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The Fifth Monday of Great Lent. A Southern Lent

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, February 28, 2010  One of the hallmarks of my generation in the South is that we never grew up without a great deal of attention to God. Whether it was the absolute assurance in the sermons of preachers who could say with some precision who was going where when they died, or even with assurance describe heaven, or the far more mundane mutterings of public figures giving lip-service to the God

Did Coronavirus ruin our Lent and Easter this Year?

SSCORRE!Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification   A Message from Maria Spanos I am passionate about our Orthodox Christian faith and seek to help others learn as much as they can about it. My purpose here is to share online resources that help strengthen our relationship with Christ and bind us closer to His Church. I believe they are invaluable in learning about our precious Orthodox Tradition, and are a great aid

Easter Lilies Donation

Dear Steward, Easter will find the Nave of Saint Sophia decorated with flowers to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection. Traditionally potted lilies are arranged throughout the Church. You are invited to donate in remembrance of your beloved deceased or for the health of your families and loved ones. The Clergy will commemorate the names during the Prothesis of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please fill out the form below and send it

The Fourth Friday of Great Lent. The Ladder of Divine Ascent and Moral Improvement

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, April 4, 2019  The Fourth Sunday of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church, is dedicated to St. John Climacus, the author of the ancient work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. It is a classic work describing “steps” within the life of the struggling ascetic. There is an icon associated with this work, picturing monastics climbing the rungs of a ladder to heaven, battling demons who are trying to pull them off. However,

#FaithOverFear: “Let’s Talk Live” Online Community Gathering this coming Thursday, March 26th, at 4:00 pm EST. Join our free event from your home.

#FaithOverFear: “Let’s Talk Live” Online Community Gathering this coming Thursday, March 26th, at 4:00 pm EST. Join our free event from your home. Things have been changing so fast these past few weeks. We continue to practice social distancing, and many communities are now sheltering in place. While the number of cases continues to increase, Christians are unfortunately not able to attend church and are reaching out for online ways to engage. Many have asked us

The Fourth Thursday of Great Lent. The Ascetic Life (4th Sunday of Great Lent)

Bishop Agathangelos of Fanari For the secular people of today, focusing on an ascetic saint represents a problem. How can the ascetic figure of Saint John, the author of the Ladder, speak to us, when he acquired and preserved the Grace of God through tears, prayers, and spiritual asceticism? In Orthodox teaching, the ascetic life is nothing other than the transcendence of selfishness, the attempt, in Grace, to apply God’s commandments, to live the life

Our Conciliar Salvation: The Feast of the Annunciation

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, March 25, 2015  I consider it both a strange mystery and a settled matter of the faith that God prefers not to do things alone. Repeatedly, He acts in a manner that involves the actions of others when, it would seem, He could have acted alone. Why would God reveal His Word to the world through the agency of men? Why would He bother to use writing? Why not simply communicate

The Fourth Tuesday of Great Lent. The Journey of Joyful Sorrow.

The main reason Christianity spread so rapidly following the Resurrection of Christ, was the power behind the resurrection. The truth of Christ’s resurrection empowered believers to joyfully embrace martyrdom, knowing that they would be joined in eternal bliss with their resurrected Saviour. Although their martyrdom would involve both mental and physical anguish, they were almost joyful in their willingness to go to their deaths, rather than betray their faith. Not the kind of thing one

The Fourth Monday of Great Lent. As Lent Moves On—The Greatest Fast Awaits

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, April 9, 2019  As Great Lent has passed its mid-point, attention begins to move towards Holy Week itself and its very intense focus. It has been an unusual time for me, having traveled on two successive weekends to lead retreats. Travel is always disruptive, and absence from your own community creates a break in the normal continuity of the Fast. I have great sympathies for those whose jobs involve frequent travel.

Religious Education at Home: A Comprehensive Online Catechetical Website of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Religious Education at Home: A Comprehensive Online Catechetical Website of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Dear Sunday School Teachers, Parents and Students Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Sophia Cathedral,                                                   Now that many of us have been asked to maintain physical and social distance, the Department of Religious Education of the Archdiocese is searching for ways to keep us all connected to our Orthodox Christian Faith and way