LIVE Adult Education: Forming Christian Culture Sponsored by St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Bethesda, MD.  These are not classes on high theology that are intimidating or difficult to understand. We focus on the “down to earth” and practical ways we should understand and live our faith. In His parables to...

The post LIVE Adult Education: Shared Experience of the Orthodox Christian Faith appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

The 47th annual March for Life, the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, will be held on January 24, 2020. Leading up to the March for Life will share more about the theme Life Empowers: Pro-Life is Pro-Woman and the incredible history of the women who pioneered the women’s rights...

The post March for Life 2020 in Washington, DC appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Saint John Chrysostom Which baptism was performed, in His case? Not that of the Jews, nor ours, nor John’s. Why? You yourselves, from your own view of baptism, can see that He wasn’t baptized for any sins, nor because He needed the Holy Spirit; therefore, as we’ve shown, this baptism...

The post Theophany or Epiphany – 2 appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Since my mom passed away I thought I was getting the hang of it all, of moving through loss, accepting absence, and learning how to replace empty space with gratefulness. My Orthodox Christian faith and avid practice of yoga both underscore the power and opportunity we are offered through challenge...

The post A Celebration of Epiphany and the Spirit of Silence appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Saint John Chrysostom We shall now say something about the present feast. Many people celebrate feast days and know what they’re called, but don’t know why they were established. So everyone knows that the feast today is called Theophany, but don’t know what Theophany is, and whether it is one...

The post Theophany or Epiphany – 1 appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Protopresbyter Vasileios Kalliakmanis   a) In every age, people want to measure, monitor and confer value on time, and, if at all possible, to surpass its limits. This can be seen from the monuments of world civilization, as well as from some of the notions which have been expressed regarding...

The post The Transfiguration of Time appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

George Mantzaridis, Professor Emeritus, Theological School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki   The eschatological nature of the Church is revealed especially in the sacrament of the Divine Liturgy. The celebration of this sacrament is the central and pre-eminently eschatological action of the Church. It is its Liturgy (= function). It constitutes...

The post Time and the Church – 2 appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Give God the Glory! Have you ever had to admit somebody was better than you are at something? Maybe you lost an arm wrestling match, or maybe you lost a race. Maybe you lost at a spelling bee or another contest. It is humbling when we have to admit somebody...

The post Saint John Gave God the Glory appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

George Mantzaridis, Professor Emeritus, Theological School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki   Christ’s advent brought the kingdom of God into the world. And the realm where the kingdom of God is made manifest is the Church. This retains eternity within history and provides history with the perspective of eternity. The Church...

The post Time and the Church – 1 appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Stylianos G. Papadopoulos   Until then, Orthodoxy in Cappadocia seemed very much like an islet in the East. Valens let loose the evils of heresy everywhere. The combination of his brutality and cunning brought shocking results. He swept through Orthodoxy and then dug his claws into Caesarea. It’s true to...

The post Your Highness, we’ve been defeated: Basil the Great appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Fr. Andreas Agathokleous   Our participation in Holy Communion is a spiritual matter concerning which the opinions expressed have fluctuated over time. From the view that we should commune only infrequently, out of respect for the sacrament and recognition of our own sinfulness, to the attitude that we should take...

The post How often should we take Holy Communion? appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Dr. Nikolaos Koios, Content Coach of Pemptousia   In the Western world there’s a continuing tradition of making resolutions at the turn of each year. In a sense, people want to commit to resolutions that’ll help them become ‘better’. We can see two aspects to this attractive custom: 1) the...

The post New Year Resolutions and Time as an Opportunity appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

The Vasilopita (VasilOpita) is the main custom in Greece for New year. It’s one which we encounter throughout Greece, though naturally with local variations. These are mostly to do with the ingredients of the cake. In some places it’s a cake, though there are also parts where it’s a savory...

The post Vasilopita (Saint Basil Pie) appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Saint Symeon the New Theologian   When God, the Son of God, entered the womb of All-Holy Virgin and took flesh from her, He was born a perfect person and perfect God, without confusion. When has anything more important ever happened for us? We all believe in this Son of...

The post The Word became Flesh: the inexpressible mystery of salvation appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Lots of people wanted to know “Where is Jesus from?” Well, He lived in Bethlehem, Egypt, and then Nazareth. Have you ever met somebody new? When we meet somebody, you might get asked, “What’s your name?” or “Where are you from?” or “Where do you live?” When we want to...

The post Did You Know: Jesus Came From Bethlehem, Egypt, and Nazareth appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Alexandros Christodoulou With His incarnation, His humanization, God entered the innermost core of our lives in the most obvious way. He entered our circulatory system, our heart, the centre of everything, the centre of the universe. After He’d been expelled from our world, our body and our soul through our...

The post The Incarnation of God, the Good News of the New Testament and the Mother of God appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Ilias Voulgarakis       An undignified Trinity Once upon all the time, there’s God. And from some time there’s human beings. But the reports coming from Earth about the state of humankind are increasingly distressing. The human race is going from bad to worse, despite all God’s efforts, through...

The post The Dignity of Humankind and the Indignity of God appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Saint John of Kronstadt   The Word became flesh; that is, the Son of God, co-eternal with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit, became human — having become incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. O, wondrous, awesome and salvific mystery! The One Who had no...

The post The Word became flesh (John 1, 14) A Sermon on the Nativity of Christ appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemessos Every time we stand before the Lord either in prayer or in celebration in Church of an event from the life of Christ, or we are in any other way experiencing the presence of the Lord, two basic things happen, which are attested by the Church...

The post Christmas’ deeper meaning appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.

Paraskevi, who out of sheer humility does not wish to reveal her full name, was among the first spiritual children of Elder Sophrony, during the time of her studies in England. She sent us a copy of two handwritten scripts by the blessed Elder.   The Christmas wish card (handwritten):...

The post A Christmas greeting card sent by Elder Sophrony of Essex appeared first on Orthodox Christian Network.