Vasilopita On January 1st we observe a tradition, both in our churches and in our homes, which has been handed down from the 4th century. It is the baking and cutting of the sweet bread (or cake) known as the Vasilopita (Βασιλόπιτα), aptly named after St Basil the Great. St Basil came from a Christian family, and is considered one of the most wise and compassionate clergymen in the entire history of the Church! He was made Bishop of Cappadocia in Caesarea, and was the first to establish orphanages, hospitals and age-care homes. We are told that during a time [...]

St Gregory the Theologian on the Nativity of our Lord Like many of the celebrated hymns of the Church, the much-loved Katavasies of Christmas were inspired by the writings of the Fathers of the Church, and in this case, one of the giants of Orthodox Theology in Saint Gregory the Theologian. His 38th Oration on the Nativity of Christ is full of the joy and poetic eloquence we find amongst so much of St Gregory’s work. Christ is born, glorify Him. Christ from heaven, go out to meet Him. Christ on earth; be exalted. Sing unto the Lord all the [...]

1st Ode Katavasia of Christmas This hymn is chanted in every Matins (Όρθρος) service from the 21st November until Christmas Day. It is the 1st Ode of the Katavasies of Christmas, written by St Kosmas, Bishop of Maiouma. Most of the hymn is an exact duplication of the opening of the 38th Oration of St Gregory the Theologian on the Feast of Theophany, from the thrice-fold repetition of the exclamatory phrases beginning with ‘Christ’, up to the phrase which St Gregory himself borrows from Psalm 91:1, “Sing to the Lord all the earth”. Τhese words were also sung by the [...]

Isaiah the Prophet May 9 There are well over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that relate to details about the coming of the Messiah. A great proportion of these are found in the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was born 700 years before the time of Jesus. He was married to a pious prophetess and they had two sons. Following a vision from God, he set out to call the Jewish people to repentance from their idol-worshipping ways. In the book of Isaiah are collected all his prophecies, of which a third concern the coming of Christ. From [...]

The Miraculous Holy Cloud The following is an account from a young man who went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem this year. Every year, on the Old Calendar Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (August 19), a light-bearing cloud descends upon Mount Tabor in a miraculous fashion, which I was blessed to see for myself in August this year. Mount Tabor is situated on a 500m hill in the region of Galilee. According to sacred tradition, it was upon this hill that Jesus Christ took his three beloved disciples up, 40 days prior to his Crucifixion, and transfigured before [...]