St Nectarios - On the Immortality of the Soul It is a fundamental tenet of our Orthodox Christian worldview that we are created as both body and soul. In fact, this is the great factor that separates man from the rest of creation. Whereas creation was brought into existence by the phrase “Let there be”, it was Man that was formed by the hands of his Divine Creator, and brought to life by God’s divine breath. We received a living body and a living soul by God through this creative act. More than this, we were created “In the image [...]

From the Compline Service to our Guardian Angel «Ἅγιε Ἄγγελε, ὁ ἐφεστὼς τῆς ἀθλίας μου ψυχῆς καὶ ταλαιπώρου μου ζωῆς...» “Holy Angel, overseer of my wretched soul and miserable life…”   In the daily cycle of prayers in the Orthodox Church, there exist the services of the Great and Small Compline (απόδειπνο), which are performed after the evening meal and before the nightly sleep. The Great Compline (Μέγα Απόδειπνο) is usually performed in our Churches during the weekdays of Great Lent. The Small Compline can be performed in Church with a priest, however its structure lends itself to being performed [...]

Elder Ephraim of Katounakia (1912-1998)   Elder Ephraim of Katounakia, Mt Athos, is one of the greatest and most memorable elders of the twentieth century. He was a giant of Athonite hesychasm, renowned for his obedience and his gifts of clairvoyance. The Elder began his life on Athos in 1933 at Katounakia, the desert of Mt Athos, and remained there until his repose in 1998. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1936. Even though he did not live in the brotherhood of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Elder Ephraim was wholeheartedly devoted to Elder Joseph. His own elder, Elder Nikiphoros, [...]

Psalm 118 (119 in Greek)   The longest of all the Psalms is Psalm 118, consisting of twenty-two stanzas of eight lines each. Every verse in each stanza begins with the same letter of the alphabet. There is a tradition that King David used this Psalm to teach his young son Solomon the alphabet - but not just the alphabet for writing letters: the alphabet of the spiritual life. The Psalm comprises an entire Kathisma (division of the Psalter) in Orthodox liturgical practice. In Orthodox monasteries it is read daily at the Midnight Office: “At midnight I arose to give [...]

When God is Not There, by Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki Published by Alexander Press, 2013 This is an exceptional book written by an exceptional author. With a PhD in biomedical engineering from Harvard and MIT and with NASA as a former employer, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki is one of those people who, when they speak, should be listened to. When he writes a book about suffering and faith, it must be read. With such a pedigree, one would expect a complex, theoretical analysis. This could not be further from the truth. His style is simple, yet [...]