Why Orthodox Christians "Pray to" Saints - Saint John the These verses in the Scriptures clearly show that every one of us has the ability to become a Saint, and in fact that that is our purpose achieving communion with God. Praying to saints, asking for their help just like we'd ask . It is to treat something or someone with reverence, deep respect, and honor. Intercessory prayer to saints also plays an important role in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches such as the Coptic Orthodox Church. As the Scripture tells us, with God all things are possible. Temptation of Christ Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom. Unfortunately, English is often lacking when it comes to communicating theological truths. Christian Classics Ethereal Library", "Is it okay to ask a deceased tzaddik to pray on my behalf? How to Pray to Saints in Orthodox Christianity This is evident from the use of the term saint in the New Testament. This is not, however, the same word we use when referring to our worship and adoration of God. to begin a new mission under the OCA, St. Herman of Alaska Church. An akathist is a hymn/prayer of devotion, thanksgiving and petition, dedicated to a saint, holy event, or a person of the Trinity. It is the belief of the Church that when a person dies they do not go into "soul sleep" as some heretical groups teach, but rather that person enters into a realm of existence called . May I also find the way through repentance. Stephen Freeman. This means that we not only share His sonship, but also His heavenly glory, being continually transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). If the Saints cannot hear us because they are dead, this denies that Christ gives them the power to live. However, in the Eastern Church and in that part of the world, it is merely a gesture of respect. Orthodoxy teaches that which is declared in the Scriptures: that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Taking the Lord's Name in Vain Amen. Christ is in our midst! Christ is in our midst! Their love, their prayer, is not restrained by temporal concerns or limitations. We know only God can forgive sins; but we still ask others to pray for us for any number of reasons. Prayer is aliveness to God. Copyright 19962023. Why do the Orthodox pray to saints? - Orthodox Road Our dry empty heart and need makes contact with their abundance in Christ. Reading the Scriptures Those Jews who support the use of intercessors claim that their beseeching of the tzadik is not prayer or worship, or alternatively that they are still praying to God and through God, but secondarily communicating with the tzadik. You are correct that the Churchs leaders have failed with respect to educating their flock when it comes to the practice of the Faith. You'd ask your neighbors or friends or family to pray for you or to help you with things. Onias revealed in the vision that This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah the prophet of God. Fasting is one of many tools that we use to bring our bodies "under subjection" as St. Paul said (I Cor. A further reinforcement was derived from the cult of the angels which, while pre-Christian in its origin, was heartily embraced by the faithful of the sub-Apostolic age. Both those for and against the intercession of saints quote Job 5:1: "Call if you will, but who will answer you? People: Lord have mercy. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, (bow) receive our prayer. This was accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who "has . "[8], The Catholic doctrine of intercession and invocation was set forth by the Council of Trent, which teaches that "the saints who reign together with Christ offer up their own prayers to God for men. Anathema is a complete separation or expulsion from the Church. Thank you for your question. Only to touch the sponge. The reason we employ the use of icons and consider them integral to the spiritual life of the Christian is because they manifest the truth of the Incarnation. For this reason, we ask the saints to pray for us. Yes, I pray everytime for my mother, brother and family.. . This subreddit contains opinions of Orthodox people, but not necessarily Orthodox opinions. Why not just remember their works? Holy Scriptures The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with its headquarters located in the City of New York, is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The mission of the Archdiocese is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church in the United States of America according to the Orthodox . We are not devoting our lives to their service, for such worship and devotion belongs to God alone. Abstaining from Evil Consider the woman with the issue of blood: she made no articulate prayer, but instead merely reached out to touch the hem of Christs garment and was healed. There is no scripture in the Bible stating that we can pray to a dead person, whether it be Mary, Paul etc. I go every now and then to my fiancs orthodox services because its required for us to be able to get married, but I cant get over the icons they still feel like idolatry to me. Prayer to the saints is encouraged in the Orthodox Church. Its merely superhuman perception granted by the Holy Spirit. When an Orthodox Christian prays to a Saint, what we are really doing is asking that Saint to pray for us, to intercede before God for forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation. Yes, this is true. However, you will routinely hear in Orthodox church services " [saint], we pray to you". This practice plays an important role in the canonization process. You seem to think we have confused praying to and praying for. In icons, we can depict Him; we can show the world who God is. [13], In ecumenical conversations, agreement has been reached that "asking the saints to intercede for us expresses the solidarity of the church wherein all are meant to be of mutual support to one another. What is required for the towels to become wet? -Do they also pray to other saints and the angels? And they know that many of them have come to think that Mary is indeed part of the trinity. Medicine It is also used by the Sulpicians, who ended their classes by praying this prayer. On the basis of the intercession by Christ, who is present at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25), by extension other people who have died but are alive in Christ can intercede on behalf of the petitioner (John 11:21-25; Romans 8:3839). When I first began to investigate Orthodoxy, my main stumbling block to conversion was prayer to Mary and the saints. Morals Your email address will not be published. Are there others beside the Lord that can see your innermost thoughts and hear your prayers that are not uttered aloud? The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. Some interpret 2 Timothy 1:1618 to support prayer for the dead: "The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. I have one question based on what yall wrote above, If the Saints cannot hear us because they are dead, this denies that Christ gives them the power to live. So while works are not a requirement for salvation, they are the fruits of a living, saving faith. In ancient Judaism, it was also popular to pray for intercession from Michael in spite of the rabbinical prohibition against appealing to angels as intermediaries between God and his people. If we share His glory in this life, how much more in the next, when righteous men are made perfect? Prayer to accept God's will. It seems you are misunderstanding the meaning of what a Saint is. Illumine our minds with the light of God, which ever shineth on thy lightning . Navigation - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Being in union with God means being in union with His Divine Energies. Lawrence is the author of many books including the Bible Study Companion Series, Let Us Attend: A Journey through the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, and A Daily Calendar of Saints. Perhaps the question is, why would you not want to show them your love and respect? Mary intercedes at the wedding at Cana and occasions Jesus's first miracle. Greek Orthodox Saints - Orthodox Church Quotes What is Prayer? Christ is in our midst! 8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. Its existence witnesses to an even earlier devotion to Mary (we note that the Protoevangelium, offering legendary details of Marys childhood, dates from the mid-second century). The Church is one, despite some of its members still being on Earth and some being in the Kingdom of Heaven. Especially the difference between absolute worship of God and veneration of His creation (also referred to as relative worship). So, who is in the right here? The general form of such a "prayer" is "Saint X, pray for me". [5], When God was displeased by the four men who had attempted to give advice to the patriarch Job, he said to them, "My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly" (Job 42:8).[6]. Even if they were some of the best men on this world. Is it primarily a grammatical construct of words/thoughts expressing a particular desire to someone able to answer? That word is , latreia, which means to adore. If youre interested in learning about Orthodox Christian spirituality, youll probably be interested in learning about the Orthodox prayers. Regarding what you said about a choice, you always have the free will to do as you please. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with its headquarters located in the City of New York, is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The mission of the Archdiocese is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church in the United States of America according to the Orthodox . But it does reveal the assumptions held by the Church at the time regarding the state of those in heaven. Mental Illness Purification Whats wrong with you?, answered my Protestant friends. Reflections in Christ / Orthodox Christians worship God by praying to saints, focusing on particular ones for particular problems. There, when we gather together as we are able, with joy and gladness, the Lord will permit us to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom in commemoration of those who have already fought in the contest and also for the training and preparation of those who will do so in the future (Martyrdom of Polycarp, chapter 18). The act of touching instantly communicates the water, whether there is one paper towel or ten thousand. So the answer to your question is, there is no anathema. So you see, Paul, we do not offer worship to anyone other than the One True God. Debt How Do I Choose My Patron Saint? Saint John the Evangelist Orthodox Instead, the New Testament consists largely of a series of occasional documents dating from the first century which dealt with issues that arose within the first generation of Christian converts. Orthodox Prayer to the Saints Explained for Protestants On the Intercession and Invocation of the Saints This volume contains the first part of the Synekdemos, a popular Orthodox prayer book. Self-Reliance The Jesus Prayer is a powerful spiritual exercise that enlightens, strengthens and animates us. The misconception that we do comes from a lack of understanding of Orthodox theology and a twisting of the Scriptures. It is God, the Trinity, one in Essence, whom we worship and offer our inward form of adoration as latreia. 1:19; James 5:16; Job 42:8; Gen. 20:7; Exodus 32:11-14. They may also believe that prayers to saints are just modern inventions. For God, there is no before and after. You are worshipping. Those unfamiliar with the Eastern Orthodox Church may falsely assume that we pray to Saints in the same way one prays to God. Does Orthodoxy involve works for salvation? Some of the early basis for this was the belief that martyrs passed immediately into the presence of God and could obtain graces and blessings for others. Many people object to intercessory prayer to saints, believing it to be a form of necromancy. Then when he asked for his brothers to be warned he said they have the scriptures and the prophets, they will not listen if they dont believe the scriptures. Swine for they that worshipped (latreia) the stars did learn therefrom to worship (proskynesis) thee, O Sun of justice So, instead of giving all their adoration to the stars, the wise men now came to worship and fall down before Christ Himself, the Son of God, the Sun of justice. Also, the point that a lot of Orthodox Christians make that its an image that allows us to keep our focus on God, what about the verse from 2nd Corinthians 5:7 we walk by faith not sight? We will also explain why the Orthodox pray to Saints and what role it plays in our spiritual lives. Prayer to Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco. We call God "our Father" because Jesus has taught us and enabled us to do so. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. "A Reinterpretation of Invocation and Intercession of the Saints. Veneration (Gr. The Christian does not cease to be a part of the Church at death. We are taught that the elders and Saints often prayed beyond thought and beyond words face to face and heart to heart with God. But they do not care. God bless. We see numerous mention of the Saints in Scripture (1 Corinthians 1:2; Romans 1:7; Hebrews 10:10; Psalm 34:9; Romans 16:15; Romans 8:27; Philippians 14:21-22; Colossians 1:26; 1 Timothy 5:10; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Acts 9:32; Ephesians 1:1; among many, many others). However, you should not make shortcuts. "[12], Some Catholic scholars have reinterpreted invocation and intercession of the saints with a critical view toward the medieval tendencies of imagining the saints in heaven distributing favors to whom they will and instead seeing in proper devotion to the saints a means of response to God's activity in us through these creative models of Christ-likeness. We keep our eyes on the image of God in the Person of Jesus Christ, to prevent ourselves from envisioning God in a way He should not be envisioned. Later on, in Enoch 39:5 we find the same idea that those in heaven were praying for those on earth: My eyes saw the dwellings [of the holy] with His holy angels and they petitioned and interceded and prayed for the children of men. It contains 1300 pages of text in the original Greek. Saints are those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14) through whom God is bearing witness, both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will (Hebrews 2:4). PRAYER TO THE SAINTS | Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese It is also the word we use when we sing, Come let us worship and fall down before Christ, and For unto thee are due all glory, honor, and worship, and also, Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master.. It's not the same as praying to God. Why would I need that? I've seen words like "intercession" and "request" thrown around instead of "prayer" at times, but by very definition an intercession is "the action of saying a prayer on behalf of another person" and prayer "a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship". Condemnation There is also the oral component of Tradition, which St. Paul makes mention of on several occasions (most notably 2 Thess. The oft-cited 1 Timothy 2:5 which asserts that Christ is the only mediator between God and men is irrelevant to this discussion, for Mary and the saints are not mediators, but intercessors. In the original Greek, the word for the latter appears in various forms of the noun , proskynesis, which means to kneel or bow down before, and to show reverence and honor. If I saw someone kissing a photo of me, I would not feel respected, I would just think the person is a weirdo. Teachings of the Orthodox Church Saint John the Evangelist Orthodox If it is not too much trouble, we would appreciate your response, so we could learn more about your experience with that. Regarding the departed Christians, we learn that they are with Christ and are being comforted by Him for their struggles on earth (Revelation 7:13f). Memorial Service - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Because of their righteousness, their prayers have great power with God. All rights reserved. Inspiration. Philip Melanchthon and the English Reformation, Ashgate Publishing. However, that does not make it worship. Saints are those who have attained salvation, which (in the Eastern Orthodox view) means union and communion with God. A mediator is one who reconciles estranged parties (as Christ reconciled us to God from whom our sins had estranged us); an intercessor is merely one who prays for another, and that is all the Church asserts that Mary and the saints are doing. Court And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel. How long did Saints pray? : r/OrthodoxChristianity - Reddit In An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, St. John of Damascus writes: [] to the saints honor must be paid as friends of Christ, as sons and heirs of God [] And further, if the Creator and Lord of all things is called also King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods (Rev. Thus, for example, we read in 2 Maccabees 15:12f that the martyred high priest Onias was praying with outstretched hands for the whole body of the Jews. Navigation - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America prejudice), and of emotional unfamiliarity with the practice. And when we do this, we see that the Judaism of the time assumed that those in heaven had knowledge of what was happening on earth and were praying for them. As Scripture tells us, He holds His priesthood permanently because He continues forever. I am also an orthodox and a believer in Christ. Intercessory prayer to saintly persons who have not yet been canonized is also practiced, and evidence of miracles produced as a result of such prayer is very commonly produced during the formal process of beatification and canonization. Assuming that saints can simultaneously hear and know the prayers of Christians all over the world ascribes to them attributes that only God has. Reddit, Inc. 2023. latreia), the total giving over of the self to be united with God. ", Early Christians derived some of their views from Judaism. With our prayers we touch them. If its not worship, then wouldnt there be more of a choice whether you want to show respect to icons or not? [20] The Augsburg Confession therefore emphasizes that Christ is the only mediator between God and man, and that he is the one to whom Christians ought to pray. The Eastern Orthodox Church gives the title of saint (lowercase s) to anyone who has lived and died in Christ throughout history. If you are Orthodox and find yourself without a patron saint, here are a few suggestions to help you choose: Pray that God will connect you to a patron. His monastic life and teachings are recorded in the Bible. Ishtar 'My hour has not yet come.' But, it seems that there is plenty of information from what I've read and heard that Orthodox Christians DO pray to saints. from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education in Orthodox Prayer Book: My Holy Pascha, April 14, 1985. Personal and Devotional Prayers - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Just like you ask your fellow Christians on earth. Your email address will not be published. -Does this practice a large emphasis in their devotion? The Son is begotten eternally from Him, fully God and fully man, and is our "bridge" to God via the Incarnation. Simply quotes of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church fathers, saints, elders, hymns, prayers, and services. Earth Prayer of praise by Saint Symeon the New Theologian. Spirit People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments. Because physical death is not a defeat for a Christian. Fr. She is given the title of "Theotokos" (Greek for "Birth-giver-of-God), as well as "Mother of God". I'm a Christian and I have been very interested in Orthodox Christianity, so a preface, I'm not here to bash anything, I simply want clarificationI was watching a video with Fr. Praying the Jesus Prayer to the saints is an integral part of the Orthodox monastic ascesis, but it can be done by laypeople as well as clergy. The elders of the church can intercede for the sick people. Toggle Parallels in other religions subsection, Intercession of the living for the living, The intercession of saints was criticized in the, Patricia A. Sullivan. ", "4 Biblical Proofs for Prayers to Saints and for the Dead", "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary", "CHURCH FATHERS: Oration 18 (Gregory Nazianzen)", https://theologicalstudies.net/2005-all-volumes-and-table-of-contents/, "On Intercessions | Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles", "Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Christian Cyclopedia", "Art. Think of a sopping wet sponge touched by any number of dry paper towels. Tawassul is the practice of using someone as a means or an intermediary in a supplication directed towards God. While certain Saints (capital s) are officially canonized and commemorated by the Church, every baptized faithful Orthodox Christian is considered a saint, as a member of the royal priesthood that Christ established with the creation of His Church. 215) wrote that the true Christian prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping, and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him (Miscellanies 7.12). Christ is risen! Jesus states in Luke 20:38 "Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.". Apollo And we must politely insist that those who critique Orthodoxy do the same. The prayer runs: Beneath your compassion, we take refuge, O Theotokos. Saint Severinus of the Greek Orthodox saints was a monk from Eastern Europe who lived and preached in Gemany. Orthodox doctrine and teaching is quite clear that we do not treat saints as objects of worship, nor as worthy of worship. ), nor of olive oil or wine. Finally, the Holy Spirit, the "wind" or "breath" of God, proceeds eternally from the Father. In this way, prayer to the saints is a good way to ensure that your prayer is effective. We have seen that both Scripture and early Church history alike witness to the Churchs practice of asking the departed saints to pray for us. This is not a malicious rejection, but one done out of ignorance. Prayers for the Sick. Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America, NY, 1967. . This is what the Church calls intercessory prayer. [citation needed]. We hope this has helped you; please do comment back with any questions! Date: December 14, 2017 Author: Craig Truglia 5 Comments. Saint Phanourius - Orthodox Church in America The Saints dont have to mentally cobble together/process one by one the thousands, or even millions, of requests made to them. Denying this means rejecting the salvific work of Christ on the Cross and His victory over death., I dont pray to saints because theyre dead (they are indeed alive). How the Orthodox Pray to Saints (or Rather Ask for their Prayers) Prayers for the Sick - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America The saint's name sounds similar to the Greek verb "phanerono," which means "to reveal" or "to disclose." For this reason, people pray to Saint Phanourius to help them find lost objects. And there is indeed a proper lens through which the Bible must be interpreted: the lens of the Church that compiled those Scriptures in the first place. The angel (Gods Angel not a man from this world) says: DO IT NOT: For I am thy fellowservant . Mary / Prayer / Death - Orthodox Church in America And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. According to Fr. The Church knew from its Judaic inheritance that all those in heaven prayed for those on earth, and it was clear that Christs Mother was among those in heaven as a powerful intercessor. Because such a practice was part of Holy Tradition, long-established and a normative part of the spiritual lives of the early Christians. In a letter to another bishop he wrote, Let us remember one another in concord; let us on both sides always pray for one anotherthat if one of us shall go hence first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord and our prayers for our brothers and sister not cease in the presence of the Fathers mercy (Letter 56.5). They adorn the walls of our worship spaces, making that "great cloud of witnesses" more apparent to us. Consequently He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:24-25). We may conclude from this close reading of the texts of the time that it was part of the Churchs faith in the first century that those in heaven interceded for those on earth. As for the verses, we see the Saints as the "great cloud of . The True Church is composed of all . Orthodox prayer books contain many tried and true prayers. Saints are not Mediators; they are merely intercessors, praying for us just as we on earth all pray for one another. Father lives in Surrey with his wife Donna; he and Matushka Donna have two grown daughters and six grandchildren. This practice is an application of the Catholic doctrine of the Communion of Saints. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Where in either Scripture or tradition is such ananthema placed on those who dont pray to saints for conscience sake? Fr. Prayer is, in its essence, movement of the heart and spirit towards the one who can help. I was left to my own devices, and to a new examination of Scripture and of church history. In the Orthodox Church, it is believed that saints have been resurrected from the dead and are able to intercede on . Prayer to the Holy Cross (Let God arise) Thus in Enoch 9:3 we read, To you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, Bring our cause before the Most High. If you want to pray to the saints in Orthodox Christianity, you should follow certain rules and guidelines when doing so. He is known for teaching Christians to be generous and put their eternal life first. [15] In addition, some Anglo-Catholics believe in saintly intercession. I got around the prohibition one night when I was alone and frightened and wanted my guardian angel to pray for me by praying to God and asking Him to tell my angel to pray for me. If the living and departed are both united to Christ, they are by virtue of this union also united to one another. Questions About Orthodoxy: Mary, Saints, and Prayers

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