Saint Gregory Palamas on the Resurrection Though man’s salvation was possible for God to accomplish by any means, the Son of God became flesh and was crucified for us because by this method, He was best able to communicate His divine message to our fallen nature. His message was and is that eternal life has been restored by the defeat of death. In his sermon delivered on Holy and Great Saturday, St Gregory Palamas traces the history of man's relationship with God in order to establish the significance of the Resurrection as the event that perfected and restored man's communion [...]

Gospel Reading 15th May Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women (Mark 15:43-47, 16:1-8)   Mark 15:43-47 recounts the burial of Christ whilst 16:1-8 comprises the revelation of the Resurrection to the myrrh-bearing women. Central figures in the account are Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus as well as the myrrh-bearing women. Each of these figures provides a lesson for us. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who listened to Christ with an open mind, but did not commit himself. Neither did Nicodemus, who was a learned man and part of the Jewish council known as the Sanhedrin. He too had been listening [...]

  Has the World ever heard words of such momentous significance, which are true, and which also announce that all of us, will be resurrected when Jesus returns in full glory in His second coming! The Angel at the tomb, in brilliant white, announces to the myrrh-bearing women: "Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here - but is risen" (Lk 24:5-6). Since then, Orthodox Christians on the day of Pascha and the 40 days that follow, greet one another with unique spiritual joy: Christ is Risen! But the greeting “Christ is Risen” is [...]

The Easter Candle (Λαμπάδα) It is approaching MIDNIGHT. The church is shrouded in darkness... only one solitary flame flickers gently in the altar unseen behind closed doors. Anticipation hangs in the air... Silence... as with bated breath we wait with unlit candles and prepare for the announcement from the Liturgist... “come  receive the light from the never-setting light; and glorify Christ, Who has risen from the dead”. No longer does death have a hold, CHRIST IS RISEN! The light spreads quickly as the community of faithful pass it on, person to person, candle to candle. The wonderful mystery of the [...]

‘May we glorify Your mighty acts, your unspeakable plan of salvation for our sake’. (From the Matins Service of the Sixth Friday of Lent). Pascha is a time of joy and light, because when we celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection, we anticipate the immortality of our own soul and the resurrection of our own body. In the final week prior to Pascha, we are led step by step through the events that led to our Lord’s Crucifixion, and we are filled with so much awe at what our Saviour suffered for the sake of our salvation. During the services, we witness [...]