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Orthodox Catechism Continued from p. 15 The fulfillment of the Old Testament is in the New Testament. The Old Testament is not a completed whole, and even the Old Testament Law is not itself complete. The entire Old Testament is the anticipation for the Son of God, the Messiah promised by God. (The Hebrew word, Messiah, in Greek is Hristos, the root of Christ, and it means the Anointed One, the King.) All the expectations of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament when finally the promised Messiah, the God-Man Jesus Christ, came into the World to save, unify and deify the descendants of Adam and Eve. Christ, the Son of God, according to the prophesy of the prophet Isaiah, was to be born of a Hebrew Virgin pure of sin. What is the meaning of the Old Testament offerings (gifts) and sacrifices? The practice of making offerings (gifts) and sacrifices to God existed since the earliest times of the human race. Thus Cain “brought an offering of the fruit of the ground” and Abel, his brother, “of the firstlings of his flock” (Genesis 4:3-4). The first sacrifice mentioned in the Old Testament is the sacrifice of the Patriarch Abraham. He offered the sacrifice “on the mountain, and called his brethren to the meal” (Gen. 31:54). Offerings to God as gifts and for the blessing of first fruits and blood sacrifices (of lambs, calves, doves, etc.) were necessary for man and were commanded by God. Offerings and sacrifices were the sign of man’s repentance for sin and thanksgiving to God for all His gifts; they were an effort to appease God and the way to seek purification from spiritual and physical impurity. Sacrifices were offerings for purification and sin, for transgressions, burnt offerings as well as sacrifices of praise (bread, flour, etc.). The most important sacrifice for God’s Chosen People was the Passover (paschal) Lamb. It was slaughtered and offered in memory of the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Priests offered gifts and sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people (Heb. 7:27). But all these sacrifices, and the whole of the Old Covenant, proved powerless to effect true salvation and purification from sin for they served “a copy and reflection of heavenly realities” (Heb. 8:5). They were all in fact only a preparation for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He offered Himself as sacrifice, once for all times, to destroy sin by His sacrifice (Heb. 9:25, 26, 28). Thus in His sacrifice all sacrifices received their fulfillment and were terminated, receiving their ultimate meaning in Christ who offered Himself “for the life of the world.” By His self-sacrificial offering He became the eternal Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Thus all offerings and gifts received their true meaning at the Mystical Supper when He offered bread and wine, replacing all offerings and sacrifices with a bloodless sacrifice and establishing the holy Mystery of Communion. Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches Chambésy, January 21-28, 2016 C O M M U N I Q U É At the invitation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Synaxis of Primates of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches took place at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, from 21st to 28th of January, 2016. The following Primates attended: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, Patriarch Daniel of Romania, Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria, Patriarch Ilia of Georgia, Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, Archbishop Anastasios of Albania Archbishop Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. The following Primates were unable to attend: Their Beatitudes Patriarch John X of Antioch and Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, for health reasons, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, for personal reasons. Nevertheless, all three were represented by official delegations of their Churches. The Primates of the Orthodox Churches convened to finalize the texts for the Holy and Great Council. In the framework of the Synaxis, on Sunday, 24th January, a Divine Liturgy was held at the Holy Stavropegic Church of St. Paul. Along with the Ecumenical Patriarch, who presided, Their Beatitudes and Heads of the delegations of the Orthodox Churches concelebrated the Liturgy, with the exception of the Head of the delegation of the Patriarchate of Antioch. During the Synaxis, whose sessions were held in the apostolic spirit of “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4.15), in concord and understanding, the Primates affirmed their decision to convene the Holy and Great Council. The Council will be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete from June 16th to 27th, 2016. To this end, the Primates humbly invoke the grace and blessing of the Holy Trinity and fervently invite the prayers of the fullness of the Church, clergy and laity, for the period leading to and the sessions of the Holy and Great Council. The items officially approved for referral to and adoption by the Holy and Great Council are: The Mission of the Orthodox Church in the Contemporary World, The Orthodox Diaspora, Autonomy and its Manner of Proclamation, The Sacrament of Marriage and its Impediments, The Significance of Fasting and its Application Today, and Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World. By decision of the Primates, all approved documents will be published. The Primates also discussed and determined the establishment of a Pan-Orthodox Secretariat, the by-laws of the Council, the participation of non-Orthodox observers in the opening and closing sessions, and the budgetary costs related the Council. Moreover, the Primates expressed their support for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East and their ongoing concern for the abduction of the two Metropolitans, Paul Yazigi of the Patriarchate of Antioch and Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Archdiocese. The proceedings of the Synaxis of the concluded on Wednesday evening, January 27th, 2016, with the closing address by its President, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. At the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy-Geneva, 27th January, 2016. From the Secretariat of the Sacred Synaxis 16 • The Path of Orthodoxy Winter 2016
Our View The Youth Pages of The Path of Orthodoxy Essays written by youth of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America St. Nicholai of Zicha Oratorical Festival is an annual oratorical contest in which the youth of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America in each diocese, ages 14-18, are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the Orthodox faith, their writing and oratorical skills in the English language. The following essays were written by the youth from New Gracanica and the Midwestern American Diocese in 2015. The theme was: As Orthodox Christians, what does the Cross mean to us? Kristina Petrovic Biography: Kristina Petrovic is a 17-year-old junior in central Indiana. She loves school and playing tennis, she helps teach Sunday school with her mother and is a member of the church choir. Her parents are Father Dragan Petrovic and Popadija Vesna Petrovic and she has two siblings, Marija and Petar. As Orthodox Christians, what does the Cross mean to us? “Krst je sila i znamenje, krst je spasenje” – “The cross is the sign of power and the cross is salvation.” As an Orthodox Christian I grew up hearing this song often. And as a child all I knew about the cross was that it was where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was crucified, also that we always needed to make the sign of the cross before venerating icons and walking into the church, before and after meals and many other occasions. I never thought about why the cross is so important to us Orthodox Christians. And it didn’t take much thought to get to a conclusion, seeing that it was right before my eyes. To us Orthodox Christians the meaning of the cross is simple – it is the sign of salvation and protection. The direct definition of salvation that I found in an online dictionary is, “a source or means of being saved from harm, ruin, or loss.” The connection I found in this definition and the meaning of the cross is in the phrase “source or means of being saved.” Is that not what the cross is – a source from God, a source to forgive our sins and save our souls for life everlasting in heaven? The definition of protection is, “a person or thing that prevents someone or something from suffering harm or injury.” To me this sounded very familiar, because in my family, we learned to never eat any type Continued on Page 19 Milan Dragisic Biography Milan Dragisic is an eighteen years old High School graduate who is currently a seminarian at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, N.Y. He comes from a loving Serbian family and is always active in his home Parish of St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church, Lansing, Illinois. The Priesthood – The Way I Would Like to Carry on My Cross When you are born, our Creator for you has already known your life’s path. As you grow and mature, free will allows you to decide which road in life you will choose to reach your potential. “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mathews 16:24). This verse has been the solid foundation for me merging my freewill and God’s will as I take up my cross and follow Him. It is undeniable that for many, going to church is more for social purposes rather than a true belief in God. Even in my earliest memories of childhood, I felt the need to go to church for the purpose of being closer to God. Around the tender age of three, I developed a relationship with the Lord our God. Over the years and by the grace of God, it has grown stronger and I am continuing to become more faithful every day. When I go to Church, I feel an indescribable sense of peace and joy upon entering the Holy Sanctuary. I realized very early on that my life’s path was to serve the Lord and preach His word. The cross I carry may be heavier than for some others of my age, but it is the exact one for me to carry in order to prepare me for my life as a Serbian Orthodox priest. It brings me such gratification knowing that in the future I will be able to serve people in the name of God, especially those who are sick and suffering, for I too have experienced pain and suffering at a young age. Along with my deep and abiding Continued on Page 18 The Path of Orthodoxy Winter 2016 • 17
Page 1 and 2: Volume 51 No. 1 Winter 2016 Ста
Page 3 and 4: Editorial Our civil rights and our
Page 5 and 6: human nature truly became the templ
Page 7 and 8: I in You; that they also may be one
Page 9 and 10: News the Episcopal Council will rec
Page 11 and 12: News church, everyone came together
Page 13 and 14: News On December 12, 2015, on the f
Page 15: The word catechism (κατηχέω,
Page 19 and 20: Our View Kristina Petrovic Continue
Page 21 and 22: Живот Цркве Еписко
Page 23 and 24: Све нас св. тајне сј
Page 25 and 26: СВЕШТЕНО САБРАЊЕ П
Page 27 and 28: Реч катихизис је гр
Page 29 and 30: бољитак новомарчан
Page 31 and 32: Вести из Цркве У СП

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