Why does the date for Pascha (Easter) change every year? The Christian feast of Pascha (Easter) has its origins in the Hebrew feast of the Passover, in which the Jews commemorate the deliverance of their ancestors from slavery in Egypt. This connection is profound - not only did the events of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection happen around the time of the feast of the Jewish Passover, but the events of the original Passover are a prefigurement of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Just as the Jewish Passover celebrated freedom from worldly slavery, Jesus’ resurrection, the new Passover, celebrates the freedom from [...]

St Theodore the Sanctified (Commemorated 16 May) Saint Theodore came from Egypt and was the son of wealthy Christian parents. At a very young age he displayed a yearning for monastic life. His parents once held a large party at their house during the feast of Theophany, but Theodore did not want to take part in the festivities, grieving that because of earthly joys he might be deprived of joys in the life to come. He secretly left home when he was fourteen and entered one of the monasteries near the modern town of Esna, in Egypt. At this monastery, [...]

The Candles of Easter On midnight of Holy Saturday, the Orthodox welcome the Resurrection of Christ with large white candles (lambades). This custom goes back many centuries, and its origin fades into the depths of history. The people light their Easter candles on hearing the priest chanting “Come and receive the Light ...” Their light fills the Church, and with the hundreds outside it, bestows a serene glow to the faces of the faithful. Everybody repeats “Christ is Risen”, as sung by the priest, and raises their Easter candle into the air. This movement signifies the abolition of Hades, and [...]

Christ is Risen Christ is Risen! Today a Sacred Pascha has been revealed to us! These are the triumphant words that our Church repeats tirelessly for the forty days between Easter and the Ascension of our Lord. These three words bring the joyous message that “No one need fear death; the Saviour’s death has freed us from it” (St John Chrysostom). The message of Easter is one of eternal life and salvation. It overshadows all the problems we face in this life, whether they be health issues, economic downturns, social problems, etc. This is why Easter, or Pascha, is the [...]

Confession Throughout our lives we strive to follow the teachings of Christ and the Church. We are called to be ‘God-like’ and to follow the example that Jesus set before us. Yet so often we find ourselves giving into temptation and falling into sin which causes a separation in our relationship with God. The Church, in her wisdom, provides us a guide – a Spiritual Father to help us navigate our way back to God through the sacrament of Holy Confession with Repentance. The gift of God’s forgiveness is given to us in the Sacrament of Confession. Christ gave his [...]