From Pascha to Pentecost
By Protopresbyter Dr. George D. Dragas 1. The Pentecostal Period. The word, Pentecost means “the fiftieth” and is used to designate the great event of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Epiphoitesis) upon the Apostles and the Church on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ, just ten days after His Ascension into Heaven. […]
The Firstborn from the Dead
The Resurrection of Christ, the premier event in the mystery of the divine economy, gives us each year the opportunity to delve into this event and little by little to engage the mystery of the Resurrection with our own resurrection. Besides, this is the purpose for the establishment of the annual festive cycle of Pascha. […]
Patriarchal Encyclical for Holy Pascha 2013
Patriarchal Encyclical For Holy Pascha 2013 Prot. No. 388 † BARTHOLOMEW By God’s mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the plenitude of the Church Grace, peace and mercy from Christ risen in glory Beloved concelebrants and devout, god-loving children of the Church, Christ is Risen! The proclamation of the Resurrection […]
The Mystery of the Tomb of Christ
The Despotic Feasts were established by the Church to be celebrated within the year for us to remember the great events that took place with the Incarnation, the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ, but especially, and above all, to experience the mystery of Christ and the mystery of our regeneration. This is the reason […]
Orthodoxy Isn’t a National Ideology
The Gospel Reading (Jn. 1, 44-52) At that time, Jesus wished to go to Galilee; he found Philip and said to him: “Follow me”. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, from the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him: “We’ve found him about whom Moses wrote in the law, as did […]
The Synaxarion of the Days of the Holy Week
On this day, palm Sunday, we celebrate the resplendent and glorious feast of the entry of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. In Your ineffable compassion, O Christ our God, make us victors over the irrational passions, and make worthy to see Your manifest victory over death and Your joyous, life-giving Resurrection, […]
Sermon for Holy Wednesday
CATECHESIS 72: On the Saving Passion; and Teaching on Humility and Patient Endurance. by St. Theodore the Studite Given on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Brethren and Fathers, the present day is holy and to be venerated, for from this day the Lord begins to take on himself the sufferings of the Cross for our […]
The Many Dresses of Kassiani
The troparion of Kassiani is very much beloved by our Orthodox people. Even people who never go to church come to hear it. This reveals the inspiration under which it was written, the passion of the sinful woman who repented, as well as the history of Kassiani who composed it. More so, in my opinion, […]
The Bridegroom of the Church
On Palm Sunday evening we celebrate the first service of the Holy Week: the Service of the Bridegroom. The Bridegroom of the Church is a humble and suffering Bridegroom. He is a Bridegroom who loves and sacrifices to the point of death so that His love may be received. We see in this icon that […]
The Temporary Recognition of Christ
The raising of Lazarus was an event which could hardly have passed unnoticed. The resurrection of a dead person, four whole days after their death, produced an enormous impression in Jerusalem and the surrounding area and there were many who believed in Jesus and wished to see Him at first hand. As soon as they […]