God is Accessible Via our Neighbour
Dimitris Ioannou The whole of the thought of the Athonite Elder (Aimilianos Simonopetritis) can be summed up in the teaching that ‘we reach God via our neighbour’. This is the central theme of his work. But what is it that gives our communication with other people authenticity and validity?...
Woe Betide the World if the Mob Rules
† Dionysios, Metropolitan of Servia and Kozani Today the Church honours the memory of those people who took charge of the burial of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and those others who set out to pay Him the final burial honours in accordance with the Jewish customs of the time....
We don’t reach Infinity by Adding Numbers
Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae In Saint John Chrysostom’s homily which we read on the night of the Resurrection, we hear: ‘Let no one grieve at their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one bewail their trespasses, for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one...
The Power of Prayer
Archimandrite Nikanor Karayannis ‘This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting’ . This phrase in the Gospel reading concerning the miraculous cure of the possessed young man suggests the power and value of prayer. Saint John of the Ladder, whom we celebrate today...
The Message of the Cross
Archimandrite Nikanor Karayannis In every age, the message of the Cross has sounded strange. In our own era, however, when comfort and prosperity have been raised to god-like status, the message of the Cross isn’t merely absurd but is also irreconcilable with secular reasoning. It’s terrifying for the rules...
Dealing with Sickness
Saint Neofytos Recluse So you should reflect on your sins and say ‘Glory to You, Lord, for You’re punishing me justly’. Recollect that, before, you’d forgotten God and say: ‘Glory to You, Lord, that you’ve given me cause and reason to remember You frequently’. Think about the fact that,...
Thoughts on the Triodio
Serafeim Manolis We’re entering the Triodio, the period of contrition in the liturgical year during which hymns are sung which are very deep and powerful. The hymns of the Triodio reveal the dread mysteries and the conditions for eternal life. It’s a genuine and true study of death which...
Sin Is a Form of Love: Julian atte Norwich
James W. Lillie In continuation of the article* by Professor Ilias Voulgarakis on Sin and Love, it might be worth looking at what the English mystic and recluse “Julian atte Norwich” (ca. 8 November 1342 – ca. 1416) had to say on much the same subject in the Revelations...
The Unceasing Endeavour for Real Life
Georgios N. Manolis, Theologian The spiritual life, concerning which there has been much discussion, is simply what we do, in conjunction with God’s Grace, in order to achieve the aim of our existence, which is glorification. The spiritual life is a dynamic course of action. It begins with baptism,...
Sin Is a Form of Love (Part 2)
Ilias Voulgarakis Everything starts with the meaning that each person gives to sin. If it is the breaking of a commandment, then people enter a legalistic relationship with God, in which, in the end, Hell is the natural concomitant for the transgressor. But if sin is a feature in...
