What they give up
Saint Symeon the New Theologian People who are ambitious, sensual or avaricious can’t bear the threat, the mockery or the contempt of other people; the denial of their pleasures; or financial losses. And so they abandon the things that are heavenly and imperishable for the sake of those which...
Life and Time according to Basil the Great (1)
George Mantzarides, Professor Emeritus of the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Basil the Great experienced the relationship between time and life and presented it in the most penetrating manner in his written works. His teaching on the subject, which had a profound effect on later theology...
We should condemn ourselves
Saint Theophan the Recluse The first step towards pride is vanity, that is the conviction that I’m somebody. The next step is conceit, that is the feeling not only that I’m somebody, but I’m important as regards God and other people. From vanity and conceit arise a host of...
A Little Light and the Darkness will become Heaven
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos Our secularized age aims at involving us in the pleasures of consumerism. It has even turned religion into a consumer item. This is why the latter has been restricted in its functions to customs, symbols and metaphysics. Society doesn’t understand, and doesn’t want to understand, that...
From the Post-Modern Persona to the Person
Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of the Vatopaidi Monastery The theology of the person, as this is revealed in the hesychast ascetic tradition, is the most significant counter-argument to post-modern individualism and relativism. The ascetics of introversion and of conscious tranquillity (hesychia) is not a psychological proposition but the authentic and...
What do they reject?
Elder Efraim Vatopaidinos Monastics leave the world because they reject its unwholesome spirit. But in leaving the world, they don’t abandon the human person. Proof of this is that people come and find them, they come and attach themselves to them, they come and want some sort of communication,...
‘Our Thirst and Christ’s Baptism’
Protopresbyter Haralambos Papadopoulos What does the service of the Blessing of the Waters on the day of the feast of the Theophany really have to say to us people today? What does this ancient Christian feast mean for us? Does it answer any deeper existential question we may have?...
Synaxis of the Honourable Forerunner
Archimandrite Ananias Koustenis On 7 January, the Church celebrates the Synaxis of the Honourable Forerunner and Baptist, John. It is the oldest feast of our Church for John the Baptist and it came from God. God enlightened the Fathers of the Church and they appointed the day after Epiphany...
![Meditation on the Epiphany [2]](https://myocn.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/theophany2-OCN-1.jpg)
Meditation on the Epiphany [2]
Fr. Lev Gillet The day after Christmas is consecrated to the ‘synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary: all believers are invited to assemble in honour of her who made the Incarnation humanly possible. In the same way, the day after Epiphany (January 7) is consecrated to the ‘synaxis’ of...
![Meditation on the Epiphany [1]](https://myocn.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/theofany-OCN-1.jpg)
Meditation on the Epiphany [1]
Fr. Lev Gillet* Epiphany was the first public manifestation of Christ. At the time of His birth, our Lord was revealed to a few privileged people. Today, all those who surround John, that is to say his own disciples and the crowd that has come to the banks of the...
Live streaming of the Christmas Vigil from Mount Athos
Pemptousia will commence live broadcasts from the Catholicos (main cathedral) of the Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi of the Holy All-night Vigil on the eve of the Christmas Feast (based on the Julian calendar). The broadcast will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 6 and continue into Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, commencing at...
The Service of the Great Hours on the Eve of Theophany
Georgios Zaravelas In completing the Twelve Days of Christmas, that is the festal cycle of the Epiphany of the Incarnate Son and Word of God, Jesus Christ, we come to the feast of Theophany, at which we recall the Baptism of Christ, at the age of thirty, by Saint...
