May 1, 2019 Is Raising Hands Allowed during the Divine Liturgy? Question: Is it proper for laymen to raise their hands in prayer during the consecration of the Eucharist and the Lord’s Prayer? Answer:…
April 30, 2019 “A Great Tumpet Will Be Blown”: What Does It Mean and Why Trumpet? From the prophecies of Isaiah: “It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were…
April 30, 2019 Some Words about the Paschal Mystery of the Holy Fire The so-called “Holy Fire” is the name given to the fire that appears on ends of the candles of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and…
April 27, 2019 Holy Saturday: What Was the Original Meaning of God’s Commandment of the Sabbath? You are guarding the sealed tomb in vain, O guards! He who grants life to all is no longer there. – Synaxarion of Holy…
April 25, 2019 About the Eucharistic Bread: Sould It Be Leavened or Unleavened? In the ninth century the use of unleavened bread had become obligatory in the West, while the Orthodox continued the exclusive offering of…
April 23, 2019 Great Tuesday: Waiting for the Bridegroom The Parable of Ten Virgins, the Parable of the Talents, and the description of the Doomsday: the stories are so different but essentially, all…
April 23, 2019 Does Wine Turn into the Blood in Case of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts? The Orthodox Church holds an amazing and sublime service called the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts during the Great Lent. This Liturgy is ‘abridged’,…
April 23, 2019 Priest’s Advice: Holy Week without a Parish Question: “What should someone do during Holy Week if they have no parish nearby, and so cannot attend the services?” Answer by Fr. John…
April 22, 2019 Joseph the All-Comely and the Cursed Fig Tree: the Beginning of the Holy Week Holy Week has begun. Shouts of “Hosanna!” – “Save!” have faded away, lying like forgotten palm leaves. The final week… The present day is…
April 22, 2019 Some Practical Advice on Holy Week During Holy Week we will hear again the greatest of all stories, the Story that fulfills the ancient myths, the Story that in one way…
April 21, 2019 Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem in Various Christian Denominations Christians have celebrated the joyful holiday of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem since earliest times with exceptional splendor. There isn’t any Christian nation which…
April 19, 2019 Foreseeing and Other Miraculous Gifts of Orthodox Elders Another phenomenon which many who visit monastics have observed is the gift of far-sight which some of these people have. Often the Elders…
