On September 8th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. This wonderworking icon is one of the most venerated in Russia and, according to tradition, dates from the dawn of Christianity.
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 Dormition Fast starts on 14 August and ends two weeks later, on 28 August (for the parishes and communities use the old calendar (Julian)). The dates of the Dormition Fast are not variable, and the year 2024 is not an exception.
An Athonite ascetic said, "Lord, I pray twenty-four hours a day, and I cannot pray enough!" You have to experience the sweetness of God to say these words.
For nearly a millennium, the Mother of God, Odigitria, has shown our Orthodox people the way to salvation through historical trials and hardships. This divine patronage, according to tradition, began in 1046.
The Iconoclastic heresy swept through the Byzantine Empire in the seventh century. Emperor Leo III the Isaurian ascended the throne and initiated persecutions against the veneration of icons.
Many non-Orthodox Christians often wonder what is the Apostles Fast in the Orthodox Church. Each year the Fast starts and ends on different dates and even in different months.
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?
The joyous Easter season or Paschaltide is finally here! In the Orthodox Church, this season starts on Easter Sunday (May 5th) and continues for forty days until the eve of the feast of Ascension, which falls on June 13th this year.
On Great and Holy Friday, we commemorate the end of this mission on earth and its highest point: His death on the Cross. He surrendered His soul to the Lord with the words, "It is finished".
Thousands of years after Judas’ betrayal, we are still confronted by the same choice: are we going to direct our love to God, and restore our community with Him, or betray him, to live for the world and ourselves?
His disciples were unnerved: “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” (Matthew 26: 8—9).
Christ cautions us not to liken ourselves to the five unwise virgins whose lamps faded when the Bridegroom Christ came: "keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matthew 25: 13).
As we make our way through the Great and Holy Week, and relive the betrayal of Christ and His death on the Cross, we are called to do everything in our power to live our lives in the spirit and bear fruit.
Jesus had not come to Jerusalem to reign there. He only wanted to be King in people's hearts. He made it clear that he had come to seek peace, not make war.
The New Testament, unlike many ancient biographies, remains silent on the physical description of Jesus Christ. For the Gospel writers, it seems, His teachings and actions held far greater weight than His outward appearance.
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?
The Dreadful Judgment — why is it called dreadful, and who should dread it? In today's “post-Christian” world, this concept may not hold significance, except for those few who still strive to follow Christ as best they can.
John (Shahovskoy), the Archbishop of San Francisco and the Western United States, emerged as a beacon of hope after the Russian Civil War. His life was a testament to resilience and faith amidst adversity.
Many believe that to live by faith and to fulfil God's will requires grand gestures. Yet, it is in the small, seemingly trivial acts of kindness, in resisting the slightest inclinations towards evil, that our spiritual life flourishes.
