Understanding the Eucharist in the Orthodox Church

The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, is the central act of worship in the Orthodox Church. At every Divine Liturgy, bread and wine are offered to God and, through the work of the Holy Spirit, become the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is not understood as a symbol alone, but as a sacred mystery through which Christ gives Himself to His people.

The Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper when He told His disciples, “Take, eat; this is My Body,” and “Drink of it, all of you; for this is My Blood.” From the earliest days of the Church, Christians gathered to celebrate this mystery in obedience to His command and as the center of their life together.

Because the Eucharist is both a personal encounter with Christ and an expression of full unity in the Orthodox faith, receiving Holy Communion is reserved for Orthodox Christians who have been baptized or chrismated into the Church and have prepared themselves through prayer, repentance, and, when appropriate, confession and fasting. This practice is not intended to exclude visitors, but to preserve the meaning of Communion as the fullest expression of unity in faith.

If you are visiting our parish, you are warmly welcome to attend the Divine Liturgy, participate in the prayers and hymns, and receive blessed bread (antidoron) at the conclusion of the service if it is being distributed. If you have questions about the Eucharist or are interested in becoming Orthodox, we encourage you to speak with Fr. Joseph, who would be glad to visit with you.

Theosis and Life in the Church

Theosis, often translated as “deification” or “divinization,” is the goal of the Christian life as understood by the Orthodox Church. Rooted in Scripture — “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… that you may become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4) — theosis describes the process by which a person is progressively united with God and transformed by His grace.

This does not mean becoming God in essence; God alone is uncreated and eternal. Rather, as the Church Fathers taught, we come to share in God’s energies — His grace, love, and life — while remaining fully human. St. Athanasius the Great summarized it simply: “God became man so that man might become god.” Christ’s Incarnation makes this union possible, restoring what was broken by sin and opening the path back to communion with God.

Theosis is not achieved through private effort alone. It unfolds within the sacramental and communal life of the Church — through Baptism and Chrismation, regular participation in the Eucharist, confession, prayer, fasting, and the ongoing struggle to acquire the virtues, all supported by the guidance of a spiritual father and the fellowship of other believers. It is a lifelong journey of repentance and growth, not a single moment of achievement.

This is part of why life in the Church matters so much in Orthodox practice: we are not meant to walk this path alone. If you would like to learn more about theosis and what it looks like to grow in the life of the Church, we would love to have you join us for a service or speak with Fr. Joseph.

Orthodox Teachings on the Resurrection & Salvation

The Resurrection of Christ stands at the very center of the Christian faith. Pascha, the feast of Christ’s Resurrection, is called “the feast of feasts” in the Orthodox Church — the event through which death itself is overcome. As the Paschal hymn proclaims, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.” Without the Resurrection, St. Paul writes, our faith would be in vain; because of it, we have certain hope.

Orthodox Christians understand salvation not merely as a legal pardon for sin, but as the healing and restoration of human nature itself. Sin is understood as a sickness that separates us from God and distorts the image in which we were created; salvation is the process of being healed, restored, and brought back into communion with Him through Christ, who took on our human nature in order to redeem it.

Because Christ rose bodily from the dead, His Resurrection is the promise and the pattern for our own. Orthodox Christians look forward not only to the salvation of the soul, but to the resurrection of the body and the renewal of all creation, when Christ will be “all in all.” This hope shapes how we live, worship, and understand suffering and death even now.

We warmly invite you to experience this hope firsthand — especially during Great Lent and Holy Week leading up to Pascha, the high point of the Church year. If you have questions about what Orthodox Christians believe about the Resurrection and salvation, Fr. Joseph would be glad to talk with you.