Christians to the Paschal Victim Give Praise!
As we remember the days of Christ’s final ordeal, the Church feels an oppressive silence at the death of her Lord, a silence that penetrates to the depths of the heart of every disciple, then and now, who stands wordless before the Cross. It is the silence after an execution....
Paschal Catechetical Homily of St. John Chrysostom
Whosoever is a devout lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful bright Festival. And whosoever is a grateful servant, let him joyously enter into the joy of his Lord. And if any be weary with fasting, let him now receive his reward. If any has toiled from the first...
In Praise of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
I used to think it unfair that women got the dirtiest jobs. I know women who have had a baby boys pee in their faces during a diaper change. I know women who have had young children vomit in their laps. I myself have caught the vomit of a laboring...
Pascha is Over—Now What?
In the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, at the end of the anamnesis, the remembrance of the Mystical Supper, the priest says “Commemorating this holy commandment and all that had to pass for our sake: the cross the tomb, the third day resurrection, the ascension into heavens, the throne at...
Patriarchal Encyclical for Holy Pascha
+ B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church: May the Grace, Peace and Mercy of Christ Risen in Glory be with you All Dear venerable Hierarchs and beloved brothers and...
Christ is risen!
Metropolitan Anthony Bloom We are keeping today the Resurrection of Christ which is the victory of God over death but also over evil. But this victory is not won by God alone. When the Son of God became Man it is in His humanity by His Divine power that...
‘The angel cried aloud’, tone 1
Elder Ignatios Riganas sings ‘The angel cried aloud’ in tone 1. Source: pemptousia.com ABOUT THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK The Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) is an official agency of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the United States of America originally commissioned by SCOBA to create a national, sustainable, and...
After Pascha—What Happens Now?
Pascha has come and gone, and we might be tempted to adopt an attitude that allows us to drift back into habits and patterns best avoided. We normally think of New Year’s Day as the time to make resolutions for changing our lives, however slightly or greatly, but I suggest...
Recrucifying the Risen Christ
Protopresbyter Christos Aiyidis Once again, the divine drama has come to an end and the Lord’s Resurrection has become the start of a new life, the unending and eternal life in Paradise, the life for which we were created. The Lord ascended the Cross and spread His arms to...
Pascha and Doubt
Holy Week and Pascha present a real temptation to live one’s faith in a way that seeks to be externally perfect rather than beautiful for Christ. Orthodox Christians see this when we boast about the length of our services and the strictness of our fasting. How much pressure do we...
