The life of the saints is the life of Christ himself, continuing throughout the ages. We are united to them on the basis of the human nature that Christ reformed through his incarnation, death and resurrection. In the divine liturgy, and especially the Eucharist, we participate in the life of Christ and its events and in the life of the saints, because we are all one body, Christ, the saints and ourselves, and we are all “one in Christ Jesus.”
The Church is of course “apostolic,” but it is also patristic. It is essentially the “Church of the Fathers.” These two “characteristics” cannot be separated, and because it is “patristic,” it is truly “apostolic.” The witness of the Fathers is more than a historical feature, more than a voice from the past.
Chapter Seven: Saint Gregory Palamas and the Tradition of the Fathers Continue reading »
Section Three: Sermons for the Time of the Triodi His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazeem) (*) One of the Pharisees and the tax collector, O God, give us the grace of the Pharisee humbler from
On Holy Thursday we followed Jesus into the upper room. Today, on Good Friday (49), we will follow him to Calvary. We will not follow him
We now enter into the holiest week of the year (23). It is at the forefront of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, which along with the resurrection of Lazarus constitutes an introduction
One cannot prove with certainty what share history has and what share superstition has in the traditions concerning the saint (Mary of Egypt).
Sunday of Saint Mary of Egypt (fifth Sunday of Lent) Continue reading »
Today the Church calls our attention to Saint John of Climacus (19) because this father, who lived in the seventh century, achieved in his life
Sunday of Saint John of the Ladder (Fourth Sunday of Lent) Continue reading »
In the middle of Lent, the Church sets up before us the Cross of Christ. It does this twice more a year, on September 14 and August 1, marking the
Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy Cross (Third Sunday of Lent) Continue reading »
The Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent ends with an allusion to the ministry of angels. Today’s Epistle (Hebrews 10:1-3:2) also mentions angels.
Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas (Second Sunday of Lent) Continue reading »
When this holiday was established in 842, the word “Orthodoxy” referred to the defeat of the fight against icons and the declaring of the legitimacy of honoring them (15). And expand the meaning
The Monday following Cheesefare Sunday is the first day of Lent. So here we are in this series of
Saturday, the eve of this Sunday, is specially dedicated to the memory of the faithful who have departed. There is a clear connection between this memory and the remembrance of the Last Judgment.
When the Son of Man comes (one of the meat raisers) Continue reading »
