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…
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…