Saint Ignatij Brianchaninoff The gates of the senses have been closed. The tongue is silent, the eyes shut and the ears hear nothing of what’s happening all around. The mind casts off the yoke of worldly thoughts, clothes itself in prayer and descends to the inner chamber of heart. Read more…
Fr. Andreas Agathokleous If we adapt the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee to today’s conditions, we might say that it’s addressed to religious-minded people who are confident in their good works and their virtue, justifying themselves and rejecting sinners of every stripe. By the same token, the Read more…
Metropolitan Anthony Bloom † 19 February 1984 In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Time and again I have occasion to preach on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, on the story of the Publican and the Pharisee, and every time I notice how Read more…
Archimandrite Kyrillos Kostopoulos ‘Herein lies the essence of sin: in our lack of trust in and absolute love for God the Creator; and in our total attachment to the ego’. In society today, in particular, the notion of sin has been deliberately distorted. This is because we dwell on Read more…
Saint Joseph the Hesychast Constantly say ‘Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me’ with your tongue and your mind. When the tongue tires, start with the mind. Then, when the mind becomes burdened, the tongue. Just don’t stop. When you’re at prayer keep control of your mind and don’t Read more…
Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos As we enter the reflective period of the Triodio, the Church urges us to remember the clear distinction between genuine devotion and tainted piety. At the beginning of this spiritual struggle, which will soon intensify with our entry into Great Lent, the Church reminds us of Read more…
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios In the ”Litany of Peace” of the Divine Liturgy, there follows in the third prayer a specific reference to peace, which is our main subject for today. In it, the Deacon proclaims: ”For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy Read more…
Monk Agapios From the Kyriakodromion of Monk Agapios The Holy Fathers of the Church have commanded us to sing and read today about the case and parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, in order that we might prepare for the spiritual struggles and warfare of Holy Lent, which is approaching. This Read more…
Elder Moses the Athonite † The saints are necessary in our life. This is why we should read their lives carefully and frequently. We should love the saints. Honor them. Imitate them. Ask for their help and intercessions. Be friends with them. So that they’ll accompany us, and help Read more…
Fr. Andreas Agathokleous It’s easy to say: * The world’s going to pieces * Other people are so difficult * It’s impossible to change Just as it’s easy for us to judge the behavior of others, so it’s easy to justify ourselves, to be content that we’re doing well Read more…
Archimandrite Chrysostomos of the Ecumenical Throne The Church of Christ on earth is preeminently a divine revelation. It wasn’t revealed as a divine sign the aim of which would have been to pass on a message of salvation, but was founded as a revelation in order to function on Read more…
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…