Orthodox Christianity

Wednesday, August 20/September 2, 2026. 14th Week after Pentecost. Fast Day.

Wine and oil allowed.

Afterfeast of the Dormition. Prophet Samuel (11th c. b.c.).

Hieromartyr Philip, bishop of Heraclea, and with him Martyrs Severus, Memnon, and 37 soldiers, at Plovdiv in Thrace (304).

New Hieromartyr Joseph (Baranov), hieromonk of the Tolga Monastery (Yaroslavl) (1918).

Martyr Lucius the Senator, of Cyprus (ca. 310). Martyrs Heliodorus and Dosa (Dausa), in Persia (380). Martyr Oswin, king of Deira (651). St. Philibert of Jumieges (Gaul) (685). St. Hierotheus, first bishop and enlightener of Hungary (10th c.). St. Stephen I, king of Hungary (1038). New Martyr Theocharis of Neopolis in Asia Minor (1740).

Repose of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) of Platina, California (1982), and Archimandrite Spyridon (Lukich) of Kiev ( (1991).

See the full calendar

Ukrainian Church Crisis

From St. Xenia to Mount Athos and Corfu: Miracles and Adventures

From St. Xenia to Mount Athos and Corfu: Miracles and Adventures A Pilgrim's Notes From St. Xenia to Mount Athos and Corfu: Miracles and Adventures A Pilgrim's Notes Dmitry Kiryukhin One day, already completely desperate, sitting at my laptop, I prayed: “Lord, help me!”

There Is No Death: Why the Dormition is the Most Joyful Day of the Church Year

There Is No Death: Why the Dormition is the Most Joyful Day of the Church Year Priest Leonid Bartkov There Is No Death: Why the Dormition is the Most Joyful Day of the Church Year Priest Leonid Bartkov Every year at the end of August, the Orthodox world is immersed in the experience of an event that at first glance seems paradoxical. We celebrate death.

Repose of the Venerable John the Abbot of Rila

Repose of the Venerable John the Abbot of Rila Repose of the Venerable John the Abbot of Rila Saint John of Rila, the great spiritual ascetic of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and Heavenly Protector of the Bulgarian nation, was born in the year 876 in the village of Skrino in the Sredets district [now Sofia].

The Dormition of the Mother of God

All articles on this theme

News

‹ ›

Publications

The Gospel of the Wicked Husbandmen

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Matthew 21:33–42

St. Nikolai (Velimirovic)

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

The Gospel of the Wicked Husbandmen

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Matthew 21:33–42

St. Nikolai (Velimirovic)

There is nothing in this world more loathsome than ingratitude, nothing more offensive or more destructive to the soul.

The History and Iconography of the Image of The Savior Not Made By Hands

Zhanna Kurbatova

Education

The History and Iconography of the Image of The Savior Not Made By Hands

Zhanna Kurbatova

In 1204, the Crusaders sacked Constantinople and carried the Image Not Made by Hands away from the Byzantine Empire. Its subsequent fate remains unknown.

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. A Gallery of Icons

0 0

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. A Gallery of Icons

The Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is a radiant and joyful celebration for every Christian.

The Dormition as Acceptance of God’s Will

Sermon on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Hieromonk Athanasius (Deryugin)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

The Dormition as Acceptance of God’s Will

Sermon on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Hieromonk Athanasius (Deryugin)

Her whole life was an example for all of us Christians; and Her Dormition is also an example for us, so that our passing into eternal life might be peaceful and calm, as if falling asleep.

On the Bible and Science, Orthodox Children’s Camps, Monasticism and Orthodox Life in Austria

A talk with Bishop Alexei of Vienna and Austria

Orthodoxy Around the World

On the Bible and Science, Orthodox Children’s Camps, Monasticism and Orthodox Life in Austria

A talk with Bishop Alexei of Vienna and Austria

A person living in Austria must make a certain effort to remain Orthodox.

“Christians, Let Us Follow Christ!”

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

“Christians, Let Us Follow Christ!”

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Christians must fear sinning, lest they lose the grace of God.

Holy Martyr Laurence and Necessary War

Fr. Dn. Paul Siewers

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

Holy Martyr Laurence and Necessary War

Fr. Dn. Paul Siewers

To follow St. Laurence in witness, without tempting God but with a desire to bear witness without compromising our faith in our Lord, is not just sentimental idealism, but a form of spiritual warfare.

The Church of the Transfiguration on Kizhi Island: A Masterpiece of the Russian North

Churches and Monasteries

The Church of the Transfiguration on Kizhi Island: A Masterpiece of the Russian North

Standing above Lake Onega, the Church of the Transfiguration seems at once monumental and almost weightless. Its massive pine logs anchor it firmly to the earth, while the ascending tiers of silver-gray domes draw the eye upward.

The Mountain of Crosses: The Road To Grabarka—A Path To Transfiguration

A Pilgrim’s Recollections

Elena Nasledysheva

Churches and Monasteries

The Mountain of Crosses: The Road To Grabarka—A Path To Transfiguration

A Pilgrim’s Recollections

Elena Nasledysheva

During a true pilgrimage on foot, with all its trials and joys and its atmosphere of prayer, one witnesses how all of this transforms people, inspires them, and strengthens their faith; how it unites people from different countries in a common aspiration—to become purer and kinder, and to draw closer to God and to one another.

“Let’s just live together.” Or, How We Have Quietly Outpaced The Ancient Pagans

Priest Leonid Bartkov

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

“Let’s just live together.” Or, How We Have Quietly Outpaced The Ancient Pagans

Priest Leonid Bartkov

When we justify our cohabitation as a “psychological test,” we are not just falling—we are trying to pass off our fall as a rise.

“I Will Serve the Church As Long As It Exists”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

“I Will Serve the Church As Long As It Exists”

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

“They … sacrificed their lives for Christ, for the faith; they were tortured in secret torture chambers, prisons, and camps because they believed in Christ and preferred to die rather than deny Him..."

It Is Hard for a Rich Man to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven

Hieromonk Ignaty (Shestakov)

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

It Is Hard for a Rich Man to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven

Hieromonk Ignaty (Shestakov)

For a Christian, wealth is not the purpose of life at all. If wealth comes into a Christian’s life, it is a trust, a calling to serve his neighbor.

Forgiveness, Censorship, and the Corruption of Words

If Therefore Thine Eye Be Single, Part 4

Hieromonk Savatie (Bastovoi)

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

Forgiveness, Censorship, and the Corruption of Words

If Therefore Thine Eye Be Single, Part 4

Hieromonk Savatie (Bastovoi)

The end of the world will come not from the increase of sins, but from the inability to forgive.

Homily on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Rev. Dr. Oliver Subotic

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Homily on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Rev. Dr. Oliver Subotic

For Orthodoxy, the fundamental goal is the deification of man, his transformation in Christ, and not anything of this world.

The Inner War and the Peace That Follows

If Therefore Thine Eye Be Single, Part 3

Hieromonk Savatie (Bastovoi)

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

The Inner War and the Peace That Follows

If Therefore Thine Eye Be Single, Part 3

Hieromonk Savatie (Bastovoi)

Every passion that takes root in our hearts is a harbinger of war. The guarding of the senses, the guarding of the mind, and of judgment expressed aloud, should keep us from this all-encompassing war.

A Thorny Path to the Stars: The Remarkable Story of How The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord Was Built at a Space Center

Hieromonk Pafnuty (Fokin)

Churches and Monasteries

A Thorny Path to the Stars: The Remarkable Story of How The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord Was Built at a Space Center

Hieromonk Pafnuty (Fokin)

Preparations for manned spaceflight in the Soviet Union began in the spring of 1960. At that time, the concepts of “cosmonautics” and “religion” were regarded in the public consciousness as incompatible and mutually exclusive. And yet, almost all the cosmonauts of the first group were baptized Orthodox Christians.

St. Mitrophan, Bishop of Voronezh

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

St. Mitrophan, Bishop of Voronezh

Alexandra Kalinovskaya

The diocese of Voronezh was new and poor, established for the most part to combat the spread of the Old Believers. At that time, the land of Voronezh was troubled because of the “bespopovtsy” (priestless Old Believers), involuntary settlers from other places, and the local people with lax morals. The task of restoring order in the diocese was a serious challenge for the saint.

Homily on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Archimandrite Sofian (Boghiu)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Homily on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Archimandrite Sofian (Boghiu)

This is precisely what today’s feast calls each of us to do: to undergo an inward transformation, to be purified and enlightened, and to bring our lives into harmony with the holy will of God, who always desires what is good and blessed for us and for all mankind.

Sermon on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Hieromonk Philofei (Makharramov)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Sermon on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Hieromonk Philofei (Makharramov)

Here is the ideal that Christ left us: meekness, the spirit of humility, the spirit of love, and the spirit of self-sacrifice—this is always associated with self-emptying; we will always have to humble ourselves.

True Authority: From Domination to Service

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko)

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

True Authority: From Domination to Service

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko)

Outward domination of one person over another is fundamentally incompatible with the preaching of the Cross.

“God Has Given Me Everything”

In Memoriam: Nun Dosithea (Verzhblovskaya; †08/08/2000)

Hieromonk Pafnuty (Fokin)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

“God Has Given Me Everything”

In Memoriam: Nun Dosithea (Verzhblovskaya; †08/08/2000)

Hieromonk Pafnuty (Fokin)

Although she grew up in an atheistic Jewish family, from the age of six she felt drawn to the Orthodox faith and was baptized in 1941.

If You Show Mercy…

Fr. James Guirguis

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

If You Show Mercy…

Fr. James Guirguis

The Lord says in effect, “I have forgiven and will continue to forgive you, but you must also forgive others continually.”

Lessons of Faith from the Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus

Hieromonk Agafangel (Davlatov)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Lessons of Faith from the Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus

Hieromonk Agafangel (Davlatov)

These Seven Holy Youths fell into a deep and sound sleep; they did not die, but rather fell asleep, and they told this story themselves almost two centuries after they were sealed in this cave.

Forgiveness Is Necessary for Our Salvation

Sermon on the Eleventh Week of Pentecost

Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)

Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days

Forgiveness Is Necessary for Our Salvation

Sermon on the Eleventh Week of Pentecost

Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)

How then brethren can we not be merciful to our neighbors and not forgive their sins against us, when our Heavenly Father Himself loves us all? He is kind to both the ungrateful and the wicked.

The Burden of The Sword and The Healing of The Heart: Remaining a Christian While Stopping Evil

Priest Leonid Bartkov

Homilies and Spiritual Instruction

The Burden of The Sword and The Healing of The Heart: Remaining a Christian While Stopping Evil

Priest Leonid Bartkov

Forgiveness is not amnesia. Forgiveness is not saying, “Nothing terrible happened.” No, something terrible did happen. Evil is evil. Forgiveness is not reconciliation with evil. Forgiveness is renouncing personal revenge. It is breaking the chain of evil within oneself.