Κατηγορία

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13 Μαρτίου 2020
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The virtue of virtues (Saint John of Damascus)

Κατηγορίες: In English

As the God-bearing Fathers say, when the intellect forgets the purpose of piety, then even an action which is demonstrably virtuous becomes useless. And those that are performed without discernment not only are of no benefit but are actually harmful. The opposite is true of those which are thought to be bad, but which are performed with a pious intent. Like the man who went into a brothel and dragged a harlot out. From this it’s clear that those people are not generous who’ve occasionally given charity, nor are they chaste who restrained themselves a little, but rather those who worked away their whole life at virtue, with sound discernment. Because discernment is the greatest of all the virtue, since ...

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13 Μαρτίου 2020
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Saint Symeon the New Theologian (Saint Symeon the New Theologian)

Κατηγορίες: In English

On the 12th day of this month our Blessed and God-bearing Father Symeon the New Theologian departed in peace (Synaxari, March). Discourse XI: On Fasting That we should not embrace and zealously observe the benefit of the fast only in the first week of Lent, but that the zealous should continue in the same zeal for all the weeks of Lent. Brethren and Fathers, What we are about to say ought to have been addressed to your goodness last Sunday. I was aware, however, that all Christian people, be they monastics or laity, fervently and willingly welcome the blessing of the fast in the holy first week of Lent and that each of us willingly puts the yoke on their own neck. Even among ...

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13 Μαρτίου 2020
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Three New Saints in the Orthodox Church

Κατηγορίες: In English

Official Communique from the First Day of the Proceedings of the Holy and Sacred Synod (9 March 2020) On Monday, 9 March 2020, the Holy and Sacred Synod convened under the chairmanship of His All-Holiness to carry out the tasks of its three-day sitting. After the reading of the minutes of the previous sessions, it began its consideration of the items on the agenda. In particular, the Holy and Sacred Synod, on the recommendation of the Canonical Committee, entered into the Catalogue of Saints of the Orthodox Church the following blessed Athonite elders, who were variously gifted by God and widely recognized for the sanctity of their life and works. a) Daniil Katounakiotis, whose provenance was Smyrna, a worthy and true successor to Blessed Nikodimos the ...

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13 Μαρτίου 2020
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Hypocrisy: the Outer Shell of Death (Saint Nicholas Velimirovich)

Κατηγορίες: In English

How beautifully our peoples in the Balkans decorate eggs. As beautiful as possible, so as to decorate Easter, to increase the joy of Easter. To make visitors happier. Sometimes these painted eggs really are works of art. But if these eggs are kept too long, at some stage they’ll go rotten on the inside and give off an unbearable stench. Either that or they’ll dry out completely. That’s when the colored shell retains death within it. The picture of the hypocrites painted by Christ is even more horrific: ‘whitened sepulchers, which indeed appear outwardly beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness’ (Matth. 23, 27). ‘Take heed that you do not give your alms in front of others, ...

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