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You can begin today
Start praying where you are
Orthodox Christians pray short prayers through the day, morning and evening. The simplest of them all fits in a single breath:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.The Jesus Prayer
Add the Lord's Prayer and the Trisagion, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” and you already have the shape of an Orthodox prayer rule. Keep it small, and keep it every day.
Alongside prayer, read. Start with the Gospels, then a good introduction:
The Orthodox ChurchMetropolitan Kallistos Ware
The Orthodox WayMetropolitan Kallistos Ware
II
Orthodoxy is lived together
Visit a parish
The faith is lived in a community, gathered around the altar. Find the nearest Orthodox parish (most jurisdictions have an online parish directory) and go to the Divine Liturgy on a Sunday morning.
Plenty of converts started out standing at the back, unsure of what was happening. That's completely normal. Keep coming back, and it will start to make sense.
Your first Liturgy, briefly
- Expect to stand for much of the service. There are usually seats for anyone who needs them.
- Watch and listen. Nobody expects you to know the gestures yet.
- Holy Communion is received by Orthodox Christians who have prepared for it. Stay in your place and pray.
- At the end, many parishes hand out blessed bread called antidoron. Visitors can often receive it, so follow the people around you or quietly ask.
- Dress modestly. Customs like head coverings vary from parish to parish.
- Stay for coffee hour afterwards. That's where you'll meet people.
III
The most important step
Talk to the priest
People often put this one off. After a service, introduce yourself and say you're interested in becoming Orthodox, then ask if you can meet.
He'll want to hear your story: your background, whether and how you were baptized, and what drew you here. From then on, he walks the road with you.
IV
A season of learning
Become a catechumen
When your priest thinks you're ready, he'll enroll you as a catechumen, a word that means “one being instructed.” There's a short service of prayers, often at the doors of the church, and from that day you're counted among those preparing to enter.
The catechumenate is a season of learning, praying and living the Church's rhythm of services, fasts and feasts. It often lasts several months to a year or more. Your priest decides when you're ready, and there's no prize for rushing.
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Companions for the road
Choose a patron saint and a sponsor
Before you're received, you'll choose a saint whose name you'll take, often one whose life speaks to you. You'll also choose a sponsor, or godparent: an Orthodox Christian who will pray for you and help you find your feet.
Your priest can help with both, and the saints have a way of finding you.
VI
Setting down the weight
Make your first confession
If you're already baptized, you'll usually make a confession of your whole life up to that point before you're received. It sounds daunting. Many converts describe walking out lighter than they've felt in years.
Confession happens before an icon of Christ, with the priest standing beside you as a witness. He's there to help.
VII
Where the road leads
Be received into the Church
You enter the Church through Baptism, Chrismation, or both. If you've never been baptized, you'll be baptized by threefold immersion and then chrismated: anointed with Holy Chrism, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
If you were baptized in another Christian tradition, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, practice varies. Some bishops receive converts by Chrismation, and others ask that they be baptized. Your priest will explain what your jurisdiction does.
Then comes the moment the whole road leads to: your first Holy Communion.
Pater