Why Do We Repeat So Many Set Prayers?   Our life is full of repetition. It makes us who we are. For example, we are alive because we repeat the basic function of breathing. Do we think about breathing? No! We just do it. So much of our day is filled by repetition. This morning you brushed your teeth, or bathed, as you have every day for the past many years. Teeth brushing has become a part of your life, a part of who you are. Now let’s look at prayer in the same light. If prayer is a part [...]

St Symeon the Fool for Christ Commemorated on 21st July   St Symeon, who lived in the sixth century, had a remarkable life filled with wisdom and saintliness. He shared a blessed friendship with a man called John whom he met on a pilgrimage. They became monks at the same time and went into the desert, sharing its isolation together for thirty years. When Symeon received his calling to re-enter the world, John found it difficult to part with his dear friend. Symeon entered the town of Emesa dragging a dog carcass on a rope. His unique calling was to [...]

Salvation: Do We Need It In Our Times? - Part A   The concept of Salvation is as long as the history of human-kind. The word means to be saved or liberated from danger or harm. It assumes great significance in the spiritual realm, particularly since the arrival of Jesus Christ on earth. After all, this was the purpose of His arrival, to liberate man from the bondage of the devil, sin and death. In the Orthodox Church, all aspects of salvation are covered by the following definition: After the fall of original man, communication between man and God was [...]

Fishers of Men   As we approach the Feast of the Apostles, we are reminded of the work the first pioneers of our Faith completed to establish the Church. These men chosen by Jesus were commanded to preach the coming of the Kingdom of God. They had authority to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons (Matt 10:8). By definition, an apostle (Greek ἀπόστολος) is one who is called by God and sent on a holy mission. This work was not in any way limited to the acts of the 12 main disciples, or even [...]

The Illumined Heart by Frederica Mathewes-Green Published by Paraclete Press (2007) • Why are modern Christians so indistinguishable from everyone else? • How come Christians who lived in times of bloodly persecution were so heroic, while we who live in safety are not? • How could the first Christians fast valiantly, but we feel deprived without dessert? • How did the New Testament believers pray without ceasing? • How could the early Christian martyrs actually forgive their torturers? • What did the Christians of the first century know that we don't? That is what this book is about. Frederica Mathewes-Green [...]