Have you ever been scared of somebody important? Maybe you were a little scared to talk to your teacher on the first day of school. Or maybe you met somebody famous and couldn’t think of a word to say to him or her. Sometimes talking to an important person might Read more…
John 15:13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. One of my favorite songs is called “The Riddle” by Five for Fighting. If you’ve never heard it, I encourage you to take four minutes on YouTube and listen to it. Read more…
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos Are the recent crimes [in Greece] simply a matter of violence and oppression against women, or do they have to do with the fact that love* has lost its bearings? We live in a time when love is treated as enjoyment, as enthusiasm, and, if it Read more…
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos In its quality, love is the likeness of God, insofar as this is possible for us, of course. As regards its action, it is inebriation of the soul. As regards its properties, it is the source of faith, a deep well of forbearance and a sea Read more…
Saint Nicholas Velimirovich When you go to the Holy Mountain and see the humble monks, you might think that they live a lazy life, without purpose. It may seem like this if you see things from the outside, because not many people are able to understand the terrible, unceasing Read more…
Welcome to The Daily Prayer Team messages by Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis, each day includes a passage of scripture, a reflection and a prayer. Sponsored by Saint John Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, FL. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against Read more…
Elder Aimilianos Simonopetritis † Like many, if not all, Elders on the Mountain, Elder Aimilianos was very loving towards those in his spiritual charge- in his case the monks at Simonos Petras and the nuns at Ormylia. But, to use a colloquial expression, ‘he took no prisoners’. A young Read more…
Saint John Chrysostom ‘Anyone who loves their soul will lose it, while anyone who hates their soul in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me’. This present existence is sweet and full of much pleasure. Not to everyone, but to those who Read more…
Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou Question: Sometimes it is difficult to accept that our God of love can pronounce such words as ‘outer darkness’ (Matt. 8:12) or ‘the worm that dies not’ (Mark 9:44). Archim. Zacharias: On the one hand He says, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no Read more…
Elder Germanos Stavrovouniotis There’s love in a Godly manner, but there’s also love in a devilish manner. There’s Godly hatred and also devilish hatred. Godly love is that which springs from the observance of His commandments. Devilish love is demonic, hedonistic, malevolent, such as, for example that which a Read more…