In English

Every Easter Divine Liturgy is, without doubt, unique. But the one celebrated in 194, in the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau stands out as special in the history of the human race. Just a few days after their liberation by the US Army, on 29 April 1945) hundreds of Orthodox Christian prisoners in the camp gathered to celebrate a very different Easter. The Dachau concentration camp started functioning in 1933, in a former gunpowder factory. The first prisoners were political opponents of Adolf Hitler, who had become Chancellor of Germany earlier that year. Over the course of its twelve years of existence more than 200,000 prisoners were transported to the camp. Most of them were Christians, of all denominations, both clergy ...

Love as ‘acconmodation’ in the body of Christ, in the ‘land of the living’ is an eschatological experience, the experience of the last things. The last things aren’t something that’s limited to the end, but they’re the ‘final’, the ‘unshakeable’ things . Here, the end isn’t some historical time, but eternity, which isn’t limited in terms of time, but which penetrates and transcends time and history. It’s liberation from the exigencies of time and history. Love resurrects and liberates, whereas hatred subjects and vitiates. God is love . And each person has been created ‘in the image and likeness’ of the God of love. But the God of love is also just. He respects our freedom and doesn’t prioritize His power ...

On the solemn anniversary of the Dormition of the ever-remembered Elder Filotheos Zervakos, we publish an unimpeachable testimony to his charismatic presence. Saturday, 6 February. A visit from Mr. Papasteriadis. He was very concerned about a shadow on one of my lungs. He meant that, as things were, he couldn’t undertake my case. After he left, I thought: ‘It seems that the doctors have done what they can; for anything else I have to depend on God’s grace. Give me my stole and the cross with the portion of the Holy Tree. Lord, no-one makes intercession on their own behalf, but I’m alone and I’ll do it’. I hold Fr. Filotheos’ undershirt against my chest and make a short entreaty for ...

The Church is Christ’s way of life. But we think of the Church as the Patriarch, the Archbishop, the Bishop and each priest. And at the same time we think of ourselves as being outside the Church, with the ability to judge everyone. It’s a lot easier this way. With this outlook, we don’t feel that we’re members of the body of the Church. This is a fundamental mistake. This is what it all starts from. The teaching of the Church is that it is one body, the head of which is Christ and everyone else is a member and part of the same flock of Christ. Saint John Chrysostom says that the distinction between shepherds and sheep is one for ...

We knew nothing about this New Martyr Saint until January 3 1950, when he revealed the location of his burial, at the ancient Monastery of the Annunciation, in Pendelis, in Nea Makri, Attica. Since 1965, the Saint has appeared often to nuns in the monastery or to pilgrims, either in their sleep or directly before them, surrounded by a brilliant light and exuding a most sweet fragrance. He tells them details, which are remarkably consistent in all the different accounts, about his life and the conditions of his martyrdom. Saint Efraim became a monk at the age of fourteen, in a monastery which was flourishing at that time. After thirty years of living the ascetic life, he was arrested by the ...

We do well if we don't comply with sinful thoughts, which come from the devil. Because the evil spirit is able to exercise effective influence only over impassioned people. If you're without passions, he can try to get at you only from afar.

Now, let me tell you about Elder Konstantios Ayiopavlitis, who, because of his great veneration for the Most Holy Mother of God, was also found worthy to see her, in the following manner. When he was a soldier, taking part in the Battle of Kilkis, he found himself surrounded by the enemy. In the face of this great danger, he called upon Our Lady to help him and promised to become a monk. By a miracle, Our Lady saved him from certain death. He was discharged, went home to Kefallonia and told his mother about Our Lady’s miracle and the vow he’d taken. Being a God-fearing woman, his mother urged him to fulfil it. And so, in September 1926, he left ...

For God, the world's nothing more than an insignificant spider's web. Equally insignificant is our body. Yet every particle of matter is testament to wisdom and is preserved with wisdom, with the eternal laws of wisdom. All of us owe our very existence to divine wisdom. My death and decomposition show what an insignificant spider's web I am.

Simplicity and love are the characteristic features of Kavsokalyvia. On this is based a wonderful Easter custom: every Easter, the Fathers form groups and go round the houses in order to greet each other, exchanges best wishes and say ‘Christ has risen’ to each other. And so, this Easter, too, from the hermitage of my teachers, I saw the Fathers in groups, like children carol-singing, going from house to house and all singing ‘Christ has risen’ together, and ‘The Angel cried aloud’ and other Easter hymns, in an outpouring of joyful ebullience. Some groups converged at the same time on the house of Elder Mihaïl, that goodhearted monk from one of the islands, who was so generously kind. After the usual ...

However, Fr. Harakas’ book does bring up another question which is an integral part of the ongoing abortion debate; that is, when does life begin: at conception or at implantation; at "viability" (the age at which the child may survive outside the womb) or at birth; when the heart begins to beat (approximately twenty-four days of gestation) or at the earliest date fetal brain waves can be measured (approximately six weeks)? For most serious scholars, the choice would appear to be between the moment of conception and the moment of implantation which occurs several days after conception. Even the most staunch supporters of abortion recognize that the child in utero is most assuredly alive and possessing of all organs in a ...

NEW YORK, NY (March 24, 2016) –  Jonathan Jackson + Enation have returned to the studio with Grammy nominated producer Greg Archilla (Matchbox 20, Collective Soul) to record Blame-shifter, their new EP they’ll self –release on their own label, Hilasterion Records (distributed through Sony RED) on May 13, 2016. Jonathan, on break from filming his hit TV show, recorded five new songs for the band’s EP plus a cover of “Unchained Melody” recorded live at The Grand Ole Opry.  The new songs will also be a part of their next full length album which will be announced later this year. The past two years have been a whirlwind for the band. They partnered with Loud & Proud Records to release Radio ...

Christ’s new commandment isn’t simply a command to love in the general sense. That, in any case, is innate in people and we all, to a greater or lesser extent, love our fellows. What is new here is: ‘As I have loved you’. ‘If you love those who love you, where is the grace in that? For even sinners love those close to them’ . Christ was sacrificed for others.  And ‘as I have loved you’ means that believers should sacrifice themselves for others, too. Love which embraces one’s enemies is inconceivable and utopian without the resurrection. And the resurrection is the triumph of love. It’s clear, then, that the resurrection, and love, these two basics of the dogmatic and moral ...

With people who've got personal issues with each other, we give our opinion in the presence of both of them, so that neither of them can take what we say for their own benefit and use it as heavy artillery (if what we say carries any weight) in order to blast his opponent, enlisting us to load the cannons, while we're at it. The best thing is, as far as you can, to avoid people like that, in order to preserve your peace and pray for their peace and for the peace of the world in general.