The Duty of the Bishop to Reprimand the Faithful
By Athanasios Moustakis The duty of the bishop to reprimand the faithful is a delicate and difficult point in pastoral theology and requires careful handling and a measure of restraint. Since, more or less, we’re all not properly informed, we’ve lost contact with Church matters and, alas, act correspondingly. Despite this,...
Athonite Obediences
In Athonite coenobitic monasteries, the obediences are changed between the first and seventh days of the year. They usually last a year or more. This custom comes from the holy fathers, because it’s been passed down from Saint Basil the Great, the organizer of the coenobitic life in Pontos and...
The Celebration of the Resurrection at the Vatopedi Monastery
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Most people will never be able to journey to Mount Athos to experience Pascha there. But if you watch this video, you can see and hear a few moments from the sequence of the Resurrection and Vespers of Love as they are celebrated...
The Resurrection: an affront to reason
By Archimandrite Epiphanios Ekonomou It’s hardly surprising that the message of the Resurrection of Christ has raised a whole host of doubts and questions. Objections were registered immediately after the occurrence of the supernatural event on which the whole structure of the Christian Church is founded. For the Jews of Biblical...
The Style and Ethos of Athonite Singing
By Fr. Iakovos the Athonite Once, when I was talking to an Elder who’d been on the Holy Mountain for many years (more than twice the number I had), he mentioned the following in the course of conversation: ‘the late Father E… would always sing this doxastiko [a special hymn,...
Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemessos: Christmas’ Deeper Meaning (Part I)
Every time we stand before the Lord either in prayer or in celebration in Church of an event from the life of Christ, or we are in any other way experiencing the presence of the Lord, two basic things happen, which are attested by the Church and the experience of...
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware: My Acquaintance with Elder Sophrony
Metropolitan Kallistos says that Elder Sophrony wanted his monastery to stay loyal to the tradition of Orthodoxy, but at the same time be open to the spirit of the world. He explains how monks in Essex Monastery practiced hospitality, and why Elder Sophrony wanted his monks be well-educated, so they...
Metropolitan Alexios: My Life on Mount Athos
His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta explains why he thinks of Mount Athos as his family. He remembers when he first went to Mount Athos, at the age of 16, when he went to the school of Athonias, and when he stayed in the Monastery of Vatopedi. He describes his...
Klaus Kenneth: The Real Life and Meaningful Happiness, Part 2
In this part, author Klaus Kenneth stresses the value of concentration during prayer. He also states that by prayer, people enter into eternity and the old, sinful and passionate man dies and is reborn a new man. In this way, the human being is released from ego, from slavery to...
Klaus Kenneth: The Real Life and Meaningful Happiness, Part 1
Author Klaus Kenneth explains why pursuing hedonism leads to an artificial life, and how people today believe that material things are the only things to be proud of in life. But soon will come a day when people realize how phony these things are. When they make this realization, they...
Saint Porfyrios Kavsokalyvitis: a modern-day Patro-Kosmas Aitolos
Professor Fr. Vasilios Kalliakmanis of the Theological School of the University of Thessaloniki answers the question ‘Are there any people like Patro-Kosmas today? The talk was given at a conference to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Saint Kosmas Aitolos in 1714. “I think lots of things are...
Spirituality and Singing in Mount Athos
Watch and listen as Hieromonk Thomas from the brotherhood of “Thomades” at Small St. Anne’s Skete on Mount Athos, shares stories from his first days as a monk. Hear about the music traditions of Mount Athos. Stand next to the monks as they chant. English subtitles are provided throughout. Published on...
