The Celebration of Christmas (1 of 6)
1. The Meaning of Christmas Christmas is a Theophany – a manifestation of God. The Apostle Paul, in his First Epistle to Timothy, writes: “God was manifested in the flesh” (3:16). And how was God manifested in the flesh, having been born as a man? For He was a man like us, of flesh and […]
The Sacred Slippers of Saint Dionysios – History and Tradition
Footwear can be described as a basic human need and a part of clothing, but in reality for those working in this field it is not only a technique, but art and oftentimes artistry that requires specific synthetic ability and imagination from its creators. In this article we will refer to the history, the construction […]
The Holy Prophet Habakkuk
Habakkuk was the son of Asaphat from the tribe of Simeon. He prophesied six hundred years before Christ, during the time of King Manasseh, and foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. When Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, Habakkuk sought refuge in the land of the Ishmaelites. From there he returned to Judea, where he lived […]
The Teaching of Church on the Devil
According to the Bible and the Patristic tradition, the devil is not the personalization of passions, but an entity created by God as an angel; when this angel ceased communicating with Him, he became a dark spirit, the devil. The devil as an entity is an independent agent which means that he has freedom which […]
Saint John of Damascus on Hell
Below are some very characteristic and very important passages from Saint John of Damascus on the subject of Hell: 1. Hell is not God’s punishment, but it is a state of receptivity. It appears that Hell and Paradise as “places” do not exist. There is only God, who is present in all places (omnipresent). “Και […]
On Going to Church
Foreword Faith in God and participation in the Divine Liturgy, especially in the Eucharistic Assembly, constitute two inseparable realities for every lively member of the Church. The true Christian cannot live without the Divine Liturgy. The Upper Rooms of the Mystical Supper and Pentecost, whose continuation are the parish churches, constitute the places of the […]
Do Infants Go to Hell if They Die Before Baptism?
The doctrine of Original Sin has been circulating for about 1600 years but it is not supported scripturally or theologically by the tradition of the Early Christian Church. It is a theological development mistakenly introduced by St. Augustine. (1) Question: What happens to children if they die before baptism? Are un-baptized babies condemned? Once, a […]
A Bishop Stands up to the Most Powerful Man on the Planet
On 7 December, we celebrate the memory of Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Mediolanum, today’s Milan, Born in the 4th century, he was an important man and a great legal expert who became governor of Milan and the surrounding region. He was a just, prudent person and a catechumen, i. e. he was preparing for baptism. […]
Two Remarkable Stories from the Life of Saint Leo, Pope of Rome
We read in The Spiritual Meadow [of John Moschos, Chapter 147]: “Abba Menas, superior of Salams, a coenobium near Alexandria, related that he heard this from Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria: ‘While staying in Constantinople, I was a guest in the house of my lord Gregory, archdeacon of the Church of Rome, [Saint Gregory the Dialogist, […]
Saint John Koukouzelis as a Model for our Lives
By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas The venerable John Koukouzelis was a famous Chanter and beautiful sounding musician. All who knew him called him “angel-voiced”. He was from Durres and lived in the years of the Komnenoi. Orphaned of his father, he was raised by his pious mother who took care of his education. When he […]