In English

And now we come to another matter: I want to choose an allegory, beyond the blessed hopes that divine grace inspires in our souls. We can’t hide our unnatural sinfulness and our multitude of weaknesses. In the morass of difficulties of the times in which we live, we, too, are like a barren woman who despairs of ever becoming a mother. But here we should look at the example of barren Anna and see that ‘what is impossible for people is possible for God’. This is precisely what we find when we investigate the great goodness of Jesus, who has unerringly called us. He is the same Saviour of the world Whom this Maiden drew with her sanctity and forced to ...

The wonder-working relics of the Priest Martyr Vlasios Arkananos and the five other monks who suffered with him are kept in the church of Saint Paraskevi in Palairo, Arkanania. On their feast day, 7 July, the relics are taken to the nearby village of Sklavaina, where services are held at the blood-stained site where the six saints were martyred. In fact, these services are held on the actual site of the long-destroyed monastery of the Entry of the Mother of God, where a newer church has since been built. On the spot where they were killed, other Romans (i. e. subjects of the Christian Eastern Roman Empire, or ‘Byzantium’) from the surrounding area also suffered because they refused to ‘bow ...

An unhealthy desire for experiences. The Pharisees and Sadducees sought a sign from heaven from the Lord. They asked for a miracle that would have the features of the miracles of the Antichrist, that is one that would satisfy people with a corporeal outlook and feed their vainglory and egotism. When the Lord heard this request, His answer was: ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah’ (Matth. 16, 4). By ‘the sign of Jonah’ the Lord meant the signs that would accompany His death and resurrection: This was when ‘a sign from heaven’ was given by God. This was when the sun saw Christ crucified and was darkened, though it ...

The Jesus prayer's a good habit. Christ comes into us without our realizing it.

3. A phrase which can be found in the prophecy concerning the Messiah by the Patriarch Jacob provides St. John Chrysostom with the opportunity to speak of the sacrifice of Christ and the Divine Eucharist. “He will wash his garment in wine, his robe in the blood of grapes”. Chrysostom says: “See how the whole of the mystery has been implied for us. The faithful understand the significance of the words: ‘He will wash his garment in wine’. I believe he calls the body the garment which He condescended to put on because of the mystery of divine dispensation. Then, so that you will learn precisely what he called wine, he goes on to say that ‘he will cleanse his ...

In the recent article by Theodoros Rokas on the Sign of the Cross in the Old Testament (http://pemptousia.com/?p=25778), mention is made of the book of Deuteronomy and this brought to mind a common misconception: that it is from a Greek mistranslation of the Hebrew phrase at Deuteronomy 17:18 (mishneh ha-torah ha-zoth, which means ‘a copy of this law’) as to deuteronomion touto- ‘this second law’.  This is a serious accusation on two counts: a) it implies that the deuteronomion is not the same as the first, which would have outraged people at the time, and would still offend today; and b) it suggests that the translators didn’t know what they were talking about. But we should be very careful in claiming that our Greek ...

8 September 2016. (the transcript of an address) Today we celebrate the Nativity of Our Lady, the Mother of God. The holy Fathers, despite the natural abilities at their disposal and despite the effects of the Grace which dwelt within their souls, were unable to honour her as she deserved, because this Maiden is shrouded in a great mystery. I shall bring only one aspect to your attention, because I fear that if I try to do more, I’ll do her an injustice. A ray of light that shines on a particular point fills it with light. A ray of Grace acted on the souls of all those individuals who’ve been saved- prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, confessors or those in general who are ...

If the Lord allows sicknesses to test people, then He'll also give them the strength of patience. If people bear their illness with patience and gratitude to God they're crowned as martyrs and strivers. Just as wax doesn't become soft unless it's heated enough to bear a stamp, so the soul can't accept the stamp of virtue unless it's been tried with labors and sicknesses.

From the beginning, it has not been so. A group of churches - among them Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and others - organize a sunrise Easter service to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At Thanksgiving, a group of churches prays together annually. On Saturday evenings, a Roman Catholic Church offers Mass in a Lutheran church's sanctuary. An Episcopal priest serves as the pastor of a Presbyterian church. At a certain level, these are unbelievable signs of generosity and Christian love - like a situation where two church groups pray together, the second of which exists historically and theologically in reaction against the first. These are all attempts to bring unity to the churches, waving the banner of John 17:11, Jesus' prayer ...

(previous publication: ) "Pemptousia": What are your impressions of the Alba Iulia conference? “Cornelia Delkeskamp-Hayes”: I have participated in those conferences since 2009. This privilege was made possible by  a great Romanian priest and dear  friend in my neighborhood, Reverend Stefan Anghel from Offenbach. Through his recommendation, I, and thus also Herman Engelhardt, were able to experience the uniquely loving hospitality of the then Archbishop Andrej, and of Father Professor Emil Jurcan, the dean of the theological faculty. Father Emil meanwhile has extended his own paternal welcome to four of Herman’s former students and more recent friends. The faculty in Alba Iulia is special in the sense of having been shaped by that great episcopal pastor. Even though he now serves as the Metropolitan ...

In his first epistle to the Corinthians Saint Paul mentions that the “Jews seek a sign” (I Cor. 1, 22), that they wanted a supernatural sign, such as the resurrection of the dead, cure of the possessed, and so on that would allow them to believe in the teaching concerning the Cross. So they looked for some supernatural sign, ignoring and overlooking the signs and wonders that God had already shown them in the past, every time they were in danger. Of course, the sign they were seeking could hardly have been anything other than that of the Cross, which, on the one hand, was prefigured throughout the Old Testament and, on the other, was permanently present and saved the ...

If the need arises for you to chastise your brother and you're upset and angry, don't speak at all, or you'll become worse. But when you see both him and yourself feeling well and meek, then speak, not to chastise him but as a reminder of the things he should be doing, with great humility.

In this photo released by the Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, US hikers Shane Bauer, right, and Josh Fattal, smile, at the Tehran's Mehrabad airport before leaving Iran. Two Americans jailed in Iran as spies left Tehran on Wednesday, closing a high-profile drama with archfoe Washington that brought more than two years of hope then heartbreak for the families as the Islamic Republic's hard-line rulers rejected international calls for their release. (AP Photo/IRNA, Ehsan Nederipour) The two young men held in an Iranian prison for two years are now on their way to the United States. After being arrested for crossing over the unmarked Iraq/Iran boarder and being accused of espionage, they became pawns in ...

It is the sin which our forefathers’ committed in the Garden of Eden where the Creator had positioned them. Because man was honest and harmless, without having an idea what sin was, he ought to be tested as a rational and free personality to consciously decide over his relationship with God. In order to prove this, he must have adhered to God’s command not to eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Man disobeyed the command and betrayed his trust in God’s will. This action caused a triple blame to our ancestors. Firstly, they disobeyed the One who had issued the command. Secondly, it was an unjust act of audacity or boldness, ungratefulness and lack ...

Both Luke’s Gospel (1:3) and the Book of Acts (1:1) are addressed to a man named Theophilus, whom Luke calls “most excellent” (kratistos). This honorific adjective, which in antiquity a person might use when approaching someone of a higher social class than himself, was deemed especially appropriate for addressing government officials. Indeed, Luke himself provides three examples of this usage: the letter of Lysias to the governor Felix (Acts 23:26), an address to the same man by Tertullus (24:3), and St. Paul’s speech to the governor Festus (26:25). It is not surprising, then, that many interpreters of Holy Scripture think Theophilus was a Roman political figure. This is an attractive and likely suggestion. Apostle Luke, icon by hand of Federico ...

When No Priest is Available Reading the Service Books While Traveling or at Home This article is over fifteen years old. You will want to check out Fr. John Whiteford's Liturgical Texts and Resources Site for more recommendations on current liturgical materials available in English. Nevertheless, this article is still timely due to current world events that could easily result in many Orthodox Christians being cut off from their parish churches, if not openly persecuted. It behooves all those who love Christ and His Holy Church to know, and to have the materials to do, the Divine Services so that they may be carried on regardless of one's ability to attend church. This article is admittedly out-of-date. A plethora of service books has appeared since ...

You can't approach God without unceasing prayer. Yearn for God and He'll fill you with his love.