#orthodox baptism

[soviet-amateurs]

Baptism, 1995

[gregoriaofnyssa]

"Did God Make me Wrong?"

I was born with a handful of, on their own, minor defects. But grouped together, and because they were left untreated, I have what amounts to a hormonal intersex disorder-- the main symptom of which is many, many times more testosterone than a healthy woman. I produce slightly more than normal the amount of estrogen and progesterone. My symptoms are somewhat similar to that Algerian boxer, though I (and no other person besides apparently her and her doctors) do not know the details of it.

It was left untreated because I have XX Chromosomes, my periods are regular, and I am not infertile. It is my conviction that no doctor bothered to treat my condition, bothered to treat my hirsutism, acne, and bone deformation, because I was not a very pretty preteen to begin with. The doctors did not consider my appearance something worth saving. It was not good enough to begin with.

So now I am stuck with deformed bones and a hairy face. This one time, I was in a bathroom at a rest stop in West Virginia, and a woman stopped me, and told me she was going to get her state trooper on me, "for being a tranny in the bathroom". No doctor wanted to save me from that kind of fear and humiliation.

I shave constantly, but I know people still notice. They notice the razor burn on my face, certainly. If I waxed, I'd have to let the hair grow out, which I cannot take in public. My friends notice it. My fiancé notices it. I am deformed and I feel it, every single day.

I ask priests, sisters, and better Christians than me, "Why would God allow me to be born like this?" If God Loves beauty, how could he allow such ugliness?

You get the regular, "Oh don't say that :(" "We never notice!" "God doesn't care!" which are horrible lies. But every once and a while, I get, "Your condition is a product of the Fall," which is the only true response.

But how awful is it to have the Fall of Man and the sinfulness of the world written into your bones and growing out of your skin, like a monster.

The only thing I want in the world is to be pretty, and God will not give me it. What is the purpose in this?

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

just for the record, the Lilith myth undermines so much of Christian theology as to be on par with Dan Brown's myth of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene. No Christian is obligated to 'respect' it or regard it as anything but cheap, no matter how Jewish or medieval it is.

[orthodoxadventure]

[dramoor]

"You are called to die to the darkness of self-centeredness in your life, so that in a conversion you may perceive what has always been within you from the time of your Baptism, the light of Christ ready to transfigure you into His same glorious light...Jesus Christ truly lives in all His transcendent light and power within you. He has already taken the initiative. It is for you to respond to this reality of the indwelling Christ as light within you."

~Fr. George A. Maloney, SJ

[the-light-of-truth-world]

[templevirgin]

Our Savior came to be baptized,

so that through the cleansing waters

of baptism he might restore the old man

to new life, heal our sinful nature,

and clothe us with unfailing holiness.

[lokis-knives]

hello!

today is October 15th, 2024

I am a Catechumen! I just finished a Becoming Orthodox class at my church, and will be preparing for baptism soon!

I am a sophomore in college as well. I have joined a Orthodox club at my church for Orthodox uni students, so I have met people that way.

[apenitentialprayer]

Paradise, the fresco decorating the interior dome of the baptistry of Padua Cathedral, painted by Giusto de' Menabuoi, circa 1378.

We have baptism, brethren, for regeneration and divine birth, one faith, one hope, one God, who is above all and through all and in us all. In His love, He gathers us together to Himself and makes us members of and one of Himself.

Gregory Palamas (On Peace §3a, a homily given in December of 1350 or January of 1351)

[globalchristendom]

Can't find much info about this photo, but it's claimed it's a mass baptism of babies in Gaza because their parents fear they might be killed before they get baptized. (x)

Anyone know which church this is?

[scheunensohn]

When the nun needs fun

[cathotradi2]

Orthodox Christians always baptise with full immersion even in winter!

[apilgrimpassingby]

Jargon Explainer for This Post

Christology

Chalcedonianism: The Christology held to by the vast majority of Christians - Christ has two natures, divine and human, and these are inseparably conjoined, but nonetheless there remains a real distinction between them. This contrasts with...

Nestorianism: A heretical Christology that makes a strong separation of the human and divine natures; for example, a Nestorian could say that Jesus died on the Cross, or even that Christ died on the Cross, but not that God the Son died on the Cross. This is heretical for several reasons, but the most obvious is this - if God the Son did not die, then only the human nature died for us, and so the Incarnation was kind of pointless.

Monophysitism: This term covers two Christologies. Firstly, the heterodox (but not, in my opinion, heretical) Christology of Miaphysitism, which states that Christ had one nature, which was both divine and human, and secondly, Eutychianism, a heretical Christology that states that Christ's divinity wholly swallowed up His humanity, to the point that He had no real humanity. This is heretical for several reasons, but the most obvious is that, if Christ was just God in a human suit, the Incarnation was kind of pointless.

Sacramentologies

Lutheran Sacramentology: Baptism with water is united to baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the bread and wine to the Body and Blood of Christ, to such an extent that whosoever receives one receives the other. Lutherans believe in consubstantiation; Christ is bodily present "in, with and under" (to use Luther's formulation) the bread and wine, and the Sacrament is both bread and wine and the Body and Blood of Christ.

Roman Catholic Sacramentology: Much the same as the above, with the difference that they believe in transubstantiation - the essence (or substance) of bread and wine is replaced with the essence of the Body and Blood of Christ, such that it ceases to have anything other than the appearance of bread and wine.

Orthodox Sacramentology: Orthodox don't like theological theories, but their view is very close to the Lutheran view.

(It's worth interjecting that all these positions would state that God is bound to but not bound by the Sacraments - it's possible for unbaptised people to be saved, and for people to receive Christ without the Eucharist, even if that's an abnormal situation).

Reformed Sacramentology: Baptism with water is united with baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the bread and wine to the Body and Blood of Christ, but not to such an extent that whosoever receives one receives the other - only the elect receive the divine elements of the Sacraments. Reformed believe in spiritual presence; Christ's divine nature is present in the Eucharist, but not His human nature, and hence He is spiritually but not bodily present in the Sacrament.

Baptist Sacramentology: Baptism with water is separate from baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the bread and wine from the Body and Blood of Christ, to such an extent that receiving one is no guarantee of receiving another. While some Baptists affirm that the Sacraments are means of grace, pretty much all of them would deny that Christ is specially present in the Eucharist or that baptism saves.

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the Hieromartyr Haralambos of Magnesia. Saint Haralambos lived as a priest during the persecution of Christians under the rule of military commander Lucius. Because of his fervent preaching and mass conversions, he was brought before the commander and ordered to offer sacrifice to the idols. Boldly refusing, Saint Haralambos was subjected to fierce tortures, despite being already 113 years old. They lacerated his body with iron hooks and tore the flesh from his bones. The holy one said to his torturers, "I thank you, brethren, that you have restored my spirit, which longs to pass over to a new and everlasting life!" Seeing the holy elder's endurance and pure love for them, the two tortures openly confessed Christ, along with three women bystanders, who all received a martyr's crown for their confession. The enraged Lucius took the torture devices himself and began tormenting the Saint, however his arms were sliced off as if by a sword and his head turned around until he was facing backwards. Lucius begged the Saint to heal him, and Haralambos did so. The governor fell at the feet of the Saint, begging for forgiveness and asked to be baptised. These events were reported to Emperor Severus who summoned the Saint before him. He ordered that his long neared be twisted into a rope around his neck and that he be dragged along the dirt. They also drive a large nail into him and tortured him with fire. God, however, protected his Saint and kept him unharmed. Many miracles occurred through Saint Haralambos including the resurrection of a young man, the exorcism of a demoniac, and many others. Multitudes turned to Christ and because of this, Saint Haralambos was subjected to even more tortures and was finally beheaded. His sacred skull is kept in Greece and is the source of countless miracles. He is the Patron Saint of many cities and villages throughout the world. May he intercede for us always + #saint #haralambos #hieromartyr #martyr #priest #christian #preaching #gospel #christ #jesus #jesuschrist #miracle #baptism #convert #repent #faith #love #greatmartyr #haralampos #orthodox #saintoftheday (at ısparta) https://www.instagram.com/p/CodSBdOBN8M/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[orthodoxadventure]

Saint Diadochos, explaining the power of Baptism, says that before Baptism sin dwells in the heart and grace acts from outside, but after Baptism, grace settles in the heart and sin attracts us from outside. It is banished from the heart as an enemy from a fortress, and it settles outside, in the parts of the body, from where it acts by means of attacks in a fragmented state. This is why there is a constant tempter, a seducer, but no longer a master: he disturbs and alarms, but does not command. And so, the new life is born in Baptism!

-- Saint Theophan the Recluse: Path to Salvation; A Manual of Spiritual Transformation

[dramoor]

“In Holy Baptism, we are not merely ‘joining the Church,’ nor are we merely ‘washing away our sins.’ Holy Baptism is not a rite of membership. Rather, Holy Baptism is being plunged into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3) and raised into the likeness of Christ’s resurrection. Believers are given a Cross to wear as part of their Baptism – a token to remind us that our new life is nothing other than living in union with the Crucified Christ.”

~Fr. Stephen Freeman

(Photos © dramoor 2015 Neonian Baptistry 5th century, Ravenna, Italy)