SACRAMENTS AND SERVICES

AGIASMOS

The Agiasmos, Blessing of the Waters, is a most special way of bringing Christ into our lives. The priest should be invited to bless your home, especially when you move into a new house or open a new business. This custom is also practiced after the Feast of Epiphany (Jan. 6th) until the beginning of Great Lent.

CONFESSION/SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Our Lord said: "receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone for his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven" (St. John 20:22-23) and instituted the Sacrament of Holy Confession in order to provide for the cleansing of sins, spiritual reinstatement and renewal. Holy Confession should precede the reception of the Body and Blood of our Savior. Individuals who desire spiritual guidance, spiritual counseling and forgiveness of sins should arrange for an appointment with the Priest for the Sacrament of Holy Confession.

The above canon beautifully captures the essence of confession and spiritual direction within the Orthodox tradition as a therapeutic science, concerned not with legalistic details, but with the healing, restoration, and salvation of the whole person.

The sacrament of Confession provides the opportunity for the reconciliation and restoration of a person’s relationship with God and the Church when this relationship has been distorted by serious or habitual sin. Moreover, within the context of confession, the priest/confessor also has the opportunity to offer spiritual direction and guidance in a personal, individualized manner.

Confession should not be seen as a prerequisite for every reception of Holy Communion; however, neither should its importance in the life of every Christian be diminished. Regular confession is essential in order to be in proper relationship with God and the Church, and this is a prerequisite for receiving Holy Communion. Anyone who receives Holy Communion frequently should also receive the sacrament of confession on a regular basis.

To schedule a confession with a priest, one should call the church office to make an appointment.

HOLY COMMUNION

Holy Communion is the bread and wine sacramentally transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord, and offered to the faithful during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the forgiveness of sins and for the granting of eternal life. Baptized Orthodox Christians are invited to receive Holy Communion by prayer, examination of conscience, confession of sins and fasting. Orthodox Christians must not and are not permitted to receive Communion in any other Christian Church.

Participation in the Eucharist, the communion of the body and blood of Christ is the most awesome of mysteries: it is sharing in the divine-human life of Christ Himself. As St. Nicholas Cabasilas exclaims “O how great are the Mysteries! What a thing it is for Christ’s mind to be mingled with ours, our will to be blended with His, our body with His body, and our blood with His blood!” (see Life in Christ). For this reason, Holy Communion should always be approached with proper preparation. Two false assumptions need to be addressed in this regard. The first is that one should not partake regularly of the Eucharist because one is not worthy; once or twice a year is sufficient. In fact, this reasoning is faulty, since one is never worthy to receive Holy Communion; this is precisely why they are called the divine gifts. On the other hand, another false assumption is that participation in Holy Communion requires little or no preparation at all. As the above prayer indicates, the Holy Mysteries must be approached with proper respect and preparation, which includes not only self-preparation through prayer, fasting, and spiritual disciplines, but also reconciliation with the believing community, one’s brothers and sisters in Christ.

Holy Communion may be received only by those who:

1. have been baptized and/or chrismated in the Orthodox Church;
2. have had their marriage blessed (if married) in the Orthodox Church;
3. have properly prepared to receive Holy Communion by prayer and fasting;
4. have participated in Holy Confession on a regular basis;
5. arrive on time for the Divine Liturgy (at the latest, before the reading of the Gospel).

In Orthodox theological perspective, participation in Holy Communion is an all-embracing event, presupposing full communion in doctrine and practice. For this reason, Orthodox Christians are not permitted to receive Communion in any Protestant or Roman Catholic Church. Likewise, Protestants and Roman Catholics are not permitted to receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church. When you bring visitors to the Church Services, please be sure they are aware of this practice of our Church. Only when all the churches become fully united in faith and practice will we be able to receive Holy Communion from a common chalice.

SACRAMENT OF HOLY MARRIAGE

For the sacramental union of a man and a woman to be proper in the eyes of the Church, the marriage must be conducted in the Orthodox Church. Prior to any other arrangements, the couple must meet with the Parish Priest and begin the planning of the blessing of their marriage in the Church. Both the bride and groom of the Greek Orthodox Faith are required to be stewards and members in good standing of their local parish. The sponsor (koumbaro or koumbara) must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing with the Church.

Days when marriages are not permitted:

• From December 13 to December 25th
• On Christmas Day, Epiphany (Jan. 6)
• From August 1 - August 15
• September 14 - Elevation of the Holy Cross
• Throughout the Great Lent from Monday of the first week to Easter Sunday
• August 29 - Beheading of St. John the Baptist

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE WEDDING INSTRUCTIONS

ECCLESIASTICAL DIVORCE

St. Paul refers to marriage as a "great mystery". Likening the relationship of husband and wife to that of Christ and the Church. Our Lord defended the sanctity of marriage, justifying divorce only on the grounds of unchastity. The Church also realistically recognizes that some marriages are completely unworkable. An ecclesiastical divorce may be granted after a civil decree has been given. Individuals who have the misfortune of a broken marriage and have applied and received a civil divorce, should meet with the Priest in order to apply for an Ecclesiastical divorce.

HOLY UNCTION

This Sacrament is celebrated every year on Holy Wednesday, and may also be celebrated occasionally throughout the year, at which time everyone in the parish may be anointed with the Holy Oil for the healing of spiritual and bodily ills.

BIRTH

The birth of a child is more than a joyful occasion, it is an expression of God's love for man. At the birth of a child, the parish priest should be invited to read the prescribed prayers for the mother and child either at the hospital or at home.

FORTY DAY BLESSING

In accordance with Judaic Law, the life of our Lord and the practice of the Orthodox Church, parents bring their new born child to God in the holy temple on the fortieth day after birth or the Sunday nearest to the fortieth day as a symbolic act of being dedicated to God. Please contact the Church Office and notify Father Constantine in advance for this service.

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM AND CHRISMATION

After the forty day blessing, parents should arrange to have their children baptized and confirmed as soon as possible. Sponsors (godparents) must be members of the Orthodox Church in good standing spiritually, and if married must have had their marriage blessed in the Orthodox Church by a canonical Orthodox priest. To make the necessary arrangements for a baptism, please contact Fr. Constantine at least one month in advance of the date.

Baptisms may not be conducted on the following days:

• December 25 - January 6,
• Holy Week, Major Feast Days. In case of life-threatening emergency, a clinical baptism can be performed
  by the priest at any time.

CLICK HERE FOR 40-DAY BLESSING & BAPTISM INFORMATION

CONFIRMATION IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

Adult persons married to a Greek Orthodox Christian or who have become acquainted with the Orthodox Church and desire to become Orthodox, should contact Fr.  Constantine for religious instruction and the preparation for the Holy Sacraments of Chrismation or Baptism.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

In the event of death in the family, the Priest should be notified immediately to assist in the making of funeral arrangements. Funeral services are allowed any day of the week, except on Sunday. The church has no objection to autopsies for the sake of determining the cause of death or to the donation of any body organs (eyes, heart etc.) for transplants. However, full-body donations are not permitted.

The Trisagion Service is conducted at the funeral home on the evening before the funeral. Many families prefer, in lieu of flowers, to have contributions made to the church in memory of the deceased. A notice to this effect should be included in the newspaper death notice.

The "makaria" following the funeral service has no religious connotation whatsoever, and serves only as a means of comforting the bereaved and expressing thanks to those who attended the services or assisted the bereaved in their hour of grief.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

Memorial Trisagion services are conducted in remembrance of our beloved on the third, ninth, fortieth day after death, on the sixth month and on the first , second and third anniversary. Boiled wheat (koliva), the offering bread (prosforon) and wine are offered for the Liturgy. The Church Office should be contacted to assist in setting the date for a memorial and to assist in the arrangements for the service.

Memorial Services are not held on:

• All Holy Days of our Lord - Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Transfiguration
• From the Saturday of Lazarus to, and including St. Thomas Sunday
• On the Sunday of Pentecost
• On August 15 - Dormition of the Theotokos Memorial receptions in the Parish Hall following the services may be sponsored by the family in memory of their deceased. For the preparation of Koliva and Memorial reception, please contact the Church Office at least two weeks prior to the date of the Memorial.

SERIOUS ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION

In the case of serious, critical or life-threatening illness and hospitalization of an Orthodox relative or friend, the Priest should be notified to offer prayers, and give Holy Communion. The Priest should be invited to bring Holy Communion to confined, aged and institutionalized faithful who cannot come to Church. Please call the Administrative Office to let Fr. Constantine know of hospitalization, illnesses and need for Communion for a loved one