Georgios Zaravelas, Theologian The culmination of the bloodless ritual is the dismissal, that is the exclamation on the part of the priest that denotes the completion of the Divine Liturgy and the encouragement of the faithful to leave the church. Dismissal is a compound word and means ‘to send away’. In the Read more
Guide me in the paths of salvation, O Theotokos, for I have befouled my soul with shameful sins and I heedlessly squandered all my life’s resources. By your intercession deliver me from every uncleanness. ~Idiomelon from Sunday Orthros, Triodion (Trans. by Fr. Seraphim Dedes) — The Lord said this parable: “There Read more
Saint Nicholas Velimirovich Inequality is wiser and is preferable to equality. Inequality was placed as the very foundation of the created world. We should rejoice over this inequality and not rebel against it, because it was put in place by love, not by hatred; by wisdom, not derangement. Our Read more
Open to me the gates of repentance, O Giver of life, for early in the morning my spirit hastens to Your holy temple, bringing the temple of my body all defiled. But as one compassionate, cleanse me, I pray, by Your loving-kindness and mercy. ~Idiomelon from Sunday Orthros, Triodion (Trans. by Read more
Archbishop Christodoulos (Paraskevaïdis) of Athens (1998-2008, †) The Gospel for the day refers to a woman who is a Canaanite. You heard her crying out to the Lord, following along behind him, begging him and receiving no answer. His disciples couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t help her or, if Read more
And behold, two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent; but they cried out the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” Matthew 20:30-31 In the Read more
Georgios Patronos, Emeritus Professor of Theology, University of Athens The Canaanite woman represents the pagan, idolatrous world. She was considered by traditional Jews to be not merely a foreigner but also an infidel. So the woman, and the whole of the people she represented, was an unbeliever and a Read more
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But He did not answer her Read more
Elder Efraim Vatopaidinos Christians patiently take up their cross and don’t complain about God. Humbly, with downcast eyes the bear their own cross to the end of their days, following the Lord, Jesus Christ. They do it for Christ and his Gospel, they do it out of fervent love Read more
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate Read more
Do you ever read in the Bible about sacrifices? In the Old Testament we read about how God’s people gave sacrifices to God. Lots of times, they would kill an animal, like a bull or a lamb, to show love and thanks to God. The priest in the temple would Read more
Metropolitan Ierotheos of Nafpaktos and Ayios Vlasios ‘Behold, this child is set for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against’ (Luke 2, 34). This prophecy was made during the lifetime of Christ, but continues to be effective in the history of humankind Read more