Kollyva (Κόλλυβα) In the loving arms of our Mother church no-one, living or dead, is forgotten. Why do we pray for the dead? We know that there is no repentance after we die. A person's eternal destiny repentance is determined immediately upon death. Praying for them is an expression of love - a love that survives and transcends death. We pray for those who have died, just as we pray for those who are living because we are all members of Christ's Church. The family of the departed prepare a plate of kollyva (κόλλυβα - boiled wheat), which is placed [...]

The Blessing of Our Homes at Theophany   On the 6th January every year we celebrate the Baptism of Christ in the river Jordan by St John the Baptist. This is known as the Feast of Theophany (Θεοφάνεια) meaning "God revealed" or Epiphany. The Troparion we joyously chant on this day proclaims: "When Thou wast baptised in the Jordan, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest Trinity was made manifest Trinity was made manifest, for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a [...]

Wearing A Cross In the Orthodox Church infants (and adults converting to the faith) receive a Cross at their Baptism to hang around their necks. This is not an adornment for cosmetic purposes but rather a WITNESS and SYMBOL of the Faith that they have been received into. The Cross is the universal Christian symbol acknowledged by all to mean that the wearer is a follower of Jesus Christ. Before the Crucifixion of Christ the cross signified suffering, defeat and death. With Christ's death on the Cross, it became the symbol of triumph, salvation and eternal life. The Cross is [...]

Vasiliko (Basil Herb) The sweet smelling, aromatic herb known as Basil derives its name from the Greek word «βασιλικό» meaning royal or kingly plant. Tradition tells us that in the year 326AD, St Helen, the mother of St Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor of Rome, embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in search of the True Cross of Christ. It is said that the sweet smelling scent of the vasiliko alerted her to discover the hiding place of the three crosses: the cross of Jesus, the repentant thief St Dismas, and the other thief Gestas. A dying man [...]

The Godparent The most important person in a child's life, after their immediate family and their spiritual father, is the Godparent. As baptisms in the Orthodox Church are traditionally conducted when the child is very young the Church has seen fit that each child has a sponsor. Adults seeking to enter the Church must also have a Godparent. The practice of having a sponsor has existed since the first century. To serve as a Godparent is a special honour, a sacred task, and it comes with many responsibilities. Along with the parents, the Godparent is responsible for the spiritual development [...]