The Sickness that is Arrogance

In its desire to prepare us for the great and bright battle of the virtues, Holy and Great Lent, the Church, has adopted a period of preparation, that of the Triodion. This period starts with tomorrow’s Sunday, with an important parable related by our Lord: the Publican and the Pharisee. The parable says that two […]

On Despair and Salvation

Α nun possessed by a spirit of despair would say over and over again, “I am afraid that I will not be saved.” And a wise elder replied to her: “Who could then be saved if monastics cannot? For whom has God created Paradise? We will be saved. We ought to be joyful. We should […]

Why We Bless Homes With Holy Water?

Why do we bless houses (and almost anything else that we can sprinkle) with water? Many years ago, when I was yet a deacon, I was visiting with some non-Orthodox friends who were inquirers into Orthodoxy (they sadly, never followed through with their interest – or even their promise to become Orthodox) and we were […]

Skull of Apostle Matthew Revealed during Church Celebration

A fragment of the skull of the Apostle Matthew is placed on display in an Orthodox church in Cairo, on Thursday, for the first time in recent memory. The skull was displayed during celebrations of the Church’s 80th anniversary since its foundation. Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria told Reuters that Saint Matthew was killed in Ethiopia by the […]