Protopresbyter Nikolaos Patsalos 14th Sunday of Saint Luke today, and we’ve now entered the month of Christmas. Jesus enters Jericho and comes across a suffering person whose affliction is blindness. It’s a terrible cross for him not to enjoy the first and greatest of God’s goods: perceptible light. Apart Read more
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos ‘The devil hates any message or attitude that keep us safe from evil’ (Abba Dorotheos) One of the main requirements we have as people is the need to feel safe and secure, not only in our relationships but in every circumstance of our life which we Read more
Fr. Andreas Agathokleous No one has gone through life without ever being worried, hurt, or driven to tears. As children of Adam, all of us, young and old, have to live with the consequences of the fall of our forefather, precisely because that forefather is each one of us. Read more
Archimandrite Iakovos Kanakis Study of the Old Testament requires discernment and a firm grounding in the knowledge of the holy books. You might, for example, be surprised by many of the expressions you read in Leviticus, precisely because it requires genuine learning, an evidence-based and subtle approach to interpretation. Read more
Hierodeacon Rafael Misiaoulis, Theologian Jesus was going towards Jerusalem when, outside a small town, he encountered a group of ten lepers who entreated him loudly: ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us’ (Luke 17, 13). Leprosy was a terrible disease which in ancient times was devastating for those who contracted it Read more
Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite A. Examine the bad habits and proclivities you’ve accumulated over the course of your life. If they’re long-standing, they’ll need more effort if you’re to defeat them; less if they’re more recent. Just as it takes greater effort to cut down and uproot an ancient, Read more
Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have Read more
Monk Agapios From the Kyriakodromion of Monk Agapios These ten lepers, in the most succinct manner, provide an image of the whole of human nature, which was entirely leprous and rendered useless by sin. It [i.e. human nature] had been justly expelled from Jerusalem Above, that is Paradise, just as Read more
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos ‘My world’s different for me than in the eyes of the world’ (Greek song) What meaning does a feast of the faith have these days? Most people see anything to do with the Church from a cultural perspective. Remnants left over from the past, useful, not always Read more
Archimandrite Georgios Kapsanis, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Gregoriou † Remembrance of death (memento mori) helps us to overcome our former self because it brings humility into our soul. When we forget death, we suffer from the illusion that we’re going to be on earth forever, and this Read more
Fr. Andreas Agathokleous The notion that God punishes those who sin, recalling a strict father who punishes his naughty children seems to be one which is difficult to banish from people’s hearts. Besides, the Church does, indeed, speak of punishment, ‘the outer fire’ and a number of Fathers urge Read more
Metropolitan Dionysios of Servia and Kozani † From its earliest years, the Church has honored martyrs in blood and martyrs in conscience. ‘Martyrs in conscience’ were saintly monastics and ascetics who lived in the wilderness. There’s a difference between monastics and ascetics. Monastics are those who live all together Read more