Ordination During His ministry Jesus appointed the twelve Apostles to continue his work. As eye witnesses of the Death and Resurrection of Christ they became confessors of the Truth of the Gospel. The Apostles were sent to proclaim the Gospel through preaching, teaching, bearing witness to the Kingdom of God, and through miracles in the Holy Spirit. “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Mt 10:7-8). The Apostles were not just conveying Christ’s teachings and preserving [...]

Fr Thomas Hopko Podcasts are increasingly becoming an important way to access Christian teachings. This series will review a presenter’s style and content. Fr Thomas Hopko (1939-2015) was Dean at St Vladimir’s seminary in the United States of America between 1992-2002. He was a prolific podcaster. Many of his talks can be found on Ancient Faith Radio (AFR) or on CD (via St Vladimir’s Seminary Press). Fr Thomas Hopko was a respected theologian and a gifted public speaker. In his podcasts, he weaves together historical facts, theological truths and dogmas to point the listener along the path of salvation. His [...]

Blessed are You, O Christ our God   Apolytikion of the Feast (Mode pl. 4) “Blessed are You, O Christ our God. You made the fishermen all-wise by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit and through them You drew the world into Your net O Lover of mankind, glory to You.” Ἀπολυτίκιον τῆς Ἑορτῆς (Ἦχος πλ. δʹ) «Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι.»   This Dismissal Hymn of Pentecost is chanted at the end of the Vespers service on [...]

St Ieronymos of Simonopetra St Ieronymos of Simonopetra is one of the most recent saints of our Church, having been canonised on 28 November 2019. He was born with the name John in 1871 in Reis-Dere of Asia Minor. His parents, Nicholas and Maria, were very pious Christians, and many members of John’s family became monks and nuns. From a young age, John grew up in poverty and learnt to depend entirely on the Lord. This dependence, along with the joy which he found in it, brought him to the Holy Mountain in 1888. He became a novice at Simonopetra [...]

Psalm 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly. These words start the book of Psalms. In the words of St Nicodemus the Hagiorite, “It contains a blessing and praise of the pious and righteous, but for the impious and sinful is condemnation and unhappiness.” St Athanasius the Great says that David the prophet and king devotes this first Psalm to Christ, who was anticipated to be born from his lineage. He alone can be considered blessed because he was outside of all of the death and corruption of sin. Through this psalm, however, [...]