Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
You will never know what the real reason is for those women who follow this rule. You know why? Because it's female logic, and you will never get it!
Here in Australia amongst the Greeks the practice is to abstain. We're allowed to do most things, but not to prepare the prosforo or commune. We do come to Church though and stand in the nave with everyone else, can venerate icons etc.
Funny, just a week ago we were told by a Russian lady at our parish (in NO uncertain terms) that women are forbidden to kiss or venerate icons during their periods. It's practiced that way at a Romanian monastery in Michigan, which several ladies in our church visited.
Forbidding the touching of icons takes the idea far beyond a fear that a woman "might lose Christ" through bleeding.
Our own priest considers the practice to be judaizing. We are made unclean through sin, and cleansed through confession.
Funny, just a week ago we were told by a Russian lady at our parish (in NO uncertain terms) that women are forbidden to kiss or venerate icons during their periods. It's practiced that way at a Romanian monastery in Michigan, which several ladies in our church visited.
Forbidding the touching of icons takes the idea far beyond a fear that a woman "might lose Christ" through bleeding.
Our own priest considers the practice to be judaizing. We are made unclean through sin, and cleansed through confession.
Maybe because I never bothered to ask and didn't know this teaching about women abstaining during their menstrual cycle, that it was never discussed or brought up in any churches I've been in for the past 17 years. No priest I've ever talked with during regular discussions or in confession, ever thought to talk about this issue with me. I never thought about it because, as I said, I didn't know about it, except that I believe my mom said something about it several years ago, but I figured it was some Greek superstition or something, and she said it doesn't apply anymore, or words to that effect.
A priest in the ROCOR said that women should not receive any of the sacraments while menstruating including Holy Baptism, Holy Confession, Holy Communion, and Holy Unction. That would probably apply to Crowning too. He said that if a person (male or female) were to be dying on the street or in the hospital with bloody open wounds, he would not attend them. What do the military chaplains do? Come on! That is going too far!
In fact, my Greek Orthodox godmother in GOARCH went so far as to say that I should not even attend the Divine Liturgy when I was in that time of the month.
They aren't really analogous.Interesting topic and not one to be approached lightly, that's for sure. I have heard the same for men as well, though it may not be as common, that they should abstain if they have a nocturnal emission sometime before receiving communion.
A priest in the ROCOR said that women should not receive any of the sacraments while menstruating including Holy Baptism, Holy Confession, Holy Communion, and Holy Unction. That would probably apply to Crowning too. He said that if a person (male or female) were to be dying on the street or in the hospital with bloody open wounds, he would not attend them. What do the military chaplains do? Come on! That is going too far!
In fact, my Greek Orthodox godmother in GOARCH went so far as to say that I should not even attend the Divine Liturgy when I was in that time of the month.
Sounds a bit ridiculous to me.
Yes, and sounds unreal. I'm glad I haven't met or experienced anything like that in the churches I've been to, nor has any of my Orthodox brethren I know of.It actually sounds quite disturbing to me. If one is dying, one needs immediate attention - medical AND spiritual. The thought that a priest would deny a dying person Holy Eucharist, or any other sacrament is, to my mind, creepy and very upsetting.
i think this is a prime example of what Vladimir Solovyov saw as problematic in his Russian Orthodox Church. He recounts this legend, seeing the Russian church as akin to st. Cassian and the Roman church as akin to st. Nicholas:Yes, and sounds unreal. I'm glad I haven't met or experienced anything like that in the churches I've been to, nor has any of my Orthodox brethren I know of.
The Russian legend of St. Nicolas and St. Cassian, its application to the two separated Churches.
A popular Russian legend tells how St. Nicolas and St. Cassian were upon a visit to the earth. On their journey they met a poor peasant who had got his wagon, with a load of hay upon it, stuck in the mud and was making fruitless efforts to get his horses on.
'Let's go and give the good fellow a hand,' said St. Nicolas.
'Not I; I'm keeping out of it,' replied St. Cassian, 'I don't want to get my coat dirty.'
'Well, wait for me,' said St. Nicolas, 'or go on without me if you like,' and plunging without hesitation into the mud he vigorously assisted the peasant in dragging his wagon out of the rut.
When he had finished the job and caught his companion up, he was all covered in filth; his coat was torn and soiled and looked like a beggar's rags. St. Peter was amazed to see him arrive at the gate of Paradise in this condition.
'I say! Who ever got you into that state?' he asked. St. Nicolas told his story.
'And what about you?' asked St. Peter, turning to St. Cassian. 'Weren't you with him in this encounter?'
'Yes, but I don't meddle in things that are no concern of mine, and I was especially anxious not to get my beautiful clean coat dirty.'
'Very well,' said St. Peter, 'you, St. Nicolas, because you were not afraid of getting dirty in helping your neighbor out of a difficulty, shall for the future have two feasts a year, and you shall be reckoned the greatest of saints after me by all the peasants of holy Russia. And you, St. Cassian, must be content with having a nice clean coat; you shall have your feastday in leap-year only, once every four years.'
My late Grandpa's name was Vladimir Soloviev, LOL. These are very common first and last name.
A priest in the ROCOR said that women should not receive any of the sacraments while menstruating including Holy Baptism, Holy Confession, Holy Communion, and Holy Unction. That would probably apply to Crowning too. He said that if a person (male or female) were to be dying on the street or in the hospital with bloody open wounds, he would not attend them. What do the military chaplains do? Come on! That is going too far!
In fact, my Greek Orthodox godmother in GOARCH went so far as to say that I should not even attend the Divine Liturgy when I was in that time of the month.
that's pretty nuts. how many saints received the sacraments before they were brutally martyred? does not wash with history or theology.
He said that if a person (male or female) were to be dying on the street or in the hospital with bloody open wounds, he would not attend them.
Yet at the hour of death, what a blessing it is to have a priest present!
amen, and I agree with what the ROCOR priest said, but to deny someone communion because of a blood issue if they need it sounds way too far. under that same line of reasoning, the lions that consumed St Ignatius of Antioch also communed...
They ate him, that was how he died.Did the lions really consume St. Ignatius of Antioch?
Sorry, I am too tired right now to search, but I though that they left his body intact.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?