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Why does our Church View Marriage as a Great Sacrament? To answer this I have adapted and summarised a sermon on Marriage by a very holy man, Archimandrite Aimilianos, at the time Abbot of the Monastery of Simonopetra of Mount Athos. Many marry without knowledge, without a sense of responsibility, or simply because they think they must in order to be good members of society. A worldly marriage can only have one characteristic — the murder of a person's spiritual life. In order to have a successful marriage, one must have the appropriate upbringing from an early age. The child [...]

The Mystery of Death by Nikolaos P Vassiliadis Published by the Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians, “The Saviour”, Athens, 1993. The significance of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Resurrection and conquest over death is thoroughly explored by Nikolaos P Vassiliadis in his highly acclaimed and much referenced work titled, The Mystery of Death. He commences with the profound impact of death upon all humanity and explores the secular and ancient Greeks’ view of death. He then explores how sin was the cause of death, the consequential separation of the soul and body, and how this punishment becomes a blessing through the incarnation [...]

Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas On March 5th, 2016 the holy relics of Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South (Orthodox Church of America) were uncovered. Falling asleep in the Lord in the Summer of 2011, Archbishop Dmitri was buried unembalmed according to Orthodox tradition. Five years later, his body was disinterred in order to be transferred to a new tomb in St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas, where he served as Archbishop. To the cemetery personnel’s surprise, the Archbishop’s body was found completely incorrupt and exhumed a sweet smelling fragrance. They said that his body had not decayed even one [...]

Achilles, Bishop of Larissa Commemorated on May 15  Achilles was born in Cappadocia (in modern day Turkey) of devout and noble parents who afforded him a good education. Through fasting and vigils, he made constant progress, guarding his heart from worldly troubles and cares. He acted in a simple manner and always spoke gently. Still young at the time of his parents’ death, Achilles gave away his fortune and set out on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He sought the company of those closely acquainted with God as he visited monasteries in the desert near Jerusalem. Achilles then went to [...]

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 [...]