Sermon on the Apostolic Reading of the Sunday of Orthodoxy (Hebrews 11, 24-26 & 32-40)
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios The meaning of today’s great Feast of Orthodoxy is summarized in a hymn sung the Matins, at the Praises: “A day of jubilee and full of joy has been revealed today. Through the cheerfulness of the true doctrines, the Church of Christ shines brightly, adorned...
Τhe Τriumph of Orthodoxy
Saint Luke the Doctor Discourse on the First Sunday of Lent On the first Sunday of Great Lent, our Holy Church celebrates the triumph of Orthodoxy, of the correct faith, which trampled down all heresies and has been established for ever. This is why this Sunday is called the...
The Meaning of Christian Asceticism (1)
Metropolitan Symeon of Nea Smyrni As Christians, we’re always striving. The Christian life is a continual, ceaseless struggle. But the period of Great Lent, as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter, the greatest feast, requires a more intense effort, more fervent zeal and a more methodical...
‘To you victorious leader of triumphant hosts’, ancient melody, 4th plagial tone (former Protopsaltis Archon Leonidas Asteris)
The Akathistos Hymn occupies an important in the reverential period of Great Lent and is one of the most popular and well-known hymns, both in terms of its melody and poetry. Its inclusion in the Triodio can be explained by the fact that the content is linked to the joyful...
The way to peace
Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite The way to acquire peace is as follows: forget entirely your fall and the sin and give yourself over to the thought of God’s great and ineffable goodness and the fact that He is willing and desires to forgive every sin, however serious, inviting sinners...
The Question of Evil (2)
Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae . And often enough it’s the tares that win out in the end. The higher we rise above the ordinary sins of most people, the...
Tasted and sweetened
Saint John the Sinaite Acquisition of divine love makes us angels, immortal, incorruptible. The pure flame of love extinguishes all other desire for earthly longings. You get the impression that those who love God aren’t interested in anything else, not even nourishment, since they’ve tasted God and been sweetened...
Sermon on the Apostolic Reading for the Sunday of forgiveness (Romans 13:11-14:4)
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios In the days that idolatry prevailed, there were annual public festivals in the beginning of March. These festivals were full of revelry, with wild dances and rich foods. Such idolatrous feasts seemed to linger into the Christian era, continuing until the 7th Century. Sadly, many...
Cheese Fare Sunday
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Antinoes Today, is Cheese-fare Sunday, which sees the closing of the period of Triodion. Tomorrow, with God’s blessing and help, we embark upon the forty day Fast of Great Lent. Great Lent is a time of spiritual struggle for Orthodox Christians. The aim of this struggle...
The 40 Martyrs of Sebaste: Confession through martyrdom
Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi A troparion of the liturgical Service in honour of the Forty Martyrs says: ‘Suffering with bravery at present, we are rejoicing at what we are anticipating, said the martyrs’. There was evident readiness from the very beginning to employ the confessionary approach to Christianity. What...
The Question of Evil (1)
Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae The question of evil has been addressed hardly at all in the Orthodox Church. In comparison with other Christian dogmas, the answer is still expressed in a form that, of course, reveals the truth, but rather nebulously developed. Evil has its origins and draws its strength...
Hymns after Psalm 50 in the Triodio, by Dimosthenis Païkopoulos (Open to me the gates of repentance – The multitude of my past iniquities)
The period of the Triodio and Great Lent is very important for the spiritual life of the Church. This is because it prepares us properly for our participation in the greatest feast of the Church, the Lord’s Resurrection. The content of the hymns and the melodic accompaniment with which they...
