Saint Acacius, Bishop of Melitene is commemorated on April 17. Saint Acacius, Bishop of Melitene, was born into a pious family in the Armenian city of Melitene. His parents had been childless for a long time. They had prayed for a son and vowed to dedicate him to God....
St. Mary of Egypt is commemorated today, and always on the 5th Sunday of the Great Fast. She lived during the sixth century, and passed away in a remarkable manner in 522. She began her life as a young woman who followed the passions of the body, running away from her...
In today’ society, which is full of temptations, the importance of Confession in our spiritual lives is greater than ever. Therefore, it is so important to understand the practical aspects of Confession, which we tend to forget. First, before you come to confession...
The Orthodox Church has established several ways to prepare ourselves for the greatest of feasts, Pascha. We are not “making up” for past sins. We are not “making sacrifices” to or for God. Instead we use the 6 weeks of Great Lent and Holy Week which follows to...
(As we will do every Saturday during this Great Fast) Just as we love and respect living family members, relatives and friends, so do we love and respect those of them who have departed this life. Our God is Love (1 Jn. 4, 8), to Whom all are alive (Lk. 20, 38) We...
Yes and no… First of all, what is it? Generally speaking, unconditional love is the acceptance of a person without him or her meeting any conditions. In other words, it means having affection for someone without establishing limitations. So, unconditional love means...
WHY DO WE BLESS flowers, herbs, and seeds on the feast-day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos? The Tradition of the Orthodox Church states that when Mary, the Mother God, fell asleep, all the Apostles, except Thomas, came together in Jerusalem. Amid divine...