Orthodox Saints of the World Part II - Spreading the Way The followers of the Way, as described in the first chapters of the Acts, were Jews centered around Jerusalem. While the Faith entered Roman society under the veil of Judaism, quite soon it became separated. In the time of the Apostles’ preaching, the Way spread from Jerusalem to Antioch, where St Peter preached and baptised and where the followers of the Way were first called Christians (Acts 11:19-26). It spread to many other cities and areas of the Middle East and surrounding areas including: Greece (where the greatest of [...]

The Mountain of Silence Kyriakos C. Markides Published by Doubleday, 2001 The Mountain of Silence explores the conversations of Kyriacos C. Markides and Father Maximos concerning the relevance that Athonite spirituality holds for those living in the world today. It centres around the spiritual knowledge acquired by Father Maximos during his time spent on Mount Athos as the spiritual child of Saint Paisios, which he passes on to Kyriacos through a series of discussions throughout the book. The book begins with Kyriacos’ quest to find a mystical spiritual tradition, which leads him to explore various forms of yoga and meditation. [...]

Dismissal Hymn of the Holy Fathers Ὑπερδεδοξασμένος εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ φωστῆρας ἐπὶ γῆς τοὺς Πατέρας ἡμῶν θεμελιώσας, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν πρὸς τὴν ἀληθινὴν πίστιν, πάντας ἡμᾶς ὁδηγήσας· πολυεύσπλαγχνε, δόξα σοι. You are glorified above all, Christ our God, who established our Fathers as beacons on the earth, and through them guided us all to the true faith. O highly compassionate, glory to you! “Among the ministers of God some were outstanding for the word of wisdom, others for their severity of life and patient endurance, others were adorned by their moderation. Some among them were honoured for [...]

Orthodox Students in an anti-Christian Environment   The title follows the advice of Jesus to his disciples: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matt 10:16) Academic teachers almost universally enjoy challenging students to question authority, yet are taken aback when their own authority is questioned. They know that they are addressing a class of impressionable minds, and almost make a sport of attacking the positions of the students. The Orthodox Christian student must refuse to be intimidated and discouraged. Most of these teachers took years to [...]

St Athanasius the Athonite (Commemorated 5th July)   St Athanasius the Athonite is attributed the honour of being the founder of monastic (Κοινοβιακό) life on the Holy Mountain (Mt. Athos) in Greece. He was born in Trepezond (or Trabzon) in modern North East Turkey around 920AD, and was given the name Abraham. Orphaned at a young age, Abraham was adopted by a pious nun who taught him ascesis through fasting and prayer. Finding himself at the Byzantine court, and under the tutelage of the great orator Athanasius, Abraham excelled in his studies surpassing even the expertise of his tutor. Recognising [...]