Good Guys Wear Black | Discerning Your Vocation In The Orthodox Church
For Orthodox Christian Men Discerning A Vocation
by Deacon Pavel Serzhantov It all began with our forefathers, Adam and Eve. They received a commandment in paradise not to taste of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (cf. 2:17). The commandment not to “taste of this or that” is quite well known to any Orthodox Christian. This is the commandment to fast—the most ancient, beginning factor of family life. Sts. Peter and Febronia. A painting by: Alexander Prostev As we know, Read more…
by Athanasia Papadimitriou Titles for Priests' Wives Priests' wives are known by different titles in various Orthodox traditions and jurisdictions. Although the titles are different, they all acknowledge the special place of the priest's wife in the parish. In the Greek Orthodox Church, the title of the priest's wife is presbytera (also spelled as presvytera in modern transliteration). According to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Read more…
by Athanasia Papadimitriou The Priest's Wife's Level of Commitment to Her Husband's Ministry Today's priest's wife has many options with respect to how much time and energy to commit to her husband's ministry. She can be a full-time mother or homemaker. She can work full-time or part-time outside the home. She can be a volunteer member of various church committees and projects. If she is qualified, she can become Read more…
by Athanasia Papadimitriou Late Call Priests and Converts Certain women face special challenges in deciding to share their husbands' ministry. In some cases, their husbands may have chosen to follow the call to the priesthood later in life. Such women face major emotional changes in their established married and family lives. Changes in their careers will affect them financially. In other cases, women who have converted to the Orthodox Read more…
by Athanasia Papadimitriou The Priest's Wife's Consent to, and Participation in, the Priest's Ordination The priest's wife plays an important role in her husband’s ordination. First of all, she must consent in writing that she is willing for her husband to be ordained. As "one flesh" with her husband through the Sacrament of Marriage, she participates in spirit in his ordination. Personally, I vividly recall my husband's ordination. On Read more…
by Athanasia Papadimitriou The Sacrament Bonds between the Priest and His Wife Two events in the life of a priest's wife stand out: her wedding day, and the day of her husband's ordination. These two events in the Church form the sacramental bonds between the priest and his wife. First, with the Sacrament of Marriage, the couple makes a commitment to each other for life. One fulfills the other: "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not Read more…
by Athanasia Papadimitriou Qualities & Education Qualities of a Priest's Wife According to Amilka S. Alivizatos, a twentieth century theologian in Greece, the ancient canons (rules) of the Church require that a woman, who, by the grace of God, will become a priest's wife, must have spiritual virtues and gifts (charisms).The future priest's wife must be a loving, caring, and kind individual with a deep faith and love for God. She Read more…
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