Jerusalem Archives - Saint Sophia

Nativity of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John

06/24/2025

The Nativity of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John: The Gospel (Luke. 1: 5) relates that the righteous parents of Saint John the Baptist, the Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth (September 5), lived in the ancient city of Hebron. They reached old age without having children, since Elizabeth was barren. Once, Saint Zachariah was serving in the Temple at Jerusalem and saw the Archangel Gabriel, standing on the right side of the altar

It Is Good to Be Here

06/23/2025

~By Father Stephen Freeman, May 18, 2020 A few days ago, after hearing a very distressing bit of social news, I found myself saying, “I don’t want to be here anymore.” It was a voice of despair and sadness. The occasion had been a public altercation in which a stranger spat at a woman. It was the sort of thing that belongs among the lowest of human actions. But it happened. My topic is my

Feast of the Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas

06/11/2025

Apostle Bartholomew of the Twelve The Holy Apostle Bartholomew was born at Cana of Galilee and was one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, it fell by lot to the holy Apostles Bartholomew and Philip (November 14) to preach the Gospel in Syria and Asia Minor. In their preaching they wandered through various cities, and then met up again. Accompanying the holy Apostle

The Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Fall of Constantinople, May 29, 1453

05/29/2025

Jesus did not live with his disciples after his resurrection as he had before his death. Filled with the glory of his divinity, he appeared at different times and places to his people, assuring them that it was he, truly alive in his risen and glorified body. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). It

The Fifth Thursday of Pascha. The Resurrection: An Affront to Reason

05/22/2025

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! ~Archimandrite Epiphanios Ekonomou It’s hardly surprising that the message of the Resurrection of Christ has raised a whole host of doubts and questions. Objections were registered immediately after the occurrence of the supernatural event on which the whole structure of the Christian Church is founded. For the Jews of Biblical Jerusalem, it was a blasphemy of the apostate Christians to claim that a crucified criminal could ever be the Messiah.

The Fifth Wednesday of Pascha. Memory of Emperor Constantine with his Mother Helen

05/21/2025

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! The Church calls Saint Constantine (306-337) “the Equal of the Apostles,” and historians call him “the Great.” He was the son of the Caesar Constantius Chlorus (305-306), who governed the lands of Gaul and Britain. His mother was Saint Helen, a Christian of humble birth. At this time the immense Roman Empire was divided into Western and Eastern halves, governed by two independent emperors and their corulers called “Caesars.” Constantius

Sunday of the Paralytic

05/11/2025

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! Excerpt from a Homily by Saint John Chrysostom If someone’s really knowledgeable about gold mines, they wouldn’t be able to bear not examining the smallest vein for the wealth it contained. So, in the Scriptures, it’s impossible without loss to pass over the merest jot. We must investigate everything since everything’s uttered by the Holy Spirit, and there’s nothing written in them to distract us. Consider, for instance, what the

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women: The Point of It All Is Joy

05/04/2025

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, April 30, 2023 The women who went to the Lord ‘s Tomb on Sunday morning “while it was still dark” Were frightened and, sad, and very likely angry at what had happened to the Lord in Jerusalem on the one hand. On the other hand, they were driven by love for Jesus and responsibility to fulfill the proper Jewish burial rites for

The Second Wednesday of Pascha. Apostle James the Brother of Saint John the Theologian

04/30/2025

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! Commemorated on April 30 The Holy Apostle James, the son of Zebedee, was the brother of Saint John the Theologian, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He and his brother, Saint John, were called to be Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who called them the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). It was this James, with John and Peter, who witnessed the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus, the Lord’s Transfiguration

The First (Bright) Friday of Pascha. St. Mark the Apostle, the Founder of the Coptic Church

04/25/2025

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! The Coptic Church or the Church of Alexandria is called “Sees of St. Mark”; one of the earliest four sees: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. St. Mark, The Founder The Copts are proud of the apostolicity of their Church, whose founder is St. Mark; one of the seventy Apostles (Mk 10:10), and one of the four Evangelists. He is regarded by the Coptic hierarchy as the first of their unbroken

Archive

Nativity of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John

It Is Good to Be Here

Feast of the Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas

The Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Fall of Constantinople, May 29, 1453

The Fifth Thursday of Pascha. The Resurrection: An Affront to Reason

The Fifth Wednesday of Pascha. Memory of Emperor Constantine with his Mother Helen

Sunday of the Paralytic

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women: The Point of It All Is Joy

The Second Wednesday of Pascha. Apostle James the Brother of Saint John the Theologian

The First (Bright) Friday of Pascha. St. Mark the Apostle, the Founder of the Coptic Church

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