Saint Leo of Rome in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

This wondrous Father of ours, Leo, because of his exceptional chastity and purity of soul and the sincerity of his life, was ordained by the Holy Spirit as President (Bishop) of elder Rome. He demonstrated a life pleasing to God and genuine, and shepherded his flock in a holy manner; and furthermore: he completely wiped out the blasphemies of the heretics at the time of the Holy and Ecumenical Fourth Synod of the six hundred and thirty Fathers, which was convened in Chalcedon in the year 451 A.D., which expounded many things concerning the Orthodox faith and overturned the dogmas of the heretics, who were speaking nonsense about the one nature and energy and will of Christ our God.

And because those fighters against God were warring against the truth and were attempting to refute the divinely-inspired dogmas of the divine Fathers, this blessed one, being persuaded by the supplication of the entire Synod, after many days of fasting and vigil and intense prayer, was inspired by the life-giving Spirit and set forth in writing on these matters, clearly proclaiming a double energy and two wills in Christ our God. He then sent these by letter to the Synod. This letter the multitude of Holy Fathers received with the conviction that the writing had come forth as if from the mouth of God; thus, as though the Fathers had found rest in it, they opposed with greater boldness the host of the heretics and defeated their complex intrigues. And with these things the most sacred Assembly was dissolved.

And the divinely inspired Leo, after living still many years and shining like the sun with his virtues, departed to the Lord in deep old age.

Prologue in Sermons: February 18

 

 

What Is the Difference Between a Bad and a Good Monk

February 17

(Instructional Word of Saint Ephraim to Monks.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Just as a young tree, in order to grow better and not be shaken by the wind to and fro, needs a support, so also a young monk, in order to become established in good and flee from evil, needs support and guidance as to how he should live, what he should do, from what he should withdraw, and what he should not do. And such instruction, in accordance with what has been said, we offer to monks today. Let them listen attentively to what we shall say.

What, then, should a monk flee, and to what should he cleave?

Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Tiro in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

This Holy Martyr lived in the time of the emperors Maximian and Maximus and came from Amaseia of Pontus, from a village called Choumialon. As soon as he was enrolled among the ranks of the Tirones — that is, the newly-recruited soldiers — under the authority of the officer Brynkas, he was examined by him and confessed that Christ is God, while he mocked the objects of pagan reverence as lifeless idols and works of human hands.

And when he was given the opportunity, he did not remain inactive, but conceived and carried out the greatest of deeds: he burned the idol of the so-called mother of the gods, as the pagans madly claim. For this reason he was arrested, and after confessing that he himself was responsible for the arson, first he was scraped while suspended with iron claws, then he was thrown into a furnace of fire, and there he was perfected in martyrdom.

His synaxis is celebrated on the Saturday of the first week of the Fast, when his miracle of the kollyva also took place and he thus saved the Orthodox people from the defiled eating of food sacrificed to idols.

Prologue in Sermons: February 17

The Tears of Widows Especially Reach God

February 17

(A Word on Those Who Work Signs.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

We often say that the Lord is the defender of widows and orphans. And we speak the truth; for indeed the Lord is their defender and at times reveals to them particular and extraordinary signs of His mercy.

Venerable Sisoes relates the following incident:

“When I was,” he says, “in the skete with Abba Makarios, and once, after leaving it, we went out for the harvest, a certain widow followed behind us, gathering ears of grain and weeping bitterly. Venerable Makarios called the elder of that village and asked him: ‘Why is the old woman who walks behind us gathering the ears of grain continually weeping?’

The elder answered: ‘Her husband entrusted some gold to a certain man for safekeeping, but soon afterward he suddenly died without telling his wife where the gold he had taken was kept. The owner of that gold now wishes to take her children into servitude.’

The Former Metropolitan of Ganos and Chora, Amphilochios, Has Reposed

 

On the night of Saturday, February 14th 2026, the former Metropolitan of Ganos and Chora, Amphilochios, reposed in the Lord at the age of 88.

The news was made known in a post by Archimandrite Nektarios Pokkias, who, with emotion, announced the repose of the respected Hierarch, writing:

“Our sweet Elder, Metropolitan formerly of Ganos and Chora, lord Amphilochios, a few minutes ago journeyed into eternity. Eternal be his memory. May we have his blessing… Now he is near his Elder, the Venerable Amphilochios Makris.”

Homily for Meatfare Sunday -- On the Dread Last Judgment (St. Cleopa of Sihastria)

Homily for Meatfare Sunday
(Sunday of the Dread Judgment)
About the Fearful Last Judgment

By St. Cleopa of Sihastria

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Beloved faithful,

Today all of us present have heard the words of our Savior Jesus Christ about His coming at the most dreadful Last Judgment. Know that from the foundation of the world until the end of the ages nothing is more fearful than the coming of the Lord at the Last Judgment. Not even the angels can describe to us in detail that most terrible coming of the Lord, when He will judge all the nations of the earth from Adam until the end of the world. We, being very weak and uncomprehending, cannot speak fully about that unspeakable terror and fearful coming of the Lord.

But from what we have heard today in the Holy Gospel and from what Divine Scripture shows, as well as from the teachings of the Holy Fathers about the Judgment of the great day, we shall set down here a few teachings, according to our weak understanding, about the Lord’s coming at the Last Judgment. And first we will show, with testimonies from Holy Scripture, in what manner the Lord will come and what will be the first signs of His coming.

A Simple Priest Gives Profound Meaning to the Triodion

I asked an elder priest:

"My dear father, the Triodion is beginning. What can we say about this period?" (The elder is simple and has not studied the theology of the universities, but the theology of prayer, as he himself says.)

"My child, the word 'Triodion' itself says it… That is: we sinners, if we have three passions to fight, let us make them two… That is the Triodion… the striking down of our passions, the reduction of our weaknesses… In short, to drive away the defects we have… We won’t manage to get rid of all of them, but even if we drive away just one, God is pleased.*

But we must be careful not to cover them up, like women do when they put on makeup — or men, who nowadays I think adorn themselves even more — that is, only outwardly… A passion needs uprooting from the root. You must dig deep into the soul to find where it begins and then uproot it completely…

Holy Martyr Pamphilos and Those With Him in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

 

 

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

These glorious martyrs, in the sixth year of the persecution of Diocletian, were led to martyrdom from various cities and from various professions and ranks, and were united in the one faith of Christ. The manner of their arrest was as follows: As they were about to pass through the gates of the city of Caesarea, the guards demanded to know who they were and from where they came. They called themselves Christians and said that their homeland was the heavenly Jerusalem. For this reason they were arrested and led before the governor Firmilian; and after many tortures he beheaded Elijah and those with him, just as he also beheaded Pamphilos and the rest. Porphyrios, because he sought the body of his master Pamphilos, was also arrested and delivered to the fire. Likewise Julian, because he embraced the bodies of the Saints, was cast into the flames. And Theodoulos was crucified upon a piece of wood and thus bore witness in martyrdom.

Like another twelve apostles, our Church today presents the Holy Twelve Martyrs: the priest Pamphilos, Valens, Seleucus, Daniel, Theodoulos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Porphyrios, Paul, Julian, and Samuel — because of their mindset, which moved with the same apostolic zeal regarding the firmness of their faith and their fearlessness before torments.

Prologue in Sermons: February 16

Virtues Are the Steps of the Ladder Leading to Heaven

February 16

(An Edifying Parable from the Paterikon.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Among the teachings and counsels of the Holy Fathers there are parables that are very instructive and greatly beneficial for the salvation of the soul. Today I will relate one of them.

A certain simple layman, a pious man, once came in the company of many other Christians to the Venerable Poemen and asked him for instruction. Poemen replied: “Today you yourself speak a word to the brethren.”

The visitor exclaimed, “How can I, wretched as I am, speak, Father?”

“You,” Poemen answered - and all present joined him, insisting that the simple man speak.

Then he said: “I am an unlearned man and cannot say anything except the following parable, which I once heard from a great elder. Here it is.