Our Holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia Commemorated January 1st   Basil the Great was born at Caesarea in Cappadocia in 330 AD into a distinguished family. Saint Basil’s early years were spent learning the principles of faith from his mother and grandmother. Proving an excellent student, Basil searched for the best teachers in Palestine, in Constantinople and finally Athens, the centre of scholarship. His reputation preceded him there through Gregory the Theologian, whom he had known in Cappadocia. Their friendship developed into spiritual brotherhood in which they mutually discovered God and acquired virtue. United in [...]

Lose Weight, Become a Saint 2016 Nobel Prize Winner Scientifically Proves that Fasting is Good for Health!   The Japanese Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine this year, for discovering the processes of how cells deal with their contents. The process of autophagy (αυτο-φαγία) is a purely Greek word, meaning "self-eating". When the organism is under stress (that is, has no access to substances it uses for its health - an example is fasting), it produces increased energy using its internal resources, consuming rubbish and even disease-producing bacteria that have accumulated inside it over the [...]

Christmas: In Pursuit of its Meaning   The birth of Christ is a mystery of our Faith. "And without controversy great is the mystery of piety" (1 Tit 3:16), declares the apostle Paul, and one can feel this mystery, only when it becomes his personal existential experience. But how can one penetrate the meaning of this mystery? He must knock on the door of Bethlehem, and follow the forgotten and ignored path leading to the Stable where God was made human. This path leads to the centre of Christianity, which is the birth of God, the Incarnation of His Son. [...]

Wearing A Cross In the Orthodox Church infants (and adults converting to the faith) receive a Cross at their Baptism to hang around their necks. This is not an adornment for cosmetic purposes but rather a WITNESS and SYMBOL of the Faith that they have been received into. The Cross is the universal Christian symbol acknowledged by all to mean that the wearer is a follower of Jesus Christ. Before the Crucifixion of Christ the cross signified suffering, defeat and death. With Christ's death on the Cross, it became the symbol of triumph, salvation and eternal life. The Cross is [...]

Tears of Repentance, by Athanasios Katigas Saint Nicodemos Publications, 2015 This priceless pearl offers us life-changing experiences from Athanasios (Thanasi) Katigas, a Greek taxi driver from Thessaloniki in the 21st century. Thanasi shares a few out of his many spiritually edifying encounters and conversations with customers who enter his taxi. He reflects on these and draws upon personal experiences in an attempt to provide advice for others attempting to traverse the narrow road of repentance. His deep sense of love and compassion for his fellow man encourages us to be the best Christians we can, wherever we are. The chapter, [...]