The Orthodox Christian Faith - Lesson 3

Catechism

DISCLAIMER

The catechism lessons series is prepared by me (Qai) of Orthodox Shahada. I am not ordained clergy. However, I have the explicit blessing of my spiritual father (who has been a priest in the ROCOR jurisdiction for 40+ years) to conduct catechism classes. The lessons are delivered in person at the parish level and are now being made available online in the hope that they will benefit others.

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In the previous lesson, we examined how Christ is the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law, meaning that Christ revealed to us the spiritual expression of the Law. For example, how partaking of Confession and the Eucharist keep in a spiritual way the Mosaic sacrificial Law as practiced by the Israelites.

We also looked at what Christian forgiveness entails and how Christian forgiveness differs from that of the heathens, namely, that to truly forgive someone we ask that God not deny them the Kingdom of Heaven on our account.

Lastly, we looked at some of the mechanisms that are instilled within us that are means of bringing us closer to God, namely, how shame that comes about with Confession acts as a deterrent against sin, and how grief at the loss of a loved one reminds us that death is not natural. We should always be mindful of death and grieve at our sins as we grieve the loss of a loved one as sin separates us from God just as how we are separated from a loved one upon their death.

With that brief summary concluded, we now move onto the next lesson.

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What we commonly refer to as the Eucharist, that is, the Body and Blood of Christ that we partake during Divine Liturgy, is also known by another term: Holy Gifts.

Scripture teaches us that in order for us to have eternal life, we must receive the Holy Gifts that is the Eucharist:

“’Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’ The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.’”

John 6:47-58

The Eucharist is considered gifts because Christ willingly and freely gives us everlasting life. The Eucharist is also considered gifts because it brings us joy having been redeemed from death that came about as a result of sin, just as how gifts bring joy to anyone receiving them.

The Eucharist is also categorized with another appellation: Mystery, from the Greek Μυστήριον. In Church Slavonic, the term тaйна is used, which in addition to connoting “mystery” also connotes “secrecy”. Within the immediate context of the Church, the Eucharist has been partaken of in secrecy and by only the faithful. Catechumens, depart! As many as are catechumens, depart! Let none of the catechumens remain!

Though we often speak of Mysteries in the plural, in reality there is really only one Mystery: Christ. We speak in the plural in recognition of the many ways, or forms, we participate in the Mystery that is Christ. To participate in the Mystery is to partake of the Divine Energies, which is what grace is — our partaking of the Divine Energies.

Despite the 15^th decree of the Confession of Dositheus from the Synod of Jerusalem in 1672 which lists exactly 7 “Evangelical” Mysteries, meaning those Mysteries identified in the Gospel, or Evangelion, and that we should not count more or less than 7, the Orthodox Church has historically never specified a concrete number for the Mysteries. Rather, it has always understood Mystery as any instance where a person is in a state of grace. The 7 “Evangelical” Mysteries are those Mysteries from the Gospel accounts where we know with certainty that grace is imparted:

• Eucharist (Communion)

• Orders (Ordination)

• Marriage

• Baptism

• Chrismation

• Repentance (Confession)

• Unction

The Orthodox Church has also historically recognized the following as Mysteries:

• Monastic Tonsure

• Burial and Commemoration of the Dead

• Blessing of Waters

• Consecration of Churches

• Anointing of Monarchs

One of the most absolutely beautiful examples of partaking of the Mystery is recorded in the Gospel according to Luke:

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me?’ When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, ‘Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”’ But Jesus said, ‘Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.’ Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’”

Luke 8:43-48

The existence of multiple Mysteries, which as already mentioned in reality is just one Mystery (Christ) accessed in multiple forms (Divine Energies), is so that every aspect of our lives may be grace-filled, that we have access to grace on an on-going basis, and should a particular form of the Mystery be unavailable to us, then another form exists so as to never deny us access to Mystical union with Christ and life unto Him.

Without diminishing the importance of all the various Mysteries, Marriage holds an especially unique position: within it is found prototypes for the various other Mysteries.

First and foremost, Marriage is the union of a husband and wife and expresses Christ uniting creation unto Himself, as Scripture tells us: Christ abides in us and we in Him. It is partaking of the Eucharist where union unto Christ is ultimately realized as He literally abides in us upon our receiving the Holy Gifts. And just as how to live is an on-going state, Marriage is an on-going Mystery. Marriage is not just the wedding ceremony. Marriage is the on-going bond established between husband and wife which persists even after the death of a spouse. Though a spouse may not be physically alive, they are spiritually alive in Christ, and the bond of Marriage is not dissolved.

Given that husband and wife are united in Marriage, the activities of one affect the other, both physically and spiritually. This means that when one of them partakes of the Eucharist, the other receives benefit through the Mystery of Marriage. So when one of them cannot partake of the Eucharist because of the presence of flowing blood, they can still receive spiritual benefit from their spouse who does partake. Likewise, partaking of the Eucharist will aid a deceased spouse through the tollhouses upon death. Just as how we pray for the departed, spouses have a special union that participation in the Mystical life can help those who have reposed.

But more than that, children, who come about through the Mystery of Marriage are mystically united to both their parents and Christ. And so participating in the Mystical life by all helps all and is how Communion in Christ is lived. Remember, Communion is not only being united in belief, but being united in living Mystically in Christ.

Consider what St Paul writes in his epistle to the Corinthians:

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.”

1 Corinthians 7:14

If an unbelieving spouse can be sanctified through Marriage, then how much more a believing spouse!

When parents partake of the Eucharist, their children benefit. When children partake of the Eucharist, their parents benefit. The entire family benefits whenever someone partakes of the Eucharist.

Marriage is fundamentally an expression of the Eucharist.

Moreover, when one is single and desires a spouse, their prayer should be guarded against asking simply for a “wife” or “husband”. Satan hears such prayers and he may very well be the one to answer, enticing you with lust and giving you an evil spouse that will lead to your ruination. Rather, the Orthodox phronema is to pray for a spouse who is honest and pious, so that through love and harmony together You will continually praise God all the days of your lives, and that by partaking of the Mystery of Marriage you unite yourselves to Christ as to one another. The point is not to merely have a spouse, but to have a spouse that will live a Godly life and help you to live a Godly life.

As Orthodox what we pray for when we desire a spouse is that God grant us that we may partake of the Mystery present in Marriage — it is the Mystery that is Christ that we must truly desire.

Within Marriage is also the prototype of the Priesthood: Just as how Marriage is an on-going Mystery, ordination is an on-going Mystery; and just as how a wife is to be obedient to her husband and the husband leads the household, laity are to obey clergy in matters of the Church and spiritual counsel, and it is clergy who lead the laity in Divine Liturgy.

Within Marriage is also the prototype of Baptism: The birthing of a child. Baptism is the entering unto a new life by being born in Christ. And just as how a newborn is blameless, our sins are washed away as we become newborns in Christ.

Within Marriage is also the prototype of Chrismation: Having birthed a child, the care and nurturing of that child is how the Holy Spirit cared and nurtured the Apostles as they preached the Gospel. And just as how we profess in the Creed the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, in addition to birthing life, by nurturing life we are likewise nurtured by the Holy Spirit.

Within Marriage is also the prototype of Confession: Should we wrong our spouse, we acknowledge the fault and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. The offended spouse might even give a penance.

Within Marriage is also the prototype of Unction: Should our spouse suffer, we provide care and comfort and do our utmost best that they be healed.

So serious is Marriage that permission from the Bishop is required for someone to be permitted to marry a second time. This permission is typically granted only in certain circumstances, and is seen as a mercy bestowed by the Church in recognition of human frailty and propensity for sexual activity. Moreover, a Bishop is not to attend a second marriage, and priests are not to attend the wedding dinner and/or reception.

A third marriage necessitates exceptional circumstances, the bride may not wear a gown but rather a dignified dress, in attendance are the bridal couple, two witnesses, and the priest, and no processional is performed.

A fourth marriage is not permitted.

Marriage is a very special Mystery that teaches us how to live Mystically, and the Mysteries teach us how we ought to live in Marriage. Just as how Christ taught us what it means for Him to be the fulfillment of the Law, Orthodox Marriage teaches us how to live the Law.