Category: Article

On Same-Sex “Marriage” and the Orthodox Church

By Fr. Andrew Harmon “Over the last few years I have been asked many times about same-sex marriage. Especially in the last few months, as this issue has become so big, the question repeatedly comes: “What does the Eastern Orthodox Church say about this matter?” Some denominations will now perform such ceremonies. Within some denominations, […]

Veneration of the Holy Scriptures

Sometimes various Christians in the West find it strange that we show our veneration to the Scriptures, icons and holy object by kissing them. However, this video of (presumably Protestant) Chinese Christians receiving Bibles for the first time shows how natural this love and veneration of holy things are. When was the last time we […]

Paschal Hours

From the Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha until the Saturday of Renewal Week, in place of the usual Morning and Evening Prayers, Nocturns, the Hours, Compline, and the Prayers of Thanksgiving after Holy Communion, the following is read: [After the exclamation by the priest, we say:] Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down […]

“Let Us At Least Die Like Christians!”

In the book “Everyday Saints” there is a section about a monastery in Russia which had fallen into moral decay. This was not long ago, by the way. It all happened only a century ago. These monks, not unlike the Prodigal son, had taken the divine inheritance from their heavenly Father, and spent it on […]

Why do we Celebrate Christmas on December 25th?

Many Christians think that Christians celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th because the church fathers appropriated the date of a pagan festival. Almost no one minds, except for a few groups on the fringes of American Evangelicalism, who seem to think that this makes Christmas itself a pagan festival. But it is perhaps interesting to […]

Is God Just?

Is God just? Archpriest Alexei Uminsky, rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly (Moscow), reflects on this difficult question.   The question of Divine justice is, of course, quite complex. It is probably difficult to call God just – perhaps even impossible – because we do not observe Divine justice in the […]

The Real St. Nicholas

One of the things I hate about going shopping during the season of the Christmas rush is the music that is piped in over the mall sound system.  I would happy with traditional renderings of the old carols, but instead, my ears are assaulted with the latest auditory atrocity, celebrating Christmas as a time of […]

Christian Names & Patron Saints

The Orthodox Church has always placed great significance upon names.  In fact,  not only are names of great import in the Church,  but the actual process of naming someone holds great significance to us.  These customs are of divine origin and of tremendous significance,  but unfortunately are not a part of modern American culture.  The […]

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