Bright Sadness: Learning Who We Are
During the summer I’ve had the bright sadness of experiencing the deaths of five people close to me who I respected. In many cases, some of us didn’t learn significant details about the reposed until after their death. Peter, a longtime member of our parish, had been a rocket scientist...
Prioritizing the Joy of the Resurrection: An Antidote to the World’s Misery
Natural catastrophes and personal tragedies, not uncommon in our complex and fallen world, are simultaneously indicative and derivative of our fallen existence. Orthodox soteriology, always cognizant of the imperfect world in which we live, makes insightful references to salvation as man’s restoration to perfect communion with God and nature’s “re-creation”...
Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Metropolitan Anthony Bloom FEAST OF THE MYRRH-BEARING WOMEN, ST JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA AND ST NICODEMUS 11th May 1997 In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. We keep today the feast of a number of the followers of Christ of whom we think seldom, because...
I Await the Resurrection of the Dead (part 2)
Holy Monastery of St John the Vaptist, Kareas Attikis The resurrection of the dead, then, will certainly take place. The angel’s trumpet will definitely sound (Rev. 11, 15-18). What is important for us, however, is that we should have accomplished something in our life on earth towards the sanctification...
We don’t reach Infinity by Adding Numbers
Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae In Saint John Chrysostom’s homily which we read on the night of the Resurrection, we hear: ‘Let no one grieve at their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one bewail their trespasses, for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one...
‘The Day of the Resurrection’
Greek Byzantine Choir Listen now ‘The Day of the Resurrection’, the doxastiko at Lauds, Easter Matins, set to music by Iakovos Protopsaltis and recorded at a concert in Ghent which took place on 19/4/2012. Recorded by V. Zakharis, image by I. Panousakis. Source: pemptousia.com ABOUT THE ORTHODOX...
The Doubt of St. Thomas
John 20:24-25 But Thomas, (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in...
Bright Week at Hellenic College Holy Cross
Bright Week is a very special time during the ecclesiastical year and not because it is one of the few weeks with no fasting. At Hellenic College Holy Cross, Bright Week is a joyous celebration and a literal “bright spot” amongst the hardship of school. The HCHC chapel is covered...
I Await the Resurrection of the Dead (part 1)
Holy Monastery of St John the Vaptist, Kareas Attikis It’s the event that each and every one of us can be absolutely sure of: sooner or later death will come to us. Yet, for most people, the end of life remains greatly undesirable and is to be firmly resisted....
Christ’s Resurrection
Saint John Chrysostom Really convincing proof of the Resurrection is the fact that Christ, Who was sacrificed on the Cross, showed such great strength that He persuaded people who lived in various different places to disregard their faith, homeland, families, friends and relations and even their life. They did...
