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Old Orthodox Christians share the belief
of the general Orthodox church, confessing the faith of the Nicene creed, of the Apostles, the Fathers and the Holy
Councils of the Church. We have preserved Holy tradition, passing on that which we have received to the next generation of
believers.
Some of this Holy Tradition is written,
the core being the Bible: the Holy Gospels in particular. Part of this written Tradition is the writings of the
Holy and God-pleasing Fathers of the Church.
Some of them were great bishops who
helped guide the Church, particular in times of crisis when the Truth of Orthodox teaching was threatened by the errors of
heresy. These Holy Fathers join their voices in the canons and definitions of the seven Oecumenical councils, defining,
clarifying and preserving the True Faith. Such spiritual giants as the Three Holy Hierarchs, Sts John Chrysostom, Basil the
Great and Gregory the Theologian are numbered amongst those we call the dogmatic fathers.
Other fathers were holy monks who
withdrew from the world, but who, supporting it in their prayers taught the way of prayer and the path to God. These are the
ascetical fathers. Among these fathers we number St John Climacus, St Ephrem and Isaac of Syria and St John Cassian the Roman.
The great collections of their teachings are the Evergetinos and the Philokalia.
However, not all Holy tradition was
ever written down. Before we swallow protestant propaganda about this, we should remember that at first, even the Gospel
was part of the spoken Tradition. They were not written down until the decades following our Lord's Ascension into Heaven.
This spoken Tradition led the Lord to use teaching techniques such as parables. There is nothing wrong with spoken Tradition.
In many societies it was the way knowledge was preserved until the dawn of reading and writing. The source of all Holy Tradition
is the Holy Spirit. Truth exists beyond words, and the Truths of our faith are not less true if they have been passed on from
generation to generation, century to century and milennium to milennium by word of mouth!
The root of our faith is Christ and
his Holy Gospel. Through the sending of the Holy Spirit Jesus preserves His Body, the Church. Following the teachings of His Holy
Gospel , we are nourished by His Holy Body and Blood, mystically present in the Holy Eucharist, we are strengthened
by the Holy Mysteries He has given us to help us on the journey of life
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Confession, in which we confess our sins and faults to the Lord Jesus,
our Great High Priest, and through his priests on earth receive guidance, advice and assurance of foregiveness if we truly
repent.
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Holy Unction, the annointing, in which seek strengthening and healing,
not just of body, but also of the infirmities of the soul.
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Ordination to the Holy Orders of bishop, priest and deacon, the ministers
through whom Christ gives the Holy Mysteries to the Church and by whom His people are guided, taught and cared for.
We are guided by the lives and
examples of His Holy Saints - men women and children whom He has raised up in every generation to show the world the way to
God.
To Old Orthodox believers, Holy tradition is precious. It is not the
stuffy repetition of accepted formulas, of ceremonial actions and the remebrance of long-past events. It is the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church, a framework of faith, given us by the Lord to support us to guide us and help
us journey towards Him. Because of this, we are preservers of Holy Tradition precisely because it is Holy - a sacred way of
life which encompasses the mind, the body and the soil - the entirity of our being. As such, Old Orthodoxy is an holistic
faith which we live. It is not about abstract articles of faith, but living the life of Christ, in Christ and for Christ,
making Him real in our lives, in the life of the Chuch and in the life of the world. We must have Orthopraxis - action - because
Christianity is an Incarnational faith that saw the Son of God incarnate of the Mother of God in order to act. That action
is salvation and the reconciliation of man to God. We seek this reconciliation by journeying closer and closer to God, on
a spiritual journery that requires effort. This shapes our attitudes to all aspects of the Orthodox Christian life.
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