by Abbot Tryphon Depression is one of the plagues of the modern age, overtaking many with it’s insidious poison, and ravaging many a life. The pain and suffering that comes with deep depression can infect those who surround the sufferer, for the depression of one person can spread like mold on stale bread. Psychiatrists are […]
Eucharistic Bread: Leavened or Unleavened?
June 5, 2017 By
In the ninth century the use of unleavened bread had become obligatory in the West, while the Orthodox continued the exclusive offering of leavened bread. The issue became divisive when the provinces of Byzantine Italy which were under the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople were forcibly incorporated into the Church of Rome following their […]
Why the Repetitions of “Lord Have Mercy”?
May 31, 2017 By
by Sr. Vassa “Lord, have mercy!” (Frequent refrain in Byzantine Liturgy) Isn’t it somewhat morbid, how often we repeat, in our church-services, “Lord, have mercy” (Kyrie eleison)? It is, if we misunderstand the word “mercy” (eleos), limiting it to what it means in today’s English, a “withholding of punishment.” But the term means much more […]
Did St. Mark of Ephesus Consider the Latins to be a Church?
May 13, 2017 By
by Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) The following is an excerpt from the Metroplitan’s very important “Intervention and Text to the Meeting of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece (November, 2016),” which can be found here in Greek and here in English. Unfortunately, during the “Council of Crete” some supported the idea that St. Mark of […]
Orthodox Marriage & Its Misunderstanding
April 27, 2017 By
There are two misunderstandings about marriage which should be rejected in Orthodox dogmatic theology. by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) The love that exists between a man and a woman is an important theme in many books of Scripture. The Book of Genesis, in particular, tells us of holy and pious couples, such as Abraham and Sarah, […]
The Right Time
April 24, 2017 By
by Fr. Deacon James K. Cairns II When is the right time to talk about death? It is not a topic that we often contemplate or even like to generally dwell on. In our society, we live in the now. We have become creatures of instant gratification with the advent of computers and the several […]
Can a Scientist Believe in the Resurrection?
April 17, 2017 By
by Ian Hutchinson, MIT I’m a professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT, and this weekend, I’m celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. So are dozens of my colleagues. How can this be? Hypothesis one: We’re not talking about a literal resurrection. Perhaps it is just an inspiring myth that served to justify the propagation […]
Are John 3 and 6 About Baptism and Eucharist?
April 4, 2017 By
by Seraphim Hamilton There is a convergence of language in John 3 and 6. Both chapters contain the rare (for John) phrase “Son of Man” a reference to the ascending High Priest in Daniel 7. Both contrast flesh and Spirit. Both refer to the promise of the new exodus. Both allude strongly to Ezekiel 36-37. […]
