On September 21 each year the Orthodox Church celebrates the prophet Jonah. His story is not the usual one when it comes to prophets. We normally have this image of an Old Testament prophet as being someone who had brought themselves close to God, and as a consequence they were able through the Holy Spirit to reveal certain future events in order to guide the people of Israel.
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Jane Austen's novel, Sense and Sensibility is about two sisters: one is guided by her senses and emotions, and the other is guided by her rational outlook on life. In the end, it all works out, as the emotional one marries someone very sensible, and the sensible one marries someone full of heart. In our lives we are sometimes tempted to separate the sensual from the sensible.
The most important person in a one’s life, after their immediate family and their spiritual father, is the Godparent. As baptisms in the Orthodox Church are traditionally conducted when the child is very young the Church has seen fit that each child has a sponsor. Adults seeking to enter the Church must also have a Godparent. The practice of having a sponsor has existed since the first century. To serve as a Godparent is a special honour, a sacred task, and it comes with many responsibilities.
Elder Amphilochios (Makris) of Patmos (1889-1970) has been added to the register of Saints by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (29 August 2018).
Saint Amphilochios was a monk of the St. John the Theologian Monastery on the island of Patmos, where St. John the Evangelist received the Divine revelation that became the book of Revelation. The Saint also served as the abbot of the monastery. He also established women’s monasteries and an orphanage. The great treasure of Christian literature known as the Evergetinos takes its name from the monk Paul Evergetinos, the founder of an 11th century monastery in Constantinople dedicated to the Theotokos “the Benefactress” (ἡ μονὴ τῆς Εὐεργέτιδος)
St Gregory Palamas in his homily on the ‘Dormition of Our Supreme Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary’ reveals the mystery that is the Theotokos. He explains how Panagia, through her obedience to the divine plan of God, ‘to things heavenly rather than things earthly,’ made ‘earth heavenly, (since) she deified the human race’.
“Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive” Colossians 3:13.
This verse is from St Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians, which was written in his time in prison in Rome, and provides guidance for every aspect of our daily lives. Psalm 102 (103 in Western Bibles) is a favourite of the Orthodox Church and is often chanted in the Divine Liturgy. It is a Psalm of David containing much that is of benefit for the spiritual life. In this article, we examine two of the better-known verses from this Psalm.
In today's times, it can appear to be difficult to live a Christian life. We have our university studies, friends and a thousand other things dragging us away from what we should be doing.
On the Feast of the Apostles, we are reminded of the work the first pioneers of our Faith completed to establish the Church. These men chosen by Jesus were commanded to preach the coming of the Kingdom of God. They had authority to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons (Matt 10:8).
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