Gospel Reading February 5th (Luke 18:10-14) Sunday of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee The Lenten Triodion, marking the period of ten weeks leading up to Pascha, begins with the Sunday of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee. During this time, the Church calls us to focus on our personal repentance and relationship with Christ. In this parable, the Pharisee had kept correctly all the external rules of uprightness. For example, he was not an adulterer, he fasted twice a week, and he regularly gave away one tenth of all he possessed. Outwardly he did all the right things, and [...]

"Let us love in deed and truth" Apostle John’s Epistle underscores the close relationship between the first great commandment - love of God, and the second - love of others. Words, thoughts and feelings are of lesser importance. Rather ACTS of love and mercy are the hard evidence of faith in God. It is with this background that St John advises his flock: “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). tongue, but in deed and truth” Love is the fundamental and determining characteristic of Christianity. Our Lord [...]

Why Does the Orthodox Church Value Asceticism? When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them two commandments: (1) to tend and keep the garden, and (2) to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit. Both of these commandments were ways of practising asceticism. There were further instances of asceticism in the Old Testament, for example, with Jonah and the Ninevites. In the New Testament, we read about the ascetical life of St John the Baptist. Christ Himself fasted for forty days prior to starting his ministry, and at other times, he would retreat at night to pray. He had stated [...]

St Theodore Tyron (and the Miracle of the Kollyva) St Theodore was born under Emperor Maximian’s rule around 303 AD. His epithet, of Tyron, is derived from the Latin "tiro", meaning "newly enlisted soldier". His Christian faith was kept secret whilst he was a Roman legionary in Pontus. Enlightened by God, Theodore knew that it was time for martyrdom when he heard about a frightening dragon in the forest of Helenopontus. With the sign of the Cross as his guide, Theodore speared the dragon and killed it. Subsequently he was prepared to reveal his faith, which would conquer other beasts [...]

The Arena of Virtues For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His face come knowledge and understanding; and He stores up salvation for the upright. He will protect their journey. (Prov 2:6-8, reading during the first Wednesday of Holy Lent) We tend to think of an arena today as a place where athletes compete in order to attain a precious prize. Winning such a prize requires practice, strenuous exercise, discipline and great determination. In the great sporting arenas of our times, superhuman effort is required to actually become a winner. The arena of virtues, in contrast to the sports arena, [...]