Orthodox Christianity

Friday, September 26/October 9, 2026. 19th Week after Pentecost. Fast Day.

Wine and oil allowed.

Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (начало 2nd c.). Glorification of New Hiero-confessor Tikhon (Bellavin), patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (Glorification, 1989).

Righteous Gideon, judge of Israel (ca. 1307 b.c.). St. Neagoe Basarab, prince of Wallachia (1521). St. Ephraim, founder of Perekom Monastery (Novgorod) (1492).

New Hieromartyrs Alexander Levitsky, archpriest, of Khovrino (Moscow) and Dimitry Rozanov, archpriest, of Vozmishche (Volokolamsk) (1937).

St. Nilus the Younger, of Rossano (Calabria) (1004).

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Ukrainian Church Crisis

Sergei of Radonezh, Saint of All Russia

Sergei of Radonezh, Saint of All Russia Artemy Yermakov Sergei of Radonezh, Saint of All Russia Artemy Yermakov At that moment, the fate of the Russian Church was being decided; even the whole fate of Russian culture was being sealed. Just try to imagine Russia without the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, without Andrei Rublev, without the churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity. And yet, St. Sergius left that decision up to another, even though he already knew the answer to his own question.

Traditions and Faith: Why A Ritual Does Not Always Indicate Faith

Traditions and Faith: Why A Ritual Does Not Always Indicate Faith Priest Leonid Bartkov Traditions and Faith: Why A Ritual Does Not Always Indicate Faith Priest Leonid Bartkov Faith is not a tradition. Tradition is just a door. But you can spend your whole life standing by that door, never daring to open it and step inside.

Borderline States—Between Body and Soul

Borderline States—Between Body and Soul Dmitry Avdeev on depression, neuroses, and other nervous disorders Borderline States—Between Body and Soul Dmitry Avdeev (†2022) on depression, neuroses, and other nervous disorders Dmitry Avdeev I’ve been studying borderline states for about twenty years now, and I see that these are diseases, but they are often sinful diseases.

Patriarch Tikhon

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St. John the Theologian

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Publications

Not Grudgingly, but with Love

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko)

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

Not Grudgingly, but with Love

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko)

In a world where everyone is constantly rushing, giving another person a few minutes of your undivided attention can be one of the greatest acts of mercy.

God Loves Us, and Believes in Us

Deacon Dionisy Akhalashvili

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

God Loves Us, and Believes in Us

Deacon Dionisy Akhalashvili

God trusts us, believes in us, and in our ability to shape our lives in goodness and to resist evil. Not by compulsion, but willingly. This is what mature relationships look like—built on love, mutual respect, and trust.

Psychological Tools in The Pastoral Approach, The “Dark Tetrad,” and Spiritual Well Being

Conversation with Priest Ioann Bakushkin

Priest Ioann Bakushkin

Orthodoxy Around the World

Psychological Tools in The Pastoral Approach, The “Dark Tetrad,” and Spiritual Well Being

Conversation with Priest Ioann Bakushkin

Priest Ioann Bakushkin

One of the main skills here is to stop assuming that the other person thinks and feels the same way I do.

“The Prophet Jonah Is a Sign of Repentance and a Prefiguration of Resurrection”

Sermon on the Feast Day of the Prophet Jonah

Hieromonk Irenei (Pikovsky)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

“The Prophet Jonah Is a Sign of Repentance and a Prefiguration of Resurrection”

Sermon on the Feast Day of the Prophet Jonah

Hieromonk Irenei (Pikovsky)

The path of Jonah is the path of every Christian: from flight to obedience, from fear to prayer, and from death to a new life.

The Sunday After the Exaltation of the Cross

New Martyr Priest Sergei Mechev

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

The Sunday After the Exaltation of the Cross

New Martyr Priest Sergei Mechev

It sometimes happens that we ourselves do not carry our cross, and by our rudeness we enable those around us to cast off their own crosses.

The “Action-Packed” Life of Eustathius Placidas

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

The “Action-Packed” Life of Eustathius Placidas

Placidas became one of the earliest Great Martyrs of Christianity. On September 20/October 3, the Church commemorates not only St. Placidas, but also his wife and children.

An Angel of Love on Mt. Amomon

Gerontissa Makaria (Desipri): Mother of All Who Suffer, Part 2

Nun Alexandra (Markova)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

An Angel of Love on Mt. Amomon

Gerontissa Makaria (Desipri): Mother of All Who Suffer, Part 2

Nun Alexandra (Markova)

There were many orphans around you. You stroked their hair and smiled at them, because you’re their “mama,” the one who raised them. You taught them to love Christ, the Theotokos, and St. Ephraim, and to help the less fortunate.

Gerontissa Makaria (Desipri): Mother of All Who Suffer, Part 1

Discovery of the Relics of St. Ephraim of Nea Makri

Nun Alexandra (Markova)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Gerontissa Makaria (Desipri): Mother of All Who Suffer, Part 1

Discovery of the Relics of St. Ephraim of Nea Makri

Nun Alexandra (Markova)

For her many years of great ascetic labors, God and the Theotokos prepared her for the highest honor and mercy, to the joy of the entire Orthodox world—the discovery of the fragrant relics of the Great Martyr Ephraim the Wonderworker amidst the ruins of the ancient monastery, after 500 years of being hidden in the ground.

“I Ask God to Help Me Be Saved”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

“I Ask God to Help Me Be Saved”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

On September 18/October 1, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Land of Vladimir.

God Gives Prayer to Him Who Prays: Selected Sayings of St. Hilarion of Optina

St. Hilarion of Optina

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Rating: 4.6|Votes: 23

God Gives Prayer to Him Who Prays: Selected Sayings of St. Hilarion of Optina

St. Hilarion of Optina

In the pure writings of the Holy Fathers, we see that he who desires to cleanse his heart of the passions must call on the Lord for help—this is so. We cannot say the Jesus Prayer without our thoughts being plundered. With beginners, God does not demand undistracted prayer: it is acquired with much time and labor. As the writings of the Holy Fathers say: "God gives prayer to him who prays,” thus we must nevertheless continue to pray, orally, and with the mind.

The Psychological Lesson in the Life on Martyrs Faith, Hope, and Love, and their Mother Sophia

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

The Psychological Lesson in the Life on Martyrs Faith, Hope, and Love, and their Mother Sophia

There are sufferings that cannot be avoided—sufferings that must be lived through, and within which the soul, if anchored in faith, attains a depth never known before.

Through a Demonic Lens: Lessons in Sobriety from C.S. Lewis

Priest Tarasiy Borozenets

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

Through a Demonic Lens: Lessons in Sobriety from C.S. Lewis

Priest Tarasiy Borozenets

It is an engaging spiritual guide written “by way of contradiction,” helping readers view spiritual warfare from an unexpected angle and teaching them to recognize the enemy’s tactics.

The God of Calvinism

Dr. Amir (John) Azarvan

Theology

The God of Calvinism

Dr. Amir (John) Azarvan

What a holistic reading of Scripture reveals is that the Potter never intended that any of his vessels be marred, and He is willing to refashion them into new vessels if they repent.

The Holy and All-Praised Great Martyr Euphemia

Commemorated September 16/29

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

The Holy and All-Praised Great Martyr Euphemia

Commemorated September 16/29

In the midst of her sufferings, the saint cried out to God for help, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, Light of my soul and Fountain of life! Thou grantest salvation to those who hope in Thee. Come now to my aid, that Thy holy name may be glorified among men.”

Above the Clouds

Eleventh Talk on the Divine Liturgy, Part B

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

Theology

Above the Clouds

Eleventh Talk on the Divine Liturgy, Part B

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

When you look at Christ, you’re above everything. Let what happens down below happen—none of it can affect you.

The Heart’s Door

Fr. Stephen Freeman

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

The Heart’s Door

Fr. Stephen Freeman

Christ refers to Himself as “the Door,” and encourages us to “knock.”

Sermon on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross

Hieromonk Anatoly

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Sermon on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross

Hieromonk Anatoly

The Cross is a symbol of the victory of good over evil, for it pleased God the Father that the Son should be crucified on the Cross and accept His death on it, redeeming the human race from sin, the curse, and death.

St. Ephraim the Wonderworker Who Is Quick to Hear

Nun Alexandra (Markova)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

St. Ephraim the Wonderworker Who Is Quick to Hear

Nun Alexandra (Markova)

In the fifteen years since, he has gained recognition and love among Orthodox Russians, and St. Ephraim now lives in the hearts of many believers who turn to him for help, protection, and healing.

The Gospel Is the Purest Truth

Eleventh Talk on the Divine Liturgy, Part A

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

Theology

The Gospel Is the Purest Truth

Eleventh Talk on the Divine Liturgy, Part A

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

The Gospel may seem simple at first glance, but in reality it contains an immeasurable depth of meanings that are revealed to those who study the Gospel correctly.

A Priest at the Front: No Weapons, but a Lot of Faith

Archpriest Dmitry Krotkov

Orthodoxy Around the World

A Priest at the Front: No Weapons, but a Lot of Faith

Archpriest Dmitry Krotkov

I think it is a chimney that has gone awry, or maybe it is a carpet that has been gathered in the middle of the room. And then I realize it is an unexploded missile—right in the middle of the room. It had not detonated.

Time We Have Enough Of

Vladimir Basenkov

Orthodoxy Around the World

Time We Have Enough Of

Vladimir Basenkov

Time is not a void between birth and death. It is a road on which we can find eternity.

St. Silouan of Mt. Athos: “I have many sorrows of my own, and they are my own fault…”

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Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Rating: 8.7|Votes: 42

St. Silouan of Mt. Athos: “I have many sorrows of my own, and they are my own fault…”

There are moments when it seems that circumstances are indeed beyond our power, when life breaks down and it’s painful even to look at the world around us. Reality is cruel, and the soul can truly become sick. And no one knows when sorrows will knock at doors of the heart. But we must know in that moment how to answer these unawaited guests…

“I Will Never Betray My Belief”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

“I Will Never Betray My Belief”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

“Vladyka is having a very hard time right now. He is sick and infirm, yet they force him to do heavy labor. But you all know him: he never loses heart; he himself remains strong, and keeps us all going.”

The Math of Life

Oksana Vinogradova

Orthodoxy Around the World

The Math of Life

Oksana Vinogradova

"So, children… Be in a hurry to express your sincere feelings while you are still young. Do not put it off. Life is too short.”

“Work out Your Salvation in the Lord with Fear and Zeal”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

“Work out Your Salvation in the Lord with Fear and Zeal”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

"Pray, and the Lord will not forsake those who cry out to Him day and night for their salvation."