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Eastern Orthodox
Easter Date
The Holy Fire is a miracle that occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter. It is considered by many to be the longest-attested annual miracle in the Christian world. The light is said to miraculously emanate from what is traditionally believed to be the Tomb of Christ and is one of the most sacred rituals of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Women Deaconesses
Deaconesses are also mentioned in Canon 19 of Niceae I which states that “since they have no imposition of hands, are to be numbered only among the laity”.[15] The Council of Chalcedon of 451 decreed that women should not be installed as deaconesses until they were 40 years old. The oldest ordination rite for deaconesses is found in the 5th-century Apostolic Constitutions.[16]
It describes the laying on of hands on the woman by the bishop with the calling down of the Holy Spirit for the ministry of the diaconate. A full version of the rite, with rubrics and prayers, has been found in the Barberini Codex of 780 AD. This liturgical manual provides an ordination rite for women as deaconesses which is virtually identical to the ordination rite for men as deacons.[17]
Other ancient manuscripts confirm the same rite.[18] However some scholars such as Philip Schaff have written that the ceremony performed for ordaining deaconesses was "merely a solemn dedication and blessing."[19] Still, a careful study of the rite has persuaded most modern scholars that the rite was fully a sacrament in present-day terms.[20]
Resource: Wikipedia
Divine Liturgy
The Greek Catholic and Orthodox Churches see the Divine Liturgy as transcending time and the world. All believers are seen as united in worship in the Kingdom of God along with the departed saints and the angels of heaven. Everything in the liturgy is seen as symbolic, but not merely so, for it makes present the unseen reality. According to Eastern tradition and belief, the liturgy's roots go back to the adaptation of Jewish liturgy by Early Christians. The first part, termed the "Liturgy of the Catechumens", includes like a synagogue service the reading of scriptures and, in some places, perhaps a sermon/homily. The second half is based on the Last Supper and the first Eucharistic celebrations by Early Christians and it is called "Liturgy of the Faithful". Eastern Christians believe that the Eucharist is the central part of the service in which they participate, as they believe the bread and wine truly become the real Body and Blood of Christ, and that by partaking of it they jointly become the Body of Christ (that is, the Church). Each Liturgy has its differences from others, but most are very similar to each other with adaptations based on tradition, purpose, culture and theology.[1][2] Wikipedia.
Sacraments - Mysteries
Sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum, which means “a consecrated thing or act,” i.e., “something holy”. This is a translation of the Greek mysterion, which means “mystery”. Thus, in the Orthodox Church, we often call the sacraments the Holy Mysteries. This is simply because at their roots lies the mystery of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His relationship to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, and His relationship to each of us.
These are things we will never understand, because God’s essence and power is far beyond our grasp.
The sacraments, like the Church, are both visible and invisible. In every sacrament there is an outward visible sign, along with an inward spiritual grace. They are moments we experience only in the Life of the Orthodox Church, in which God reveals Himself to us and imparts His grace upon us.
The need to Reconcile
Confession is a Sacrament, or Mystery, of the Church, a way in which we can experience God in His fullness here on earth. When we sin, we damage our relationship with God and with the members of His Body, the Church. Sin ultimately alienates us from God, from our fellow human beings, and from our own true selves. During Confession, we acknowledge our sins out loud to God in the presence of the priest.
The early Christian community had a specific practice in this regard: people would stand and confess their sins to God in the presence of the whole congregation. Indeed, Jesus encouraged His followers to walk in the light together, to confront problems corporately, to “tell it to the Church” (Mt. 18:17). Thus, James writes, “Confess your trespasses to one another” (5:16). But as time went on and the Church grew in numbers, strangers came to visit and public confession became more difficult. Out of mercy, priests began to witness confessions of sin privately on behalf of the Church.
Differences in appearances
The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox clergy wear different vestments, liturgical garments and outer wear.
Opening more Hearts
We are opening the doors of the Orthodox traditions up so that more people can understand that the Church is made up of "two lungs" as Pope John Paul II said. There are many opportunities for the faithful to get to know the Eastern Rites and Eastern Churches.
Some people, however, have chosen or connect with the Protestant Churches. Take a look at some of the information to understand Protestants better: