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The book Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John, hegumen of Mount Sinai is a guide for ascending to spiritual perfection. In his book, the Saint captured the entire spiritual path in a vibrant image of a ladder with thirty rungs.
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.
The spiritual life is indeed a ladder to heaven. We climb, slip, and stumble, then rise and fall again. Even so, we must stand up once more. Many saints have left us a treasury of writings for our edification.
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.
The history of venerating the icon of the Mother of God, brought at the end of the 14th century to the Polish city of Czestochowa, remains underexplored. Ancient Russian calendars and menologies do not mention it.
The first widely venerated icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven" in Russia was the image from the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, painted in 1678-1680 by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.
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."
In 1917, the icon's discovery brought particular comfort to believers: centuries-old statehood was crumbling before their eyes, moral foundations were collapsing, spiritual values were being trampled underfoot.
The spiritual message of the icon revealed itself with time. It promises eventual forgiveness to the Russian people and the return of the supreme power from the Holy Theotokos after a long period of suffering and repentance.
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.
Learn how spiritual light shapes personal faith, renews hope in times of sorrow, and brings lasting unity to church, home, and daily life through Orthodox wisdom.
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.
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.
Readers will find out how a fierce clash between a Calabrian monk and an Athonite hermit decided whether Christians could truly know God through prayer — and why that answer still matters to us all.
The Triumph of Orthodoxy reaffirms the true humanity of Jesus Christ and our calling to participate in His holiness.
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?
The Mother of God prays for us, showing us the power of the prayer to change us from within, transform our lives and make a positive difference to the world.
Encounter the gripping tale of the “Reigning” icon’s unveiling, where faith, dreams, and history intertwine, offering a profound message about the Mother of God’s protective role over a nation in turmoil.
In 1923, the future martyr was only 26 years old. Seeing the unfolding persecution of the Church, he was ordained priest with the words, "We need to protect the faith". Priest Valerian Novitsky was arrested and executed in 1930.
A perpetual struggle is going on between our passions and God’s grace. If we cannot eradicate our passions, what can we do at least to keep them at bay?
