September 13, 2020 1488 0 On the Julian Calendar, Church Tradition, and Standing for the Faith Christmas and New Year is a time when many Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian (old) calendar wonder why they do so; or rather,…
September 12, 2020 454 0 Alleluia before the Gospel Reading and the Alleluia Verses Before the Holy Gospel is read at the liturgy, we hear a lingering solemn chant. Alleluia is performed on different melodies (tones) and interspersed…
September 8, 2020 510 0 Church of Christ the Saviour at Chora Monastery Ultimately Became a Mosque Six months after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, the Chora monastery with the Cathedral of Christ the Savior became the…
September 2, 2020 385 0 Sunday Worship in Late 4th Century Jerusalem The 12th century manuscript that serves as the basis for this article was discovered in 1884 by the Italian archaeologist Rammurini in Arezzo (Italy)….
September 1, 2020 118 2 The Messengers of God – a Historical Review Orthodox church offices starts with the ringing of the bells to invite the faithful for the commencement of the service and to bring…
August 26, 2020 295 0 “Command!” Exclamation There is a whole series of various exclamations in the Orthodox worship service, each of which has its own purpose and history. We are…
August 12, 2020 151 0 The Authority of the Fathers We Orthodox are fond of referring to the Church Fathers as authorities within the Church. When faced with a new or controversial issue, an…
August 11, 2020 649 0 Secrets of the Roman Catacombs In 1578, the Italian archaeologist Antonio Bosio discovered the ancient Christian catacombs in Rome. Subsequently, in the vicinity of Rome, several dozen catacombs were…
August 5, 2020 1241 0 Anathema: the Excommunication from the Church This article is devoted to anathema – the excommunication from the Church of a person or groups of persons and the prohibition for them…
July 24, 2020 224 0 Breaking Bread It was not customary in the countries of the ancient Middle East described in the Bible to cut bread; rather, they would break it…