We may imagine ourselves to be masters of our lives and make our plans for decades ahead - only to find them derailed someday. But the Scripture tells us: "As for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me."
The world is jealous. One finds God and begins to hold little value in its treasures – money, wealth, power, pride and much else. But the world will go to any length to keep us from abandoning its treasures for the love of God.
Living in God gives us the freedom to be ourselves. So let us throw off our masks by becoming more genuine and sincere. Let us own up to our weaknesses and admit our need for transformation.
Out of pride, we isolate ourselves from others and also from God. Instead, we must be willing to do God’s will, even when it is different from ours. We must be prepared to put aside our desires, however painful it might seem.
Our congratulations go to all our women. We wish them to grow in their faith and success in their hard work to keep the peace in their families.
In the kingdom of heaven, there is no need for human values or hierarchy. It is a new life, a new world and new relationships. We need to focus on Christ, Who came not only to give us courage, but also to teach us to live differently.
He did not arrive in a chariot, or a limousine, not even on a colt. He came on a donkey. We need to be like children to believe it.
Is there any problem that God could not resolve? Is there a question that He could not answer? We only need to ask the right questions and be open to hearing the answer.
Our life is a grand journey from spiritual death to eternal life, and today we embark on a path that culminates in the glorious victory over death — the Holy Resurrection. But our essential first step is repentance.
The Great Lent starts on March 18 in the Belarusian Orthodox Church this year. The sisters of Saint Elisabeth Convent will embark on this journey to Easter by reading what the Church Fathers have said about the three pillars of Lent.
On this day, 22 March, as we honour the memory of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, our Convent also celebrates the Name Day of Father Valery Zakharov, a dedicated priest who has been with us since the foundation of our Convent 25 years ago.
In the realm of art, there exists a profound work by the esteemed Dutch master Rembrandt, titled “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” Its depth, coupled with an unassuming simplicity, is truly remarkable.
In plain terms, the message from the Lord that we are trying so hard to decline is utterly clear: we should live in love, even towards our enemies, and humbly recognize our own faults while maintaining faith in God.
The Lord has brought us to the church not to have us seek refuge from the world's worries and troubles but so that we will all strive for a new life that can only be found in God.
As Christians, we know that there are many people tonight who need our prayers because, sadly, they cannot pray for themselves. So we will spend this night standing at the Divine Liturgy, praying for the secular and Christian worlds together.…
The basis of his brilliant statesmanship was the great Christian virtues, and their exercise made his whole life a Christian exploit
We are grateful to God to have a heavenly Mother Who has adopted all the people as Her children – obedient or rebellious, good natured or ill-willed. She loves us as a mother, and will always help and protect us whenever we need it.
In the years of dark and gloom, She came into the world to open a new chapter in human history. And She was asked to overstep the limits of human possibilities, the laws of nature and the flesh for the sake of humanity.
Today, we celebrate the memory of the right-believing saints Peter and Fevronia. They plead for God's mercy for those who bear the burdens of their spouse all their lives, in keeping with the teaching of our Lord. (Galatians 6: 2).
What is our cross? It is our life and all the sorrows, pains and trials that come with it that we must accept as the inevitable price of our sin, our separation from God and our wilfulness.
