The reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is the main feature of this Matins service. This practice originated around the ninth century and its history is as follows.
Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh
The memory and image of St. John Climacus is offered to us now as we ascend to the days of the Passion, as an example of how God’s grace can transform an ordinary, simple person into a light for the world.
Archbishop Theodosius (Bilchenko)
What do people on earth need? Knowledge of God, participation in the spiritual values of the Church, reform, repentance and preparation for eternity. Some manage to become purified completely, others partially.
Death is a phenomenon that is ordained for us from above, which means it is good.
Elena Kucherenko
Despite the twenty years that passed after his father’s death, his son began to pray for him. And everyone felt relief.
What does his cross mean? Why is his [our] cross, that is, the separate cross of each person, called also the Cross of Christ?
Priest Oleg Bulychev
If we want to protect our children from enemy influences and raise them to be faithful sons and daughters of their Motherland, the best way to do it is to educate them ourselves in the love for Christ and His Gospel, using good books, including the best examples of spiritual literature.
If you make the sign of the Cross upon yourself with great faith, no unclean spirit will be able to come near you, seeing that sword from which it has received a mortal wound.
Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin)
The life of the soul is supported by prayer.
Fr. Lawrence Farley
The essence of idolatry is not physical prostration before a stone statue; it is giving one’s heart and life unreservedly to anyone or anything other than the true and living God.
St. Nikolai (Velimirovic)
Great is the power of Truth, and nothing in the world can overcome this power. Great is the healing power of Truth, and there is no suffering, no infirmity in the world for which Truth is not the medicine.
Igumen Seraphim Bell
Fr. Seraphim spoke of how the Church confirmed that St. Gregory’s teaching was, in fact, what the Church has always experienced and taught—that “our Orthodox life is union and communion with the living God-Man, Jesus.
St. Gregory of Shlisselburg
It’s natural for a living Christian soul to aspire to God. The aspiration for God finds its expression first of all in prayer to God. But it’s very hard to pray well.
St. Gabriel of Imereti
The Savior established this Kingdom on earth and entrusted it to us Christians to propagate, strengthen, and fortify.
Fr. James Guirguis
Today I would like to briefly explore the connection between St. Gregory Palamas and the second Sunday of Great Lent.
For a Christian, the most valuable treasures are his honor and dignity, and losing them is like death.
Hieromonk Nikolai (Letunovsky)
Dear brothers and sisters, we do not rely on our own strength in our lives; we rely on the power of the Holy Church in which we are standing.
Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko)
Indifference to faith and spiritual life has always been linked to the decline of life itself—both for an individual and an entire nation.
Bishop Joseph (Korolev)
This is spiritual and not fleshly joy —that we live with God and every day thank God for our health and our lives. We pray and thank God for everything that happens to us.
Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov)
Many of our people here complain that they have NOT ONCE been able to come to the Presanctified Liturgy! Not once! “Tradition” deprived them of this astounding Church service, created and preserved by the Orthodox Church for their salvation!