After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an
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He Give Us New Life – Sunday of the Paralytic
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (5:1-15) Today we hear the familiar story of the paralytic who had been ill for 38 years. We are not told how long he had been laying beside the miraculous pool, but we are told that Our Lord Jesus Christ knew that he had been
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Sermon on the Sunday of the Paralytic
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! The Gospel that was read today tells of the great miracle of the healing of the paralytic performed by our Lord Jesus Christ and of His mercy for suffering humanity. This Gospel bears the closest relation to each of us, and can serve as a great edification and comfort
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The 4 Causes of Sorrows and Trials
There are many causes which generate trials and sorrows in our life. Besides that, their combinations can be quite complex, so we are in a labyrinth of factors. However we can distinguish four big categories of influence which will help us to avoid and protect ourselves from unwanted happenings in our life. Sorrows because of
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The Myrrhbearing Women – Tears and Sweat and Blood, Sacrifice and Hard Work
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Today we recall all those who beheld Christ’s Crucified and Risen Body: the Myrrhbearing Women; the Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and the Righteous Nicodemus. We can only imagine how difficult it must have been for them to associate with Christ
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Why Do We Call It Pascha? (What Is Known In The West As Easter)
Christ is risen! Indeed He is Risen! My beloved, we are now in the joyous season of Pascha. It occurred to me that perhaps some of you do not know why we call what is known in the west as Easter by this term Pascha. What does it mean? Where did it come from? How
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10 Things To Remember for Bright Week and the Paschal Season
10 Things To Remember for Bright Week and the Paschal Season 1 (of 10) • We greet one another during the entire Paschal season (which lasts 40 days) with the words: “Christ is risen!” and the response to the greeting is: “Truly, He is Risen!” 2 (of 10) • During Bright Week, the Holy Doors
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He Makes Harlots To Become Virgins – Saint Mary of Egypt
On this final Sunday of Great and Holy Lent we remember and celebrate the life of the great St. Mary of Egypt. Most of us know the story of St. Mary of Egypt but perhaps we can dig a little deeper into the Church’s true purpose for remembering her now at the end of the
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Fearing Rejection, Fearing Loss of Control, We Construct A Wall of Defense
Why Do You Judge Your Brother? Standing up against a critical spirit Fearing the loss of control, we construct a wall of defense around us, keeping authenticity at bay. Fearing rejection, we see ourselves as unlovable, and blame others. Knowing we are inauthentic, we flee from the truth by becoming critical of others. We lie
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Second Sunday of Lent, St. Gregory Palamas
For modern western Christians (who typically have very little exposure to Orthodox Christianity), it’s often difficult to grasp the nature of the divide between east and west. In my experience, most reflexively tend to reduce the differences in their mind to being relatively superficial or inessential. But the divide runs much deeper than most tend
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