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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios At every Vespers, we hear the prayer: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen your salvation …” (Luke 2: 29-31). As St. Luke the Evangelist writes, it is with these words that the Righteous Read more…
Archimandrite Theodosios Martzoukhos Already we’re in the second month of the New Year. And we begin with the feast of the Reception of Christ, on February 2. It’s a very great feast. Christ is received by a man for whom the expectation of this moment governed his life. He Read more…
Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis ‘Wretched and pitiful are those who have no patience, because it is against them that the ‘Woe’ in Holy Scripture is directed. It says woe to those who have lost patience. So really, woe betide those who have no patience, because such people are tossed hither Read more…
Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos It’s an open secret that even the smallest amount of praise concerning any real or, more commonly, imagined gifts we may have is almost always the occasion for conceit and vanity. Imagine if we heard someone say to us: ‘You are the light of the world’. Read more…
Sophia Kafkopoulou Today, 30 January, we celebrate the three hierarchs. There are lots of hierarch saints whom we honour throughout the year in the Church, but this is a feast of three together, although they also each have their own day on which we commemorate them. They’re Basil the Read more…
Metropolitan Nektarios of Hong Kong and South-East Asia In the 11th Century, at the time of Emperor Alexios Komninos, the common feast of the three great Fathers of the Church, Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople and Basil the Great, Archbishop of Read more…
Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis ‘Do not become accustomed to being defeated in the spiritual war, because habit becomes second nature’ (Saint Efraim the Syrian). The great Saint Efraim the Syrian makes a profound psychological and also spiritual observation, the truth of which we can all confirm from our daily experience. Read more…