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Orthodox Saints of the World   Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20) This Commandment of our Lord also applies to all Christians from every age in history; every person and every nation who has ever existed. It is reflected in the Creed that Orthodox Christians pray every day when we boldly proclaim: ‘I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church’. What does Apostolic mean? Apostolic has three distinct, [...]

The Garden of the Holy Spirit: Saint Iakovos of Evia by Professor Stylianos Papadopoulos Published by Orthodox Witness 2018   The Garden of the Holy Spirit is a spiritual biography describing the life of a contemporary Greek Orthodox Elder, Iakovos Tsalikis, abbot of the Monastery of Saint David in Evia, Greece. The Elder’s biography begins with his family’s flight as refugees from Asia Minor to the island of Evia. It follows with a description of the Elder’s early life, especially his upbringing in the faith by his pious mother, his asceticism, and his love for prayer and the sacred Church [...]

The Flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)   This scene starts with the Magi departing Bethlehem and the angel warning Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt lest Herod kill Christ. It is symbolic that the Magi did not return to Jerusalem but went on to Persia instead. Babylon is often represented in the Bible, especially in Psalms and Revelation, as a place of sin. It was to this place that the Magi were commissioned as teachers to redeem the sinful land. A similar redemption occurs in Egypt which, together with Babylon, was described by St John Chrysostom as the [...]

What do I do if there’s no Orthodox Church near me?   When our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was asked, “teach us to pray”, he started with the words “Our Father”. He did not say “my father”. In this way he was teaching us that it is not “God and me”, rather it is “God and us”. Common worship means coming together as a group and worshipping God, with prayer, doxology, song, with our hearts, our minds and our bodies, together in one space. This is a foundational aspect, not only of the Orthodox Church, but of the whole [...]

St Ambrose of Milan (Commemorated 7th December)   St Ambrose of Milan was a profoundly inspiring Bishop who was well loved by the people of Milan and by the Byzantine emperors who sought his guidance. He was born in 340AD at Trier and became well-educated, having learnt both Greek and Latin. He was appointed Governor of Milan and ruled with the Christian virtues of love and fair justice, being attributes with which he was raised. He was so loved that he was elected as Bishop by the people of Milan, and was not baptised until after his election! As Bishop [...]