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Living Prayer   Living Prayer by Metropolitan Anthony Metropolitan Bloom covers many topics relating to prayer and gives advice on how to begin and maintain a life of prayer. Bloom highlights the power of well-known prayers such as The Lord’s Prayer and The Jesus Prayer as ‘complete’ prayers which affirm our Faith. Metropolitan Bloom uses Biblical examples to highlight the great faith of certain people. One example used is the prayer of Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46), when the blind Bartimaeus exclaims, “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me”. Metropolitan Bloom uses the perseverance of Bartimaeus, who as a blind [...]

Paraklisis to Panagia   A paraklisis is a supplicatory prayer that is chanted, at any time of distress or sorrow, for the benefit of the faithful. It can be chanted to a specific Saint, but prayers to Panagia are the most popular. Early Christians recognised the Theotokos as a powerful intercessor for those suffering and in need of protection. Christians have been seeking her intercessions from the time of the ancient Church up to this very day: “For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). During the first 14 days of August every year, the Orthodox faithful [...]

St Nicodemus – on Frequent Communion   St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain was born in 1749 on the island of Naxos. He was baptised Nicolas and received his early education from the local priest. He entered Dionysiou Monastery on Mt Athos in 1775, and soon after was clothed with the Monastic Habit and given the name Nicodemus. As a monk, he revised and annotated many patristic manuscripts, including the well-known “Concerning Frequent Communion of the Immaculate Mysteries of Christ”. This book had as its purpose to defend the tradition of frequent Communion in the divine Mysteries at a time [...]

Hymn of Lauds, Sunday Matins Κύριε, ὅπλον κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου, τὸν Σταυρόν σου ἡμῖν δέδωκας∙ φρίττει γὰρ καὶ τρέμει, μὴ φέρων καθορᾷν αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν∙ ὅτι νεκροὺς ἀνιστᾷ καὶ θάνατον κατήργησε∙ διὰ τοῦτο προ-σκυνοῦμεν, τὴν Ταφήν σου καὶ τὴν Ἔγερσιν. Lord, you have given us your Cross as a weapon against the devil; for he quails and trembles, una-ble to contemplate your power; for you raise the dead and made death of no effect: therefore we worship your Burial and your Rising.   The Cross is the trophy of the Orthodox Church, intimately linked with the life of Our Saviour [...]