THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN HOME – KAT’ OIKON EKKLESIA

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
a
THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN HOME – KAT’ OIKON EKKLESIA

“TODAY SALVATION HAS COME TO THIS HOME” [Luke 19:9].

According to our Orthodox Christian tradition a new home is blessed by the local parish priest when the foundation is laid signifying the spiritual foundation of the dwelling place. Every year, following the celebration of Theophany, the home and family is blessed annually with the Holy Water blessed at the divine service of the Theophany at their parish church. Therefore, the house is treated with reverence since it is blessed and it is now a sacred space or place where the Orthodox family resides and is protected by the grace of God. The Orthodox Christian family, parents and children, are baptized Christians, who practice the Faith daily and are obedient to the commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His holy Gospel. It is now a Christ center family since He is always present and guides, protects, and inspires all in the home. This dwelling place is no longer just a house but it is truly a Christian home, spiritually cleansed since all evil is driven away and where God dwells therein. There is love, respect, harmony, peaceful home environment and co-existence. God reigns in the home and in their lives.

Holy icons, crosses, and other Christian symbols are seen throughout the home, i.e., on the wall where the dining table is and where the members of the family eat together, in the bedrooms holy icons or crosses over each bed, and, also, the special icon corner where there are holy icons of the Theotokos and Christ, Saints and Holy Angels. A vigil light is placed on a kind of shelf, holy water, flowers from the various holy days, and the incense burner (themiato). All the holy Christian symbols are to assure the family members of God’s constant presence and to remind them to pray and glorify Him unceasingly.

Our Orthodox Christian tradition provides the faithful with prayers for every need. There are morning and evening prayers, there are prayers for meals before and after, prayers that are said privately as well as prayers that are offered as a family. All these prayers are found in Orthodox Prayer books, prayers directed directly to our Savior Christ, the Theotokos, the Holy Angels, and Saints. In addition the Orthodox family prepares spiritually to receive Holy Communion through the Mysterion (Sacrament) of Repentance/Confession, fasting, and prayer. Worship on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) and major holy days is NOT optional for the Orthodox family. It is assumed, however, that all Orthodox parents possess correct knowledge of the faith and tradition and are prepared to answer the questions that their children may have. Of course, along with the information and spiritual guidance, to help them to form strong Christian character with Christian values and for their children to live with dignity, to behave respectfully and to treat all others with love and compassion. One fundamental and most important spiritual tool is for every member of the family to have their own prayer book and of course a holy bible. The Orthodox Study Study Bible is very useful for beginners since it contains commentary to better understand a difficult passage. It is imperative that they use the Holy Scripture for their spiritual growth and make it part of their everyday living. It is unthinkable for one to go through this life professing to be Christian and to never open the Holy Bible or not have a personal relationship with Christ our Savior and God.

Every Orthodox family should be active and supporting members of their local church. It is understood that when we say ‘church’ we do not mean the temple [ναός] of worship but all Orthodox Christian faithful, “THE BODY OF CHRIST.” We believe that when we receive the Divine Eucharist together, we become one with Christ and one with one another, and, therefore, we become the BODY OF CHRIST. Both our own family as well as that of the Church community is united in Christian agape and respect. One has to truly admit that there is a battle taking place in society and the world, to control not only the minds, but the hearts, of the people but especially the children. The children are constantly exposed to secular norms, ideology, narratives, promiscuity, materialism, permissiveness, and radical ideas and unnatural life-styles. It is for them to be confused, intimidated by their peers, frightened or threatened by their teachers, isolated or alienated by their friends, and bullied to conform to their ideology. In order for the Christian young people to survive in this secular world, all young Christians must have a strong Christian faith, a consistent prayer life, and strong values and sound discernment.

It is of the utmost importance that they grow and develop in a traditional Orthodox home. Public schools, colleges and universities have become dangerous places in recent years. Christian parents must be vigilant and alert of what is taught in their child’s school and take the necessary measures to protect their child from being harmed. The Christian home should be both a school where children learn the basics and a religious center where they learn our Orthodox fundamental beliefs. They learn about discipline, responsibility, giving of themselves, the importance of expressing gratitude to those who care for them, the nobility of hard work, and how to avoid arrogance and instead be a humble person.

The Christian home cannot be reduced to a place where people share a common space but there is no love, respect, concern for each other, and going different directions. The family must always be united and bonded by the love that one bears for each other. It is not about rights, demands and money. A nation’s strength and success is measured by the success and strength of the family. The Orthodox family prays, “O Master Who loves mankind, unto you we COMMIT our whole life and our hope.”

Of all the hours of the daily cycle of prayers, perhaps the most conducive time for most Orthodox Christians is the evening. The entire family is usually able to be together, not only for the common evening meal but also for the evening prayers before sleep. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the “kat’ oikon ekklesia” (“home church”) to assemble for the purpose of common family prayer, for the study of Holy Scripture (New Testament), and generally, for a general discussion pertaining to spiritual life. One way that the various family members can contribute to this effort is for the mother to prepare the vigil lamp, for the father to prepare the censor or incense burner, for each child to choose and read a specific passage from the Holy Bible or read the life of the day’s Saint. The Lives of the Saints, Martyrs, Confessors, and Holy Fathers and Mothers of the Church is a spiritual treasure trough for the believer. Of course there is flexibility on how each family should observe all the above. What is important is to engage in some religious or spiritual activity within the Orthodox Christian home. Otherwise if nothing spiritual takes place in the Christian home then, what is the difference between your home and your neighbor’s who may not believe in anything?

I advise all of you and I recommend respectfully to turn to the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament to help you learn how to pray. It is called the Prayer Book of the Church. The Psalms can also be seen as a dialogue between the Church, the Body of Christ, and Christ her Head. The psalms are used in Our Holy Orthodox Church in the liturgical tradition of the Church, Orthros (Matins), Esperinos (Vespers) and many other divine services. There are 151 psalms from which to choose from. The Orthodox Study Bible contains both the Old and New Testaments.

Let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[A Prayer for Forgiveness]

O Lord our God, if I have sinned in anything
this day, in word, or deed, or thought, forgive me
all, for You are Good, and You love mankind. Grant me
peaceful and undisturbed sleep, and deliver me from the
assault and attack of the evil one. Rouse me at the
proper time to glorify You, for Blessed are You, together
with Your Only-begotten Son, and Your All-Holy Spirit,
now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

_________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George