Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: On the Humility of the Most Holy Theotokos (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: 
On the Humility of the Most Holy Theotokos

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1962)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

"For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed: for He that is mighty hath done great things unto me, and holy is his name" (Luke 1:48–49), answered the Most Holy Theotokos to the greeting of righteous Elizabeth, and the long succession of centuries that have passed since the moment these words were spoken serves as confirmation of their immutability. The name of the Mother of God is revered and glorified by all Christians. Her selection for the great mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, the purity and high holiness of her life, her service to God's dispensation for the salvation of men, her intercession before the Throne of God for the whole world, and her uninterrupted series of good deeds to those who require her help — these are the rays of the incomparable glory that belong to the Mother of God.

August: Day 13: Teaching 2: Venerable Dositheos

August: Day 13: Teaching 2:
Venerable Dositheos*
 
(Humility and Obedience Are the Path to Spiritual Perfection)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Dositheos, commemorated today by the Church, in his youth, despite the fact that he was noble and rich, left the world and retired to a desert monastery, which was distinguished by the special strictness of the life of its monks.

The young Dositheos was taken under the guidance of Venerable Dorotheos and given the obedience to look after the sick. The experienced leader gradually led Dositheos along the path of ascetic life. First of all, he tried to cut off any attachment to sensual things in Dositheos, no matter how unimportant they were. Thus, one day a good knife was brought to the hospital, which Dositheos liked very much, and he, showing it to the mentor, said: “Really, father, the knife is very good.” But the latter sternly answered him: “Dositheos! Do you want to be a slave to this knife, and not to God, and to bind yourself with an attachment to this knife, so that the knife would possess you, and not God; go, put it down, and never touch it again.” And Dositheos obediently did this: all the others used this knife, but he never even touched it again. 

August: Day 13: Teaching 1: Saint Tikhon, Bishop of Voronezh

August: Day 13: Teaching 1:
Saint Tikhon, Bishop of Voronezh
 
(A Role Model for Christians)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The great Saint Tikhon, the intercessor of the whole Russian land and the glorious wonderworker, the discovery of whose holy relics is commemorated today, was born in 1724 in the village of Korotsko, now in the Valdaysky district of the Novgorod province. His father Savva Kirillov was a very poor village deacon and died soon after his birth, so that the Saint did not remember him. The eldest son took his place and became the breadwinner of the family. Their mother Domnikia, three brothers and two sisters had to subsist on the meager wages of a psalmist. There was often no bread. The future luminary of Russia in his infancy and adolescence sometimes toiled until the sweat of his brow, harrowing the whole day for some peasant, just so that they would feed him with bread. But, in poverty, what a wonderful family it was! This is what happened one day: there was a coachman in their village, a well-to-do man, but childless. He often said to Timothy's mother (the secular name of Saint Tikhon): "Give him to me, I will feed him and arrange for him." One time, the elder brother, the breadwinner, was not at home: the mother, unable to bear to see her orphans without bread, without shoes, after crying, took Timothy and led him to the coachman. But the elder brother soon came, rushed after his mother, fell on his knees before her and said: "Where are you taking him? I would rather go out into the world with a bag, than give my brother to a coachman." The mother returned home. What brotherly love! And what it means to support a person in time! If it were not for such a good brother, we, perhaps, would not have had the great Saint, who for his great soul-saving writings can truly be called the Russian Chrysostom.

Location Where the Archangel Gabriel Announced to the Theotokos Her Dormition Three Days Prior

The Temple is called "My Soul Magnifies the Lord," or the Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, and is dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. It is located in what is called Small Galilee on the Mount of Olives. The feast day is celebrated on August 12th.

The very place where this church stands was said to be the place of prayer of the Most Holy Theotokos in the years she lived after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Lord. And three days before her Dormition and Metastasis the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her here to announce her repose in three days and she was given a palm branch as a sign of her imminent repose.

At present the place belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In 1880 Patriarch Hierotheos of Jerusalem purchased the land of Small Galilee from Muslim owners, and it quickly became a monastic community. The current church of "My Soul Magnifies the Lord", a small cubical chapel crowned with a dome, was built on the foundation of a Byzantine church of the 4th-5th centuries by Archbishop Epiphanios of Jordan and consecrated in 1889.

August: Day 12: Holy Martyrs Photios and Aniketos

 

August: Day 12:
Holy Martyrs Photios and Aniketos
 
(On the Saving Nature of the Thought of God's Omnipotence)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Photios and Aniketos, celebrated today in church hymns and readings, together with many other Christians, suffered under the Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century in Nicomedia. Diocletian ordered that instruments of execution be placed in the city square in order to frighten Christians. But at that time Aniketos, a nobleman, came to the emperor and boldly confessed himself a Christian, calling the pagan idols creatures, reproaching the idolaters and saying: “O emperor, the executions and tortures you have prepared for Christians do not frighten us. We do not regard them as anything.” The enraged emperor ordered that Aniketos be tortured and then cast forth to be devoured by wild beasts. But the terrible lion released upon him became so meek that it fawned on him. Saint Aniketos thanked God and asked for the strength to overcome the tormentor. His prayer was heard. At that time there was suddenly a strong earthquake, so that the temple of the idol of Hercules and part of the city wall fell, and many pagans perished from this. Then the emperor gave orders to cut off the head of the Saint with a sword, but as soon as the executioner raised his sword, he himself fell unconscious. They began to break Saint Aniketos on the wheel and at the same time burn his body with fire, but the wheel stopped and the fire went out. They threw the Martyr into a cauldron of boiling tin, but the tin cooled, and the Martyr remained unharmed. Then one of Aniketos' relatives, Photios, seeing how the Lord was protecting His servant, approached Aniketos and greeted him; then, turning to the emperor, he said: "Idolater, your gods are nothing!" The emperor gave orders to cut off Photios' head, but when the executioner raised his sword to strike him, the sword struck the executioner himself to death. Finally, Diocletian ordered a large furnace to be made in order to burn all the Christians with their wives and children. The Christians, without waiting for the torturers to throw them into the furnace, went into it themselves, saying: "We are Christians!" The first to enter were Saints Aniketos and Photios, and after them came a multitude of Christians, and they all died with prayer on their lips. The bodies of Saints Aniketos and Photios were found to be completely unharmed.

Holy Hieromartyr Alexander, Bishop of Comana

Saint Alexander, Bishop of Comana,* lived in the 3rd century near Neocaesarea. He studied the Holy Scriptures and knew many sciences. Having taken upon himself the feat of foolishness for Christ, the Saint lived in poverty, selling coal in the city square. Many, seeing his face always black from coal dust, treated him with contempt. 

When the Bishop of Comana died, some proposed choosing a new primate from the nobility, others - a scholar or eloquent man, others - a rich man. Then Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea (November 17), invited to consecrate the chosen one, pointed out that a bishop should have not only external dignity and distinctions, but above all, a pure heart and a holy life. These words caused some to smirk: "If you do not look at the external appearance and nobility of origin, then even Alexander the coal-burner** can be made a bishop." Saint Gregory thought that it was not without God's providence that this man was mentioned, and asked to summon him. 

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: The Most Holy Virgin – Our Unashamed Hope (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: 
The Most Holy Virgin – Our Unashamed Hope

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1961, the Thirteenth Week After Pentecost)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

"Unashamed protection of Christians, unwavering mediator to the Maker, do not disregard the prayerful cries of sinners, but hasten, as one who is good, to our aid, as we faithfully call upon you: Be speedy to intercede, and be quick to entreat, the ever-protectress, Theotokos, of those who honor you."

So we often sing with special tenderness in honor and praise of the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos, casting before Her all our unworthy prayers and referring to Her all timely help from above alone.

Homily One on the Ninth Sunday After Penteost (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

Homily One on the Ninth Sunday After Penteost*

God Will Never Leave You Without His Help

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

Today the Gospel reading tells us about the miraculous walking of the Savior on the waters, about how the Lord calmed the storm and saved the Apostle Peter from drowning, when he, having asked the Lord for permission, walked on the sea, but, doubting God’s protection, began to drown, crying out: “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:28–30).

Our life is the same sea of life, stirred up by the storm of misfortunes. Just as the sea is agitated by frequent storms and there are bad weather conditions on it, so it is in a person’s life. We cannot know what will happen to us in the shortest time. Not only death creeps up like a thief. Almost all misfortunes creep up like this. Our life is subject to many kinds of attacks from evil spirits and the people they lead. It is impossible to foresee and warn what evil will come up with, what will serve as a pretext and means for misfortune, where temptation will arise. But let us not be ashamed when temptations overtake us, let us not grumble at God, whose providential eye does not sleep over us. As the Holy Apostle Peter in a difficult and life-threatening moment cried out to the Lord: "Lord, save me, I am perishing," so we, friends, in all sorrowful, difficult and dangerous circumstances of our life must trust in God alone, turn to Him and ask Him for help. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble,” says the Lord through the Holy Prophet David, “and I will deliver you and you will glorify Me” (Psalm 49:15). No matter how hard the temptation, no matter how difficult and dangerous the circumstances, a person must not forget that he is not alone: the Lord is always with him, quick to help.

August: Day 11: Holy Martyr Euplos the Archdeacon

August: Day 11:
Holy Martyr Euplos the Archdeacon
 
(On the Benefits of Reading the Holy Scriptures)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Euplos, celebrated today, lived in the city of Catania on the island of Sicily during the persecution of Christians under Diocletian. Despite the danger of being captured and tortured, he fearlessly preached the gospel, gathered people around him and enlightened them with an explanation of the word of God. Then the governor of the city demanded a Christian preacher. They seized Saint Euplos while he was reading the Gospel in a hut; with this book in his hand, as evidence, they brought him to the governor Calvinianus.

“Why do you have this book in your hands?” asked the ruler.

“I was reading it when they took me,” answered Saint Euplos.

Homily Two for the Ninth Sunday of Matthew (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two for the Ninth Sunday of Matthew
(9th Sunday of Pentecost)

By St. John of Kronstadt 

Today, beloved brethren, the deacon read the Gospel about the solitary prayer of the Savior on the mountain; about the command of His Apostles to cross in a boat to the other side of the sea; about their difficult voyage in the contrary wind; about Jesus Christ walking on the sea as if on dry land; about the fear of the Apostles at the sight of a man walking on water, and about their encouragement from the Lord; about the bold request of the Apostle Peter to come to the Lord on the water and permission to do so; about Peter walking on the water at the beginning, before his fear, and drowning after the fright; about the helping hand extended by the Lord and the reprimand to Peter for his lack of faith and doubt; about the sudden cessation of the wind; and, finally, about the confession by those in the boat of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. The Gospel is extremely instructive and edifying, especially when we reflect on the fact that the persons and objects depicted in it, excluding the person of the Lord Himself, depict you and me.

August: Day 10: Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Lawrence

August: Day 10:
Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Lawrence
 
(On the Benefits of Remembering the Heavenly Reward)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Archdeacon Lawrence who is celebrated today suffered in the persecution of Valerian. He was accused of visiting Christians hiding in caves, bringing them food and clothing, and hiding the treasures of the Roman Church.

The Roman eparch subjected him to torture, and then, showing him the instruments of even more terrible suffering, said to him: “I will torment you with all these instruments if you do not fulfill my commands. Why do you not want to name the Christians who are hiding? Name them now, and bow down to the gods yourself. Your treasures will not save you.” 

Lawrence answered: “Fulfill your threats. What you call torture is a glory and joy for Christians. I will not name the Christians who are hiding, because you are unworthy of seeing those whose names are written in heaven. I do not hope for earthly treasures, but for those blessings that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him.” 

An Ominous Message Found at the Entrance to the Recently Excavated 5th Century Byzantine Church?

Archaeologists in Turkey recently excavated the ruins of a fifth-century Christian church with a message that hasn’t been seen in over 1,000 years.

The excavation took place at Olympus, an ancient Lycian port city in Turkey’s Antalya province, according to Anadolu Agency (AA), a state-run news outlet in Ankara.

The city has been excavated continuously since 2006, but during the recent season, archaeologists uncovered multiple mosaic floors, along with large storage jars called pithoi.

Excavator Gokcen Kurtulus Oztaskin, an associate professor at Pamukkale University, told AA that the site “continues to surprise us with its mosaics.”

Archaeologists Uncovered the Long-Forgotten Byzantine Settlement of Tharais

By Joanie Margulies
July 14, 2025
The Jerusalem Post

A team of archaeologists have unearthed what is believed to be the long-forgotten Byzantine settlement of Tharais, offering significant new insights into the history of Christianity in the Middle East. 

The findings, led by Musallam R. Al-Rawahneh, an associate professor of archaeology at Mutah University in Jordan, were published in Gephyra, a journal dedicated to the ancient history and cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, in May.

Rawahneh’s discovery was guided by the Madaba Map, an ancient mosaic that has long intrigued historians. He pinpointed the site near the Jordanian village of El-Irāq, in an area known as Ain Al-Qala’a. Although the settlement had been lost to obscurity for centuries, the archaeologist noted its strategic location along ancient trade routes leading to the southeastern Dead Sea region.

In Jerusalem Archaeologists Uncover the Remains of a 5th Century Female Ascetic Wrapped in Chains

 

A team of archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority announced in March 2025 that a body found buried in Jerusalem wrapped in chains had been a female, from the fifth century AD. It is the first archaeological evidence of extreme asceticism practiced by a female that has been discovered in Jerusalem, since prior to this discovery it was only observed in male monastics.

The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports,  was led by Dr. Paula Kotli, David Morgenstern, and Prof. Elisabetta Boaretto from the Weizmann Institute of Science, in collaboration with Dr. Yossi Nagar, Zubair ʼAdawi, and Kfir Arbiv from the Israel Antiquities Authority. Due to the skeleton’s poor state of preservation, the Weizmann Institute team employed advanced proteomic and peptidomic analysis, which identified the biological sex of the skeleton through proteins found in the enamel of the teeth. By analyzing the variations of Amelogenin proteins, which are encoded by the X/Y sex chromosomes, the researchers confirmed that the individual was a woman.

August: Day 9: Holy Apostle Matthias

August: Day 9:
Holy Apostle Matthias
 
(God Controls the Lot)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Apostle Matthias, celebrated today, came from the tribe of Judah and was born in Bethlehem; from childhood, he was a disciple of Saint Symeon the God-Receiver. He was one of those who remained constantly with the Lord Jesus Christ, witnessing many of His miracles and listening to His teachings. After the Ascension of the Lord, Matthias was designated "by lot" from among the two disciples chosen by the Apostles, who were witnesses to the earthly life of the Lord from His Baptism to His Ascension, and he was added to the ranks of the Twelve Apostles in place of Judas Iscariot. He preached the gospel in Judea and Ethiopia. Having converted many to Christ and enduring much suffering for his faith in Christ, the Holy Apostle Matthias met a martyr's death in Jerusalem, where he was stoned.

Words of Faith from Saint Kallinikos of Edessa

By Fr. Elias Makos

On the occasion of the transfer of the relics of Saint Kallinikos, Metropolitan of Edessa, Pella and Almopia, we offer below a few characteristic excerpts from the dozens of his encyclicals during the 17 years of his pastorate were collected, which show that he knew well that the present is at our disposal, while the future belongs to God. That is why he was constantly prayerful, attentive and vigilant.

The encyclicals (1967-1984) of Saint Kallinikos (published in 2004 in a single volume by the Metropolis of Edessa), reveal not only his way of thinking, but also his way of life, which aimed at nothing other than how his soul would be spiritually advanced, in order to hear, as he did, the voice of its Lord: "Enter into the joy of your Lord."

His purpose was not small and ordinary, but great, supreme and most holy. It was to progress, with the power and grace of God, in virtue and illumination.

He often repeated that while we have time, we should not forget the elementary truth, that we are not eternally in this world, but temporarily, very temporarily.

August: Day 8: Saint Myron, Bishop of Crete

 

August: Day 8:
Saint Myron, Bishop of Crete
 
(How Should We Conduct Ourselves in Relation to Earthly Goods?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Myron, a farmer by profession, whose memory is celebrated today, was born and lived on the island of Crete and glorified his modest life with such high holiness that even during his lifetime he was honored by God with the gift of miracles.

At first he was poor, but by diligently working on the cultivation of the land, he acquired prosperity, which he treated as befits a true Christian: using only what was necessary for himself and his family, he distributed all the surplus of the harvest, with which God blessed his labors, to the poor, and he shared with them in full measure, never demanding a return. The extreme non-covetousness of the righteous worker was expressed, among other things, in the following case: he once found thieves in his threshing floor, who, having filled their sacks with stolen grain, were unable to lift this weight themselves. Saint Myron addressed the thieves with meekness, calmed them down and even helped them lift the sacks. By this act he won over these people to himself and directed them to the honest path. In general, for his piety and philanthropy he acquired such love and respect that he was elected a presbyter and then awarded the highest degree of priesthood, i.e., the episcopate, and served as a priest for a long time during the persecution of Decius, spreading his philanthropic and educational activities more and more. Thus, he lived to a ripe old age and died at the age of one hundred, around the year 350, having marked his life with great philanthropy and many miracles. He zealously taught his flock piety, strengthened the confessors of the Christian faith in the feat of suffering, and honored the memory of the martyrs who suffered during the persecution of Christians under the emperor Decius.

Commemoration of the Siege of Constantinople by the Avars and Persians on August 7-8, 626 A.D.

This Persian invasion is not mentioned by Saint Nikodemos in his Synaxaristes for August 7th, but several Codices do. Here we quote exactly what is written in the Great Lavra Codex I 73.

On this day [August 7th], we commemorate the beyond all words and beyond all hope gift of perfect help granted to us by Christ our true God against the impious enemies surrounding us from all directions, both by land and sea, through our All-Holy and Immaculate Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary who bore Him without seed, interceding for the salvation of this God-protected and royal city. 

This occurred during the times of Emperor Heraclius, when Khosrow, the king of the Persians, sent forth his general Shahrbaraz to this God-protected city with heavy forces, who, having plundered all the East, captured the strait at Chalcedon, expecting a great haul from the cities. Seeing this, Heraclius crossed into the land of the Persians via the Black Sea, achieving more there than the Persians had accomplished in crossing Roman territory, leaving behind his sons here with Patriarch Sergius and the marvelous Bonos.

August: Day 7: Venerable Pimen the Much-Ailing

August: Day 7:
Venerable Pimen the Much-Ailing
 
(The Benefits of Illness for the Soul)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Pimen the Much-Ailing, who is remembered today, lived in the 12th century. He was born sickly and grew up in illness. His parents were very distressed about their sick only son, whom they had hoped to raise in comfort and to endow with a considerable inheritance after their death. But their son did not think so. On the contrary, he thanked the Lord that He had humbled and instructed him through illnesses. He asked his parents for one thing: that they would allow him to become a monk in the Kiev Caves Monastery, where many monks were then famous for the holiness of their lives, under the guidance of the great founders of monasticism - Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. His parents did not agree to this for their own reasons; they prayed to the Lord for only one thing - that their son would be healthy. They brought their sick son to the Kiev Caves Monastery to the Venerable Fathers of the Caves, so that they would heal him with their prayers; and the son secretly prayed that the Lord, by His holy will, would continue to lead him along the path of illnesses and sorrows and would grant him monastic tonsure. And the Lord heard the prayer of His faithful servant: Pimen was granted the mystical tonsure on his sick bed, and yet he continued to be ill, although he healed others from illnesses, by the grace given to him. Only a few days before his death, as was foreordained to him from above, he rose from his sick bed, Only a few days before his death, as it had been forewarned to him from above, he rose from his bed of pain, went forth, venerated the holy relics of the monastery, bid farewell to each of the brethren, received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and then peacefully fell asleep in the Lord. 

The Chapels of Greece in Summertime

By Zisimos Lorentzatos

Scattered across the surrounding hills and throughout the entire agricultural amphitheater are incredibly numerous churches. The immeasurable depth of Orthodoxy, with the houses of God that you encounter everywhere in Greece, whether you traverse through the valleys and mountains or across the maritime territory that is washed by the sea, where the people have always sustained their spiritual truth: "I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

Homily Four on the Transfiguration of the Lord (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Four on the Transfiguration of the Lord

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered in 1905)

I begin my speech to you, dear brothers and sisters, about the glorious Transfiguration of the Lord with the words of the Apostle Peter from his second epistle to the Jews of the Diaspora.

"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain" (2 Pet. 1:16-18). 

Here the Apostle Peter briefly mentions how the Lord was transfigured on Mount Tabor in the presence of the three chosen Apostles: Peter, James, and John, when His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. At the same time, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with Him.

Homily One on the Feast of Transfiguration (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

 

Homily One on the Feast of Transfiguration 

 

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

(Delivered on August 6, 1914)*

“Then Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up to a high mountain together, and was transfigured before them” (Matthew 17:1–2).

Many wondrous deeds have occurred in the life of the Lord, significant events, extraordinary manifestations of His divinity, but none were as astonishing as the glorious Transfiguration of the Lord. Here, in the darkness of night, alone at the summit of the mountain, the Lord prays, while three of His disciples, weary, are plunged into a deep sleep. At that moment, the Lord takes upon Himself, or rather, unveils from Himself, the light of the sun; His garments shone with purest whiteness, and before Him appeared reverently two of the highest prophets of the Old Testament, Elijah and Moses. The very night was illuminated, and the entire mountain was aglow with otherworldly, marvelous light. Awakened, His disciples were filled with wonder, marveling and tremulously beholding this unprecedented spectacle.

August: Day 6: Teaching 1: Holy Transfiguration of the Lord

 

August: Day 6: Teaching 1:
Holy Transfiguration of the Lord
 
(Lessons From the Event Being Celebrated: 
a) Hurry to Jesus Christ and He Will Calm You and Make You Happy; 
b) The Means to Live in Peace and Love)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Transfiguration of the Lord, which we celebrate today, took place in this way: Jesus Christ, taking with Him three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, went up with them to the high mountain Tabor, and there, during prayer, He was transfigured before them, that is, He appeared in a glorified form: His face shone like the sun, His garments became white as snow, and Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Him. The Apostle Peter, delighted with such a wonderful sight, said to Jesus Christ: "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You want, let us build here three canopies: one for You, another for Moses, and a third for Elijah." But while he was still speaking, a bright cloud appeared and overshadowed them; and when they found themselves in the cloud, fear fell upon them. And behold, from the cloud came the voice of God the Father, saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." When the disciples heard this voice, they were very afraid and fell to the ground. Jesus came and touched them and said, "Rise and do not be afraid." When they rose, they saw no one else except Jesus alone in His former form.

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: On the Significance of 'Trivialities' in our Lives (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: 
On the Significance of 'Trivialities' in our Lives

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1961, the Third Week After Pentecost)

"Unashamed protection of Christians, unwavering mediator to the Maker, do not disregard the prayerful cries of sinners, but hasten, as one who is good, to our aid, as we faithfully call upon you: Be speedy to intercede, and be quick to entreat, the ever-protectress, Theotokos, of those who honor you."

So very often with special tenderness the Holy Church proclaims in honor and praise of the Most Blessed Virgin Theotokos, casting before Her all our unworthy prayers and referring to Her alone all timely help from above.

The Church accepts as an indisputable truth that the protection of the Most Holy Theotokos extends over the entire human race, and especially over the Christian race, and over all of us in particular. The Most Holy Virgin, as a loving Mother, loves the human race, and most of all, Christians; can She remain indifferent to the lives and destinies of people, not care for them, not provide them with Her protection? The prayers of the Queen of Heaven for us are graciously accepted by Her Son and God. At Her intercession, He performed His first miracle, turning water into wine in Cana of Galilee. And this Gospel lesson serves as the most joyful proof for Christians, an assurance of the truth that the Mother of God invariably intercedes for Christians before Her Son.

The Shoes of Saint John Jacob the Chozebite Stained With Fresh Mud

In February 2023 a photo was taken of the shoes of Saint John Jacob the Chozebite which are worn by his incorrupt sacred relics. What is astonishing about the photo is that his shoes, which are normally clean, were found to be stained with what looked like fresh mud. What is the meaning of this?

The Birthplace of Saint John Jacob the Chozebite

The Birthplace of Saint John Jacob of Neamt - Crainiceni

 

By Teodor Danalache

The birthplace of Saint John Jacob of Neamț, also known as "the Chozebite," after the place where he engaged in holy ascetic labors, is located in the Romanian village of Horodistea, Păltiniș Commune, along National Road 29A, in Botoșani County, at a distance of only 15 kilometers from Rădăuți Prut, on the road to Dorohoi. The Saint's house is today a memorial house and museum.

The young Ilie Jacob, who later became known as Father John Jacob of Neamț, also referred to as "the Chozebite," was born in the village of Crainiceni on July 23, 1913, into a family of simple and devout peasants named Ekaterina and Maxim Jacob. In 1968, the village of Crainiceni merged with the locality of Horodistea, and today Horodistea is part of the Păltiniș Commune.

August: Day 5: Holy Martyr Eusignios

August: Day 5:
Holy Martyr Eusignios
 
(On the Love for One's Rank)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On this day the holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Martyr Eusignios. The Holy Martyr Eusigniosn was a native of the once famous city of Antioch in Syria, served in the military under several Roman emperors, and while in the regiment, together with Saint Constantine the Great, he saw in the sky a holy cross made of stars, with an inscription on it in Greek letters made of stars: "By this, conquer." 

He served in the military for 60 years. After that, returning to his homeland, he occupied himself with preparing himself for eternity, spent his life in prayer and fasting, and lived until the reign of Julian the Apostate. 

“Orthodox Uniates”: Dangers to the Church (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

At the funeral of Pope Francis, a group of cassock-wearers were heard chanting “Christ is Risen” in Greek, which impressed many [Greek] journalists, who were amazed because the entire world attending the funeral could hear the Greek language with this particular chant. They considered this very honorable. However, they did not know that these were Latin Uniates, whom the Vatican has in its fold and who are active in many Orthodox countries, to the detriment of Orthodox Christians.

The word Unia is a Polish-Latin word, which means union, and is an esoteric way of union between the Orthodox and Latins, regardless of doctrinal differences. The beginning of the Unia is considered to be the Lateran Synod of 1215, at which the Pope allowed the Orthodox East to keep their ecclesiastical customs, but to commemorate the Pope in the services and thus have communion with the Latins.

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: On the Preservation and Strengthening of Our Communion With the Holy Mother of God (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: 
On the Preservation and Strengthening of Our Communion With the Holy Mother of God

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1960, the Seventh Week After Pentecost)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters, the history of the Church knows many examples of special intercession and help of the Mother of God both to a nation or city as a whole, and to individual God-loving Christians. The patronage of the Queen of Heaven especially extended to the Greek Church with its capital Byzantium/Constantinople, to the Holy Mount Athos with its inhabitants/holy monks, and to our Russian Land – when our ancestors were distinguished by their piety and devotion, firm and deep faith. We will not speak about examples of this patronage now, but they are very comforting and precious for everyone and always.

The patronage of our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God, teaches us a living and strong trust in the Providence of God and in Her merciful and all-powerful intercession for us. It clearly assures us that our entire life passes under the beneficial and saving actions and influences of the highest Providence, and assures us that the Most Pure Virgin, like all the saints, takes the most active part in our fate, delivering us from great troubles and evils and sending us heavenly blessings and help from above.

August: Day 4: The Holy Seven Youths of Ephesus: Maximilian, Exakoustodianos, Iamblichus, Martinian, Dionysios, Antoninus and John

August: Day 4:
The Holy Seven Youths of Ephesus: Maximilian, Exakoustodianos (also known as Constantine), Iamblichus, Martinian, Dionysios, Antoninus and John
 
(On the Resurrection of the Dead)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Seven Martyred Youths, who are celebrated today, were the children of renowned citizens of the city of Ephesus, young warriors who lived during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Decius. This was a dreadful persecution. Many Christians were hiding outside the city, in caves. Among them were the seven youths whom the Church remembers today, who, hiding from the persecution, left the city and settled in a cave on Mount Ochlon to prepare themselves through fasting and prayer for their trials for the faith. Upon learning of this, Decius ordered the entrance to the cave to be blocked with stones. Among the stones, two courtiers, secretly professing the Christian faith, named Theodore and Rufinus, placed tin tablets, inscribing on them the names of the seven youths buried alive in the cave. Meanwhile, through His inscrutable decrees, God sent upon them a deathlike sleep and preserved them incorruptible and unchanged for their miraculous awakening in His glory and as a testament to the truth of His word, two centuries later.

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: The Mother of God as an Intercessor For Us Sinners (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos: 
The Mother of God as an Intercessor For Us Sinners 

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1960)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters, one hymn of the Church says: “Every tongue is at a loss and every mind is overwhelmed to praise You worthily. Transcending this world we hymn you, O Theotokos, yet being good do accept our faith, for you know our divine longing. You are the Protectress of Christians and we magnify you" (Irmos 9 of the Canon for the Theophany).

In fact, what worthy praise can we give with our sinful and meager lips to the Purest of all creatures, Higher than the Angels and Archangels, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who was honored to be the Mother of the Most High God, the Intercessor of the Christian race! But nevertheless, in order to be worthy Christians, we must always glorify (and not be disobedient to the will of God!) the Cause of our salvation, looking at Her love for us.

Homily Three for the Eighth Sunday of Matthew (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Three for the Eighth Sunday of Matthew
(8th Sunday of Pentecost)

By St. John of Kronstadt 

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today, my brethren, the Gospel was read concerning the miraculous feeding of five thousand men, not counting women and children, with five loaves and two fish. Let us recount this story of the miracle in a manner understandable to all. 

After the Lord heard of the beheading of John the Baptist, He withdrew alone to a deserted place. As we see further, our Lord went to pray in solitude to His Heavenly Father, seeking to lighten His heart, burdened with sorrow over the violent death of the great Prophet and Forerunner. Oh, brethren, even the Lord was not estranged from sorrows, and great, mortal sorrows, as He Himself declared before His sufferings: "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death" (Matt. 26:38; Mark 14:34). Thus, He went into the wilderness to pour out His sorrow in prayer before His Heavenly Father – for His friend John the Baptist. But would the people forsake the great Wonderworker and the most eloquent Teacher? And behold, the people followed Him on foot from the cities; a great multitude proceeded after Him.

August: Day 3: Venerable Anthony the Roman

August: Day 3:
Venerable Anthony the Roman
 
(On Trust in God's Providence)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Anthony the Roman, the Wonderworker of Novgorod, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in Rome of pious parents who belonged to the Eastern Orthodox Church. At that time the division of the Churches into Eastern and Western had already taken place, and in Rome they persecuted those who deviated from the Western Church; therefore, Anthony's parents hid their true faith. After their death, Anthony distributed part of his property to the poor, and with the rest he bought church vessels and other things, put everything in a barrel and threw it into the sea; and he himself withdrew into the desert, being 18 years old. He asked the monks he met to tonsure him and lived for about 20 years in one of the monasteries. Then he went to the sea and settled on a rock, but in the year 1106, on the 5th day of September, a storm arose, which tore his rock from the shore and carried the stone block across the sea. The stone, by the arrangement of God's Providence, did not sink, floated on the waters and finally reached Novgorod. At first, Anthony, not knowing the Slavic language, could not understand where he had arrived, but in Novgorod there were people who knew both Latin and Greek; they explained everything to him. At that time, Mstislav, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, reigned in Novgorod. The Saint Nikitas of Novgorod gave Anthony the village where he landed and built him a wooden church. Anthony subsequently founded a monastery here and was its first abbot. The church vessels that were cast into the sea in a barrel miraculously arrived in Novgorod.

Homily Two for the Eighth Sunday of Matthew (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two for the Eighth Sunday of Matthew
(8th Sunday of Pentecost)

By St. John of Kronstadt 

When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late; send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat" (Matthew 14:15–16).

Once the Lord sailed alone to a deserted place for prayer; the people, hearing of it, went after Him on foot from the cities. When Jesus came out of the boat, He saw a great multitude and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When evening came, His disciples approached Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late; send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." What? What are you saying, Apostles of Christ? That the people should abandon their Lord for food and drink, depriving themselves of the sweetest conversation with Him, more delightful than honey? Is it not He who said: "Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink? Is not life more than food?" (Matthew 6:25); "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Oh no, the people will not forsake the Lord: what do they care for food and drink? Food and drink are always with them; yet the Lord in the flesh is not always present, and He Himself is their food and drink. Behold how eagerly they listen to every word of His, how they fix their eyes upon His Divine countenance: oh, for them it is true delight to see and hear the Lord Himself; and they have forgotten about food and drink. Indeed, He will prepare for them a wondrous feast.

The Revival of the Veneration of Saint Stephen in Ioannina

The Veli Pasha Mosque in Ioannina

By Christos Klitsinaris

The Veli Pasha Mosque between the Cultural Center and the People's Market of our city (Ioannina), was built about 200 years ago by Veli, son of Ali Pasha, on the site of another mosque, built in 1670.
 

However, in order to build this mosque, a famous Byzantine church of Ioannina, of the today celebrated Protomartyr of Christianity, Saint Stephen, was demolished.

I remember as a child some elders when they passed by there making the sign of the cross. Should we, the people of Ioannina today, also make our cross as a testimony when we pass by there? After all, these were sacred grounds that were desecrated.

August: Day 2: Saint Basil the Fool for Christ of Moscow

August: Day 2:
Saint Basil the Fool for Christ of Moscow
 
(On Standing Reverently in the Temple of God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Blessed Basil of Moscow, celebrated today for his holy, God-pleasing life, left his parents' home at the age of 16 and took on the difficult feat of foolishness for Christ. Having neither shelter nor refuge, he walked around Moscow both summer and winter in tattered clothes. People did not understand him, considering him insane, and often showered him with ridicule and beatings, but he made it a rule to endure everything patiently. Taking advantage of convenient opportunities, Basil instructed many in goodness and even gave lessons in piety to Tsar Ivan the Terrible himself. 

Once Tsar Ivan was standing in church and thought about how to decorate his new palace on Sparrow Hills. After the service, Basil went to see the Tsar. "Where have you been? I did not see you in the church," said the Tsar. "But I saw you," answered Basil, "only you were not in the church, but on Sparrow Hills. Let us now lay aside all worldly cares," they sing in church, said Basil and then disappeared. The Tsar understood the words of the blessed one and began to have even greater respect for him.

Homily Two on the Procession of the Honorable Wood of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily Two on the Procession of the Honorable Wood of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord 

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1963)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Holy Church glorifies the power of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and at the same time remembers the sufferings of Christ, which He endured on the Cross. The reason for the establishment of this feast was an extraordinary event, miraculously revealed to the inhabitants of the capital of the Greek empire from the Tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

A severe plague broke out in Constantinople, which took thousands of lives daily. And so the city's inhabitants turned to God with prayer, adding to this a religious procession with the Tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord through the streets of the Byzantine capital, sprinkling all the houses and buildings with holy water. And since at the end of the religious procession the plague immediately ceased, then in memory of this miraculous event it was established to celebrate the Cross of the Lord every year on August 1. In addition, other events were added to this event, in which the power of God was also miraculously revealed: the victory of the Greek army over the Saracens, and the Russian army over the Volga Bulgarians, since these events also took place on August 1 by the power of the Life-giving Cross and the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God. But, remembering these events and glorifying the power of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the Church also now remembers the sufferings of Christ.

August: Day 1: Teaching 4: The Holy Maccabean Martyrs

August: Day 1: Teaching 4:
The Holy Maccabean Martyrs
 
(On Standing Firm For One’s Holy, National Faith)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today, brethren, the Holy Church solemnly celebrates the feast day in memory of the Seven Maccabean Martyrs, their mother Solomone, and their teacher Eleazar. They lived nearly two hundred years before the birth of Christ, yet despite this, the Christian Orthodox Church continues to joyfully celebrate their memory to this day. What have they done to deserve this? What actions and feats have they accomplished to earn themselves eternal remembrance in prayer? To understand this, let us turn to the history of the time in which they lived.

Esteemed Church, the Holy Maccabean Martyrs lived during the reign of the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes. This king, having plundered Jerusalem and slaughtered many thousands of Jews, initiated a wicked persecution of their faith, seeking to eradicate it entirely in order to subject them more securely and swiftly to his rule. To this end, he commanded the Jews, under threat of death, to "cease burnt offerings and sacrifices and libations in the sanctuary, abolish Sabbaths and feasts, establish pagan altars and groves and shrines, and to sacrifice swine and other animals that are abominable to the pagans, to leave their sons uncircumcised, and generally to change all previous religious beliefs, institutions, laws, morals, and ancestral customs" (1 Maccabees 6). It was a difficult time for the Jews. To change the faith and customs of their ancestors meant to change their nationality; it meant to lose everything – both faith and nationality. However, being faithful to the law of God and the covenants of their forefathers, the Jews disregarded the threats of the wicked king. For them, death was preferable to betraying their faith. Holding on to their beliefs, they feared neither severe tortures nor death, to which the tormentors subjected the Jews.

August: Day 1: Teaching 1: The Procession of the Honorable Cross of the Lord

  

August: Day 1: Teaching 1:
The Procession of the Honorable Cross of the Lord
 
(The Necessity of Bearing the Cross in the Matter of Salvation)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the 1st day of August, the Orthodox Church celebrates the miraculous power of the honorable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, commemorating the signs that have occurred from it and from the holy icons of Christ the Savior and the Mother of God.

In the year 1164, the Right-Believing Russian Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky and Manuel, the Greek Emperor, were compelled to wage war against the enemies of their homeland. According to the custom of pious Christian sovereigns, which has been preserved since the time of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine, the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and sacred icons of the Savior and the Mother of God were carried with the armies of Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky and Emperor Manuel to sanctify the warriors, instill in them a steadfast hope for divine assistance, and grant them grace-filled strength in their struggle against enemies, even when they were relatively stronger. Armed with such spiritual fortitude, on the day of the decisive battle against their foes, both sovereigns witnessed their troops being overshadowed by an extraordinary light emanating from the Lord’s Cross and the holy icons. Encouraged by this sign of invisible divine help, the armies of both sovereigns achieved a decisive victory – the former over the Bulgarians and the latter over the Saracens.