Questions and Answers What does it mean to be a Christian? Some people think to be a Christian, it is enough if you do no seriously bad things. Other people think that being a Christian means going to Church once a week. Unfortunately, too many of us are lazy Christians. The real meaning of Christian life is to be one with God. It means to be thinking of Him all the time, to be wondering what more you could do to please Him, to learn more of His secrets, to be at peace knowing that He is finding rest and [...]

From the Saints of our Church St Nicholas – Papa Planas of Athens – a modern day Saint Commemorated on March 2nd Saint Nicholas was born on the island of Naxos in 1851 and from a young age was devout and kind in conduct. He refused to allow himself to become attached to material possessions, instead leading a simple life. He married and had a son, but his wife died early and Nicholas committed himself into service to the Lord. After becoming a priest in Athens, his reputation grew as he liturgised daily in churches all over the city. These [...]

Our Scriptures Gospel Reading March 1st Sunday of Orthodoxy (John 1:43-51, Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael) In this passage we meet Nathanael, the man Christ praises for having no conceit or guile. The Old Testament had foretold that the Messiah would be of Bethlehem (Micah 5:1). According to St John Chrysostom, Nathanael had knowledge of the prophecies, and therefore doubted Philip when he told him the Messiah was from Nazareth: “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (v. 45). However, at the same time, he was [...]

The Information Highway - is it worth the Risk? Where are you Wisdom? We abandoned you for the sake of Knowledge! Where are you Knowledge? We lost you in the pursuit of Information! (TS Elliot). There is little doubt that in our times, the most expensive item is an item of information. For its discovery, collection, and transmission, we spend enormous amounts of money. Dealing with items of information has become one of the most popular and profitable industries, whilst at the same time it has acquired a significant degree of influence in our society. So, we now have the [...]

  For many people Great Lent is just a cycle in their yearly calendar where they “must” abstain from certain foods, temporarily cut out some bad habits, attend a few extra Sunday Liturgies and then Commune on Holy Thursday before going back to the same old “normal life” after Pascha. However if we wish to take Great Lent seriously, we should consider it a spiritual journey rather than a religious obligation. If someone therefore undertaking a long journey makes careful arrangements, plans a specific route, gathers provisions, sets out a schedule and follows it, the same care and effort (if [...]