Rating: 10|Votes: 2

On the Descent of the Holy Spirit

From the Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles by St. John Chrysostom Homily I. Acts 1:1–2

But why did the Holy Ghost come to them, not while Christ was present, nor even immediately after his departure, but, whereas Christ ascended on the fortieth day, the Spirit descended when the day of Pentecost, that is, the fiftieth, was fully come (Act. 2:1)? And how was it, if the Spirit had not yet come, that He said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost (Jn. 20:22)? In order to render them capable and meet for the reception of Him.

Rating: 8,2|Votes: 18

Paschal Homily by Archimandrite John Krestiankin, 1993

Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)

Now all things are filled with light: heaven, and earth, and the nether regions… Christ is Risen! Children of God! I greet you from an abundance of unearthly joy, scorching with the power of these divine words: Christ is Risen! The holy fire of this saving good news, flashing out once again in a bright flame from the Lord’s Holy Sepulcher, has poured across the world.

Rating: 9,7|Votes: 32

Paschal Epistle of St. John Maximovitch, 1940

St. John Maximovitch

The present night is not an ordinary night! Brighter than day, it illuminates our souls! The rays of the Sun of the world illumine us and the whole universe, enlightening all who come to His light.

Rating: 7,6|Votes: 15

On the fortieth day of Fr. Daniel Sisoev’s martyric death: the transcript of his last Sunday sermon.

Fr. Daniel Sisoyev

Truly, right now the devil wants to divide Christians and then to destroy everything that the Christians depend on. It is because of Christians that God maintains the world. Because of Christians, the Lord gives peace to nations. Why are there wars? It happens when Christians forget about their unity, when they relate themselves to this world...

Rating: 7|Votes: 3

Holy Scripture and the Church

New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey

The following article was written in 1914, when St. Hilarion was an archimandrite and a professor of the Imperial Moscow Spiritual Academy. Its message is especially pertinent for our times, when there is widespread confusion and ignorance about the true nature of Christ’s Church and about the right approach to Holy Scripture. It can provide invaluable help to Orthodox Christians in understanding their Faith more deeply, and in defending and giving an account of it when confronted with heterodox — especially Protestant — claims.