In English

Dear readers, by God’s grace, here we are at the start of a new year, only a few days after the last one ended. We’ve been here before and have shared thoughts and resolutions for a better year in all aspects of our life. In our first article for the new year of the Lord (or better, for us, ‘with the Lord’) 2019, we’ll discuss the title. Certainly, it’s a polite and wonderful custom to exchange good wishes with other people, one which we all enjoy doing, but, if we’re content with that, in the long term it becomes at the very least an incipient illness which, unfortunately is persistent and general and which, because it’s unobtrusive, is hard to ...

Watch Fr. Jonah’s from Taiwan sermon on the feast of Theophany.

When people avoid too much talking, quarrels, upsets and turmoil, the Holy Spirit casts His shade over their soul and then, however barren they are, they bear spiritual fruit.

We forget that, if we judge others, God will also judge us. We forget that we have no right to judge our neighbour, because it’s not our business, but that of God, Who is the Supreme Judge and Who alone knows our heart and can deliver a fair verdict. But we judge our neighbours, and often enough very harshly. We don’t think that perhaps they’ve already repented and that their sins have been forgiven because of this deep repentance.

For many people, Christmas, New Year, Epiphany and other feasts aren’t feasts at all, nor days full of joy, but times that bring sorrow and hardship. Hard times for the souls of those who aren’t in a position to celebrate in the way that others are. Apart from those who are embittered by life’s ills, the bereaved and the sick, most of these people have been forced by necessity into becoming beggars and needy. Many of them perhaps don’t care much about their own happiness, but have become beggars through wanting to bring joy to their children or others dependent upon them. Such people weep in secret over their woes and they’re the greatest martyrs, swallowing their chagrin day and ...

When you can’t sleep and various thoughts keep bothering you, say the prayer ‘Rejoice, Virgin Mother of God…’ continuously. Sleep will come and Our Lady will give you great joy.

The life and activity of John the Baptist and Forerunner is an enduring testimony in Christ, culminating in his martyrdom for Him. Just as then, when he was active in the wilderness of the Jordan, so today his voice can be heard in the wilderness of our society, since although we now have everything and live with other people all around us, we’re still far removed from God and our neighbours. John was the first light announcing the coming of the day of the Lord and preceding the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord”’. In the desert, this charismatic man, who proved to be ‘the greatest among ...

If you manage to say to yourself every day: ‘Today’s the last day of my life’, you’ll never wittingly sin against God.

On 6 January, our Church celebrates Theophany, one of the great feasts of the Lord. Jesus’ baptism is the event which formally confirmed the advent of the Messiah. Although the Lord Himself had no need of the remission of sins, He nevertheless came to John ‘to be baptized by him and to fulfil all righteousness’ (Matth. 3, 13-15). As regards Jesus, the Gospel stresses that, as soon as He entered the waters of the river ‘he at once arose from the water’ (Matth. 3, 16) or ‘arising at once from the water’ (Mark 1, 10), an obvious contrast with the other baptisms performed by John, which went on a long time because of the confession involved. The baptism of Jesus was ...

Today, my Christian brothers and sisters is the third feast of the Lord. The first is the Nativity, the second the Circumcision and the third is His Baptism. Since we’re already tired by the liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, which is longer than that of Saint John Chrysostom which we hear every Sunday, I’ll just say a few words and finish my humble sermon quickly. My beloved friends, Jesus Christ is sinless, and so has no need of baptism. But He comes to John’s baptism because that was God’s will. Through this action, Christ validated the work of John. At Christ’s baptism we hear the voice of the heavenly Father: ‘This is my beloved son, in whom I am well ...

How stupid we people are. We fling far from ourselves the lighter load- acceptance of our mistake and asking forgiveness- and burden ourselves with something much heavier- justification.

The doxastiko of the 9th Hour at the Great Hours on the Lord’s feast of the Theophany, in plagal tone one. This doxastiko is an excellent example of our Church’s poetic and musical tradition. It’s for two choirs, that is, it’s divided into parts and sung by each choir alternately. It was composed by Iakovos Protopsaltis. The masterful rendition of the piece is by the Archon Hymnist of the Great Church of Christ, Georgios Hatzichronoglou. Raise, Baptist, on our behalf, your hand which touched the undefiled head of the Lord, the hand with whose finger you pointed Him out to us. You have great boldness, since it was testified by Him that you are the greatest of the prophets. Raise also ...

When you really love others, then they trust you because they feel it. And then you protect them from temptations.

The feast of Theophany (also called Epiphany) is the second greatest feast (after Pascha) in the Christian Calendar. Theophany is even more important than Nativity. In fact, Theophany is the fulfillment of the Nativity. At Christ’s birth, his revelation as the God-man begins. However, this revelation begins slowly, quietly (it had actually begun silently nine months earlier at the Annunciation).  At Christ’s birth, only a few shepherds know what is going on–and an angel had to reveal it to them: “Go into the town” the angel told the shepherds, “and look for a tightly-wrapped baby lying in a feeding trough.” While Jesus was still an infant but after Joseph and Mary had settled in a house, three Wise Men from the ...

Watch Fr Jonah’s from Taiwan sermon on the Nativity of Christ.

When is pain a blessing for us? When it makes us try and find out how we’re doing. If we don’t do this of our own accord, we need sorrows. Because it’s the only way to get us to wake up.

When you pray, you have to remember the hour of death and be afraid of eternal fire. We shouldn’t be terrified by the difficulties and burdens of life, because, through the path of many sorrows we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s not the place that sanctifies the person, but the person who sanctifies the place.

On January 1 our holy Church celebrates two great and important events: the circumcision of Christ, the formal entry of a male child into the Jewish community which according to their custom took place on the 8th day after his birth; and the commemoration of Saint Basil the Great, the Archbishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia. And, as well as this, a solemn doxology is sung in Christian churches ‘on the occasion of the (civil) new year’. The beginning of the new civil year marks the start of a new time period, while also raising the question of when, and by whom time itself was created. The creation of time is to be found in the first chapter of the book of Genesis ...

Whenever there’s mention of Saint Basil, we always highlight his studies in Athens, his ascetic life in Pontus, his lack of possessions, his contributions to society, and his literary oeuvre. It’s certainly true that the author of that outstanding theological text, the Divine Liturgy, distinguished himself as a diligent student, charismatic ascetic, selfless social worker and consummate writer. What may not be so widely known is that, apart from that of his parents, an important role in the upbringing of the leading ecumenical teacher was played by his grandmother. Recalling his grandmother, Saint Basil the Great says: ‘Macrina the famous, through whom we were taught the words of the most blessed Gregory’. Grandmother Macrina transfused the spirit of life into her ...