Fasting during the Great Lent

The Great Lent is the longest fasting season of the year for the Orthodox. We all know about the importance of prayer, almsgiving and fasting. But what are the rules of fasting? Are there some things, we should not do during the Lent?

Preparing for Great Lent in the Orthodox Tradition

The Orthodox Church approaches the Great Lent which will start on March 18th according to the Julian calendar. In order to prepare for the Lenten journey, the Church gives us four pre-lenten weeks to help us understand why we fast.

Some less-known facts about the Orthodox Creed

Let us take a deeper look at the history and meaning behind one of the most important texts in Orthodox Christianity.

The Church Calendar, Our Roadmap to the Kingdom of the Lord

The calendar of the Church humbles our proud minds. It returns us to the truth of God the Creator of all things, including time, and thus its rightful master.

Why Do We Pray for the Dead on Demetrius Saturday?

Demetrius parental Saturday is a day of special commemoration of the dead in the Russian Orthodox Church. This is a memorial Saturday before the remembrance day of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki (October 26 / November 8).

How the Most Holy Theotokos intercedes for us:stories from Mount Athos

On 28 August the Church commemorates the Dormition of the Theotokos. The Holy Mountain, the realm of the Mother of God, celebrates this feast with special joy. Here are five examples of the Holy Virgin's intercession for different people.

The Mysteries of the Findings of the Head of Saint John the Baptist

At the end of the 19th century, the veneration of the relics of Saint John the Baptist declined, and the admission by historians and some churches that instances of false relics were too numerous in the Middle Ages played a part in it. Did these…

The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit: Gospel reflections

When you trust, you only ask a question once. The Lord asked Peter three times if he loved him, each time in a different way. Why?

Prayer, our plea for God's mercy for our world

Hannu Pöyhönen professor, doctor of theology and a founding member of the Panagia Monastic Centre in Lammi, Finland, addresses the anxieties, doubts and fears affecting mankind in our troubled times.

Obedience, the crown of all virtue

Obedience is the food of all saints; raised in the spirit of obedience, they rise to perfection through its practice.

Of hope, faith and purity: three stories from Mount Athos

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Here are three stories from Mount Athos that illustrate the truth of this biblical verse.

Can a good atheist inherit the Kingdom of God?

To repent is more than naming one's sins to a priest. It is naïve to think that someone who has sinned all his life and done nothing but evil can always repent at the last moment. One needs to have a change of heart to be forgiven, but examples…

In the Remission of Our Sins – Which Sins?

At Baptism, we are forgiven all our past sins, and in a confession the sins that we confessed. But when we hear the chant "in remission of the sins" at Communion, to which sins does it refer? Archpriest Vladimir Dolgikh explains.

Humility and prayer: what the elders from Mount Athos say

One cannot become pure just by saying Jesus' Prayer. One must exercise humility and appropriate exertion. A prayer without humility or exertion, your prayer is useless.

How one visit to a church changed the life of schema-abbess Tamar

Tamara joined a convent, despite all persuasion and pleas from her relatives. Over her family's objections, Tamara joined a convent, tonsured as Juvenalia. Some sisters saw a white dove descend on her at her tonsure.

God cares about His children's earthly needs

Here are five narratives from the lives of God's saints and His children that show how God provides for our spiritual and earthly needs in the fulness of His love for us.

What is the true meaning of prayer?

With prayer, we enter a conversation with the Creator to partake of His infinite love, eternity and immortality. We do not pray to have our wishes fulfilled, but to become closer to God.

Three examples of steadfast faith in Christ

Examples of how putting all our faith and trust in the Lord liberates us from the fear of suffering, humiliation and even death.

Should Every Christian Aim for Holiness?

Are there any saints among us, and who might we call a saint? Saints live a righteous life; they have the gift of God’s grace and have a connection with Him in prayer. Are these accomplishments within the reach of a rank and file Christian?

Three stories from the life of Archbishop Theophan

Archbishop Theophan (Bystrov) of Poltava and Pereyaslavl was a confessor of the Russian Royal Family, a prominent theologian and insightful missionary. He was also a man of prayer and ascetic life and a direct acquaintance of Saint John of Kronstadt.