In the spiritual experience of the Russian Church, veneration of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica is closely linked with the memory of the defense of the nation and Church by the Great Prince of Moscow, Demetrius of the Don (May 19). St Demetrius of the Don smashed the military might of the Golden […]
Category: Article
Why Do We Address the Cross in Prayer?
By Archpriest Andrei Nikolaidi For many Orthodox Christians, beginning to explore the treasury of Christian prayer and trying to delve into the meaning of the prayers, upon reading the prayers to the Cross the question may arise: “Why do we address the Cross, the Wood, in prayer directly as if to a person?” Indeed, in the […]
Rings on the Wrong Hand?
This Sunday I will have the pleasure of performing a wedding. Weddings are always happy events, and I always look forward to performing them. Orthodox weddings are especially beautiful, and it’s actually composed of two ceremonies: the betrothal and the crowning. The betrothal service, according to Fr. John Meyendorff, is the “…new form of marriage contract… It […]
OCA Guidelines for Confession and Reception
The following Guidelines for Clergy (Orthodox Church in America, 1998), approved by the Holy Synod, address various issues surrounding Confession (the Mystery of Penance) and are considered normative in the Church today. Confession, the mystery of reconciliation with the Church, must be regular and frequent. It must be an abiding element in the lives of […]
Why Do We Celebrate Pascha in the Middle of the Night?
The Simple Answer The simple answer is that the Resurrection occurred in the middle of the night. Of course, no one knew it had happened until Mary Magdalene and the other women disciples arrived at the tomb that Sunday morning and discovered that it was empty. But we know it happened! So why should we […]
“The Grammar of Faith” by Fr. Stephen Freeman
On February 10, 2016 we had a wonderful evening with Archpriest Stephen and Mat. Elizabeth Freeman from St. Anne’s Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, TN. Fr. Stephen spoke on the important of understanding the “grammar” (the underlying ethos and tradition) of the Orthodox Christian faith. The entire talk is available below, alongside the Q&A […]
Miracle at Copco Road
It was the 31st day of July, 2014. I was making my usual trek to town. When I came up out of the hollow there was a plume of black smoke and it was really close… a forest fire. I immediately called 911 and they told me it was under control. I watched the fire […]
On Kissing the Priest’s Hand
A few of our new inquirers have asked about the practice of kissing the priest’s hand. For people outside of the Orthodox Tradition (and even for some of the Faithful), this is one of those foreign, counter-cultural and awkward practices that can be difficult to grasp. The following article may shed some light on this […]
Using A Prayer Rope
When praying, the prayer rope is normally held in the left hand (leaving the right hand free to make the Sign of the Cross). When not in use, the prayer rope should be wrapped around the left wrist so that it continues to remind one to pray without ceasing. (This is why, if made of […]
The Apostles’ Fast
“The Apostles almost always fasted.” – Saint John Chrysostom (Sermon 57 on the Gospel of Matthew) The Apostles’ Fast begins tomorrow (the second Monday after Pentecost) and lasts until the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul (June 29). It varies in length from year to year. If the feast of Pascha occurs sooner, then the Apostle’s Fast […]