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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How To Say The “Prayer of St Ephrem”
The “Prayer of St Ephrem” is ubiquitous during Great Lent, and is used in all weekday services, and say the St Ephrem prayer twice a day at home, during the week! The prayer is said two times, one time in parts, and the last time in full. After each part, or the entire prayer, a
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Homily for Forgiveness Vespers – Modeled on St John Chrysostom’s Paschal Homily
Homily for Forgiveness Vespers Modeled on St John Chrysostom’s Paschal Homily Audio here of Fr Hopko reading both homilies —————– If anyone be devout and love God, Let him commence this radiant fast with joy! If anyone be a wise servant, Let him, rejoicing, enter into the school of repentance. We who have wallowed long
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The Prodigal Son Came to Himself – What Does This Mean?
Luke 15:11-32 In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. The Church gives us another example today, about repentance. It tells us another part of the story. This is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, and is yet another Sunday that prepares us for the Great Fast. We are
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Be A Follower And Change History!
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (4:18-23) In every person’s life there are moments where making a certain choice or decision will forever change the course of their life. This is true both in a positive as well as a negative sense. People sometimes choose to do something which is wrong
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Rock Bottom and The Return To God – The Prodigal Son (2019)
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (15:11-32) We are now entering the second week of the pre-lenten period in the Holy Orthodox Church. Last week we heard the Lord’s beautiful words about the publican and the Pharisee and we concluded from His words that the most important aspect of our prayers
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The Publican and Pharisee as Spiritual Athletes
The canon from the Lenten Triodion for Matins for the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee uses athletic imagery to contrast the two men in prayer and to help explain Christ’s parable. The righteousness of the Pharisee proved to be vanity, and was condemned, for it was yoked to pride; but the Publican gained humility, which goes with
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Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this week we start our preparation for the Great and Holy Lent with the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. In this parable, we are told about two men that are praying.
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Does God Ever Ignore Our Heartfelt Prayers?
The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (15:21-28) Three. That is the number of times that the Canaanite woman begged and pleaded with the Lord Jesus for His help. She came to him begging and crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a
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St. Xenia of Petersburg Works A Miracle In California
About fifteen years ago, I heard this story about an event that took place in Northern California—an unusual story, about a miracle of St. Xenia of Petersburg. Nun Nina, now Abbess Nina of St. Nilus Skete in Alaska, had heard it from Fr. Weldon Hardenbrook, who at the time was the rector of a church
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