The Orthodox Church recognizes only one true “saint” or holy person – Jesus Christ. The veneration of saints is a way to honor God’s holiness and grace in the Church through grace-filled people. Orthodox saints possess a special gift of grace known as the Holy Spirit, and they are often marked by charisma and miracles. These gifts are sometimes witnessed by vast numbers of believers.
Glossolalia
Orthodox Christians do not exclude the use of the Holy Spirit, but they do not view it as a “supernatural” gift. In fact, the Orthodox Church views it as a “minor gift” and does not consider it a pre-requisite for a Christian to be a saint.
Similarly, Orthodox theologians do not believe in the Filioque. For them, the Holy Spirit is not sent by the Father alone, but rather by the Son through whom he communicates. The Orthodox Church does not recognize the idea of a Filioque in the Creed, but rather a procession from the Father through the Son.
According to the Orthodox Church, the Holy Spirit is given to newly baptized Christians through anointing. This occurs immediately after Baptism, regardless of age. In contrast, Western Christians reserve Baptism and Chrismation for those who have reached the age of reason.
It is a minor gift
According to the Orthodox Church, the gift of the Holy Spirit is not a major one. It corresponds to certain virtues, such as prudence, faith, hope, and courage. However, it can be interpreted in many different ways. In general, the gifts correspond to the virtues found in Matthew 5:3-12.
The Holy Spirit is the agent for restoration and peace and Orthodox saints often refer to their life as the “collection of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit plays a very important role in the Orthodox Church, as it is often the agent that restores things to their natural state. This role is reflected in various liturgical acts. The Holy Spirit is invoked at the beginning of every major sacrament.
The orthodox Church considers the Holy Spirit as a “gift” of Christ. During the Chrismation service, anointing the body with holy chrism, otherwise known as myrrh, is part of the Christian ritual of receiving the Spirit. It shows that the Holy Spirit is a gift that was given to the apostles of Christ. As such, the bishops of the Church are the formal successors of these apostles.
It is a personal gift
Orthodox Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is a personal gift that the Christian saints have received. This gift is expressed in various ways. One of them is through prophecy, a word gift that functions to bring inspired revelation to the church. Another way that the Holy Spirit is manifested is through tongues.
In the New Testament, there are many gifts of the Spirit. These gifts are listed below, along with their essential meanings. Some of these gifts include Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, and Prophecy. These gifts are a foretaste of the eschatological inheritance.
The apostolic saints received the gift of speaking in tongues. They were able to communicate in different tongues, and they used these languages to worship the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul, however, puts this gift last on the list of gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It is a private gift
The Orthodox saints viewed the Christian life as a “collection of the Holy Spirit.” They viewed the Holy Spirit as the main agent of restoration to the divine state, and all liturgical acts began with the invocation of the Holy Spirit. Here are some examples of liturgical acts that involve the Holy Spirit.
Speaking in tongues is an example of this. The gift of tongues is associated with prophecy. It functions to bring inspired revelations to the church. The Greek word pneuma is most likely the same as the one used in the immediately preceding verse (12).
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was granted to certain people. The church did not censor this gift. It was considered a private gift, but it has been used by some. This gift has been attributed to certain orthodox saints, including St. Paul.
