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Daily Meditations

The Fifth Thursday of Great Lent. Thoughts on Great Lent

04/02/2020

By Metropolitan Ioïl (Frangkakos) of Edessa, Pella, and Almopia, February 20, 2018 In this period, we have two fasts, as we all know. There are about seven weeks of strict fasting, eight if you include the Cheese-fare week which precedes. For a lot of people this is an enjoyable and desirable time, for others it’s difficult and for others again not at all pleasant. We’ll try to convey some thoughts on this period, as it

Preparing to Return to Church

04/01/2020

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification TOPIC OF THE WEEK Family/Adult –  Unsure about when ‘social distancing’ will finally end and when we will be able to worship as a community again, we are spending our days at home. What should we be doing during our time at home now in the context of preparing to return to church for when that day comes? Click Below: PODCAST (recommended) BLOG    Preschool

The Fifth Wednesday of Great Lent. The Banishment of Hell. Repentance.

04/01/2020

One of my favorite authors as a young man, was Thomas Merton, the famous Trappist monk. In the introduction to his work New Seeds of Contemplation he wrote: “Hell was where no one has anything in common with anyone else except the fact that they all hate one other and cannot get away from each other and from themselves.” This very much fits with the Orthodox view of hell as being in the presence of

Fifth Tuesday of Great Lent. Orthodox Christian Lent, Prayer, Fasting and Baptism

03/31/2020

By Fr. Patrick Reardon, March 13, 2005 The word “Lent,” now associated exclusively with the observance of the liturgical year, originally meant “spring” and had no directly religious significance. In English usage, however, its reference was gradually limited to the season of preparation for Pascha, a season that does, in fact, coincide with spring. In languages dependent on Latin, the word for Lent is some variant of “forty,” derived from the Latin *quadragesima*. This is

The Fifth Monday of Great Lent. A Southern Lent

03/30/2020

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?

03/28/2020

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

03/27/2020

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

03/27/2020

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.

03/26/2020

#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)

03/26/2020

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

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