The Bridegroom Bridegroom Matins is a service specific to the first four evenings of Holy Week (though it is often omitted on Holy Wednesday in favor of the service of Holy Unction) and commemorates the last days in the earthly life of the Lord. Incorporated into these services is the
Holy and Great Monday 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 Testament
Beholding our King, the Prince of Peace, on Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the feast of the Church where we believers greet the Lord our king, the Word of God made flesh. Christ is greeted not simply as the One who came to us once riding on a donkey, but
Being the leaven in a post-Christian era As Christians in this post-Christian era, we must live with the knowledge that God still reigns, even though the evidence is to the contrary. In this post-Christian era, we are like exiles, but like the Jews who were in bondage under the Babylonians,
Can God’s Temple be duplicated at home? Over the years I have met people who have chosen not to join a church, choosing, rather, to “worship” at home. Some have convinced themselves church is a waste of time, and feel they can be close to God while staying home on
The authority of the Church is always based in love If she be true to herself, the Church acts with an authority that is grounded in love. She holds within her realm the authority to make her people the children of God. She has the authority to forgive, and the
The Ancient Orthodox Faith is relevant for all times and in all places When a priest makes a concerted effort to relate to his young parishioners, by demonstrating a real interest in their lives, discovering what is important to them, and taking the time to actually instruct them in the
Holiness comes only to those who struggle Not an hour should pass without taking time to examine our heart, for the hour of judgement can come at any time, and we must be ready to give account to God for our life. When we practice examination of the heart, we
I must accuse myself, blame myself, judge myself I see people’s sins, but I don’t know whether they have made peace with God. I don’t know if the person who has sinned regrets it, but I am not called to judge them, but only to forgive them. As I become
Creating harmony out of chaos The inevitability of death is particularly difficult to face for most Americans, as we’ve become a people that eschew traditional funerals, preferring to “celebrate the life of our loved one, while disposing of the body, and banning any sign of death from the memorial service