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Enraged, the emperor ordered his aides to tear seven strips of skin from his body every day for seven days. On one of the days, Saint Basil tore off his flesh and threw it to the emperor with the words, "take it and eat it, Julian, if such food…
God, who gives the sinners and the righteous their dues, is not someone who lies in waiting to punish a wrongdoer after the fact. What gives us fear and trembling is the hurting wound of not responding to the love that He had given to us.
As we pray for our dead, we remember that all the living will enter eternal life in their time. We also realise how vain and fragile our earthly lives are, how finite are our worldly comforts and wealth, how small are many of our daily concerns.
Insightful and touching, this story reveals the experiences and challenges that led Fr Andrey from curious youth to a shepherd who encourages genuine faith and compassion in others.
Find insipiration in the story of Saint Simeon’s tireless work — building, painting, and teaching — offering a vivid example of how humble dedication can create lasting spiritual refuge and hope.
Through thoughtful responses to real questions, Archpriest Andrei Lemeshonok, the spiritual father of St Elisabeth Convent, sheds light on why struggle often follows repentance, and how authenticity and humility can bring unexpected hope.
Readers will meet noblemen, princes, and monks and see how Nikon's wise leadership and writing helped create lasting spiritual and historical bonds in early Eastern Christian culture.
Repentance is not merely sorrow for sin but a miracle of renewal. Elder Sophrony reveals it as the path to divine love, humility and the knowledge of God. A luminous meditation on the heart’s return to the Father.
