Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

What's in a name? Orthodox vs. Unorthodox Terms

Dr. Alexander Roman alex.roman@unicorne.org

"Words, words, words," cried Shakespeare's Hamlet when asked what he was reading.

Words are important, the way we use them and what they mean can be critical as any lawyer or legislator will tell us. So when some use the word "Lent," and others say "the Great and Holy Fast," aren't these two different ways of defining the same thing? Well, no actually. Let's take a closer look.

In the age in which the early Church developed, people were very exacting about the meaning of words.

A word expresses a thought. It is a medium that must be accurate so as to do the process of human communication proper justice.

Whole Churches and countries have been excommunicated for their use of even a single word that was deemed heretical by an Ecumenical Council. What's in a word? Well, a lot it would seem.

The term "Orthodoxy" was defined at the Councils to actually indicate two things that occur at once.

To be "Orthodox" meant that one's faith was in keeping with that of the Apostolic Church of Christ entrusted with the handing down and defining of that faith. It also meant that one worshipped God in the "Orthodox" way, in the manner in which the Orthodox Church worshipped. The true test of one's Orthodoxy is reflected in worship.

This is why the texts of the Divine Office and of the Divine Liturgy in Orthodoxy spend a lot of time expressing, confessing and celebrating truths of the Faith.

So "Orthodoxy" is not, as with other religions, merely something we say we believe or a community that we identify with. "Orthodoxy" is a way of prayer, a constant relationship with the Holy Trinity, and a participation in the Life of Christ Who brings us into that Life which is the life of the Church.

The same is true of other terms that are used to describe what seems, on the surface, to be the same experience or event.

Let us take "Lent" and "the Great Fast." Like other words used in the western confessions to describe religious events, "Lent" is imprecise in its exact meaning and has become something other than what it was originally intended to be.

One knows that one has to "give up something" for Lent. Some may believe it is a time for repentance. Abstinence may even be observed for all of two days during Lent, Ash Wednesday (if one has quite recovered from Mardi Gras) and Good Friday.

In contrast, "the Great Fast" as the Orthodox Church has always called it makes no two ways about it!

Fasting and self-denial is the focus for the 40 day period before Holy Week in imitation of Christ who went into the desert to fast and pray.

Orthodoxy expresses, loudly and clearly, the need for fasting in our Christian lives. That indeed it is not something we do as an "extra," but something that we need to do to allow Christ and His love to penetrate further into our souls through our self-sacrifice.

The Great Fast therefore does not allow for any other competing definition to take over from this primary focus.

The Great Fast is done at the command of Christ Himself Who told us that we would fast when the "Bridegroom" will be taken away. Also, in Matthew, Christ says, "When you fast." He doesn't say, "When you feel like fasting."

So the word or term not only points to the reality it represents. By using the word or term, we are already confronted with that reality.

The same is true for "Nativity" versus "Christmas." The latter is taken from the Old English missal where "Mass" was tacked on to the name of the Saint of the day in whose honour it was to be celebrated.

But there is nothing general about "Nativity" at all. This word already confronts us with the reality of God becoming Man in Jesus Christ. It brings us into the Mystery itself. To say the word meaningfully is already an act of faith in the Child on the Manger.

This is why the New Testament tells us that one may only say "Jesus" in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Orthodox tradition has its own name for "Sunday." Sunday is the old pagan name for this day on which sacrifices were offered to the Sun. Monday refers to the Moon. Wednesday refers to the pagan Norse god "Wodin" (Wodinsday), Thursday for Thor, Friday for Frei and so on.

Orthodox Christianity refers to Sunday as the "Day of the Resurrection" or the "Lordsday."

In Ukrainian, Sunday was formerly referred to as "Resurrection" or "Voskres/sennya" and "Nedilya" originally referred to a week i.e. "two Nedilyas" meant "two weeks."

Again, when we use the Orthodox Lordsday there is no doubt as to what the purpose and significance of that day is. The very word is itself a confession of the Lordship of Christ and of our submitting ourselves to His teaching and authority.

There is also the practice of placing the letters "OLGS" before the Name of Jesus Christ to indicate our belief in Him as Lord, God and Saviour.

This would be an especially good thing to do in this day and age when there are so many different "interpretations" of His Person and Mission.

There is also the Orthodox tradition of indicating Sacred Persons and things in writing.

In the Kyivan tradition of writing ("Pravopys"), as Metropolitan Ilarion Ohienko discussed in more than one place in his works, every word that had the slightest connection with God was capitalized.

So when the word fire was used to mean Divinity it too was capitalized as "Fire." It would be excellent of current Ukrainian writing could return to its traditional, Kyivan rule!

The Soviet system forbade the capitalizing of "God" for example for this reason since it indicated one's belief in God. Thankfully, the English language never had a conflict over this.

Current English also contains vestiges of former religious language. For example, "Good-bye" is a shortened, corrupted form of "God be with you" or "Dominus Vobiscum" in Latin. "Good Friday" comes from "God's Friday." To "touch wood" referred to the Christian practice of placing one's fingers on a nearby wooden Cross as a petition for a blessing for good fortune.

Pagan leftovers are just that. They are not edifying at all. Even Valentine's Day comes from the pagan feast of lust with Cupid who is actually a Roman god. "February" was dedicated to him. "Februa" are, and please don't be shocked, whips that were used by the pagan Romans in lustful orgies where they beat one another until their blood flowed!

It is much better to stick to Orthodox rules and traditions.

We should also get back into the habit, if we have fallen from it, of proper Christian letter-writing!

Our letters should always begin with a Cross at the top of the page. We should greet the person we are addressing with "Glory be to Jesus Christ!" When addressing a Priest or Bishop, we should begin with "Reverend Father or other, Bless!" We end with, "Kissing your Right Hand, I again ask for your Blessing!"

And whenever we refer to the year, it should always be prefaced with A.D. or the "year of the Lord." In Ukrainian, this rendered "Rik Bozhey." Wherever we can, we should write it out in full, "In the year of our Lord 2001." This is a beautiful tradition and we shouldn't be squeamish about beauty!

The modern "Common Era" or "Before the Common Era" is simply not acceptable for Orthodox Christians!

Even Orthodox prayers contain exacting standards that do not obtain in other translations.

One quick example is the rendering of the first line of the Our Father as "Who art in Heaven."

In actual fact, the word is plural, "Heavens" which, in the original Greek, means "Everywhere." So what we say when we pray this prayer is address God our Father who is everywhere rather than in Heaven only.

The study of Orthodox terminology is a necessary part of our expression of what we believe and how we worship. When we use that terminology the way it should be used, we are, in fact, confessing and proclaiming our faith to the world.

Let us not waste this great opportunity of fulfilling Christ's injunction in this regard!

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