Abbot Tryphon giving the final blessing at the conclusion of the Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil, in the temple of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery on Vashon Island, WA.
Category: The Morning Offering
The Orthodox observance of Great and Holy Saturday On Great and Holy Saturday the Church observes the day on which Christ reposed in the tomb. Foreshadowing this day as the blessed the seventh day, by Moses, the Church sees it the Blessed Sabbath. In other words, this is the day
With the death of Christ, we gained life Ultimately, all is transitory and there is no real security in this life. This pandemic, together with the financial collapse of our economy is depriving countless American families of their homes and the future does not look bright. Most of us do
Where communion with God is restored At the Mystical Supper in the Upper Room Jesus gave a dramatically new meaning to the food and drink of the sacred meal. He identified Himself with the bread and wine: “Take, eat; this is my Body. Drink of it all of you; for
We must let the Light of Christ shine forth in us If we are true to our calling as the children of God, we must live in imitation of Christ. We must imitate His meekness and humility. We must love others just as did He. We must be willing to
We must receive the closure of our churches with a peaceful heart I remember hearing, early on in my monastic life, of a holy elder who lived as a hermit, far from any group of other monks, and deprived of the chance to participate in the celebration of the Divine
Great Monday of Passion Week On Holy Monday, the Orthodox Church remembers the cursing of the fig tree. This event is a display of Christ’s divine power and of God’s judgment upon those who do not follow Him. Also on this day, the Church remembers the patriarch Joseph. The Old
Let us use this pandemic as the time to rediscover the beauty of our faith This Covid-19 pandemic has afforded me the time to sit in silence, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding forest, like nothing I’ve experienced in years. The forest is so quiet, now that I don’t hear
None can be saved without compassion for others We must not be so self-consumed as to have no compassion for others. Saint Basil the Great tells us that a man who has two coats or two pairs of shoes, when his neighbor has none, is a thief. In the Holy
Planting Orthodoxy into the hearts of our children If we expect our children and grandchildren to grow into adulthood as practicing Orthodox Christians, we must give daily witness to the importance of our faith. If we are lax in our fasting, church attendance, and piety, our children will see by