Great Vespers is, for many, their favorite regular service in Orthodox worship. It has great theological meaning, and as the first service at the start of the liturgical day, it has great significance. This article will enrich your experience of Vespers. The Vespers service (the first service of the liturgical day) is meant to remind us of the Old Testament period, the creation of the world, the first human beings fall into sin, of their expulsion from Paradise, their repentance and prayer for salvation, the hope of mankind in accordance with the promise of God for a Savior and ending with the fulfillment of that promise. The service begins with the opening of the Royal Doors and the … [Read more...]
Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for The Nativity of Christ 2017
Light of Light, Brightness of the Father, You have made the whole creation shine with joy! Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We glorify Christ on this blessed and glorious Feast for having come to us and for revealing the abundant and redeeming grace of God. We glorify Him for entering our humanity for our salvation. We glorify the miracle of His Incarnation and give thanks with great joy for this mighty act of God. We glorify God before all the world, because our Savior has come and the people who sat in darkness, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16) Today, the Son of God, as Radiance sent by the Father, has come and … [Read more...]
Patriarchal Proclamation of Christmas 2017
Bartholomew By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Mercy and Peace from the Savior Christ Born in Bethlehem * * * Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, dear children, By the grace of God, we are once again deemed worthy to reach the great feast of the birth of the divine Word in the flesh, who came into the world to grant us “well-being,”1 remission of sin, of captivity to the works of the law and death, in order to grant us true life and great joy, which “no one can take from us.”2 We welcome the “all-perfect God,”3 who “brought love into the world,”4 who becomes “closer to us than we to ourselves.”5 … [Read more...]
Tradition & the Twelve Days of Christmas
by Fr. Hans Jacobse What happens when we try to secularize Christmas, and why Orthodox Christians need to remain faithful to their traditions. In the Christian tradition of both east and west, the twelve days of Christmas refer to the period from Christmas Day to Theophany. The days leading up to Christmas were for preparation; a practice affirmed in the Orthodox tradition by the Christmas fast that runs from November 15 to Christmas day. The celebration of Christmas did not begin until the first of the twelve days. As our culture became more commercialized, the period of celebration shifted from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day. Christmas celebration increasingly conforms to the shopping … [Read more...]
Sharing the Faith at Christmas
Originally entitled "Atheists and Christmas" by Stephanie Samuel, Christian Post In a newly released Christmas guide, atheists recount stories of traditional Christmas celebrations despite secular leaders’ belief that non-believers should steer clear of the Dec. 25th holiday. The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas features 42 celebrity freethinkers in the United States and Europe who open up and discuss a topic seldom associated to their ilk – celebrating Christmas. The book, a compilation of several essays and short stories, reveals that atheists maintain traditions and fond memories linked to the holiday commonly associated with Christian beliefs. Simon Le Bon, front man of pop band Duran … [Read more...]
Calculating Christmas: The Story Behind December 25th
William J. Tighe Many Christians think that Christians celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th because the church fathers appropriated the date of a pagan festival. Almost no one minds, except for a few groups on the fringes of American Evangelicalism, who seem to think that this makes Christmas itself a pagan festival. But it is perhaps interesting to know that the choice of December 25th is the result of attempts among the earliest Christians to figure out the date of Jesus’ birth based on calendrical calculations that had nothing to do with pagan festivals. Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, … [Read more...]
Sincere Religion
by St. Sebastian Dabovich On this commemoration day of St. Sebastian Dabovich, we present a chapter from his work, The Lives of the Saints. His words ring just as true today as they did when he wrote them in the late nineteenth century. We live in a peculiar age. No time has ever dawned upon the earth like the present era. Startling developments in the world of truth keep the minds of men, to some extent, constantly reaching out after it. More light! greater knowledge! is now the almost universal cry. Great discoveries in science have opened many new and hitherto unknown avenues to the greater physical development of the human family; and at the same time it may be said to be true, that … [Read more...]
Overcoming Holiday Depression
by Fr. Nektarios Serfes Over the years, I've seen many of our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer from 'holiday' depression. It is not uncommon. I have found that the Nativity Fast, when sedulously applied, lifts this spiritual malaise and depression with great effectiveness. Likewise, I have seen, and continue to see, those who complain or suffer from this Christmas depression, but refuse to life a finger to even try to fast, and thus remain in their despair. If you suffer from Christmas depression - try it and see how simple it is to remain joyful throughout the Nativity fast and the Christmas season. - Fr. John Much of the post-holiday blues and Christmas depression that occur in … [Read more...]
In Defense of the Christmas Tree
by Fr. Daniel Daly Several years ago during the Christmas season, a religious program on television caught my attention. The program featured a discussion on the dangers of cults, especially to young people. I found myself agreeing with the panelists as they warned young people about the hazards of involvement in occult or “new age” spirituality. During the interview, however, one participant made a statement that shocked me. “…and the Christmas tree is pagan too…,” he asserted. The Christmas Tree? Pagan? Could it be that something most of us enjoy so much might be actually pagan in origin? Despite its growing commercialization, the Christmas tree is still associated with the … [Read more...]
Was St. Nicholas a Real Person?
Some say St. Nicholas existed only in legend, without any reliable historical record. Legends usually do grow out of real, actual events, though they my be embellished to make more interesting stories. Many of the St. Nicholas stories seem to be truth interwoven with imagination. However, the following facts of the life of St. Nicholas contain historical truth. Nicholas’ Birth in Patara - Though the exact date of his birth is not known, it is believed to have occurred between AD 260 - 280. The place, Patara, can be historically grounded. Orthodox Tradition states that St. Nicholas has promised to help those who remember his parents, Theophanes and Nonna in prayer. Dowries for the Poor … [Read more...]
