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Third Thursday of Pascha. Holy Mountain: A Universal Presence and a Heavenward Orientation (Part 2)

By Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis Here space and time acquire another dimension and perspective. One’s relationship with earthly, ephemeral and perishable things is an entirely perfunctory one. Concepts like ‘money’, ‘property’, ‘wealth’, ‘investment’, ‘entertainment’, ‘competition’ and ‘interest’ completely lose their importance. Here only the most essential worldly concerns are allowed to occupy one’s thoughts. The soul opens itself up to heavenly things. Here the main focus of interest is eternity and God’s kingdom.

“God gives us what we need ALWAYS, but not necessarily what we want… In Orthodox countries, when people aren’t afflicted, they feel abandoned by God.”

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification Christos Anesti!  Christ is Risen!  TOPIC OF THE WEEK: “God gives us what we need ALWAYS, but not necessarily what we want… In Orthodox countries, when people aren’t afflicted, they feel abandoned by God.” Spiritual Resources for the Pandemic Coping with COVID-19 for Orthodox Christians  For Everyone:  In the Saint Emmelia Podcast, Noah Bushelli mentions his parishioner, a little boy, who had a bone marrow transplant last year and

“God gives us what we need ALWAYS, but not necessarily what we want… In Orthodox countries, when people aren’t afflicted, they feel abandoned by God.”

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification Christos Anesti!  Christ is Risen!  TOPIC OF THE WEEK: “God gives us what we need ALWAYS, but not necessarily what we want… In Orthodox countries, when people aren’t afflicted, they feel abandoned by God.” Spiritual Resources for the Pandemic Coping with COVID-19 for Orthodox Christians  For Everyone:  In the Saint Emmelia Podcast, Noah Bushelli mentions his parishioner, a little boy, who had a bone marrow transplant last year

The Third Wednesday of Pascha. The Spiritual Benefits of the Pandemic

By Abbot Tryphon, April 26, 2020 Let us allow this pandemic to be the force that transforms the world Entertainment has come to take on a central role in many people’s lives, becoming so important as to have replaced personal interaction with neighbors and friends. I’m old enough to remember the day when neighborhoods were filled with homes sporting large front porches. On hot summer nights families would be sitting on their porches, sipping lemonade

#GivingTuesdayNow—Giving to Saint Sophia Cathedral

#GivingTuesdayNow—Giving to Saint Sophia Cathedral Special #GivingTuesdayNow Challenge!   Beloved Parishioners & Friends of Saint Sophia Cathedral, Christ is Risen! Χριστός Ανέστη! Today, #GivingTuesdayNow, we join people of good will around the world who have come together in the spirit of generosity and unity in global support for communities and nonprofits around the world. Because I know you love Saint Sophia, I am asking you to make a gift today that will ensure we continue to fulfill the

Third Tuesday after Pascha. Death and Resurrection: Do Not Be Afraid

I am aware of the phrase “true self” occurring only once in the Bible. Paul used the words to describe what he was desperately trying to locate in the midst of some major trials with his false self. He wrote of it in a telling way: “When I act against my own will, then it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me” (Romans 7:20, Jerusalem Bible). Somehow, he knew there was

Third Monday of Pascha: Is the Hospital Closed?

By Abbot Tryphon, April 3, 2020 How do we find healing when we think the hospital of the soul is closed? Orthodoxy offers a very precise way in which to enter into communion with God. It is a way that must be learned, for simply “becoming Orthodox” will not lead the seeker into an inner life that will transform, and enlighten. Membership in the Church is simply not enough, for the Church is not about

Second Friday of Pascha: Rediscovering the Beauty of Orthodoxy

By Abbot Tryphon, April 12, 2020 Let us use this pandemic as the time to rediscover the beauty of our faith This COVID-19 pandemic has afforded me the time to sit in silence, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding forest, like nothing I’ve experienced in years. The forest is so quiet, now that I don’t hear traffic sounds off in the distance, and airlines flying overhead, and the return of our bird population has afforded

Second Thursday of Pascha. Holy Mountain: A Universal Presence and a Heavenward Orientation (Part 1)

By Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis The spiritual influence of Mount Athos is indisputable and certainly stems from the fact that many men have attained holiness through their secret ascetic struggles there. In recent years many pilgrims have found peace of mind and repose on the Mountain, together with spiritual guidance and support. The higher one rises, scientists tell us, the weaker the force of gravity becomes, the less one feels the pull of

Life Under Quarantine Did Not End With Pascha; Where Does That Leave Us?

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification Christos Anesti!  Christ is Risen!  TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Life Under Quarantine Did Not End With Pascha; Where Does That Leave Us? Spiritual Resources for the Pandemic Coping with COVID-19 for Orthodox Christians  Adult/Family Steven Christoforou recently wrote: “A friend shared something powerful. And troubling… He told me that, as we got into Holy Week, he finally realized something. Life under quarantine isn’t going to end with Pascha. It