Archimandrite Varnavas Lambropoulos A superficial reading of the epistle for the 6th Sunday of Matthew gives the impression of dry moralism. The apostle twice repeats the exhortation to the faithful to learn to take the lead in the performance of good deeds, which he considers to be examples of spiritual Read more
Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos ‘For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life’ (Rom. 5, 10) In our spiritual tradition, the attitude of people towards God is often portrayed as Read more
Bishop Irinej of Yekaterinburg and Orbits There’s a wind called the libecchio which is unbearably hot and destructive. Wherever it blows, all the plants in the fields and gardens dry up. But the thick, hard thorns aren’t affected. The libeccio destroys only useful plants whose fruits are used as Read more
Metropolitan Ioïl (Frangkakos) of Edessa, Pella, and Almopia ‘He called them’ In the Gospel reading for the 2nd Sunday of Matthew, Jesus invites the first four disciples to follow him. These were Peter, Andrew and the brothers, James and John. In the Gospels, it appears that Christ called these disciples Read more
Saint Luke the Physician, Archbishop of the Crimea ‘When we examine modern science, as this has been created by scientists such as Lamarque and Darwin, we see the contrast and, I would say, the absolute dissonance which exists between science and religion in matters pertaining to the most basic Read more
Lambros Skontzos, Theologian The feast of the Holy Spirit represents a special stage in the annual cycle of feasts in the Orthodox Church. On this holy day, we honor and venerate the Holy Spirit, who, the day before, had descended on the upper room in Jerusalem as ‘tongues of Read more
Elder Moisis the Athonite † Sanctity isn’t isolation and it isn’t loneliness. Sanctity’s a beautiful and sacred relationship. A relationship with God, the source of sanctity, who sanctifies people and makes them images of meekness, divine persons. There’s no sanctity other than that bestowed by God himself on his Read more
Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis ‘There’s a danger that, if people pay no attention to little things, this neglect will then extend to greater and more sacred ones, without their realizing. They vindicate themselves by saying that this isn’t important, that that doesn’t matter and they’ll reach the point, God forfend, Read more
Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis ‘Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent’ (Jn. 17, 3). The Gospel reading for the Sunday of the Fathers is part of the high priestly prayer of the Lord, which he addressed to his Heavenly Read more
Fr. Lev Gillet The Sunday which follows the Ascension, the sixth Sunday after Easter, is called the Sunday of the Holy Fathers. We commemorate then the bishops who met at the Synod of Nicaea, the earliest of the seven ecumenical Synods in terms of date. Regardless of each synod Read more