The Link between the Old and New Testament Temples Orthodox temples have kept to the same form and function since ancient times. Using the Old Testament Temple model, Orthodox churches are divided into several courts or spaces peculiar to their function. The Holy Table, upon which is celebrated the Eucharist,
God Beckons as Does a Lover A person who thirsts for the eternal feels constrained by this world and is not attracted by all that is transitory by nature. Only that which is of God quenches a thirst that can not be satisfied by anything that is of this material
The Role of Bodily Suffering in the Salvation of Human Kind Elder Ambrose of Optina Monastery said, “We should not forget that in our age of ‘sophistication’ even little children are spiritually harmed by what they see and hear. As a result, purification is required, and this is only accomplished
We had a major power outage during last night’s Vigil service, and I was therefore unable to write my blog article for today. The power is still not up, but we have our generator going, so I am now able to send off the saints commemorated for today, along with
He who is his own spiritual father has a fool for a spiritual son Sins of a sexual nature are common among many people today. Much of the struggle is directly related to the fact that people do not take advantage of having a spiritual father. If you are your
Christ will Triumph over Evil Increasingly Christians have been talking about the coming of the Anti-Christ. Events around the world have created a sense of doom among many believers, seeing in the economic downswing, rise of Islam, extreme climate change, and breakdown of societal norms, as precursors to the coming
Sharing the Truth of Orthodoxy in a World Devoid of Hope If you wish to share the truth of the Orthodox Faith, and Christ Who is her head, you must give witness to the love of Christ by loving everyone. Without Christ, Orthodoxy is just another religion, devoid of the
Patriarch Kirill and Pope Shenouda And the Polarization of East and West The hard-line Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party has won 36.6 percent of the vote in recent Egyptian elections. The even harder-line Salafist party, Al-Nour, won 24.4 percent. The coalition of liberal, social-democratic, and secular parties, the Egyptian
I’ll do it tomorrow. We all have times when we procrastinate. There is a story of a young monk who confessed to his elder that he was always struggling with procrastination. His elder told him it was his lack of faith which made it impossible for him to see God
How to be a pious Orthodox Christian without stoking the flames of pride Many years ago I remember attending a Liturgy at a parish church and noticing a young man standing in the front of the temple, making profound bows, together with frequent, almost exaggerated signs of the cross. My