In English

This year, the 5th Sunday in Lent coincided with the great feast of the Mother of God, her Annunciation. We’d left the middle of Lent the previous Sunday, that of John of the Ladder, and, instead of the 5th being centred on the great desert ascetic, Saint Mary the Egyptian, the day is devoted to the most beautiful of women, the pride and joy of the Church, the All-Pure Mother and Virgin. There is no way in which this feast removes us from the spirit of Lent and of preparation for Easter. On the contrary, it’s the best precursor for Easter, since the Annunciation and the Resurrection illumine each other. Before Easter comes, we celebrate an Easter of the Mother of ...

Prayer is a help in our life, a conversation with God, an abandonment of earthly cares, an ascent into heaven. It’s the generic medication for all the passions and is able to protect us from them. It gives life, the promise of health and is a hope-bearing blossom. Prayer’s a great weapon, a great fastness, a great treasure, a great harbour, a safe haven.

Greeks in Canada held awe-inspiring parades to celebrate Greek Independence Day in several cities, especially in Montreal and Toronto. Tens of thousands of Greeks, as well as Jews, Armenians and other community groups, participated in the parade on Jean-Talon Street in Montreal. Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, arrived at the beginning of the parade and stayed until the very end, over two hours later. The Prime Minister stood in the center of the platform, flanked on the right by the President of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, Mr. N. Pagonis, and by Metropolitan Sotirios on the left. Next to the Metropolitan was Ambassador Mr. D. Azemopoulos, while the High Commissioner of Cyprus, Mr. P. Anastasiades, stood next to Mr. Pagonis. Like every ...

The saints were always thinking about the next life. Remembrance of death is a gift. It’s God protecting us from temptation. He doesn’t allow us to be tested beyond our powers. Whatever He allows is for our good. Trust in the Lord for everything and He will feed you in the time of famine.

Just as the pearl comes from two natures, from lightning and water, from the unfathomable parts of the sea, so also our Lord Jesus Christ proceeds, without confusion and without change, from the pure, chaste, undefiled and holy Virgin Mary. Perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, in all things the same as the Father, and in all things of the same substance as us, though without sin. Most of the holy Fathers, Patriarchs, and Prophets desired to see Him, and to be eye-witnesses of Him, but were unable to do so. Some of them beheld Him vaguely, in visions, as a prefiguration; others heard the divine voice through a pillar of cloud, and were favoured with visions of the holy ...

When the door to the cell closes, the gates of heaven open.

Today’s Gospel (Mark 10:32-45), read on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent (Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt) was not heard in our parishes across Canada, or indeed in any Orthodox Church around the world. Instead, parishioners heard the Gospel according to Luke (1:24-38) for the Great Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos. Because the Annunciation (March 25th) happens to fall on a Sunday during Great Lent this year, its Bible reading takes precedence over the customary reading for the Fifth Sunday of the Fast. This liturgical peculiarity of the Church calendar highlights an important theme and unique characteristic of Orthodoxy; namely, its deep liturgical richness, offering the faithful countless opportunities to cultivate a personal relationship with Christ. This week’s Great Lent: ...

: ‘You alone, All-Holy Virgin, now receive the mysteries unknown to all of these and learn their origin. For where the Holy Spirit is, everything is already well-ordered. Where there is Divine Grace, everything is possible for God. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy child you bear will be called the Son of God’. If He’s the Son of God, He’s also God, of one form and co-eternal with the Father, and in Him the Father is fully manifested. He’s His character personified, and the Father’s glory shines forth through His own radiance. Just as rivers flow from eternal sources, so also does the perennial and true light ...

When we see the sinfulness of others, we should look into our own heart and ask ourselves: ‘Am I without sin? Isn’t there the same passion inside me as I see in my brother or sister?’. If we follow the movements of our heart carefully, then we’ll recognize our own sinfulness and unworthiness and we won’t pay attention to what others are doing, nor will we condemn them for it.

Today, the ranks of the angels rejoice at the hymns being sung and the light of the presence of Christ shines brightly upon the faithful. Today, is glad spring-time for us, and Christ the Sun of Righteousness shines all around us with a clear light, illumining the minds of the faithful. Today, Adam is made new, and, having soared to heaven on high, now takes a place in the choir of angels. Today, the whole of the earth is enveloped in joy, since the descent of the Holy Spirit upon us has taken place. Today, God’s grace, the hope of the unseen, shines through all the miracles which surpass our understanding, and reveals the mystery which was hidden from us from before all ages. Today, ...

Just as the surface of the ground often can’t be seen because of the rank weeds and thorns, so the nobility and purity of the soul was often not visible until the Farmer of human nature lit the fire of the Holy Spirit, cleared it and prepared it to receive the seed from heaven.

Just as God sheds His light on all people, let those who imitate Him radiate common and equal love towards everyone.

According to Saint John of the Ladder, resentment is a poison in the soul, an estrangement from love and a continuous sin. This is why, of all the requests in the Lord’s Prayer, only one is accompanied by a caveat. In order for our own transgressions to be forgiven, the Lord sets the condition what we should forgive those who’ve wronged us. In other words, if you don’t forgive, you’re not forgiven. Forgiving somebody means placing between me and my ‘enemy’ the radiant forgiveness of God Himself. According to Saint John Chrysostom, the Lord gives us the opportunity to be cleansed of our sins even after baptism, on this condition. So it depends on us: the attitude we maintain on ...

God’s shelter and providence shield everyone, but can be seen only by those who cleanse themselves from sin.

From a live recording at a service in the church of Saint Irene, Aiolou St., 30 March 2001. %audio%

A lot of people take God’s silence to mean that He doesn’t exist or that He’s dead. But if we thought about the position we put God in with our passions, we’d realize that that He has no choice but to keep silent. We ask for His support in our misbehavior. He doesn’t make us feel guilty in any obvious way. He allows us to continue in our wicked ways and to reap the fruit of our personal sins. But if we turn to Him in repentance He comes quickly, faster than we expected. Knowing our needs, He often gets there before us. As soon as we express our requests in prayer, which are justified by the reality of our ...

Our Holy Metropolis continues to both directly provide, as well as facilitate, tens of thousands of dollars in international donations through its Missions Department. The Metropolis, for example, provides $12,000 annually to the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, to support its various missionary programs and spiritual activities in Asia. Moreover, as has become tradition in recent years, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto held a live Skype session with their brothers and sisters in Christ at the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. The video session took place on Friday evening, March 16th, after the Fourth Salutations to the Theotokos in Toronto, when it was already Saturday morning in ...

‘Triumphant Leader’ (setting by Georgios Raidestinos), tone plagal four Sung by the Greek Byzantine Choir conducted by Lykourgos Angelopoulos. From the CD Hymne Acathiste (2005). %audio%

  Blessed by your name Mary among the woman’s Angel said a holy message changed our world destiny. A heaven's gift was sent to give us a new Hope. A king was born The Son of GOD. Angels filled the midnight sky, singing Hallelujah, He is Christ, our King. A holy spark took flesh and bones Holy spirit came upon us in earth to lighten our lives. to warm our hearts to fill us joy! Oh! God our Savior Blessed by Your Name in heaven’s glory.

Don’t try to learn about the sly and wicked things that people do, because then your soul’s transformed by what you hear.