Vasilios Grillas, Theologian When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ‘I have sinned’, he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood’. ‘What is that to us?’ […]
For, since through man sin came into the world and through sin death, it pleased Your only begotten Son, who is in Your bosom, God and Father, born of a woman, the holy Theotokos and ever virgin Mary; born under the Law, to condemn sin in His flesh, so that […]
For having made man by taking dust from the earth, and having honored him with Your own image, O God, You placed him in a garden of delight, promising him eternal life and the enjoyment of everlasting blessings in the observance of Your commandments. (Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the […]
Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos On the eve of our entry into Great Lent, everything in church speaks to us of repentance. The wonderful hymns ‘robe’ the message of repentance in a poetic manner; the Gospel reading gives us the keys to open the gates of repentance; and the Epistle reminds […]
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them; for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 When you think of what it takes to be a Christian, does the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos A superficial reading of today’s epistle gives the impression of dry moralism. Saint Paul twice urges the faithful to devote themselves to good works, considering these to be evidence of the fruits of the spirit. And he recommends them to avoid heretics [‘divisive people’] ‘after a […]
To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am […]
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, […]
You, O Lord Who on the same day, made the thief worthy of Paradise, illuminate me also by the wood of the Cross, and save me. ~Exapostelarion, 12 Gospels, Holy Thursday Evening, Trans. by Fr. George Papadeas — One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are […]
While permitting the lawless men to seize You, O Lord, You thus declared: “Though you strike down the Shepherd, and scatter the twelve sheep, My Disciples, yet I could have summoned more than twelve legions of Angels by My side; but I forbear, so that the unknown and secret things, […]