The Basics of Orthodox Christian Practice

Below is a summary of traditional Orthodox Christian practices. It is important to understand them properly. Orthodox rules of daily living are viewed as caring for the soul. They are not to be viewed as legal requirements for entry into God's kingdom; instead they are guidelines to a better life. As the Lord said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance.”

In other words, the rules exist to help us become better people, more humble, more self-aware, more attuned to God’s will, more loving, etc. Observing the rules and traditions is about the care or neglect of the soul. For example: eating meat on Fridays. How this affects one’s eternal salvation will be determined by God. St. Paul writes, “The kingdom of heaven is not food and drink”; the Lord once said, “It is not what goes into a person, but rather what comes out of a person that defiles him.” The Church teaches that fasting on Fridays (and Wednesdays) is essential to spiritual growth, but we must remember that the rules are a means to an end and not the end themselves.

“The ladder that leads to the Kingdom [of heaven] is hidden within you, and is found in your own soul. Dive into yourself and in your soul you will discover the rungs by which to ascend” (St. Isaac the Syrian).

1. Prayer.

            A. The daily rule of prayer. A personal routine that includes prayer upon awakening, prayer before going to sleep, possibly another prayer time in the middle of the day and daily Bible reading.

            B. Meal prayers. At home, a family prayer before eating. (There are prayers in our books for after eating, too.) When outside the home, a silent prayer accompanied by the sign of the cross.

            C. Corporate prayer. Services at church on Sundays and whenever possible.

            D. The "Jesus prayer," a prayer for all times and places.

2. Fasting (in order of importance).

            A. Fridays and Wednesdays.

            B. The weeks immediately preceding Easter, Christmas, the feast of the Apostles (June 29), and the feast of the Virgin Mary (August 15).

            C. Great Lent.

            D. Special fast days- August 29, September 14 and January 5.

            E. The designated Lents before Christmas, the feast of the Apostles and the feast of the Virgin Mary.

            The level of rigor in fasting varies from simple abstinence from meat, to abstinence from meat, dairy products and fish, to total abstinence from food.

3. Sacraments. 

            A. Holy Communion, at least once a month. The ancient practice was that people received Holy Communion at every Divine Liturgy unless they were under a penance (a penalty imposed in confession).

            B. Holy Confession, at least once a year.

            C. Holy Matrimony, before cohabitation.

  D. There are other traditional blessings, sometimes called, "Sacramentals," done at designated times. These include prayers of childbirth (the day of, the 8th day and the 40th day), "Agiasmos" or blessing of the home or business (done at or after Epiphany and when moving into a new home or business), and other prayers offered for the sick or those in special need.

4. Philanthropy

A. To the poor. “He who is merciful to a poor man is loaning to God” (Proverbs 19:17).    

 B. To one’s church. The Orthodox Church asks for more than tithing. It asks that we “commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.”

           A philanthropic gift can be something needed for worship, such as communion wine, prosfora (the special bread used in the Divine Liturgy), incense, olive oil for the lamp on the Holy Altar, flowers, etc.