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The Sixteenth Day of Christmas Advent, Apostle Andrew, the Holy and All-Praised First-Called

11/30/2020

The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the first of the Apostles to follow Christ, and he later brought his own brother, the holy Apostle Peter, to Christ (John 1:35-42). The future apostle was from Bethsaida, and from his youth he turned with all his soul to God. He did not enter into marriage, and he worked with his brother as a fisherman. When the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John began to preach, St

Christmas Traditions and Our Time of Glad Tidings and Joy

11/27/2020

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification TOPIC OF THE WEEK – Christmas Traditions and Our Time of Glad Tidings and Joy “When people ask me what my family Christmas traditions are, and how we are supposed to feel during this season, I take pause. Are we supposed to have some special family traditions? If I don’t, am I somehow deficient or wanting? What are we supposed to feel, and what

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas Advent. Shopping for God

11/27/2020

By Father Stephen Freeman I overheard a conversation between two blue-collar workers that encouraged my soul. In the aftermath of last week’s shopping frenzy (Black Friday, etc.), they were reflecting on the madness. “I had a friend who said he bought his mother-in-law a new TV. He was excited about the bargain.” The other worker nodded. “So I asked him, ‘Did she need a new TV?’” He said the man replied, “I never thought of

Twelfth Day of Christmas Advent, “O Give Thanks unto the Lord!”

11/26/2020

By Father Steven Kostoff “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever!” (Psalm 136:1) In an article titled “A Moveable Fast,” the scholar Elyssa East summarized the history of our American Thanksgiving, and the intentions and practices of the early New England colonists toward this national feast. Initially, she writes, Thanksgiving was built around the Christian rhythm of fasting and feasting. Bearing that in mind, she also offered her

The Eleventh Day of Christmas Advent: St. Katherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria

11/25/2020

By Father James Thorton THE GREAT MARTYR OF ALEXANDRIA St. Catherine is one of the early Church most beloved Saints, honored and esteemed for over 1,600 years. She lived in Alexandria during the time of the Emperor Maxentius at the beginning of the fourth century. She was not only a lady of stunning beauty and considerable wealth, but had also been blest to be the recipient of a first-rate education, the best education that money

The Tenth Day of Christmas Advent. Christ Comes to Restore the Image.

11/24/2020

Human beings, male and female, are made in the image and according to the likeness of God.1 This is a fundamental doctrine of the Judeo-Christian worldview. It means that we humans are not simply the product of our heredity and environment, of our biological makeup and genetic construction. Neither are we simply the result of some accidental combination of physical particles and material cells, nor merely the outcome of historical processes, economic systems, and sociological

The Ninth Day of Christmas Advent. Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith

11/23/2020

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for

The Seventh Day of Christmas Advent. The Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple

11/21/2020

The Feast of the Entrance of the Virgin in the Temple is believed to be not among the most ancient festivals of the Church. However, indications that the Feast was observed in the first centuries of Christianity are found in the traditions of Palestinian Christians, which say that the holy Empress Helen (May 21) built a church in honor of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. St. Gregory of Nyssa, in

The Sixth Day of Christmas Advent. Christ Is Born, Glorify Him! (Part II)

11/20/2020

By Saint Gregory Nazianzen, the Theologian Clap your hands together, all people. For unto us a Son is born, unto us a Child is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders. . . . Let John the Baptist cry aloud: Prepare ye the way of the Lord! And I too will cry aloud about the power of this Day. He who is without flesh has become incarnate. The Son of God becomes the

SSCORRE – Special Feast Day Edition

11/19/2020

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification Special Feast Day Edition We celebrate the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple on November 21st. In addition to attending Liturgy (in-person or virtually this year!) what else can we do to honor the Theotokos and celebrate this feast day? Below are some ideas: Read about the feast and learn about its icon here. Find ways to celebrate the feast with your family here at Orthodox Motherhood and

Blog

The Sixteenth Day of Christmas Advent, Apostle Andrew, the Holy and All-Praised First-Called

Christmas Traditions and Our Time of Glad Tidings and Joy

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas Advent. Shopping for God

Twelfth Day of Christmas Advent, “O Give Thanks unto the Lord!”

The Eleventh Day of Christmas Advent: St. Katherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria

The Tenth Day of Christmas Advent. Christ Comes to Restore the Image.

The Ninth Day of Christmas Advent. Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith

The Seventh Day of Christmas Advent. The Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple

The Sixth Day of Christmas Advent. Christ Is Born, Glorify Him! (Part II)

SSCORRE – Special Feast Day Edition

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