On The Duties Of A Choir Singer
Taken from Letters to a Beginner: On Giving One’s Life to God, by Abbess Thaisia. Cursed is the man that doeth the work of the Lord carelessly. (Jer. 48:10) You have begun to sing in the choir; therefore, you glorify the Lord in the image of the heavenly hosts, who ceaselessly sing praise to the glory of their Creator and Lord. How fortunate you are! But do you acknowledge the full sacredness and importance of this godly work, which incomparably more than any [Read more...]
Authenticity of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) to Orthodox Christians, is a church in the Old City of Jerusalem that is the holiest Christian site in the world. It stands on a site that is believed to encompass both Golgotha, or Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb (sepulchre) where he was buried. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century. Authenticity Although it is not certain, [Read more...]
The Divine Names
The following is from the online catechism, of Abp. Hilarion of Russia. The words used to refer to ‘God’ in different languages are related to various concepts. The peoples of antiquity attempted to find in their languages a word to express their notion of God or, rather, their experience of encounter with the Divinity. In the languages of Germanic origin the word Gott comes from a verb meaning ‘to fall to the ground’, to fall in worship. This reflects an experience similar to [Read more...]
The Triumph Of Orthodoxy
The Synodikon of Orthodoxy As the Prophets beheld, As the Apostles taught, As the Church received, As the Teachers dogmatized, As the Universe agreed, As Grace illumined, As the Truth revealed, As falsehood passed away, As Wisdom presented, As Christ awarded, Thus we declare, Thus we assert, Thus we proclaim Christ our true God and honor His saints, In words, In writings, In thoughts, In sacrifices, In churches, In holy icons. On the one hand, worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord. [Read more...]
Fasting Suggestions For Great Lent
A very nice selection of choices for all Orthodox Christians during Great Lent this year. Received from Rozanne Spires, an Orthodox Christian in Odessa, TX. Thank you, Rozanne! FAST from self-concern and FEAST on compassion for others. FAST from discouragement and FEAST on hope. FAST from lethargy and FEAST on enthusiasm. FAST from suspicion and FEAST on truth. FAST from thoughts that weaken and FEAST on promises that inspire. FAST from shadows of sorrow and [Read more...]
The Power Of Forgiveness
By Fr. George Morelli This is an exceptionally good and thoughtful article by one of the best therapeutic minds in the Orthodox Tradition today. It is a comprehensive look from many Biblical, Patristic and spiritual sources at the true power of Christ’s teachings on forgiveness. I thought it most appropriate as we approach the Sunday of Forgiveness. In almost every spiritual text anger is listed as one of several deadly sins. In his classic work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, St. John of [Read more...]
C.S. Lewis on Forgiveness
We say a great many things in church (and out of church too) without thinking of what we are saying. For instance, we say in the Creed ” I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” I had been saying it for several years before I asked myself why it was in the Creed. At first sight it seems hardly worth putting in. “If one is a Christian,” I thought ” of course one believes in the forgiveness of sins. It goes without saying.” [Read more...]
The First Week Of Lent: Method & Meaning
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Each first week of Lent, when Orthodox Christians chant the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, they encounter a traditional allegory of (mostly monastic) piety: the active and contemplative lives symbolized in Leah and Rachel, the two wives of Jacob. The modern Orthodox newcomer, unless his education included exposure to Dante, may find this reference both bewildering and arbitrary. The underlying premise of the Leah/Rachel imagery is Jacob’s stature as a biblical visionary. It was Jacob, we [Read more...]
The Orthodox St. Valentine
The ancient martyrology of the Church of Rome marks February 14th as the remembrance of “the martyr Valentine, presbyter of Rome” (Valentinus mean “vigorous” in Latin). Unfortunately the historical data for the saint is incomplete. The Martyrdom of the Saint in Rome Saint Valentine lived in Rome in the third century and was a priest who helped the martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II the Goth. The great virtue and catechetical activities of the saint had become familiar. For this he [Read more...]
On Holy Communion, The Purifying Treasure
Collected by St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain “With the fear of God, faith and love draw near.” We shall prove from scriptural and patristic witnesses that it is necessary for the faithful and Orthodox Christians to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord frequently throughout our lives, so long as there is no objection from our spiritual father, and that frequent Communion produces great benefits for the soul and body; while delaying this, on the contrary, produces many harmful and destructive [Read more...]
