by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow October 26, 2014. His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, presided over the Great Consecration of a church in honor of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian on the premises of the Saratov Theological Seminary and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the newly consecrated church on […]
Something We All Really Need: A Personal Request
April 29, 2013 By
(P.S. – it’s not money) Have you ever googled the following terms: Orthodox, priest, preaching? I have. I do regularly, with a multitude of similar terms, searching and seeking for good photos of Orthodox clergy delivering sermons. There are very, very few – even fewer good shots with focus, capturing the spirit of the event.
On How Clergy Ought To Speak
February 25, 2013 By
by St. Ambrose of Milan The voice should not be languid, nor feeble, nor womanish in its tone — such a tone of voice as many are in the habit of using, under the idea of seeming important. It should preserve a certain quality, and rhythm, and a manly vigor. For all to do what […]
That All Christians Should Pray In The Name Of Jesus Christ
January 21, 2011 By
Clergy, Monastics and Laity By St. Symeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki This Name of Jesus as a prayer should be said always by all the faithful with the mind and with the tongue. When standing or walking or sitting or reclining, always say it; forcing yourself to it. He will find great calm and joy in […]
Let’s Get Real About Priestly Indiscretion
December 11, 2010 By
by Fr. Aris Metrakos This article contains excellent advice for anyone contemplating the priesthood or discerning a vocation in the Orthodox Church (or any ‘church’ for that matter). Fr. Aris nails it. Aren’t we disgusted with the shocking number of high-profile cases of priests engaged in pedophilia, homosexual activity, and adultery? Some excuse this behavior […]
On The Duties of Clergy
August 19, 2010 By
by St. Ambrose of Milan From “On The Duties of Clergy: Book II, Chapter 1 Happiness in life is to be gained by living virtuously, inasmuch as thus a Christian, whilst despising glory and the favour of men, desires to please God alone in what he does. 1. In the first book we spoke of […]
Pastoring No Plush Gig
August 18, 2010 By
by Brad A. Greenberg No one can make you feel guilty like a pastor. Or in this case a New York Times story about pastoral burnout that I’ve been meaning to write about for two weeks: The findings have surfaced with ominous regularity over the last few years, and with little notice: Members of the […]
Clergy Burnout and Fatigue
April 25, 2010 By
Priestly ministry is especially demanding because as Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev writes: “The sacrament of priesthood is deeply significant…Despite the Orthodox emphasis on the ‘royal priesthood’ of all believers, the Church also recognizes a difference between laypeople and ordained clergy, the latter being entrusted with the celebration of the Eucharist, and having the power of ‘binding and loosing’. Ordination into a hierarchical rank, be it of bishop, priest or deacon, is not only a change of status but a transition to another level of existence.”
