peace

“Be at peace with one another and with all” (Holy Monday Matins, Ode 8)

Our yearly motto, “Be at peace with one another and with all”, is taken from a hymn written by the famous hymnographer Kosmas of Maiouma of the 8th century. The verse is from the tropario of the 8th Ode of the Canon of the Holy Monday matins service and is chanted on Palm Sunday Evening. St Kosmas became bishop of Maiouma, a port-town near Gaza in modern day Palestine and helped defend the Church against the heresy of iconoclasm. This was a turbulent period. Having this in mind, how is it that St Kosmas still wrote the words “be [...]

Synthema 2016: “…be at peace with one another and with all…”

On Saturday, 2 January 2016, the men and ladies from the Greek Orthodox Christian Society and Orthodox Ladies Fellowship, the boys and girls from the youth fellowships (Ομάδες) and their families came together at an annual event to celebrate the new year and for the announcement of the new synthema (motto) for 2016. The program for this special event began with prayer and with the singing of traditional carols for the new year. Dr John Psarommatis, President of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society (in Greek) and Mrs Kathryn Stavropoulos (in English), introduced the synthema 2016, which is, «ειρηνεύετε εν [...]