by Priest Brendan Pelphrey  "The Apostles almost always fasted." St John Chrysostom, Sermon 57 on the Gospel of Matthew   In America the Fast of the Apostles is probably the least well known, but is among the oldest of Christian traditions. It is mentioned by St. Athanasius in the fourth century, and there are other testimonies to its existence very early in the history of the Church. Orthodox Christians around the world observe four fasting seasons during the year. Two of these—the Great Fast for the forty days of Lent, and the Dormition Fast during the first fifteen days of August—are considered “strict” fasts. The other two are generally observed as “lesser” … [Read more...]

by St. Cyril of Jerusalem Let us not curiously pry into what is properly meant by the throne; for it is incomprehensible. But neither let us endure those who falsely say, that it was after His Cross and Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, that the Son began to sit on the right hand of the Father. For the Son gained not His throne by advancement; but throughout His being (and His being is by an eternal generation) He also sitteth together with the Father. And this throne the Prophet Isaiah having beheld before the incarnate coming of the Savior, says,  I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up  (Is. 6:1), and the rest. For the Father no man hath seen at any … [Read more...]

by Vladimir Lossky The feast of Mid-Pentecost occupies a place (Wednesday of the fourth week after Pascha) between the Resurrection of Christ and the Descent of the Holy Spirit [Pentecost], and thus it is adorned with the especial glory characteristic of “the root of the greatest feasts” (see Matins, the canon of Theophanes, Ode 5). Just like the majority of “ideological” feasts, this mysterious celebration of grace (unknown in the West), apparently dates back to deep antiquity. In fact, our present-day feast of Pentecost contains, besides the stichera of a later period (early eighth century), liturgical elements ascribed to Holy Hierarch Elias of Jerusalem (494–513) or Holy Hierarch … [Read more...]

by His Grace, the Right Reverend Alexei, Bishop of Sitka and Alaska Humility, chastity, and modesty are virtues that especially adorn the most Pure Virgin Mother of our God. Modesty is itself one of the fruits of the Spirit enumerated by Saint Paul. Modesty is a kindness towards one’s neighbor, a humble goodness that provokes neither envy nor desire, and love that thinks more of others than of self. When we pray in Church, we are especially called to modesty, which enables us to approach God with that humble and contrite heart that He will not despise. Our Lord Himself was modest, modest about His miracles, modest in His speech, modest in His example, modest in the washing His disciples' … [Read more...]

by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Perhaps among the least appreciated, and seldom thought on, descriptions of Jesus our Lord is the one given by John the Baptist: “His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor; and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). Threshing is a violent activity. It is done by pounding the grain repeatedly on a stone floor with a shovel or a flail, in order to separate it from the husks which enclose it. The discarded husks are called chaff. When this beating of the grain has been done, the thresher uses his shovel to throw it into the air, so that the wind … [Read more...]