St Seraphim of Sarov On Gluttony Why does the Orthodox Church place such an emphasis on eating during the spiritually intense Lenten period? Food is a blessing. Jesus shared many meals with his disciples and followers. Enjoying food is not a sin. However, one can reach a point where eating becomes excessive, and distorted as merely pleasure, or even as a comfort. Food can even become an addiction. This is not an exaggeration considering the obesity epidemic in developed countries. The medical profession has long called for temperance. The Church regards gluttony as a sin. The Holy Fathers have not [...]

Sunday of the Holy Cross Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:1-6 The themes arising in this Epistle reading are central to our Orthodox Christian faith. The first theme is that Christ truly became human and took on the fallen human nature: ‘…was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin’ (4:15). Christ’s example shows the state to which humanity can ascend in spite of the temptations which are thrown at it, and lays the groundwork for the idea of theosis, which is further elaborated upon by Church Fathers such as St Athanasius and St Gregory Palamas. The next theme is of [...]

St Gabriel Urgebadze St Gabriel was born in 1929 at Tbilisi, Georgia, which was governed by the Soviet Union. The young Goderdzi Urgebadze was dedicated in prayer from his childhood and pursued an ascetical life beyond his years, piously enduring ongoing attacks from demons. When at the age of 12 his mother requested him to prioritise family over faith, he left home and roamed from monastery to monastery. He eventually returned home and completed his compulsory military service in 1949. Following this, he continued with his ascetical labours and at the age of 26, in 1955, was ordained presbyter and [...]

Sunday of Orthodoxy (1st of Lent) «Σαρκὸς τὸ ἐκτύπωμα, ἀναστηλοῦντές σου Κύριε, σχετικῶς ἀσπαζόμεθα, τὸ μέγα μυστήριον, τῆς Οἰκονομίας, τῆς σῆς ἐκδηλοῦντες· οὐ γὰρ δοκήσει, ὡς φασίν, οἱ θεομάχοι παῖδες τοῦ Μάνεντος, ἡμῖν ὤφθης φιλάνθρωπε, ἀλλ' ἀληθείᾳ καὶ φύσει σαρκός, δι' αὐτοῦ ἀναγόμενοι, πρὸς σὸν πόθον καὶ ἔρωτα» “Restoring to the churches the depiction of Your flesh, O Lord, we ascribe to it an honour that is relative, and so express the great mystery of Your Dispensation. For You have not appeared to us, O Lover of Humans, merely in outward appearance as say the followers of Mani, who are [...]