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The Holy Angels: An Orthodox Perspective
Our Holy Bible starts with this sentence: In the
beginning God created the heaven and the earth. By Heaven is meant not an empty
space beyond our space, but the living world of invisible spirits. Thus, the
above sentence could be phrased in other words: In the beginning God created
the invisible and the visible world, as it is said in the first...
Give thanks in all circumstances!
“Give thanks in all circumstances!” This
was the response that an amazing prisoner gave me, when I asked him how he
maintained such a grateful spirit inside the medium security prison where he lived.
I met this man during my weekly visits to a prison during my seminarian years.
During our friendship that developed, this man shared that he was serving a
life sentence...
8
On giving thanks to the Creator
Giving Thanks As thou takest thy seat at table, pray. As thou liftest the loaf, offer thanks to the Giver. When thou sustainest thy bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies thee with this gift, to make thy heart glad and to comfort thy infirmity. Has thy need for taking food passed away? Let not the thought of thy Benefactor pass away...
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Christian Gratitude: A fundamental hallmark of Orthodox Spirituality
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Dispelling confusion about fasting during Thanksgiving
Dispelling confusion about fasting during Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day has a very significant role in American families because it is one of the few times a year that the family gets together. Thanksgiving Day is also called a Turkey day because it usually involves a meal with turkey or at least a more elaborate meal. Most American Orthodox Christians started the Nativity Fast on November, 15. How can an Orthodox...
5
Interview with Matushka Larisa: The obedience of serving in the city hospitals
Matushka Larisa, what was the beginning of your obedience serving in the city hospital? It started with two young women. One of them gave up studying in the university and began to work as a nurse. The second one finished her studies, but came to a...
4
12 Suggestions on how to raise an Orthodox Christian, and, possibly, a saint.
When the child is yet young, begin to train him/her in sympathy and consideration for others and in unselfishness. By these means he/she will grow up to understand that the material things of this world are not the most important things for Orthodox Christians. Your life-style and example will be the greatest influence on your child in this matter...
3
Akathist to Archangel Michael
Kontakion 1: Chosen captain of the heavenly hosts and defender of mankind, we - delivered by you from afflictions -offer this hymn of thanksgiving, and do you standing before the throne of the King of Glory set us free from all distress that we may cry to you with faith and love: Rejoice, Michael, great chief captain with all the hosts of heaven!...
2
Sheepskin Coats: A heartwarming Christmas miracle story
In December of 1991,
right before the New Year while I was sick, our community church council had
gathered in my home to discuss certain matters. In that moment, we received a
call from our local hospital and they asked us...
1
Why do we burn incense in the Orthodox Church?
In our Orthodox church,
we burn incense in a metal vessel that hangs on three chains and has a sliding
cover to regulate the burning of charcoal. The whole apparatus is called a
censer or thurible. On the chains are twelve small bells, signifying the Disciples.
We put grains of incense on burning charcoal in the censer with a prayer, “We
offer thee...
