As sin is separation from God, repentance then is returning to God. God says: "Return to me, and I will return to you" (Malachi 3:7). When the prodigal son repented, he returned to his father (Luke 15:18-20). True repentance is a human longing to return to the origin from which it was taken. It is the desire of a heart that stayed away from God, and felt that it stay away any longer. As sin – …

Excerpts from a talk given to the servants of the Diocese at St. George’s church on August 24, 2000‎ Our Lord God said to His disciples, “You ‎will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes ‎to you and you will be witnesses to Me in all ‎Judea, Samaria, and all the earth.” How can I ‎be a witness to the Lord? This is the question. ‎You may be a witness through your own life, ‎through – …

This optimism comes from faith and hope: faith in God being the beneficent, and hope for what He is going to do. Successively After the flood of water, there was the Ark. And God promised that He shall never destroy the earth anymore (Gen. 8). After the Crucifixion events, there was the joy of the resurrection. As God said to His disciples: "but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and your – …

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 – …

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. – …

Saint John the Beloved identifies Christian love by two essential descriptions: love must be both active and genuine. He said, “My little children, let’s not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) Christian Love Must Be Genuine, Proceeding From a Heart Free of Hypocrisy and Not Hiding Ulterior Motives “Let love be without hypocrisy.” (Rom 12:9) Although excessive praise may seem to be proceeding from a loving – …

I would like to thank you all brothers and beloved. I am not only present with you now but you are always in my heart. I lived all my days in your hearts and I am still living there… And when I went to the monastery I took you all with me in my heart and mind. For you I am here, and for you I go there… I took you in my heart and – …

Asceticism is to live with satisfaction on your minimal needs without experiencing delight and getting away from materialism,. St. Paul the Apostle reminded his disciple Timothy in his first epistle, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” ; “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” and “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction – …

1. When the holy Abba Anthony lived in the desert he was beset by ‘accidie’ – lethargy – , and attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God, ‘Lord, I want to be saved, but these thoughts will not leave me alone. What shall I do in my affliction? How can I be saved?’ A short while afterwards, when he got up to go out, Anthony saw a man like himself sitting at his – …

The period of the Fifty Holy Days is a special period in the ecclesiastical cycle. The prominent feature of this period is joy. The Church prays with a festal tune in all Her liturgies and prayers, including the funerals. During this period, the Church lives the life of happiness, which was experienced by the holy disciples after Christ’s resurrection and His appearance to them. The Divine inspiration describes this joy as such, “Then the disciples – …

The following article was published in The Ecumenical Review, vol. 56, No. 3, July 2004. The Ecumenical Review is the quarterly journal of the World Council of Churches. In Porto Alegre, Brazil, thousands of Christians will gather for ten days to pray in one voice and with one spirit: “God, in Your grace, transform the world.” This is the theme of the ninth assembly of the World Council of Churches, which will be held in – …

Our relationship with God is a relationship of love. Saint John the Apostle says, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). Our perception of God’s love for us leads to loving Him. God’s love for us is an unlimited subject, as it is related to God’s unlimited and incomprehensible love for mankind as a whole. We cannot perceive the depth of God’s love for us because our mind and perception are – …