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.
At some point, we will become weak, only to find out that we had neglected our spirits and not prepared them for the life to come. Therefore, as we call for God's help, we should not ask him to turn around the circumstances of our lives.
Let us all be conscious and worthy of the honour to be called Orthodox Christians... and seek peace within ourselves, so thousands will be saved around us.
In most cases, we know the truth about our dignity but are too afraid to say it. Instead, we say to ourselves, reassuringly, "I am doing okay." We must be born again. I wish that all of us could be reborn with a new idea of dignity and beauty.
In the Gospel, many people gather around Christ. Yet only one of them is healed. Today, we took the Body and Blood of Jesus in us. He gives us true healing, and we need no other.
Saints like Elisabeth Romanov and Nun Barbara keep our spirits alive in the most trying times. They rise like stars on the celestial horizon to warm with their love all who are weary and burden. They bring wisdom and consolation to people who…
When the Pharisees met Christ, one of them asked, "Who is He?" "Son of Joseph," replied another. We like to believe that we know it all. We like to be confident and unshaken in our decisions and to be convincing to ourselves and others.
The people who do not know God will live different lives, which may even be quite exciting and filled with all sorts of pleasures. Their life journeys, however, will have the same endpoint – being buried in a grave and falling into oblivion.
To grow up spiritually is to develop the habit of spiritual life. You start small but practise every day. We all took the Holy Communion today. To remain with Christ, we must all take communion at every Liturgy.
We theorise, philosophise, or find comfort in psychology, only to find ourselves entrapped more deeply in our sins and infirmities. If only we were humble enough to cry out to the Lord, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
Our saints inspire us to achieve sanctity by dedicating our lives to our Lord. We can be His servants in many ways – by keeping the house or taking care of our daily lives.
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 Feast of the Ascension is past us, and the day the Holy Trinity is fast approaching. With the Lord, we have the plenitude of life, wherever we find ourselves - in a hospital ward, in a prison jail or in any other inhospitable location.
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.
When we go to Church and trust our Lord, we have no reason to complain. So let us live as Christians and thank the Lord in our prayers.
