A Brief Life of St. Mark the Holy Apostle, Evangelist, and Martyr
John Mark, also called Mark, was born in Cyrene to Aristobulus, a disciple of Christ, and Mary. She is mentioned in Acts 12:12 as the matron of the home where the early Christians gathered for prayer, where the Last Supper took place, and where the Christians met to pray for the Apostle Peter when he was in prison. According to Egyptian Christian tradition, Mark is the individual recounted in Acts 12:25 as accompanying the Apostles …
Did #LoveWin?
Today, on the Fourth Sunday of the blessed Coptic month of Paouna, our Mother, the Holy Church, nourished us with a passage from the Gospel according to Luke 6:27-38 in which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to us about love, and especially the love of our enemies.Perhaps no word is used more in the language of the modern world than “love,” but in what way? After the United States Supreme Court’s sad decision legalizing same-sex …
The World Needs Abba Moses
Since the tragic ruling of five judges on the United States Supreme Court this past Friday, I’ve observed many Christians living in something like a daze. Although the decision wasn’t unexpected, it’s now real and a part of everyone’s life whether they wanted it or not. People are anxious, wondering what the decision means for their parishes, their childrens’ education, and even their own job security.In the midst of the anxiety, God, Who is always …
Martin Luther’s Confession of Orthodox Christianity
In July 1519, Martin Luther, the founder of the Reformation which would ultimately give rise to what we call the Protestant churches, engaged in a debate with a famous Roman Catholic apologist named Johann Eck in Leipzig… and he confessed the truth of Orthodox Christianity!
A Story from the Travels of the Apostle Thomas
In light of the Feast of the Holy Apostle Thomas, which we celebrate today, we offer this beautiful story of how Thomas began to bring many Indians to the knowledge of God. It comes from the First Book of the Evergetinos. The great Apostle Thomas was placed by the Lord in the service of a businessman, Abban, as one very able in the art of construction. Together with the businessman Abban, St. Thomas arrived in …
The Feast of the Great Syrian Ascetic, the Holy Simon the Stylite
On this day in the Coptic calendar, Pashons 11, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Simon the Stylite. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, he is known as Symeon the Stylite and his feast is celebrated on September 1. He was a 5th c. Syrian saint who is remembered for living as a hermit atop a pillar for an astounding 45 years.In the Coptic Synaxarion, the entry for the feast of his departure reads as …
Asking the Father in the Son’s Name
In the Holy and Divine Liturgy, we observe within many prayers the structure of supplicating and petitioning God the Father in the Name of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps the most common example of this in the Anaphora of St. Basil is the Prayer of Thanksgiving in which we give thanks to God the Father “for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every condition.” At the end of this prayer, the …
The Great and Holy Martyr George, the Prince of the Martyrs
This glorious and victorious saint was born in Cappadocia, the son of wealthy and virtuous parents. His father suffered for Christ, and his mother then moved to Palestine.When George grew up he entered the military, where he attained, in his twentieth year, the rank of tribune, and as such he was in the service of the Emperor Diocletian.When Diocletian began his terrible persecution of Christians, George came before him and courageously confessed that he was …
Seeking Asceticism during the Holy and Joyful Fifty Days
Advice to those who are struggling with living an ascetic life in the Holy and Joyful Fifty Days:1. Practice breathing while praying the Jesus Prayer.2. Eat without filling yourself (no seconds!)3. Don’t be lazy and lie about in front of any type of screen (TV, phone, tablet, etc.) If you wish to rest, pick up your Holy Scripture or a spiritual book and exercise your spirit.4. Remember the day of your death constantly and the …
Why We Don’t Celebrate the Eucharist on Great Friday
On Holy and Great Friday we do not celebrate the full Liturgy, because the Lord, Who on the eve of Friday instituted the Mysteries in memory of His passion, on Friday itself endured the voluntary suf fering and offered Himself voluntarily on the Cross as a sacrifice to the Father, as is said: He gave Himself up… Since in His divine Body through the suffering a sacrifice was then offered, on Great Friday there is …