BAPTISM Holy Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church. It is the mystery of starting anew, of dying to an old way of life and being born again into a new way of life in Christ. It is, “for the remission of sins” and for entrance into the Church. There are many symbolic actions in the Baptismal service, both visible and invisible. The visible part involves the actions taken by the priest. The invisible part involves the sanctifying Grace that comes from the Holy Spirit that fills the body and soul of the person receiving [...]

Fourth Ecumenical Council Emperor Marcian convened the Fourth Ecumenical Council in the city of Chalcedon in 451AD to deal with controversy concerning Christ’s nature. Proponents of Monophysitism argued that in the person of Jesus Christ the human nature was absorbed into the divine nature, like a cube of sugar dissolves in a cup of water. Thus, they claimed that the incarnate Christ was left with only one nature, the Divine (Greek mono-one, physis-nature). As the 630 delegates were gathered in the church of Saint Euphemia where her holy relics were housed, the Orthodox hierarchs and their opponents wrote down their [...]

Sunday of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Titus 3:8-15) This is the Epistle Reading of the Sunday of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (14 July), and it was at this Council in 453 that the Church denounced Monophysitism as a heresy. The reading starts with St Paul telling Titus, his disciple, to affirm to his flock that they should continue living virtuous lives filled with good works. It continues with St Paul contrasting the good in the virtuous life with the folly of “foolish questionings, genealogies, strife and disputes about the law” (Titus 3:9). St John [...]

Mother Maria (Skobtsova) of Paris (1891-1945) Born in Latvia in 1891 to faithful Christian parents, Elizaveta Pilenko was led to atheism at the tender age of fourteen, after the unjust and devastating death of her father. Shortly after, her widowed mother moved the family to St Petersburg where ‘Liza’ was attracted to the political scene, saying “My spirit longed … to combat the injustice of the world.” Slowly her earlier attraction to Christ revived as she contemplated His sacrifice and love on the Cross, saying “He also died. He sweated blood. They struck His face.” Eventually, it dawned on her [...]

The Ascension of the Prophet Elijah (2 Kings 2:11-14) At the conclusion of his earthly ministry Prophet Elijah is accompanied by his disciple Elisha when he is suddenly taken up to heaven alive in a whirlwind by a chariot with horses of fire. On his way to Heaven, Elijah throws down his mantle to Elisha, who describes Elijah as “father.” We learn many things from this blessed event. St Irenaeus of Lyons states that this event is proof of the possibility of the Resurrection. It shows that nothing stands in the way of the assumption of the body into heaven [...]