Natalia Volkova, Archpriest Alexey Okhotin
In the Mystery of confession, a person opens his soul, and God forgives him through the priest. Sometimes even after absolution from a sin, a person is tormented by his conscience, and I suggest that this is not bad for the sinner himself. This is a form of expiation. When a person feels profound pain from his sin, he is not likely to repeat it.
Priest Alexey Chumakov
US President Barak Obama recently openly supported same-sex unions, stating that homosexual couples should have the opportunity to wed. What prompted this statement by Obama? How much of a problem is this for Orthodox Christians living in America? What is a priest to do if a homosexual couple approaches him to marry them? What if they ask that a child be baptized?
Rating: 10|Votes: 3
On Bright Monday in 1611, the Russian militia approached Moscow and began the seige of the Kremlin, which continued for several months. Besieged within the Kremlin, the Poles often sent messengers to the Patriarch with the demand that he order the Russian militia to leave the city, threatening him with execution if he refused. The saint firmly replied, "What are your threats to me? I fear only God. If all our enemies leave Moscow, I shall bless the Russian militia to withdraw from Moscow; but if you remain here, I shall bless all to stand against you and to die for the Orthodox Faith."
Rating: 1,6|Votes: 96
As the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the “Days of Slavic Culture”, which yearly begins on the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius (May 11/24), Pravoslavie.ru/OrthoChristian.com would like to note a useful website created as an aide to anyone interested in learning more about the Church Slavonic language. This language has liturgically united Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic Orthodox peoples for many centuries. Many modern converts to Orthodoxy also attend churches that use this liturgical language.
Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)
Rating: 7,3|Votes: 3
In this world, outward triumph means nothing—most important is inward triumph. Outward triumph will be given to Christ’s Church at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our example of spiritual, inner victory is the life of our Savior. Outwardly He was defeated, crucified like an evil-doer and thief. But He accomplished the main thing for which He came into the world—His triumph over death; and any other triumph is meaningless in comparison.
