If you know who that person is, or who would know who that person is, I'd appreciate any info...Fr. Andrew doesn't and although I'm registered on OrthodoxWiki as CampNazFanatic, I don't know much about using the site so I decided to contact you. Please respond asap as this essay is due like tomorrow.
Thanks,
Manoli
--CampNazFanatic[[CampNazFanatic]]

==IMAGES ISSUES==
Warm greetings Fr. John,

I hope it is okay that I am contacting you directly, but this problem has not been resolved for some time. Could you kindly look into rectifying the long-standing problem with uploaded images not displaying - they do not display once they are uploaded and they do not display especially as thumbnails.

See here: the [http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/Special:Newimages Gallery of New Image Files];

I had left a note at the OrthodoxWiki Trapeza [[OrthodoxWiki:Trapeza#Thumbnails_Error|here]] regarding this error some time ago, but it has gone unanswered and the problem is not resolved.

Surely there must be a process to have this investigated? -- i.e. Where is the OW site hosted? Which person(s)/webmasters or what entity is in charge of maintenance? Who needs to be called? Who is in control? And WHERE is their accountability???? Why have they ignored this for so long? Was this change done intentionally for some reason and if so why is there no notice informing the users? This problem has persisted for a very long time now, and it appears that it is a feature that has been disabled. If it stays non-functional this way I fear that this will discourage further users from wanting to contribute to OW. If there is something I have overlooked apologies in advance. Hoping something can be done. Thanks and kind regards :) [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:49, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

::Hi Angellight -- I apologize for the frustration. Sadly, it is I -- the negligent webmaster. and the volunteer in charge of site maintenance (but with many distractions). Please be assured that there is nothing intentional in the problem - the site just needs an upgrade. Because of the way the databases are tied together for each localization, it gets a little complex. I will strive to find some time to fix this soon. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 07:28, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

:::Many thanks for the info dear Fr.; good to know the site will be eventually upgraded and that this will be addressed then. Please forgive my initial frustration. This is a wonderful resource and I hope to see it grow. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 18:55, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

----

:Fr. John, this may be part of the same problem, if one tries to add a image and re-size it they get an error:
Error creating thumbnail: Warning: passthru() has been disabled for security reasons in
/home/owiki/public_html/shared/includes /GlobalFunctions.php on line 1839 
:(just an FYI) - [[User:Andrew|Andy]] 16:41, November 24, 2010 (UTC)

::I apologize for the delay in getting this resolved. Thumbnails should now be working again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

== Suppression ==

Unfortunately, after going through some articles and dead links, it seems that the Oriental Orthodox Church is suppressed on this OrthodoxWiki. it is a shame becuase this wiki is what should unite us together in Christ, not divide us and furthurmore insult our brothers and sisters. No one would dare do that to Christ. Eastern Orthodoxy and Oreintal Orthodoxy are probably the closest, most Orthodox, unchanging groups of Churches. I pray that one day we will once again be reunited as one in His Church.

God Bless

:: Hello [[Cmd|User:Cmd]] - It is certainly not my heart to suppress Oriental Orthodoxy in any way. In fact, just about 30 minutes ago I was speaking about my respect for Oriental Orthodox Christians, and talking about how the Christological differences have been largely resolved. This is a joy to me. Please see [[OrthodoxWiki:Style_Manual_%28Point_of_View%29]] for the stated policy of this site. If you can point to specific examples of suppression, that would be helpful. In Christ, — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 23:32, October 3, 2010 (UTC)

== About the 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'' ==

Dear Father John. I have added 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'', but they do not appear in the article, however they appear when I ''clic'' on them. Could you please help me make them appear at the article. Is it a problem from your server? Please help me and you will have the bless of Saint Pastapios. [[User:688dim|688dim]] 22:15, November 29, 2010 (UTC)

::Dear 688dim, Thanks for the bug report. This should now be fixed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])
:::Thanks, Fr. John for catching the "bug". I missed the pictures![[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 22:56, December 20, 2010 (UTC)

== Italian Version ==

::: Dear Father, I thought to start Italian version. How can I do that?
me and my boyfriend !! We've a lot of articol en Italian about orthodoxia.

Thanks. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 15:30, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

Hi Raggiodisole, I would be very happy to see an Italian version. The place to start is [[OrthodoxWiki:Localization]] -- would you be up for this translation work? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:48, February 8, 2011 (UTC)

:: Dear Father, ok, I gladly accept.
Then, if I may, I would like to post new articles in Italian orthodoxy
Technically, I would like you opened your site because I have these technical skills, so I will translate the pages essential for the initiation site and part Italian and enrich it later.
How do I send you the translation? the insert here?
Thank you for your trust, we are now going to translate the page you showed me.
I greet you and thank you Father. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 13:12, February 22, 2011 (UTC)

:: Father this is the translation you asked me:

OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione

Questa pagina fornisce i principi di politica ufficiale sull’enciclopedia OrthodoxWiki. Questa pagina è stata redatta consensualmente degli editori ed è considerata uno standard che tutti gli utenti devono seguire. Se si parte dell'amministrazione, non esitate ad aggiornare questa pagina, se necessario, ma occorre fare in modo che le modifiche apportate a questa politica
le voci che vi appaiano devono rispecchiare fedelmente il punto di vista ortodosso e si candidano quindi ad essere un punto di riferimento, una riflessione, per chi vuol conoscere la Chiesa Ortodossa.

Localizzazione e le relazioni inter-wiki (PROGETTO IN PROGRESS)

I commenti sono accolti

Indice [nascondi]
1 Definizioni
2 Contributori
2,1 Amministrazione
2,2 Responsabilità dei contributori
2,3 Loghi e Identità
2,4 Hosting e domini
2,5 Problemi di copyright
3 Colleghi
4 Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki
5 Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo
6 Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione
7 Appendice D: Risorse

Definizione : Cos’è OrthodoxWiki [Modifica]
La localizzazione si riferisce al processo di porting del progetto OrthodoxWiki in lingue diverse dall'inglese (la lingua originale).

Si riconoscono due accordi separati. 1. Affiliati, e 2. Colleghi.

Contributori ( Affiliato)

Un rapporto "affiliato" si ha quando un gruppo canonicamente ortodosso di persone che condividono la visione OrthodoxWiki, e il desiderio di estendere il progetto OrthodoxWiki's in altre lingue. Siamo molto felici quando per avere altri wiki-based ortodossi formalmente si aderisce all’OrthodoxWiki come affiliati pieni.

Amministrazione [Modifica]

Un rapporto di affiliazione inizia quando i volontari una o più persone dedicano sforzi sostanziali per creare e mantenere una OrthodoxWiki localizzata in una lingua che non dispone già di uno. Tutti i contatti dovrebbe passare attraverso Fr. John.

Se approvata, una o più persone del gruppo affiliato sarà data sysop di stato e sarà aggiunto alla mailing list sysop OrthodoxWiki.

Responsabilità di Contribuzione (Affiliazione) [Modifica]

E 'la responsabilità della filiale/i di mantenere e gestire attivamente il sito OrthodoxWiki localizzato in conformità con le linee guida principali OrthodoxWiki, in particolare la sua politica sul copyright (per motivi legali) e OrthodoxWiki principio di neutralità. Saranno anche responsabile della traduzione di testi fondamentali OrthodoxWiki dall'inglese in altre lingue.

All'interno di questi parametri, agli operatori locali viene dato un grande margine di manovra per quanto riguarda come è strutturato il loro wiki, stabilendo le priorità per quale tipo di materiale di importazione e di esportazione dalla lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki, e così via.

Se non riescono a soddisfare queste responsabilità, stato di affiliazione può essere revocata, e la loro sottodominio di hosting e annullato. Questo tipo di misura sarà usata, tuttavia, con parsimonia solo nei casi più gravi.

Loghi e identità [Modifica]

Gli OrthodoxWiki affiliati sono autorizzati e tenuti ad adottare il logo ufficiale OrthodoxWiki, anche se possono tradurre in altre lingue, se a loro piace. Allo stesso modo, si dovrebbero utilizzare la favicon OrthodoxWiki e il plugin di ricerca icona, permettono essi possono adattare queste come vogliono (per esempio, la modifica a un diverso colore per differenziare tra le versioni di OrthodoxWiki nella casella di ricerca o per i segnalibri).

Link a tutti gli OrthodoxWikis localizzate dovrebbero essere ben descritto sulla home page di ogni discreto / sito localizzato OrthodoxWiki.

I contributori (Affialiates) possono utilizzare uno dei linkbuttons OrthodoxWiki, tradotto o meno, o può creare il proprio.

Hosting e domini

Vi forniremo un sottodominio localizzato (come ru.orthodoxwiki.org, gr.orthodoxwiki.org, bu.orthodoxwiki.org, ecc.) Questo può essere indicato un altro indirizzo IP che sarà ospitata a livello locale, oppure possiamo fornire uno spazio sul server che ospita OrthodoxWiki (un server appartenente alla ortodossa Internet Services). In alcuni casi, un nome di dominio più appropriato per la lingua in questione può anche essere sistemato sul sottodominio.

Hosting e gestione tecnica del software MediaWiki può essere fornito gratuitamente da OrthodoxWiki, in associazione con gli ortodossi Internet Services. Tuttavia, è anche possibile per gli affiliati ospitare e gestire la propria installazione MediaWiki

Problemi di copyright

Per motivi pratici, è importante che OrthodoxWikis localizzato mantenga lo stesso copyright / accordo di licenza, come la lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki.

Dato che il wiki è localizzato nel progetto OrthodoxWiki, riteniamo che tutte le immagini e gli articoli per i quali OrthodoxWiki ha ottenuto un permesso speciale da utilizzare potrebbe essere utilizzato anche su OrthodoxWikis localizzato utilizzando lo stesso nome di dominio.

I colleghi [Modifica

Un rapporto "collega" è particolarmente appropriato in cui l'attenzione di un altro wiki (ad esempio, la loro interpretazione del NPOV e "mainstream Chalcedonian bias ortodossi") è diverso da OrthodoxWiki's. Ci aspettiamo che questo sarebbe il caso, ad esempio, se un vecchio gruppo Calendarist greco voluto creare il proprio wiki, o per copto / non-Calcedoniani o romana (o altro) wiki cattolica, o se un altro gruppo di ortodossi orientali ha voluto avviare una wiki con una particolare attenzione sostanzialmente diverso o missione. In alcuni casi, si possono riconoscere altri Wiki come "colleghi", anche se non si definiscono cristiani.

Il "collega" parola presuppone che noi abbiamo un senso della missione comune o di complementarietà, e siamo felici di lavorare insieme e sostenere ogni lavoro altrui.

In questo caso, non si può condividere un comune branding - nomi di dominio, i loghi, linkbuttons, ecc sarebbero tutti distinti. Allo stesso modo, speciali autorizzazioni per l’ immagine e l'articolo sarebbe gestiti separatamente.

I colleghi riceveranno un riconoscimento pubblico, i link sul wiki, così come il permesso esplicito di utilizzare qualsiasi materiale appropriato OrthodoxWiki (a patto che si inserisce il loro sistema di licenze) e di ogni altra assistenza o incoraggiamento siamo in grado di fornire.

Collega status può essere revocato in qualsiasi momento, soprattutto se la missione della vira altri wiki di là di un generale "NPOV" o presa di posizione "descrittivo" e formalmente adotta una forte polemica contro un altro gruppo in modo tale che non sono utili non avendo alcun rapporto formale con loro.

Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki

Si tratta di un elenco di documenti essenziali OrthodoxWiki che deve essere tradotto (in forma abbreviata, se necessario) e mantenuta coerente in localizzazioni. Il testo in lingua inglese rimane il testo "canonico".

Pagine principali sono:

OrthodoxWiki: A proposito - abbiamo bisogno di lavorare su una revisione di questo anche in inglese!
Almeno queste pagine politica OrthodoxWiki:
OrthodoxWiki: Copyrights
OrthodoxWiki: General disclaimer
OrthodoxWiki: Informazioni sulla privacy
OrthodoxWiki: Manuale di stile
Help: titoli di immagine
Core modelli includono:

Il più generico Modelli generali, in particolare:
Template: Benvenuto
Template: Stub
Template: Pulitura
Template: disambig
Tutti i modelli Copyright richieste per il materiale utilizzato sul sito affiliato, in particolare:
Template: Copyright
Template: non verificato
Template: Fairuse
Template: OWiki
Template: Skete.com
Template: Oca
Template: Htm
Template: Pd

Altre pagine che arricchiscono il funzionamento del wiki, ma non sono strettamente necessarie, o può essere più liberamente adattato per l'uso locale, sono:

OrthodoxWiki: News
OrthodoxWiki: Buzz
Le pagine di aiuto e le pagine nel namespace OrthodoxWiki.
Altre pagine template - vedi OrthodoxWiki: Modelli per un elenco completo

Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo

Bulgaro OrthodoxWiki (http://bg.orthodoxwiki.org) – Riferimento per un contatto: Costantino per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Rumeno di lingua OrthodoxWiki (http://ro.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Inistea per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Per una discussione in lingua araba OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ar.orthodoxwiki.org), andare al OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / arabo. Vedi anche qui.
In lingua russa OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ru.orthodoxwiki.org) - Vai alla OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / Russo.
Di lingua greca OrthodoxWiki - EL: Αρχική_σελίδα

Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione [Modifica]

Di lingua neerlandese OrthodoxWiki (nl.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Stephan per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
Castigliano e portoghese –
Contatti Utente: Theofilactos (vedi anche qui).
Spagnolo: User: Alstradiaan.

Appendice D: Risorse [Modifica]

meta: MediaWiki_localisation
meta: Help: Esportazione e meta: Help: Import
meta: Recent_changes_extension - se si volesse unire elenchi delle ultime modifiche
meta: Meta: Babel_templates - mostra competenze linguistiche dell'utente
meta: transwiki
Estratto da "http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Localization"

I send this translation in another place?
Thanks

:::Hi, Father John, I look forward to the Italian site and its address. Please Provide the technical aspect for you, after I insert the contributions to make it grow and I can call other people to feed.
Thanks a lot. Your sister in Christ!

::Dear [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - sorry for the delay! This is wonderful. Please give me a little more time to set this up. I will get back to you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

ok! thanks ! RAGGIODISOLE

::Thanks [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - would you be able to post this on the Italiano wiki, and also cover the pages mentioned in that document under Appendix A: Core Documents ? The copyright pages are especially important. Grazie! I'm excited to see it.orthodoxwiki become a reality. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Hi,I would like to publish this translated page but I do not know where to place it on the Italian site, such as system?
Me and my boyfriend have already started working on the site, are the first entries that will improve with time. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 14:04, March 4, 2011 (UTC)

== New Server (Nov 15) ==
Great news about the new server Fr John! :)
I did notice that a bug while uploading an image file - the image does not show, even though it was only 79kb small. Thought i would mention it. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:17, November 19, 2011 (HST)
:Thanks! It was long overdue. This bug should be fixed now. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 09:47, November 19, 2011 (HST)

==Account requests==
Fr. John, I notice numerous account requests on Orthodoxwiki Commons that are still open. Bill Kosar [[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 10:03, May 16, 2012 (HST)

::Thanks for the heads-up, Bill! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:13, May 16, 2012 (HST)

== pt.orthodoxwiki ==

Father John, bless! I sent two emails, one to info@orthodoxwiki.org and another to frjohn@stjuvenaly.org, but i haven't received your reply. It's about OrthodoxWiki in portuguese. I wanna say that we (my friends and I) can start translating what is needed. Please, i look forward to your response! -- [[User:SerafimBR|SerafimBR]] 10:41, October 11, 2012 (HST)

==Directory==
Hi Fr John, I'm looking for responses for my proposal (to delete the parish directory pages for Australia) on http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Administrators#Eliminating_directory_articles - your thoughts? — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 19:15, January 31, 2013 (HST)

== deleting the pages of Greek Orthodox Church listings in Australia by PISTEVO ==

Hi Fr John,

We have noticed that the Australian orthodox pages have become very biased and not right. It seems that sysops such as Pistevo are deleting and replacing pages to suit others and there own agendas. Please dont allow this as it is not fair. These pages should be informative and state facts. The listings of the Greek Orthodox Churches should have clear classifications of Parishes with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Parishes of Old Calender Greek Churches etc, regardless if they are in 'communion' with 'official churches' or not. Pistevo should not be able to delete the whole page and replace it with a link to ONLY the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Even up to now, the official position eg of when the OCA churches was in Australia is that According to Archbishop Stylianos and the Archdiocese-they were and are uncanonical. Does that mean they should not of been included in the list of Orthodox Churches in Australia then? The same with the Russian Church Abroad, up to two years ago.Please find the message below i posted to Pistevo.

Dear Pistevo
Deleting it is NOT RIGHT OR PROPER. There are now Greek Orthodox churches which are recognised by the GREEK GOVERNEMENT as they are under recognised Old Calender Synods. REGARDLESS if they are recognised or not by the "official" other churches or even if they are branded schismatic, this page STATES 'GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES', and they are all still GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES. These are the FACTS. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is NOT the only greek orthodox churches in Australia! FILOIGIAPANTA

:Fr John: My response to Filiogiapanta's message is on the [[Talk:Greek Orthodox Churches in New South Wales]] page. I can respond further (e.g. regarding the claim about OCA-AU parishes) if you request. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 14:28, February 3, 2013 (HST)

Fr John, it is not proper to change the page as PISTEVO did.
Pistevo you said wiki is not a Parish listing and I agree, yet why did you add the listing of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese here http://orthodoxwiki.org/Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales. It is a direct link to their parish directory. We would also like you therefore to add the site www.orthodoxchurch.org.au, to not be biased, and other Greek orthodox sites of Australia-regardless if they are old calenderists- not in communion with 'official churches'. Dont you think?

:Fr John - I apologise for responding to someone else on your talk page.
:Filoigiapanta - I do not because, as I stated, [[OW:MCB|OrthodoxWiki has a bias]]. Additionally, please direct all messages to me either to the [[Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales|article's talk page]], or (if necessary) to my own Talk page. I'll not post any further responses to messages from you to me on this page. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 15:10, February 3, 2013 (HST)

== Lingua Latina ==

Greetings Fr. John, I thought that making a Latinized version of OrthodoxWiki wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm very good at Latin and I would just like to know how I could do that? -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 10:51, July 20, 2013 (HST)

:Hi Shen, sorry for my delay in replying. I'm not so sure about Latin -- seems like it would be very hard to sustain. I don't think it would provide the user base needed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 12:07, July 31, 2013 (HST)

Hi Fr. John, I don't know why I didn't think about this before, but since there is a Church of Albania, it would only be fitting for there to be an Akbanian OrthodoxWiki.

::I'd be happy to see an Albanian wiki, but we'd need the right people in place to make it happen. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:33, August 9, 2013 (HST)

== Request for Additional Content on the Divine Liturgies of St. Mark and St. James ==

I would very much like to see links to videos of these liturgies being celebrated in the seminaries, or in actual parishes in the Alexandria and Jerusalem patriarchates, if any such videos exist. I have read the rubrics for the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark. Regarding that of St. James (aside from the Syriac version, which I have viewed), contrary information exists; my local parish priest has told me that it requires three priests and one bishop, and could be celebrated using a normal holy table behind the Iconostasis, but the another article I came across on the Net (I believe the Wikipedia article) indicated it required 12 priests and one Bishop, or 13 Priests, and a Western-style open altar in front of the Iconostasis. Given the obscurity of these two liturgies, and the interest they hold for many Orthodox who like me are liturgical enthusiasts, it would be delightful if a priest who has personal knowledge of these liturgies could provide more details on them, or better yet, a link to audio or video recordings. I have searched fruitlessly for these on Youtube, without success.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 10:23, August 13, 2013 (HST)

:: Sorry, Wgw, I don't know where to point you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 11:16, August 13, 2013 (HST)

You may just have to visit an Oriental Orthodox Curch -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 02:24, August 21, 2013 (HST)

Shen, I have visited, with the permission of my father of confession, Oriental Orthodox churches, but my desire is to see more of these liturgies, which are authentically Eastern Orthodox, performed according to our rubrics, which still exist, and are quite different than the versions of these liturgies as they are now used by the Copts, Syriacs and Maronites. The respective versions of these liturgies are all quite different; the most recent recension of the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, from the 1890s, for example, has all the modern features of Eastern Orthodox liturgy; it is not very different from that of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. It would just be a pity if we let such historically significant parts of our Sacred Tradition die off from neglect. By the way, I should also add, the Coptic Church only uses their version of the St. Mark liturgy on Christmas and in Lent, and the Syriacs primarily use the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, combined with a generic liturgy of the Catechumens which is not unique in any way to the Divine Liturgy of St. James, which they celebrate only on certain specific occasions. Though the Syriac Orthodox in theory have more than 80 anaphoras, in practice, they only ever use two of them (St. James on rare occasions, and Mar Bar Salibi the rest of the time, simply because its the shortest). I did by the way find on YouTube videos of portions of the Divine Liturgy of St. James being celebrated in a Greek Orthodox parish, apparently in the Middle East; it wasn't clear where exactly. Would it be appropriate to add links to them from the relevant article?

By the way, FrJohn, on another matter, is there any chance you could write a short, simple article explaining the interrelationship between the Orthodox service books, and how a typical bishop or parish priest knows how to celebrate the liturgy on a given day? Merry Christmas, by the way, both to the New Calenderists who celebrated it, and the Old Calendarists who are about to. :) I myself was terribly ill for the New Calender Christmas, and with the blessings of my father of confession will be celebrating it in a nearby ROCOR parish.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 18:41, December 26, 2013 (PST)

:: Here is search request in youtube in Russian rather than in English with many videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0&sm=3

See for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY for complete Liturgy.
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 23:04, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Mike, thank you so much for that link! I'm going to add it to the article on the Divine Liturgy of St. James. Could you give me the Cyrillic for the even more obscure liturgy of St. Mark? [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 00:19, April 10, 2014 (PDT)

I was not able to find any other Russian video for the liturgy of St. Mark besides a brief 14 min. video of Coptic Paschal service http://my.mail.ru/inbox/ierei/video/9/10.html
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 08:31, April 11, 2014 (PDT)

No problem. To my knowledge, the liturgy of St. Mark has only been rarely celebrated since the 19th century, in a few Orthodox seminaries. I have a link to a video of the entire Liturgy of St. Cyril (the Coptic version of St. Mark), which I might provide a link to on the appropriate page. The Coptic version is similar, but lacks the Byzantine-style litanies, and also lacks some of the diaconal petitions during the consecration, among other differences. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 17:27, April 13, 2014 (PDT)

Oh by the way, Mike, could you post the correct Russian for the names of each of the Divine Liturgies, perhaps on my talk page? I'd like to find some good videos of Slavonic celebrations of each on Youtube, (Greek, Romanian, et cetera, as well), and link them to the relevant pages. I recently found a stunning rendition of St. Basil. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 07:56, May 21, 2014 (PDT)

== Thanks ==

Dear Fr. John, thank you very much for such prompt reply and activating my account. - [[User:Erin Navan|Erin Navan]] 02:11, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

== Add Unction to Category:Services ==

Dear FrJohn, the Services category popup does not list Holy Unction; I added "{{services}}" to that page, but I don't know how to edit the list of articles in the actual category display. If you could put it in there that would be good, I think, as the Unction service is I think one of everyone's favorite parts of the liturgy.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 21:32, June 12, 2014 (PDT)

User talk:FrJohn

2014-06-13T04:32:12Z

Wgw: added request for addition of unction to liturgical services popup

<div id="shortcut" style="border: 1px solid #CC9; margin: 0em 1em 0em 1em; text-align: center; padding:5px; clear: both; background-color:#F1F1DE">
''Welcome to my discussion page. Please post new messages to the bottom of the page and use headings when starting new discussion topics. Please also sign and date your entries by inserting '''<nowiki>- ~~~~</nowiki>''' at the end. Thank you. [{{SERVER}}{{localurl:{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}|action=edit&section=new}} Start a new discussion topic.]''
----
''[[/archived discussion 1]] (through 09-07-2005)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 2]] (through 11-20-2005)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 3]] (through 05-24-2006)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 4]] (through 04-13-2007)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 5]] (through 05-28-2008)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 6]] (through 11-25-2008)''
</div>

__TOC__

==August 17 Menaion==

Should we call our father among the saints Theodoretus the enlightener of the Sami, as opposed to the enlightener of the Lapps. Lapp is considered something of an ethnic slur; much like calling the Inuit by the name Eskimo. On the other hand, should we wait until the Menaion itself is changed to reflect the better name for the people of northern Scandinavia. [[User:Eddieuny|Eddieuny]] 03:22, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Eddieuny, Thanks for your question. My take is that, since he is in the menaion as "Enlightener of the Lapps" we should do this, but with a footnote explaining what you just said -- it would be good to make people aware of this. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:30, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

==Ukrainian version==

Dear Father, I thought to start Ukrainian version. How can I do that? I work with articles related to Orthodoxy on Ukrainian wikipedia.

--[[User:Roman Z|Roman Z]] 21:38, March 12, 2009 (UTC)

==Orthodox Source==
Hi father john, it is with much sadness and hurt that I see you close down Orthodox Source. Mainly because I invested a huge amount of time to put information onto that site that took a lot of my time and I dont have access to any more. I am a bit saddened because you didnt even give me some notice that you were going to close the site down so that I could at least download some of the information onto my personal computer that I can access in the future ... a bit disappointed that this was not considered and an opportunity given to do this. It only proves that the Internet is not a very viable Christian tool. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 05:50, November 27, 2008 (UTC)

== Fact check ==

Dear Father,
I am trying to recall the name of the cemetery chapel at Saint Anna's Skete on the Holy Mountain. I wondered if you or any of your readers/discussants might help me.

Thanks,
Isaak Scott Cairns

:One source tells me it's "Holy Cross" — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 20:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

== Hymns of Contrition ==

Father John, I bought a CD last night that in Greek is called "Kataniktika of Great lent". So, I set about doing a google today to find out just what are these hymns (although I understand the words). Many articles come up but they are primarily from the Catholic church and are seven Psalms ... these do not seem to be the format of the kataniktiko service. Can you help me. What are the Kataniktika of Great Lent? I want to post an article onto OrthodoxWiki for others to reference too.!! Thanks in advance. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 22:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

:O man, these Greek terms -- best ask a Byzantine-style cantor, I think. Anyone around here? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Триоди в Воскресенья - the CD translates the "Kataniktika" as the "Hymns of Contrition". However, if you do a google on that term it comes up with the Catholic version of Hymns of Contrition - which are not the same! Oi! What is wrong with the Greek terms? The church lasted 2,000 years because of the beauty in the Greek language :-) Do you want us to convert everything to Russian so you can understand? LOL ANYWAY! You are a priest - you should know what these are! ROFL [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 23:07, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

::: The ''Katanyktikoi Hymnoi'' (it helps to use standard Latinization for Greek!) may be called the "Hymns of Contrition" or "Penitential Hymns," and the term refers to a wide set of pieces of hymnography used throughout the period of the Triodion, most especially in the stichera of Lenten Vespers (most often referenced in Sunday night Vespers).

::: They are not the same thing as the "Penitential Psalms." —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 23:53, March 16, 2009 (UTC)
:::: Thanks! What I did was cut and paste what you just said and inserted it into an article. Hopefully we can develop it a little ... there is not much available on the Internet for this. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:34, March 17, 2009 (UTC)

== ΒΟΗΘΕΙΑ ==

ΧΡΕΙΑΖΟΜΑΙ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΜΙΑ ΠΑΛΙΑ ΑΙΡΕΣΗ, ΛΕΓΕΤΑΙ ΑΦΘΑΡΤΟΔΟΚΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΙΔΡΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ Ο ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΛΙΚΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΥ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΣ

:Ελληνικά, παρακαλώ. Δεν μιλούν ελληνικά. Σε ευχαριστώ. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

==User Creation - Proposal==
Greetings Fr. John,
With the amount of Vandalism we have, I propose that anyone requesting a new account first has to submit a request online, with some brief info about temselves, and THEN THE REQUEST WILL REQUIRE APPROVAL by yourself or Fr. Andrew or other Sysops. '''The ability for anyone to automatically create accounts will be disabled''', unless they are sincere and simply request a free account which they can then of course have; I think that the Conservapedia and some other wikis might have this system in place. Anyhow, just an idea I wanted to pass along :)

By the way, regarding the note immediately above this one (in greek), it reads something like this: ''"I require information on an ancient heresy, called "Aftharto-Docetism"?, and its proponent was the Bishop of Halicarnassos Julianos."'' I see that it was an unsigned comment however.

Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 00:10, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Angellight, given the number of users we have, this sounds like an awful lot of work. I'd rather just clean up occasionally as needed, but let me keep my eyes open for another solution. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:17, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::other forums require that you Verify your "humanity" by typing into a box the combination of numbers/letters you can see on the screen to verify that you are indeed "real" and not a bot. maybe that is all you need. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:51, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::::Yep, was just posting that I've just installed a captcha test for new user registrations. It won't block disturbed individuals, but should help with the automated creation of accounts from multiple un-blacklisted IPs where email verification can be performed. Amazing we have to deal with that, eh? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:55, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::::Yeah, you have to wonder why they havent got better things to do than hurl abuse at people who are minding their own business ... I learnt something yesterday. A priest called Fr Demetrius wrote an email about praying for the deceased soul of a "george" who was a pro-abortionist in America. When you read with what tenderness and love Fr Demetrius writes about this "sinner" you realise how much we just pity these people - for they know not what they do. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:04, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::The only effect really is to drain a little bit of my time away :-(. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Hey, I just did an EDIT on an article and it asked me to fill out a box ... is this going to be the standard practise from now on for editing as it will grow tedious I think for regulars? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:37, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::Whoops, I'll fix this. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:43, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::I missed the setting that said "Require captcha when user edits page and adds a link" - let me know if it happens again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Sure, also while I have you and you are in a good mood :D I would like to ask for a favour (as far as practical) my heart is to complete the most comprehensive Table of Saints (in Chronological order) - as you can witness by this new article. At present, I am systematically and patiently working through the information ON OrthodoxWiki ... how can I identify saints I have missed NOT listed on OrthodoxWiki. Do you have any suggestions? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:53, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::Wow! Sounds like a big job. I guess you'd have to check the websites of the various Orthodox jurisdictions around the world, or get your hands on a really good synaxarion (I like the one published by at Ormylia) and refer to its index. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:56, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

== Glitch ==

See [[Talk:Alban|this]]. —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 01:59, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

::Thanks, message left. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 05:38, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

== Sysop. ==

Hello Fr. John.
I am a Greek Orthodox user. I was wonderign if you can add me as a sysop to help you out with the site. I have a lot of time on my hands.

In his service,
--[[User:Greeks|Greeks]] 15:23, February 1, 2010 (UTC)

==Hello!==
Hi sir! I would like to create a project OrthodoxWiki dutch language and I have rights bureaucrat, administrator, renameuser, Checkuser and oversight, thanks. —[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 17:23, February 20, 2010 (UTC)ﻧ

:You are active or no? For 2 months you no response me. --—[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 15:15, February 22, 2010 (UTC)

Many Orthodox believers have asked about the Icon of Christ and the Ancient of Days and confusing this elder sitting next to Christ with God the Father.
They are not alone, for the entire Roman Catholic Church believes that this is the case and their belief has by the process of osmosis been picked up by many of our clergy and this icon has been ejected from many of our Churches. It is not true for the Ancient of Days is the Son of God who was begotten before all time. If they recall, Christ in the incarnation had divested Himself of those signs of being God and had assumed the appearance of a mere servant. The icon of the Platytera teaches us that the Holy Virgin's womb contained the "uncontainable, therefore those aspects of God the Son of God remained in the mystery of Heaven. Read on with what I have written:

QUESTION:

v Do you recall ever having seen this icon of Jesus Christ holding his cross, sitting at the right of an elderly man with white hair?
at their feet there are cherubic figures, and about them there are clouds. They both have a nimbus above their head and above them
there is a white dove, sometimes within a circle or a triangle.
v Is there anything incorrect about it ?
v Why is it not found in today’s churches ?
v What is its origin ?

For those of us who are old enough, this icon is familiar. We had seen it in most of the Greek Orthodox Churches when we were children. It was located on the iconostasion on the right side of the royal entrance, the spot currently occupied by the icon of Christ. I do remember it in St. Sophia Cathedral (until the 1960’s) and in the Holy Trinity Church in Waterbury, Connecticut (in the 1920’-30’s). St. Sophia’s oldest icons were contributed to a more recently established parish in Virginia and this icon was still in use there as of seven years ago.

What is wrong with it? It has a perfectly good representation of Christ. He is seated at the right hand of an elderly man who is giving a blessing and they are both apparently seated in majesty in heaven. There are little, western style cherubs at their feet. The elderly man supposedly represents God the Father. Instead of a halo, His head is usually surrounded by a triangle which, I presume, represents the Holy Trinity. I have heard of Him in this representation being named the “Ancient of Days.” What is wrong with all this is that God the Father is purely spirit and cannot be portrayed in any manner. Christ said in the New Testament, “When you see Me, you see my Father.” This is the reason why this icon has been supplanted by one of Christ alone, for when we see Christ in an icon, we see the Father.

How did we come to portray God the Father in this manner? I could not discover the answer in any book on iconography or theology available to me. It was not until I came across a passage in the Septuagint Scriptures that I found the answer in the Book of Daniel chapter VII, verses 9 - 10 and 13 - 14.

[9] I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire. [10] A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
[13] I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and he came on to the Ancient of Days, and was brought near to him. [14] And to him was given the dominion, and the honour,and the kingdom; and all the nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

This vision and prophesy of Daniel has been identified, in both Latin Catholic and Protestant sources as a prefiguration of God the Father and the powers and glory which He has bestowed upon God the Son, Jesus Christ - the Son of Man. This passage may have been the source of the artistic rendering of God the Father as the “Ancient of Days.” Whether this conception was original with our iconographers or was influenced by the realistic presentations of western artists is not known. Indeed we have a prime example of this in Michaelangelo’s painting of God in the Sistine Chapel and the western style cherubs at their feet. His portraiture is that of an old man with white hair and a white beard, reaching out with his finger to endow Adam with life. None of these features are found in Orthodox iconography and their being in this icon suggests the influence of western imaging since large portions of Greece had been occupied for several centuries by Venetian, Catalan and other Latins.

Regardless of its origins, this icon is considered erroneous today.

Providence has a way of providing us with truths to heal our ignorance. I believe that I have discovered the significance of this icon while reading A Discourse On the Nativity of Christ by St. Gregory Thaumatourgos, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea (died 260) . He wrote:

“The new wonders do strike me with awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God. Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth in a manger of dumb beasts.”

Do the words of Gregory’s statement imply that this icon could represent a “double image” of Christ? First as the “Ancient of Days”, the only-begotten Son of God, born before all ages. Adjacent to Him is the younger Incarnate Jesus Christ, Son of Man(-kind) as He appeared to us on earth in His kenotic form (i.e. when He “emptied Himself” and “became as a base servant”). Gone would be the mistaken identification of the Ancient of Days as God the Father, which is the mainstay of western explanations. Such an interpretation of this icon sheds a completely new light upon it, a light which may render it theologically legitimate. Even so St. Gregory goes on to say: “The Impassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners.” If the Ancient of Days has these chacteristics, is it permissible to portray him in an icon? Does the fact that He becomes incarnate as Jesus Christ repeal the prohibition of showing Him as an aged man?
However, St. Gregory’s words have allowed me to learn the true meaning of this prophesy from the Book of Daniel. It is a prophesy of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, when the “books will be opened” and the “secrets of men will be revealed.” I am thankful to have gained this knowledge so that I can look upon this icon with greater appreciation. Later yet, I discovered that there is an icon in St. Katherine’s Monastery at Sinai which depicts the Ancient of Days, and on his lap rests Jesus as a child. This icon is said to confirm the concept voiced by St. Gregory that The Ancient of Days is the heavenly manifestation of the Son of God.

The Ancient of Days with a child Jesus Christ on His Lap, 12th century
At St. Katherine’s Monastery Church, Mt. Sinai
(You can find this icon on the internet)

== Psalter quote ==

Father John,
Bless!
My name is Manoli and I'm an 18 year old recent high school graduate. I am distantly acquainted with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and I'm writing an essay for the PanHellenic Foundation, trying to get a scholarship for college. I want to use the "golden thread" quote from "one modern commentator" on the OrthodoxWiki "Psalter" page. If you know who that person is, or who would know who that person is, I'd appreciate any info...Fr. Andrew doesn't and although I'm registered on OrthodoxWiki as CampNazFanatic, I don't know much about using the site so I decided to contact you. Please respond asap as this essay is due like tomorrow.
Thanks,
Manoli
--CampNazFanatic[[CampNazFanatic]]

==IMAGES ISSUES==
Warm greetings Fr. John,

I hope it is okay that I am contacting you directly, but this problem has not been resolved for some time. Could you kindly look into rectifying the long-standing problem with uploaded images not displaying - they do not display once they are uploaded and they do not display especially as thumbnails.

See here: the [http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/Special:Newimages Gallery of New Image Files];

I had left a note at the OrthodoxWiki Trapeza [[OrthodoxWiki:Trapeza#Thumbnails_Error|here]] regarding this error some time ago, but it has gone unanswered and the problem is not resolved.

Surely there must be a process to have this investigated? -- i.e. Where is the OW site hosted? Which person(s)/webmasters or what entity is in charge of maintenance? Who needs to be called? Who is in control? And WHERE is their accountability???? Why have they ignored this for so long? Was this change done intentionally for some reason and if so why is there no notice informing the users? This problem has persisted for a very long time now, and it appears that it is a feature that has been disabled. If it stays non-functional this way I fear that this will discourage further users from wanting to contribute to OW. If there is something I have overlooked apologies in advance. Hoping something can be done. Thanks and kind regards :) [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:49, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

::Hi Angellight -- I apologize for the frustration. Sadly, it is I -- the negligent webmaster. and the volunteer in charge of site maintenance (but with many distractions). Please be assured that there is nothing intentional in the problem - the site just needs an upgrade. Because of the way the databases are tied together for each localization, it gets a little complex. I will strive to find some time to fix this soon. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 07:28, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

:::Many thanks for the info dear Fr.; good to know the site will be eventually upgraded and that this will be addressed then. Please forgive my initial frustration. This is a wonderful resource and I hope to see it grow. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 18:55, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

----

:Fr. John, this may be part of the same problem, if one tries to add a image and re-size it they get an error:
Error creating thumbnail: Warning: passthru() has been disabled for security reasons in
/home/owiki/public_html/shared/includes /GlobalFunctions.php on line 1839 
:(just an FYI) - [[User:Andrew|Andy]] 16:41, November 24, 2010 (UTC)

::I apologize for the delay in getting this resolved. Thumbnails should now be working again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

== Suppression ==

Unfortunately, after going through some articles and dead links, it seems that the Oriental Orthodox Church is suppressed on this OrthodoxWiki. it is a shame becuase this wiki is what should unite us together in Christ, not divide us and furthurmore insult our brothers and sisters. No one would dare do that to Christ. Eastern Orthodoxy and Oreintal Orthodoxy are probably the closest, most Orthodox, unchanging groups of Churches. I pray that one day we will once again be reunited as one in His Church.

God Bless

:: Hello [[Cmd|User:Cmd]] - It is certainly not my heart to suppress Oriental Orthodoxy in any way. In fact, just about 30 minutes ago I was speaking about my respect for Oriental Orthodox Christians, and talking about how the Christological differences have been largely resolved. This is a joy to me. Please see [[OrthodoxWiki:Style_Manual_%28Point_of_View%29]] for the stated policy of this site. If you can point to specific examples of suppression, that would be helpful. In Christ, — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 23:32, October 3, 2010 (UTC)

== About the 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'' ==

Dear Father John. I have added 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'', but they do not appear in the article, however they appear when I ''clic'' on them. Could you please help me make them appear at the article. Is it a problem from your server? Please help me and you will have the bless of Saint Pastapios. [[User:688dim|688dim]] 22:15, November 29, 2010 (UTC)

::Dear 688dim, Thanks for the bug report. This should now be fixed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])
:::Thanks, Fr. John for catching the "bug". I missed the pictures![[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 22:56, December 20, 2010 (UTC)

== Italian Version ==

::: Dear Father, I thought to start Italian version. How can I do that?
me and my boyfriend !! We've a lot of articol en Italian about orthodoxia.

Thanks. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 15:30, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

Hi Raggiodisole, I would be very happy to see an Italian version. The place to start is [[OrthodoxWiki:Localization]] -- would you be up for this translation work? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:48, February 8, 2011 (UTC)

:: Dear Father, ok, I gladly accept.
Then, if I may, I would like to post new articles in Italian orthodoxy
Technically, I would like you opened your site because I have these technical skills, so I will translate the pages essential for the initiation site and part Italian and enrich it later.
How do I send you the translation? the insert here?
Thank you for your trust, we are now going to translate the page you showed me.
I greet you and thank you Father. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 13:12, February 22, 2011 (UTC)

:: Father this is the translation you asked me:

OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione

Questa pagina fornisce i principi di politica ufficiale sull’enciclopedia OrthodoxWiki. Questa pagina è stata redatta consensualmente degli editori ed è considerata uno standard che tutti gli utenti devono seguire. Se si parte dell'amministrazione, non esitate ad aggiornare questa pagina, se necessario, ma occorre fare in modo che le modifiche apportate a questa politica
le voci che vi appaiano devono rispecchiare fedelmente il punto di vista ortodosso e si candidano quindi ad essere un punto di riferimento, una riflessione, per chi vuol conoscere la Chiesa Ortodossa.

Localizzazione e le relazioni inter-wiki (PROGETTO IN PROGRESS)

I commenti sono accolti

Indice [nascondi]
1 Definizioni
2 Contributori
2,1 Amministrazione
2,2 Responsabilità dei contributori
2,3 Loghi e Identità
2,4 Hosting e domini
2,5 Problemi di copyright
3 Colleghi
4 Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki
5 Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo
6 Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione
7 Appendice D: Risorse

Definizione : Cos’è OrthodoxWiki [Modifica]
La localizzazione si riferisce al processo di porting del progetto OrthodoxWiki in lingue diverse dall'inglese (la lingua originale).

Si riconoscono due accordi separati. 1. Affiliati, e 2. Colleghi.

Contributori ( Affiliato)

Un rapporto "affiliato" si ha quando un gruppo canonicamente ortodosso di persone che condividono la visione OrthodoxWiki, e il desiderio di estendere il progetto OrthodoxWiki's in altre lingue. Siamo molto felici quando per avere altri wiki-based ortodossi formalmente si aderisce all’OrthodoxWiki come affiliati pieni.

Amministrazione [Modifica]

Un rapporto di affiliazione inizia quando i volontari una o più persone dedicano sforzi sostanziali per creare e mantenere una OrthodoxWiki localizzata in una lingua che non dispone già di uno. Tutti i contatti dovrebbe passare attraverso Fr. John.

Se approvata, una o più persone del gruppo affiliato sarà data sysop di stato e sarà aggiunto alla mailing list sysop OrthodoxWiki.

Responsabilità di Contribuzione (Affiliazione) [Modifica]

E 'la responsabilità della filiale/i di mantenere e gestire attivamente il sito OrthodoxWiki localizzato in conformità con le linee guida principali OrthodoxWiki, in particolare la sua politica sul copyright (per motivi legali) e OrthodoxWiki principio di neutralità. Saranno anche responsabile della traduzione di testi fondamentali OrthodoxWiki dall'inglese in altre lingue.

All'interno di questi parametri, agli operatori locali viene dato un grande margine di manovra per quanto riguarda come è strutturato il loro wiki, stabilendo le priorità per quale tipo di materiale di importazione e di esportazione dalla lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki, e così via.

Se non riescono a soddisfare queste responsabilità, stato di affiliazione può essere revocata, e la loro sottodominio di hosting e annullato. Questo tipo di misura sarà usata, tuttavia, con parsimonia solo nei casi più gravi.

Loghi e identità [Modifica]

Gli OrthodoxWiki affiliati sono autorizzati e tenuti ad adottare il logo ufficiale OrthodoxWiki, anche se possono tradurre in altre lingue, se a loro piace. Allo stesso modo, si dovrebbero utilizzare la favicon OrthodoxWiki e il plugin di ricerca icona, permettono essi possono adattare queste come vogliono (per esempio, la modifica a un diverso colore per differenziare tra le versioni di OrthodoxWiki nella casella di ricerca o per i segnalibri).

Link a tutti gli OrthodoxWikis localizzate dovrebbero essere ben descritto sulla home page di ogni discreto / sito localizzato OrthodoxWiki.

I contributori (Affialiates) possono utilizzare uno dei linkbuttons OrthodoxWiki, tradotto o meno, o può creare il proprio.

Hosting e domini

Vi forniremo un sottodominio localizzato (come ru.orthodoxwiki.org, gr.orthodoxwiki.org, bu.orthodoxwiki.org, ecc.) Questo può essere indicato un altro indirizzo IP che sarà ospitata a livello locale, oppure possiamo fornire uno spazio sul server che ospita OrthodoxWiki (un server appartenente alla ortodossa Internet Services). In alcuni casi, un nome di dominio più appropriato per la lingua in questione può anche essere sistemato sul sottodominio.

Hosting e gestione tecnica del software MediaWiki può essere fornito gratuitamente da OrthodoxWiki, in associazione con gli ortodossi Internet Services. Tuttavia, è anche possibile per gli affiliati ospitare e gestire la propria installazione MediaWiki

Problemi di copyright

Per motivi pratici, è importante che OrthodoxWikis localizzato mantenga lo stesso copyright / accordo di licenza, come la lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki.

Dato che il wiki è localizzato nel progetto OrthodoxWiki, riteniamo che tutte le immagini e gli articoli per i quali OrthodoxWiki ha ottenuto un permesso speciale da utilizzare potrebbe essere utilizzato anche su OrthodoxWikis localizzato utilizzando lo stesso nome di dominio.

I colleghi [Modifica

Un rapporto "collega" è particolarmente appropriato in cui l'attenzione di un altro wiki (ad esempio, la loro interpretazione del NPOV e "mainstream Chalcedonian bias ortodossi") è diverso da OrthodoxWiki's. Ci aspettiamo che questo sarebbe il caso, ad esempio, se un vecchio gruppo Calendarist greco voluto creare il proprio wiki, o per copto / non-Calcedoniani o romana (o altro) wiki cattolica, o se un altro gruppo di ortodossi orientali ha voluto avviare una wiki con una particolare attenzione sostanzialmente diverso o missione. In alcuni casi, si possono riconoscere altri Wiki come "colleghi", anche se non si definiscono cristiani.

Il "collega" parola presuppone che noi abbiamo un senso della missione comune o di complementarietà, e siamo felici di lavorare insieme e sostenere ogni lavoro altrui.

In questo caso, non si può condividere un comune branding - nomi di dominio, i loghi, linkbuttons, ecc sarebbero tutti distinti. Allo stesso modo, speciali autorizzazioni per l’ immagine e l'articolo sarebbe gestiti separatamente.

I colleghi riceveranno un riconoscimento pubblico, i link sul wiki, così come il permesso esplicito di utilizzare qualsiasi materiale appropriato OrthodoxWiki (a patto che si inserisce il loro sistema di licenze) e di ogni altra assistenza o incoraggiamento siamo in grado di fornire.

Collega status può essere revocato in qualsiasi momento, soprattutto se la missione della vira altri wiki di là di un generale "NPOV" o presa di posizione "descrittivo" e formalmente adotta una forte polemica contro un altro gruppo in modo tale che non sono utili non avendo alcun rapporto formale con loro.

Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki

Si tratta di un elenco di documenti essenziali OrthodoxWiki che deve essere tradotto (in forma abbreviata, se necessario) e mantenuta coerente in localizzazioni. Il testo in lingua inglese rimane il testo "canonico".

Pagine principali sono:

OrthodoxWiki: A proposito - abbiamo bisogno di lavorare su una revisione di questo anche in inglese!
Almeno queste pagine politica OrthodoxWiki:
OrthodoxWiki: Copyrights
OrthodoxWiki: General disclaimer
OrthodoxWiki: Informazioni sulla privacy
OrthodoxWiki: Manuale di stile
Help: titoli di immagine
Core modelli includono:

Il più generico Modelli generali, in particolare:
Template: Benvenuto
Template: Stub
Template: Pulitura
Template: disambig
Tutti i modelli Copyright richieste per il materiale utilizzato sul sito affiliato, in particolare:
Template: Copyright
Template: non verificato
Template: Fairuse
Template: OWiki
Template: Skete.com
Template: Oca
Template: Htm
Template: Pd

Altre pagine che arricchiscono il funzionamento del wiki, ma non sono strettamente necessarie, o può essere più liberamente adattato per l'uso locale, sono:

OrthodoxWiki: News
OrthodoxWiki: Buzz
Le pagine di aiuto e le pagine nel namespace OrthodoxWiki.
Altre pagine template - vedi OrthodoxWiki: Modelli per un elenco completo

Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo

Bulgaro OrthodoxWiki (http://bg.orthodoxwiki.org) – Riferimento per un contatto: Costantino per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Rumeno di lingua OrthodoxWiki (http://ro.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Inistea per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Per una discussione in lingua araba OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ar.orthodoxwiki.org), andare al OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / arabo. Vedi anche qui.
In lingua russa OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ru.orthodoxwiki.org) - Vai alla OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / Russo.
Di lingua greca OrthodoxWiki - EL: Αρχική_σελίδα

Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione [Modifica]

Di lingua neerlandese OrthodoxWiki (nl.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Stephan per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
Castigliano e portoghese –
Contatti Utente: Theofilactos (vedi anche qui).
Spagnolo: User: Alstradiaan.

Appendice D: Risorse [Modifica]

meta: MediaWiki_localisation
meta: Help: Esportazione e meta: Help: Import
meta: Recent_changes_extension - se si volesse unire elenchi delle ultime modifiche
meta: Meta: Babel_templates - mostra competenze linguistiche dell'utente
meta: transwiki
Estratto da "http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Localization"

I send this translation in another place?
Thanks

:::Hi, Father John, I look forward to the Italian site and its address. Please Provide the technical aspect for you, after I insert the contributions to make it grow and I can call other people to feed.
Thanks a lot. Your sister in Christ!

::Dear [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - sorry for the delay! This is wonderful. Please give me a little more time to set this up. I will get back to you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

ok! thanks ! RAGGIODISOLE

::Thanks [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - would you be able to post this on the Italiano wiki, and also cover the pages mentioned in that document under Appendix A: Core Documents ? The copyright pages are especially important. Grazie! I'm excited to see it.orthodoxwiki become a reality. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Hi,I would like to publish this translated page but I do not know where to place it on the Italian site, such as system?
Me and my boyfriend have already started working on the site, are the first entries that will improve with time. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 14:04, March 4, 2011 (UTC)

== New Server (Nov 15) ==
Great news about the new server Fr John! :)
I did notice that a bug while uploading an image file - the image does not show, even though it was only 79kb small. Thought i would mention it. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:17, November 19, 2011 (HST)
:Thanks! It was long overdue. This bug should be fixed now. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 09:47, November 19, 2011 (HST)

==Account requests==
Fr. John, I notice numerous account requests on Orthodoxwiki Commons that are still open. Bill Kosar [[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 10:03, May 16, 2012 (HST)

::Thanks for the heads-up, Bill! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:13, May 16, 2012 (HST)

== pt.orthodoxwiki ==

Father John, bless! I sent two emails, one to info@orthodoxwiki.org and another to frjohn@stjuvenaly.org, but i haven't received your reply. It's about OrthodoxWiki in portuguese. I wanna say that we (my friends and I) can start translating what is needed. Please, i look forward to your response! -- [[User:SerafimBR|SerafimBR]] 10:41, October 11, 2012 (HST)

==Directory==
Hi Fr John, I'm looking for responses for my proposal (to delete the parish directory pages for Australia) on http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Administrators#Eliminating_directory_articles - your thoughts? — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 19:15, January 31, 2013 (HST)

== deleting the pages of Greek Orthodox Church listings in Australia by PISTEVO ==

Hi Fr John,

We have noticed that the Australian orthodox pages have become very biased and not right. It seems that sysops such as Pistevo are deleting and replacing pages to suit others and there own agendas. Please dont allow this as it is not fair. These pages should be informative and state facts. The listings of the Greek Orthodox Churches should have clear classifications of Parishes with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Parishes of Old Calender Greek Churches etc, regardless if they are in 'communion' with 'official churches' or not. Pistevo should not be able to delete the whole page and replace it with a link to ONLY the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Even up to now, the official position eg of when the OCA churches was in Australia is that According to Archbishop Stylianos and the Archdiocese-they were and are uncanonical. Does that mean they should not of been included in the list of Orthodox Churches in Australia then? The same with the Russian Church Abroad, up to two years ago.Please find the message below i posted to Pistevo.

Dear Pistevo
Deleting it is NOT RIGHT OR PROPER. There are now Greek Orthodox churches which are recognised by the GREEK GOVERNEMENT as they are under recognised Old Calender Synods. REGARDLESS if they are recognised or not by the "official" other churches or even if they are branded schismatic, this page STATES 'GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES', and they are all still GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES. These are the FACTS. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is NOT the only greek orthodox churches in Australia! FILOIGIAPANTA

:Fr John: My response to Filiogiapanta's message is on the [[Talk:Greek Orthodox Churches in New South Wales]] page. I can respond further (e.g. regarding the claim about OCA-AU parishes) if you request. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 14:28, February 3, 2013 (HST)

Fr John, it is not proper to change the page as PISTEVO did.
Pistevo you said wiki is not a Parish listing and I agree, yet why did you add the listing of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese here http://orthodoxwiki.org/Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales. It is a direct link to their parish directory. We would also like you therefore to add the site www.orthodoxchurch.org.au, to not be biased, and other Greek orthodox sites of Australia-regardless if they are old calenderists- not in communion with 'official churches'. Dont you think?

:Fr John - I apologise for responding to someone else on your talk page.
:Filoigiapanta - I do not because, as I stated, [[OW:MCB|OrthodoxWiki has a bias]]. Additionally, please direct all messages to me either to the [[Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales|article's talk page]], or (if necessary) to my own Talk page. I'll not post any further responses to messages from you to me on this page. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 15:10, February 3, 2013 (HST)

== Lingua Latina ==

Greetings Fr. John, I thought that making a Latinized version of OrthodoxWiki wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm very good at Latin and I would just like to know how I could do that? -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 10:51, July 20, 2013 (HST)

:Hi Shen, sorry for my delay in replying. I'm not so sure about Latin -- seems like it would be very hard to sustain. I don't think it would provide the user base needed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 12:07, July 31, 2013 (HST)

Hi Fr. John, I don't know why I didn't think about this before, but since there is a Church of Albania, it would only be fitting for there to be an Akbanian OrthodoxWiki.

::I'd be happy to see an Albanian wiki, but we'd need the right people in place to make it happen. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:33, August 9, 2013 (HST)

== Request for Additional Content on the Divine Liturgies of St. Mark and St. James ==

I would very much like to see links to videos of these liturgies being celebrated in the seminaries, or in actual parishes in the Alexandria and Jerusalem patriarchates, if any such videos exist. I have read the rubrics for the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark. Regarding that of St. James (aside from the Syriac version, which I have viewed), contrary information exists; my local parish priest has told me that it requires three priests and one bishop, and could be celebrated using a normal holy table behind the Iconostasis, but the another article I came across on the Net (I believe the Wikipedia article) indicated it required 12 priests and one Bishop, or 13 Priests, and a Western-style open altar in front of the Iconostasis. Given the obscurity of these two liturgies, and the interest they hold for many Orthodox who like me are liturgical enthusiasts, it would be delightful if a priest who has personal knowledge of these liturgies could provide more details on them, or better yet, a link to audio or video recordings. I have searched fruitlessly for these on Youtube, without success.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 10:23, August 13, 2013 (HST)

:: Sorry, Wgw, I don't know where to point you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 11:16, August 13, 2013 (HST)

You may just have to visit an Oriental Orthodox Curch -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 02:24, August 21, 2013 (HST)

Shen, I have visited, with the permission of my father of confession, Oriental Orthodox churches, but my desire is to see more of these liturgies, which are authentically Eastern Orthodox, performed according to our rubrics, which still exist, and are quite different than the versions of these liturgies as they are now used by the Copts, Syriacs and Maronites. The respective versions of these liturgies are all quite different; the most recent recension of the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, from the 1890s, for example, has all the modern features of Eastern Orthodox liturgy; it is not very different from that of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. It would just be a pity if we let such historically significant parts of our Sacred Tradition die off from neglect. By the way, I should also add, the Coptic Church only uses their version of the St. Mark liturgy on Christmas and in Lent, and the Syriacs primarily use the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, combined with a generic liturgy of the Catechumens which is not unique in any way to the Divine Liturgy of St. James, which they celebrate only on certain specific occasions. Though the Syriac Orthodox in theory have more than 80 anaphoras, in practice, they only ever use two of them (St. James on rare occasions, and Mar Bar Salibi the rest of the time, simply because its the shortest). I did by the way find on YouTube videos of portions of the Divine Liturgy of St. James being celebrated in a Greek Orthodox parish, apparently in the Middle East; it wasn't clear where exactly. Would it be appropriate to add links to them from the relevant article?

By the way, FrJohn, on another matter, is there any chance you could write a short, simple article explaining the interrelationship between the Orthodox service books, and how a typical bishop or parish priest knows how to celebrate the liturgy on a given day? Merry Christmas, by the way, both to the New Calenderists who celebrated it, and the Old Calendarists who are about to. :) I myself was terribly ill for the New Calender Christmas, and with the blessings of my father of confession will be celebrating it in a nearby ROCOR parish.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 18:41, December 26, 2013 (PST)

:: Here is search request in youtube in Russian rather than in English with many videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0&sm=3

See for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY for complete Liturgy.
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 23:04, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Mike, thank you so much for that link! I'm going to add it to the article on the Divine Liturgy of St. James. Could you give me the Cyrillic for the even more obscure liturgy of St. Mark? [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 00:19, April 10, 2014 (PDT)

I was not able to find any other Russian video for the liturgy of St. Mark besides a brief 14 min. video of Coptic Paschal service http://my.mail.ru/inbox/ierei/video/9/10.html
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 08:31, April 11, 2014 (PDT)

No problem. To my knowledge, the liturgy of St. Mark has only been rarely celebrated since the 19th century, in a few Orthodox seminaries. I have a link to a video of the entire Liturgy of St. Cyril (the Coptic version of St. Mark), which I might provide a link to on the appropriate page. The Coptic version is similar, but lacks the Byzantine-style litanies, and also lacks some of the diaconal petitions during the consecration, among other differences. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 17:27, April 13, 2014 (PDT)

Oh by the way, Mike, could you post the correct Russian for the names of each of the Divine Liturgies, perhaps on my talk page? I'd like to find some good videos of Slavonic celebrations of each on Youtube, (Greek, Romanian, et cetera, as well), and link them to the relevant pages. I recently found a stunning rendition of St. Basil. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 07:56, May 21, 2014 (PDT)

== Thanks ==

Dear Fr. John, thank you very much for such prompt reply and activating my account. - [[User:Erin Navan|Erin Navan]] 02:11, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

== Add Unction to Category:Services ==

Dear FrJohn, the Services category popup does not list Holy Unction; I added {{services}} to that page, but I don't know how to edit the list of articles in the actual category display. If you could put it in there that would be good, I think, as the Unction service is I think one of everyone's favorite parts of the liturgy.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 21:32, June 12, 2014 (PDT)

Holy Unction

2014-06-13T04:29:49Z

Wgw: Added category services

{{spirituality}}
The [[Holy Mysteries|mystery]] of '''holy unction''' provides both physical and spiritual healing with [[chrism|holy oil]] blessed by the [[Holy Spirit]]. It is most commonly celebrated during [[Holy Week]] on Holy Wednesday evening, but private services are also common. Everyone in the [[parish]] in good ecclesiastical standing may be anointed with the holy oil for the healing of spiritual and bodily ills. As this is one of the [[sacraments]] of the [[Orthodox Church]], it may be administered only to Orthodox Christians.

The oil carries God's [[grace]] both to renew the body and to cleanse the spirit. The service follows the apostolic tradition mentioned in the [[New Testament]]: "...let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" ([[Book of James|James]] 5:14-15).

Holy unction is a [[Holy Mysteries|mystery]] of great comfort to the faithful. It provides uplifting and asks for patience to accept the will of God whatever the physical outcome.

==Liturgical service==
{{services}}
The full service is composed of [[psalms]] from the [[Old Testament]], hymns of direct supplication to God, and prayers to the [[saints]] to intercede for the petitioner. In addition, there are seven readings from the [[Gospels]] preceded by seven other New Testament writings, notably the [[epistles]] of St. [[Apostle Paul|Paul]] and St. [[Apostle James the Just|James]]. After each set of scriptural readings, a prayer is offered on behalf of the penitent by the [[priest]] asking for forgiveness and the sanctification of the oil. Traditionally, the service is celebrated by seven [[priest]]s, but where fewer than seven priests are available (which is often the case), it will be served by at least one.

At the end of the service, the [[priest]] puts holy oil on the forehead, eyes, ears, nostrils, lips, chest, and hands of the parishioners in the form of the cross, saying: "O Holy Father, physician of our souls and bodies, heal Thy servant [name] from every physical and emotional affliction" (Russian tradition) or "The blessing of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ: for the healing of the soul and body of the servant of God, [name], always: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen" (Greek tradition). The exact wording varies according to tradition and translation.

When the unction is received privately, the full service is often not performed, but simply the anointing itself is done along with a few prayers.

==Publications==
One of the earliest written records of Holy Unction is recorded in the [[Euchologion of Serapion of Thmuis]], a contemporary of St. [[Athanasius the Great|Athanasius]] (ca. 293-373). This document forms the basis for the [[Alexandrian Rite]] which differs to the [[Byzantine Rite]] and is extant at the Great Lavra of [[Mount Athos]].

[[Category:Sacraments]]

[[el:Ευχέλαιο]]
[[fr:Sainte Onction]]
[[ro:Maslu]]

Divine Liturgy

2014-06-13T04:24:38Z

Wgw: Added clarification to opening paragraph to state that the faithful consume the consecrated gifts

[[Image:Divine Liturgy, (Damaskinos).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Divine Liturgy]]. [[Michael Damaskinos|Damaskinos]], 1579-1584.]]
{{liturgy}}
The '''Divine Liturgy''' is the primary worship service of the [[Orthodox Church|Church]]. The Divine Liturgy is a [[eucharist]]ic service. It contains two parts: the ''Liturgy of the [[Catechumen]]s'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the Word'', at which the [[Holy Scriptures|Scriptures]] are proclaimed and expounded; and the ''Liturgy of the Faithful'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the [[Eucharist]]'', in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated; the faithful then partake of them in the [[Sacrament]] of [[Eucharist|Holy Communion]]. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of [[Jesus Christ]], but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The ''Prothesis'' (or ''[[Proskomedia]]''), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the Liturgy proper.

== Preparation ==
Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the [[priest]] and a [[deacon]], if one is serving, begin by preparing the gifts of bread and wine for use in the service. This preparation is itself a considerable service. More than simply setting aside the bread and wine, a robust ritual has developed with elaborate symbolism. Though the main outline is similar for most Orthodox churches, there may be some differences based on which [[typicon]] a jurisdiction uses.

Five loaves of bread are used, reminiscent of the five loaves in the wilderness, from which the masses were fed. During the Prothesis, the priest cuts out a square called the Lamb from the main loaf of bread ([[prosphora]]). This will be consecrated during the Liturgy of the Faithful to become the holy body of Christ. He also removes small particles and places them on the [[diskos]] (or paten) in commemoration of the [[Theotokos]], various saints, and the living and departed faithful. The remainder of the bread is blessed and distributed to parishioners and visitors after the service; this bread is called ''[[antidoron]]''.

During the Prothesis, the priest also blesses wine and water, which are poured into the chalice. Warm water will be added to the chalice after the [[epiclesis]].

Naturally, the gifts are [[incense|censed]] several times during the Prothesis. The conclusion of the Prothesis leads directly into the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.

== Liturgy of the Catechumens==

=== Rites of Entrance ===
{{services}}
After a more or less quiet exchange between the priest and deacon, if one is serving, the Divine Liturgy begins with the memorable exclamation from the priest, "Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages." The assembled faithful respond, "Amen."

The deacon (or priest, if no deacon is serving) continues with the [[Great Litany]], so called because it is longer than most litanies and its petitions touch on the needs of the world: peace and salvation, the Church, her bishops, her faithful, captives and their health and salvation, deliverance from anger and need. It is concluded, as with most litanies, by calling to the remembrance of the faithful the witness of the Theotokos and the saints. In light of that powerful witness, the faithful are charged to commend their lives to Our Lord [[Jesus Christ]]. A closing prayer is exclaimed by the priest.

There follow three [[antiphons]] which vary by day and [[:Category:Jurisdictions|jurisdiction]]. The first two anitphons are followed by a shorter litany and a prayer. The third is followed by the [[Little Entrance]], at which is sung, "O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God... save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!" "Son of God" is normally followed by an insertion, such as "risen from the dead," "wondrous in thy saints," or "through the prayers of the Theotokos," depending on the day.

[[Troparion|Troparia]] and [[kontakion|kontakia]] prescribed for the day, season, and temple follow next.

Having fully entered the church liturgically and gathered together around the Word, the gathered body chants the [[Trisagion]].

=== Rites of Proclamation ===
The proclamation of [[Scripture]] is announced with the [[prokeimenon]], a [[Psalter|psalm]] or canticle refrain sung in responsorial fashion. Then, a [[reader]] proclaims the apostolic reading from an [[epistle]] or from the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. This reading is usually chanted, but a spoken reading may be allowed out of economy for local situations. (In some traditions, the reader starts the chant in a very low voice, and steps up to end of the reading with a high voice. This is a reminder of how the Early Church rose up from the [[catacombs]].)

A triple [[alleluia]] is sung, also with verses as at the prokeimenon. This alleluia announces the Gospel reading. Following the alleluia, there is a short exchange between the priest and the people, after which he or a deacon [[chant|chants]] the Gospel.

Following the Gospel, the priest will often give a [[homily]], a short or medium-length excursus on the Scripture, the season, or the present festival or commemoration, roughly equivalent to the Protestant sermon. The homily may also be given after the communion or even after the dismissal.

The service continues with the [[Litany of Fervent Supplication]], which is marked by an insistent triple repetition of "Lord, have mercy." On certain days this litany is followed by the [[Litany for the Departed]].

The ''Liturgy of the Catechumens'' is concluded by a litany praying for the continued growth of the catechumens in faith, leading up to the day of their baptism. Though many churches do not have catechumens in attendance, this litany remains in the liturgy and serves as a constant reminder of the [[Great Commission]], the foundation of the Church as [[mission]] to the world.

== Liturgy of the Faithful==

=== The Great Entrance ===
As the assembly begins chanting the [[Cherubic Hymn]], the celebrants go to the ''[[Table of oblation|prothesis]]'' or table of preparation. The priest presents the [[diskos]] to the deacon and takes the [[chalice]] himself. The deacon leads the priest through the north door of the icon screen. The clergy bring the gifts in procession to the holy doors, the central doors of the icon screen, while the deacon calls the faithful to attention, asking that the Lord will remember all people in his kingdom. As the holy gifts are carried solemnly through the holy doors, the assembled faithful conclude the Cherubic Hymn. ''(Note: if a deacon is not present, the priest makes this entrance with the diskos and chalice alone.)''

After the priest blesses the faithful, the deacon exclaims, "The doors! The doors!" This famous exclamation once marked the point in the service at which the doors to the temple were locked, with only faithful Christians remaining. Over the centuries, visitors have been allowed to stay, though the solemnity of what follows is still recalled with this phrase.

Then, the Church professes its common faith by reciting the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Creed]]. The liturgical name for this creed is the ''Symbol of Faith'', indicating its importance to early Christians in determining the Orthodoxy of persons claiming to be of the Church.

=== The Anaphora ===
Following the Creed, the priest begins the ''[[anaphora]]'', the great eucharistic prayer over the gifts, so called because of the initial phrase: "Let us lift up our hearts." The two principal anaphoras in use in the Orthodox Church are those of St. [[John Chrysostom]] and St. [[Basil the Great]].

After remembering the history of our fall and redemption and the institution of the eucharistic meal, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, asking that he be sent down on the gifts. It is sometimes noted that this invocation, the ''epiclesis'', is the climax of the change of the gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, but there is not total agreement among Orthodox scholars whether the change can actually be pinpointed to a single moment in the service. It is certainly true that the prayers of the service treat the gifts as consecrated and changed after this point.

Having invoked the Holy Spirit and consecrated the gifts, the priest commemorates the saints, beginning with the Theotokos. At this point, the assembled faithful chant the ancient hymn in honour of the Virgin, "It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the [[cherubim]], beyond compare more glorious than the [[seraphim]], without corruption you gave birth to God, the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify you."

The priest prays that the bishop, in whose name he is celebrating the Liturgy, will be kept in the Orthodox Faith and preserved in health and years.

=== The Communion and Dismissal ===
After consecrating the gifts, commemorating the saints, and praying for the local bishop, the priest lifts up the consecrated gifts, exclaiming, "The holy things are for the holy!" To which the faithful respond, "One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, amen." This phrase unfortunately loses something in English, since we have two words for ''holy'' and ''saint''. In most other languages, this dialogue has a connotation of, "The holy things are for the saints! / Only one is a saint! Only one is Lord: Jesus Christ...." This is a rather prominent reminder that our holiness finds its source in God alone, and particularly in our participation in this communion.

The faithful communicate in Orthodox tradition by receiving in both kinds (bread intincted in the wine) from a spoon, a tradition which dates to the fourth century. Having received the body and blood of the Savior, they take a piece of antidoron. In Russian tradition, a small cup of wine is also offered.

After a [[dismissal]] common to the services of the Church, the faithful come forward to venerate the [[Blessing cross|cross]] and leave the church. Renewed by the eucharistic meal, they are sent forth as witnesses to Christ in the world.

== Forms of the Divine Liturgy ==

The most commonly celebrated forms of the Divine Liturgy are the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], and the slightly older [[Liturgy of St. Basil]]. The former is celebrated on most Sundays and Feast Days, throughout the year, whereas the latter is celebrated in on the six Sundays of Lent (unless the [[Annunciation]] should fall on one of them), and in [[Holy Week]], on Holy Thursday and Great and Holy Saturday, in total, ten times throughout the year. Most of the differences between the two liturgies are in the prayers said by the Priest behind the iconostasis, which were historically inaudible to the congregation, but increasingly in some parishes are heard. A third liturgy, the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], is celebrated on weekdays in Lent, when the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is forbidden, due to its festal nature. The Presanctified Liturgy, documented by [[Gregory the Dialogist]], and historically attributed to him, but according to recent scholarship, very possibly having originated with the [[Oriental Orthodox]] patriarch [[Severus of Antioch]], is celebrated in the early evening, and features the reception of the reserved sacrament, consecrated at the previous Divine Liturgy.

There exist Less commonly celebrated liturgies such as the ancient [[Liturgy of St. James]] and the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]]. The Divine Liturgies of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom are said to derive from the former, which was the ancient Rite of Jerusalem, the see of St. [[James the Just]], with influence from the ancient [[Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles]] historically used in Antioch, whereas the latter is the ancient rite of Alexandria, the See of the [[Apostle Mark]]. The former is increasingly widely celebrated on October 23rd, the Feast of St. James (and also remains the basis for the liturgy of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], while the latter has in recent years been celebrated in some seminaries on the Feast of St. Mark; a variant of it named for [[Cyril of Alexandria]] is occasionally used, mainly in Lent, in the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]. Recently, Metropolitan [[Seraphim (Mentzelopoulos) of Piraeus]] celebrated the Divine Liturgy according to a reconstruction based upon the [[Euchologion of Serapion of Thmuis]], an Alexandrian Rite liturgy similar to that of St. Mark; this may have been the first celebration of that ancient Orthodox liturgy in more than one thousand years.

In the Antiochian [[Western Rite]] Vicarate, two liturgies are used, the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]], derived from the [[Roman Catholic]] Tridentine Mass, and the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]], based on high church Anglican liturgics; in both cases, the liturgies have been corrected to reflect Orthodox theology. The Western Rite parishes in [[ROCOR]] primarily celebrate the [[Sarum Rite]], the ancient use of the Cathedral of Salisbury prior to the Great Schism.

==See also==
* [[Typika]]
* [[Sacraments]]
* [[Blood in the Bible]]
* [[Eucharist]]
* [[Western Rite]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
* Bp. [[Augustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina|Augustinos N. Kantiotes]] (Bp. of Florina, Greece). ''On The Divine Liturgy: Orthodox Homilies''. 2 Volumes. Transl. and forward by Asterios Gerostergios. (Massachusetts: [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs/ Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies], 1986). Complete set ISBN 0-914744-71-2.
:Originally appeared in the Greek under the title: ''' ''Εις την Θειαν Λειτουργιαν, Πατρικαι Ομιλιαι'' ''', published by the Orthodox Missionary Brotherhood, "Ο Σταυρος" ("The Cross"), Athens, 1977.
*Bradshaw, Paul, ed. ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997) ISBN 081466153X.
:Essays on eucharistic prayers (''[[anaphora]]s'') from various periods and locales.
*Cuming, Geoffrey J. and R. C. D. Jasper. ''Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1987) ISBN 0814660851.
:Includes the texts of eucharistic prayers no longer extant as well as early redactions of the [[anaphora]]s of St. James, St. Basil the Great, and St. John Chrysostom.
*[[Emmanuel Hatzikidis|Hatzidakis, Fr. Emmanuel]]. ''The Heavenly Banquet: Understanding the Divine Liturgy'' (2nd ed., Chicago, IL: Orthodox Witness, 2010) ISBN 978-0-9778970-3-2.
:The Divine Liturgy explained. 420p, hardbound.
*[[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]]. ''“The Meaning of the Divine Liturgy for the Byzantine Worshipper.”'' In: Rosemary Morris (ed.), '''Church and People in Byzantium''', Twentieth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies. Manchester, 1986 (Birmingham: Center for Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham, 1990), 7-28. ISBN 0704411008.
*[[Alexander Schmemann|Schmemann, Alexander]]. ''The Eucharist'' (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 1987) ISBN 0881410187.
:A classic reflection on the meaning of the Divine Liturgy from one of the pioneers of [[liturgical theology]].
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Divine Liturgies — Human Problems in Byzantium, Armenia, Syria and Palestine'' (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2001) ISBN 0860788679.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chysostom'' (Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute)
:This is a multi-volume work in progress.
:*Volume II: ''The Great Entrance'' (4th ed., 2004) ISBN 978-8872100994.
:*Volume IV: ''The Diptychs'' (1991) ISBN 978-8872102855.
:*Volume V: ''The Precommunion Rites'' (2000) ISBN 978-8872102855.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It'' (2006). ISBN 978-1932401066.

== External links ==
*[http://orthodoxwitness.org/The-Heavenly-Banquet.html The Heavenly Banquet:Understanding the Divine Liturgy] The most comprehensive commentary on the Divine Liturgy available in the English language.
*[http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/music/Index.html The Divine Liturgies Music Project] Thousands of pages of Byzantine music in English and Greek in Western and Byzantine notation
*[http://www.saintsconstantineandelena.org/Liturgy/liturgy1.htm Orthodox Tradition and the Liturgy] An introduction to Orthodox liturgical practice with lots of photos
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20061205025718/http://sspeterpaul.org/priest.html Priest's Service Book] with links to the Prothesis (Proskomedia), the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Prayers of Thanksgiving, and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Translation by His Eminence, [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]], Archbishop of Dallas and the South ([[OCA]]).
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/sluzhebniks.htm Sluzhebniks for the Liturgy]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/liturgydoc.htm Text of the Liturgy for the Choir]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/lit/ Variable Portions of the Liturgy (Old Calendar)]
*[http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/durham/egeria.html Liturgy of Jerusalem] or Liturgy of St. James
*[http://www.synaxis.info/ SYNAXIS] is dedicated to providing resources for those who are liturgists
*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/taft_evolution.html The Evolution of the Byzantine ''Divine Liturgy''] Robert Taft S. J.
*[http://www.archive.org/details/liturgiesofsmark00nealuoft The Liturgies of S. Mark, S. James, S. Clement, S. Chrysostom, and the Church of Malabar; translated, with introduction and appendices]. Rev. John Mason Neale. London: T. Hayes, 1859.
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1617/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Chrysostom.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1618/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Basil.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)

{{Orthodoxchristianity/wide}}

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[el:Θεία Λειτουργία]]
[[fr:Divine Liturgie]]
[[it:Divina Liturgia]]
[[ro:Sfânta Liturghie]]

Anaphora of the twelve apostles

2014-06-13T04:21:34Z

Wgw: moved Anaphora of the twelve apostles to Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles

#REDIRECT [[Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles]]

Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles

2014-06-13T04:21:34Z

Wgw: moved Anaphora of the twelve apostles to Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles

{{oriental}} {{stub}}

The Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles is an ancient anaphora of the Antiochene Rite, seen by some scholars as a precursor to the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]]. It is still used in the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]]. Scholarly research suggests that, together with the [[Liturgy of St. James]], and the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]], this is one of the most ancient liturgical texts. In all probability, it, together with the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]], formed the basis for the liturgy composed by John Chrysostom; its use within the Orthodox church it can be reasonably assumed continued for at least a few decades afterwards, given that the Syriac Orthodox never ceased using it, and continue to use it, alongside their recension of the anaphora of St. John Chrysostom.

==See also==
* [[Divine Liturgy]]
* [[Sacraments]]
* [[Eucharist]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
*''The Oxford History of Christian Worship'', Geoffrey Wainright and Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, Editors, ISBN 0195138864
*''The Eucharistic Liturgies: Their Evolution and Interpretation', Paul F. Bradshaw and Maxwell E. Johnson, Liturgical Press, ISBN 978-0-8146-6240-3

[[Category:Liturgics]]

User:Wgw

2014-05-23T19:45:03Z

Wgw:

I was born into the United Methodist Church, but began to consider myself Orthodox when I was 15, and formally joined a few years later. I am a proponent of the reconciliation of the different branches of Eastern Christianity, the Eastern Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox, and the Assyrian Church of the East, as all have a similar theology, and the Christological differences between them strike me as being petty and irrelevant, especially in light of the gross and horrific heresies that now propagate across the "Mainline" Protestant Churches, such as the ordination of female and homosexual clergy, and the open and active intervention of such churches in political issues, through taking stands that are contrary to the best interests of the Christian community as a whole.

It is my belief that, were Nestorius and Cyril, and those who met at Ephesus and Chalcedon, given the opportunity to see the world of today and its vices, they would recoil in horror, and do everything in their power to preserve the unity of the Apostolic Church. That said, the breaking apart of the Apostolic Church I consider to be part of God's plan, in that the Church of the East, for example, was able to function and operate in the Persian Empire without fear of persecution due to any perceived connection to the Orthodox Church of the Byzantine Empire.

It is my belief that Western Christianity is fundamentally flawed, especially the Reformed Protestant churches, in that they deny their members so many of the beautiful experiences that Orthodoxy offers. In these minimalistic churches, there are no icons, and thus no pictographic explanation of the history of the church; there is no recognition of the saints and martyrs of the early Church, and the horrible tortures and sacrifices they had to endure, and their contribution to the Christian faith; there is no opportunity for individual believers to experience the divine friendship that is possible through association with a particular heavenly saint, in intervention in prayer in the worship of God. Indeed, in the Reformed churches, there is nothing analogous to the Orthodox concept of Theosis, or even any real meaningful attempt at purification; such efforts are seen as pointless given the unreedemable and sinful nature of man, and the doctrine of Election, which holds that salvation occurs only to the elect and that nothing can stop it or interfere with it. Thus, there is no real incentive for self improvement. In this manner, it is easy to see how, through these heresies, possible in Western Christianity primarily due to their adherence to the doctrines of Penal Substitution and Propitiatory Atonement, as opposed to the superior Eastern doctrine of Christus Victor, or Recapitulation, that Modernism, Syncretism and other heresies can thrive. It is astonishing to consider the number of cults and heretical groups that have emerged in the West compared to the East, and this, in my mind, bears witness to the incorrect nature of Western doctrine. Eastern Christianity is more loving, and more complete, providing its believers with a superior spiritual experience, a more correct understanding of the nature of Christ and his mission on this world, and a better quality of life, through purification and the active avoidance of vices and sinful behavior.

Thus, in addition to being a proponent of reconciliation of the Eastern churches, I am a huge proponent of the formation of new Orthodox churches specifically to minister to the West. The Antiochian Orthodox Church has been the most active in evangelical activities, and I applaud the work of Metropolitan Philip Saliba in this respect; I also applaud the work of the Orthodox Church of America, and in the UK, the Coptic Orthodox Church, in its acquisition and cannonization of the British Orthodox Church. We need more Orthodox churches like this.

I also believe that the Orthodox Churches are best positioned to minister to certain non-Christian groups. To the Jews, the Antiochian and Syriac Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East, are particularly well suited to minister to them, given the cultural similiarities between them, the liturgical use of Syriac, a variant of Aramaic, and the fact that these churches have actually endured genocides that destroyed a larger portion of their communicants relative to their population than the Jews lost in the dreadful Holocaust, with which the Syriacs, Antiochenes and Assyrians had absolutely nothing to do.

Likewise, the Orthodox Church is well positioned to minister to Mormons. The Orthodox doctrines of prayers for the dead, and the efficacy thereof, and of Theosis, directly address two of the more alluring falsehoods practiced in the Mormon church, that being the vicarious baptism of the dead, and the blasphemy of Exaltation, or Deification. Western Christianity has no doctrines which could address these two alluring lies of Mormonism, hence its spread, like a weed amongst the crops, but Eastern Orthodoxy represents the ideal herbicide, with which to eradicate this and restore the beautiful truth of Christianity to the Mormons (who suffer greatly in this life by the restrictive, controlling and oppressive nature of the LDS church, which takes 10% of their annual income, and prescribes such ridiculous minutiae in their life such as the choice of undergarments).

Finally, one might ask, do I believe that the souls of Western Christians are saved? Absolutely. My opinion is merely that Eastern Orthodoxy provides a superior experience of Christianity, has more correct doctrines, and gives its adherents a better quality of life during our existence in this world, and a better understanding of what is to happen to us in the world to come. The much lower rate of schism and heresy in Eastern Christianity is a testament to this. I would liken Western Christianity to a pool of stagnant water, and Eastern Christianity to a running river; both are capable of quenching the thirst of those in dire need of water, but the former is a breeding ground for the mosquitoes of schism and heresy, and its water stale and unpleasant to drink, whereas the latter is pure, fresh and sweet.

User talk:FrJohn

2014-05-21T14:56:29Z

Wgw: forgot to sign, sorry

User talk:FrJohn

2014-05-21T14:56:02Z

Wgw:

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''[[/archived discussion 6]] (through 11-25-2008)''
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==August 17 Menaion==

Should we call our father among the saints Theodoretus the enlightener of the Sami, as opposed to the enlightener of the Lapps. Lapp is considered something of an ethnic slur; much like calling the Inuit by the name Eskimo. On the other hand, should we wait until the Menaion itself is changed to reflect the better name for the people of northern Scandinavia. [[User:Eddieuny|Eddieuny]] 03:22, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Eddieuny, Thanks for your question. My take is that, since he is in the menaion as "Enlightener of the Lapps" we should do this, but with a footnote explaining what you just said -- it would be good to make people aware of this. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:30, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

==Ukrainian version==

Dear Father, I thought to start Ukrainian version. How can I do that? I work with articles related to Orthodoxy on Ukrainian wikipedia.

--[[User:Roman Z|Roman Z]] 21:38, March 12, 2009 (UTC)

==Orthodox Source==
Hi father john, it is with much sadness and hurt that I see you close down Orthodox Source. Mainly because I invested a huge amount of time to put information onto that site that took a lot of my time and I dont have access to any more. I am a bit saddened because you didnt even give me some notice that you were going to close the site down so that I could at least download some of the information onto my personal computer that I can access in the future ... a bit disappointed that this was not considered and an opportunity given to do this. It only proves that the Internet is not a very viable Christian tool. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 05:50, November 27, 2008 (UTC)

== Fact check ==

Dear Father,
I am trying to recall the name of the cemetery chapel at Saint Anna's Skete on the Holy Mountain. I wondered if you or any of your readers/discussants might help me.

Thanks,
Isaak Scott Cairns

:One source tells me it's "Holy Cross" — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 20:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

== Hymns of Contrition ==

Father John, I bought a CD last night that in Greek is called "Kataniktika of Great lent". So, I set about doing a google today to find out just what are these hymns (although I understand the words). Many articles come up but they are primarily from the Catholic church and are seven Psalms ... these do not seem to be the format of the kataniktiko service. Can you help me. What are the Kataniktika of Great Lent? I want to post an article onto OrthodoxWiki for others to reference too.!! Thanks in advance. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 22:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

:O man, these Greek terms -- best ask a Byzantine-style cantor, I think. Anyone around here? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Триоди в Воскресенья - the CD translates the "Kataniktika" as the "Hymns of Contrition". However, if you do a google on that term it comes up with the Catholic version of Hymns of Contrition - which are not the same! Oi! What is wrong with the Greek terms? The church lasted 2,000 years because of the beauty in the Greek language :-) Do you want us to convert everything to Russian so you can understand? LOL ANYWAY! You are a priest - you should know what these are! ROFL [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 23:07, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

::: The ''Katanyktikoi Hymnoi'' (it helps to use standard Latinization for Greek!) may be called the "Hymns of Contrition" or "Penitential Hymns," and the term refers to a wide set of pieces of hymnography used throughout the period of the Triodion, most especially in the stichera of Lenten Vespers (most often referenced in Sunday night Vespers).

::: They are not the same thing as the "Penitential Psalms." —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 23:53, March 16, 2009 (UTC)
:::: Thanks! What I did was cut and paste what you just said and inserted it into an article. Hopefully we can develop it a little ... there is not much available on the Internet for this. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:34, March 17, 2009 (UTC)

== ΒΟΗΘΕΙΑ ==

ΧΡΕΙΑΖΟΜΑΙ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΜΙΑ ΠΑΛΙΑ ΑΙΡΕΣΗ, ΛΕΓΕΤΑΙ ΑΦΘΑΡΤΟΔΟΚΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΙΔΡΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ Ο ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΛΙΚΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΥ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΣ

:Ελληνικά, παρακαλώ. Δεν μιλούν ελληνικά. Σε ευχαριστώ. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

==User Creation - Proposal==
Greetings Fr. John,
With the amount of Vandalism we have, I propose that anyone requesting a new account first has to submit a request online, with some brief info about temselves, and THEN THE REQUEST WILL REQUIRE APPROVAL by yourself or Fr. Andrew or other Sysops. '''The ability for anyone to automatically create accounts will be disabled''', unless they are sincere and simply request a free account which they can then of course have; I think that the Conservapedia and some other wikis might have this system in place. Anyhow, just an idea I wanted to pass along :)

By the way, regarding the note immediately above this one (in greek), it reads something like this: ''"I require information on an ancient heresy, called "Aftharto-Docetism"?, and its proponent was the Bishop of Halicarnassos Julianos."'' I see that it was an unsigned comment however.

Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 00:10, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Angellight, given the number of users we have, this sounds like an awful lot of work. I'd rather just clean up occasionally as needed, but let me keep my eyes open for another solution. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:17, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::other forums require that you Verify your "humanity" by typing into a box the combination of numbers/letters you can see on the screen to verify that you are indeed "real" and not a bot. maybe that is all you need. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:51, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::::Yep, was just posting that I've just installed a captcha test for new user registrations. It won't block disturbed individuals, but should help with the automated creation of accounts from multiple un-blacklisted IPs where email verification can be performed. Amazing we have to deal with that, eh? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:55, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::::Yeah, you have to wonder why they havent got better things to do than hurl abuse at people who are minding their own business ... I learnt something yesterday. A priest called Fr Demetrius wrote an email about praying for the deceased soul of a "george" who was a pro-abortionist in America. When you read with what tenderness and love Fr Demetrius writes about this "sinner" you realise how much we just pity these people - for they know not what they do. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:04, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::The only effect really is to drain a little bit of my time away :-(. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Hey, I just did an EDIT on an article and it asked me to fill out a box ... is this going to be the standard practise from now on for editing as it will grow tedious I think for regulars? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:37, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::Whoops, I'll fix this. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:43, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::I missed the setting that said "Require captcha when user edits page and adds a link" - let me know if it happens again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Sure, also while I have you and you are in a good mood :D I would like to ask for a favour (as far as practical) my heart is to complete the most comprehensive Table of Saints (in Chronological order) - as you can witness by this new article. At present, I am systematically and patiently working through the information ON OrthodoxWiki ... how can I identify saints I have missed NOT listed on OrthodoxWiki. Do you have any suggestions? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:53, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::Wow! Sounds like a big job. I guess you'd have to check the websites of the various Orthodox jurisdictions around the world, or get your hands on a really good synaxarion (I like the one published by at Ormylia) and refer to its index. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:56, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

== Glitch ==

See [[Talk:Alban|this]]. —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 01:59, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

::Thanks, message left. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 05:38, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

== Sysop. ==

Hello Fr. John.
I am a Greek Orthodox user. I was wonderign if you can add me as a sysop to help you out with the site. I have a lot of time on my hands.

In his service,
--[[User:Greeks|Greeks]] 15:23, February 1, 2010 (UTC)

==Hello!==
Hi sir! I would like to create a project OrthodoxWiki dutch language and I have rights bureaucrat, administrator, renameuser, Checkuser and oversight, thanks. —[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 17:23, February 20, 2010 (UTC)ﻧ

:You are active or no? For 2 months you no response me. --—[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 15:15, February 22, 2010 (UTC)

Many Orthodox believers have asked about the Icon of Christ and the Ancient of Days and confusing this elder sitting next to Christ with God the Father.
They are not alone, for the entire Roman Catholic Church believes that this is the case and their belief has by the process of osmosis been picked up by many of our clergy and this icon has been ejected from many of our Churches. It is not true for the Ancient of Days is the Son of God who was begotten before all time. If they recall, Christ in the incarnation had divested Himself of those signs of being God and had assumed the appearance of a mere servant. The icon of the Platytera teaches us that the Holy Virgin's womb contained the "uncontainable, therefore those aspects of God the Son of God remained in the mystery of Heaven. Read on with what I have written:

QUESTION:

v Do you recall ever having seen this icon of Jesus Christ holding his cross, sitting at the right of an elderly man with white hair?
at their feet there are cherubic figures, and about them there are clouds. They both have a nimbus above their head and above them
there is a white dove, sometimes within a circle or a triangle.
v Is there anything incorrect about it ?
v Why is it not found in today’s churches ?
v What is its origin ?

For those of us who are old enough, this icon is familiar. We had seen it in most of the Greek Orthodox Churches when we were children. It was located on the iconostasion on the right side of the royal entrance, the spot currently occupied by the icon of Christ. I do remember it in St. Sophia Cathedral (until the 1960’s) and in the Holy Trinity Church in Waterbury, Connecticut (in the 1920’-30’s). St. Sophia’s oldest icons were contributed to a more recently established parish in Virginia and this icon was still in use there as of seven years ago.

What is wrong with it? It has a perfectly good representation of Christ. He is seated at the right hand of an elderly man who is giving a blessing and they are both apparently seated in majesty in heaven. There are little, western style cherubs at their feet. The elderly man supposedly represents God the Father. Instead of a halo, His head is usually surrounded by a triangle which, I presume, represents the Holy Trinity. I have heard of Him in this representation being named the “Ancient of Days.” What is wrong with all this is that God the Father is purely spirit and cannot be portrayed in any manner. Christ said in the New Testament, “When you see Me, you see my Father.” This is the reason why this icon has been supplanted by one of Christ alone, for when we see Christ in an icon, we see the Father.

How did we come to portray God the Father in this manner? I could not discover the answer in any book on iconography or theology available to me. It was not until I came across a passage in the Septuagint Scriptures that I found the answer in the Book of Daniel chapter VII, verses 9 - 10 and 13 - 14.

[9] I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire. [10] A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
[13] I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and he came on to the Ancient of Days, and was brought near to him. [14] And to him was given the dominion, and the honour,and the kingdom; and all the nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

This vision and prophesy of Daniel has been identified, in both Latin Catholic and Protestant sources as a prefiguration of God the Father and the powers and glory which He has bestowed upon God the Son, Jesus Christ - the Son of Man. This passage may have been the source of the artistic rendering of God the Father as the “Ancient of Days.” Whether this conception was original with our iconographers or was influenced by the realistic presentations of western artists is not known. Indeed we have a prime example of this in Michaelangelo’s painting of God in the Sistine Chapel and the western style cherubs at their feet. His portraiture is that of an old man with white hair and a white beard, reaching out with his finger to endow Adam with life. None of these features are found in Orthodox iconography and their being in this icon suggests the influence of western imaging since large portions of Greece had been occupied for several centuries by Venetian, Catalan and other Latins.

Regardless of its origins, this icon is considered erroneous today.

Providence has a way of providing us with truths to heal our ignorance. I believe that I have discovered the significance of this icon while reading A Discourse On the Nativity of Christ by St. Gregory Thaumatourgos, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea (died 260) . He wrote:

“The new wonders do strike me with awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God. Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth in a manger of dumb beasts.”

Do the words of Gregory’s statement imply that this icon could represent a “double image” of Christ? First as the “Ancient of Days”, the only-begotten Son of God, born before all ages. Adjacent to Him is the younger Incarnate Jesus Christ, Son of Man(-kind) as He appeared to us on earth in His kenotic form (i.e. when He “emptied Himself” and “became as a base servant”). Gone would be the mistaken identification of the Ancient of Days as God the Father, which is the mainstay of western explanations. Such an interpretation of this icon sheds a completely new light upon it, a light which may render it theologically legitimate. Even so St. Gregory goes on to say: “The Impassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners.” If the Ancient of Days has these chacteristics, is it permissible to portray him in an icon? Does the fact that He becomes incarnate as Jesus Christ repeal the prohibition of showing Him as an aged man?
However, St. Gregory’s words have allowed me to learn the true meaning of this prophesy from the Book of Daniel. It is a prophesy of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, when the “books will be opened” and the “secrets of men will be revealed.” I am thankful to have gained this knowledge so that I can look upon this icon with greater appreciation. Later yet, I discovered that there is an icon in St. Katherine’s Monastery at Sinai which depicts the Ancient of Days, and on his lap rests Jesus as a child. This icon is said to confirm the concept voiced by St. Gregory that The Ancient of Days is the heavenly manifestation of the Son of God.

The Ancient of Days with a child Jesus Christ on His Lap, 12th century
At St. Katherine’s Monastery Church, Mt. Sinai
(You can find this icon on the internet)

== Psalter quote ==

Father John,
Bless!
My name is Manoli and I'm an 18 year old recent high school graduate. I am distantly acquainted with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and I'm writing an essay for the PanHellenic Foundation, trying to get a scholarship for college. I want to use the "golden thread" quote from "one modern commentator" on the OrthodoxWiki "Psalter" page. If you know who that person is, or who would know who that person is, I'd appreciate any info...Fr. Andrew doesn't and although I'm registered on OrthodoxWiki as CampNazFanatic, I don't know much about using the site so I decided to contact you. Please respond asap as this essay is due like tomorrow.
Thanks,
Manoli
--CampNazFanatic[[CampNazFanatic]]

==IMAGES ISSUES==
Warm greetings Fr. John,

I hope it is okay that I am contacting you directly, but this problem has not been resolved for some time. Could you kindly look into rectifying the long-standing problem with uploaded images not displaying - they do not display once they are uploaded and they do not display especially as thumbnails.

See here: the [http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/Special:Newimages Gallery of New Image Files];

I had left a note at the OrthodoxWiki Trapeza [[OrthodoxWiki:Trapeza#Thumbnails_Error|here]] regarding this error some time ago, but it has gone unanswered and the problem is not resolved.

Surely there must be a process to have this investigated? -- i.e. Where is the OW site hosted? Which person(s)/webmasters or what entity is in charge of maintenance? Who needs to be called? Who is in control? And WHERE is their accountability???? Why have they ignored this for so long? Was this change done intentionally for some reason and if so why is there no notice informing the users? This problem has persisted for a very long time now, and it appears that it is a feature that has been disabled. If it stays non-functional this way I fear that this will discourage further users from wanting to contribute to OW. If there is something I have overlooked apologies in advance. Hoping something can be done. Thanks and kind regards :) [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:49, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

::Hi Angellight -- I apologize for the frustration. Sadly, it is I -- the negligent webmaster. and the volunteer in charge of site maintenance (but with many distractions). Please be assured that there is nothing intentional in the problem - the site just needs an upgrade. Because of the way the databases are tied together for each localization, it gets a little complex. I will strive to find some time to fix this soon. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 07:28, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

:::Many thanks for the info dear Fr.; good to know the site will be eventually upgraded and that this will be addressed then. Please forgive my initial frustration. This is a wonderful resource and I hope to see it grow. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 18:55, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

----

:Fr. John, this may be part of the same problem, if one tries to add a image and re-size it they get an error:
Error creating thumbnail: Warning: passthru() has been disabled for security reasons in
/home/owiki/public_html/shared/includes /GlobalFunctions.php on line 1839 
:(just an FYI) - [[User:Andrew|Andy]] 16:41, November 24, 2010 (UTC)

::I apologize for the delay in getting this resolved. Thumbnails should now be working again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

== Suppression ==

Unfortunately, after going through some articles and dead links, it seems that the Oriental Orthodox Church is suppressed on this OrthodoxWiki. it is a shame becuase this wiki is what should unite us together in Christ, not divide us and furthurmore insult our brothers and sisters. No one would dare do that to Christ. Eastern Orthodoxy and Oreintal Orthodoxy are probably the closest, most Orthodox, unchanging groups of Churches. I pray that one day we will once again be reunited as one in His Church.

God Bless

:: Hello [[Cmd|User:Cmd]] - It is certainly not my heart to suppress Oriental Orthodoxy in any way. In fact, just about 30 minutes ago I was speaking about my respect for Oriental Orthodox Christians, and talking about how the Christological differences have been largely resolved. This is a joy to me. Please see [[OrthodoxWiki:Style_Manual_%28Point_of_View%29]] for the stated policy of this site. If you can point to specific examples of suppression, that would be helpful. In Christ, — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 23:32, October 3, 2010 (UTC)

== About the 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'' ==

Dear Father John. I have added 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'', but they do not appear in the article, however they appear when I ''clic'' on them. Could you please help me make them appear at the article. Is it a problem from your server? Please help me and you will have the bless of Saint Pastapios. [[User:688dim|688dim]] 22:15, November 29, 2010 (UTC)

::Dear 688dim, Thanks for the bug report. This should now be fixed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])
:::Thanks, Fr. John for catching the "bug". I missed the pictures![[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 22:56, December 20, 2010 (UTC)

== Italian Version ==

::: Dear Father, I thought to start Italian version. How can I do that?
me and my boyfriend !! We've a lot of articol en Italian about orthodoxia.

Thanks. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 15:30, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

Hi Raggiodisole, I would be very happy to see an Italian version. The place to start is [[OrthodoxWiki:Localization]] -- would you be up for this translation work? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:48, February 8, 2011 (UTC)

:: Dear Father, ok, I gladly accept.
Then, if I may, I would like to post new articles in Italian orthodoxy
Technically, I would like you opened your site because I have these technical skills, so I will translate the pages essential for the initiation site and part Italian and enrich it later.
How do I send you the translation? the insert here?
Thank you for your trust, we are now going to translate the page you showed me.
I greet you and thank you Father. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 13:12, February 22, 2011 (UTC)

:: Father this is the translation you asked me:

OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione

Questa pagina fornisce i principi di politica ufficiale sull’enciclopedia OrthodoxWiki. Questa pagina è stata redatta consensualmente degli editori ed è considerata uno standard che tutti gli utenti devono seguire. Se si parte dell'amministrazione, non esitate ad aggiornare questa pagina, se necessario, ma occorre fare in modo che le modifiche apportate a questa politica
le voci che vi appaiano devono rispecchiare fedelmente il punto di vista ortodosso e si candidano quindi ad essere un punto di riferimento, una riflessione, per chi vuol conoscere la Chiesa Ortodossa.

Localizzazione e le relazioni inter-wiki (PROGETTO IN PROGRESS)

I commenti sono accolti

Indice [nascondi]
1 Definizioni
2 Contributori
2,1 Amministrazione
2,2 Responsabilità dei contributori
2,3 Loghi e Identità
2,4 Hosting e domini
2,5 Problemi di copyright
3 Colleghi
4 Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki
5 Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo
6 Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione
7 Appendice D: Risorse

Definizione : Cos’è OrthodoxWiki [Modifica]
La localizzazione si riferisce al processo di porting del progetto OrthodoxWiki in lingue diverse dall'inglese (la lingua originale).

Si riconoscono due accordi separati. 1. Affiliati, e 2. Colleghi.

Contributori ( Affiliato)

Un rapporto "affiliato" si ha quando un gruppo canonicamente ortodosso di persone che condividono la visione OrthodoxWiki, e il desiderio di estendere il progetto OrthodoxWiki's in altre lingue. Siamo molto felici quando per avere altri wiki-based ortodossi formalmente si aderisce all’OrthodoxWiki come affiliati pieni.

Amministrazione [Modifica]

Un rapporto di affiliazione inizia quando i volontari una o più persone dedicano sforzi sostanziali per creare e mantenere una OrthodoxWiki localizzata in una lingua che non dispone già di uno. Tutti i contatti dovrebbe passare attraverso Fr. John.

Se approvata, una o più persone del gruppo affiliato sarà data sysop di stato e sarà aggiunto alla mailing list sysop OrthodoxWiki.

Responsabilità di Contribuzione (Affiliazione) [Modifica]

E 'la responsabilità della filiale/i di mantenere e gestire attivamente il sito OrthodoxWiki localizzato in conformità con le linee guida principali OrthodoxWiki, in particolare la sua politica sul copyright (per motivi legali) e OrthodoxWiki principio di neutralità. Saranno anche responsabile della traduzione di testi fondamentali OrthodoxWiki dall'inglese in altre lingue.

All'interno di questi parametri, agli operatori locali viene dato un grande margine di manovra per quanto riguarda come è strutturato il loro wiki, stabilendo le priorità per quale tipo di materiale di importazione e di esportazione dalla lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki, e così via.

Se non riescono a soddisfare queste responsabilità, stato di affiliazione può essere revocata, e la loro sottodominio di hosting e annullato. Questo tipo di misura sarà usata, tuttavia, con parsimonia solo nei casi più gravi.

Loghi e identità [Modifica]

Gli OrthodoxWiki affiliati sono autorizzati e tenuti ad adottare il logo ufficiale OrthodoxWiki, anche se possono tradurre in altre lingue, se a loro piace. Allo stesso modo, si dovrebbero utilizzare la favicon OrthodoxWiki e il plugin di ricerca icona, permettono essi possono adattare queste come vogliono (per esempio, la modifica a un diverso colore per differenziare tra le versioni di OrthodoxWiki nella casella di ricerca o per i segnalibri).

Link a tutti gli OrthodoxWikis localizzate dovrebbero essere ben descritto sulla home page di ogni discreto / sito localizzato OrthodoxWiki.

I contributori (Affialiates) possono utilizzare uno dei linkbuttons OrthodoxWiki, tradotto o meno, o può creare il proprio.

Hosting e domini

Vi forniremo un sottodominio localizzato (come ru.orthodoxwiki.org, gr.orthodoxwiki.org, bu.orthodoxwiki.org, ecc.) Questo può essere indicato un altro indirizzo IP che sarà ospitata a livello locale, oppure possiamo fornire uno spazio sul server che ospita OrthodoxWiki (un server appartenente alla ortodossa Internet Services). In alcuni casi, un nome di dominio più appropriato per la lingua in questione può anche essere sistemato sul sottodominio.

Hosting e gestione tecnica del software MediaWiki può essere fornito gratuitamente da OrthodoxWiki, in associazione con gli ortodossi Internet Services. Tuttavia, è anche possibile per gli affiliati ospitare e gestire la propria installazione MediaWiki

Problemi di copyright

Per motivi pratici, è importante che OrthodoxWikis localizzato mantenga lo stesso copyright / accordo di licenza, come la lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki.

Dato che il wiki è localizzato nel progetto OrthodoxWiki, riteniamo che tutte le immagini e gli articoli per i quali OrthodoxWiki ha ottenuto un permesso speciale da utilizzare potrebbe essere utilizzato anche su OrthodoxWikis localizzato utilizzando lo stesso nome di dominio.

I colleghi [Modifica

Un rapporto "collega" è particolarmente appropriato in cui l'attenzione di un altro wiki (ad esempio, la loro interpretazione del NPOV e "mainstream Chalcedonian bias ortodossi") è diverso da OrthodoxWiki's. Ci aspettiamo che questo sarebbe il caso, ad esempio, se un vecchio gruppo Calendarist greco voluto creare il proprio wiki, o per copto / non-Calcedoniani o romana (o altro) wiki cattolica, o se un altro gruppo di ortodossi orientali ha voluto avviare una wiki con una particolare attenzione sostanzialmente diverso o missione. In alcuni casi, si possono riconoscere altri Wiki come "colleghi", anche se non si definiscono cristiani.

Il "collega" parola presuppone che noi abbiamo un senso della missione comune o di complementarietà, e siamo felici di lavorare insieme e sostenere ogni lavoro altrui.

In questo caso, non si può condividere un comune branding - nomi di dominio, i loghi, linkbuttons, ecc sarebbero tutti distinti. Allo stesso modo, speciali autorizzazioni per l’ immagine e l'articolo sarebbe gestiti separatamente.

I colleghi riceveranno un riconoscimento pubblico, i link sul wiki, così come il permesso esplicito di utilizzare qualsiasi materiale appropriato OrthodoxWiki (a patto che si inserisce il loro sistema di licenze) e di ogni altra assistenza o incoraggiamento siamo in grado di fornire.

Collega status può essere revocato in qualsiasi momento, soprattutto se la missione della vira altri wiki di là di un generale "NPOV" o presa di posizione "descrittivo" e formalmente adotta una forte polemica contro un altro gruppo in modo tale che non sono utili non avendo alcun rapporto formale con loro.

Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki

Si tratta di un elenco di documenti essenziali OrthodoxWiki che deve essere tradotto (in forma abbreviata, se necessario) e mantenuta coerente in localizzazioni. Il testo in lingua inglese rimane il testo "canonico".

Pagine principali sono:

OrthodoxWiki: A proposito - abbiamo bisogno di lavorare su una revisione di questo anche in inglese!
Almeno queste pagine politica OrthodoxWiki:
OrthodoxWiki: Copyrights
OrthodoxWiki: General disclaimer
OrthodoxWiki: Informazioni sulla privacy
OrthodoxWiki: Manuale di stile
Help: titoli di immagine
Core modelli includono:

Il più generico Modelli generali, in particolare:
Template: Benvenuto
Template: Stub
Template: Pulitura
Template: disambig
Tutti i modelli Copyright richieste per il materiale utilizzato sul sito affiliato, in particolare:
Template: Copyright
Template: non verificato
Template: Fairuse
Template: OWiki
Template: Skete.com
Template: Oca
Template: Htm
Template: Pd

Altre pagine che arricchiscono il funzionamento del wiki, ma non sono strettamente necessarie, o può essere più liberamente adattato per l'uso locale, sono:

OrthodoxWiki: News
OrthodoxWiki: Buzz
Le pagine di aiuto e le pagine nel namespace OrthodoxWiki.
Altre pagine template - vedi OrthodoxWiki: Modelli per un elenco completo

Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo

Bulgaro OrthodoxWiki (http://bg.orthodoxwiki.org) – Riferimento per un contatto: Costantino per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Rumeno di lingua OrthodoxWiki (http://ro.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Inistea per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Per una discussione in lingua araba OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ar.orthodoxwiki.org), andare al OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / arabo. Vedi anche qui.
In lingua russa OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ru.orthodoxwiki.org) - Vai alla OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / Russo.
Di lingua greca OrthodoxWiki - EL: Αρχική_σελίδα

Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione [Modifica]

Di lingua neerlandese OrthodoxWiki (nl.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Stephan per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
Castigliano e portoghese –
Contatti Utente: Theofilactos (vedi anche qui).
Spagnolo: User: Alstradiaan.

Appendice D: Risorse [Modifica]

meta: MediaWiki_localisation
meta: Help: Esportazione e meta: Help: Import
meta: Recent_changes_extension - se si volesse unire elenchi delle ultime modifiche
meta: Meta: Babel_templates - mostra competenze linguistiche dell'utente
meta: transwiki
Estratto da "http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Localization"

I send this translation in another place?
Thanks

:::Hi, Father John, I look forward to the Italian site and its address. Please Provide the technical aspect for you, after I insert the contributions to make it grow and I can call other people to feed.
Thanks a lot. Your sister in Christ!

::Dear [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - sorry for the delay! This is wonderful. Please give me a little more time to set this up. I will get back to you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

ok! thanks ! RAGGIODISOLE

::Thanks [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - would you be able to post this on the Italiano wiki, and also cover the pages mentioned in that document under Appendix A: Core Documents ? The copyright pages are especially important. Grazie! I'm excited to see it.orthodoxwiki become a reality. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Hi,I would like to publish this translated page but I do not know where to place it on the Italian site, such as system?
Me and my boyfriend have already started working on the site, are the first entries that will improve with time. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 14:04, March 4, 2011 (UTC)

== New Server (Nov 15) ==
Great news about the new server Fr John! :)
I did notice that a bug while uploading an image file - the image does not show, even though it was only 79kb small. Thought i would mention it. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:17, November 19, 2011 (HST)
:Thanks! It was long overdue. This bug should be fixed now. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 09:47, November 19, 2011 (HST)

==Account requests==
Fr. John, I notice numerous account requests on Orthodoxwiki Commons that are still open. Bill Kosar [[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 10:03, May 16, 2012 (HST)

::Thanks for the heads-up, Bill! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:13, May 16, 2012 (HST)

== pt.orthodoxwiki ==

Father John, bless! I sent two emails, one to info@orthodoxwiki.org and another to frjohn@stjuvenaly.org, but i haven't received your reply. It's about OrthodoxWiki in portuguese. I wanna say that we (my friends and I) can start translating what is needed. Please, i look forward to your response! -- [[User:SerafimBR|SerafimBR]] 10:41, October 11, 2012 (HST)

==Directory==
Hi Fr John, I'm looking for responses for my proposal (to delete the parish directory pages for Australia) on http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Administrators#Eliminating_directory_articles - your thoughts? — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 19:15, January 31, 2013 (HST)

== deleting the pages of Greek Orthodox Church listings in Australia by PISTEVO ==

Hi Fr John,

We have noticed that the Australian orthodox pages have become very biased and not right. It seems that sysops such as Pistevo are deleting and replacing pages to suit others and there own agendas. Please dont allow this as it is not fair. These pages should be informative and state facts. The listings of the Greek Orthodox Churches should have clear classifications of Parishes with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Parishes of Old Calender Greek Churches etc, regardless if they are in 'communion' with 'official churches' or not. Pistevo should not be able to delete the whole page and replace it with a link to ONLY the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Even up to now, the official position eg of when the OCA churches was in Australia is that According to Archbishop Stylianos and the Archdiocese-they were and are uncanonical. Does that mean they should not of been included in the list of Orthodox Churches in Australia then? The same with the Russian Church Abroad, up to two years ago.Please find the message below i posted to Pistevo.

Dear Pistevo
Deleting it is NOT RIGHT OR PROPER. There are now Greek Orthodox churches which are recognised by the GREEK GOVERNEMENT as they are under recognised Old Calender Synods. REGARDLESS if they are recognised or not by the "official" other churches or even if they are branded schismatic, this page STATES 'GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES', and they are all still GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES. These are the FACTS. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is NOT the only greek orthodox churches in Australia! FILOIGIAPANTA

:Fr John: My response to Filiogiapanta's message is on the [[Talk:Greek Orthodox Churches in New South Wales]] page. I can respond further (e.g. regarding the claim about OCA-AU parishes) if you request. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 14:28, February 3, 2013 (HST)

Fr John, it is not proper to change the page as PISTEVO did.
Pistevo you said wiki is not a Parish listing and I agree, yet why did you add the listing of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese here http://orthodoxwiki.org/Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales. It is a direct link to their parish directory. We would also like you therefore to add the site www.orthodoxchurch.org.au, to not be biased, and other Greek orthodox sites of Australia-regardless if they are old calenderists- not in communion with 'official churches'. Dont you think?

:Fr John - I apologise for responding to someone else on your talk page.
:Filoigiapanta - I do not because, as I stated, [[OW:MCB|OrthodoxWiki has a bias]]. Additionally, please direct all messages to me either to the [[Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales|article's talk page]], or (if necessary) to my own Talk page. I'll not post any further responses to messages from you to me on this page. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 15:10, February 3, 2013 (HST)

== Lingua Latina ==

Greetings Fr. John, I thought that making a Latinized version of OrthodoxWiki wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm very good at Latin and I would just like to know how I could do that? -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 10:51, July 20, 2013 (HST)

:Hi Shen, sorry for my delay in replying. I'm not so sure about Latin -- seems like it would be very hard to sustain. I don't think it would provide the user base needed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 12:07, July 31, 2013 (HST)

Hi Fr. John, I don't know why I didn't think about this before, but since there is a Church of Albania, it would only be fitting for there to be an Akbanian OrthodoxWiki.

::I'd be happy to see an Albanian wiki, but we'd need the right people in place to make it happen. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:33, August 9, 2013 (HST)

== Request for Additional Content on the Divine Liturgies of St. Mark and St. James ==

I would very much like to see links to videos of these liturgies being celebrated in the seminaries, or in actual parishes in the Alexandria and Jerusalem patriarchates, if any such videos exist. I have read the rubrics for the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark. Regarding that of St. James (aside from the Syriac version, which I have viewed), contrary information exists; my local parish priest has told me that it requires three priests and one bishop, and could be celebrated using a normal holy table behind the Iconostasis, but the another article I came across on the Net (I believe the Wikipedia article) indicated it required 12 priests and one Bishop, or 13 Priests, and a Western-style open altar in front of the Iconostasis. Given the obscurity of these two liturgies, and the interest they hold for many Orthodox who like me are liturgical enthusiasts, it would be delightful if a priest who has personal knowledge of these liturgies could provide more details on them, or better yet, a link to audio or video recordings. I have searched fruitlessly for these on Youtube, without success.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 10:23, August 13, 2013 (HST)

:: Sorry, Wgw, I don't know where to point you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 11:16, August 13, 2013 (HST)

You may just have to visit an Oriental Orthodox Curch -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 02:24, August 21, 2013 (HST)

Shen, I have visited, with the permission of my father of confession, Oriental Orthodox churches, but my desire is to see more of these liturgies, which are authentically Eastern Orthodox, performed according to our rubrics, which still exist, and are quite different than the versions of these liturgies as they are now used by the Copts, Syriacs and Maronites. The respective versions of these liturgies are all quite different; the most recent recension of the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, from the 1890s, for example, has all the modern features of Eastern Orthodox liturgy; it is not very different from that of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. It would just be a pity if we let such historically significant parts of our Sacred Tradition die off from neglect. By the way, I should also add, the Coptic Church only uses their version of the St. Mark liturgy on Christmas and in Lent, and the Syriacs primarily use the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, combined with a generic liturgy of the Catechumens which is not unique in any way to the Divine Liturgy of St. James, which they celebrate only on certain specific occasions. Though the Syriac Orthodox in theory have more than 80 anaphoras, in practice, they only ever use two of them (St. James on rare occasions, and Mar Bar Salibi the rest of the time, simply because its the shortest). I did by the way find on YouTube videos of portions of the Divine Liturgy of St. James being celebrated in a Greek Orthodox parish, apparently in the Middle East; it wasn't clear where exactly. Would it be appropriate to add links to them from the relevant article?

By the way, FrJohn, on another matter, is there any chance you could write a short, simple article explaining the interrelationship between the Orthodox service books, and how a typical bishop or parish priest knows how to celebrate the liturgy on a given day? Merry Christmas, by the way, both to the New Calenderists who celebrated it, and the Old Calendarists who are about to. :) I myself was terribly ill for the New Calender Christmas, and with the blessings of my father of confession will be celebrating it in a nearby ROCOR parish.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 18:41, December 26, 2013 (PST)

:: Here is search request in youtube in Russian rather than in English with many videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0&sm=3

See for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY for complete Liturgy.
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 23:04, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Mike, thank you so much for that link! I'm going to add it to the article on the Divine Liturgy of St. James. Could you give me the Cyrillic for the even more obscure liturgy of St. Mark? [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 00:19, April 10, 2014 (PDT)

I was not able to find any other Russian video for the liturgy of St. Mark besides a brief 14 min. video of Coptic Paschal service http://my.mail.ru/inbox/ierei/video/9/10.html
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 08:31, April 11, 2014 (PDT)

No problem. To my knowledge, the liturgy of St. Mark has only been rarely celebrated since the 19th century, in a few Orthodox seminaries. I have a link to a video of the entire Liturgy of St. Cyril (the Coptic version of St. Mark), which I might provide a link to on the appropriate page. The Coptic version is similar, but lacks the Byzantine-style litanies, and also lacks some of the diaconal petitions during the consecration, among other differences. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 17:27, April 13, 2014 (PDT)

Oh by the way, Mike, could you post the correct Russian for the names of each of the Divine Liturgies, perhaps on my talk page? I'd like to find some good videos of Slavonic celebrations of each on Youtube, (Greek, Romanian, et cetera, as well), and link them to the relevant pages. I recently found a stunning rendition of St. Basil.

== Thanks ==

Dear Fr. John, thank you very much for such prompt reply and activating my account. - [[User:Erin Navan|Erin Navan]] 02:11, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles

2014-05-21T14:54:18Z

Wgw: fixed broken links

Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles

2014-05-21T14:53:50Z

Wgw: This is a stub, btw, but I'm going to expand it later, if it pleaseth our Lord. :)

{{oriental}} {{stub}}

The Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles is an ancient anaphora of the Antiochene Rite, seen by some scholars as a precursor to the [[Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]]. It is still used in the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]]. Scholarly research suggests that, together with the [[Liturgy of St. James]], and the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]], this is one of the most ancient liturgical texts. In all probability, it, together with the [[Divine Liturgy of St. Basil]], formed the basis for the liturgy composed by John Chrysostom; its use within the Orthodox church it can be reasonably assumed continued for at least a few decades afterwards, given that the Syriac Orthodox never ceased using it, and continue to use it, alongside their recension of the anaphora of St. John Chrysostom.

==See also==
* [[Divine Liturgy]]
* [[Sacraments]]
* [[Eucharist]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
*''The Oxford History of Christian Worship'', Geoffrey Wainright and Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, Editors, ISBN 0195138864
*''The Eucharistic Liturgies: Their Evolution and Interpretation', Paul F. Bradshaw and Maxwell E. Johnson, Liturgical Press, ISBN 978-0-8146-6240-3

[[Category:Liturgics]]

Euchologion of Serapion of Thmuis

2014-05-21T14:53:14Z

Wgw:

The '''[[Euchologion]] of Serapion of Thmuis''' is a work attributed to Saint [[Serapion of Thmuis|Serapion]] (also Sarapion), a fourth-century [[bishop]] of Thmuis (Modern: "Tell el-Timai") in the Nile Delta. Recently, Metropolitan [[Seraphim (Mentzelopoulos) of Piraeus]] celebrated a reconstruction of the Divine Liturgy according to its rubrics.

==History==
This euchologion, contained in a collection of Egyptian documents in an 11th-century manuscript at the [[Great Lavra (Athos)|Lavra]] on [[Mount Athos]], was published by A Dmitrijewskij in 1894, but attracted little attention until independently discovered and published by G Wobbermin in 1899. It is a celebrant's book, containing thirty prayers belonging to the mass (19-30, 1-6), baptism (7-11, 15, 16), ordination (12-14), benediction of oil, bread and water (17), and burial (18), omitting the fixed structural formulae of the rites, the parts of the other ministers, and almost all rubrication, except what is implied in the titles of the prayers.

The name of Serapion is prefixed to the anaphora of the mass (I) and to the group 15-18: but whether this indicates authorship is doubtful; for whereas the whole collection is bound together by certain marks of vocabulary, style and thought, 15-18 have characteristics of their own not shared by the anaphora, while no part of the collection shows special affinities with the current works of Serapion. But his name is at least a symbol of probable date and provenance: the theology, which is orthodox so far as it goes, but conservative, and perhaps glancing at [[Arianism]], shows no sign that the [[Macedonianism|Macedonian question]] has arisen; the [[doxology|doxologies]], of a type abandoned by the orthodox, and by ca. 370 treated by Didymus of Alexandria as heretical; the apparent presupposition that the population is mainly [[pagan]] (1, 20); the exclusive appropriation of the mass to Sunday (19; cp. Ath. ap. c. Ar. II), whereas the liturgical observance of Saturday prevailed in Egypt by ca. 380; the terms in which [[monasticism]] is referred to together point to ca. 350: the occurrence of official interpreters (25) points to a bilingual Church, i.e. Syria or Egypt; and certain theological phrases (y~PeflTos, ~1rf&1luia,,Lvi KciOOXLK1~ ~,csX77&La) characteristic of the old Egyptian creed, and the liturgical characteristics, indicate Egypt; while the petition for rains (23), without reference to the Nile-rising, points to the Delta as distinguished from Upper Egypt. The book is important, therefore, as the earliest liturgical collection on so large a scale, and as belonging to Egypt, where evidence for 4th-century ritual is scanty as compared with Syria.

The rites form a link between those of the Egyptian Church Order (a 3rd- or early 4th-century development of the Hippolytean Canons, which are perhaps Egyptian of ca. 260) and later Egyptian rites marking the stage of development reached in Egypt by ca. 350, while exhibiting characteristics of their own.

#The Mass has the Egyptian notes--a prayer before the lections, elsewhere unknown in the East; an exceptionally weighty body of intercessions after the catechumens dismissal, followed by a penitential act, probably identical with the ouoXiry?yrf~ of Can. Hippol. 2, which disappeared in later rites; a setting of the Sanctus found in several Egyptian anaphoras; the close connection of the commemorations of the offerers and of the dead; and the form of the conclusion of the anaphora. The structure of the communion--with a prayer before and prayers of thanksgiving and blessing after--shows that Egypt had already developed the common type, otherwise first evidenced in Syria, ca. 375 (Ap. Const. viii. 13). Among the special characteristics of Serapion are the simplicity of the Sanctus, and of the Institution, which lacks the dramatic additions already found in Ap. Coust.; the interpolation of a passage containing a quotation from Didache 9 between the institutions of the bread and of the chalice; the form of the ?ivuviyrir; and the invocation of the Word, not of the Holy Spirit, to effect consecration. That the [[Lord's Prayer]] before communion is not referred to may be only because it is a fixed formula belonging to the structure of the rite.
#The Order of [[Baptism]] has a form for the consecration of the water, and a preliminary prayer for the candidates, perhaps alluding to their exorcism; a prayer for steadfastness following the renunciation and the confession of faith; the form of anointing with oil; appropriate prayers preceding and following the act of baptism; and the prayer of confirmation. with imposition of the hand, chrism and crossing. All this corresponds to and fills up the outline of the Church Order and allusions in 4th-century writers, and is in line with later Egyptian rites.
#Forms of [[Ordination]] are provided only for [[deacon]]s, [[presbyter]]s and [[bishop]]s, the orders of divine institution (12). They are concise, but of the normal type. That for deacons (12) commemorates St Stephen, invokes the Holy Spirit, and prays for the gifts qualifying for the diaconate. That for presbyters (13) recalls the Mosaic LXX, invokes the [[Holy Spirit]], and asks for the gifts qualifying for administration, teaching, and the ministry of reconciliation. That for bishops (14) appeals to the mission of our Lord, the election of the apostles, and the apostolic succession, and asks for the Divine Spirit conferred on [[prophet]]s and [[patriarch]]s, that the subject may feed the flock unblamably and without offence continue in his office. The minor orders, interpreters, readers and subdeacons (25) are evidently, as elsewhere in the middle of the 4th century, appointed without sacramental ordination.
#The use of exorcised or blessed oil, water and bread is fully illustrated by the lives of the fathers of the desert (cp. the Gnostic use, Clem. Al. Excerpta 82). Serapion has a form of benediction of oil and water (5) offered in the mass (like Can. Hippol. and Ch. Ord. for oil), probably for the use of individual offerers. A longer form for all three matters (17) perhaps has in view the general needs of the Church in the visitation of the sick. The occurrence in both prayers of the Name and the commemoration of the [[Passion]], [[Resurrection]], etc., corresponds with early allusions, in [[Origen]] and elsewhere, to the usual form of exorcism.
#For burial of the dead Serapion gives a prayer for the departed and the survivors (18). But the funeral procession is alluded to (KouL~op.~vov), and in the mass (I) the particular commemoration of departed persons is provided for. Hence we have the elements of the 4th-century funeral, as we know it in Egypt and elsewhere: a preliminary office (of readings and psalms) to which the prayer belongs, the procession (with psalmody) to the cemetery, the burial and the mass pro domitione.

==Source==
*''Note: This entry is from [[w:The Sacramentary of Serapion of Thmuis|Wikipedia]]. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors.''
*''This article incorporates text from the'' Encyclopædia Britannica ''(11th ed.), a publication now in the public domain.''
*Dmitrijewskij in ''Trudy'' (Journal of the Eccl. Acad. of Kiev, 1894), No. 2; separately (Kiev, 1894); reviewed by A Favlov, Xpiv~ch. Bvravriva, i. 207-213; cp. Byzant. Zeitschr. iv. I (1895), p. 193
*G. Wobbermin in Harnack-Gebhardt, Texte u. Untersuch., new series, ii. 3 b (1899)
*P. Drews, Über Wobbermins Altchristliche liturgische Stücke aus d. Kirche Agyptens in Zeilschr. f. Kirchen-Geschichte, xx. 4 (Oct. 1899, Jan. 1900)
*F.E. Brightman, "The Sacramentary of Serapion of Thmuis" in ''Journal of Theological Studies'', i. and ii. (Oct. 1899, Jan. 1900)
*P. Rodopoulos, "Doctrinal Teaching in the Sacramentary of Serapio of Thmuis," in ''Greek Orthodox Theological Review'' 9 (1963-64), 201-214.
*John Wordsworth, ''Bishop Sarapion's Prayer-Book'', 2nd ed., rev. (London, 1923)
*P. Batiffol in ''Bulletin de lit. eccls''. p. 69 sqq. (Toulouse, 1899).

==External links==
'''Orthodox References'''
*[[w:Euchologion|'''Wikipedia:''' ''Euchologion'']]

'''Westernised resources'''
*[[w:The Sacramentary of Serapion of Thmuis|Wikipedia:''' ''Sacramentary of Serapion'']].

[[Category:Liturgics]]
[[Category:Texts]]

Liturgy of St. James

2014-05-21T14:51:28Z

Wgw: The origin of this liturgy, and its status as the oldest, are not entirely confirmed, although it certainly is among the oldest.

[[Image:Jamesbrotherlord.jpg|right|thumb|James the Brother of the Lord]]
The '''Divine Liturgy of St. James''' is among the oldest [[Eucharist]]ic services in continuous use. It is the ancient liturgy of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] and is attributed to the [[Apostle]] [[James the Just]], the Brother of the Lord. It is often celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Churches on the feast of St. James ([[October 23]]).

__TOC__

==History of the Liturgy==
The general scholarly consensus is that this liturgy originated in Jerusalem during the late fourth or early fifth century. It quickly became the primary liturgy in Jerusalem and Antioch. Although it was later superseded in Jerusalem and Antioch by the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]] and the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], it had already spread to other areas of the Church. The oldest manuscript traditions are in Greek and Syriac, and there are also extant manuscripts in Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic.

One leading theory today is that of John Fenwick, who argues that the similarities between this liturgy and that of St. Basil demonstrate their respective developments from a common source, now lost, but which is best preserved in the Egyptian recension of the Liturgy of St Basil. Fenwick suggests that the Liturgy of St. James was composed by St. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] c. 370.

==Eastern Orthodox Use==
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the liturgy is now generally only celebrated on the Feast of St. James, on October 23rd, and only in some parishes and monasteries, particularly in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Two different rubrics are commonly followed; the Slavonic liturgy linked to in full below is celebrated in the traditional manner, ''ad orientem'', on an altar behind the iconostasis, in a manner similar to the contemporary Syriac Orthodox use.

In the Greek-speaking Orthodox communities, such as in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the liturgy is commonly celebrated in a very different manner, with a temporary altar erected in front of the iconostasis, and the celebrant conducting the liturgy ''versus populum''. This version is frequently celebrated with 12 priests and 1 bishop, or 13 priests, in order to convey the idea of the re-enactment of the Last Supper.

===Liturgy of the Catechumens===
In the Byzantine use, the Liturgy of the Catechumens proceeds in a manner relatively similar to that of the other Divine Liturgies. Present editions include the essentially the standard litanies, incense is offered, the Trisagion is sung, and the lessons proceed as normal. The content of some of the prayers is somewhat different, however, most notably the petition with which the celebrant concludes the Prothesis.

"Defiled as I am by many sins, do not utterly reject me, Master, Lord, our God. For see, I draw near to this divine and heavenly mystery, not as though I were worthy, but, looking to your goodness, I raise my voice to you, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner. For I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to lift up my eyes to this your sacred and spiritual Table, on which your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically set forth as a sacrifice by me, a sinner stained by every defilement. Therefore I bring you this supplication, that your Spirit, the Advocate, may be sent down to me, strengthening and preparing me for this ministry. And grant that without condemnation the word that has been declared by you may be proclaimed by me to the people in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, life-giving and consubstantial Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."

===Liturgy of the Faithful===

Following the Dismissal of the Catechumens, the changes in content become more noticeable, as the hymn ''Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent'' is sung; this hymn is also sung during the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Great and Holy Saturday. The Anaphora itself is quite long, and highly formal, although it does not in present recensions stretch out to its once-legendary length (for it is said that Basil, observing the difficulty people had standing through the four hour liturgy of St. James, shortened it in his own liturgy to two and a half hours, and St. John Chrysostom, not without some annoyance, was forced to shave off an additional hour when composing his own liturgy, now the standard liturgy of the Orthodox Church, owing to the short attention span of his flock).

In the Eucharistic Epiclesis, following the words of institution, the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Gifts is emphasized with particular vigor. This is by no means a weak epiclesis, but is as intense and passionate as that of St. John Chrysostom itself, attesting to an ancient belief in the real change of the elements.

==Syriac Orthodox Use==

{{oriental}}

While the Divine Liturgy of St. James is seldom celebrated in the Byzantine churches, it remains the principle liturgy of the Syriac Orthodox church, in both those ethnically Syriac parishes, and among those St. Thomas Christians in India under its jurisdiction. It is also widely used by other St. Thomas Christians in India who are not in communion with the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, such as the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church; its liturgical influence is even felt in the Protestant Church of South India.

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the liturgy is always celebrated ad orientem, typically on a holy table attached to the wall at the end of the altar, with three ascending steps, richly furnished in the red and gold grapevine pattern that characterizes Syriac Orthodox vestments. A canopy is frequently present over the altar. The Liturgy of the Catechumens is always the same, however, it is used with a great variety of anaphorae, most derived from that of St. James, but others, from other sources, such as the ancient Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles.

===Liturgy of the Catechumens===
In the Syriac Orthodox use, a series of hymns precede the unveiling of the sanctuary at the start of the liturgy, most notably the Petition of Mor Balai, followed by the hymn "By Your Light." As the curtain is unveiled, the Priest prays a Marian intercession, followed by the Metrical Homily of St. Severus "I will exalt you, O My Lord." This is followed by the chanting of the Trisagion, with the "Theopaschite Clause" ("...Who wast crucified for us...") inserted, as is standard in the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion.

Before the reading of the Epistle, which is generally a Pauline epistle, Galatians 1:8 is sung in the form of a hymn, beginning with "I heard Paul the Blessed Apostle say..." The Epistle is commonly read in the vernacular by a lector or subdeacon, from one of the lecterns; the Gopsel is always read by the Priest on the ambo, generally from an ornate Gospel Book containing icons of the evangelists, which the Syriac faithful will kiss at the end of the Divine Liturgy. In the Syriac Orthodox church, the use of animal products in the altar is prohibited to an even stricter extent than within the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the clergy typically wear ornate liturgical slippers.

===Liturgy of the Faithful===

In the tradition of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Kiss of Peace has never been restricted to clergy, but is rather conveyed to the laity in a dignified and efficient manner. Two clergy in minor orders, typically boys, will receive the kiss of peace from the celebrant, and will then proceed down each side of the central aisle. The parishioner standing close to the aisle will clasp hands with them, and then proceed to kiss their hands, before conveying the kiss down their own aisle. Those present do not move around to exchange the kiss with others not in their immediate vicinity, as in the disruptive manner in many contemporary Roman Catholic and Anglican parish churches.

A diversity of anaphorae, said to number 86, exist in the Syriac Orthodox Church, but most parishes celebrate no more than four of these in the course of the liturgical year. However, unlike in the Coptic church, the additional anaphorae that remain "On the books" are in no way officially suppressed. These anaphorae at times substantially differ from that of St. James, but the Anaphora of St. James is the longest of them, and its use is canonically mandated for certain occasions, such as the first divine liturgy celebrated by a newly ordained priest, and the first divine liturgy celebrated at a newly consecrated church. Other Anaphorae of note include that of the Twelve Apostles, which is particularly ancient and influenced that of St. John Chrysostom, the Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom, which resembles in many respects his liturgy as celebrated in the Byzantine tradition, and the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, who wrote a famous commentary on the Syriac liturgy; his Anaphora is in many respects a highly condensed version of that of St. James, and is the shortest anaphora in common use in the Syriac Church, and one of the most frequently celebrated.

Very intense language, similar to that of the Byzantine form of the liturgy, is used; the Syriac form shares the emphasis on the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the deacon intoning "How dreadful is this hour, my brethren, when the Holy Spirit takes wing and descends on the altar..." Flagellum are used frequently throughout the consecration; unlike in the Byzantine Rite, these flagellum are fitted with bells, and are used at certain climactic moments throughout the rite of consecration, including the Words of Institution and the Epiclesis.

It is customary in the Syriac Orthodox Church for the laity to receive communion after the general dismissal. Those who are not communicating will exit the sanctuary, receiving the antidoron, while those partaking will approach the now veiled altar, and receive the Eucharist from the priest, while the Metrical Homily of St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung by the deacons behind the curtain ("The Lord Whom the seraphs fear to look at, The same you behold in bread and wine on the altar..."). The laity are communed in both species, by way of intinction, with the wine-soaked bread received on the tongue.

==Bibliographical Resources==
*The Faculty of Hellenic College: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, ''The Divine Liturgy of Saint James (Iakovos), Brother of the Lord'' (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1988). ISBN 0917651596.
*''The Divine Liturgy of St James'' (The Monks of New Skete, 1996). ISBN 0935129375.
*John R. K. Fenwick, ''The Anaphoras of St Basil and St James: An Investigation into Their Common Origin'' (''Orientalia Christiana Analecta'', 1992). ISBN 8872102952.
*Baby Varghese, ''The Syriac Version of the Liturgy of St James: A Brief History for Students'' (Grove Books, 2001). ISBN 185174469X.
*John D. Witvliet, "Tha Anaphora of St. James," in Paul F. Bradshaw, ed., ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Pueblo, 1997). ISBN 081466153X.
*Phillip Tovey, ''The Liturgy of St James as presently used'' (Grove Books, 1998). ISBN 185174

==External links==
*[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/lit-james.htm "Divine Liturgy of James the Apostle and Brother of God"]: brief introduction and e-text as translated by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash.
*[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-07/anf07-63.htm#P8122_2593853 Liturgy of St. James in Ante-Nicene Fathers]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08371a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'':] Article in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' on the "Liturgy of Jerusalem"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY] A video of the Divine Liturgy of St. James served in Church Slavonic
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBzve9XHas] The Syriac Orthodox Holy Qurbono, based on the Divine Liturgy of St. James (most probably served with the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi).
*[https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Ac8J7Wuis] The contemporary Greek use of the Divine Liturgy, with a temporary altar table in front of the iconostasis, thirteen concelebrants, and celebration ''versus populum''.

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[ro:Liturghia Sfântului Iosif]]

Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles

2014-05-21T14:50:53Z

Wgw: Created page with "{{oriental}} The Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles is an ancient anaphora of the Antiochene Rite, seen by some scholars as a precursor to the [[Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrys..."

{{oriental}}

The Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles is an ancient anaphora of the Antiochene Rite, seen by some scholars as a precursor to the [[Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]]. It is still used in the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]]. Scholarly research suggests that, together with the [[Liturgy of St. James]], and the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]], this is one of the most ancient liturgical texts. In all probability, it, together with the [[Divine Liturgy of St. Basil]], formed the basis for the liturgy composed by John Chrysostom; its use within the Orthodox church it can be reasonably assumed continued for at least a few decades afterwards, given that the Syriac Orthodox never ceased using it, and continue to use it, alongside their recension of the anaphora of St. John Chrysostom.

==See also==
* [[Divine Liturgy]]
* [[Sacraments]]
* [[Eucharist]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
*''The Oxford History of Christian Worship'', Geoffrey Wainright and Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, Editors, ISBN 0195138864
*''The Eucharistic Liturgies: Their Evolution and Interpretation', Paul F. Bradshaw and Maxwell E. Johnson, Liturgical Press, ISBN 978-0-8146-6240-3

[[Category:Liturgics]]

Divine Liturgy

2014-05-21T14:41:18Z

Wgw: fixed broken links

[[Image:Divine Liturgy, (Damaskinos).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Divine Liturgy]]. [[Michael Damaskinos|Damaskinos]], 1579-1584.]]
{{liturgy}}
The '''Divine Liturgy''' is the primary worship service of the [[Orthodox Church|Church]]. The Divine Liturgy is a [[eucharist]]ic service. It contains two parts: the ''Liturgy of the [[Catechumen]]s'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the Word'', at which the [[Holy Scriptures|Scriptures]] are proclaimed and expounded; and the ''Liturgy of the Faithful'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the [[Eucharist]]'', in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of [[Jesus Christ]], but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The ''Prothesis'' (or ''[[Proskomedia]]''), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the Liturgy proper.

== Preparation ==
Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the [[priest]] and a [[deacon]], if one is serving, begin by preparing the gifts of bread and wine for use in the service. This preparation is itself a considerable service. More than simply setting aside the bread and wine, a robust ritual has developed with elaborate symbolism. Though the main outline is similar for most Orthodox churches, there may be some differences based on which [[typicon]] a jurisdiction uses.

Five loaves of bread are used, reminiscent of the five loaves in the wilderness, from which the masses were fed. During the Prothesis, the priest cuts out a square called the Lamb from the main loaf of bread ([[prosphora]]). This will be consecrated during the Liturgy of the Faithful to become the holy body of Christ. He also removes small particles and places them on the [[diskos]] (or paten) in commemoration of the [[Theotokos]], various saints, and the living and departed faithful. The remainder of the bread is blessed and distributed to parishioners and visitors after the service; this bread is called ''[[antidoron]]''.

During the Prothesis, the priest also blesses wine and water, which are poured into the chalice. Warm water will be added to the chalice after the [[epiclesis]].

Naturally, the gifts are [[incense|censed]] several times during the Prothesis. The conclusion of the Prothesis leads directly into the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.

== Liturgy of the Catechumens==

=== Rites of Entrance ===
{{services}}
After a more or less quiet exchange between the priest and deacon, if one is serving, the Divine Liturgy begins with the memorable exclamation from the priest, "Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages." The assembled faithful respond, "Amen."

The deacon (or priest, if no deacon is serving) continues with the [[Great Litany]], so called because it is longer than most litanies and its petitions touch on the needs of the world: peace and salvation, the Church, her bishops, her faithful, captives and their health and salvation, deliverance from anger and need. It is concluded, as with most litanies, by calling to the remembrance of the faithful the witness of the Theotokos and the saints. In light of that powerful witness, the faithful are charged to commend their lives to Our Lord [[Jesus Christ]]. A closing prayer is exclaimed by the priest.

There follow three [[antiphons]] which vary by day and [[:Category:Jurisdictions|jurisdiction]]. The first two anitphons are followed by a shorter litany and a prayer. The third is followed by the [[Little Entrance]], at which is sung, "O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God... save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!" "Son of God" is normally followed by an insertion, such as "risen from the dead," "wondrous in thy saints," or "through the prayers of the Theotokos," depending on the day.

[[Troparion|Troparia]] and [[kontakion|kontakia]] prescribed for the day, season, and temple follow next.

Having fully entered the church liturgically and gathered together around the Word, the gathered body chants the [[Trisagion]].

=== Rites of Proclamation ===
The proclamation of [[Scripture]] is announced with the [[prokeimenon]], a [[Psalter|psalm]] or canticle refrain sung in responsorial fashion. Then, a [[reader]] proclaims the apostolic reading from an [[epistle]] or from the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. This reading is usually chanted, but a spoken reading may be allowed out of economy for local situations. (In some traditions, the reader starts the chant in a very low voice, and steps up to end of the reading with a high voice. This is a reminder of how the Early Church rose up from the [[catacombs]].)

A triple [[alleluia]] is sung, also with verses as at the prokeimenon. This alleluia announces the Gospel reading. Following the alleluia, there is a short exchange between the priest and the people, after which he or a deacon [[chant|chants]] the Gospel.

Following the Gospel, the priest will often give a [[homily]], a short or medium-length excursus on the Scripture, the season, or the present festival or commemoration, roughly equivalent to the Protestant sermon. The homily may also be given after the communion or even after the dismissal.

The service continues with the [[Litany of Fervent Supplication]], which is marked by an insistent triple repetition of "Lord, have mercy." On certain days this litany is followed by the [[Litany for the Departed]].

The ''Liturgy of the Catechumens'' is concluded by a litany praying for the continued growth of the catechumens in faith, leading up to the day of their baptism. Though many churches do not have catechumens in attendance, this litany remains in the liturgy and serves as a constant reminder of the [[Great Commission]], the foundation of the Church as [[mission]] to the world.

== Liturgy of the Faithful==

=== The Great Entrance ===
As the assembly begins chanting the [[Cherubic Hymn]], the celebrants go to the ''[[Table of oblation|prothesis]]'' or table of preparation. The priest presents the [[diskos]] to the deacon and takes the [[chalice]] himself. The deacon leads the priest through the north door of the icon screen. The clergy bring the gifts in procession to the holy doors, the central doors of the icon screen, while the deacon calls the faithful to attention, asking that the Lord will remember all people in his kingdom. As the holy gifts are carried solemnly through the holy doors, the assembled faithful conclude the Cherubic Hymn. ''(Note: if a deacon is not present, the priest makes this entrance with the diskos and chalice alone.)''

After the priest blesses the faithful, the deacon exclaims, "The doors! The doors!" This famous exclamation once marked the point in the service at which the doors to the temple were locked, with only faithful Christians remaining. Over the centuries, visitors have been allowed to stay, though the solemnity of what follows is still recalled with this phrase.

Then, the Church professes its common faith by reciting the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Creed]]. The liturgical name for this creed is the ''Symbol of Faith'', indicating its importance to early Christians in determining the Orthodoxy of persons claiming to be of the Church.

=== The Anaphora ===
Following the Creed, the priest begins the ''[[anaphora]]'', the great eucharistic prayer over the gifts, so called because of the initial phrase: "Let us lift up our hearts." The two principal anaphoras in use in the Orthodox Church are those of St. [[John Chrysostom]] and St. [[Basil the Great]].

After remembering the history of our fall and redemption and the institution of the eucharistic meal, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, asking that he be sent down on the gifts. It is sometimes noted that this invocation, the ''epiclesis'', is the climax of the change of the gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, but there is not total agreement among Orthodox scholars whether the change can actually be pinpointed to a single moment in the service. It is certainly true that the prayers of the service treat the gifts as consecrated and changed after this point.

Having invoked the Holy Spirit and consecrated the gifts, the priest commemorates the saints, beginning with the Theotokos. At this point, the assembled faithful chant the ancient hymn in honour of the Virgin, "It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the [[cherubim]], beyond compare more glorious than the [[seraphim]], without corruption you gave birth to God, the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify you."

The priest prays that the bishop, in whose name he is celebrating the Liturgy, will be kept in the Orthodox Faith and preserved in health and years.

=== The Communion and Dismissal ===
After consecrating the gifts, commemorating the saints, and praying for the local bishop, the priest lifts up the consecrated gifts, exclaiming, "The holy things are for the holy!" To which the faithful respond, "One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, amen." This phrase unfortunately loses something in English, since we have two words for ''holy'' and ''saint''. In most other languages, this dialogue has a connotation of, "The holy things are for the saints! / Only one is a saint! Only one is Lord: Jesus Christ...." This is a rather prominent reminder that our holiness finds its source in God alone, and particularly in our participation in this communion.

The faithful communicate in Orthodox tradition by receiving in both kinds (bread intincted in the wine) from a spoon, a tradition which dates to the fourth century. Having received the body and blood of the Savior, they take a piece of antidoron. In Russian tradition, a small cup of wine is also offered.

After a [[dismissal]] common to the services of the Church, the faithful come forward to venerate the [[Blessing cross|cross]] and leave the church. Renewed by the eucharistic meal, they are sent forth as witnesses to Christ in the world.

== Forms of the Divine Liturgy ==

The most commonly celebrated forms of the Divine Liturgy are the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], and the slightly older [[Liturgy of St. Basil]]. The former is celebrated on most Sundays and Feast Days, throughout the year, whereas the latter is celebrated in on the six Sundays of Lent (unless the [[Annunciation]] should fall on one of them), and in [[Holy Week]], on Holy Thursday and Great and Holy Saturday, in total, ten times throughout the year. Most of the differences between the two liturgies are in the prayers said by the Priest behind the iconostasis, which were historically inaudible to the congregation, but increasingly in some parishes are heard. A third liturgy, the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], is celebrated on weekdays in Lent, when the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is forbidden, due to its festal nature. The Presanctified Liturgy, documented by [[Gregory the Dialogist]], and historically attributed to him, but according to recent scholarship, very possibly having originated with the [[Oriental Orthodox]] patriarch [[Severus of Antioch]], is celebrated in the early evening, and features the reception of the reserved sacrament, consecrated at the previous Divine Liturgy.

There exist Less commonly celebrated liturgies such as the ancient [[Liturgy of St. James]] and the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]]. The Divine Liturgies of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom are said to derive from the former, which was the ancient Rite of Jerusalem, the see of St. [[James the Just]], with influence from the ancient [[Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles]] historically used in Antioch, whereas the latter is the ancient rite of Alexandria, the See of the [[Apostle Mark]]. The former is increasingly widely celebrated on October 23rd, the Feast of St. James (and also remains the basis for the liturgy of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], while the latter has in recent years been celebrated in some seminaries on the Feast of St. Mark; a variant of it named for [[Cyril of Alexandria]] is occasionally used, mainly in Lent, in the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]. Recently, Metropolitan [[Seraphim (Mentzelopoulos) of Piraeus]] celebrated the Divine Liturgy according to a reconstruction based upon the [[Euchologion of Serapion of Thmuis]], an Alexandrian Rite liturgy similar to that of St. Mark; this may have been the first celebration of that ancient Orthodox liturgy in more than one thousand years.

In the Antiochian [[Western Rite]] Vicarate, two liturgies are used, the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]], derived from the [[Roman Catholic]] Tridentine Mass, and the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]], based on high church Anglican liturgics; in both cases, the liturgies have been corrected to reflect Orthodox theology. The Western Rite parishes in [[ROCOR]] primarily celebrate the [[Sarum Rite]], the ancient use of the Cathedral of Salisbury prior to the Great Schism.

==See also==
* [[Typika]]
* [[Sacraments]]
* [[Blood in the Bible]]
* [[Eucharist]]
* [[Western Rite]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
* Bp. [[Augustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina|Augustinos N. Kantiotes]] (Bp. of Florina, Greece). ''On The Divine Liturgy: Orthodox Homilies''. 2 Volumes. Transl. and forward by Asterios Gerostergios. (Massachusetts: [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs/ Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies], 1986). Complete set ISBN 0-914744-71-2.
:Originally appeared in the Greek under the title: ''' ''Εις την Θειαν Λειτουργιαν, Πατρικαι Ομιλιαι'' ''', published by the Orthodox Missionary Brotherhood, "Ο Σταυρος" ("The Cross"), Athens, 1977.
*Bradshaw, Paul, ed. ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997) ISBN 081466153X.
:Essays on eucharistic prayers (''[[anaphora]]s'') from various periods and locales.
*Cuming, Geoffrey J. and R. C. D. Jasper. ''Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1987) ISBN 0814660851.
:Includes the texts of eucharistic prayers no longer extant as well as early redactions of the [[anaphora]]s of St. James, St. Basil the Great, and St. John Chrysostom.
*[[Emmanuel Hatzikidis|Hatzidakis, Fr. Emmanuel]]. ''The Heavenly Banquet: Understanding the Divine Liturgy'' (2nd ed., Chicago, IL: Orthodox Witness, 2010) ISBN 978-0-9778970-3-2.
:The Divine Liturgy explained. 420p, hardbound.
*[[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]]. ''“The Meaning of the Divine Liturgy for the Byzantine Worshipper.”'' In: Rosemary Morris (ed.), '''Church and People in Byzantium''', Twentieth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies. Manchester, 1986 (Birmingham: Center for Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham, 1990), 7-28. ISBN 0704411008.
*[[Alexander Schmemann|Schmemann, Alexander]]. ''The Eucharist'' (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 1987) ISBN 0881410187.
:A classic reflection on the meaning of the Divine Liturgy from one of the pioneers of [[liturgical theology]].
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Divine Liturgies — Human Problems in Byzantium, Armenia, Syria and Palestine'' (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2001) ISBN 0860788679.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chysostom'' (Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute)
:This is a multi-volume work in progress.
:*Volume II: ''The Great Entrance'' (4th ed., 2004) ISBN 978-8872100994.
:*Volume IV: ''The Diptychs'' (1991) ISBN 978-8872102855.
:*Volume V: ''The Precommunion Rites'' (2000) ISBN 978-8872102855.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It'' (2006). ISBN 978-1932401066.

== External links ==
*[http://orthodoxwitness.org/The-Heavenly-Banquet.html The Heavenly Banquet:Understanding the Divine Liturgy] The most comprehensive commentary on the Divine Liturgy available in the English language.
*[http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/music/Index.html The Divine Liturgies Music Project] Thousands of pages of Byzantine music in English and Greek in Western and Byzantine notation
*[http://www.saintsconstantineandelena.org/Liturgy/liturgy1.htm Orthodox Tradition and the Liturgy] An introduction to Orthodox liturgical practice with lots of photos
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20061205025718/http://sspeterpaul.org/priest.html Priest's Service Book] with links to the Prothesis (Proskomedia), the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Prayers of Thanksgiving, and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Translation by His Eminence, [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]], Archbishop of Dallas and the South ([[OCA]]).
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/sluzhebniks.htm Sluzhebniks for the Liturgy]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/liturgydoc.htm Text of the Liturgy for the Choir]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/lit/ Variable Portions of the Liturgy (Old Calendar)]
*[http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/durham/egeria.html Liturgy of Jerusalem] or Liturgy of St. James
*[http://www.synaxis.info/ SYNAXIS] is dedicated to providing resources for those who are liturgists
*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/taft_evolution.html The Evolution of the Byzantine ''Divine Liturgy''] Robert Taft S. J.
*[http://www.archive.org/details/liturgiesofsmark00nealuoft The Liturgies of S. Mark, S. James, S. Clement, S. Chrysostom, and the Church of Malabar; translated, with introduction and appendices]. Rev. John Mason Neale. London: T. Hayes, 1859.
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1617/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Chrysostom.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1618/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Basil.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)

{{Orthodoxchristianity/wide}}

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[el:Θεία Λειτουργία]]
[[fr:Divine Liturgie]]
[[it:Divina Liturgia]]
[[ro:Sfânta Liturghie]]

Divine Liturgy

2014-05-13T05:40:08Z

Wgw: Added to See also the Typika service, and Sacraments, which seem rather relevant

[[Image:Divine Liturgy, (Damaskinos).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Divine Liturgy]]. [[Michael Damaskinos|Damaskinos]], 1579-1584.]]
{{liturgy}}
The '''Divine Liturgy''' is the primary worship service of the [[Orthodox Church|Church]]. The Divine Liturgy is a [[eucharist]]ic service. It contains two parts: the ''Liturgy of the [[Catechumen]]s'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the Word'', at which the [[Holy Scriptures|Scriptures]] are proclaimed and expounded; and the ''Liturgy of the Faithful'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the [[Eucharist]]'', in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of [[Jesus Christ]], but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The ''Prothesis'' (or ''[[Proskomedia]]''), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the Liturgy proper.

== Preparation ==
Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the [[priest]] and a [[deacon]], if one is serving, begin by preparing the gifts of bread and wine for use in the service. This preparation is itself a considerable service. More than simply setting aside the bread and wine, a robust ritual has developed with elaborate symbolism. Though the main outline is similar for most Orthodox churches, there may be some differences based on which [[typicon]] a jurisdiction uses.

Five loaves of bread are used, reminiscent of the five loaves in the wilderness, from which the masses were fed. During the Prothesis, the priest cuts out a square called the Lamb from the main loaf of bread ([[prosphora]]). This will be consecrated during the Liturgy of the Faithful to become the holy body of Christ. He also removes small particles and places them on the [[diskos]] (or paten) in commemoration of the [[Theotokos]], various saints, and the living and departed faithful. The remainder of the bread is blessed and distributed to parishioners and visitors after the service; this bread is called ''[[antidoron]]''.

During the Prothesis, the priest also blesses wine and water, which are poured into the chalice. Warm water will be added to the chalice after the [[epiclesis]].

Naturally, the gifts are [[incense|censed]] several times during the Prothesis. The conclusion of the Prothesis leads directly into the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.

== Liturgy of the Catechumens==

=== Rites of Entrance ===
{{services}}
After a more or less quiet exchange between the priest and deacon, if one is serving, the Divine Liturgy begins with the memorable exclamation from the priest, "Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages." The assembled faithful respond, "Amen."

The deacon (or priest, if no deacon is serving) continues with the [[Great Litany]], so called because it is longer than most litanies and its petitions touch on the needs of the world: peace and salvation, the Church, her bishops, her faithful, captives and their health and salvation, deliverance from anger and need. It is concluded, as with most litanies, by calling to the remembrance of the faithful the witness of the Theotokos and the saints. In light of that powerful witness, the faithful are charged to commend their lives to Our Lord [[Jesus Christ]]. A closing prayer is exclaimed by the priest.

There follow three [[antiphons]] which vary by day and [[:Category:Jurisdictions|jurisdiction]]. The first two anitphons are followed by a shorter litany and a prayer. The third is followed by the [[Little Entrance]], at which is sung, "O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God... save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!" "Son of God" is normally followed by an insertion, such as "risen from the dead," "wondrous in thy saints," or "through the prayers of the Theotokos," depending on the day.

[[Troparion|Troparia]] and [[kontakion|kontakia]] prescribed for the day, season, and temple follow next.

Having fully entered the church liturgically and gathered together around the Word, the gathered body chants the [[Trisagion]].

=== Rites of Proclamation ===
The proclamation of [[Scripture]] is announced with the [[prokeimenon]], a [[Psalter|psalm]] or canticle refrain sung in responsorial fashion. Then, a [[reader]] proclaims the apostolic reading from an [[epistle]] or from the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. This reading is usually chanted, but a spoken reading may be allowed out of economy for local situations. (In some traditions, the reader starts the chant in a very low voice, and steps up to end of the reading with a high voice. This is a reminder of how the Early Church rose up from the [[catacombs]].)

A triple [[alleluia]] is sung, also with verses as at the prokeimenon. This alleluia announces the Gospel reading. Following the alleluia, there is a short exchange between the priest and the people, after which he or a deacon [[chant|chants]] the Gospel.

Following the Gospel, the priest will often give a [[homily]], a short or medium-length excursus on the Scripture, the season, or the present festival or commemoration, roughly equivalent to the Protestant sermon. The homily may also be given after the communion or even after the dismissal.

The service continues with the [[Litany of Fervent Supplication]], which is marked by an insistent triple repetition of "Lord, have mercy." On certain days this litany is followed by the [[Litany for the Departed]].

The ''Liturgy of the Catechumens'' is concluded by a litany praying for the continued growth of the catechumens in faith, leading up to the day of their baptism. Though many churches do not have catechumens in attendance, this litany remains in the liturgy and serves as a constant reminder of the [[Great Commission]], the foundation of the Church as [[mission]] to the world.

== Liturgy of the Faithful==

=== The Great Entrance ===
As the assembly begins chanting the [[Cherubic Hymn]], the celebrants go to the ''[[Table of oblation|prothesis]]'' or table of preparation. The priest presents the [[diskos]] to the deacon and takes the [[chalice]] himself. The deacon leads the priest through the north door of the icon screen. The clergy bring the gifts in procession to the holy doors, the central doors of the icon screen, while the deacon calls the faithful to attention, asking that the Lord will remember all people in his kingdom. As the holy gifts are carried solemnly through the holy doors, the assembled faithful conclude the Cherubic Hymn. ''(Note: if a deacon is not present, the priest makes this entrance with the diskos and chalice alone.)''

After the priest blesses the faithful, the deacon exclaims, "The doors! The doors!" This famous exclamation once marked the point in the service at which the doors to the temple were locked, with only faithful Christians remaining. Over the centuries, visitors have been allowed to stay, though the solemnity of what follows is still recalled with this phrase.

Then, the Church professes its common faith by reciting the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Creed]]. The liturgical name for this creed is the ''Symbol of Faith'', indicating its importance to early Christians in determining the Orthodoxy of persons claiming to be of the Church.

=== The Anaphora ===
Following the Creed, the priest begins the ''[[anaphora]]'', the great eucharistic prayer over the gifts, so called because of the initial phrase: "Let us lift up our hearts." The two principal anaphoras in use in the Orthodox Church are those of St. [[John Chrysostom]] and St. [[Basil the Great]].

After remembering the history of our fall and redemption and the institution of the eucharistic meal, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, asking that he be sent down on the gifts. It is sometimes noted that this invocation, the ''epiclesis'', is the climax of the change of the gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, but there is not total agreement among Orthodox scholars whether the change can actually be pinpointed to a single moment in the service. It is certainly true that the prayers of the service treat the gifts as consecrated and changed after this point.

Having invoked the Holy Spirit and consecrated the gifts, the priest commemorates the saints, beginning with the Theotokos. At this point, the assembled faithful chant the ancient hymn in honour of the Virgin, "It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the [[cherubim]], beyond compare more glorious than the [[seraphim]], without corruption you gave birth to God, the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify you."

The priest prays that the bishop, in whose name he is celebrating the Liturgy, will be kept in the Orthodox Faith and preserved in health and years.

=== The Communion and Dismissal ===
After consecrating the gifts, commemorating the saints, and praying for the local bishop, the priest lifts up the consecrated gifts, exclaiming, "The holy things are for the holy!" To which the faithful respond, "One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, amen." This phrase unfortunately loses something in English, since we have two words for ''holy'' and ''saint''. In most other languages, this dialogue has a connotation of, "The holy things are for the saints! / Only one is a saint! Only one is Lord: Jesus Christ...." This is a rather prominent reminder that our holiness finds its source in God alone, and particularly in our participation in this communion.

The faithful communicate in Orthodox tradition by receiving in both kinds (bread intincted in the wine) from a spoon, a tradition which dates to the fourth century. Having received the body and blood of the Savior, they take a piece of antidoron. In Russian tradition, a small cup of wine is also offered.

After a [[dismissal]] common to the services of the Church, the faithful come forward to venerate the [[Blessing cross|cross]] and leave the church. Renewed by the eucharistic meal, they are sent forth as witnesses to Christ in the world.

== Forms of the Divine Liturgy ==

The most commonly celebrated forms of the Divine Liturgy are the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], and the slightly older [[Liturgy of St. Basil]]. The former is celebrated on most Sundays and Feast Days, throughout the year, whereas the latter is celebrated in on the six Sundays of Lent (unless the [[Annunciation]] should fall on one of them), and in [[Holy Week]], on Holy Thursday and Great and Holy Saturday, in total, ten times throughout the year. Most of the differences between the two liturgies are in the prayers said by the Priest behind the iconostasis, which were historically inaudible to the congregation, but increasingly in some parishes are heard. A third liturgy, the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], is celebrated on weekdays in Lent, when the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is forbidden, due to its festal nature. The Presanctified Liturgy, documented by [[Gregory Diologos]], and historically attributed to him, but according to recent scholarship, very possibly having originated with the [[Oriental Orthodox]] patriarch [[Severus of Antioch]], is celebrated in the early evening, and features the reception of the reserved sacrament, consecrated at the previous Divine Liturgy.

There exist Less commonly celebrated liturgies such as the ancient [[Liturgy of St. James]] and the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]]. The Divine Liturgies of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom are said to derive from the former, which was the ancient Rite of Jerusalem, the see of St. [[James the Just]], with influence from the ancient [[Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles]] historically used in Antioch, whereas the latter is the ancient rite of Alexandria, the See of St. [[Mark the Evangelist]]. The former is increasingly widely celebrated on October 23rd, the Feast of St. James (and also remains the basis for the liturgy of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], while the latter has in recent years been celebrated in some seminaries on the Feast of St. Mark; a variant of it named for [[St. Cyril]] is occasionally used, mainly in Lent, in the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]. Recently, Metropolitan [[Seraphim of Piraeus]] celebrated the ancient Divine Liturgy of [[St. Serapion]], based on the ancient Priest's Service Book attributed to the same, an Alexandrian Rite liturgy similar to that of St. Mark; this may have been the first celebration of that ancient Orthodox liturgy in more than one thousand years.

In the Antiochian [[Western Rite]] Vicarate, two liturgies are used, the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]], derived from the [[Roman Catholic]] Tridentine Mass, and the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]], based on high church Anglican liturgics; in both cases, the liturgies have been corrected to reflect Orthodox theology. The Western Rite parishes in [[ROCOR]] primarily celebrate the [[Sarum Rite]], the ancient use of the Cathedral of Salisbury prior to the Great Schism.

==See also==
* [[Typika]]
* [[Sacraments]]
* [[Blood in the Bible]]
* [[Eucharist]]
* [[Western Rite]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
* Bp. [[Augustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina|Augustinos N. Kantiotes]] (Bp. of Florina, Greece). ''On The Divine Liturgy: Orthodox Homilies''. 2 Volumes. Transl. and forward by Asterios Gerostergios. (Massachusetts: [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs/ Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies], 1986). Complete set ISBN 0-914744-71-2.
:Originally appeared in the Greek under the title: ''' ''Εις την Θειαν Λειτουργιαν, Πατρικαι Ομιλιαι'' ''', published by the Orthodox Missionary Brotherhood, "Ο Σταυρος" ("The Cross"), Athens, 1977.
*Bradshaw, Paul, ed. ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997) ISBN 081466153X.
:Essays on eucharistic prayers (''[[anaphora]]s'') from various periods and locales.
*Cuming, Geoffrey J. and R. C. D. Jasper. ''Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1987) ISBN 0814660851.
:Includes the texts of eucharistic prayers no longer extant as well as early redactions of the [[anaphora]]s of St. James, St. Basil the Great, and St. John Chrysostom.
*[[Emmanuel Hatzikidis|Hatzidakis, Fr. Emmanuel]]. ''The Heavenly Banquet: Understanding the Divine Liturgy'' (2nd ed., Chicago, IL: Orthodox Witness, 2010) ISBN 978-0-9778970-3-2.
:The Divine Liturgy explained. 420p, hardbound.
*[[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]]. ''“The Meaning of the Divine Liturgy for the Byzantine Worshipper.”'' In: Rosemary Morris (ed.), '''Church and People in Byzantium''', Twentieth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies. Manchester, 1986 (Birmingham: Center for Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham, 1990), 7-28. ISBN 0704411008.
*[[Alexander Schmemann|Schmemann, Alexander]]. ''The Eucharist'' (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 1987) ISBN 0881410187.
:A classic reflection on the meaning of the Divine Liturgy from one of the pioneers of [[liturgical theology]].
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Divine Liturgies — Human Problems in Byzantium, Armenia, Syria and Palestine'' (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2001) ISBN 0860788679.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chysostom'' (Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute)
:This is a multi-volume work in progress.
:*Volume II: ''The Great Entrance'' (4th ed., 2004) ISBN 978-8872100994.
:*Volume IV: ''The Diptychs'' (1991) ISBN 978-8872102855.
:*Volume V: ''The Precommunion Rites'' (2000) ISBN 978-8872102855.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It'' (2006). ISBN 978-1932401066.

== External links ==
*[http://orthodoxwitness.org/The-Heavenly-Banquet.html The Heavenly Banquet:Understanding the Divine Liturgy] The most comprehensive commentary on the Divine Liturgy available in the English language.
*[http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/music/Index.html The Divine Liturgies Music Project] Thousands of pages of Byzantine music in English and Greek in Western and Byzantine notation
*[http://www.saintsconstantineandelena.org/Liturgy/liturgy1.htm Orthodox Tradition and the Liturgy] An introduction to Orthodox liturgical practice with lots of photos
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20061205025718/http://sspeterpaul.org/priest.html Priest's Service Book] with links to the Prothesis (Proskomedia), the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Prayers of Thanksgiving, and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Translation by His Eminence, [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]], Archbishop of Dallas and the South ([[OCA]]).
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/sluzhebniks.htm Sluzhebniks for the Liturgy]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/liturgydoc.htm Text of the Liturgy for the Choir]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/lit/ Variable Portions of the Liturgy (Old Calendar)]
*[http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/durham/egeria.html Liturgy of Jerusalem] or Liturgy of St. James
*[http://www.synaxis.info/ SYNAXIS] is dedicated to providing resources for those who are liturgists
*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/taft_evolution.html The Evolution of the Byzantine ''Divine Liturgy''] Robert Taft S. J.
*[http://www.archive.org/details/liturgiesofsmark00nealuoft The Liturgies of S. Mark, S. James, S. Clement, S. Chrysostom, and the Church of Malabar; translated, with introduction and appendices]. Rev. John Mason Neale. London: T. Hayes, 1859.
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1617/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Chrysostom.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1618/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Basil.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)

{{Orthodoxchristianity/wide}}

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[el:Θεία Λειτουργία]]
[[fr:Divine Liturgie]]
[[it:Divina Liturgia]]
[[ro:Sfânta Liturghie]]

Divine Liturgy

2014-05-13T05:37:35Z

Wgw: Added more detail on the varieties of the liturgy; some links may need fixing (which I'll get to shortly; I have a headache)

[[Image:Divine Liturgy, (Damaskinos).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Divine Liturgy]]. [[Michael Damaskinos|Damaskinos]], 1579-1584.]]
{{liturgy}}
The '''Divine Liturgy''' is the primary worship service of the [[Orthodox Church|Church]]. The Divine Liturgy is a [[eucharist]]ic service. It contains two parts: the ''Liturgy of the [[Catechumen]]s'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the Word'', at which the [[Holy Scriptures|Scriptures]] are proclaimed and expounded; and the ''Liturgy of the Faithful'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the [[Eucharist]]'', in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of [[Jesus Christ]], but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The ''Prothesis'' (or ''[[Proskomedia]]''), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the Liturgy proper.

== Preparation ==
Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the [[priest]] and a [[deacon]], if one is serving, begin by preparing the gifts of bread and wine for use in the service. This preparation is itself a considerable service. More than simply setting aside the bread and wine, a robust ritual has developed with elaborate symbolism. Though the main outline is similar for most Orthodox churches, there may be some differences based on which [[typicon]] a jurisdiction uses.

Five loaves of bread are used, reminiscent of the five loaves in the wilderness, from which the masses were fed. During the Prothesis, the priest cuts out a square called the Lamb from the main loaf of bread ([[prosphora]]). This will be consecrated during the Liturgy of the Faithful to become the holy body of Christ. He also removes small particles and places them on the [[diskos]] (or paten) in commemoration of the [[Theotokos]], various saints, and the living and departed faithful. The remainder of the bread is blessed and distributed to parishioners and visitors after the service; this bread is called ''[[antidoron]]''.

During the Prothesis, the priest also blesses wine and water, which are poured into the chalice. Warm water will be added to the chalice after the [[epiclesis]].

Naturally, the gifts are [[incense|censed]] several times during the Prothesis. The conclusion of the Prothesis leads directly into the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.

== Liturgy of the Catechumens==

=== Rites of Entrance ===
{{services}}
After a more or less quiet exchange between the priest and deacon, if one is serving, the Divine Liturgy begins with the memorable exclamation from the priest, "Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages." The assembled faithful respond, "Amen."

The deacon (or priest, if no deacon is serving) continues with the [[Great Litany]], so called because it is longer than most litanies and its petitions touch on the needs of the world: peace and salvation, the Church, her bishops, her faithful, captives and their health and salvation, deliverance from anger and need. It is concluded, as with most litanies, by calling to the remembrance of the faithful the witness of the Theotokos and the saints. In light of that powerful witness, the faithful are charged to commend their lives to Our Lord [[Jesus Christ]]. A closing prayer is exclaimed by the priest.

There follow three [[antiphons]] which vary by day and [[:Category:Jurisdictions|jurisdiction]]. The first two anitphons are followed by a shorter litany and a prayer. The third is followed by the [[Little Entrance]], at which is sung, "O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God... save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!" "Son of God" is normally followed by an insertion, such as "risen from the dead," "wondrous in thy saints," or "through the prayers of the Theotokos," depending on the day.

[[Troparion|Troparia]] and [[kontakion|kontakia]] prescribed for the day, season, and temple follow next.

Having fully entered the church liturgically and gathered together around the Word, the gathered body chants the [[Trisagion]].

=== Rites of Proclamation ===
The proclamation of [[Scripture]] is announced with the [[prokeimenon]], a [[Psalter|psalm]] or canticle refrain sung in responsorial fashion. Then, a [[reader]] proclaims the apostolic reading from an [[epistle]] or from the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. This reading is usually chanted, but a spoken reading may be allowed out of economy for local situations. (In some traditions, the reader starts the chant in a very low voice, and steps up to end of the reading with a high voice. This is a reminder of how the Early Church rose up from the [[catacombs]].)

A triple [[alleluia]] is sung, also with verses as at the prokeimenon. This alleluia announces the Gospel reading. Following the alleluia, there is a short exchange between the priest and the people, after which he or a deacon [[chant|chants]] the Gospel.

Following the Gospel, the priest will often give a [[homily]], a short or medium-length excursus on the Scripture, the season, or the present festival or commemoration, roughly equivalent to the Protestant sermon. The homily may also be given after the communion or even after the dismissal.

The service continues with the [[Litany of Fervent Supplication]], which is marked by an insistent triple repetition of "Lord, have mercy." On certain days this litany is followed by the [[Litany for the Departed]].

The ''Liturgy of the Catechumens'' is concluded by a litany praying for the continued growth of the catechumens in faith, leading up to the day of their baptism. Though many churches do not have catechumens in attendance, this litany remains in the liturgy and serves as a constant reminder of the [[Great Commission]], the foundation of the Church as [[mission]] to the world.

== Liturgy of the Faithful==

=== The Great Entrance ===
As the assembly begins chanting the [[Cherubic Hymn]], the celebrants go to the ''[[Table of oblation|prothesis]]'' or table of preparation. The priest presents the [[diskos]] to the deacon and takes the [[chalice]] himself. The deacon leads the priest through the north door of the icon screen. The clergy bring the gifts in procession to the holy doors, the central doors of the icon screen, while the deacon calls the faithful to attention, asking that the Lord will remember all people in his kingdom. As the holy gifts are carried solemnly through the holy doors, the assembled faithful conclude the Cherubic Hymn. ''(Note: if a deacon is not present, the priest makes this entrance with the diskos and chalice alone.)''

After the priest blesses the faithful, the deacon exclaims, "The doors! The doors!" This famous exclamation once marked the point in the service at which the doors to the temple were locked, with only faithful Christians remaining. Over the centuries, visitors have been allowed to stay, though the solemnity of what follows is still recalled with this phrase.

Then, the Church professes its common faith by reciting the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Creed]]. The liturgical name for this creed is the ''Symbol of Faith'', indicating its importance to early Christians in determining the Orthodoxy of persons claiming to be of the Church.

=== The Anaphora ===
Following the Creed, the priest begins the ''[[anaphora]]'', the great eucharistic prayer over the gifts, so called because of the initial phrase: "Let us lift up our hearts." The two principal anaphoras in use in the Orthodox Church are those of St. [[John Chrysostom]] and St. [[Basil the Great]].

After remembering the history of our fall and redemption and the institution of the eucharistic meal, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, asking that he be sent down on the gifts. It is sometimes noted that this invocation, the ''epiclesis'', is the climax of the change of the gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, but there is not total agreement among Orthodox scholars whether the change can actually be pinpointed to a single moment in the service. It is certainly true that the prayers of the service treat the gifts as consecrated and changed after this point.

Having invoked the Holy Spirit and consecrated the gifts, the priest commemorates the saints, beginning with the Theotokos. At this point, the assembled faithful chant the ancient hymn in honour of the Virgin, "It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the [[cherubim]], beyond compare more glorious than the [[seraphim]], without corruption you gave birth to God, the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify you."

The priest prays that the bishop, in whose name he is celebrating the Liturgy, will be kept in the Orthodox Faith and preserved in health and years.

=== The Communion and Dismissal ===
After consecrating the gifts, commemorating the saints, and praying for the local bishop, the priest lifts up the consecrated gifts, exclaiming, "The holy things are for the holy!" To which the faithful respond, "One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, amen." This phrase unfortunately loses something in English, since we have two words for ''holy'' and ''saint''. In most other languages, this dialogue has a connotation of, "The holy things are for the saints! / Only one is a saint! Only one is Lord: Jesus Christ...." This is a rather prominent reminder that our holiness finds its source in God alone, and particularly in our participation in this communion.

The faithful communicate in Orthodox tradition by receiving in both kinds (bread intincted in the wine) from a spoon, a tradition which dates to the fourth century. Having received the body and blood of the Savior, they take a piece of antidoron. In Russian tradition, a small cup of wine is also offered.

After a [[dismissal]] common to the services of the Church, the faithful come forward to venerate the [[Blessing cross|cross]] and leave the church. Renewed by the eucharistic meal, they are sent forth as witnesses to Christ in the world.

== Forms of the Divine Liturgy ==

The most commonly celebrated forms of the Divine Liturgy are the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], and the slightly older [[Liturgy of St. Basil]]. The former is celebrated on most Sundays and Feast Days, throughout the year, whereas the latter is celebrated in on the six Sundays of Lent (unless the [[Annunciation]] should fall on one of them), and in [[Holy Week]], on Holy Thursday and Great and Holy Saturday, in total, ten times throughout the year. Most of the differences between the two liturgies are in the prayers said by the Priest behind the iconostasis, which were historically inaudible to the congregation, but increasingly in some parishes are heard. A third liturgy, the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], is celebrated on weekdays in Lent, when the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is forbidden, due to its festal nature. The Presanctified Liturgy, documented by [[Gregory Diologos]], and historically attributed to him, but according to recent scholarship, very possibly having originated with the [[Oriental Orthodox]] patriarch [[Severus of Antioch]], is celebrated in the early evening, and features the reception of the reserved sacrament, consecrated at the previous Divine Liturgy.

There exist Less commonly celebrated liturgies such as the ancient [[Liturgy of St. James]] and the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]]. The Divine Liturgies of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom are said to derive from the former, which was the ancient Rite of Jerusalem, the see of St. [[James the Just]], with influence from the ancient [[Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles]] historically used in Antioch, whereas the latter is the ancient rite of Alexandria, the See of St. [[Mark the Evangelist]]. The former is increasingly widely celebrated on October 23rd, the Feast of St. James (and also remains the basis for the liturgy of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], while the latter has in recent years been celebrated in some seminaries on the Feast of St. Mark; a variant of it named for [[St. Cyril]] is occasionally used, mainly in Lent, in the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]. Recently, Metropolitan [[Seraphim of Piraeus]] celebrated the ancient Divine Liturgy of [[St. Serapion]], based on the ancient Priest's Service Book attributed to the same, an Alexandrian Rite liturgy similar to that of St. Mark; this may have been the first celebration of that ancient Orthodox liturgy in more than one thousand years.

In the Antiochian [[Western Rite]] Vicarate, two liturgies are used, the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]], derived from the [[Roman Catholic]] Tridentine Mass, and the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]], based on high church Anglican liturgics; in both cases, the liturgies have been corrected to reflect Orthodox theology. The Western Rite parishes in [[ROCOR]] primarily celebrate the [[Sarum Rite]], the ancient use of the Cathedral of Salisbury prior to the Great Schism.

==See also==
* [[Blood in the Bible]]
* [[Eucharist]]
* [[Western Rite]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
* Bp. [[Augustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina|Augustinos N. Kantiotes]] (Bp. of Florina, Greece). ''On The Divine Liturgy: Orthodox Homilies''. 2 Volumes. Transl. and forward by Asterios Gerostergios. (Massachusetts: [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs/ Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies], 1986). Complete set ISBN 0-914744-71-2.
:Originally appeared in the Greek under the title: ''' ''Εις την Θειαν Λειτουργιαν, Πατρικαι Ομιλιαι'' ''', published by the Orthodox Missionary Brotherhood, "Ο Σταυρος" ("The Cross"), Athens, 1977.
*Bradshaw, Paul, ed. ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997) ISBN 081466153X.
:Essays on eucharistic prayers (''[[anaphora]]s'') from various periods and locales.
*Cuming, Geoffrey J. and R. C. D. Jasper. ''Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1987) ISBN 0814660851.
:Includes the texts of eucharistic prayers no longer extant as well as early redactions of the [[anaphora]]s of St. James, St. Basil the Great, and St. John Chrysostom.
*[[Emmanuel Hatzikidis|Hatzidakis, Fr. Emmanuel]]. ''The Heavenly Banquet: Understanding the Divine Liturgy'' (2nd ed., Chicago, IL: Orthodox Witness, 2010) ISBN 978-0-9778970-3-2.
:The Divine Liturgy explained. 420p, hardbound.
*[[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]]. ''“The Meaning of the Divine Liturgy for the Byzantine Worshipper.”'' In: Rosemary Morris (ed.), '''Church and People in Byzantium''', Twentieth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies. Manchester, 1986 (Birmingham: Center for Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham, 1990), 7-28. ISBN 0704411008.
*[[Alexander Schmemann|Schmemann, Alexander]]. ''The Eucharist'' (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 1987) ISBN 0881410187.
:A classic reflection on the meaning of the Divine Liturgy from one of the pioneers of [[liturgical theology]].
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Divine Liturgies — Human Problems in Byzantium, Armenia, Syria and Palestine'' (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2001) ISBN 0860788679.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chysostom'' (Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute)
:This is a multi-volume work in progress.
:*Volume II: ''The Great Entrance'' (4th ed., 2004) ISBN 978-8872100994.
:*Volume IV: ''The Diptychs'' (1991) ISBN 978-8872102855.
:*Volume V: ''The Precommunion Rites'' (2000) ISBN 978-8872102855.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It'' (2006). ISBN 978-1932401066.

== External links ==
*[http://orthodoxwitness.org/The-Heavenly-Banquet.html The Heavenly Banquet:Understanding the Divine Liturgy] The most comprehensive commentary on the Divine Liturgy available in the English language.
*[http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/music/Index.html The Divine Liturgies Music Project] Thousands of pages of Byzantine music in English and Greek in Western and Byzantine notation
*[http://www.saintsconstantineandelena.org/Liturgy/liturgy1.htm Orthodox Tradition and the Liturgy] An introduction to Orthodox liturgical practice with lots of photos
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20061205025718/http://sspeterpaul.org/priest.html Priest's Service Book] with links to the Prothesis (Proskomedia), the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Prayers of Thanksgiving, and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Translation by His Eminence, [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]], Archbishop of Dallas and the South ([[OCA]]).
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/sluzhebniks.htm Sluzhebniks for the Liturgy]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/liturgydoc.htm Text of the Liturgy for the Choir]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/lit/ Variable Portions of the Liturgy (Old Calendar)]
*[http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/durham/egeria.html Liturgy of Jerusalem] or Liturgy of St. James
*[http://www.synaxis.info/ SYNAXIS] is dedicated to providing resources for those who are liturgists
*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/taft_evolution.html The Evolution of the Byzantine ''Divine Liturgy''] Robert Taft S. J.
*[http://www.archive.org/details/liturgiesofsmark00nealuoft The Liturgies of S. Mark, S. James, S. Clement, S. Chrysostom, and the Church of Malabar; translated, with introduction and appendices]. Rev. John Mason Neale. London: T. Hayes, 1859.
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1617/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Chrysostom.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1618/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Basil.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)

{{Orthodoxchristianity/wide}}

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[el:Θεία Λειτουργία]]
[[fr:Divine Liturgie]]
[[it:Divina Liturgia]]
[[ro:Sfânta Liturghie]]

Liturgy of St. James

2014-04-25T01:45:00Z

Wgw: fixed one more bug

[[Image:Jamesbrotherlord.jpg|right|thumb|James the Brother of the Lord]]
The '''Divine Liturgy of St. James''' is the oldest [[Eucharist]]ic service in continuous use. It is the ancient liturgy of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] and is attributed to the [[Apostle]] [[James the Just]], the Brother of the Lord. It is often celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Churches on the feast of St. James ([[October 23]]).

__TOC__

==History of the Liturgy==
The general scholarly consensus is that this liturgy originated in Jerusalem during the late fourth or early fifth century. It quickly became the primary liturgy in Jerusalem and Antioch. Although it was later superseded in Jerusalem and Antioch by the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]] and the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], it had already spread to other areas of the Church. The oldest manuscript traditions are in Greek and Syriac, and there are also extant manuscripts in Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic.

One leading theory today is that of John Fenwick, who argues that the similarities between this liturgy and that of St. Basil demonstrate their respective developments from a common source, now lost, but which is best preserved in the Egyptian recension of the Liturgy of St Basil. Fenwick suggests that the Liturgy of St. James was composed by St. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] c. 370.

==Eastern Orthodox Use==
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the liturgy is now generally only celebrated on the Feast of St. James, on October 23rd, and only in some parishes and monasteries, particularly in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Two different rubrics are commonly followed; the Slavonic liturgy linked to in full below is celebrated in the traditional manner, ''ad orientem'', on an altar behind the iconostasis, in a manner similar to the contemporary Syriac Orthodox use.

In the Greek-speaking Orthodox communities, such as in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the liturgy is commonly celebrated in a very different manner, with a temporary altar erected in front of the iconostasis, and the celebrant conducting the liturgy ''versus populum''. This version is frequently celebrated with 12 priests and 1 bishop, or 13 priests, in order to convey the idea of the re-enactment of the Last Supper.

===Liturgy of the Catechumens===
In the Byzantine use, the Liturgy of the Catechumens proceeds in a manner relatively similar to that of the other Divine Liturgies. Present editions include the essentially the standard litanies, incense is offered, the Trisagion is sung, and the lessons proceed as normal. The content of some of the prayers is somewhat different, however, most notably the petition with which the celebrant concludes the Prothesis.

"Defiled as I am by many sins, do not utterly reject me, Master, Lord, our God. For see, I draw near to this divine and heavenly mystery, not as though I were worthy, but, looking to your goodness, I raise my voice to you, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner. For I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to lift up my eyes to this your sacred and spiritual Table, on which your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically set forth as a sacrifice by me, a sinner stained by every defilement. Therefore I bring you this supplication, that your Spirit, the Advocate, may be sent down to me, strengthening and preparing me for this ministry. And grant that without condemnation the word that has been declared by you may be proclaimed by me to the people in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, life-giving and consubstantial Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."

===Liturgy of the Faithful===

Following the Dismissal of the Catechumens, the changes in content become more noticeable, as the hymn ''Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent'' is sung; this hymn is also sung during the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Great and Holy Saturday. The Anaphora itself is quite long, and highly formal, although it does not in present recensions stretch out to its once-legendary length (for it is said that Basil, observing the difficulty people had standing through the four hour liturgy of St. James, shortened it in his own liturgy to two and a half hours, and St. John Chrysostom, not without some annoyance, was forced to shave off an additional hour when composing his own liturgy, now the standard liturgy of the Orthodox Church, owing to the short attention span of his flock).

In the Eucharistic Epiclesis, following the words of institution, the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Gifts is emphasized with particular vigor. This is by no means a weak epiclesis, but is as intense and passionate as that of St. John Chrysostom itself, attesting to an ancient belief in the real change of the elements.

==Syriac Orthodox Use==

{{oriental}}

While the Divine Liturgy of St. James is seldom celebrated in the Byzantine churches, it remains the principle liturgy of the Syriac Orthodox church, in both those ethnically Syriac parishes, and among those St. Thomas Christians in India under its jurisdiction. It is also widely used by other St. Thomas Christians in India who are not in communion with the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, such as the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church; its liturgical influence is even felt in the Protestant Church of South India.

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the liturgy is always celebrated ad orientem, typically on a holy table attached to the wall at the end of the altar, with three ascending steps, richly furnished in the red and gold grapevine pattern that characterizes Syriac Orthodox vestments. A canopy is frequently present over the altar. The Liturgy of the Catechumens is always the same, however, it is used with a great variety of anaphorae, most derived from that of St. James, but others, from other sources, such as the ancient Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles.

===Liturgy of the Catechumens===
In the Syriac Orthodox use, a series of hymns precede the unveiling of the sanctuary at the start of the liturgy, most notably the Petition of Mor Balai, followed by the hymn "By Your Light." As the curtain is unveiled, the Priest prays a Marian intercession, followed by the Metrical Homily of St. Severus "I will exalt you, O My Lord." This is followed by the chanting of the Trisagion, with the "Theopaschite Clause" ("...Who wast crucified for us...") inserted, as is standard in the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion.

Before the reading of the Epistle, which is generally a Pauline epistle, Galatians 1:8 is sung in the form of a hymn, beginning with "I heard Paul the Blessed Apostle say..." The Epistle is commonly read in the vernacular by a lector or subdeacon, from one of the lecterns; the Gopsel is always read by the Priest on the ambo, generally from an ornate Gospel Book containing icons of the evangelists, which the Syriac faithful will kiss at the end of the Divine Liturgy. In the Syriac Orthodox church, the use of animal products in the altar is prohibited to an even stricter extent than within the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the clergy typically wear ornate liturgical slippers.

===Liturgy of the Faithful===

In the tradition of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Kiss of Peace has never been restricted to clergy, but is rather conveyed to the laity in a dignified and efficient manner. Two clergy in minor orders, typically boys, will receive the kiss of peace from the celebrant, and will then proceed down each side of the central aisle. The parishioner standing close to the aisle will clasp hands with them, and then proceed to kiss their hands, before conveying the kiss down their own aisle. Those present do not move around to exchange the kiss with others not in their immediate vicinity, as in the disruptive manner in many contemporary Roman Catholic and Anglican parish churches.

A diversity of anaphorae, said to number 86, exist in the Syriac Orthodox Church, but most parishes celebrate no more than four of these in the course of the liturgical year. However, unlike in the Coptic church, the additional anaphorae that remain "On the books" are in no way officially suppressed. These anaphorae at times substantially differ from that of St. James, but the Anaphora of St. James is the longest of them, and its use is canonically mandated for certain occasions, such as the first divine liturgy celebrated by a newly ordained priest, and the first divine liturgy celebrated at a newly consecrated church. Other Anaphorae of note include that of the Twelve Apostles, which is particularly ancient and influenced that of St. John Chrysostom, the Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom, which resembles in many respects his liturgy as celebrated in the Byzantine tradition, and the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, who wrote a famous commentary on the Syriac liturgy; his Anaphora is in many respects a highly condensed version of that of St. James, and is the shortest anaphora in common use in the Syriac Church, and one of the most frequently celebrated.

Very intense language, similar to that of the Byzantine form of the liturgy, is used; the Syriac form shares the emphasis on the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the deacon intoning "How dreadful is this hour, my brethren, when the Holy Spirit takes wing and descends on the altar..." Flagellum are used frequently throughout the consecration; unlike in the Byzantine Rite, these flagellum are fitted with bells, and are used at certain climactic moments throughout the rite of consecration, including the Words of Institution and the Epiclesis.

It is customary in the Syriac Orthodox Church for the laity to receive communion after the general dismissal. Those who are not communicating will exit the sanctuary, receiving the antidoron, while those partaking will approach the now veiled altar, and receive the Eucharist from the priest, while the Metrical Homily of St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung by the deacons behind the curtain ("The Lord Whom the seraphs fear to look at, The same you behold in bread and wine on the altar..."). The laity are communed in both species, by way of intinction, with the wine-soaked bread received on the tongue.

==Bibliographical Resources==
*The Faculty of Hellenic College: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, ''The Divine Liturgy of Saint James (Iakovos), Brother of the Lord'' (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1988). ISBN 0917651596.
*''The Divine Liturgy of St James'' (The Monks of New Skete, 1996). ISBN 0935129375.
*John R. K. Fenwick, ''The Anaphoras of St Basil and St James: An Investigation into Their Common Origin'' (''Orientalia Christiana Analecta'', 1992). ISBN 8872102952.
*Baby Varghese, ''The Syriac Version of the Liturgy of St James: A Brief History for Students'' (Grove Books, 2001). ISBN 185174469X.
*John D. Witvliet, "Tha Anaphora of St. James," in Paul F. Bradshaw, ed., ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Pueblo, 1997). ISBN 081466153X.
*Phillip Tovey, ''The Liturgy of St James as presently used'' (Grove Books, 1998). ISBN 185174

==External links==
*[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/lit-james.htm "Divine Liturgy of James the Apostle and Brother of God"]: brief introduction and e-text as translated by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash.
*[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-07/anf07-63.htm#P8122_2593853 Liturgy of St. James in Ante-Nicene Fathers]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08371a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'':] Article in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' on the "Liturgy of Jerusalem"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY] A video of the Divine Liturgy of St. James served in Church Slavonic
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBzve9XHas] The Syriac Orthodox Holy Qurbono, based on the Divine Liturgy of St. James (most probably served with the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi).
*[https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Ac8J7Wuis] The contemporary Greek use of the Divine Liturgy, with a temporary altar table in front of the iconostasis, thirteen concelebrants, and celebration ''versus populum''.

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[ro:Liturghia Sfântului Iosif]]

Liturgy of St. James

2014-04-25T01:44:04Z

Wgw: whoops got it backwards

[[Image:Jamesbrotherlord.jpg|right|thumb|James the Brother of the Lord]]
The '''Divine Liturgy of St. James''' is the oldest [[Eucharist]]ic service in continuous use. It is the ancient liturgy of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] and is attributed to the [[Apostle]] [[James the Just]], the Brother of the Lord. It is often celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Churches on the feast of St. James ([[October 23]]).

__TOC__

==History of the Liturgy==
The general scholarly consensus is that this liturgy originated in Jerusalem during the late fourth or early fifth century. It quickly became the primary liturgy in Jerusalem and Antioch. Although it was later superseded in Jerusalem and Antioch by the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]] and the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], it had already spread to other areas of the Church. The oldest manuscript traditions are in Greek and Syriac, and there are also extant manuscripts in Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic.

One leading theory today is that of John Fenwick, who argues that the similarities between this liturgy and that of St. Basil demonstrate their respective developments from a common source, now lost, but which is best preserved in the Egyptian recension of the Liturgy of St Basil. Fenwick suggests that the Liturgy of St. James was composed by St. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] c. 370.

==Eastern Orthodox Use==
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the liturgy is now generally only celebrated on the Feast of St. James, on October 23rd, and only in some parishes and monasteries, particularly in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Two different rubrics are commonly followed; the Slavonic liturgy linked to in full below is celebrated in the traditional manner, ''ad orientem'', on an altar behind the iconostasis, in a manner similar to the contemporary Syriac Orthodox use.

In the Greek-speaking Orthodox communities, such as in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the liturgy is commonly celebrated in a very different manner, with a temporary altar erected in front of the iconostasis, and the celebrant conducting the liturgy ''versus populum''. This version is frequently celebrated with 12 priests and 1 bishop, or 13 priests, in order to convey the idea of the re-enactment of the Last Supper.

===Liturgy of the Catechumens===
In the Byzantine use, the Liturgy of the Catechumens proceeds in a manner relatively similar to that of the other Divine Liturgies. Present editions include the essentially the standard litanies, incense is offered, the Trisagion is sung, and the lessons proceed as normal. The content of some of the prayers is somewhat different, however, most notably the petition with which the celebrant concludes the Prothesis.

"Defiled as I am by many sins, do not utterly reject me, Master, Lord, our God. For see, I draw near to this divine and heavenly mystery, not as though I were worthy, but, looking to your goodness, I raise my voice to you, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner. For I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to lift up my eyes to this your sacred and spiritual Table, on which your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically set forth as a sacrifice by me, a sinner stained by every defilement. Therefore I bring you this supplication, that your Spirit, the Advocate, may be sent down to me, strengthening and preparing me for this ministry. And grant that without condemnation the word that has been declared by you may be proclaimed by me to the people in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, life-giving and consubstantial Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."

===Liturgy of the Faithful===

Following the Dismissal of the Catechumens, the changes in content become more noticeable, as the hymn ''Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent'' is sung; this hymn is also sung during the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Great and Holy Saturday. The Anaphora itself is quite long, and highly formal, although it does not in present recensions stretch out to its once-legendary length (for it is said that Basil, observing the difficulty people had standing through the four hour liturgy of St. James, shortened it in his own liturgy to two and a half hours, and St. John Chrysostom, not without some annoyance, was forced to shave off an additional hour when composing his own liturgy, now the standard liturgy of the Orthodox Church, owing to the short attention span of his flock).

In the Eucharistic Epiclesis, following the words of institution, the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Gifts is emphasized with particular vigor. This is by no means a weak epiclesis, but is as intense and passionate as that of St. John Chrysostom itself, attesting to an ancient belief in the real change of the elements.

==Syriac Orthodox Use==

{{oriental}}

While the Divine Liturgy of St. James is seldom celebrated in the Byzantine churches, it remains the principle liturgy of the Syriac Orthodox church, in both those ethnically Syriac parishes, and among those St. Thomas Christians in India under its jurisdiction. It is also widely used by other St. Thomas Christians in India who are not in communion with the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, such as the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church; its liturgical influence is even felt in the Protestant Church of South India.

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the liturgy is always celebrated ad orientem, typically on a holy table attached to the wall at the end of the altar, with three ascending steps, richly furnished in the red and gold grapevine pattern that characterizes Syriac Orthodox vestments. A canopy is frequently present over the altar. The Liturgy of the Catechumens is always the same, however, it is used with a great variety of anaphorae, most derived from that of St. James, but others, from other sources, such as the ancient Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles.

===Liturgy of the Catechumens===
In the Syriac Orthodox use, a series of hymns precede the unveiling of the sanctuary at the start of the liturgy, most notably the Petition of Mor Balai, followed by the hymn "By Your Light." As the curtain is unveiled, the Priest prays a Marian intercession, followed by the Metrical Homily of St. Severus "I will exalt you, O My Lord." This is followed by the chanting of the Trisagion, with the "Theopaschite Clause" ("...Who wast crucified for us...") inserted, as is standard in the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion.

Before the reading of the Epistle, which is generally a Pauline epistle, Galatians 1:8 is sung in the form of a hymn, beginning with "I heard Paul the Blessed Apostle say..." The Epistle is commonly read in the vernacular by a lector or subdeacon, from one of the lecterns; the Gopsel is always read by the Priest on the ambo, generally from an ornate Gospel Book containing icons of the evangelists, which the Syriac faithful will kiss at the end of the Divine Liturgy. In the Syriac Orthodox church, the use of animal products in the altar is prohibited to an even stricter extent than within the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the clergy typically wear ornate liturgical slippers.

===Liturgy of the Faithful===

In the tradition of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Kiss of Peace has never been restricted to clergy, but is rather conveyed to the laity in a dignified and efficient manner. Two clergy in minor orders, typically boys, will receive the kiss of peace from the celebrant, and will then proceed down each side of the central aisle. The parishioner standing close to the aisle will clasp hands with them, and then proceed to kiss their hands, before conveying the kiss down their own aisle. Those present do not move around to exchange the kiss with others not in their immediate vicinity, as in the disruptive manner in many contemporary Roman Catholic and Anglican parish churches.

A diversity of anaphorae, said to number 86, exist in the Syriac Orthodox Church, but most parishes celebrate no more than four of these in the course of the liturgical year. However, unlike in the Coptic church, the additional anaphorae that remain "On the books" are in no way officially suppressed. These anaphorae at times substantially differ from that of St. James, but the Anaphora of St. James is the longest of them, and its use is canonically mandated for certain occasions, such as the first divine liturgy celebrated by a newly ordained priest, and the first divine liturgy celebrated at a newly consecrated church. Other Anaphorae of note include that of the Twelve Apostles, which is particularly ancient and influenced that of St. John Chrysostom, the Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom, which resembles in many respects his liturgy as celebrated in the Byzantine tradition, and the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, who wrote a famous commentary on the Syriac liturgy; his Anaphora is in many respects a highly condensed version of that of St. James, and is the shortest anaphora in common use in the Syriac Church, and one of the most frequently celebrated.

Very intense language, similar to that of the Byzantine form of the liturgy, is used; the Syriac form shares the emphasis on the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the deacon intoning "How dreadful is this hour, my brethren, when the Holy Spirit takes wing and descends on the altar..." Flagellum are used frequently throughout the consecration; unlike in the Byzantine Rite, these flagellum are fitted with bells, and are used at certain climactic moments throughout the rite of consecration, including the Words of Institution and the Epiclesis.

It is customary in the Syriac Orthodox Church for the laity to receive communion after the general dismissal. Those who are not communicating will exit the sanctuary, receiving the antidoron, while those partaking will approach the now veiled altar, and receive the Eucharist from the priest, while the Metrical Homily of St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung by the deacons behind the curtain ("The Lord Whom the seraphs fear to look at,
The same you behold in bread and wine on the altar..."). The laity are communed in both species, by way of intinction, with the wine-soaked bread received on the tongue.

==Bibliographical Resources==
*The Faculty of Hellenic College: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, ''The Divine Liturgy of Saint James (Iakovos), Brother of the Lord'' (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1988). ISBN 0917651596.
*''The Divine Liturgy of St James'' (The Monks of New Skete, 1996). ISBN 0935129375.
*John R. K. Fenwick, ''The Anaphoras of St Basil and St James: An Investigation into Their Common Origin'' (''Orientalia Christiana Analecta'', 1992). ISBN 8872102952.
*Baby Varghese, ''The Syriac Version of the Liturgy of St James: A Brief History for Students'' (Grove Books, 2001). ISBN 185174469X.
*John D. Witvliet, "Tha Anaphora of St. James," in Paul F. Bradshaw, ed., ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Pueblo, 1997). ISBN 081466153X.
*Phillip Tovey, ''The Liturgy of St James as presently used'' (Grove Books, 1998). ISBN 185174

==External links==
*[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/lit-james.htm "Divine Liturgy of James the Apostle and Brother of God"]: brief introduction and e-text as translated by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash.
*[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-07/anf07-63.htm#P8122_2593853 Liturgy of St. James in Ante-Nicene Fathers]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08371a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'':] Article in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' on the "Liturgy of Jerusalem"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY] A video of the Divine Liturgy of St. James served in Church Slavonic
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBzve9XHas] The Syriac Orthodox Holy Qurbono, based on the Divine Liturgy of St. James (most probably served with the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi).
*[https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Ac8J7Wuis] The contemporary Greek use of the Divine Liturgy, with a temporary altar table in front of the iconostasis, thirteen concelebrants, and celebration ''versus populum''.

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[ro:Liturghia Sfântului Iosif]]

Liturgy of St. James

2014-04-25T01:42:45Z

Wgw: minor change in layout

[[Image:Jamesbrotherlord.jpg|right|thumb|James the Brother of the Lord]]
The '''Divine Liturgy of St. James''' is the oldest [[Eucharist]]ic service in continuous use. It is the ancient liturgy of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] and is attributed to the [[Apostle]] [[James the Just]], the Brother of the Lord. It is often celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Churches on the feast of St. James ([[October 23]]).

__TOC__

===History of the Liturgy===
The general scholarly consensus is that this liturgy originated in Jerusalem during the late fourth or early fifth century. It quickly became the primary liturgy in Jerusalem and Antioch. Although it was later superseded in Jerusalem and Antioch by the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]] and the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], it had already spread to other areas of the Church. The oldest manuscript traditions are in Greek and Syriac, and there are also extant manuscripts in Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic.

One leading theory today is that of John Fenwick, who argues that the similarities between this liturgy and that of St. Basil demonstrate their respective developments from a common source, now lost, but which is best preserved in the Egyptian recension of the Liturgy of St Basil. Fenwick suggests that the Liturgy of St. James was composed by St. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] c. 370.

===Eastern Orthodox Use===
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the liturgy is now generally only celebrated on the Feast of St. James, on October 23rd, and only in some parishes and monasteries, particularly in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Two different rubrics are commonly followed; the Slavonic liturgy linked to in full below is celebrated in the traditional manner, ''ad orientem'', on an altar behind the iconostasis, in a manner similar to the contemporary Syriac Orthodox use.

In the Greek-speaking Orthodox communities, such as in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the liturgy is commonly celebrated in a very different manner, with a temporary altar erected in front of the iconostasis, and the celebrant conducting the liturgy ''versus populum''. This version is frequently celebrated with 12 priests and 1 bishop, or 13 priests, in order to convey the idea of the re-enactment of the Last Supper.

==Liturgy of the Catechumens==
In the Byzantine use, the Liturgy of the Catechumens proceeds in a manner relatively similar to that of the other Divine Liturgies. Present editions include the essentially the standard litanies, incense is offered, the Trisagion is sung, and the lessons proceed as normal. The content of some of the prayers is somewhat different, however, most notably the petition with which the celebrant concludes the Prothesis.

"Defiled as I am by many sins, do not utterly reject me, Master, Lord, our God. For see, I draw near to this divine and heavenly mystery, not as though I were worthy, but, looking to your goodness, I raise my voice to you, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner. For I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to lift up my eyes to this your sacred and spiritual Table, on which your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically set forth as a sacrifice by me, a sinner stained by every defilement. Therefore I bring you this supplication, that your Spirit, the Advocate, may be sent down to me, strengthening and preparing me for this ministry. And grant that without condemnation the word that has been declared by you may be proclaimed by me to the people in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, life-giving and consubstantial Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."

==Liturgy of the Faithful==

Following the Dismissal of the Catechumens, the changes in content become more noticeable, as the hymn ''Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent'' is sung; this hymn is also sung during the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Great and Holy Saturday. The Anaphora itself is quite long, and highly formal, although it does not in present recensions stretch out to its once-legendary length (for it is said that Basil, observing the difficulty people had standing through the four hour liturgy of St. James, shortened it in his own liturgy to two and a half hours, and St. John Chrysostom, not without some annoyance, was forced to shave off an additional hour when composing his own liturgy, now the standard liturgy of the Orthodox Church, owing to the short attention span of his flock).

In the Eucharistic Epiclesis, following the words of institution, the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Gifts is emphasized with particular vigor. This is by no means a weak epiclesis, but is as intense and passionate as that of St. John Chrysostom itself, attesting to an ancient belief in the real change of the elements.

===Syriac Orthodox Use===

{{oriental}}

While the Divine Liturgy of St. James is seldom celebrated in the Byzantine churches, it remains the principle liturgy of the Syriac Orthodox church, in both those ethnically Syriac parishes, and among those St. Thomas Christians in India under its jurisdiction. It is also widely used by other St. Thomas Christians in India who are not in communion with the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, such as the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church; its liturgical influence is even felt in the Protestant Church of South India.

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the liturgy is always celebrated ad orientem, typically on a holy table attached to the wall at the end of the altar, with three ascending steps, richly furnished in the red and gold grapevine pattern that characterizes Syriac Orthodox vestments. A canopy is frequently present over the altar. The Liturgy of the Catechumens is always the same, however, it is used with a great variety of anaphorae, most derived from that of St. James, but others, from other sources, such as the ancient Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles.

==Liturgy of the Catechumens==
In the Syriac Orthodox use, a series of hymns precede the unveiling of the sanctuary at the start of the liturgy, most notably the Petition of Mor Balai, followed by the hymn "By Your Light." As the curtain is unveiled, the Priest prays a Marian intercession, followed by the Metrical Homily of St. Severus "I will exalt you, O My Lord." This is followed by the chanting of the Trisagion, with the "Theopaschite Clause" ("...Who wast crucified for us...") inserted, as is standard in the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion.

Before the reading of the Epistle, which is generally a Pauline epistle, Galatians 1:8 is sung in the form of a hymn, beginning with "I heard Paul the Blessed Apostle say..." The Epistle is commonly read in the vernacular by a lector or subdeacon, from one of the lecterns; the Gopsel is always read by the Priest on the ambo, generally from an ornate Gospel Book containing icons of the evangelists, which the Syriac faithful will kiss at the end of the Divine Liturgy. In the Syriac Orthodox church, the use of animal products in the altar is prohibited to an even stricter extent than within the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the clergy typically wear ornate liturgical slippers.

==Liturgy of the Faithful==

In the tradition of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Kiss of Peace has never been restricted to clergy, but is rather conveyed to the laity in a dignified and efficient manner. Two clergy in minor orders, typically boys, will receive the kiss of peace from the celebrant, and will then proceed down each side of the central aisle. The parishioner standing close to the aisle will clasp hands with them, and then proceed to kiss their hands, before conveying the kiss down their own aisle. Those present do not move around to exchange the kiss with others not in their immediate vicinity, as in the disruptive manner in many contemporary Roman Catholic and Anglican parish churches.

A diversity of anaphorae, said to number 86, exist in the Syriac Orthodox Church, but most parishes celebrate no more than four of these in the course of the liturgical year. However, unlike in the Coptic church, the additional anaphorae that remain "On the books" are in no way officially suppressed. These anaphorae at times substantially differ from that of St. James, but the Anaphora of St. James is the longest of them, and its use is canonically mandated for certain occasions, such as the first divine liturgy celebrated by a newly ordained priest, and the first divine liturgy celebrated at a newly consecrated church. Other Anaphorae of note include that of the Twelve Apostles, which is particularly ancient and influenced that of St. John Chrysostom, the Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom, which resembles in many respects his liturgy as celebrated in the Byzantine tradition, and the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, who wrote a famous commentary on the Syriac liturgy; his Anaphora is in many respects a highly condensed version of that of St. James, and is the shortest anaphora in common use in the Syriac Church, and one of the most frequently celebrated.

Very intense language, similar to that of the Byzantine form of the liturgy, is used; the Syriac form shares the emphasis on the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the deacon intoning "How dreadful is this hour, my brethren, when the Holy Spirit takes wing and descends on the altar..." Flagellum are used frequently throughout the consecration; unlike in the Byzantine Rite, these flagellum are fitted with bells, and are used at certain climactic moments throughout the rite of consecration, including the Words of Institution and the Epiclesis.

It is customary in the Syriac Orthodox Church for the laity to receive communion after the general dismissal. Those who are not communicating will exit the sanctuary, receiving the antidoron, while those partaking will approach the now veiled altar, and receive the Eucharist from the priest, while the Metrical Homily of St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung by the deacons behind the curtain ("The Lord Whom the seraphs fear to look at,
The same you behold in bread and wine on the altar..."). The laity are communed in both species, by way of intinction, with the wine-soaked bread received on the tongue.

==Bibliographical Resources==
*The Faculty of Hellenic College: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, ''The Divine Liturgy of Saint James (Iakovos), Brother of the Lord'' (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1988). ISBN 0917651596.
*''The Divine Liturgy of St James'' (The Monks of New Skete, 1996). ISBN 0935129375.
*John R. K. Fenwick, ''The Anaphoras of St Basil and St James: An Investigation into Their Common Origin'' (''Orientalia Christiana Analecta'', 1992). ISBN 8872102952.
*Baby Varghese, ''The Syriac Version of the Liturgy of St James: A Brief History for Students'' (Grove Books, 2001). ISBN 185174469X.
*John D. Witvliet, "Tha Anaphora of St. James," in Paul F. Bradshaw, ed., ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Pueblo, 1997). ISBN 081466153X.
*Phillip Tovey, ''The Liturgy of St James as presently used'' (Grove Books, 1998). ISBN 185174

==External links==
*[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/lit-james.htm "Divine Liturgy of James the Apostle and Brother of God"]: brief introduction and e-text as translated by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash.
*[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-07/anf07-63.htm#P8122_2593853 Liturgy of St. James in Ante-Nicene Fathers]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08371a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'':] Article in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' on the "Liturgy of Jerusalem"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY] A video of the Divine Liturgy of St. James served in Church Slavonic
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBzve9XHas] The Syriac Orthodox Holy Qurbono, based on the Divine Liturgy of St. James (most probably served with the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi).
*[https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Ac8J7Wuis] The contemporary Greek use of the Divine Liturgy, with a temporary altar table in front of the iconostasis, thirteen concelebrants, and celebration ''versus populum''.

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[ro:Liturghia Sfântului Iosif]]

Divine Liturgy

2014-04-25T01:41:35Z

Wgw: changed eucharistic prayer to anaphora

[[Image:Divine Liturgy, (Damaskinos).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Divine Liturgy]]. [[Michael Damaskinos|Damaskinos]], 1579-1584.]]
{{liturgy}}
The '''Divine Liturgy''' is the primary worship service of the [[Orthodox Church|Church]]. The most commonly celebrated forms of the Divine Liturgy are the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]], and the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], but there are other extant liturgies, such as the [[Liturgy of St. James]], the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]], the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]], and the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]]. The Divine Liturgy is a [[eucharist]]ic service. It contains two parts: the ''Liturgy of the [[Catechumen]]s'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the Word'', at which the [[Holy Scriptures|Scriptures]] are proclaimed and expounded; and the ''Liturgy of the Faithful'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the [[Eucharist]]'', in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of [[Jesus Christ]], but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The ''Prothesis'' (or ''[[Proskomedia]]''), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the Liturgy proper.

== Preparation ==
Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the [[priest]] and a [[deacon]], if one is serving, begin by preparing the gifts of bread and wine for use in the service. This preparation is itself a considerable service. More than simply setting aside the bread and wine, a robust ritual has developed with elaborate symbolism. Though the main outline is similar for most Orthodox churches, there may be some differences based on which [[typicon]] a jurisdiction uses.

Five loaves of bread are used, reminiscent of the five loaves in the wilderness, from which the masses were fed. During the Prothesis, the priest cuts out a square called the Lamb from the main loaf of bread ([[prosphora]]). This will be consecrated during the Liturgy of the Faithful to become the holy body of Christ. He also removes small particles and places them on the [[diskos]] (or paten) in commemoration of the [[Theotokos]], various saints, and the living and departed faithful. The remainder of the bread is blessed and distributed to parishioners and visitors after the service; this bread is called ''[[antidoron]]''.

During the Prothesis, the priest also blesses wine and water, which are poured into the chalice. Warm water will be added to the chalice after the [[epiclesis]].

Naturally, the gifts are [[incense|censed]] several times during the Prothesis. The conclusion of the Prothesis leads directly into the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.

== Liturgy of the Catechumens==

=== Rites of Entrance ===
{{services}}
After a more or less quiet exchange between the priest and deacon, if one is serving, the Divine Liturgy begins with the memorable exclamation from the priest, "Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages." The assembled faithful respond, "Amen."

The deacon (or priest, if no deacon is serving) continues with the [[Great Litany]], so called because it is longer than most litanies and its petitions touch on the needs of the world: peace and salvation, the Church, her bishops, her faithful, captives and their health and salvation, deliverance from anger and need. It is concluded, as with most litanies, by calling to the remembrance of the faithful the witness of the Theotokos and the saints. In light of that powerful witness, the faithful are charged to commend their lives to Our Lord [[Jesus Christ]]. A closing prayer is exclaimed by the priest.

There follow three [[antiphons]] which vary by day and [[:Category:Jurisdictions|jurisdiction]]. The first two anitphons are followed by a shorter litany and a prayer. The third is followed by the [[Little Entrance]], at which is sung, "O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. O Son of God... save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!" "Son of God" is normally followed by an insertion, such as "risen from the dead," "wondrous in thy saints," or "through the prayers of the Theotokos," depending on the day.

[[Troparion|Troparia]] and [[kontakion|kontakia]] prescribed for the day, season, and temple follow next.

Having fully entered the church liturgically and gathered together around the Word, the gathered body chants the [[Trisagion]].

=== Rites of Proclamation ===
The proclamation of [[Scripture]] is announced with the [[prokeimenon]], a [[Psalter|psalm]] or canticle refrain sung in responsorial fashion. Then, a [[reader]] proclaims the apostolic reading from an [[epistle]] or from the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. This reading is usually chanted, but a spoken reading may be allowed out of economy for local situations. (In some traditions, the reader starts the chant in a very low voice, and steps up to end of the reading with a high voice. This is a reminder of how the Early Church rose up from the [[catacombs]].)

A triple [[alleluia]] is sung, also with verses as at the prokeimenon. This alleluia announces the Gospel reading. Following the alleluia, there is a short exchange between the priest and the people, after which he or a deacon [[chant|chants]] the Gospel.

Following the Gospel, the priest will often give a [[homily]], a short or medium-length excursus on the Scripture, the season, or the present festival or commemoration, roughly equivalent to the Protestant sermon. The homily may also be given after the communion or even after the dismissal.

The service continues with the [[Litany of Fervent Supplication]], which is marked by an insistent triple repetition of "Lord, have mercy." On certain days this litany is followed by the [[Litany for the Departed]].

The ''Liturgy of the Catechumens'' is concluded by a litany praying for the continued growth of the catechumens in faith, leading up to the day of their baptism. Though many churches do not have catechumens in attendance, this litany remains in the liturgy and serves as a constant reminder of the [[Great Commission]], the foundation of the Church as [[mission]] to the world.

== Liturgy of the Faithful==

=== The Great Entrance ===
As the assembly begins chanting the [[Cherubic Hymn]], the celebrants go to the ''[[Table of oblation|prothesis]]'' or table of preparation. The priest presents the [[diskos]] to the deacon and takes the [[chalice]] himself. The deacon leads the priest through the north door of the icon screen. The clergy bring the gifts in procession to the holy doors, the central doors of the icon screen, while the deacon calls the faithful to attention, asking that the Lord will remember all people in his kingdom. As the holy gifts are carried solemnly through the holy doors, the assembled faithful conclude the Cherubic Hymn. ''(Note: if a deacon is not present, the priest makes this entrance with the diskos and chalice alone.)''

After the priest blesses the faithful, the deacon exclaims, "The doors! The doors!" This famous exclamation once marked the point in the service at which the doors to the temple were locked, with only faithful Christians remaining. Over the centuries, visitors have been allowed to stay, though the solemnity of what follows is still recalled with this phrase.

Then, the Church professes its common faith by reciting the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Creed]]. The liturgical name for this creed is the ''Symbol of Faith'', indicating its importance to early Christians in determining the Orthodoxy of persons claiming to be of the Church.

=== The Anaphora ===
Following the Creed, the priest begins the ''[[anaphora]]'', the great eucharistic prayer over the gifts, so called because of the initial phrase: "Let us lift up our hearts." The two principal anaphoras in use in the Orthodox Church are those of St. [[John Chrysostom]] and St. [[Basil the Great]].

After remembering the history of our fall and redemption and the institution of the eucharistic meal, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, asking that he be sent down on the gifts. It is sometimes noted that this invocation, the ''epiclesis'', is the climax of the change of the gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, but there is not total agreement among Orthodox scholars whether the change can actually be pinpointed to a single moment in the service. It is certainly true that the prayers of the service treat the gifts as consecrated and changed after this point.

Having invoked the Holy Spirit and consecrated the gifts, the priest commemorates the saints, beginning with the Theotokos. At this point, the assembled faithful chant the ancient hymn in honour of the Virgin, "It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the [[cherubim]], beyond compare more glorious than the [[seraphim]], without corruption you gave birth to God, the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify you."

The priest prays that the bishop, in whose name he is celebrating the Liturgy, will be kept in the Orthodox Faith and preserved in health and years.

=== The Communion and Dismissal ===
After consecrating the gifts, commemorating the saints, and praying for the local bishop, the priest lifts up the consecrated gifts, exclaiming, "The holy things are for the holy!" To which the faithful respond, "One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, amen." This phrase unfortunately loses something in English, since we have two words for ''holy'' and ''saint''. In most other languages, this dialogue has a connotation of, "The holy things are for the saints! / Only one is a saint! Only one is Lord: Jesus Christ...." This is a rather prominent reminder that our holiness finds its source in God alone, and particularly in our participation in this communion.

The faithful communicate in Orthodox tradition by receiving in both kinds (bread intincted in the wine) from a spoon, a tradition which dates to the fourth century. Having received the body and blood of the Savior, they take a piece of antidoron. In Russian tradition, a small cup of wine is also offered.

After a [[dismissal]] common to the services of the Church, the faithful come forward to venerate the [[Blessing cross|cross]] and leave the church. Renewed by the eucharistic meal, they are sent forth as witnesses to Christ in the world.

==See also==
* [[Blood in the Bible]]
* [[Eucharist]]
* [[Western Rite]]

== Bibliographical Resources ==
* Bp. [[Augustinos (Kantiotes) of Florina|Augustinos N. Kantiotes]] (Bp. of Florina, Greece). ''On The Divine Liturgy: Orthodox Homilies''. 2 Volumes. Transl. and forward by Asterios Gerostergios. (Massachusetts: [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ibmgs/ Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies], 1986). Complete set ISBN 0-914744-71-2.
:Originally appeared in the Greek under the title: ''' ''Εις την Θειαν Λειτουργιαν, Πατρικαι Ομιλιαι'' ''', published by the Orthodox Missionary Brotherhood, "Ο Σταυρος" ("The Cross"), Athens, 1977.
*Bradshaw, Paul, ed. ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997) ISBN 081466153X.
:Essays on eucharistic prayers (''[[anaphora]]s'') from various periods and locales.
*Cuming, Geoffrey J. and R. C. D. Jasper. ''Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1987) ISBN 0814660851.
:Includes the texts of eucharistic prayers no longer extant as well as early redactions of the [[anaphora]]s of St. James, St. Basil the Great, and St. John Chrysostom.
*[[Emmanuel Hatzikidis|Hatzidakis, Fr. Emmanuel]]. ''The Heavenly Banquet: Understanding the Divine Liturgy'' (2nd ed., Chicago, IL: Orthodox Witness, 2010) ISBN 978-0-9778970-3-2.
:The Divine Liturgy explained. 420p, hardbound.
*[[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]]. ''“The Meaning of the Divine Liturgy for the Byzantine Worshipper.”'' In: Rosemary Morris (ed.), '''Church and People in Byzantium''', Twentieth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies. Manchester, 1986 (Birmingham: Center for Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham, 1990), 7-28. ISBN 0704411008.
*[[Alexander Schmemann|Schmemann, Alexander]]. ''The Eucharist'' (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 1987) ISBN 0881410187.
:A classic reflection on the meaning of the Divine Liturgy from one of the pioneers of [[liturgical theology]].
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Divine Liturgies — Human Problems in Byzantium, Armenia, Syria and Palestine'' (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2001) ISBN 0860788679.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chysostom'' (Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute)
:This is a multi-volume work in progress.
:*Volume II: ''The Great Entrance'' (4th ed., 2004) ISBN 978-8872100994.
:*Volume IV: ''The Diptychs'' (1991) ISBN 978-8872102855.
:*Volume V: ''The Precommunion Rites'' (2000) ISBN 978-8872102855.
*Taft, Robert F., SJ. ''Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It'' (2006). ISBN 978-1932401066.

== External links ==
*[http://orthodoxwitness.org/The-Heavenly-Banquet.html The Heavenly Banquet:Understanding the Divine Liturgy] The most comprehensive commentary on the Divine Liturgy available in the English language.
*[http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/music/Index.html The Divine Liturgies Music Project] Thousands of pages of Byzantine music in English and Greek in Western and Byzantine notation
*[http://www.saintsconstantineandelena.org/Liturgy/liturgy1.htm Orthodox Tradition and the Liturgy] An introduction to Orthodox liturgical practice with lots of photos
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20061205025718/http://sspeterpaul.org/priest.html Priest's Service Book] with links to the Prothesis (Proskomedia), the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Prayers of Thanksgiving, and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Translation by His Eminence, [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas|Dmitri (Royster)]], Archbishop of Dallas and the South ([[OCA]]).
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/sluzhebniks.htm Sluzhebniks for the Liturgy]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/liturgydoc.htm Text of the Liturgy for the Choir]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/lit/ Variable Portions of the Liturgy (Old Calendar)]
*[http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mikef/durham/egeria.html Liturgy of Jerusalem] or Liturgy of St. James
*[http://www.synaxis.info/ SYNAXIS] is dedicated to providing resources for those who are liturgists
*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/taft_evolution.html The Evolution of the Byzantine ''Divine Liturgy''] Robert Taft S. J.
*[http://www.archive.org/details/liturgiesofsmark00nealuoft The Liturgies of S. Mark, S. James, S. Clement, S. Chrysostom, and the Church of Malabar; translated, with introduction and appendices]. Rev. John Mason Neale. London: T. Hayes, 1859.
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1617/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Chrysostom.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)
* [http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/1618/filename/Study-Liturgicon-Basil.pdf Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great] (Ruthenian Recension - with footnotes & Scriptural references)

{{Orthodoxchristianity/wide}}

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[el:Θεία Λειτουργία]]
[[fr:Divine Liturgie]]
[[it:Divina Liturgia]]
[[ro:Sfânta Liturghie]]

Liturgy of St. James

2014-04-25T01:39:38Z

Wgw: added more details on Syriac Orthodox use

[[Image:Jamesbrotherlord.jpg|right|thumb|James the Brother of the Lord]]
The '''Divine Liturgy of St. James''' is the oldest [[Eucharist]]ic service in continuous use. It is the ancient liturgy of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] and is attributed to the [[Apostle]] [[James the Just]], the Brother of the Lord. It is often celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Churches on the feast of St. James ([[October 23]]).

__TOC__

==History of the Liturgy==
The general scholarly consensus is that this liturgy originated in Jerusalem during the late fourth or early fifth century. It quickly became the primary liturgy in Jerusalem and Antioch. Although it was later superseded in Jerusalem and Antioch by the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]] and the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], it had already spread to other areas of the Church. The oldest manuscript traditions are in Greek and Syriac, and there are also extant manuscripts in Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic.

One leading theory today is that of John Fenwick, who argues that the similarities between this liturgy and that of St. Basil demonstrate their respective developments from a common source, now lost, but which is best preserved in the Egyptian recension of the Liturgy of St Basil. Fenwick suggests that the Liturgy of St. James was composed by St. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] c. 370.

==Eastern Orthodox Use==
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the liturgy is now generally only celebrated on the Feast of St. James, on October 23rd, and only in some parishes and monasteries, particularly in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Two different rubrics are commonly followed; the Slavonic liturgy linked to in full below is celebrated in the traditional manner, ''ad orientem'', on an altar behind the iconostasis, in a manner similar to the contemporary Syriac Orthodox use.

In the Greek-speaking Orthodox communities, such as in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the liturgy is commonly celebrated in a very different manner, with a temporary altar erected in front of the iconostasis, and the celebrant conducting the liturgy ''versus populum''. This version is frequently celebrated with 12 priests and 1 bishop, or 13 priests, in order to convey the idea of the re-enactment of the Last Supper.

==Liturgy of the Catechumens==
In the Byzantine use, the Liturgy of the Catechumens proceeds in a manner relatively similar to that of the other Divine Liturgies. Present editions include the essentially the standard litanies, incense is offered, the Trisagion is sung, and the lessons proceed as normal. The content of some of the prayers is somewhat different, however, most notably the petition with which the celebrant concludes the Prothesis.

"Defiled as I am by many sins, do not utterly reject me, Master, Lord, our God. For see, I draw near to this divine and heavenly mystery, not as though I were worthy, but, looking to your goodness, I raise my voice to you, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner. For I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to lift up my eyes to this your sacred and spiritual Table, on which your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically set forth as a sacrifice by me, a sinner stained by every defilement. Therefore I bring you this supplication, that your Spirit, the Advocate, may be sent down to me, strengthening and preparing me for this ministry. And grant that without condemnation the word that has been declared by you may be proclaimed by me to the people in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, life-giving and consubstantial Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."

==Liturgy of the Faithful==

Following the Dismissal of the Catechumens, the changes in content become more noticeable, as the hymn ''Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent'' is sung; this hymn is also sung during the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Great and Holy Saturday. The Anaphora itself is quite long, and highly formal, although it does not in present recensions stretch out to its once-legendary length (for it is said that Basil, observing the difficulty people had standing through the four hour liturgy of St. James, shortened it in his own liturgy to two and a half hours, and St. John Chrysostom, not without some annoyance, was forced to shave off an additional hour when composing his own liturgy, now the standard liturgy of the Orthodox Church, owing to the short attention span of his flock).

In the Eucharistic Epiclesis, following the words of institution, the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Gifts is emphasized with particular vigor. This is by no means a weak epiclesis, but is as intense and passionate as that of St. John Chrysostom itself, attesting to an ancient belief in the real change of the elements.

==Syriac Orthodox Use==

{{oriental}}

While the Divine Liturgy of St. James is seldom celebrated in the Byzantine churches, it remains the principle liturgy of the Syriac Orthodox church, in both those ethnically Syriac parishes, and among those St. Thomas Christians in India under its jurisdiction. It is also widely used by other St. Thomas Christians in India who are not in communion with the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, such as the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church; its liturgical influence is even felt in the Protestant Church of South India.

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the liturgy is always celebrated ad orientem, typically on a holy table attached to the wall at the end of the altar, with three ascending steps, richly furnished in the red and gold grapevine pattern that characterizes Syriac Orthodox vestments. A canopy is frequently present over the altar. The Liturgy of the Catechumens is always the same, however, it is used with a great variety of anaphorae, most derived from that of St. James, but others, from other sources, such as the ancient Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles.

==Liturgy of the Catechumens==
In the Syriac Orthodox use, a series of hymns precede the unveiling of the sanctuary at the start of the liturgy, most notably the Petition of Mor Balai, followed by the hymn "By Your Light." As the curtain is unveiled, the Priest prays a Marian intercession, followed by the Metrical Homily of St. Severus "I will exalt you, O My Lord." This is followed by the chanting of the Trisagion, with the "Theopaschite Clause" ("...Who wast crucified for us...") inserted, as is standard in the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion.

Before the reading of the Epistle, which is generally a Pauline epistle, Galatians 1:8 is sung in the form of a hymn, beginning with "I heard Paul the Blessed Apostle say..." The Epistle is commonly read in the vernacular by a lector or subdeacon, from one of the lecterns; the Gopsel is always read by the Priest on the ambo, generally from an ornate Gospel Book containing icons of the evangelists, which the Syriac faithful will kiss at the end of the Divine Liturgy. In the Syriac Orthodox church, the use of animal products in the altar is prohibited to an even stricter extent than within the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the clergy typically wear ornate liturgical slippers.

==Liturgy of the Faithful==

In the tradition of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Kiss of Peace has never been restricted to clergy, but is rather conveyed to the laity in a dignified and efficient manner. Two clergy in minor orders, typically boys, will receive the kiss of peace from the celebrant, and will then proceed down each side of the central aisle. The parishioner standing close to the aisle will clasp hands with them, and then proceed to kiss their hands, before conveying the kiss down their own aisle. Those present do not move around to exchange the kiss with others not in their immediate vicinity, as in the disruptive manner in many contemporary Roman Catholic and Anglican parish churches.

A diversity of anaphorae, said to number 86, exist in the Syriac Orthodox Church, but most parishes celebrate no more than four of these in the course of the liturgical year. However, unlike in the Coptic church, the additional anaphorae that remain "On the books" are in no way officially suppressed. These anaphorae at times substantially differ from that of St. James, but the Anaphora of St. James is the longest of them, and its use is canonically mandated for certain occasions, such as the first divine liturgy celebrated by a newly ordained priest, and the first divine liturgy celebrated at a newly consecrated church. Other Anaphorae of note include that of the Twelve Apostles, which is particularly ancient and influenced that of St. John Chrysostom, the Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom, which resembles in many respects his liturgy as celebrated in the Byzantine tradition, and the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, who wrote a famous commentary on the Syriac liturgy; his Anaphora is in many respects a highly condensed version of that of St. James, and is the shortest anaphora in common use in the Syriac Church, and one of the most frequently celebrated.

Very intense language, similar to that of the Byzantine form of the liturgy, is used; the Syriac form shares the emphasis on the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the deacon intoning "How dreadful is this hour, my brethren, when the Holy Spirit takes wing and descends on the altar..." Flagellum are used frequently throughout the consecration; unlike in the Byzantine Rite, these flagellum are fitted with bells, and are used at certain climactic moments throughout the rite of consecration, including the Words of Institution and the Epiclesis.

It is customary in the Syriac Orthodox Church for the laity to receive communion after the general dismissal. Those who are not communicating will exit the sanctuary, receiving the antidoron, while those partaking will approach the now veiled altar, and receive the Eucharist from the priest, while the Metrical Homily of St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung by the deacons behind the curtain ("The Lord Whom the seraphs fear to look at,
The same you behold in bread and wine on the altar..."). The laity are communed in both species, by way of intinction, with the wine-soaked bread received on the tongue.

==Bibliographical Resources==
*The Faculty of Hellenic College: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, ''The Divine Liturgy of Saint James (Iakovos), Brother of the Lord'' (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1988). ISBN 0917651596.
*''The Divine Liturgy of St James'' (The Monks of New Skete, 1996). ISBN 0935129375.
*John R. K. Fenwick, ''The Anaphoras of St Basil and St James: An Investigation into Their Common Origin'' (''Orientalia Christiana Analecta'', 1992). ISBN 8872102952.
*Baby Varghese, ''The Syriac Version of the Liturgy of St James: A Brief History for Students'' (Grove Books, 2001). ISBN 185174469X.
*John D. Witvliet, "Tha Anaphora of St. James," in Paul F. Bradshaw, ed., ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Pueblo, 1997). ISBN 081466153X.
*Phillip Tovey, ''The Liturgy of St James as presently used'' (Grove Books, 1998). ISBN 185174

==External links==
*[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/lit-james.htm "Divine Liturgy of James the Apostle and Brother of God"]: brief introduction and e-text as translated by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash.
*[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-07/anf07-63.htm#P8122_2593853 Liturgy of St. James in Ante-Nicene Fathers]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08371a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'':] Article in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' on the "Liturgy of Jerusalem"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY] A video of the Divine Liturgy of St. James served in Church Slavonic
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBzve9XHas] The Syriac Orthodox Holy Qurbono, based on the Divine Liturgy of St. James (most probably served with the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi).
*[https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Ac8J7Wuis] The contemporary Greek use of the Divine Liturgy, with a temporary altar table in front of the iconostasis, thirteen concelebrants, and celebration ''versus populum''.

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[ro:Liturghia Sfântului Iosif]]

Liturgy of St. James

2014-04-25T01:34:12Z

Wgw: Added detailed description of the liturgical rites

[[Image:Jamesbrotherlord.jpg|right|thumb|James the Brother of the Lord]]
The '''Divine Liturgy of St. James''' is the oldest [[Eucharist]]ic service in continuous use. It is the ancient liturgy of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] and is attributed to the [[Apostle]] [[James the Just]], the Brother of the Lord. It is often celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Churches on the feast of St. James ([[October 23]]).

__TOC__

==History of the Liturgy==
The general scholarly consensus is that this liturgy originated in Jerusalem during the late fourth or early fifth century. It quickly became the primary liturgy in Jerusalem and Antioch. Although it was later superseded in Jerusalem and Antioch by the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]] and the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], it had already spread to other areas of the Church. The oldest manuscript traditions are in Greek and Syriac, and there are also extant manuscripts in Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Old Slavonic.

One leading theory today is that of John Fenwick, who argues that the similarities between this liturgy and that of St. Basil demonstrate their respective developments from a common source, now lost, but which is best preserved in the Egyptian recension of the Liturgy of St Basil. Fenwick suggests that the Liturgy of St. James was composed by St. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] c. 370.

Today it is the principal liturgy of the Churches of the West Syrian tradition: the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Indian Orthodox Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and the Mar Thoma Church.

==Eastern Orthodox Use==
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the liturgy is now generally only celebrated on the Feast of St. James, on October 23rd, and only in some parishes and monasteries, particularly in the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Two different rubrics are commonly followed; the Slavonic liturgy linked to in full below is celebrated in the traditional manner, ''ad orientem'', on an altar behind the iconostasis, in a manner similar to the contemporary Syriac Orthodox use.

In the Greek-speaking Orthodox communities, such as in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the liturgy is commonly celebrated in a very different manner, with a temporary altar erected in front of the iconostasis, and the celebrant conducting the liturgy ''versus populum''. This version is frequently celebrated with 12 priests and 1 bishop, or 13 priests, in order to convey the idea of the re-enactment of the Last Supper.

==Liturgy of the Catechumens==
In the Byzantine use, the Liturgy of the Catechumens proceeds in a manner relatively similar to that of the other Divine Liturgies. Present editions include the essentially the standard litanies, incense is offered, the Trisagion is sung, and the lessons proceed as normal. The content of some of the prayers is somewhat different, however, most notably the petition with which the celebrant concludes the Prothesis.

"Defiled as I am by many sins, do not utterly reject me, Master, Lord, our God. For see, I draw near to this divine and heavenly mystery, not as though I were worthy, but, looking to your goodness, I raise my voice to you, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner. For I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to lift up my eyes to this your sacred and spiritual Table, on which your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is mystically set forth as a sacrifice by me, a sinner stained by every defilement. Therefore I bring you this supplication, that your Spirit, the Advocate, may be sent down to me, strengthening and preparing me for this ministry. And grant that without condemnation the word that has been declared by you may be proclaimed by me to the people in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, life-giving and consubstantial Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."

==Liturgy of the Faithful==

Following the Dismissal of the Catechumens, the changes in content become more noticeable, as the hymn ''Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent'' is sung; this hymn is also sung during the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Great and Holy Saturday. The Anaphora itself is quite long, and highly formal, although it does not in present recensions stretch out to its once-legendary length (for it is said that Basil, observing the difficulty people had standing through the four hour liturgy of St. James, shortened it in his own liturgy to two and a half hours, and St. John Chrysostom, not without some annoyance, was forced to shave off an additional hour when composing his own liturgy, now the standard liturgy of the Orthodox Church, owing to the short attention span of his flock).

In the Eucharistic Epiclesis, following the words of institution, the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Gifts is emphasized with particular vigor. This is by no means a weak epiclesis, but is as intense and passionate as that of St. John Chrysostom itself, attesting to an ancient belief in the real change of the elements.

==Syriac Orthodox Use==

{{oriental}}

==Liturgy of the Catechumens==
In the Syriac Orthodox use, a series of hymns precede the unveiling of the sanctuary at the start of the liturgy, most notably the Petition of Mor Balai, followed by the hymn "By Your Light." As the curtain is unveiled, the Priest prays a Marian intercession, followed by the Metrical Homily of St. Severus "I will exalt you, O My Lord." This is followed by the chanting of the Trisagion, with the "Theopaschite Clause" ("...Who wast crucified for us...") inserted, as is standard in the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion.

Before the reading of the Epistle, which is generally a Pauline epistle, Galatians 1:8 is sung in the form of a hymn, beginning with "I heard Paul the Blessed Apostle say..." The Epistle is commonly read in the vernacular by a lector or subdeacon, from one of the lecterns; the Gopsel is always read by the Priest on the ambo, generally from an ornate Gospel Book containing icons of the evangelists, which the Syriac faithful will kiss at the end of the Divine Liturgy. In the Syriac Orthodox church, the use of animal products in the altar is prohibited to an even stricter extent than within the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the clergy typically wear ornate liturgical slippers.

==Liturgy of the Faithful==

In the tradition of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Kiss of Peace has never been restricted to clergy, but is rather conveyed to the laity in a dignified and efficient manner. Two clergy in minor orders, typically boys, will receive the kiss of peace from the celebrant, and will then proceed down each side of the central aisle. The parishioner standing close to the aisle will clasp hands with them, and then proceed to kiss their hands, before conveying the kiss down their own aisle. Those present do not move around to exchange the kiss with others not in their immediate vicinity, as in the disruptive manner in many contemporary Roman Catholic and Anglican parish churches.

A diversity of anaphorae, said to number 86, exist in the Syriac Orthodox Church, but most parishes celebrate no more than four of these in the course of the liturgical year. However, unlike in the Coptic church, the additional anaphorae that remain "On the books" are in no way officially suppressed. These anaphorae at times substantially differ from that of St. James, but the Anaphora of St. James is the longest of them, and its use is canonically mandated for certain occasions, such as the first divine liturgy celebrated by a newly ordained priest, and the first divine liturgy celebrated at a newly consecrated church. Other Anaphorae of note include that of the Twelve Apostles, which is particularly ancient and influenced that of St. John Chrysostom, the Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom, which resembles in many respects his liturgy as celebrated in the Byzantine tradition, and the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, who wrote a famous commentary on the Syriac liturgy; his Anaphora is in many respects a highly condensed version of that of St. James, and is the shortest anaphora in common use in the Syriac Church, and one of the most frequently celebrated.

Very intense language, similar to that of the Byzantine form of the liturgy, is used; the Syriac form shares the emphasis on the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the deacon intoning "How dreadful is this hour, my brethren, when the Holy Spirit takes wing and descends on the altar..." Flagellum are used frequently throughout the consecration; unlike in the Byzantine Rite, these flagellum are fitted with bells, and are used at certain climactic moments throughout the rite of consecration, including the Words of Institution and the Epiclesis.

It is customary in the Syriac Orthodox Church for the laity to receive communion after the general dismissal. Those who are not communicating will exit the sanctuary, receiving the antidoron, while those partaking will approach the now veiled altar, and receive the Eucharist from the priest, while the Metrical Homily of St. Jacob of Sarugh is sung by the deacons behind the curtain ("The Lord Whom the seraphs fear to look at,
The same you behold in bread and wine on the altar..."). The laity are communed in both species, by way of intinction, with the wine-soaked bread received on the tongue.

==Bibliographical Resources==
*The Faculty of Hellenic College: Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, ''The Divine Liturgy of Saint James (Iakovos), Brother of the Lord'' (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1988). ISBN 0917651596.
*''The Divine Liturgy of St James'' (The Monks of New Skete, 1996). ISBN 0935129375.
*John R. K. Fenwick, ''The Anaphoras of St Basil and St James: An Investigation into Their Common Origin'' (''Orientalia Christiana Analecta'', 1992). ISBN 8872102952.
*Baby Varghese, ''The Syriac Version of the Liturgy of St James: A Brief History for Students'' (Grove Books, 2001). ISBN 185174469X.
*John D. Witvliet, "Tha Anaphora of St. James," in Paul F. Bradshaw, ed., ''Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers'' (Pueblo, 1997). ISBN 081466153X.
*Phillip Tovey, ''The Liturgy of St James as presently used'' (Grove Books, 1998). ISBN 185174

==External links==
*[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/lit-james.htm "Divine Liturgy of James the Apostle and Brother of God"]: brief introduction and e-text as translated by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash.
*[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-07/anf07-63.htm#P8122_2593853 Liturgy of St. James in Ante-Nicene Fathers]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08371a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'':] Article in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' on the "Liturgy of Jerusalem"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY] A video of the Divine Liturgy of St. James served in Church Slavonic
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBzve9XHas] The Syriac Orthodox Holy Qurbono, based on the Divine Liturgy of St. James (most probably served with the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi).
*[https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Ac8J7Wuis] The contemporary Greek use of the Divine Liturgy, with a temporary altar table in front of the iconostasis, thirteen concelebrants, and celebration ''versus populum''.

[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[ro:Liturghia Sfântului Iosif]]

Liturgy of St. James

2014-04-25T00:54:14Z

Wgw: Added information on variants in use in the EO church and link to Greek celebration

Holy Week

2014-04-25T00:45:04Z

Wgw: The phrase "reserved Eucharist" is ambiguous, and could lead people to erroneously believe the Holy Thursday liturgy is presanctified

[[Image:Twelve gospels.jpg|right|thumb|350px|A worshiper prostrates before the cross at the Twelve Passion Gospels service at St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts.]]
'''Great and Holy Week''' is the week from the conclusion of [[Great Lent]] on the [[Lazarus Saturday|Saturday of Lazarus]] to the celebration of [[Pascha]]. It is emphasized that the services of Holy Week follow the ecclesiastical day, that is from sundown to sundown. Thus Saturday of Lazarus ends at sundown on Saturday.

==History==
While little is recorded of the development of the celebrations of the Holy Week during the early years of the Church, it apparently had very early origins. By the fourth century the celebration of the week appears well-founded and to be similar to our celebrations today. The pilgrim [[Egeria]] to Jerusalem in the latter part of the fourth century described the events of the week after the services of the Saturday of Lazarus, "...began the week of the Pasch, which they called here the Great Week", noting the procession commemorating Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first day of the week. It is during this week that we remember Christ's Passion and Crucifixion.
[[Image:raisingoflazarus.jpg|right|frame|The Raising of Lazarus]]

==The Holy Week==
[[Lazarus Saturday]] concludes [[Great Lent]]. This celebration remembers Christ's raising of Lazarus from the dead and the promise of universal [[resurrection]] for all. Lazarus Saturday provides a bridge to Holy Week during which the Church services remember Christ's last week before his crucifixion and resurrection, his [[passion]]. During this week the [[Matins]] services for the upcoming day are celebrated the evening before, and Vespers is celebrated in the morning. This anticipation of the Church's services gives the faithful a sense that the world is in travail, upside-down, because of the passion our Lord endured for our salvation. Although this practice is unusual, it is canonical in accordance with the ancient definition that the day is from sunset to sunset. [[Image:Palm_Sunday.jpg|left|thumb|Icon of Christ's entry into Jerusalem]][[Image:Bridegroom.jpg|right|thumb|Christ the Bridegroom]]

===Palm Sunday===
The first day of Holy Week begins with [[Vespers]] of Saturday evening leading to the celebration of the services of ''Our Lord's Entry into Jerusalem'' the next morning, Sunday. In the western world this day is usually called ''[[Palm Sunday]]''. As Christ makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his divine kingdom on Earth is proclaimed under the branches of the palm tree.

===Holy Monday===
The first three days of Holy Week remind us of Christ's last instructions with his disciples. These teachings are remembered in the celebration of the Great [[Compline]], Matins, [[Hours]], and [[Liturgy]] during these days. The [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]] celebrated these days includes readings from [[Exodus]], [[Book of Job|Job]], and [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]].

The Matins services of the evenings of Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, and Holy Tuesday, anticipating the events of the next day, share a common theme. These [[Christ The Bridegroom (O Nymphios)|Bridegroom]] Services are derived from the [[Parable]] of the Ten Virgins, which calls for preparedness at the Second Coming, for the "thief comes in the middle of the night." (Matt. 26:1-13)

===Holy Wednesday===
Within the past two centuries, Byzantine practice has developed to include the [[holy mysteries|mystery]] of [[Holy Unction]], which is celebrated on Holy Wednesday, commemorating Christ's anointing with myrrh. The service ends with the priest anointing the faithful with holy oil. Some [[jurisdiction]]s outside the Byzantine world also include this practice, such as in some parts of the [[OCA]].

The services appointed by the [[Typikon]] for the evening of Holy Wednesday recall that on this day Judas betrayed Christ, which led to the tradition from [[Apostle|Apostolic]] times of [[fasting]] on Wednesday throughout the year. It also focuses on the Mystical Supper, which is celebrated in the liturgy of the following day.

[[Image:mysticalsupper.jpg|left|thumb|The Mystical Supper]]
===Holy Thursday===
'''Holy Thursday''' begins with the celebration of vespers and the [[Divine Liturgy]] of St. Basil, in representation of the earthly presence of Christ realized at the [[Last Supper]]. In the evening, anticipating the Matins of Friday morning, the Holy Passion service of the reading of the '''Twelve Gospels''' is conducted. In these readings Christ's last instructions to his disciples are presented, as well as the prophecy of the drama of the Cross, Christ's prayer, and his new commandment. The twelve readings are:

* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20John%2013:31%20-%2018:1;&version=9; John 13:31-18:1]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2018:1%20-%2029;&version=9; John 18:1-29 ]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2026:57%20-%2075;&version=9; Matthew 26:57-75 ]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20John%2018:28%20-%2019:16%20;&version=9; John 18:28–19:16]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20Matthew%2027:3%20-%2032;&version=9; Matthew 27:3-32]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20Mark%2015:16%20-%2032;&version=9; Mark 15:16-32]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20Matthew%2027:33%20-%2054;&version=9; Matthew 27:33-54]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20Luke%2023:32%20-%2049;&version=9; Luke 23:32-49]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20John%2019:19%20-%2037;&version=9; John 19:19-37]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20Mark%2015:43%20-%2047;&version=9; Mark 15:43-47]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20John%2019:38%20-%2042;&version=9; John 19:38-42]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=St.%20Matthew%2027:62%20-%2066;&version=9; Matthew 27:62-66]

[[Image:crucifixion.jpg|right|thumb|Crucifixion]]
===Holy Friday===
'''Great and Holy Friday''' begins with reading of the [[Royal Hours]] leading up to Vespers of Friday afternoon, at which time the removal of the Body of Christ from the Cross is commemorated. The [[priest]] removes the Body of Christ, the [[Epitaphios]], from the Cross, wraps it in a white cloth and carries it into the [[altar]]. In an evening service, called the Lamentations at the Tomb, the priest carries the Epitaphios, the painted or embroidered cloth representation of Christ, from the altar around the [[church]] before placing it in the Sepulcher, a bier symbolizing the Tomb of Christ. This procession, with the faithful carrying lighted candles, represents Christ's descent into Hades.
[[Image:epitaphios.jpg|left|frame|Epitaphios]]

===Holy Saturday===
'''Great and [[Holy Saturday]]''' Vespers and a Divine Liturgy of St. Basil are served, marked with readings of [[Psalter|Psalms]] and Resurrection [[hymn]]s that tell of Christ's descent into Hades, celebrated as the "First Resurrection" of Adam and the conquering of Death. It is appointed by the typikon to be celebrated in the afternoon, though it is served in the morning in many places.

This service comes from the ancient liturgical tradition of the [[Church of Constantinople]] and was its primary Paschal service. The hymn "Arise O God" from the Psalms was the original primary Paschal hymn before "Christ is risen" came to take its place. Its place as the ancient Constantinopolitan Paschal celebration is what gives the service such a bright and resurrectional character.

==Pascha==
[[Image:pascha.jpg|right|frame|The Resurrection of Christ]]
: ''Main article: [[Pascha]]''

'''[[Pascha]]''', the '''Feast of Feasts''', celebrations begins just before midnight with the singing of the Odes of Lamentation as the Resurrection Vespers begins with the church in complete darkness. As midnight approaches the priest taking a light from a vigil light within the altar passes the flame to the faithful for their candles while singing "Come ye and receive light from the unwaning life, and, glorify Christ, who arose from the dead." Then the priest leads the faithful out of the church in procession. After circling the church either one or three times, as the procession nears the entrance door of the church, the priest leads in the singing of the hymn of Resurrection. "Christ has risen from the dead, by death trampling upon Death, and has bestowed life upon those in the tombs!" At this point the priest and faithful enter the well-lighted church for the remaining part of Vespers and the breaking of the [[fast]] with the [[Divine Liturgy]].
After conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, in many communities, the faithful retire to an ''agape'' meal to break the Fast together, and then return home as dawn arrives. Later in the day of Pascha the faithful again gather for prayer with lighted candles in a vespers service, singing the hymn "Christ is Risen from the Dead," and greeting each other joyously, "[[Paschal greeting|Christ is risen]]" and responding with, "Truly He is risen."

==Local customs==
===Jerusalem===
* The Orthodox Patriarch breaks the seal of the door of the tomb of Christ in the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)|Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] and emerges with the [[Holy Fire]].

===Greece===
* Painting of the red eggs
* Preparation of sweets ("Koulouria")
* The Holy Fire is flown from Jerusalem on Olympic Airways, accompanied by high-ranking Greek Orthodox priests and government officials to the Athens airport. The Holy Flame is met with a reception of honour guards and is taken to the small church of Agioi Anargyroi in the Plaka square.
* On Sunday, all over Greece, the Greek people will hold very festive celebrations. Traditionally, lambs are roasted (which symbolise Christ), and friends and family get together to eat, drink, talk and dance.

In some towns, this tradition is a community celebration. For example:
** In Arachova, rows of lambs are roasted in the village square.
** On some islands, the town shoots "Judas"

==External links==
*[http://churchmotherofgod.org/articleschurch/about-services-and-prayers/519-holy-week.html A Liturgical Explanation for the Days of Holy Week], by Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]]
*[http://www.antiochian.org/midwest/Articles/Development_of_Holy_Week_Services.htm The Historical Development of Holy Week Services In the Orthodox/Byzantine Rite], by Fr. Nabil L. Hanna
*[http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8432.asp Holy Week GOARCH]
*[http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8504.asp The Origins of Pascha and Great Week - Part I]
*[http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8505.asp The Origins of Pascha and Great Week - Part II]
*[http://www.holy-trinity.org/feasts/holyweek.html Holy Week and Pascha]
*[http://holytrinity.ok.goarch.org/holy_week.html Holy Week]
*[http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/holy_week2_e.htm Approach to Holy Week]

[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[Category:Lent]]
[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[el:Μεγάλη εβδομάδα]]
[[fr:Semaine Sainte]]
[[ro:Săptămâna Patimilor]]

User talk:FrJohn

2014-04-14T00:27:35Z

Wgw:

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==August 17 Menaion==

Should we call our father among the saints Theodoretus the enlightener of the Sami, as opposed to the enlightener of the Lapps. Lapp is considered something of an ethnic slur; much like calling the Inuit by the name Eskimo. On the other hand, should we wait until the Menaion itself is changed to reflect the better name for the people of northern Scandinavia. [[User:Eddieuny|Eddieuny]] 03:22, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Eddieuny, Thanks for your question. My take is that, since he is in the menaion as "Enlightener of the Lapps" we should do this, but with a footnote explaining what you just said -- it would be good to make people aware of this. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:30, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

==Ukrainian version==

Dear Father, I thought to start Ukrainian version. How can I do that? I work with articles related to Orthodoxy on Ukrainian wikipedia.

--[[User:Roman Z|Roman Z]] 21:38, March 12, 2009 (UTC)

==Orthodox Source==
Hi father john, it is with much sadness and hurt that I see you close down Orthodox Source. Mainly because I invested a huge amount of time to put information onto that site that took a lot of my time and I dont have access to any more. I am a bit saddened because you didnt even give me some notice that you were going to close the site down so that I could at least download some of the information onto my personal computer that I can access in the future ... a bit disappointed that this was not considered and an opportunity given to do this. It only proves that the Internet is not a very viable Christian tool. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 05:50, November 27, 2008 (UTC)

== Fact check ==

Dear Father,
I am trying to recall the name of the cemetery chapel at Saint Anna's Skete on the Holy Mountain. I wondered if you or any of your readers/discussants might help me.

Thanks,
Isaak Scott Cairns

:One source tells me it's "Holy Cross" — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 20:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

== Hymns of Contrition ==

Father John, I bought a CD last night that in Greek is called "Kataniktika of Great lent". So, I set about doing a google today to find out just what are these hymns (although I understand the words). Many articles come up but they are primarily from the Catholic church and are seven Psalms ... these do not seem to be the format of the kataniktiko service. Can you help me. What are the Kataniktika of Great Lent? I want to post an article onto OrthodoxWiki for others to reference too.!! Thanks in advance. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 22:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

:O man, these Greek terms -- best ask a Byzantine-style cantor, I think. Anyone around here? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Триоди в Воскресенья - the CD translates the "Kataniktika" as the "Hymns of Contrition". However, if you do a google on that term it comes up with the Catholic version of Hymns of Contrition - which are not the same! Oi! What is wrong with the Greek terms? The church lasted 2,000 years because of the beauty in the Greek language :-) Do you want us to convert everything to Russian so you can understand? LOL ANYWAY! You are a priest - you should know what these are! ROFL [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 23:07, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

::: The ''Katanyktikoi Hymnoi'' (it helps to use standard Latinization for Greek!) may be called the "Hymns of Contrition" or "Penitential Hymns," and the term refers to a wide set of pieces of hymnography used throughout the period of the Triodion, most especially in the stichera of Lenten Vespers (most often referenced in Sunday night Vespers).

::: They are not the same thing as the "Penitential Psalms." —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 23:53, March 16, 2009 (UTC)
:::: Thanks! What I did was cut and paste what you just said and inserted it into an article. Hopefully we can develop it a little ... there is not much available on the Internet for this. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:34, March 17, 2009 (UTC)

== ΒΟΗΘΕΙΑ ==

ΧΡΕΙΑΖΟΜΑΙ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΜΙΑ ΠΑΛΙΑ ΑΙΡΕΣΗ, ΛΕΓΕΤΑΙ ΑΦΘΑΡΤΟΔΟΚΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΙΔΡΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ Ο ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΛΙΚΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΥ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΣ

:Ελληνικά, παρακαλώ. Δεν μιλούν ελληνικά. Σε ευχαριστώ. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

==User Creation - Proposal==
Greetings Fr. John,
With the amount of Vandalism we have, I propose that anyone requesting a new account first has to submit a request online, with some brief info about temselves, and THEN THE REQUEST WILL REQUIRE APPROVAL by yourself or Fr. Andrew or other Sysops. '''The ability for anyone to automatically create accounts will be disabled''', unless they are sincere and simply request a free account which they can then of course have; I think that the Conservapedia and some other wikis might have this system in place. Anyhow, just an idea I wanted to pass along :)

By the way, regarding the note immediately above this one (in greek), it reads something like this: ''"I require information on an ancient heresy, called "Aftharto-Docetism"?, and its proponent was the Bishop of Halicarnassos Julianos."'' I see that it was an unsigned comment however.

Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 00:10, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Angellight, given the number of users we have, this sounds like an awful lot of work. I'd rather just clean up occasionally as needed, but let me keep my eyes open for another solution. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:17, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::other forums require that you Verify your "humanity" by typing into a box the combination of numbers/letters you can see on the screen to verify that you are indeed "real" and not a bot. maybe that is all you need. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:51, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::::Yep, was just posting that I've just installed a captcha test for new user registrations. It won't block disturbed individuals, but should help with the automated creation of accounts from multiple un-blacklisted IPs where email verification can be performed. Amazing we have to deal with that, eh? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:55, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::::Yeah, you have to wonder why they havent got better things to do than hurl abuse at people who are minding their own business ... I learnt something yesterday. A priest called Fr Demetrius wrote an email about praying for the deceased soul of a "george" who was a pro-abortionist in America. When you read with what tenderness and love Fr Demetrius writes about this "sinner" you realise how much we just pity these people - for they know not what they do. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:04, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::The only effect really is to drain a little bit of my time away :-(. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Hey, I just did an EDIT on an article and it asked me to fill out a box ... is this going to be the standard practise from now on for editing as it will grow tedious I think for regulars? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:37, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::Whoops, I'll fix this. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:43, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::I missed the setting that said "Require captcha when user edits page and adds a link" - let me know if it happens again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Sure, also while I have you and you are in a good mood :D I would like to ask for a favour (as far as practical) my heart is to complete the most comprehensive Table of Saints (in Chronological order) - as you can witness by this new article. At present, I am systematically and patiently working through the information ON OrthodoxWiki ... how can I identify saints I have missed NOT listed on OrthodoxWiki. Do you have any suggestions? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:53, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::Wow! Sounds like a big job. I guess you'd have to check the websites of the various Orthodox jurisdictions around the world, or get your hands on a really good synaxarion (I like the one published by at Ormylia) and refer to its index. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:56, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

== Glitch ==

See [[Talk:Alban|this]]. —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 01:59, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

::Thanks, message left. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 05:38, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

== Sysop. ==

Hello Fr. John.
I am a Greek Orthodox user. I was wonderign if you can add me as a sysop to help you out with the site. I have a lot of time on my hands.

In his service,
--[[User:Greeks|Greeks]] 15:23, February 1, 2010 (UTC)

==Hello!==
Hi sir! I would like to create a project OrthodoxWiki dutch language and I have rights bureaucrat, administrator, renameuser, Checkuser and oversight, thanks. —[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 17:23, February 20, 2010 (UTC)ﻧ

:You are active or no? For 2 months you no response me. --—[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 15:15, February 22, 2010 (UTC)

Many Orthodox believers have asked about the Icon of Christ and the Ancient of Days and confusing this elder sitting next to Christ with God the Father.
They are not alone, for the entire Roman Catholic Church believes that this is the case and their belief has by the process of osmosis been picked up by many of our clergy and this icon has been ejected from many of our Churches. It is not true for the Ancient of Days is the Son of God who was begotten before all time. If they recall, Christ in the incarnation had divested Himself of those signs of being God and had assumed the appearance of a mere servant. The icon of the Platytera teaches us that the Holy Virgin's womb contained the "uncontainable, therefore those aspects of God the Son of God remained in the mystery of Heaven. Read on with what I have written:

QUESTION:

v Do you recall ever having seen this icon of Jesus Christ holding his cross, sitting at the right of an elderly man with white hair?
at their feet there are cherubic figures, and about them there are clouds. They both have a nimbus above their head and above them
there is a white dove, sometimes within a circle or a triangle.
v Is there anything incorrect about it ?
v Why is it not found in today’s churches ?
v What is its origin ?

For those of us who are old enough, this icon is familiar. We had seen it in most of the Greek Orthodox Churches when we were children. It was located on the iconostasion on the right side of the royal entrance, the spot currently occupied by the icon of Christ. I do remember it in St. Sophia Cathedral (until the 1960’s) and in the Holy Trinity Church in Waterbury, Connecticut (in the 1920’-30’s). St. Sophia’s oldest icons were contributed to a more recently established parish in Virginia and this icon was still in use there as of seven years ago.

What is wrong with it? It has a perfectly good representation of Christ. He is seated at the right hand of an elderly man who is giving a blessing and they are both apparently seated in majesty in heaven. There are little, western style cherubs at their feet. The elderly man supposedly represents God the Father. Instead of a halo, His head is usually surrounded by a triangle which, I presume, represents the Holy Trinity. I have heard of Him in this representation being named the “Ancient of Days.” What is wrong with all this is that God the Father is purely spirit and cannot be portrayed in any manner. Christ said in the New Testament, “When you see Me, you see my Father.” This is the reason why this icon has been supplanted by one of Christ alone, for when we see Christ in an icon, we see the Father.

How did we come to portray God the Father in this manner? I could not discover the answer in any book on iconography or theology available to me. It was not until I came across a passage in the Septuagint Scriptures that I found the answer in the Book of Daniel chapter VII, verses 9 - 10 and 13 - 14.

[9] I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire. [10] A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
[13] I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and he came on to the Ancient of Days, and was brought near to him. [14] And to him was given the dominion, and the honour,and the kingdom; and all the nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

This vision and prophesy of Daniel has been identified, in both Latin Catholic and Protestant sources as a prefiguration of God the Father and the powers and glory which He has bestowed upon God the Son, Jesus Christ - the Son of Man. This passage may have been the source of the artistic rendering of God the Father as the “Ancient of Days.” Whether this conception was original with our iconographers or was influenced by the realistic presentations of western artists is not known. Indeed we have a prime example of this in Michaelangelo’s painting of God in the Sistine Chapel and the western style cherubs at their feet. His portraiture is that of an old man with white hair and a white beard, reaching out with his finger to endow Adam with life. None of these features are found in Orthodox iconography and their being in this icon suggests the influence of western imaging since large portions of Greece had been occupied for several centuries by Venetian, Catalan and other Latins.

Regardless of its origins, this icon is considered erroneous today.

Providence has a way of providing us with truths to heal our ignorance. I believe that I have discovered the significance of this icon while reading A Discourse On the Nativity of Christ by St. Gregory Thaumatourgos, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea (died 260) . He wrote:

“The new wonders do strike me with awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God. Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth in a manger of dumb beasts.”

Do the words of Gregory’s statement imply that this icon could represent a “double image” of Christ? First as the “Ancient of Days”, the only-begotten Son of God, born before all ages. Adjacent to Him is the younger Incarnate Jesus Christ, Son of Man(-kind) as He appeared to us on earth in His kenotic form (i.e. when He “emptied Himself” and “became as a base servant”). Gone would be the mistaken identification of the Ancient of Days as God the Father, which is the mainstay of western explanations. Such an interpretation of this icon sheds a completely new light upon it, a light which may render it theologically legitimate. Even so St. Gregory goes on to say: “The Impassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners.” If the Ancient of Days has these chacteristics, is it permissible to portray him in an icon? Does the fact that He becomes incarnate as Jesus Christ repeal the prohibition of showing Him as an aged man?
However, St. Gregory’s words have allowed me to learn the true meaning of this prophesy from the Book of Daniel. It is a prophesy of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, when the “books will be opened” and the “secrets of men will be revealed.” I am thankful to have gained this knowledge so that I can look upon this icon with greater appreciation. Later yet, I discovered that there is an icon in St. Katherine’s Monastery at Sinai which depicts the Ancient of Days, and on his lap rests Jesus as a child. This icon is said to confirm the concept voiced by St. Gregory that The Ancient of Days is the heavenly manifestation of the Son of God.

The Ancient of Days with a child Jesus Christ on His Lap, 12th century
At St. Katherine’s Monastery Church, Mt. Sinai
(You can find this icon on the internet)

== Psalter quote ==

Father John,
Bless!
My name is Manoli and I'm an 18 year old recent high school graduate. I am distantly acquainted with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and I'm writing an essay for the PanHellenic Foundation, trying to get a scholarship for college. I want to use the "golden thread" quote from "one modern commentator" on the OrthodoxWiki "Psalter" page. If you know who that person is, or who would know who that person is, I'd appreciate any info...Fr. Andrew doesn't and although I'm registered on OrthodoxWiki as CampNazFanatic, I don't know much about using the site so I decided to contact you. Please respond asap as this essay is due like tomorrow.
Thanks,
Manoli
--CampNazFanatic[[CampNazFanatic]]

==IMAGES ISSUES==
Warm greetings Fr. John,

I hope it is okay that I am contacting you directly, but this problem has not been resolved for some time. Could you kindly look into rectifying the long-standing problem with uploaded images not displaying - they do not display once they are uploaded and they do not display especially as thumbnails.

See here: the [http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/Special:Newimages Gallery of New Image Files];

I had left a note at the OrthodoxWiki Trapeza [[OrthodoxWiki:Trapeza#Thumbnails_Error|here]] regarding this error some time ago, but it has gone unanswered and the problem is not resolved.

Surely there must be a process to have this investigated? -- i.e. Where is the OW site hosted? Which person(s)/webmasters or what entity is in charge of maintenance? Who needs to be called? Who is in control? And WHERE is their accountability???? Why have they ignored this for so long? Was this change done intentionally for some reason and if so why is there no notice informing the users? This problem has persisted for a very long time now, and it appears that it is a feature that has been disabled. If it stays non-functional this way I fear that this will discourage further users from wanting to contribute to OW. If there is something I have overlooked apologies in advance. Hoping something can be done. Thanks and kind regards :) [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:49, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

::Hi Angellight -- I apologize for the frustration. Sadly, it is I -- the negligent webmaster. and the volunteer in charge of site maintenance (but with many distractions). Please be assured that there is nothing intentional in the problem - the site just needs an upgrade. Because of the way the databases are tied together for each localization, it gets a little complex. I will strive to find some time to fix this soon. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 07:28, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

:::Many thanks for the info dear Fr.; good to know the site will be eventually upgraded and that this will be addressed then. Please forgive my initial frustration. This is a wonderful resource and I hope to see it grow. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 18:55, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

----

:Fr. John, this may be part of the same problem, if one tries to add a image and re-size it they get an error:
Error creating thumbnail: Warning: passthru() has been disabled for security reasons in
/home/owiki/public_html/shared/includes /GlobalFunctions.php on line 1839 
:(just an FYI) - [[User:Andrew|Andy]] 16:41, November 24, 2010 (UTC)

::I apologize for the delay in getting this resolved. Thumbnails should now be working again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

== Suppression ==

Unfortunately, after going through some articles and dead links, it seems that the Oriental Orthodox Church is suppressed on this OrthodoxWiki. it is a shame becuase this wiki is what should unite us together in Christ, not divide us and furthurmore insult our brothers and sisters. No one would dare do that to Christ. Eastern Orthodoxy and Oreintal Orthodoxy are probably the closest, most Orthodox, unchanging groups of Churches. I pray that one day we will once again be reunited as one in His Church.

God Bless

:: Hello [[Cmd|User:Cmd]] - It is certainly not my heart to suppress Oriental Orthodoxy in any way. In fact, just about 30 minutes ago I was speaking about my respect for Oriental Orthodox Christians, and talking about how the Christological differences have been largely resolved. This is a joy to me. Please see [[OrthodoxWiki:Style_Manual_%28Point_of_View%29]] for the stated policy of this site. If you can point to specific examples of suppression, that would be helpful. In Christ, — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 23:32, October 3, 2010 (UTC)

== About the 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'' ==

Dear Father John. I have added 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'', but they do not appear in the article, however they appear when I ''clic'' on them. Could you please help me make them appear at the article. Is it a problem from your server? Please help me and you will have the bless of Saint Pastapios. [[User:688dim|688dim]] 22:15, November 29, 2010 (UTC)

::Dear 688dim, Thanks for the bug report. This should now be fixed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])
:::Thanks, Fr. John for catching the "bug". I missed the pictures![[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 22:56, December 20, 2010 (UTC)

== Italian Version ==

::: Dear Father, I thought to start Italian version. How can I do that?
me and my boyfriend !! We've a lot of articol en Italian about orthodoxia.

Thanks. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 15:30, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

Hi Raggiodisole, I would be very happy to see an Italian version. The place to start is [[OrthodoxWiki:Localization]] -- would you be up for this translation work? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:48, February 8, 2011 (UTC)

:: Dear Father, ok, I gladly accept.
Then, if I may, I would like to post new articles in Italian orthodoxy
Technically, I would like you opened your site because I have these technical skills, so I will translate the pages essential for the initiation site and part Italian and enrich it later.
How do I send you the translation? the insert here?
Thank you for your trust, we are now going to translate the page you showed me.
I greet you and thank you Father. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 13:12, February 22, 2011 (UTC)

:: Father this is the translation you asked me:

OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione

Questa pagina fornisce i principi di politica ufficiale sull’enciclopedia OrthodoxWiki. Questa pagina è stata redatta consensualmente degli editori ed è considerata uno standard che tutti gli utenti devono seguire. Se si parte dell'amministrazione, non esitate ad aggiornare questa pagina, se necessario, ma occorre fare in modo che le modifiche apportate a questa politica
le voci che vi appaiano devono rispecchiare fedelmente il punto di vista ortodosso e si candidano quindi ad essere un punto di riferimento, una riflessione, per chi vuol conoscere la Chiesa Ortodossa.

Localizzazione e le relazioni inter-wiki (PROGETTO IN PROGRESS)

I commenti sono accolti

Indice [nascondi]
1 Definizioni
2 Contributori
2,1 Amministrazione
2,2 Responsabilità dei contributori
2,3 Loghi e Identità
2,4 Hosting e domini
2,5 Problemi di copyright
3 Colleghi
4 Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki
5 Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo
6 Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione
7 Appendice D: Risorse

Definizione : Cos’è OrthodoxWiki [Modifica]
La localizzazione si riferisce al processo di porting del progetto OrthodoxWiki in lingue diverse dall'inglese (la lingua originale).

Si riconoscono due accordi separati. 1. Affiliati, e 2. Colleghi.

Contributori ( Affiliato)

Un rapporto "affiliato" si ha quando un gruppo canonicamente ortodosso di persone che condividono la visione OrthodoxWiki, e il desiderio di estendere il progetto OrthodoxWiki's in altre lingue. Siamo molto felici quando per avere altri wiki-based ortodossi formalmente si aderisce all’OrthodoxWiki come affiliati pieni.

Amministrazione [Modifica]

Un rapporto di affiliazione inizia quando i volontari una o più persone dedicano sforzi sostanziali per creare e mantenere una OrthodoxWiki localizzata in una lingua che non dispone già di uno. Tutti i contatti dovrebbe passare attraverso Fr. John.

Se approvata, una o più persone del gruppo affiliato sarà data sysop di stato e sarà aggiunto alla mailing list sysop OrthodoxWiki.

Responsabilità di Contribuzione (Affiliazione) [Modifica]

E 'la responsabilità della filiale/i di mantenere e gestire attivamente il sito OrthodoxWiki localizzato in conformità con le linee guida principali OrthodoxWiki, in particolare la sua politica sul copyright (per motivi legali) e OrthodoxWiki principio di neutralità. Saranno anche responsabile della traduzione di testi fondamentali OrthodoxWiki dall'inglese in altre lingue.

All'interno di questi parametri, agli operatori locali viene dato un grande margine di manovra per quanto riguarda come è strutturato il loro wiki, stabilendo le priorità per quale tipo di materiale di importazione e di esportazione dalla lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki, e così via.

Se non riescono a soddisfare queste responsabilità, stato di affiliazione può essere revocata, e la loro sottodominio di hosting e annullato. Questo tipo di misura sarà usata, tuttavia, con parsimonia solo nei casi più gravi.

Loghi e identità [Modifica]

Gli OrthodoxWiki affiliati sono autorizzati e tenuti ad adottare il logo ufficiale OrthodoxWiki, anche se possono tradurre in altre lingue, se a loro piace. Allo stesso modo, si dovrebbero utilizzare la favicon OrthodoxWiki e il plugin di ricerca icona, permettono essi possono adattare queste come vogliono (per esempio, la modifica a un diverso colore per differenziare tra le versioni di OrthodoxWiki nella casella di ricerca o per i segnalibri).

Link a tutti gli OrthodoxWikis localizzate dovrebbero essere ben descritto sulla home page di ogni discreto / sito localizzato OrthodoxWiki.

I contributori (Affialiates) possono utilizzare uno dei linkbuttons OrthodoxWiki, tradotto o meno, o può creare il proprio.

Hosting e domini

Vi forniremo un sottodominio localizzato (come ru.orthodoxwiki.org, gr.orthodoxwiki.org, bu.orthodoxwiki.org, ecc.) Questo può essere indicato un altro indirizzo IP che sarà ospitata a livello locale, oppure possiamo fornire uno spazio sul server che ospita OrthodoxWiki (un server appartenente alla ortodossa Internet Services). In alcuni casi, un nome di dominio più appropriato per la lingua in questione può anche essere sistemato sul sottodominio.

Hosting e gestione tecnica del software MediaWiki può essere fornito gratuitamente da OrthodoxWiki, in associazione con gli ortodossi Internet Services. Tuttavia, è anche possibile per gli affiliati ospitare e gestire la propria installazione MediaWiki

Problemi di copyright

Per motivi pratici, è importante che OrthodoxWikis localizzato mantenga lo stesso copyright / accordo di licenza, come la lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki.

Dato che il wiki è localizzato nel progetto OrthodoxWiki, riteniamo che tutte le immagini e gli articoli per i quali OrthodoxWiki ha ottenuto un permesso speciale da utilizzare potrebbe essere utilizzato anche su OrthodoxWikis localizzato utilizzando lo stesso nome di dominio.

I colleghi [Modifica

Un rapporto "collega" è particolarmente appropriato in cui l'attenzione di un altro wiki (ad esempio, la loro interpretazione del NPOV e "mainstream Chalcedonian bias ortodossi") è diverso da OrthodoxWiki's. Ci aspettiamo che questo sarebbe il caso, ad esempio, se un vecchio gruppo Calendarist greco voluto creare il proprio wiki, o per copto / non-Calcedoniani o romana (o altro) wiki cattolica, o se un altro gruppo di ortodossi orientali ha voluto avviare una wiki con una particolare attenzione sostanzialmente diverso o missione. In alcuni casi, si possono riconoscere altri Wiki come "colleghi", anche se non si definiscono cristiani.

Il "collega" parola presuppone che noi abbiamo un senso della missione comune o di complementarietà, e siamo felici di lavorare insieme e sostenere ogni lavoro altrui.

In questo caso, non si può condividere un comune branding - nomi di dominio, i loghi, linkbuttons, ecc sarebbero tutti distinti. Allo stesso modo, speciali autorizzazioni per l’ immagine e l'articolo sarebbe gestiti separatamente.

I colleghi riceveranno un riconoscimento pubblico, i link sul wiki, così come il permesso esplicito di utilizzare qualsiasi materiale appropriato OrthodoxWiki (a patto che si inserisce il loro sistema di licenze) e di ogni altra assistenza o incoraggiamento siamo in grado di fornire.

Collega status può essere revocato in qualsiasi momento, soprattutto se la missione della vira altri wiki di là di un generale "NPOV" o presa di posizione "descrittivo" e formalmente adotta una forte polemica contro un altro gruppo in modo tale che non sono utili non avendo alcun rapporto formale con loro.

Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki

Si tratta di un elenco di documenti essenziali OrthodoxWiki che deve essere tradotto (in forma abbreviata, se necessario) e mantenuta coerente in localizzazioni. Il testo in lingua inglese rimane il testo "canonico".

Pagine principali sono:

OrthodoxWiki: A proposito - abbiamo bisogno di lavorare su una revisione di questo anche in inglese!
Almeno queste pagine politica OrthodoxWiki:
OrthodoxWiki: Copyrights
OrthodoxWiki: General disclaimer
OrthodoxWiki: Informazioni sulla privacy
OrthodoxWiki: Manuale di stile
Help: titoli di immagine
Core modelli includono:

Il più generico Modelli generali, in particolare:
Template: Benvenuto
Template: Stub
Template: Pulitura
Template: disambig
Tutti i modelli Copyright richieste per il materiale utilizzato sul sito affiliato, in particolare:
Template: Copyright
Template: non verificato
Template: Fairuse
Template: OWiki
Template: Skete.com
Template: Oca
Template: Htm
Template: Pd

Altre pagine che arricchiscono il funzionamento del wiki, ma non sono strettamente necessarie, o può essere più liberamente adattato per l'uso locale, sono:

OrthodoxWiki: News
OrthodoxWiki: Buzz
Le pagine di aiuto e le pagine nel namespace OrthodoxWiki.
Altre pagine template - vedi OrthodoxWiki: Modelli per un elenco completo

Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo

Bulgaro OrthodoxWiki (http://bg.orthodoxwiki.org) – Riferimento per un contatto: Costantino per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Rumeno di lingua OrthodoxWiki (http://ro.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Inistea per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
(Questo sito è considerato pienamente avviato e maturo.)
Per una discussione in lingua araba OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ar.orthodoxwiki.org), andare al OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / arabo. Vedi anche qui.
In lingua russa OrthodoxWiki (fase Alpha: http://ru.orthodoxwiki.org) - Vai alla OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione / Russo.
Di lingua greca OrthodoxWiki - EL: Αρχική_σελίδα

Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione [Modifica]

Di lingua neerlandese OrthodoxWiki (nl.orthodoxwiki.org) –
Contatti Utente: Stephan per aiutare o per ulteriori informazioni.
Castigliano e portoghese –
Contatti Utente: Theofilactos (vedi anche qui).
Spagnolo: User: Alstradiaan.

Appendice D: Risorse [Modifica]

meta: MediaWiki_localisation
meta: Help: Esportazione e meta: Help: Import
meta: Recent_changes_extension - se si volesse unire elenchi delle ultime modifiche
meta: Meta: Babel_templates - mostra competenze linguistiche dell'utente
meta: transwiki
Estratto da "http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Localization"

I send this translation in another place?
Thanks

:::Hi, Father John, I look forward to the Italian site and its address. Please Provide the technical aspect for you, after I insert the contributions to make it grow and I can call other people to feed.
Thanks a lot. Your sister in Christ!

::Dear [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - sorry for the delay! This is wonderful. Please give me a little more time to set this up. I will get back to you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

ok! thanks ! RAGGIODISOLE

::Thanks [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - would you be able to post this on the Italiano wiki, and also cover the pages mentioned in that document under Appendix A: Core Documents ? The copyright pages are especially important. Grazie! I'm excited to see it.orthodoxwiki become a reality. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Hi,I would like to publish this translated page but I do not know where to place it on the Italian site, such as system?
Me and my boyfriend have already started working on the site, are the first entries that will improve with time. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 14:04, March 4, 2011 (UTC)

== New Server (Nov 15) ==
Great news about the new server Fr John! :)
I did notice that a bug while uploading an image file - the image does not show, even though it was only 79kb small. Thought i would mention it. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:17, November 19, 2011 (HST)
:Thanks! It was long overdue. This bug should be fixed now. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 09:47, November 19, 2011 (HST)

==Account requests==
Fr. John, I notice numerous account requests on Orthodoxwiki Commons that are still open. Bill Kosar [[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 10:03, May 16, 2012 (HST)

::Thanks for the heads-up, Bill! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:13, May 16, 2012 (HST)

== pt.orthodoxwiki ==

Father John, bless! I sent two emails, one to info@orthodoxwiki.org and another to frjohn@stjuvenaly.org, but i haven't received your reply. It's about OrthodoxWiki in portuguese. I wanna say that we (my friends and I) can start translating what is needed. Please, i look forward to your response! -- [[User:SerafimBR|SerafimBR]] 10:41, October 11, 2012 (HST)

==Directory==
Hi Fr John, I'm looking for responses for my proposal (to delete the parish directory pages for Australia) on http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Administrators#Eliminating_directory_articles - your thoughts? — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 19:15, January 31, 2013 (HST)

== deleting the pages of Greek Orthodox Church listings in Australia by PISTEVO ==

Hi Fr John,

We have noticed that the Australian orthodox pages have become very biased and not right. It seems that sysops such as Pistevo are deleting and replacing pages to suit others and there own agendas. Please dont allow this as it is not fair. These pages should be informative and state facts. The listings of the Greek Orthodox Churches should have clear classifications of Parishes with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Parishes of Old Calender Greek Churches etc, regardless if they are in 'communion' with 'official churches' or not. Pistevo should not be able to delete the whole page and replace it with a link to ONLY the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Even up to now, the official position eg of when the OCA churches was in Australia is that According to Archbishop Stylianos and the Archdiocese-they were and are uncanonical. Does that mean they should not of been included in the list of Orthodox Churches in Australia then? The same with the Russian Church Abroad, up to two years ago.Please find the message below i posted to Pistevo.

Dear Pistevo
Deleting it is NOT RIGHT OR PROPER. There are now Greek Orthodox churches which are recognised by the GREEK GOVERNEMENT as they are under recognised Old Calender Synods. REGARDLESS if they are recognised or not by the "official" other churches or even if they are branded schismatic, this page STATES 'GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES', and they are all still GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES. These are the FACTS. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is NOT the only greek orthodox churches in Australia! FILOIGIAPANTA

:Fr John: My response to Filiogiapanta's message is on the [[Talk:Greek Orthodox Churches in New South Wales]] page. I can respond further (e.g. regarding the claim about OCA-AU parishes) if you request. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 14:28, February 3, 2013 (HST)

Fr John, it is not proper to change the page as PISTEVO did.
Pistevo you said wiki is not a Parish listing and I agree, yet why did you add the listing of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese here http://orthodoxwiki.org/Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales. It is a direct link to their parish directory. We would also like you therefore to add the site www.orthodoxchurch.org.au, to not be biased, and other Greek orthodox sites of Australia-regardless if they are old calenderists- not in communion with 'official churches'. Dont you think?

:Fr John - I apologise for responding to someone else on your talk page.
:Filoigiapanta - I do not because, as I stated, [[OW:MCB|OrthodoxWiki has a bias]]. Additionally, please direct all messages to me either to the [[Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales|article's talk page]], or (if necessary) to my own Talk page. I'll not post any further responses to messages from you to me on this page. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 15:10, February 3, 2013 (HST)

== Lingua Latina ==

Greetings Fr. John, I thought that making a Latinized version of OrthodoxWiki wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm very good at Latin and I would just like to know how I could do that? -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 10:51, July 20, 2013 (HST)

:Hi Shen, sorry for my delay in replying. I'm not so sure about Latin -- seems like it would be very hard to sustain. I don't think it would provide the user base needed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 12:07, July 31, 2013 (HST)

Hi Fr. John, I don't know why I didn't think about this before, but since there is a Church of Albania, it would only be fitting for there to be an Akbanian OrthodoxWiki.

::I'd be happy to see an Albanian wiki, but we'd need the right people in place to make it happen. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:33, August 9, 2013 (HST)

== Request for Additional Content on the Divine Liturgies of St. Mark and St. James ==

I would very much like to see links to videos of these liturgies being celebrated in the seminaries, or in actual parishes in the Alexandria and Jerusalem patriarchates, if any such videos exist. I have read the rubrics for the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark. Regarding that of St. James (aside from the Syriac version, which I have viewed), contrary information exists; my local parish priest has told me that it requires three priests and one bishop, and could be celebrated using a normal holy table behind the Iconostasis, but the another article I came across on the Net (I believe the Wikipedia article) indicated it required 12 priests and one Bishop, or 13 Priests, and a Western-style open altar in front of the Iconostasis. Given the obscurity of these two liturgies, and the interest they hold for many Orthodox who like me are liturgical enthusiasts, it would be delightful if a priest who has personal knowledge of these liturgies could provide more details on them, or better yet, a link to audio or video recordings. I have searched fruitlessly for these on Youtube, without success.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 10:23, August 13, 2013 (HST)

:: Sorry, Wgw, I don't know where to point you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 11:16, August 13, 2013 (HST)

You may just have to visit an Oriental Orthodox Curch -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 02:24, August 21, 2013 (HST)

Shen, I have visited, with the permission of my father of confession, Oriental Orthodox churches, but my desire is to see more of these liturgies, which are authentically Eastern Orthodox, performed according to our rubrics, which still exist, and are quite different than the versions of these liturgies as they are now used by the Copts, Syriacs and Maronites. The respective versions of these liturgies are all quite different; the most recent recension of the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, from the 1890s, for example, has all the modern features of Eastern Orthodox liturgy; it is not very different from that of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. It would just be a pity if we let such historically significant parts of our Sacred Tradition die off from neglect. By the way, I should also add, the Coptic Church only uses their version of the St. Mark liturgy on Christmas and in Lent, and the Syriacs primarily use the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, combined with a generic liturgy of the Catechumens which is not unique in any way to the Divine Liturgy of St. James, which they celebrate only on certain specific occasions. Though the Syriac Orthodox in theory have more than 80 anaphoras, in practice, they only ever use two of them (St. James on rare occasions, and Mar Bar Salibi the rest of the time, simply because its the shortest). I did by the way find on YouTube videos of portions of the Divine Liturgy of St. James being celebrated in a Greek Orthodox parish, apparently in the Middle East; it wasn't clear where exactly. Would it be appropriate to add links to them from the relevant article?

By the way, FrJohn, on another matter, is there any chance you could write a short, simple article explaining the interrelationship between the Orthodox service books, and how a typical bishop or parish priest knows how to celebrate the liturgy on a given day? Merry Christmas, by the way, both to the New Calenderists who celebrated it, and the Old Calendarists who are about to. :) I myself was terribly ill for the New Calender Christmas, and with the blessings of my father of confession will be celebrating it in a nearby ROCOR parish.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 18:41, December 26, 2013 (PST)

:: Here is search request in youtube in Russian rather than in English with many videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0&sm=3

See for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY for complete Liturgy.
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 23:04, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Mike, thank you so much for that link! I'm going to add it to the article on the Divine Liturgy of St. James. Could you give me the Cyrillic for the even more obscure liturgy of St. Mark? [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 00:19, April 10, 2014 (PDT)

I was not able to find any other Russian video for the liturgy of St. Mark besides a brief 14 min. video of Coptic Paschal service http://my.mail.ru/inbox/ierei/video/9/10.html
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 08:31, April 11, 2014 (PDT)

No problem. To my knowledge, the liturgy of St. Mark has only been rarely celebrated since the 19th century, in a few Orthodox seminaries. I have a link to a video of the entire Liturgy of St. Cyril (the Coptic version of St. Mark), which I might provide a link to on the appropriate page. The Coptic version is similar, but lacks the Byzantine-style litanies, and also lacks some of the diaconal petitions during the consecration, among other differences. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 17:27, April 13, 2014 (PDT)

== Thanks ==

Dear Fr. John, thank you very much for such prompt reply and activating my account. - [[User:Erin Navan|Erin Navan]] 02:11, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Liturgy of St. James

2014-04-10T07:25:34Z

Wgw: Added links to full length videos of the liturgy being served, thanks Mike78!

User talk:FrJohn

2014-04-10T07:19:26Z

Wgw:

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''Welcome to my discussion page. Please post new messages to the bottom of the page and use headings when starting new discussion topics. Please also sign and date your entries by inserting '''<nowiki>- ~~~~</nowiki>''' at the end. Thank you. [{{SERVER}}{{localurl:{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}|action=edit&section=new}} Start a new discussion topic.]''
----
''[[/archived discussion 1]] (through 09-07-2005)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 2]] (through 11-20-2005)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 3]] (through 05-24-2006)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 4]] (through 04-13-2007)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 5]] (through 05-28-2008)'' 
''[[/archived discussion 6]] (through 11-25-2008)''
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__TOC__

==August 17 Menaion==

Should we call our father among the saints Theodoretus the enlightener of the Sami, as opposed to the enlightener of the Lapps. Lapp is considered something of an ethnic slur; much like calling the Inuit by the name Eskimo. On the other hand, should we wait until the Menaion itself is changed to reflect the better name for the people of northern Scandinavia. [[User:Eddieuny|Eddieuny]] 03:22, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Eddieuny, Thanks for your question. My take is that, since he is in the menaion as "Enlightener of the Lapps" we should do this, but with a footnote explaining what you just said -- it would be good to make people aware of this. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:30, November 18, 2009 (UTC)

==Ukrainian version==

Dear Father, I thought to start Ukrainian version. How can I do that? I work with articles related to Orthodoxy on Ukrainian wikipedia.

--[[User:Roman Z|Roman Z]] 21:38, March 12, 2009 (UTC)

==Orthodox Source==
Hi father john, it is with much sadness and hurt that I see you close down Orthodox Source. Mainly because I invested a huge amount of time to put information onto that site that took a lot of my time and I dont have access to any more. I am a bit saddened because you didnt even give me some notice that you were going to close the site down so that I could at least download some of the information onto my personal computer that I can access in the future ... a bit disappointed that this was not considered and an opportunity given to do this. It only proves that the Internet is not a very viable Christian tool. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 05:50, November 27, 2008 (UTC)

== Fact check ==

Dear Father,
I am trying to recall the name of the cemetery chapel at Saint Anna's Skete on the Holy Mountain. I wondered if you or any of your readers/discussants might help me.

Thanks,
Isaak Scott Cairns

:One source tells me it's "Holy Cross" — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 20:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

== Hymns of Contrition ==

Father John, I bought a CD last night that in Greek is called "Kataniktika of Great lent". So, I set about doing a google today to find out just what are these hymns (although I understand the words). Many articles come up but they are primarily from the Catholic church and are seven Psalms ... these do not seem to be the format of the kataniktiko service. Can you help me. What are the Kataniktika of Great Lent? I want to post an article onto OrthodoxWiki for others to reference too.!! Thanks in advance. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 22:54, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

:O man, these Greek terms -- best ask a Byzantine-style cantor, I think. Anyone around here? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Триоди в Воскресенья - the CD translates the "Kataniktika" as the "Hymns of Contrition". However, if you do a google on that term it comes up with the Catholic version of Hymns of Contrition - which are not the same! Oi! What is wrong with the Greek terms? The church lasted 2,000 years because of the beauty in the Greek language :-) Do you want us to convert everything to Russian so you can understand? LOL ANYWAY! You are a priest - you should know what these are! ROFL [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 23:07, March 16, 2009 (UTC)

::: The ''Katanyktikoi Hymnoi'' (it helps to use standard Latinization for Greek!) may be called the "Hymns of Contrition" or "Penitential Hymns," and the term refers to a wide set of pieces of hymnography used throughout the period of the Triodion, most especially in the stichera of Lenten Vespers (most often referenced in Sunday night Vespers).

::: They are not the same thing as the "Penitential Psalms." —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 23:53, March 16, 2009 (UTC)
:::: Thanks! What I did was cut and paste what you just said and inserted it into an article. Hopefully we can develop it a little ... there is not much available on the Internet for this. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:34, March 17, 2009 (UTC)

== ΒΟΗΘΕΙΑ ==

ΧΡΕΙΑΖΟΜΑΙ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΜΙΑ ΠΑΛΙΑ ΑΙΡΕΣΗ, ΛΕΓΕΤΑΙ ΑΦΘΑΡΤΟΔΟΚΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΙΔΡΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ Ο ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΑΛΙΚΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΥ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΣ

:Ελληνικά, παρακαλώ. Δεν μιλούν ελληνικά. Σε ευχαριστώ. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

==User Creation - Proposal==
Greetings Fr. John,
With the amount of Vandalism we have, I propose that anyone requesting a new account first has to submit a request online, with some brief info about temselves, and THEN THE REQUEST WILL REQUIRE APPROVAL by yourself or Fr. Andrew or other Sysops. '''The ability for anyone to automatically create accounts will be disabled''', unless they are sincere and simply request a free account which they can then of course have; I think that the Conservapedia and some other wikis might have this system in place. Anyhow, just an idea I wanted to pass along :)

By the way, regarding the note immediately above this one (in greek), it reads something like this: ''"I require information on an ancient heresy, called "Aftharto-Docetism"?, and its proponent was the Bishop of Halicarnassos Julianos."'' I see that it was an unsigned comment however.

Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 00:10, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:Hi Angellight, given the number of users we have, this sounds like an awful lot of work. I'd rather just clean up occasionally as needed, but let me keep my eyes open for another solution. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:17, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::other forums require that you Verify your "humanity" by typing into a box the combination of numbers/letters you can see on the screen to verify that you are indeed "real" and not a bot. maybe that is all you need. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 00:51, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

::::Yep, was just posting that I've just installed a captcha test for new user registrations. It won't block disturbed individuals, but should help with the automated creation of accounts from multiple un-blacklisted IPs where email verification can be performed. Amazing we have to deal with that, eh? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 00:55, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::::Yeah, you have to wonder why they havent got better things to do than hurl abuse at people who are minding their own business ... I learnt something yesterday. A priest called Fr Demetrius wrote an email about praying for the deceased soul of a "george" who was a pro-abortionist in America. When you read with what tenderness and love Fr Demetrius writes about this "sinner" you realise how much we just pity these people - for they know not what they do. [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:04, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::The only effect really is to drain a little bit of my time away :-(. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Hey, I just did an EDIT on an article and it asked me to fill out a box ... is this going to be the standard practise from now on for editing as it will grow tedious I think for regulars? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:37, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::Whoops, I'll fix this. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:43, June 4, 2009 (UTC)
:::I missed the setting that said "Require captcha when user edits page and adds a link" - let me know if it happens again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::::Sure, also while I have you and you are in a good mood :D I would like to ask for a favour (as far as practical) my heart is to complete the most comprehensive Table of Saints (in Chronological order) - as you can witness by this new article. At present, I am systematically and patiently working through the information ON OrthodoxWiki ... how can I identify saints I have missed NOT listed on OrthodoxWiki. Do you have any suggestions? [[User:Ixthis888|Vasiliki]] 01:53, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

:::Wow! Sounds like a big job. I guess you'd have to check the websites of the various Orthodox jurisdictions around the world, or get your hands on a really good synaxarion (I like the one published by at Ormylia) and refer to its index. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 01:56, June 4, 2009 (UTC)

== Glitch ==

See [[Talk:Alban|this]]. —[[User:ASDamick|Fr. Andrew]] [[User_talk:ASDamick|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/ASDamick|contribs]] ('''[[User:ASDamick/Wiki-philosophy|THINK!]]''') 01:59, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

::Thanks, message left. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 05:38, July 8, 2009 (UTC)

== Sysop. ==

Hello Fr. John.
I am a Greek Orthodox user. I was wonderign if you can add me as a sysop to help you out with the site. I have a lot of time on my hands.

In his service,
--[[User:Greeks|Greeks]] 15:23, February 1, 2010 (UTC)

==Hello!==
Hi sir! I would like to create a project OrthodoxWiki dutch language and I have rights bureaucrat, administrator, renameuser, Checkuser and oversight, thanks. —[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 17:23, February 20, 2010 (UTC)ﻧ

:You are active or no? For 2 months you no response me. --—[[User:Mr. man|Mister]] [[User talk:Mr. man|'''lasă-mi un mesaj''']] 15:15, February 22, 2010 (UTC)

Many Orthodox believers have asked about the Icon of Christ and the Ancient of Days and confusing this elder sitting next to Christ with God the Father.
They are not alone, for the entire Roman Catholic Church believes that this is the case and their belief has by the process of osmosis been picked up by many of our clergy and this icon has been ejected from many of our Churches. It is not true for the Ancient of Days is the Son of God who was begotten before all time. If they recall, Christ in the incarnation had divested Himself of those signs of being God and had assumed the appearance of a mere servant. The icon of the Platytera teaches us that the Holy Virgin's womb contained the "uncontainable, therefore those aspects of God the Son of God remained in the mystery of Heaven. Read on with what I have written:

QUESTION:

v Do you recall ever having seen this icon of Jesus Christ holding his cross, sitting at the right of an elderly man with white hair?
at their feet there are cherubic figures, and about them there are clouds. They both have a nimbus above their head and above them
there is a white dove, sometimes within a circle or a triangle.
v Is there anything incorrect about it ?
v Why is it not found in today’s churches ?
v What is its origin ?

For those of us who are old enough, this icon is familiar. We had seen it in most of the Greek Orthodox Churches when we were children. It was located on the iconostasion on the right side of the royal entrance, the spot currently occupied by the icon of Christ. I do remember it in St. Sophia Cathedral (until the 1960’s) and in the Holy Trinity Church in Waterbury, Connecticut (in the 1920’-30’s). St. Sophia’s oldest icons were contributed to a more recently established parish in Virginia and this icon was still in use there as of seven years ago.

What is wrong with it? It has a perfectly good representation of Christ. He is seated at the right hand of an elderly man who is giving a blessing and they are both apparently seated in majesty in heaven. There are little, western style cherubs at their feet. The elderly man supposedly represents God the Father. Instead of a halo, His head is usually surrounded by a triangle which, I presume, represents the Holy Trinity. I have heard of Him in this representation being named the “Ancient of Days.” What is wrong with all this is that God the Father is purely spirit and cannot be portrayed in any manner. Christ said in the New Testament, “When you see Me, you see my Father.” This is the reason why this icon has been supplanted by one of Christ alone, for when we see Christ in an icon, we see the Father.

How did we come to portray God the Father in this manner? I could not discover the answer in any book on iconography or theology available to me. It was not until I came across a passage in the Septuagint Scriptures that I found the answer in the Book of Daniel chapter VII, verses 9 - 10 and 13 - 14.

[9] I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire. [10] A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
[13] I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and he came on to the Ancient of Days, and was brought near to him. [14] And to him was given the dominion, and the honour,and the kingdom; and all the nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

This vision and prophesy of Daniel has been identified, in both Latin Catholic and Protestant sources as a prefiguration of God the Father and the powers and glory which He has bestowed upon God the Son, Jesus Christ - the Son of Man. This passage may have been the source of the artistic rendering of God the Father as the “Ancient of Days.” Whether this conception was original with our iconographers or was influenced by the realistic presentations of western artists is not known. Indeed we have a prime example of this in Michaelangelo’s painting of God in the Sistine Chapel and the western style cherubs at their feet. His portraiture is that of an old man with white hair and a white beard, reaching out with his finger to endow Adam with life. None of these features are found in Orthodox iconography and their being in this icon suggests the influence of western imaging since large portions of Greece had been occupied for several centuries by Venetian, Catalan and other Latins.

Regardless of its origins, this icon is considered erroneous today.

Providence has a way of providing us with truths to heal our ignorance. I believe that I have discovered the significance of this icon while reading A Discourse On the Nativity of Christ by St. Gregory Thaumatourgos, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea (died 260) . He wrote:

“The new wonders do strike me with awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God. Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth in a manger of dumb beasts.”

Do the words of Gregory’s statement imply that this icon could represent a “double image” of Christ? First as the “Ancient of Days”, the only-begotten Son of God, born before all ages. Adjacent to Him is the younger Incarnate Jesus Christ, Son of Man(-kind) as He appeared to us on earth in His kenotic form (i.e. when He “emptied Himself” and “became as a base servant”). Gone would be the mistaken identification of the Ancient of Days as God the Father, which is the mainstay of western explanations. Such an interpretation of this icon sheds a completely new light upon it, a light which may render it theologically legitimate. Even so St. Gregory goes on to say: “The Impassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners.” If the Ancient of Days has these chacteristics, is it permissible to portray him in an icon? Does the fact that He becomes incarnate as Jesus Christ repeal the prohibition of showing Him as an aged man?
However, St. Gregory’s words have allowed me to learn the true meaning of this prophesy from the Book of Daniel. It is a prophesy of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ, when the “books will be opened” and the “secrets of men will be revealed.” I am thankful to have gained this knowledge so that I can look upon this icon with greater appreciation. Later yet, I discovered that there is an icon in St. Katherine’s Monastery at Sinai which depicts the Ancient of Days, and on his lap rests Jesus as a child. This icon is said to confirm the concept voiced by St. Gregory that The Ancient of Days is the heavenly manifestation of the Son of God.

The Ancient of Days with a child Jesus Christ on His Lap, 12th century
At St. Katherine’s Monastery Church, Mt. Sinai
(You can find this icon on the internet)

== Psalter quote ==

Father John,
Bless!
My name is Manoli and I'm an 18 year old recent high school graduate. I am distantly acquainted with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and I'm writing an essay for the PanHellenic Foundation, trying to get a scholarship for college. I want to use the "golden thread" quote from "one modern commentator" on the OrthodoxWiki "Psalter" page. If you know who that person is, or who would know who that person is, I'd appreciate any info...Fr. Andrew doesn't and although I'm registered on OrthodoxWiki as CampNazFanatic, I don't know much about using the site so I decided to contact you. Please respond asap as this essay is due like tomorrow.
Thanks,
Manoli
--CampNazFanatic[[CampNazFanatic]]

==IMAGES ISSUES==
Warm greetings Fr. John,

I hope it is okay that I am contacting you directly, but this problem has not been resolved for some time. Could you kindly look into rectifying the long-standing problem with uploaded images not displaying - they do not display once they are uploaded and they do not display especially as thumbnails.

See here: the [http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/Special:Newimages Gallery of New Image Files];

I had left a note at the OrthodoxWiki Trapeza [[OrthodoxWiki:Trapeza#Thumbnails_Error|here]] regarding this error some time ago, but it has gone unanswered and the problem is not resolved.

Surely there must be a process to have this investigated? -- i.e. Where is the OW site hosted? Which person(s)/webmasters or what entity is in charge of maintenance? Who needs to be called? Who is in control? And WHERE is their accountability???? Why have they ignored this for so long? Was this change done intentionally for some reason and if so why is there no notice informing the users? This problem has persisted for a very long time now, and it appears that it is a feature that has been disabled. If it stays non-functional this way I fear that this will discourage further users from wanting to contribute to OW. If there is something I have overlooked apologies in advance. Hoping something can be done. Thanks and kind regards :) [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:49, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

::Hi Angellight -- I apologize for the frustration. Sadly, it is I -- the negligent webmaster. and the volunteer in charge of site maintenance (but with many distractions). Please be assured that there is nothing intentional in the problem - the site just needs an upgrade. Because of the way the databases are tied together for each localization, it gets a little complex. I will strive to find some time to fix this soon. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 07:28, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

:::Many thanks for the info dear Fr.; good to know the site will be eventually upgraded and that this will be addressed then. Please forgive my initial frustration. This is a wonderful resource and I hope to see it grow. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 18:55, October 2, 2010 (UTC)

----

:Fr. John, this may be part of the same problem, if one tries to add a image and re-size it they get an error:
Error creating thumbnail: Warning: passthru() has been disabled for security reasons in
/home/owiki/public_html/shared/includes /GlobalFunctions.php on line 1839 
:(just an FYI) - [[User:Andrew|Andy]] 16:41, November 24, 2010 (UTC)

::I apologize for the delay in getting this resolved. Thumbnails should now be working again! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

== Suppression ==

Unfortunately, after going through some articles and dead links, it seems that the Oriental Orthodox Church is suppressed on this OrthodoxWiki. it is a shame becuase this wiki is what should unite us together in Christ, not divide us and furthurmore insult our brothers and sisters. No one would dare do that to Christ. Eastern Orthodoxy and Oreintal Orthodoxy are probably the closest, most Orthodox, unchanging groups of Churches. I pray that one day we will once again be reunited as one in His Church.

God Bless

:: Hello [[Cmd|User:Cmd]] - It is certainly not my heart to suppress Oriental Orthodoxy in any way. In fact, just about 30 minutes ago I was speaking about my respect for Oriental Orthodox Christians, and talking about how the Christological differences have been largely resolved. This is a joy to me. Please see [[OrthodoxWiki:Style_Manual_%28Point_of_View%29]] for the stated policy of this site. If you can point to specific examples of suppression, that would be helpful. In Christ, — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 23:32, October 3, 2010 (UTC)

== About the 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'' ==

Dear Father John. I have added 3 photos at the text ''Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)'', but they do not appear in the article, however they appear when I ''clic'' on them. Could you please help me make them appear at the article. Is it a problem from your server? Please help me and you will have the bless of Saint Pastapios. [[User:688dim|688dim]] 22:15, November 29, 2010 (UTC)

::Dear 688dim, Thanks for the bug report. This should now be fixed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])
:::Thanks, Fr. John for catching the "bug". I missed the pictures![[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 22:56, December 20, 2010 (UTC)

== Italian Version ==

::: Dear Father, I thought to start Italian version. How can I do that?
me and my boyfriend !! We've a lot of articol en Italian about orthodoxia.

Thanks. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 15:30, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

Hi Raggiodisole, I would be very happy to see an Italian version. The place to start is [[OrthodoxWiki:Localization]] -- would you be up for this translation work? — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 04:48, February 8, 2011 (UTC)

:: Dear Father, ok, I gladly accept.
Then, if I may, I would like to post new articles in Italian orthodoxy
Technically, I would like you opened your site because I have these technical skills, so I will translate the pages essential for the initiation site and part Italian and enrich it later.
How do I send you the translation? the insert here?
Thank you for your trust, we are now going to translate the page you showed me.
I greet you and thank you Father. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 13:12, February 22, 2011 (UTC)

:: Father this is the translation you asked me:

OrthodoxWiki: Localizzazione

Questa pagina fornisce i principi di politica ufficiale sull’enciclopedia OrthodoxWiki. Questa pagina è stata redatta consensualmente degli editori ed è considerata uno standard che tutti gli utenti devono seguire. Se si parte dell'amministrazione, non esitate ad aggiornare questa pagina, se necessario, ma occorre fare in modo che le modifiche apportate a questa politica
le voci che vi appaiano devono rispecchiare fedelmente il punto di vista ortodosso e si candidano quindi ad essere un punto di riferimento, una riflessione, per chi vuol conoscere la Chiesa Ortodossa.

Localizzazione e le relazioni inter-wiki (PROGETTO IN PROGRESS)

I commenti sono accolti

Indice [nascondi]
1 Definizioni
2 Contributori
2,1 Amministrazione
2,2 Responsabilità dei contributori
2,3 Loghi e Identità
2,4 Hosting e domini
2,5 Problemi di copyright
3 Colleghi
4 Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki
5 Appendice B: Localizzazioni Attivo
6 Appendice C: Localizzazioni in fase di progettazione
7 Appendice D: Risorse

Definizione : Cos’è OrthodoxWiki [Modifica]
La localizzazione si riferisce al processo di porting del progetto OrthodoxWiki in lingue diverse dall'inglese (la lingua originale).

Si riconoscono due accordi separati. 1. Affiliati, e 2. Colleghi.

Contributori ( Affiliato)

Un rapporto "affiliato" si ha quando un gruppo canonicamente ortodosso di persone che condividono la visione OrthodoxWiki, e il desiderio di estendere il progetto OrthodoxWiki's in altre lingue. Siamo molto felici quando per avere altri wiki-based ortodossi formalmente si aderisce all’OrthodoxWiki come affiliati pieni.

Amministrazione [Modifica]

Un rapporto di affiliazione inizia quando i volontari una o più persone dedicano sforzi sostanziali per creare e mantenere una OrthodoxWiki localizzata in una lingua che non dispone già di uno. Tutti i contatti dovrebbe passare attraverso Fr. John.

Se approvata, una o più persone del gruppo affiliato sarà data sysop di stato e sarà aggiunto alla mailing list sysop OrthodoxWiki.

Responsabilità di Contribuzione (Affiliazione) [Modifica]

E 'la responsabilità della filiale/i di mantenere e gestire attivamente il sito OrthodoxWiki localizzato in conformità con le linee guida principali OrthodoxWiki, in particolare la sua politica sul copyright (per motivi legali) e OrthodoxWiki principio di neutralità. Saranno anche responsabile della traduzione di testi fondamentali OrthodoxWiki dall'inglese in altre lingue.

All'interno di questi parametri, agli operatori locali viene dato un grande margine di manovra per quanto riguarda come è strutturato il loro wiki, stabilendo le priorità per quale tipo di materiale di importazione e di esportazione dalla lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki, e così via.

Se non riescono a soddisfare queste responsabilità, stato di affiliazione può essere revocata, e la loro sottodominio di hosting e annullato. Questo tipo di misura sarà usata, tuttavia, con parsimonia solo nei casi più gravi.

Loghi e identità [Modifica]

Gli OrthodoxWiki affiliati sono autorizzati e tenuti ad adottare il logo ufficiale OrthodoxWiki, anche se possono tradurre in altre lingue, se a loro piace. Allo stesso modo, si dovrebbero utilizzare la favicon OrthodoxWiki e il plugin di ricerca icona, permettono essi possono adattare queste come vogliono (per esempio, la modifica a un diverso colore per differenziare tra le versioni di OrthodoxWiki nella casella di ricerca o per i segnalibri).

Link a tutti gli OrthodoxWikis localizzate dovrebbero essere ben descritto sulla home page di ogni discreto / sito localizzato OrthodoxWiki.

I contributori (Affialiates) possono utilizzare uno dei linkbuttons OrthodoxWiki, tradotto o meno, o può creare il proprio.

Hosting e domini

Vi forniremo un sottodominio localizzato (come ru.orthodoxwiki.org, gr.orthodoxwiki.org, bu.orthodoxwiki.org, ecc.) Questo può essere indicato un altro indirizzo IP che sarà ospitata a livello locale, oppure possiamo fornire uno spazio sul server che ospita OrthodoxWiki (un server appartenente alla ortodossa Internet Services). In alcuni casi, un nome di dominio più appropriato per la lingua in questione può anche essere sistemato sul sottodominio.

Hosting e gestione tecnica del software MediaWiki può essere fornito gratuitamente da OrthodoxWiki, in associazione con gli ortodossi Internet Services. Tuttavia, è anche possibile per gli affiliati ospitare e gestire la propria installazione MediaWiki

Problemi di copyright

Per motivi pratici, è importante che OrthodoxWikis localizzato mantenga lo stesso copyright / accordo di licenza, come la lingua inglese OrthodoxWiki.

Dato che il wiki è localizzato nel progetto OrthodoxWiki, riteniamo che tutte le immagini e gli articoli per i quali OrthodoxWiki ha ottenuto un permesso speciale da utilizzare potrebbe essere utilizzato anche su OrthodoxWikis localizzato utilizzando lo stesso nome di dominio.

I colleghi [Modifica

Un rapporto "collega" è particolarmente appropriato in cui l'attenzione di un altro wiki (ad esempio, la loro interpretazione del NPOV e "mainstream Chalcedonian bias ortodossi") è diverso da OrthodoxWiki's. Ci aspettiamo che questo sarebbe il caso, ad esempio, se un vecchio gruppo Calendarist greco voluto creare il proprio wiki, o per copto / non-Calcedoniani o romana (o altro) wiki cattolica, o se un altro gruppo di ortodossi orientali ha voluto avviare una wiki con una particolare attenzione sostanzialmente diverso o missione. In alcuni casi, si possono riconoscere altri Wiki come "colleghi", anche se non si definiscono cristiani.

Il "collega" parola presuppone che noi abbiamo un senso della missione comune o di complementarietà, e siamo felici di lavorare insieme e sostenere ogni lavoro altrui.

In questo caso, non si può condividere un comune branding - nomi di dominio, i loghi, linkbuttons, ecc sarebbero tutti distinti. Allo stesso modo, speciali autorizzazioni per l’ immagine e l'articolo sarebbe gestiti separatamente.

I colleghi riceveranno un riconoscimento pubblico, i link sul wiki, così come il permesso esplicito di utilizzare qualsiasi materiale appropriato OrthodoxWiki (a patto che si inserisce il loro sistema di licenze) e di ogni altra assistenza o incoraggiamento siamo in grado di fornire.

Collega status può essere revocato in qualsiasi momento, soprattutto se la missione della vira altri wiki di là di un generale "NPOV" o presa di posizione "descrittivo" e formalmente adotta una forte polemica contro un altro gruppo in modo tale che non sono utili non avendo alcun rapporto formale con loro.

Appedix A: documenti fondamentali OrthodoxWiki

Si tratta di un elenco di documenti essenziali OrthodoxWiki che deve essere tradotto (in forma abbreviata, se necessario) e mantenuta coerente in localizzazioni. Il testo in lingua inglese rimane il testo "canonico".

Pagine principali sono:

OrthodoxWiki: A proposito - abbiamo bisogno di lavorare su una revisione di questo anche in inglese!
Almeno queste pagine politica OrthodoxWiki:
OrthodoxWiki: Copyrights
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Estratto da "http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Localization"

I send this translation in another place?
Thanks

:::Hi, Father John, I look forward to the Italian site and its address. Please Provide the technical aspect for you, after I insert the contributions to make it grow and I can call other people to feed.
Thanks a lot. Your sister in Christ!

::Dear [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - sorry for the delay! This is wonderful. Please give me a little more time to set this up. I will get back to you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

ok! thanks ! RAGGIODISOLE

::Thanks [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] - would you be able to post this on the Italiano wiki, and also cover the pages mentioned in that document under Appendix A: Core Documents ? The copyright pages are especially important. Grazie! I'm excited to see it.orthodoxwiki become a reality. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk])

::Hi,I would like to publish this translated page but I do not know where to place it on the Italian site, such as system?
Me and my boyfriend have already started working on the site, are the first entries that will improve with time. [[User:Raggiodisole|Raggiodisole]] 14:04, March 4, 2011 (UTC)

== New Server (Nov 15) ==
Great news about the new server Fr John! :)
I did notice that a bug while uploading an image file - the image does not show, even though it was only 79kb small. Thought i would mention it. Cheers, [[User:Angellight 888|Angellight 888]] 05:17, November 19, 2011 (HST)
:Thanks! It was long overdue. This bug should be fixed now. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 09:47, November 19, 2011 (HST)

==Account requests==
Fr. John, I notice numerous account requests on Orthodoxwiki Commons that are still open. Bill Kosar [[User:Wsk|Wsk]] 10:03, May 16, 2012 (HST)

::Thanks for the heads-up, Bill! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:13, May 16, 2012 (HST)

== pt.orthodoxwiki ==

Father John, bless! I sent two emails, one to info@orthodoxwiki.org and another to frjohn@stjuvenaly.org, but i haven't received your reply. It's about OrthodoxWiki in portuguese. I wanna say that we (my friends and I) can start translating what is needed. Please, i look forward to your response! -- [[User:SerafimBR|SerafimBR]] 10:41, October 11, 2012 (HST)

==Directory==
Hi Fr John, I'm looking for responses for my proposal (to delete the parish directory pages for Australia) on http://orthodoxwiki.org/OrthodoxWiki:Administrators#Eliminating_directory_articles - your thoughts? — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 19:15, January 31, 2013 (HST)

== deleting the pages of Greek Orthodox Church listings in Australia by PISTEVO ==

Hi Fr John,

We have noticed that the Australian orthodox pages have become very biased and not right. It seems that sysops such as Pistevo are deleting and replacing pages to suit others and there own agendas. Please dont allow this as it is not fair. These pages should be informative and state facts. The listings of the Greek Orthodox Churches should have clear classifications of Parishes with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Parishes of Old Calender Greek Churches etc, regardless if they are in 'communion' with 'official churches' or not. Pistevo should not be able to delete the whole page and replace it with a link to ONLY the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Even up to now, the official position eg of when the OCA churches was in Australia is that According to Archbishop Stylianos and the Archdiocese-they were and are uncanonical. Does that mean they should not of been included in the list of Orthodox Churches in Australia then? The same with the Russian Church Abroad, up to two years ago.Please find the message below i posted to Pistevo.

Dear Pistevo
Deleting it is NOT RIGHT OR PROPER. There are now Greek Orthodox churches which are recognised by the GREEK GOVERNEMENT as they are under recognised Old Calender Synods. REGARDLESS if they are recognised or not by the "official" other churches or even if they are branded schismatic, this page STATES 'GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES', and they are all still GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES. These are the FACTS. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is NOT the only greek orthodox churches in Australia! FILOIGIAPANTA

:Fr John: My response to Filiogiapanta's message is on the [[Talk:Greek Orthodox Churches in New South Wales]] page. I can respond further (e.g. regarding the claim about OCA-AU parishes) if you request. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 14:28, February 3, 2013 (HST)

Fr John, it is not proper to change the page as PISTEVO did.
Pistevo you said wiki is not a Parish listing and I agree, yet why did you add the listing of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese here http://orthodoxwiki.org/Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales. It is a direct link to their parish directory. We would also like you therefore to add the site www.orthodoxchurch.org.au, to not be biased, and other Greek orthodox sites of Australia-regardless if they are old calenderists- not in communion with 'official churches'. Dont you think?

:Fr John - I apologise for responding to someone else on your talk page.
:Filoigiapanta - I do not because, as I stated, [[OW:MCB|OrthodoxWiki has a bias]]. Additionally, please direct all messages to me either to the [[Greek_Orthodox_Churches_in_New_South_Wales|article's talk page]], or (if necessary) to my own Talk page. I'll not post any further responses to messages from you to me on this page. — by [[User:Pistevo|Pιsτévο]] ''[[User talk:Pistevo|talk]]'' ''[[User talk:Pistevo/dev/null|complaints]]'' at 15:10, February 3, 2013 (HST)

== Lingua Latina ==

Greetings Fr. John, I thought that making a Latinized version of OrthodoxWiki wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm very good at Latin and I would just like to know how I could do that? -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 10:51, July 20, 2013 (HST)

:Hi Shen, sorry for my delay in replying. I'm not so sure about Latin -- seems like it would be very hard to sustain. I don't think it would provide the user base needed. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 12:07, July 31, 2013 (HST)

Hi Fr. John, I don't know why I didn't think about this before, but since there is a Church of Albania, it would only be fitting for there to be an Akbanian OrthodoxWiki.

::I'd be happy to see an Albanian wiki, but we'd need the right people in place to make it happen. Thanks! — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 10:33, August 9, 2013 (HST)

== Request for Additional Content on the Divine Liturgies of St. Mark and St. James ==

I would very much like to see links to videos of these liturgies being celebrated in the seminaries, or in actual parishes in the Alexandria and Jerusalem patriarchates, if any such videos exist. I have read the rubrics for the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark. Regarding that of St. James (aside from the Syriac version, which I have viewed), contrary information exists; my local parish priest has told me that it requires three priests and one bishop, and could be celebrated using a normal holy table behind the Iconostasis, but the another article I came across on the Net (I believe the Wikipedia article) indicated it required 12 priests and one Bishop, or 13 Priests, and a Western-style open altar in front of the Iconostasis. Given the obscurity of these two liturgies, and the interest they hold for many Orthodox who like me are liturgical enthusiasts, it would be delightful if a priest who has personal knowledge of these liturgies could provide more details on them, or better yet, a link to audio or video recordings. I have searched fruitlessly for these on Youtube, without success.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 10:23, August 13, 2013 (HST)

:: Sorry, Wgw, I don't know where to point you. — [[User:FrJohn|FrJohn]] ([http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=User_talk:FrJohn&action=edit&section=new talk]) 11:16, August 13, 2013 (HST)

You may just have to visit an Oriental Orthodox Curch -[[User:ShenLazar|ShenLazar]] 02:24, August 21, 2013 (HST)

Shen, I have visited, with the permission of my father of confession, Oriental Orthodox churches, but my desire is to see more of these liturgies, which are authentically Eastern Orthodox, performed according to our rubrics, which still exist, and are quite different than the versions of these liturgies as they are now used by the Copts, Syriacs and Maronites. The respective versions of these liturgies are all quite different; the most recent recension of the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, from the 1890s, for example, has all the modern features of Eastern Orthodox liturgy; it is not very different from that of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. It would just be a pity if we let such historically significant parts of our Sacred Tradition die off from neglect. By the way, I should also add, the Coptic Church only uses their version of the St. Mark liturgy on Christmas and in Lent, and the Syriacs primarily use the Anaphora of Mar Bar Salibi, combined with a generic liturgy of the Catechumens which is not unique in any way to the Divine Liturgy of St. James, which they celebrate only on certain specific occasions. Though the Syriac Orthodox in theory have more than 80 anaphoras, in practice, they only ever use two of them (St. James on rare occasions, and Mar Bar Salibi the rest of the time, simply because its the shortest). I did by the way find on YouTube videos of portions of the Divine Liturgy of St. James being celebrated in a Greek Orthodox parish, apparently in the Middle East; it wasn't clear where exactly. Would it be appropriate to add links to them from the relevant article?

By the way, FrJohn, on another matter, is there any chance you could write a short, simple article explaining the interrelationship between the Orthodox service books, and how a typical bishop or parish priest knows how to celebrate the liturgy on a given day? Merry Christmas, by the way, both to the New Calenderists who celebrated it, and the Old Calendarists who are about to. :) I myself was terribly ill for the New Calender Christmas, and with the blessings of my father of confession will be celebrating it in a nearby ROCOR parish.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 18:41, December 26, 2013 (PST)

:: Here is search request in youtube in Russian rather than in English with many videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0&sm=3

See for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdI58Sv4fGY for complete Liturgy.
[[User:Mike78|Mike78]] 23:04, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

Mike, thank you so much for that link! I'm going to add it to the article on the Divine Liturgy of St. James. Could you give me the Cyrillic for the even more obscure liturgy of St. Mark? [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 00:19, April 10, 2014 (PDT)

== Thanks ==

Dear Fr. John, thank you very much for such prompt reply and activating my account. - [[User:Erin Navan|Erin Navan]] 02:11, March 18, 2014 (PDT)

User talk:ShenLazar

2013-12-27T02:45:42Z

Wgw: asked questions regarding liturgy and history of the Albanian church

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ShenLazar, how are conditions for the Albanian church these days? Do you have any links to YouTube videos of the liturgy being celebrated in Albanian, either in Albania or Abroad? I've only found a few videos; I would really like to experience the revived Albanian tradition. The fact that it survived in Albania in spite of Hoxha shows the divine hand of our Lord at work, ensuring the gates of Hell cannot be opened towards it, even by someone as committed to our destruction as Enver Hoxha.

By the way, what do the Albanian Orthodox think of King Zog? Did he treat them well? Also, what is the general feeling about Mother Teresa?

At any rate, God bless you! Feel free to delete this from your talk page and move this convo to my talk page if that is convenient.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 18:45, December 26, 2013 (PST)

User talk:FrJohn

2013-12-27T02:41:55Z

Wgw: question regarding the liturgy.

Apostle Thomas

2013-10-24T21:35:56Z

Wgw: Edited a paragraph down a bit further

[[Image:Thomas the Apostle.jpg|right|frame|The Apostle Thomas]]
The holy, glorious and all-laudable '''Apostle Thomas''' is included in the number of the holy [[Apostles#The_Twelve|Twelve Apostles]] of the Savior. He is commemorated on [[October 6]] and on [[June 30]] with the [[Synaxis]] of the Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles of Christ.
==Life==
The Apostle Thomas was born in the Galileian city of Pansada and was a fisherman. Hearing the good tidings of [[Jesus Christ]], he left all and followed after him.

According to Holy [[Scripture]], the holy Apostle Thomas did not believe the reports of the other [[disciple]]s about the [[Resurrection]] of Jesus Christ: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 20:25).

On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed him His wounds. "My Lord and my God," the Apostle cried out (John 20:28). "Thomas, being once weaker in faith than the other apostles," says St [[John Chrysostom]], "toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God to savage nations."

Some [[icons]] depicting this event are inscribed "The Doubting Thomas." This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, "The Touching of Thomas." In Slavonic, it says, "The Belief of Thomas." When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts. What is more, in the English language, the nickname of "Doubting Thomas" can convey the false impression of Thomas as being timid, lacking the full conviction of faith, or even being cowardly; this concept of Thomas is neither historical nor Biblical, except in consideration of the vitally important moment in which Thomas touched the Resurrected Christ; the momentary sinful fluctuation in faith being spectacularly reversed through Divine Grace as an opportunity to validate the bodily Resurrection. In John 11:16, Thomas expressed a desire to die with the Lord, in response to the other disciples' fear that the Pharisees would seek to kill Jesus should they re-enter Judea. The notion of Thomas as wavering or pusillanimous in his faith can be further dispelled in light of the Church Tradition regarding his evangelism, according to which, the holy Apostle founded Christian [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|churches]] in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. Church Traditon also indicates that Apostle Thomas baptized the [[Magi]]{{citation|Indicate Source for this comment}}.

Preaching the Gospel earned the holy Apostle Thomas a [[martyr]]'s death. For having [[convert]]ed the wife and son of the prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur (Melipur), the holy apostle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and finally, pierced with five spears, he departed to the Lord. Part of the [[relics]] of the holy Apostle Thomas are in India, in Hungary and on [[Mount Athos|Mt. Athos]]. The name of the Apostle Thomas is associated with the Arabian (or Arapet) Icon of the Mother of God ([[September 6]]).

Due to his evangelism in Syria and Persia, the Holy Apostle is highly regarded within the Eastern Orthodox [[Church of Antioch]], the [[Church of Antioch (Syriac)]], and in the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (which separated from Orthodoxy during the [[Nestorian]] schism). The Christian community in India is known as the St. Thomas Christians on account of the tradition that holds St. Thomas as their founder; a dispute over the precise nature of this evangelism, and whether or not Thomas personally ministered within India, resulted in a schism between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]. An important early tradition concerning Thomas, that is of particular importance to Syriac Christians, is the story of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_Edessa], and which is connected in Eastern Orthodoxy with the tradition of the Icon Not Made by Hands.

In recent years the image of the Holy Apostle has been further mired by the media attention given to the recently discovered heretical [[Gnostic]] Gospel of Thomas, part of the [[Gnostic Texts of Nag Hammadi]], and also the Gnostic Infancy Gospel of Thomas. These Gospels are associated with the Gnostic heresy, and no Orthodox church regards them as being Canonical; additionally, they are almost universally considered to be pseudepigraphical, even among non-Orthodox Bible scholars. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] attributed the Gospel of Thomas to the Manichees, saying of it "Let none read the Gospel according to Thomas: for it is the work not of one of the twelve Apostles, but of one of the three wicked disciples of Manes." Likewise, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is generally considered to have been written no earlier than the second century ([[Irenaeus of Lyons]] may have referred to it in his seminal work ''Against Heresies''). Thus, it is important that the Orthodox faithful reject any attribution of either of these heretical works to the Holy Apostle Thomas.

The Apostle Thomas should therefore be considered not merely as "Doubting Thomas", but rather, as someone whose faith did waver at one crucial moment, yet through the divine grace of Christ, this wavering was reversed into an opportunity for the demonstration of the actual bodily resurrection of the Lord, and for the concomitant scriptural refutation of Docetism and the Gnostic heresy. The false association of Thomas with Gnostic heretical works is all the more extraordinary in light of the fact that his personal experience, as recorded in the Orthodox, canonical, Gospel of John, discredits the Gnostic heresy that lies at the heart of the works allegedly authored by Thomas. In addition to having been the instrument by which the Lord disproved that pernicious heresy, through a remarkable application of grace reversing a sin into a moment of divine revelation, the Apostle Thomas should also be remembered as a great evangelist; just as Peter and Paul made their way to Rome to evangelize the gentiles therein, and Andrew proceeded to the Northwest, Thomas ventured East in order to spread the same Gospel of peace.

==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 2)
:You were a disciple of Christ
:And a member of the divine college of Apostles.
:Having been weak in faith you doubted the Resurrection of Christ.
:But by feeling the wounds you believed in His all-pure passion:
:Pray now to Him, O all-praised Thomas to grant us peace and great mercy.

[[Kontakion]] (Tone 4)
:Thomas, the faithful servant and disciple of Christ,
:Filled with divine grace, cried out from the depth of his love:
:You are my Lord and my God!

==Source==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=102885 Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas] ([[OCA]])

==External links==
*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=230 Thomas the Apostle of the 12] ([[GOARCH]])
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=October&day=6 The Holy Apostle Thomas] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/t/inp89.htm Icon and Story of St. Thomas, Holy & Glorious Apostle]

[[Category:Biblical Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category:Martyrs|Thomas]]
[[Category:Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category: 1st-century saints]]

[[ar:توما الرسول]]
[[el:Απόστολος Θωμάς]]
[[mk:Апостол Тома]]
[[ro:Apostolul Toma]]

Talk:Apostle Thomas

2013-10-24T21:31:58Z

Wgw:

This is really sparse. I work with Christians from Kerala who identify him as the founder of their church. There is a Church in Tblisi which is the repository for his skull. He is said to have returned to be at the funeral of The Theotokos etc. Are there so few sources for the Apostle Thomas? He must be one of the most interesting. [[User:Thomas Simmons|Thomas Simmons]] 10:32 EPT, 26/03/11 (EPT)

The St. Thomas Christians of India are not Eastern Orthodox, but they are connected with Oriental Orthodoxy and the heterodox Church of the East, and furthermore, their tradition of having been founded by St. Thomas corroborates the Eastern Orthodox tradition that St. Thomas was martyred in India, thus, I have added mention of him. I agree with you that Thomas is a very interesting Apostle; I personally prefer not to have in my mind a hierarchy of the Apostles beyond the primacy of St. Peter and the theological importance of John, the Beloved Disciple, however, of the other apostles, Thomas is definitely one whose story is exciting and profound in Christian theology. The image of "Doubting Thomas", that smears the apostle as a fearful man of wavering faith, which has proliferated among many Protestants where the lives of the Apostles are not given sufficient attention, must be vigorously dispelled. Additionally, I have added a clear statement to the effect that the Eastern Orthodox Church (and for that matter our Oriental Orthodox brethren) emphatically reject the attribution of the heretical Gnostic Gospels bearing the name of Thomas to the Holy Apostle. I feel like much work needs to be done to clear the name of a saint and martyr whose bravery and orthodoxy are beyond question. [[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 11:33, October 18, 2013 (HST)

I should add that in my initial expansion of this article I feel I de-emphasized the doubting nature of Thomas a bit too much, to the extent of inadvertantly paving over the manner in which Thomas's momentary doubt was reversed by the Lord in order to show the truth of the bodily resurrection. Thus, Thomas should be remembered not just as Doubting Thomas, but rather, as Thomas who doubted, yet whose doubts were spectacularly quashed, and who otherwise in most respects before and after this remarkable Christological moment demonstrated a level of extraordinary courage. Thus in no way should Thomas be regarded as a sort of black sheep among the Apostles (indeed all of the Apostles were of great importance to Christ), on account of his doubt, but rather, in reflecting on Thomas, we should reflect on how the firmness of conviction that occurred after the moment of his doubt led him to cross all the way to India to proclaim the gospel, ultimately leading to his glorious martyrdom. We can go further in reflecting on how this disproves the Gnostic heresy (and this perhaps is why the Gnostics opted to associate the name of Thomas with their blasphemous false gospels), and beyond that, there is great benefit in reflecting upon the statement of Christ that "Blessed are they who believe and have not seen", that, in other words, if Thomas, who uniquely benefited from a confirmation of his beliefs beyond that of anyone else, accomplished everything that he accomplished, those who accept the gospel on unproven faith are in an equally great position to serve, as is shown by the later remarkable lives of fathers who lived well after the Apostolic Age, such as the Three Holy Hierarchs.

[[User:Wgw|Wgw]] 11:31, October 24, 2013 (HST)

Apostle Thomas

2013-10-24T21:23:01Z

Wgw: Revised text to clarify Thomas's doubts leading to the positive confirmation of the bodily resurrection of the Lord.

[[Image:Thomas the Apostle.jpg|right|frame|The Apostle Thomas]]
The holy, glorious and all-laudable '''Apostle Thomas''' is included in the number of the holy [[Apostles#The_Twelve|Twelve Apostles]] of the Savior. He is commemorated on [[October 6]] and on [[June 30]] with the [[Synaxis]] of the Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles of Christ.
==Life==
The Apostle Thomas was born in the Galileian city of Pansada and was a fisherman. Hearing the good tidings of [[Jesus Christ]], he left all and followed after him.

According to Holy [[Scripture]], the holy Apostle Thomas did not believe the reports of the other [[disciple]]s about the [[Resurrection]] of Jesus Christ: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 20:25).

On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed him His wounds. "My Lord and my God," the Apostle cried out (John 20:28). "Thomas, being once weaker in faith than the other apostles," says St [[John Chrysostom]], "toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God to savage nations."

Some [[icons]] depicting this event are inscribed "The Doubting Thomas." This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, "The Touching of Thomas." In Slavonic, it says, "The Belief of Thomas." When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts. What is more, in the English language, the nickname of "Doubting Thomas" can convey the false impression of Thomas as being timid, lacking the full conviction of faith, or even being cowardly; this concept of Thomas is neither historical nor Biblical, except in consideration of the vitally important moment in which Thomas touched the Resurrected Christ; the momentary sinful fluctuation in faith being spectacularly reversed through Divine Grace as an opportunity to validate the bodily Resurrection. In John 11:16, Thomas expressed a desire to die with the Lord, in response to the other disciples' fear that the Pharisees would seek to kill Jesus should they re-enter Judea. The notion of Thomas as wavering or pusillanimous in his faith can be further dispelled in light of the Church Tradition regarding his evangelism, according to which, the holy Apostle founded Christian [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|churches]] in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. Church Traditon also indicates that Apostle Thomas baptized the [[Magi]]{{citation|Indicate Source for this comment}}.

Preaching the Gospel earned the holy Apostle Thomas a [[martyr]]'s death. For having [[convert]]ed the wife and son of the prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur (Melipur), the holy apostle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and finally, pierced with five spears, he departed to the Lord. Part of the [[relics]] of the holy Apostle Thomas are in India, in Hungary and on [[Mount Athos|Mt. Athos]]. The name of the Apostle Thomas is associated with the Arabian (or Arapet) Icon of the Mother of God ([[September 6]]).

Due to his evangelism in Syria and Persia, the Holy Apostle is highly regarded within the Eastern Orthodox [[Church of Antioch]], the [[Church of Antioch (Syriac)]], and in the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (which separated from Orthodoxy during the [[Nestorian]] schism). The Christian community in India is known as the St. Thomas Christians on account of the tradition that holds St. Thomas as their founder; a dispute over the precise nature of this evangelism, and whether or not Thomas personally ministered within India, resulted in a schism between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]. An important early tradition concerning Thomas, that is of particular importance to Syriac Christians, is the story of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_Edessa], and which is connected in Eastern Orthodoxy with the tradition of the Icon Not Made by Hands.

In addition to the unfortunate tendency to remember the Holy Apostle only as "Doubting Thomas" (and thus to focus purely on his sins while ignoring his Apostolic ministry), and the unpleasant association of the phrase "St. Thomas" with the Roman Catholic theologian [[Thomas Aquinas]], in recent years the image of the Holy Apostle and distinguished member of the Twelve Disciples has been further mired by the media attention given to the recently discovered heretical [[Gnostic]] Gospel of Thomas, part of the [[Gnostic Texts of Nag Hammadi]], and also the Gnostic Infancy Gospel of Thomas. These Gospels are associated with the Gnostic heresy, and no Orthodox church regards them as being Canonical; additionally, they are almost universally considered to be pseudepigraphical, even among non-Orthodox Bible scholars. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] attributed the Gospel of Thomas to the Manichees, saying of it "Let none read the Gospel according to Thomas: for it is the work not of one of the twelve Apostles, but of one of the three wicked disciples of Manes." Likewise, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is generally considered to have been written no earlier than the second century ([[Irenaeus of Lyons]] may have referred to it in his seminal work ''Against Heresies''). Thus, it is important that the Orthodox faithful reject any attribution of either of these heretical works to the Holy Apostle Thomas.

The Apostle Thomas should therefore be considered not merely as "Doubting Thomas", but rather, as someone whose faith did waver at one crucial moment, yet through the divine grace of Christ, this wavering was reversed into an opportunity for the demonstration of the actual bodily resurrection of the Lord, and for the concomitant scriptural refutation of Docetism and the Gnostic heresy. The false association of Thomas with Gnostic heretical works is all the more extraordinary in light of the fact that his personal experience, as recorded in the Gospel, discredits the Gnostic heresy that lies at the heart of the works allegedly authored by Thomas. In addition to having been the instrument by which the Lord disproved that pernicious heresy, through a remarkable application of grace reversing a sin into a moment of divine revelation, the Apostle Thomas should also be remembered as a great evangelist; just as Peter and Paul made their way to Rome to evangelize the gentiles therein, and Andrew proceeded to the Northwest, Thomas ventured East in order to spread the same Gospel of peace.

==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 2)
:You were a disciple of Christ
:And a member of the divine college of Apostles.
:Having been weak in faith you doubted the Resurrection of Christ.
:But by feeling the wounds you believed in His all-pure passion:
:Pray now to Him, O all-praised Thomas to grant us peace and great mercy.

[[Kontakion]] (Tone 4)
:Thomas, the faithful servant and disciple of Christ,
:Filled with divine grace, cried out from the depth of his love:
:You are my Lord and my God!

==Source==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=102885 Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas] ([[OCA]])

==External links==
*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=230 Thomas the Apostle of the 12] ([[GOARCH]])
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=October&day=6 The Holy Apostle Thomas] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/t/inp89.htm Icon and Story of St. Thomas, Holy & Glorious Apostle]

[[Category:Biblical Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category:Martyrs|Thomas]]
[[Category:Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category: 1st-century saints]]

[[ar:توما الرسول]]
[[el:Απόστολος Θωμάς]]
[[mk:Апостол Тома]]
[[ro:Apostolul Toma]]

Apostle Thomas

2013-10-18T21:44:00Z

Wgw: Added link and fixed another

[[Image:Thomas the Apostle.jpg|right|frame|The Apostle Thomas]]
The holy, glorious and all-laudable '''Apostle Thomas''' is included in the number of the holy [[Apostles#The_Twelve|Twelve Apostles]] of the Savior. He is commemorated on [[October 6]] and on [[June 30]] with the [[Synaxis]] of the Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles of Christ.
==Life==
The Apostle Thomas was born in the Galileian city of Pansada and was a fisherman. Hearing the good tidings of [[Jesus Christ]], he left all and followed after him.

According to Holy [[Scripture]], the holy Apostle Thomas did not believe the reports of the other [[disciple]]s about the [[Resurrection]] of Jesus Christ: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 20:25).

On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed him His wounds. "My Lord and my God," the Apostle cried out (John 20:28). "Thomas, being once weaker in faith than the other apostles," says St [[John Chrysostom]], "toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God to savage nations."

Some [[icons]] depicting this event are inscribed "The Doubting Thomas." This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, "The Touching of Thomas." In Slavonic, it says, "The Belief of Thomas." When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts. What is more, in the English language, the nickname of "Doubting Thomas" can convey the false impression of Thomas as being timid, lacking the full conviction of faith, or even being cowardly; this concept of Thomas is neither historical nor Biblical. In John 11:16, Thomas expressed a desire to die with the Lord, in response to the other disciples' fear that the Pharisees would seek to kill Jesus should they re-enter Judea. The notion of Thomas as wavering or pusillanimous in his faith can be further dispelled in light of the Church Tradition regarding his evangelism, according to which, the holy Apostle founded Christian [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|churches]] in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. Church Traditon also indicates that Apostle Thomas baptized the [[Magi]]{{citation|Indicate Source for this comment}}.

Preaching the Gospel earned the holy Apostle Thomas a [[martyr]]'s death. For having [[convert]]ed the wife and son of the prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur (Melipur), the holy apostle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and finally, pierced with five spears, he departed to the Lord. Part of the [[relics]] of the holy Apostle Thomas are in India, in Hungary and on [[Mount Athos|Mt. Athos]]. The name of the Apostle Thomas is associated with the Arabian (or Arapet) Icon of the Mother of God ([[September 6]]).

Due to his evangelism in Syria and Persia, the Holy Apostle is highly regarded within the Eastern Orthodox [[Church of Antioch]], the [[Church of Antioch (Syriac)]], and in the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (which separated from Orthodoxy during the [[Nestorian]] schism). The Christian community in India is known as the St. Thomas Christians on account of the tradition that holds St. Thomas as their founder; a dispute over the precise nature of this evangelism, and whether or not Thomas personally ministered within India, resulted in a schism between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]. An important early tradition concerning Thomas, that is of particular importance to Syriac Christians, is the story of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_Edessa], and which is connected in Eastern Orthodoxy with the tradition of the Icon Not Made by Hands.

In addition to the unfortunate, and as we have seen, completely unjustified, aphorism of "Doubting Thomas", and the unpleasant association of the phrase "St. Thomas" with the Roman Catholic theologian [[Thomas Aquinas]], in recent years the image of the Holy Apostle and distinguished member of the Twelve Disciples has been further mired by the media attention given to the recently discovered heretical [[Gnostic]] Gospel of Thomas, part of the [[Gnostic Texts of Nag Hammadi]], and also the Gnostic Infancy Gospel of Thomas. These Gospels are associated with the Gnostic heresy, and no Orthodox church regards them as being Canonical; additionally, they are almost universally considered to be pseudepigraphical, even among non-Orthodox Bible scholars. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] attributed the Gospel of Thomas to the Manichees, saying of it "Let none read the Gospel according to Thomas: for it is the work not of one of the twelve Apostles, but of one of the three wicked disciples of Manes." Likewise, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is generally considered to have been written no earlier than the second century ([[Irenaeus of Lyons]] may have referred to it in his seminal work ''Against Heresies''). Thus, it is important that the Orthodox faithful reject any attribution of either of these heretical works to the Holy Apostle Thomas.

==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 2)
:You were a disciple of Christ
:And a member of the divine college of Apostles.
:Having been weak in faith you doubted the Resurrection of Christ.
:But by feeling the wounds you believed in His all-pure passion:
:Pray now to Him, O all-praised Thomas to grant us peace and great mercy.

[[Kontakion]] (Tone 4)
:Thomas, the faithful servant and disciple of Christ,
:Filled with divine grace, cried out from the depth of his love:
:You are my Lord and my God!

==Source==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=102885 Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas] ([[OCA]])

==External links==
*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=230 Thomas the Apostle of the 12] ([[GOARCH]])
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=October&day=6 The Holy Apostle Thomas] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/t/inp89.htm Icon and Story of St. Thomas, Holy & Glorious Apostle]

[[Category:Biblical Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category:Martyrs|Thomas]]
[[Category:Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category: 1st-century saints]]

[[ar:توما الرسول]]
[[el:Απόστολος Θωμάς]]
[[mk:Апостол Тома]]
[[ro:Apostolul Toma]]

Gnostic Texts of Nag Hammadi

2013-10-18T21:40:48Z

Wgw: Added statement reminding readers that the Orthodox Church does not consider these works to be canonical, historically accurate or orthodox.

'''Nag Hammadi''', a village in Upper Egypt, is best known for being the site where in December 1945, thirteen leather-bound papyrus codices from the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D. buried in a sealed jar were found by a local farmer, Mohammed Ali Samman. The writings in these codices comprised 52 mostly [[Gnostic]] tractates (treatises).

The contents of the codices were written in [[Coptic]], though the works were probably all translations from Greek. Most famous of these works must be the ''Gospel of Thomas'', of which the Nag Hammadi codices contain the only complete copy. The Nag Hammadi codices are housed in the [http://www.copticmuseum.gov.eg/ Coptic Museum] in Cairo, Egypt, except for one ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jung_Foundation_Codex ''The Jung Foundation Codex'']).

Neither the Eastern Orthodox [[Church]] nor the [[Oriental Orthodox]] accept these works as canonical or historically accurate; the attribution of the Gospel of Thomas to the holy [[Apostle Thomas]] is rejected, and likewise, the association of the Gospel of Mary to [[Mary Magdalene]] is also rejected. These works are considered to be the product of [[Heresy]], and the Orthodox faithful should, in a loving manner, emphasize this, should the discussion of these works arise due to their popularity in the mass media as a result of the attention given them by heterodox groups such as the Jesus Seminar, and the general increase in public enthusiasm for the Gnostic heresy.

'''''Gospel of Thomas'' (Non-canonical, New Testament Apocrypha)'''
* http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/thomas.html
* http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/gthomas.html
* http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/story/thomas.html
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Thomas

'''''Gospel of Mary'' (Non-canonical, New Testament Apocrypha)'''

N.B.: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene was found in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhmim_Codex Akhmim Codex], a Gnostic text of the New Testament [[apocrypha]] acquired by Dr. Rheinhardt in Cairo in 1896. However, it was not published until 1955, after the Nag Hammadi libarary had also appeared. The other texts of the Akhmim Codex were in the Nag Hammadi texts, but not this Gospel.
* http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gospelmary.html
* http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/mary.html
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mary

==External links==
*[http://www.nag-hammadi.com/ The Nag Hammadi Library]
*[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/story/heretics.html Gnostic Texts of Nag Hammadi]
*[[w:Nag Hammadi library|''Nag Hammadi library'' at Wikipedia]]
*Some examples of the papyri of the Nag Hammadi library at the Coptic Museum in Cairo, Egypt: [http://www.copticmuseum.gov.eg/English/internal/gallery_z1.asp?piece_id=360&section_ID=4], [http://www.copticmuseum.gov.eg/English/internal/gallery_z1.asp?piece_id=377&section_ID=4]

[[Category:Apocrypha]]
[[Category:Heresies]]
[[Category:Scripture]]
[[Category:Texts]]

[[el:Ναγκ Χαμαντί]]

Talk:Apostle Thomas

2013-10-18T21:33:49Z

Wgw: Added response to previous poster.

Apostle Thomas

2013-10-18T21:28:00Z

Wgw: Fixed broken link

[[Image:Thomas the Apostle.jpg|right|frame|The Apostle Thomas]]
The holy, glorious and all-laudable '''Apostle Thomas''' is included in the number of the holy [[Apostles#The_Twelve|Twelve Apostles]] of the Savior. He is commemorated on [[October 6]] and on [[June 30]] with the [[Synaxis]] of the Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles of Christ.
==Life==
The Apostle Thomas was born in the Galileian city of Pansada and was a fisherman. Hearing the good tidings of [[Jesus Christ]], he left all and followed after him.

According to Holy [[Scripture]], the holy Apostle Thomas did not believe the reports of the other [[disciple]]s about the [[Resurrection]] of Jesus Christ: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 20:25).

On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed him His wounds. "My Lord and my God," the Apostle cried out (John 20:28). "Thomas, being once weaker in faith than the other apostles," says St [[John Chrysostom]], "toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God to savage nations."

Some [[icons]] depicting this event are inscribed "The Doubting Thomas." This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, "The Touching of Thomas." In Slavonic, it says, "The Belief of Thomas." When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts. What is more, in the English language, the nickname of "Doubting Thomas" can convey the false impression of Thomas as being timid, lacking the full conviction of faith, or even being cowardly; this concept of Thomas is neither historical nor Biblical. In John 11:16, Thomas expressed a desire to die with the Lord, in response to the other disciples' fear that the Pharisees would seek to kill Jesus should they re-enter Judea. The notion of Thomas as wavering or pusillanimous in his faith can be further dispelled in light of the Church Tradition regarding his evangelism, according to which, the holy Apostle founded Christian [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|churches]] in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. Church Traditon also indicates that Apostle Thomas baptized the [[Magi]]{{citation|Indicate Source for this comment}}.

Preaching the Gospel earned the holy Apostle Thomas a [[martyr]]'s death. For having [[convert]]ed the wife and son of the prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur (Melipur), the holy apostle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and finally, pierced with five spears, he departed to the Lord. Part of the [[relics]] of the holy Apostle Thomas are in India, in Hungary and on [[Mount Athos|Mt. Athos]]. The name of the Apostle Thomas is associated with the Arabian (or Arapet) Icon of the Mother of God ([[September 6]]).

Due to his evangelism in Syria and Persia, the Holy Apostle is highly regarded within the Eastern Orthodox [[Church of Antioch]], the Oriental Orthodox [[Church of Antioch (Syriac) | Syriac Orthodox Church]], and in the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (which separated from Orthodoxy during the [[Nestorian]] schism). The Christian community in India is known as the St. Thomas Christians on account of the tradition that holds St. Thomas as their founder; a dispute over the precise nature of this evangelism, and whether or not Thomas personally ministered within India, resulted in a schism between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]. An important early tradition concerning Thomas, that is of particular importance to Syriac Christians, is the story of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_Edessa], and which is connected in Eastern Orthodoxy with the tradition of the Icon Not Made by Hands.

In addition to the unfortunate, and as we have seen, completely unjustified, aphorism of "Doubting Thomas", and the unpleasant association of the phrase "St. Thomas" with the Roman Catholic theologian [[Thomas Aquinas]], in recent years the image of the Holy Apostle and distinguished member of the Twelve Disciples has been further mired by the media attention given to the recently discovered heretical [[Gnostic]] Gospel of Thomas, uncovered in the Nag Hammadi Library, and also the Gnostic Infancy Gospel of Thomas. These Gospels are associated with the Gnostic heresy, and no Orthodox church regards them as being Canonical; additionally, they are almost universally considered to be pseudepigraphical, even among non-Orthodox Bible scholars. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] attributed the Gospel of Thomas to the Manichees, saying of it "Let none read the Gospel according to Thomas: for it is the work not of one of the twelve Apostles, but of one of the three wicked disciples of Manes." Likewise, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is generally considered to have been written no earlier than the second century ([[Irenaeus of Lyons]] may have referred to it in his seminal work ''Against Heresies''). Thus, it is important that the Orthodox faithful reject any attribution of either of these heretical works to the Holy Apostle Thomas.

==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 2)
:You were a disciple of Christ
:And a member of the divine college of Apostles.
:Having been weak in faith you doubted the Resurrection of Christ.
:But by feeling the wounds you believed in His all-pure passion:
:Pray now to Him, O all-praised Thomas to grant us peace and great mercy.

[[Kontakion]] (Tone 4)
:Thomas, the faithful servant and disciple of Christ,
:Filled with divine grace, cried out from the depth of his love:
:You are my Lord and my God!

==Source==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=102885 Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas] ([[OCA]])

==External links==
*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=230 Thomas the Apostle of the 12] ([[GOARCH]])
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=October&day=6 The Holy Apostle Thomas] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/t/inp89.htm Icon and Story of St. Thomas, Holy & Glorious Apostle]

[[Category:Biblical Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category:Martyrs|Thomas]]
[[Category:Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category: 1st-century saints]]

[[ar:توما الرسول]]
[[el:Απόστολος Θωμάς]]
[[mk:Апостол Тома]]
[[ro:Apostolul Toma]]

Apostle Thomas

2013-10-18T21:27:16Z

Wgw: Added mention of John 11:16, the St. Thomas Christians, the Image of Edessa, and an explanation of the psuediepigraphical nature of the Gnostic gospels falsely ascribed to Thomas.

[[Image:Thomas the Apostle.jpg|right|frame|The Apostle Thomas]]
The holy, glorious and all-laudable '''Apostle Thomas''' is included in the number of the holy [[Apostles#The_Twelve|Twelve Apostles]] of the Savior. He is commemorated on [[October 6]] and on [[June 30]] with the [[Synaxis]] of the Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles of Christ.
==Life==
The Apostle Thomas was born in the Galileian city of Pansada and was a fisherman. Hearing the good tidings of [[Jesus Christ]], he left all and followed after him.

According to Holy [[Scripture]], the holy Apostle Thomas did not believe the reports of the other [[disciple]]s about the [[Resurrection]] of Jesus Christ: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 20:25).

On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed him His wounds. "My Lord and my God," the Apostle cried out (John 20:28). "Thomas, being once weaker in faith than the other apostles," says St [[John Chrysostom]], "toiled through the grace of God more bravely, more zealously and tirelessly than them all, so that he went preaching over nearly all the earth, not fearing to proclaim the Word of God to savage nations."

Some [[icons]] depicting this event are inscribed "The Doubting Thomas." This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, "The Touching of Thomas." In Slavonic, it says, "The Belief of Thomas." When St Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts. What is more, in the English language, the nickname of "Doubting Thomas" can convey the false impression of Thomas as being timid, lacking the full conviction of faith, or even being cowardly; this concept of Thomas is neither historical nor Biblical. In John 11:16, Thomas expressed a desire to die with the Lord, in response to the other disciples' fear that the Pharisees would seek to kill Jesus should they re-enter Judea. The notion of Thomas as wavering or pusillanimous in his faith can be further dispelled in light of the Church Tradition regarding his evangelism, according to which, the holy Apostle founded Christian [[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|churches]] in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. Church Traditon also indicates that Apostle Thomas baptized the [[Magi]]{{citation|Indicate Source for this comment}}.

Preaching the Gospel earned the holy Apostle Thomas a [[martyr]]'s death. For having [[convert]]ed the wife and son of the prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur (Melipur), the holy apostle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and finally, pierced with five spears, he departed to the Lord. Part of the [[relics]] of the holy Apostle Thomas are in India, in Hungary and on [[Mount Athos|Mt. Athos]]. The name of the Apostle Thomas is associated with the Arabian (or Arapet) Icon of the Mother of God ([[September 6]]).

Due to his evangelism in Syria and Persia, the Holy Apostle is highly regarded within the Eastern Orthodox [[Church of Antioch]], the Oriental Orthodox [[Church of Antioch (Syriac) | Syriac Orthodox Church]], and in the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (which separated from Orthodoxy during the [[Nestorian]] schism). The Christian community in India is known as the St. Thomas Christians on account of the tradition that holds St. Thomas as their founder; a dispute over the precise nature of this evangelism, and whether or not Thomas personally ministered within India, resulted in a schism between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the [[Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church]]. An important early tradition concerning Thomas, that is of particular importance to Syriac Christians, is the story of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_Edessa], and which is connected in Eastern Orthodoxy with the tradition of the Icon Not Made by Hands.

In addition to the unfortunate, and as we have seen, completely unjustified, aphorism of "Doubting Thomas", and the unpleasant association of the phrase "St. Thomas" with the Roman Catholic theologian [[Thomas Aquinas]], in recent years the image of the Holy Apostle and distinguished member of the Twelve Disciples has been further mired by the media attention given to the recently discovered heretical [[Gnostic]] Gospel of Thomas, uncovered in the Nag Hammadi Library, and also the Gnostic Infancy Gospel of Thomas. These Gospels are associated with the Gnostic heresy, and no Orthodox church regards them as being Canonical; additionally, they are almost universally considered to be pseudepigraphical, even among non-Orthodox Bible scholars. [[Cyril of Jerusalem]] attributed the Gospel of Thomas to the Manichees, saying of it "Let none read the Gospel according to Thomas: for it is the work not of one of the twelve Apostles, but of one of the three wicked disciples of Manes." Likewise, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is generally considered to have been written no earlier than the second century ([[Irenaeus of Lyons]] may have referred to it in his seminal work ''Against Heresies''). Thus, it is important that the Orthodox faithful reject any attribution of either of these heretical works to the Holy Apostle Thomas.

==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 2)
:You were a disciple of Christ
:And a member of the divine college of Apostles.
:Having been weak in faith you doubted the Resurrection of Christ.
:But by feeling the wounds you believed in His all-pure passion:
:Pray now to Him, O all-praised Thomas to grant us peace and great mercy.

[[Kontakion]] (Tone 4)
:Thomas, the faithful servant and disciple of Christ,
:Filled with divine grace, cried out from the depth of his love:
:You are my Lord and my God!

==Source==
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=102885 Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas] ([[OCA]])

==External links==
*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=230 Thomas the Apostle of the 12] ([[GOARCH]])
*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=October&day=6 The Holy Apostle Thomas] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/t/inp89.htm Icon and Story of St. Thomas, Holy & Glorious Apostle]

[[Category:Biblical Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category:Martyrs|Thomas]]
[[Category:Saints|Thomas]]
[[Category: 1st-century saints]]

[[ar:توما الرسول]]
[[el:Απόστολος Θωμάς]]
[[mk:Апостол Тома]]
[[ro:Apostolul Toma]]

Anglican Communion

2013-08-13T20:40:15Z

Wgw: Added link to St. Raphael Hawaheeny of Brooklyn's denunciation of Anglicanism and unethical Anglican poaching of Orthodox parishioners

The '''Anglican Communion''' is a confederation of regional churches, each considered independent, yet sharing [[full communion]] or, in some cases, impaired communion, with one another and the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], who is the spiritual (although not administrative) head of the Communion. The Anglican Communion maintains the traditional three-fold hierarchy of clergy: Bishops, Priests and Deacons. In some member churches, women have been admitted to one or more of these orders, whereas some member churches have maintained an all-male clergy. Beyond the three-fold order the administration and leadership of each regional church is decided by that particular church. In the Church of England, for example, the Queen appoints Bishops. In the Episcopal Church (USA), on the other hand, bishops are elected by diocese and then confirmed by the triennial General Convention, or standing committees of advice in the majority of the diocese (depending on when a bishop-elect is chosen by a diocese).

Of particular interest to Orthodox inquirers is the current [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Rowan Williams, formerly Archbishop of Wales. Dr. Williams, an academic, has written two books on the spirituality of [[iconography]] (''The Dwelling of the Light: Praying With Icons of Christ'' and ''Ponder These Things: Praying With Icons of the Virgin'') and did his doctoral thesis on the theology of Orthodox theologian [[Vladimir Lossky]].

Other major thinkers to come out of the Anglican Communion have been reformers and founders of the Methodist Church John and Charles Wesley, convert to [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] Cardinal John Henry Newman, social activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and authors Dorothy Sayers and [[C. S. Lewis]].

==Relationship with Orthodox Christians==
===Anglican/Orthodox Organizations===
Largely through the initiative and work of Oxford Movement figure Father John Mason Neale, in 1863 there was formed the '''Anglican and Eastern Churches Association'''. This organization publishes a journal (''Eastern Churches News Letter'')and encourages interaction of Anglican and Orthodox Christians, particularly through encouraging pilgrimages. In 1928 an organization with similar goals, the '''[[Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius]]''' was formed and also publishes a journal (''Sobornost''). In the 1960s an international commission of Orthodox and Anglican clergy and theologians entitled the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission was formed and has issued two historic statements which will be addressed below.

[[Raphael of Brooklyn]] was for two years the Vice President of the "Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Association", but resigned in protest following a series of events that led him to examine Anglican doctrine, and conclude it was incompatible with that of Eastern Orthodoxy. Specifically, Anglican clergy, on the basis of his membership in the association, had been poaching members of Antiochian Orthodox Parishes, citing the existence of the association as proof of a non-existent episcopal endorsement from St. Raphael, and encouraging members thereof to take the sacraments exclusively at Anglican churches. In response to this unethical behavior, St. Raphael of Brooklyn undertook an extensive review of Anglican doctrine, and concluded it was fundamentally incompatible with that of Orthodoxy, and in an encyclical, [http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/Liturgy/Raphael.html forbade his parishioners from attending Anglican and other non-Orthodox services].

===Agreed statements===
In the 1960s, largely through the ecumenical work of Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey and Patriarch [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople]], both the Anglican Communion and the Orthodox Churches established commissions to consider Anglican-Orthodox relations. Between 1973 and 1976 an "Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission" met which led to the '''Moscow Agreed Statement''' which dealt with "the Knowledge of God, the Inspiration and Authority of Holy Scripture, Scripture and Tradition, the Authority of the Councils, the ''Filioque'' Clause, the Church as the Eucharistic Community, and the Invocation of the [[Holy Spirit]] in the Eucharist."

In 1984 the Commission again produced a joint doctrinal work entitled '''Dublin Agreed Statement'''. This one dealt with the Mystery of the Church, the Holy Trinity and worship and tradition.

Another report was released by the Commission in 2006, including all of the interim agreements since 1989. It is entitled '''The Church of the Triune God: The Cyprus Agreed Statement'''.

At the time of the first agreed statement, the hope of the Commission had been for the eventual reunion of the Anglican and Orthodox Churches. However, in between the two, a major development in Anglicanism changed the direction of the Commission. In 1978 both the [[Episcopal Church U.S.A.]] and the Lambeth Conference put forth positions accepting the ordination of women. This drastically changed the understanding of the Commission. Following the Lambeth Conference in 1978, it had now come to be seen, in the words of co-chairman Archbishop Athanagoras, "simply as an academic and informative exercise, and no longer as an ecclesial endeavour aiming at the union of the two churches."

As there is much theological variation within Anglicanism, Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]] has explained rightly when he writes, "The Orthodox Church, however deep its longing for reunion, cannot enter into closer relations with the Anglican communion until Anglicans themselves are clearer about their own beliefs" (Ware, p. 321).

==Anglican-Orthodox Resources==
The following resources may be of interest to the Orthodox Christian who wants to know more about Anglicanism, or the Anglican who wants to know more about Orthodoxy.

* ''Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue: The Dublin Agreed Statement 1984'' (ISBN 0881410470)
* ''The Church of the Triune God: The Cyprus Agreed Statement 2006'' (ISBN 6000000061)
* Billerbeck, Franklin. ''Anglican-Orthodox Pilgrimage'' (ISBN 0962271357)
* Pinnington, Judith. ''Anglicans and Orthodox: Unity and Subversion (1559-1725)''. Forward by Rowan Williams. (ISBN 0852445776)
* ''St. Andrew Service Book''. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, 1996. (This is the service book for the [[Western Rite]] Vicarate, which includes the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow|Liturgy of St. Tikhon]] and Matins and Vespers, which are based upon the old Anglican liturgies)
* Williams, Rowan. ''The Dwelling of the Light: Praying With Icons of Christ'' (ISBN 0802827780)
* Williams, Rowan. ''Ponder These Things: Praying With Icons of the Virgin'' (ISBN 1580511244)

==Sources==
*''Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue: The Dublin Agreed Statement 1984''. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1985.
*Bede. ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People.'' New York: Penguin, 1990.
*Bernadin, J.B. ''An Introduction to the Episcopal Church'' (Rev. Ed.). Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 1983.
*''The Book of Common Prayer''. New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1979.
*''Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2003''. New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1993.
*Ware, Timothy. ''The Orthodox Church'' (New Edition). New York: Penguin, 1997.

==External links==
* [http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ The Anglican Communion Secretariat]
* [http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/ The Episcopal Church USA]
* [http://www.anglicansonline.org/ Anglicans Online]
* [http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/ Official Website of the Archbishop of Canterbury]
* [http://www.sobornost.org/ The Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius]
* [http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/orthodoxy/index.html Project Canterbury: Writings on Anglicanism & Orthodoxy]
* [http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/nonjurors/langford1.html The Non-Jurors and the Eastern Orthodoxy] by the Rev. H. W. Langford
* [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/inq_anglican.aspx The Orthodox Christian Information Center: Page for Anglican Inquirers into Orthodoxy]
* [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/hawaweeny.aspx Pastoral Direction and Instruction on Orthodox/Episcopal Relations and Ministrations in America (1912)] by St. [[Raphael of Brooklyn]]
* [http://www.episcopalchurch.org/6947_9598_ENG_HTM.htm Statement on the Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue from the Episcopal Church Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations]

[[Category:Non-Orthodox]]

Baptists

2013-08-13T20:30:21Z

Wgw: Additional cleanup; added further analogy regarding Baptist polity

'''Baptists''' are a variety of Evangelical [[Protestantism]]. Baptists claim 90 million members worldwide, approximately seventy percent of which reside in the United States. It should be noted that Baptist members are those who have reached the "age of reason" and been baptized. Baptists do not count infants and young children as members. The primary theological differences between Baptists and Orthodox Christianity are the autonomy of each individual church, with no supervisory episcopal authority, a rejection of the sacramental nature of all seven Orthodox sacraments ([[Baptism]], [[Chrismation]], [[Confession]], the [[Eucharist]], [[Marriage]], [[Holy Orders]] and [[Unction]] (and indeed, neither Chrismation nor Confession nor Unction are practiced by the Baptists even symbolically), and furthermore by their adherence to the heresy of "Believers Baptism", in which only adults are baptized, as a symbol, but in most Baptist conventions, also a prerequisite to partaking of the "Lord's Supper" (the also purely symbolic and non-Sacramental imitation of the Eucharist). These views will be expounded upon in the article.

==Historical origins==
Baptists cannot trace their denomination's beginnings to any one founder. Most reputable historians teach that John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, two Englishmen connected to the separatist movement from the [[Anglican Communion|Church of England]], gave this group its general ideas, though. Smyth and Helwys disagreed with the Church of England on doctrines such as infant baptism (hence the name Baptist), ecclesiastical authority, and church-state relations, among other things. Since the separatist movement was persecuted by the English government, Smyth exiled himself to the Netherlands and established the first Baptist church there in 1609. Helwys, however, stayed in England and started the first English Baptist church two years later. Today, this schismatic group is referred to as the General Baptists. Years later, though, the Particular Baptists, who shared a more Calvinist theology, arose. They offically emerged in 1644 with their London Confession of Faith.

Some also believe the Baptists got their start from the Anabaptists. However, this is unlikely, due to the fact that Baptists and Anabaptists disagree on many issues (such as practices and doctrines relating to church discipline and pacifism).

Another view known as [[Wikipedia:Landmarkism|Landmarkism]] teaches that the first Baptists were the discples of St. John the Baptist. This, however, is extremely unlikely as Baptism espouses many doctrines that developed either in post-schism Catholicism or in other Protestant sects, more than a millennium after Christ. The most notable denomination that holds this view is the American Baptists.

==Beliefs==
Since there are at least sixty-five Baptist bodies with no structured ecclesiology, it's hard to precisely define their doctrines. Nevertheless, there are some points common to all Baptists. For example, most adherents place strong emphasis on the independence of the individual person ("individual soul liberty"), independence of each church, affirmation of believer's baptism, and distinctively American concepts such as freedom of religion and separation of church and state.

==Worship Services==
Baptist services are substantially less formal than the Orthodox Divine Liturgy; at traditional Baptist churches, one may sing hymns, accompanied by an organ, there may be a traditional choir, and this might be followed by The Lord's Supper, as they refer to the [[Eucharist]], Bible readings, and as the main event, a long sermon. At less traditional Baptist churches, the traditional hymns, choir and organ are disposed of and replaced by a "Praise Band", which performs blasphemous "Christian Rock" music and other acts of impiety. Another feature of less traditional Baptist churches is the [[Wikipedia:Altar Call|Altar Call]], a blasphemy in which worshippers are called to the front of the church to confess their sins and proclaim their faith. Churches where this occurs usually lack a traditional "Lord's Table" as it is referred to in Baptist parlance.

==Incompatibility with Orthodox Christianity==

===Church authority===
Baptists are part of the "congregationalist" heresy, meaning that they don't have bishops or any traditional ecclesiological structures. Instead, Congregationalist church governance gives autonomy to individual local churches in areas of policy, polity and doctrine. Baptist churches are not under the direct administrative control of any other body, such as a national council, or a leader such as a [[bishop]] or [[pope]]. Administration, leadership and doctrine are usually decided democratically by the lay members of each individual church, which accounts for the variation of beliefs from one Baptist church to another. Such a system allows for each person to decide independently to believe whatever they wish, making it effectively impossible for a single Tradition or the [[One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church]] to be preserved. The various Baptist conferences set guidelines for membership, which include systems of belief, and other requirements, that member churches must maintain, however, since each individual congregation is independent, the only penalty the conference can impose on a congregation that drifts from its official doctrine is to expel it, which is not a very compelling ecclesiastic penalty given that no one owns the rights to the word "Baptist", and thus, a Baptist church that is separated from its former conference can continue operating as before, without any substantially visible changes. One interesting fact that one might observe, would be that if Baptists were in fact, the true form of the ancient Church, as is claimed, the [[Council of Nicea]] would never have occurred, and Arius would have been completely unrestrained in spreading his heresy, as there would have been no Pope [[Alexander of Alexandria]] to take action against him.

The Baptists also have an anti-sacerdotal interpretation of "The Priesthood of All Believers", and in theory grant each individual the right to read and interpret the Bible for themselves, without reference to Church tradition. In fact, the majority of Baptists in a given congregation typically accept without criticism the Biblical interpretation posited by "the Preacher", essentially admitting an inability to interpret the scriptures on their own. The danger, from an Orthodox perspective, of Baptism, compared to Orthodoxy, is that, especially in light of the fact that Baptist services center around the Sermon, which can be up to an hour in length, as the main event, it is easy and possible for the congregation to be led radically astray by a rogue pastor, who is not kept in check by any form of episcopal supervision. In contrast to an Orthodox [[Priest]], whose primary responsibility is to lead the congregation in the celebration of the [[Divine Liturgy]], of which the [[Eucharist]] is the main event, while at the same time, guiding the Orthodox life of the congregation through the hearing of confessions, and other forms of pastoral care, the role of a Baptist Pastor or Preacher, as they are usually called, is primarily to preach an interesting or elucididating Sermon; these tend to be substantially longer than the Orthodox homilies, and are generally unregulated by any fixed lectionary; some Baptist preachers engage in "expositional preaching", where they offer their own hermeneutical interpretation of each book of the Bible, whereas others take a different approach, condemning what they perceive to be the moral failings of modern society, or indeed their own congregants.

===Scripture===
Baptists firmly believe in sola Scriptura (Scripture alone). Properly understood, this is the concept of Scripture as a unified whole, utilizing literary criticism called "historical Biblical scholarship," which was pioneered in the late 19th century, while rejecting the previous two millennia of commentaries by the [[Holy Fathers]].
Orthodoxy, however, knows [[Holy Tradition]] to hold and interpret the [[Holy Scripture|Bible]] within itself.
Like all Protestants, Baptists reject the [[Deuterocanon|deuterocanonical]] books of the [[Old Testament]], considering them to be less than divinely inspired. Biblical inerrancy is yet another common heresy among fundamentalist Baptists. This has lead, in various Baptist communities, to the proliferation of unpleasant heresies that stem from a literal and uneducated interpretation of selective bible passages, most prominently, Pre-Millenial Dispensationalism, which is popular in the Baptist community. Because each Baptist church is independent, however, the particular heretical interpretations vary from church to church.

===[[Baptism]]===
Baptism, commonly referred to as "believer's baptism" among Baptists, is an ordinance that according to Baptist doctrine plays no role in salvation. That is, the act of baptism does not actually save a person or cleanse him from all his sins. Instead, it is merely an outward observance, properly performed only after salvation, which occurs when a person professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This completely opposes Orthodoxy, which regards baptism as a real supernatural transformation, through which the believer dies and rises again with [[Jesus Christ|Christ]] in a very real manner.

Through Anabaptist influence, Baptists reject the practice of pedobaptism, or infant baptism, because they believe parents cannot make a decision of salvation for an infant. Related to this doctrine is the disputed concept of an "age of accountability" when God determines that a mentally capable person is accountable for their sins and eligible for baptism. In contrast, reason and mental capacity are not essential factors in either Orthodox baptism or [[Eucharist|Holy Communion]]. This "tradition" arose from the legalistic, overly rationalistic theology of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], which puts the rational intellect above all else, whereas Orthodoxy places the noetic faculty above all.

===[[Holy Communion]]===
While denying the sacramental nature of the [[Eucharist]], the Baptists do consider it to be one of two quasi-sacraments, referred to as Ordinances in Baptist terminology (the other being Baptism itself). Referring to it as the Lord's Supper (and likewise, the Altar or Holy Table becomes the Lord's Table, in the more formal congregations), Baptists deny the transubstantiation of the elements into the very body and blood of [[Christ]], instead interpreting it as a purely symbolic act, one which is nonetheless reserved for believers.

===[[Soteriology]]===
Baptists, like nearly all Protestants, hold a ''sola fide'' soteriology. This is an interpretation contrary to the Fathers, placing central emphasis of a Calvinist reading of Ephesians 2:8 ("For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God"). Their interpretation states that a person must only willfully repent of sin, accept the substitutionary payment of his own sin by faith in Christ's death, and declares that Jesus is Lord in order to attain salvation. Like most Western Christians, there is a dichotomy placed between "faith" and "works." Thus, any mention of the necessity of "works" such as fasting, prayer, or charity being necessary or even helpful for the soul are anathema. However, it should be noted that most Baptists, like other evangelical Christians, believe that a reformed life and continued spiritual growth following conversion are important proofs that one's conversion was genuine. When an individual claims to have placed faith in Christ but does not show spiritual and moral growth, the sincerity of that individual's conversion is doubted. Baptists, like other Western Christians, do not speak of [[theosis]] like the Orthodox. Like other evangelical Christians, most Baptists do speak of sanctification, a process whereby the saved individual is gradually reformed by the interior action of the Holy Spirit to become more and more like Christ.

==The Risk and Benefit of Ecumenical Relations==

Having occupied an extreme theological position largely driven by anti-Catholicism, the Baptists have made themselves, from a theological and ecclesiological perspective, the denomination most removed from Orthodox Christianity. Their church polity, their views on the nature of the Sacraments, and their views on the interpretation of Scripture, are completely incompatible with Orthodox theology; the Baptist churches do not recognize the validity of baptisms other than the "believer's baptism", and thus while a Baptist baptized using the trinitarian formula might be accepted into some Orthodox churches via chrismation, a cradle Orthodox could not be accepted into membership or communion at a Baptist church without rebaptism. This fundamental incompatibility is difficult to resolve, and ecumenical discussions of any theological nature are thus most likely fruitless, however, an individual Baptist church could in theory vote to disassociate itself from its membership, ascribe to all Orthodox doctrines, submit itself to the jurisdiction of an Orthodox Bishop, and be received into Orthodoxy in that manner; stranger things have happened, such as the epic Journey to Orthodoxy of the New Covenant Apostolic Order, see [[Evangelical Orthodox Church]].

That being said, there is possible ground for cooperation between some Baptist groups and the Orthodox on social issues. The Southern Baptist Convention in the United States is the largest non-Catholic denomination to forbid the ordination of women, oppose homosexual marriage, abortion, and other practices that are anathema to Orthodox Christians. Thus, political cooperation between that convention and the Orthodox churches could be highly fruitful. However, it is important that such cooperation be coordinated purely between the Orthodox episcopacy and the Baptist leadership, and that co-mingling of any sort between the congregations be avoided.

It should be noted that some aggressive, modern, Evangelical Baptist or ex-Baptist churches (of the "praise band and altar call" variety) are known for actively proselytizing against traditional "ethnic Churches", including all of the various Eastern and Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions, and the Assyrian Church of the East, as well as various ethnic Catholic congregations. Their strategy typically involves sending congregants who have a particular ethnicity, who grew up in an "ethnic church", back to that church, to attempt to recruit away from that church its parishioners. In the use of this strategy, they are following similarly aggressive and reprehensible tactics also used by the [[Mormons]], the [[Seventh Day Adventists]], and other [[Heretics]].

==Source==
[[w:Baptist|Wikipedia: Baptist]]

[[Category:Non-Orthodox]]