The Conversion of the First Christians in Thessaloniki
Christos Economou ‘Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women’. (Acts 17, 4). When Paul preached in the synagogue in Thessaloniki, he was addressing the Jewish inhabitants of the city,...
The Neo-Pagans and Saint Paul
Protopresbyter Vasileios Georgopoulos, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Theology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki A basic element among the various neo-pagan groupings is their hostile, dismissive attitude towards the person of the Lord, the Prophets, the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers, which is fanatical to the point of egregiousness. It...
‘We boast in hope, we boast in sorrows’
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos ‘We boast in the hope of the glory of God, though not only, but we also boast in our sorrows’ (Rom. 5, 2-3) People enjoy reward* and praise in their life. They feel that their efforts, their successes and their patience have been justified. They feel...
‘And after beating them harshly, they put them in prison’
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos ‘And after beating them harshly, they put them in prison and told the jailer to guard them well’. From the outset, Christianity has been associated with mistrust. It’s not just that belief in Christ engenders a way of life which is not pleasing to the world,...
The Unity which Saves (Eph. 4, 1-7)
Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos In his Epistle to the Hebrews, Saint Paul says that the word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword (4, 12). Today we don’t use double-edged swords so much. Most often we come across them in museum collections or as ornaments in drawing-rooms. Woe betide...
Homily on the Apostolic reading for the 1st Sunday of Luke (2nd Corinthians 1:21-24 & 2:1-4)
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios To understand what St. Paul is talking about in today’s reading, we have to remember that in his previous Epistle to the Corinthians, the Holy Apostle severely rebuked the Christians of that community for their bad conduct. The result of this was that the Corinthians...
Sermon on the Apostolic Reading for the 7th Sunday of Matthew (Romans 15: 1-7)
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios One of the most serious issues affecting society on all levels is the complete breakdown of relationships between people. This can be seen even within the same family, where spouses are estranged because of disagreements, and there is alienation between children and parents. What is...
Sermon on the Apostolic Reading for the 6th Sunday of Matthew (Romans 12: 6-14)
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios The words that come to us from St. Paul, in today’s reading from the Letter to the Romans, serve as a guide for our daily lives. He encourages us to make good use of the gifts that God has given us, and shows us how...
Sermon on the Apostolic reading for the 5th Sunday of Matthew (Romans 10: 1-10)
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios In our reading from the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul lays before us two basic truths, which are of particular interest for us today. The first, is that we should desire and seek the salvation of our people with all of our hearts. Not...
Sermon on the Apostolic Reading (Tit. 3: 8-15) of the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Fourth Ecumenical Council
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios Today we celebrate the “Synaxis of All the Saints of Pisidia, Side and Antalya, along with the “Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalkidon. This common celebration was approved by the Holy Synod of our Ecumenical Patriarchate for two reasons: Firstly, because among...
