Rating: 8|Votes: 4
A couple’s childlessness of many years, a long-awaited but very difficult pregnancy, emergency delivery, intensive care… And constant prayer. Infant Simeon would not have been born without the help of God, the Mother of God and saints.
Thomas R. Vozzella
Music of the Russian tradition, both Eastern Orthodox and Folk, is some of the most beautiful and spiritually moving examples of choral music. Thick harmony, rhythmically driven texts, basso profondo tones (not notated), all work together to create a mystically magical experience of choral sound. Yet, to achieve this stylistic sound is a daunting task.
Dr. David Ford
In our own times, with the Church's increased communications with other Christian confessions, including the recent meeting between Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Pope Francis, and also considering the upcoming Pan-Orthodox Council which will speak to the Orthodox Church's stance in relation to other confessions, the temptation to adopt a sectarian mind-set is as strong as ever. To be sure, defense of Orthodoxy is necessary and blessed, but always with humility and love.
Joel J. Miller
There may be millions in the middle who don’t want to take sides, who don’t want to wrestle with the morality of ending human life. They can keep chanting the mantra, but it rings less true today than ever before.
Finally, let us return to Mount Tabor. A guarantee of the unity of Local Orthodox Churches is the Divine Liturgy, the one Eucharist. The Orthodox Church in America is in Eucharistic communion with the rest of the Orthodox Churches. Thus we also could be taken to Mount Tabor today to celebrate this heavenly sacrament. And even though it would be good to be there, we need to return to the world. It is our task to return to the world and bring light to darkness—that light which this world cannot give. Only this light may enlighten even the darkness of hell. This is our task: to serve, not to be served.