Let me now mention some other teachings and advice the Elder gave. Regarding the so-called ‘enlightened’ laywomen who supposedly see revealing visions, apparitions of Saints, talk all the time with Our Most Holy Lady and so on, the Elder, generally speaking, didn’t have a good opinion (unless it was an Read more
Have you ever asked your teacher how to do something? Sure, you have! Your teacher knows more than you do and usually knows the answer! In today’s Gospel reading, we hear about the rich man who came to Jesus and asked Him, “Good teacher, what good deed must I do Read more
Because he cleaves to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows My Name. When he calls to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, Read more
We are thrilled to present a series of conversations between our dear brothers in Christ, Francis Chan and Metropolitan Yohan (aka KP Yohannan). These conversations were initiated by criticism that Francis Chan received as a result of publicly…
Archimandrite Nikon Koutsidis During the Divine Liturgy, just before the recitation of the Creed, the priest urges the faithful: ‘Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess’. Confess what? The people reply (through the singers): ‘Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity consubstantial and undivided’. In Read more
Satisfy us in the morning with Thy steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. . .Let Thy work be manifest to Thy servants, and Thy glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, yea, the work of Read more
For those whose parents are seriously ill, the Elder advised that they should do whatever good and kind deed they can for their parents, to care for them lovingly, to give them affectionate attention and treat them with the tenderness they would a baby, to look after them in every Read more
O Lord, my God, I call for help by day; I cry out in the night before Thee. Let my prayer come before Thee, incline Thy ear to my cry! Psalm 88:1-2 Psalm 88 is one of the “Six Psalms” that are read at the Orthros services in the Orthodox Church. Read more
George Mantzarides, Professor Emeritus of the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki In his second discourse ‘On the Procession of the Holy Sprit’, Saint Gregory Palamas writes: ‘It was the common fate of all the Churches to fall away from the correct way of thinking, since over Read more
How lovely is Thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalm 84:1-2 Begin this morning’s reflection by reading Psalm 84:1-2, out loud slowly three times. How does that make Read more
Have you ever seen a fancy seal on a letter or on a certificate? A seal makes things official. A seal shows something really comes from who it says it comes from. Long ago, a king might write a letter, close it with wax, and then make a mark in Read more
Among other things, I asked the Elder what I could do to love Christ? I thought that he’d tell me all sorts of things involving unceasing prayer, many prostrations, fasting and so on, but he simply said: ‘Love Christ’s Cross’. Indeed, looking upon the Saviour’s Cross you learn to gratefully Read more