by St. Leo the Great For the apostles, who really needed to be strengthened in faith and initiated into a knowledge of every thing, from that miracle comes another lesson. In fact, Moses and Elijah — the Law and the Prophets — appeared hobnobbing with the Lord. This happened so as to perfectly accomplish through the presence of five people what is written: “Every word is confirmed, if delivered in the presence of two or threewitnesses “(Deut. 19.15 Mt 18:16). To proclaim it, the two trumpets of the Old and New Testament resound in full agreement and everything needed to witness to it in ancient times is reunited with the teaching of the Gospel! The pages of both of Testaments, in … [Read more...]
Hagia Sophia: The Sound of Worship
Today, July 24th, marks the beginning of islamic services in Hagia Sophia again. A tragedy for Christians, demonic worship in the house of Christ, and the beginning of the end of the reign of Islamist rule in Turkey. No islamic chant can match the beauty of the Christian voices raising glory to God in the sanctified space which was built for it. Enjoy this, from Cappella Romana, sample of what it sounds like when Christian worship hymnography is sung in Hagia Sophia. … [Read more...]
Welcome to the Catacombs, by Dr. Clark Carlton
Dr. Clark Carlton, the author of "The Faith" (used by our catechumens), gives a talk on where we are, and where we are going, in American Orthodoxy. I recommend everyone take the time to listen to this excellent presentation. … [Read more...]
Statement on the Tragic Conversion of Hagia Sophia from Museum to Mosque
Friday, July 10, 2020 PDF Version We, the Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, protest the decision of the civil courts in Turkey, as well as the clear direction of their government, to re-convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. As citizens of the United States of America, we implore our government to intervene for the reversal of this decision. Furthermore, we urge the Turkish government to return to the status quo whereby Hagia Sophia remains a museum, respecting both its origins and history. By contrast, this unilateral action denies the universal vocation of this holy and sacred place. Hagia Sophia belongs to the whole of … [Read more...]
The Holy Eucharist: A Live Coal
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Speaking of the Holy Eucharist, the Fathers and early liturgical texts of the Church have recourse to the metaphor of the flaming coal (anthrax, pruna) in reference to the Lord’s body. For instance, with Isaiah 6:7 obviously in mind, The Liturgy of St. James refers to “receiving the fiery coal” (labein to pyrinon anthrax) from the Eucharistic altar. Indeed, even without using this word, those same doctrinal sources regularly appeal to Isaiah’s experience, when they speak of the Holy Eucharist. Thus, in The Liturgy of S. John Chrysostom, when the Christian has received the Holy Communion, the priest tells him: “Lo, this has touched your lips and has … [Read more...]
An Uncomplicated Truth
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon It is reasonable, I suppose—or at least natural—for modern students of religion to wonder how the earliest Christians, all of them Jews, were able to reconcile their belief in the divinity of Christ with the monotheism enshrined in Israel’s Sh’ma’. Indeed, historians of Christian thought have devoted many studies to that inquiry. Looking at the apostolic writings through the lens of this inquiry, I gain an interesting impression of the earliest Christians: Their confession of the divinity of Jesus, while it was difficult, seems not to have been complicated. First, the recorded difficulty of the apostles was not an impasse of reason (“How can this Jesus be both … [Read more...]
How Children Disturb Society
by St. Sebastian Dabovich The responsibility of parents for their children is very great. They are, in fact, the earthly guardians in custody of the children of Almighty God, their Heavenly Father. Teach the little ones. Yet before their minds are capable of retaining impressions—speak to their hearts, mold them to the form of the beautiful and holy. Make over them the sign of the life-giving Cross. Teach them to distinguish from other pictures a painting of our good Lord, or His Holy Mother, and some Biblical sketch. At first, the child may not know, but it can easily be made to feel that God always sees it, when it is naughty, etc. While He was on earth, working out for us our salvation, … [Read more...]
Communion, Communion Spoons, and Irrational Fears
by Fr. John Whiteford I recently came across a very insightful remark from a conservative writer (Denise McAllister) who was engaged in an online debate with someone over what the government should or should not be able to mandate. She wrote: "My freedom doesn’t end where your irrational fear begins." But of course the question of whether one's fears are rational or irrational is the question we have to consider. There is unfortunately no risk free way for us to live in this world. If we were to avoid all risks, none of us would ever get into an automobile, but most of us do, because we consider that to be a manageable risk. If you drive while listening to the radio, or drinking a … [Read more...]
On the Unique and Exclusive Presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Christ's greatest gift to the Church is the gift of the Holy Spirit; this gift is, moreover, original, unique, and exclusive. Now if someone finds this assertion unsurprising, I suspect he may not have given it the critical reflection it calls for. There should be at least a few faithful Bible-readers, I think, who are disposed to wonder if it is true. Consider, for instance: Does not our hymnography proclaim that the Holy Spirit is "everywhere present and filling all things"? Since the Spirit hovered over the face of the deep in the first instance of Creation, doesn't He already fill the length and breadth of the Universe? And, moreover, doesn't the … [Read more...]
On Pentecost
St. Gregory Nazianzus "the Theologian" Our father among the saints Gregory the Theologian , also known as Gregory of Nazianzus (though that name more appropriately refers to his father) and Gregory the Younger, was a great Father and Teacher of the Church. He was a close friend of St. Basil the Great. He was one of the great Cappodocean Fathers, and is one of only three saints given the title “Theologian” in all of Orthodox hagiography and theology. I. Let us reason a little about the Festival, that we may keep it spiritually. For different persons have different ways of keeping Festival; but to the worshiper of the Word a discourse seems best; and of discourses, that which is best … [Read more...]
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