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St John of Kronstadt Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple In his homily on the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos (November 21), St John of Kronstadt (1828-1908) asks “How did the most blessed Virgin spend her time in the Temple?” He notes just four things, and pleads with us to imitate the Theotokos in these, adding that the Church is the “school of faith and piety” which we too, like her, must make the centre of our life. First he states that she spent her time learning how to pray directly by the Holy Spirit, showing us [...]

Alleluia - Ἀλληλούϊα.   The use of the exclamation, "Alleluia"  was inherited by the first Christians from Hebrew worship. It means, "God be praised" or "Praise God". In the Orthodox Church it is in itself an exclamation as well as an exhortation to praise God. It is used throughout all the prayers and services of the Orthodox Church. However, it's deeper significance is derived from its use in the Holy Liturgy which is the pre-eminent service of worship in the Orthodox Church and the source for all the other Church Services. In the Holy Liturgy, it is sung as a [...]

The Prophet Joel Nothing certain is known of the life of the holy Prophet Joel outside of his book of the Old Testament. The Book of Joel is very short, but contains a very important prophecy relating to the events that occurred on Pentecost: "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions" (Joel 3:1). The promise of the Holy Spirit is followed by a prophecy that the good news shall be proclaimed by those whom the Lord calls. This perhaps [...]

The Church at Prayer – The Mystical Liturgy of the Heart By Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra Published by Indiktos, Athens, 2005. “Let us leave the earth below and let us become like flames of fire, so that we too can ascend to where God is.” ‘The Church at Prayer’ is a book compiled of various sermons delivered by the Athonite Elder at various monasteries and parishes in Greece and Cyprus. Elder Aimilianos discusses some of the most important aspects of our lives as Orthodox Christians, with chapters on Prayer, the Divine Liturgy, Spiritual Study, and the Spiritual life. The first [...]

Bless the LORD, O my soul! - Psalm 102 (103) Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον Psalm 102 (103 in English Bibles) is a poetic prayer read (and sometimes chanted) in the Orthodox Church at the beginning of the service of Vespers. In this Psalm, the Psalmist meditates on the various parts of God’s Creation: the heavens and the earth, the mountains, the valleys and the water which passes through them, the ministering angels, the diversity of plants and animals including the cattle, the cedars of Lebanon, the young lions who snatch their pray, the sparrows and their nests, and [...]