Rating: 8,5|Votes: 8

Acknowledging Christ by Loving Our Enemies: Homily for the Sunday of All Saints in the Orthodox Church

Fr. Philip LeMasters

If we wonder what cross we need to take up in order to acknowledge Him before others, a necessary place to start is with loving our enemies.

Rating: 9,3|Votes: 37

Edinovertsi’s Treasure: The Rule of Home Prayer

Vladimir Basenkov

Until the revolution in Russia, there was a universal tradition of reading the “lay order” of the services. In the absence of the priest in church, or at home, the entire family would read part or all of the daily cycle of Church services. We will talk today about what happened to this good tradition, how to revive it, and what benefit it brings for the whole body of the Church.

Rating: 8,9|Votes: 14

Laying Aside and Carrying

Fr. James Guirguis

For a saint, or those who desire to be saints, each and every day we are forced to choose between the flesh and the spirit.

Rating: 8,7|Votes: 24

“I Am Grumbling, While She Is Smiling”. The Eraks’ Family Life

Anna Berseneva-Shankevich

These parents of nine children have gained very interesting experience by comparing the attitudes of society towards large families in different parts of Russia. According to them, external hardships helped them make a truly strong family.

Rating: 10|Votes: 13

Homily on the Sunday of All Saints

St. Luke, Archbishop of Crimea

Only an insignificant number of saints have been canonized by the Church. But the whole enormous multitude of other saints are known only to God, about Whom we say that He is the only One Who sees our hearts, “the only knower of hearts”.

Rating: 9,2|Votes: 44

A Refugee from Buddha

Anna Tkacheva

Looking at him, I didn’t feel that we were different, that we were of different nationalities. On the contrary, it seemed as if that perfect stranger were one of my relatives or friends. In truth, we are all one in Christ…

Rating: 8,8|Votes: 23

A God Without Wrath?

Fr. Lawrence Farley

As soon as one emerges from the cultural cocoon of modern thought one sees that the concept of God’s wrath against sin was not regarded by the ancients as an embarrassment to be overcome and denied, but as something to be emphasized and celebrated.

Rating: 9,6|Votes: 42

A Former Bank Executive Who Became an Orthodox Monk

On Archimandrite Hilarion (Dan)

Paula Anastasia Tudor

Archimandrite Hilarion (Dan) is one of the most revered Romanian spiritual fathers of our days. In the world he was a man of high standing and had huge opportunities, but he renounced his earthly wealth for the sake of a life in Christ.

Rating: 9,8|Votes: 65

What Happens When Well Known Orthodox Christians Become Moslems?

Nun Cornelia (Rees)

Christians believe in Jesus Christ—God Who became Man, Who became one of us, lived amongst people and by His life, death on the Cross and Resurrection from the dead opened to us the path of salvation. A person who has become a Moslem does not believe in such a God.

Rating: 9,7|Votes: 32

Politicians Try to Sit Upon the Throne of the Church Because They Do Not See Christ Upon It

Deacon Sergei Geruk, Metropolitan Onuphry (Berezovsky)

In this talk with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine on the Church of Christ and pseudo-churches, the primate speaks about what it means for him personally to be in the Church and how he makes decisions that could affect the fate of many people.

Rating: 9|Votes: 35

“We Never Know When and How the Lord Will Help Us, But We Are Sure He Will.” The Smirnovs’ Family Life

Anna Berseneva-Shankevich

It can be said that their meeting was arranged by the Lord. They didn’t lower their standards, and have succeeded in bringing up not only five of their own children but also three adopted children.

Rating: 4,8|Votes: 6

More Powerful than Water, Wind, and Fire: Homily for the Great Feast of Pentecost in the Orthodox Church

Fr. Philip LeMasters

We receive the Holy Spirit not as isolated individuals living on our own terms, but as persons in communion, in loving relationship with Christ and with one another in His Body, the Church.

Rating: 9,5|Votes: 40

"Our Paschal Joy is Grieved": The Open Letter of Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin, Bulgaria concerning Constantinople's actions

Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin

I believe it necessary for reasons put forth in my letter to share with Your Eminence my concerns with regard to recent developments in the Orthodox Church.

Rating: 4,6|Votes: 8

Pentecost and Babel

Fr. Ted Bobosh

The description of the day of Pentecost reminds me of Ezekiel 43:1-5. It is not that Acts quotes Ezekiel, but more there is an echo, a parallel between the passages.

Rating: 9,5|Votes: 26

It Is Possible Through Him

On Phillippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

Fr. James Guirguis

This is a verse that can bring us great joy in the midst of our struggles. It can be our fuel when we think that we have nothing left in our tank.

Rating: 9,7|Votes: 44

Meet Sergius, the Orthodox Indonesian: “My Soul Dries Out Without the Church”

Geraldio Lau Gefaldo

Our hero is a remarkable young man. He was born and grew up in Indonesia. This story is about his spiritual quest, a difficult Orthodox mission in a faraway tropical country, the miraculous meetings and adventures in Russia of an eighteen-year-old Indonesian, whose sincere faith amazes even experienced Orthodox.

Rating: 9|Votes: 15

The Grace of the Holy Spirit

Hieromonk Ignaty (Shestakov)

The Holy Spirit works in Christians, but people deprived of such grace can neither understand nor tolerate it, but try to ridicule it, often from their misunderstanding. But the Spirit of Divine grace also works on them—we just have to show apostolic zeal and labor to bring this Divine grace to the entire world.

Rating: 8,2|Votes: 13

The Holy Feast of Pentecost

Let us implore the All-holy Trinity that we and all people might acquire, through the power of Divine love, blessed unity.

Rating: 9,2|Votes: 92

The Dystopian Papacy Of Bartholomew I of Constantinople

Fr. James Rosselli

Such a good, sound plan. It just didn’t work out that way.

Rating: 9,6|Votes: 28

“The Gospel Bridegroom”

Righteous John of Kronstadt in the recollections of Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky)

Marina Chizhova

Vladyka compared Fr. John’s effect upon those around him to the effect of a miracle-working icon on a person’s soul.

Rating: 9,4|Votes: 21

Saint Wite (Candida) of Dorset

Commemorated June 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

And today numerous miracles still occur by the prayers of St. Wite of Dorset both near her relics and her holy well. Let us recall who she was.

Rating: 9,1|Votes: 39

Photographer William Brumfield: “I want to show the heavenly light that I see in your churches”

Stepan Ignashev, William Brumfield

This unearthly light can be seen not only on the photographs of churches, but also in the eyes, the smile, the facial expression of a person. In all of this I see God’s Providence. Russia opened my eyes to it through photography.

Rating: 10|Votes: 26

“The Arch-sinner, Schema-Abbot John”

The Memory of the Valaam Elder Schema-Abbot John (Alexeev)

Marina Chizhova

Among the spiritual children of Elder John were both simple and highly educated people, varied in their social status and spiritual dispensation, and he found an approach and the necessary words for all of them.

Rating: 7,8|Votes: 19

Part 2: The Mountainous Achievements of the Carpatho-Rusyns

Matfey Shaheen

These people may be the smallest Slavic nation, but their achievements are monumental.

Rating: 8,5|Votes: 38

Rusyns, Part 1: The Lost Tribe of Carpathian Russia

Matfey Shaheen

Now, during this new time of troubles, we deeply require church education, especially concerning the events in Ukraine. Wherever there is disinformation and ignorance, this is where it’s easiest to spread heresy. It’s time to rediscover our history, and learn where we came from.