Giver of Light When Christ was transfigured on Mount Tabor, His chosen disciples were blinded by the light which emanated from His person such that they could not bear to face Him. And yet that same light warmed them and attracted them, prompting Peter to plead with the Lord that they be allowed to remain there. In the dismissal hymn we call our Lord the “Giver of light.” Why is He the “Giver of light”? Christ’s teachings, His sacrifice and His resurrection are all light but more importantly, God Himself is the Light. Christ is Light and He was sent [...]

The Narrow and the Wide Gate In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:13-14). How are we to understand these words and apply them to our daily lives? Jesus is telling his followers that the main aim of our earthly life is to find the road that leads to [...]

Christ is Risen Christ is Risen! Today a Sacred Pascha has been revealed to us! These are the triumphant words that our Church repeats tirelessly for the forty days between Easter and the Ascension of our Lord. These three words bring the joyous message that “No one need fear death; the Saviour’s death has freed us from it” (St John Chrysostom). The message of Easter is one of eternal life and salvation. It overshadows all the problems we face in this life, whether they be health issues, economic downturns, social problems, etc. This is why Easter, or Pascha, is the [...]

Joyful Sadness: The Journey to Easter Most assuredly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16:20) As Great Lent begins, we embark upon a challenging but rewarding spiritual journey towards Easter, the Feast of Feasts. It can be tempting to begin the fast focused solely on the difficulty of the fast itself, which is why it is important to begin the fast with the correct attitude and intentions. We should firstly remember our destination – the joyful Resurrection – [...]