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Metropolitan Agathangelos of Fanari The contrast in the image of the parable is stark. ‘Two men went up to the sanctuary to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a publican’. In the first scene of the parable, the attitude of the Pharisee at prayer is described, as well Read more
When he (Elder Iosif Vatopaidinos) was encouraging us once to study Patristic writings, he mentioned that there was benefit not only in their teaching and exhortations, but also from their prayers. As well as studying their works, we should call upon them. In his hermitage at New Skete, on the Read more
Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos As we enter the time of the Triodio, a period of contrition, the Church loses no time in reminding us of the clear distinction between genuine and affected godliness. At the start of the spiritual struggle, which will soon be intensified as we begin Great Lent, Read more
Dr. Nikolaos Koios In the Western world there’s a continuing tradition of making resolutions at the turn of each year. In a sense, people want to commit to resolutions that’ll help them become ‘better’. We can see two aspects to this attractive custom: 1) the intention and the opportunity for Read more
Saint Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople towards the middle of the ninth century, wrote a life of Saint Nicholas in which he declares that “up to the present the life of the distinguished shepherd has been unknown to the majority of the faithful.” Nearly five hundred years had passed since the Read more
Georgios Arabatzoglou Another blessed period of fasting begins, a time of spiritual struggle and an effort to turn our mind to God, each of us with the strength and spiritual ‘nobility’ at our disposal, and, as always, in conjunction with the advice of our spiritual guide. This fast begins Read more
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Antinoes The Synaxis of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and all the Heavenly Powers The love of Almighty God is a quality which is externalized through the creation, from non-being, of both the invisible world, or that of the angels, and the creation of the material Read more
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios The feast of the Holy Protection of the All Holy Theotokos is known throughout the Orthodox world. It is celebrated on October 1st (October 14th on the Old Calendar, and in the Church of Greece on October 28th to commemorate the protection of Greece during World Read more
Efthymios N. Tsigaridas There are in the Monastery three fragments of wall-paintings, whose origin is unknown. Two of these are from decoration of the Late Comnenan period, while the third belongs to decoration of the Early Palaeologan period. On the two earlier fragments, measuring 50 x 65 and 65 Read more
James W. Lillie At Eastertide, at some undetermined place and year, the Emperor Constantine I made his Oration to the Assembly of the Saints, either in Latin (Oratio ad sanctorum coetum) or Greek (Λόγος τῷ τῶν ἁγίων συλλόγῳ). It is a lengthy and not terribly interesting text, but given Read more
George Mantzaridis, Professor Emeritus, Theological School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki While the Samaritan woman was talking to Christ, she basically didn’t understand what he was saying. He was talking on the level of eternal life. She automatically transferred what she heard to the level of this transitory life. There Read more
Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou This Gospel reading is exceptional, loaded with great and sublime truths which the Lord condescended to impart to a dissolute woman, a heretic who had led a reckless life and hailed from Samaria, an abomination for the Jews. The reconciliatory way that Christ relates with this Read more