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How do we know we have a soul?   If you think about it, there is nothing we can be more certain about than the fact the we are aware of our own existence, that we have our own first person perspective, that we have feelings and we are aware that we have these feelings, or that there is a certain “inner feel”, a “me-ness” about us. The vast majority of people believe that this is due to our soul; indeed this seems very obvious to most of us, it is “primordial data”. One has to admit, however, that there [...]

Holy Martyr Alexandra the Empress (Commemorated 21st April)   Alexandra was the wife of Roman Emperor Diocletian, who mercilessly persecuted Christians in the late third and early 4th century AD. She witnessed the martyrdom of Saint George and was one of many who converted upon seeing how perseveringly the Saint withstood his many tortures. Not only did the pagan masses see this Christian man approach Emperor Diocletian determined to make his case, but they saw him miraculously remain unharmed by the tortures, undeterred in his devotion to Christ before the cruellest of emperors. Having confessed Christ as the true God, [...]

Loneliness in Our Times   Loneliness is the essence of being human. Each human being comes into the world alone, travels through life as a separate person and ultimately dies alone. Coping with this situation, accepting it, and learning how to manage his life with some degree of grace and satisfaction, is the human condition. The condition is complex, usually an unpleasant emotional response to isolation, and typically is associated with some degree of anxiety and even anger. An accurate definition is difficult, but roughly one can define loneliness as: a reduced degree of social interaction available to the individual, [...]

Passage and Resurrection   There is no better introduction for the Christian celebration of Pascha [Resurrection], which the Orthodox Church has called “feast of feasts”, than the unique joy experienced by the faithful at the time, and its associated spiritual uplifting. The Christians received this feast from the Jews. But while they commemorate their exit from Egypt, we celebrate something far more important and beneficial for the whole humanity - the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In one word, Resurrection means the entire message of Christianity, the whole content of our Faith, the complete meaning of the [...]