by Theo Andreou Over one thousand years stands between these two images of the Mother of God tenderly embracing her Son. They testify to the truth of Mary’s own words in Luke 1:48: ‘For behold, from now on all generations will

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Introduction The Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible are part of God’s revelation to mankind.  The Orthodox Church claims that the author of the Old Testament is truly God Himself, but it recognises that it is equally the

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On 22 June, at 10am, there will be a Divine Liturgy and Memorial service for Ψυχοσάββατο – Moșii de vară – Задушница – Saturday of Souls. In the Orthodox Church, there is an important and long-standing tradition of praying for

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The Epitaphios is an ornate embroidered icon depicting the body of Christ laying on the Tomb. The word Epitaphios comes from a Greek expression meaning “on the tomb” (= επί του τάφου).  On the Epitaphios, Christ can be alone, or

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By His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Koroneia "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are — yet

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On this day, Holy and Great Friday, we celebrate the awesome, holy, and saving Passion of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ – the spitting, the blows with the palm of the hand, the buffeting, the mockery, the

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Thursday morning is marked by the service of the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Though we recall the Mystical Supper during every Divine Liturgy, now, in particular, we are reminded of the very first Eucharist served by our

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14Are any among you sick? Let them call for the presbyters of the Church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the Name of the Lord.15The prayer of faith will heal those who are sick and the

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By Dr. Michael Koutsos Plagal of the Fourth Tone Behold, the Bridegroom is coming in the middle of the night, and blessed is the servant whom He finds watching. And again unworthy is he whom he shall find careless. See to it, my

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By Archimandrite Epiphanios Theodoropoulos On Great Monday, we commemorate the virtuous Joseph (son of the patriarch Jacob and grandson of Abraham), a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph, the beloved son of his father, was at first thrown into

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By Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotes of Florina This very day is clothed with the bright robes of the first-fruits of the Lord’s passion. Come, then, all feast lovers, let us welcome it with songs. (Kathisma, Great Monday). We have arrived, my beloved, at the saving

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The services for Holy and Great Week begin on Sunday evening. The Matins services read during the first three days of Holy and Great Week are known as the Bridegroom Matins services. We begin each Bridegroom Matins service in the

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The simple answer to this question is “To meet God and share in His Life”. But how does this happen? Let us start by asking some fundamental questions. What is the Church here for? What is the distinctive and unique

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Starting 31 March, there will be short catechism sessions after the Divine Liturgy during the period of the Great Fast. The theme of the catechism is living the Orthodox Christian life. Everyone is welcome to attend. After a ten-minute introduction,

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Gay is today’s festival, and splendid is the joy it conveys to the ends of the earth. The joy it yields scatters old sorrow; the joy it yields banishes the curse of the world, inaugurates the raising of him who

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Watch the keynote lecture delivered by world renowned iconographer Aidan Hart at the Scala Foundation’s 2023 Conference on Art, the Sacred, and the Common Good. The lecture is followed by a discussion with Hart, Common Sense Society Senior Fellow Paul

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Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. He was the only disciple absent; on his return, he heard what had happened but refused to believe it. The Lord came a second time;

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St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus (403 A.D.) Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is

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Introductory Note The first Proemium and first Strophe are still used in the Triodion for Palm Sunday as Kontakion and Ikos. The second Proemium is used as the Ypakoe for the feast. It is written in the Plagal of the 2nd [6th]

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In certain parts of the Church, especially those influenced by Russian practice, there has grown up a tradition that it is not possible to receive holy communion unless you have first made a confession.  In many places the result has

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