Hymn of the 9th Ode of the Small Paraklesis to the Theotokos   Being created in the image and likeness of God, man was not originally made to feel pain, to be sick and to die. The Fathers agree on this: for example, St Maximus the Confessor says that "When God created human nature, he did not create sensible pleasure and pain along with it." 1 Sin darkened the minds of the first created, Adam and Eve, and their nature was inexorably changed. Since pain, suffering and ultimately death became part of their nature it was passed down in a [...]

Moses and the burning bush - the representation of Panagia “..And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’ So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look…. He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” [...]

How do we pray the Psalms? Orthodoxy has many standard prayers that can be used by the faithful when we pray at home and Church. Such standard prayers include the Psalms, God’s own ''Prayer Book''. The Psalms teach us how, what and when to pray. When we recite them prayerfully and with faith, God speaks and enlightens us in accordance with our individual needs and circumstances. Further, the Psalms gradually become a part of our own daily lives when committed to memory by constant repetition and studied in their context to the rest of the Bible with the aid of [...]

Defeating sin: Overcoming our Passions and Changing Forever by Fr. Joseph Huneycutt Published by Regina Orthodox Press, Salisbury, Massachusetts, 2007. Defeating sin: Overcoming our Passions and Changing Forever is a book that provides a deep exploration of the passions and the virtues, spiritual warfare and the way toward repentance. It skillfully gathers like a honeybee from the writings of many Orthodox Fathers to produce sweet spiritual honey. Fr Joseph provides a clear and yet deep picture of the Passions, how they affect our lives and how we can practically conquer them: It is often unnerving to discover just what constitutes [...]