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by St. Ephraim the Syrian Our father among the saints, Ephraim was a prolific Syriac language hymn writer and theologian of the 4th century. He is venerated by Christians throughout the world, but especially among Syriac Christians, as a saint. Here Ephraim presents his “counsel of life”, warning against various sins such as greed, pride, fornication, and slander. 1. This is the day that gladdened them, the Prophets, Kings, and … [Read more...]
by Fr. Hans Jacobse What happens when we try to secularize Christmas, and why Orthodox Christians need to remain faithful to their traditions. In the Christian tradition of both east and west, the twelve days of Christmas refer to the period from Christmas Day to Theophany. The days leading up to Christmas were for preparation; a practice affirmed in the Orthodox tradition by the Christmas fast that runs from November 15 to Christmas … [Read more...]
It's older than you've been told! The present Feast, commemorating the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, was established by the Church. Its origin goes back to the time of the Apostles. In the Apostolic Constitutions (Section 3, 13) it says, "Brethren, observe the feastdays; and first of all the Birth of Christ, which you are to celebrate on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month." In another place it also … [Read more...]
William J. Tighe on the Story Behind December 25 In this, one of my favorite articles, William Tighe explodes the notion we were all taught in public school about the 'Christianization' of a pagan festival for the date of Christmas. He uses historical fact to prove his point, and has thereby offered all Christians that most precious of all jewels - the truth, regarding the Church's celebration on Dec. 25th. Enjoy! Many Christians think that … [Read more...]
By Father Daniel Daly Several years ago during the Christmas season, a religious program on television caught my attention. The program featured a discussion on the dangers of cults, especially to young people. I found myself agreeing with the panelists as they warned young people about the hazards of involvement in occult or “new age” spirituality. During the interview, however, one participant made a statement that shocked … [Read more...]
by St. Leo the Great Our father among the saints, Leo the Great was the bishop of Rome during difficult times. He was an eminent scholar of Scripture and rhetoric. During an invasion by Attila the Hun, St. Leo met him outside the gates of Rome. After some short words, to everyone’s surprise, Attila turned and left. Three years later, during an invasion by Genseric the Vandal, St. Leo’s intercession again saved the Eternal City from … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas to all our faithful readers, members, lurkers and writers! On this day, the day of our Lord's birth, we here at the Preachers Institute want to wish you all a very merry, safe, and spiritually fruitful Nativity celebration, and to assure you all of our prayers, particularly on this festive Holy day. This is a great feast, the feast of the Incarnation - the central theological doctrine of the Christian faith. If the Eternal, … [Read more...]
Congratulations to our Bloggers who signed up for the 30 (40) Days of Blogging. Today is the 40th day! Your marathon journey has come to an end! Axios! I want to thank everyone for participating. I've been reading your blogs, and I must say, I'm impressed with your work and the incredible labor that went into it. We will repeat this exercise next year, starting (once again) on Nov. 15th. In the meantime, I want to especially congratulation some … [Read more...]
Apart from the many helps for a Christmas sermon, the Preachers Institute would like to offer you one more article to spice up a Nativity service for those who attend your worship. There's nothing better than when 'the lights go on' for our listeners, and they see or hear something perhaps they've never understood, or perceived before. Add these Scripture verses to your Christmas sermons, and offer a brief explanation of these points. If your … [Read more...]
by St. Leo the Great Our father among the saints, Leo the Great was the bishop of Rome during difficult times. He was an eminent scholar of Scripture and rhetoric. During an invasion by Attila the Hun, St. Leo met him outside the gates of Rome. After some short words, to everyone’s surprise, Attila turned and left. Three years later, during an invasion by Genseric the Vandal, St. Leo’s intercession again saved the Eternal City from … [Read more...]
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