“The Prayer Team” is a daily devotion written by Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis, written every day since February 2015. Fr. Stavros is the Parish Priest at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, Florida. It began in February 2015 as an opportunity to write more on the subject of prayer and now has branched into other subjects.
For Saint John the Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist; for the holy, glorious, and most honorable Apostles; for Saint(s) (Name), whose memory we commemorate today; and for all Your saints, through whose supplications, O God, visit us. (Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, p. 31-32) — Likewise, the Spirit helps Read more
All of creation rejoices, O Lady full of grace, the order of angels and the human race together, a hallowed temple, a spiritual paradise. God became incarnate from you, the pride of the virgins, and became a child, He Who is God from all ages. For He made your womb Read more
And unite us all to one another who become partakers of the one Bread and the Cup in the communion of the one Holy Spirit. Grant that none of us may partake of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ to judgment or condemnation; but, that we may find Read more
Therefore, most holy Master, we also, Your sinful and unworthy servants, whom You have made worthy to stand before Your holy altar, not because of our own righteousness (for we have not done anything good upon this earth), but because of Your mercy and compassion, which You have so richly Read more
Do this in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you proclaim My death, and you confess My resurrection. Therefore, Master, we also, remembering His saving Passion and life giving Cross, His three-day burial and Resurrection from the dead, His ascension into Read more
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and Read more
About that time Herod the King laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had Read more
After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum, with His mother and His brothers and disciples; and there they stayed for a few days. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple, He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and Read more
And He will come to render to each according to His works (Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, p. 28) — For He will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give Read more
Well done, Good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:21 Christ is Risen! Like many priests, as I write this message the day after Pascha, I am exhausted. I am Read more
Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 Christ Read more
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light Read more