We bring ourselves to a repentant mood in many ways, and reading is one of them. How should we choose our readings to benefit us spiritually, and to support us in our fasting?
In his famous book, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent", Saint John Climacus challenges us to step out of our comfort zone and depart on a spiritual journey.
Great Lent guides us towards Easter and the Resurrection. While it entails moderating our food intake and leisure activities, fasting is not solely about refraining from food; it is about regaining inner serenity.
"My beloved, there are no hopeless situations in life, no problems that we cannot overcome together. Never be rushed, never give in to panic. God will always guide us, and show us the way forward."
With Her pure love and infinite obedience, the Most Holy Theotokos brought into the world the Lord Incarnate, the Saviour of humanity. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
On the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, we are reminded of Christ's calling to us: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
Our likes, preferences and mindsets may change, but God remains the same. We will be judged on how we knew Him – or failed to do so – in our present lives.
How dreadful would our lives become if we had no words to say “Forgive me” and “Lord will forgive, and I do also”? No worldly wisdom could bring order and restore peace among people without the aid of forgiveness.
March 8 poses a unique dilemma for those of us with a devout Orthodox Christian background and a "Soviet" childhood. This date is International Women's Day and often sparks contrasting views among the faithful.
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.
He squandered his father's estate quickly. With freedom but no love, he became a slave. He was feeding swine, but he was not getting any food himself.
Sometimes we dream, make plans, strive for some goals, but meeting with God changes everything. It would seem that the circumstances are the same, people are the same, but everything is different — a new countdown begins...
Blessed Valentina's relics, resting in a cemetery near the village of Krysovo in the Minsk region, draw Sister Yana and fellow devotees on a sacred journey each weekend.
As we are reminded in the hymns of the Church, Christ came to the Jordan not just to renew the fallen nature of man, but also to bless His entire creation by sanctifying the water. With the feast of the Theophany, the Lord shows us a different…
The feast of Circumcision of Christ is about our present. It is an occasion to ask ourselves deep and sometimes uncomfortable questions about our lives – as human beings and as Christians.
With so many nice things about Christmas, its joy is easy to recognize. Yet it is much harder nowadays to see Christmas as a miracle. In our rational world, we have become too accustomed to putting everything to the test of reason.
The young lawyer Anastasia travels to Germany, grappling with a major life decision. In this unexpected setting, she receives a divine response that guides her on a path to self-discovery.
To the monastics of the Convent of Saint Elisabeth, the New Year is an occasion to reflect on the value of the Lord's generous gift of time and making the best use of it so we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven
The commemoration of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Unexpected Joy" reminds us of the unspeakable mercy and untold kindness of the Mother of God. Her beneficence and desire for our salvation are beyond description.
On the eve of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos, members of our congregation shared their thoughts and feelings about the moment when they consciously joined the Church and began their life with Christ.
