The offering bread used in the Eucharist A prosphoron (plural prosphora) (Greek for offering) is a small loaf of leavened bread used in Orthodox Christian liturgies. The term originally meant any offering made to a temple, but in Orthodox Christianity it has come to mean specifically the bread offered at
Successful membership in a gym requires exercise Health clubs make much of their profit from people who decide to join because they want to get in shape, but after a few sessions with the weights, drop out. Membership in the Church, like the health club, requires that we put effort
Worship is the main work of the Church Orthodox Christianity is primarily known for its worship, for the core of our Orthodox Christian life is to be found in the services conducted in our temples. I read somewhere that during the height of the Soviet period of repression, a Roman
When the stranger is listening As a monastic priest, my cassock and beard attract the attention of those around me, and it is therefore clear that I must always watch my words and actions, lest people judge Orthodoxy in a negative way, by what they might see in me. What
We are Eucharistic beings Because we are rational creatures who exists in an unceasing communion of love with our Creator, our Orthodox Tradition teaches us that man is a “eucharistic being.” We are oriented towards our God with an insatiable inherent inclination of gratitude, thanksgiving, and doxology. Because we are
The journey to God begins with the first step Orthodoxy is a faith that demands full participation and deep commitment, otherwise it becomes just another religion, devoid of salvific, transformational value. Orthodoxy is not magic, with the priest as a sort of wizard who performs all the right formulas, so
Thank you for your continued prayerful and financial support All-Merciful Saviour Monastery is a non-profit, 501 C3 organization, under IRS regulations. All donations are therefore tax deductible. We support ourselves through the sales of Monastery Blend Coffee, our fine line of teas, and a little gift shop. We grow as
Cremation versus the Holy Tradition of Christian Burial There is a myth in this modernist, anti-Christian age, that it is more convenient, and cheaper, to cremate the bodies of our loved ones. The fact that many cemeteries occupy prime real estate property which has attracted the attention of greedy speculators,
The Church’s lines of authority hold clergy accountable When people are hurting, and seek out the Church’s help, they are often very vulnerable. This makes them particularly open to exploitation. This is why the Church has lines of authority that hold her clergy accountable. She can not allow anyone who
Our thoughts determine our lives “Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool