“And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve, whom He also named apostles.” (Lk 6: 13) Our Lord Jesus Christ spent the night in prayer, conversing with His Father and God in heaven in a way indescribable and beyond our powers of understanding, a way which is solely known to Himself. He thus makes Himself an example to us of that which is necessary for salvation, – …

The subject of Halloween is something that has caught my attention over the last few weeks. Some might ask Why? As this is a natural part of life in America, they may add that: “this is the second important occasion on our yearly calendar after Christmas. Its a fun time for us and our children, who dress up in a scary clothes and go around trick or treating and having lots of fun” Fun? I – …

‘Euthanasia’ is a Greek word that means ‘happy death. It is used to signify the medical intervention in discontinuing the life of patients with complicated diseases, or those who suffer sever pain from incurable diseases. This intervention is seen as stemming from the doctor’s mercy and pity on his patients. The concept also calls for discontinuing the lives of children or infants who suffer from mental retardation or complicated diseases, thus having mercy upon them – …

Thirty theologians from the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches met in the Halls of the Holy Cross Church of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in Damascus, Syria from February 2-5, 1998. The Opening session was blessed and honored by the presence of H.B. Patriarch Ignatius IV, Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and H.H. Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East. The – …

With only two weeks before Christmas, there was one lady ‎in the hospital recovering from an illness. She had a large, ‎loving family who visited her regularly and attended to her ‎needs. When she came back from surgery, she awoke to a ‎room full of several cards and bouquets of flowers. She also ‎realized that she had another patient staying with her. This ‎lady was going to have surgery the next day on her foot. – …

"The Grace of God" by Saint Athanasius And that young man who went into a far country, and there wasted his substance, living in dissipation, if he receive a desire for this divine feast, and, coming to himself, shall say, ‘How many hired servants of my father have bread to spare, while I perish here with hunger!’ and shall next arise and come to his father, and confess to him, saying, ‘I have sinned against – …

Since, again, some who are reckoned among the orthodox go beyond ‎the pre-arranged plan for the exaltation of the just, and are ignorant of the ‎methods by which they are disciplined beforehand for incorruption, they thus ‎entertain heretical opinions. For the heretics, despising the handiwork of God, ‎and not admitting the salvation of their flesh, while they also treat the promise ‎of God contemptuously, and pass beyond God altogether in the sentiments they ‎form, affirm – …

THE DIVINITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT St. Peter said that to lie to the Holy Spirit means to lie to God (Acts 5:4), and since He is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the Lord, so He is God (Job 33:4, 2 Cor. 3:3; Isa. 61:1). This Comforter, the Holy Spirit descended and came upon the Apostles in the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). He is the One, God promised to send in – …

The Light of this World Again My Jesus, and again a mystery; not deceitful nor disorderly, nor belonging to Greek error or drunkenness (for so I call their solemnities, and so I think will every man of sound sense); but a mystery lofty and divine, and allied to the Glory above. For the Holy Day of the Lights, to which we have come, and which we are celebrating today, has for its origin the Baptism – …

1. The Ascension gives the spirit of hope. Who would have thought during the sufferings of the Cross, and what humiliations and scorn that were there, that He will end in that glory in the Resurrection and the Ascension and the sitting at the right hand of the Father?! Does not this give us the fullness of hope whenever we are surrounded by tribulations? Let us remember that after the sorrows of the Golgotha, there – …

THE OFFICE OF DEACONESS Oftentimes in our Church girls wonder why they can not be ordained as deaconesses. It is hard to argue against their ability to learn and chant the hymnology of the Church (al-han) as well as the boys. In order to answer this question, as Orthodox Christians, we have to clarify the service (ministry) of the ordained deacon (male diaconate), as well as discuss the service (ministry) of the deaconess (female diaconate) – …

Actually friendship is a vital part of young people’s lives today. They cannot do without their friends. They would feel so threatened if they lost their friends. It is a natural part of growing up. Everyone needs Friends; even adults cannot do without certain friends. So, it is a human need. Rarely do we find someone who does not have a couple of friends, especially in the teenage years. I am worried however, that perhaps – …