Bigorski Monastery "St John the Baptist" What the oxygen for the body is, that is the liberty for the human soul. The more self-awareness a nation has, the more it cherishes its freedom. (Iv. S) September 8th, 1991 proclaimed to the entire world the truth that Macedonia is worthy of the gift of freedom and…
† B A R T H O L O M E W BY GOD’S MERCY ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE-NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY FROM THE MAKER OF ALL CREATION OUR LORD GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST * * * Most reverend brother Hierarchs and beloved children…
As a monument to the eternal values, common to all Christian nations, and as a pivot for the unifying power of cultural exchange, the Holy Bigorski Monastery of the Venerable Forerunner, during yesterday's feast, warmly welcomed the British ambassador in the country, His Excellency Mr. Matthew Lawson, who arrived to the ten-century Sanctuary with his…
The festivity which still follows the most joyful celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, brings special joy to the hearts of Christians not just in our country but also abroad. Thus, this year as well, the traditional Litany of Struga, which has turned into a national event gathering a huge multitude of faithful and…
St. John the Baptist's forearm is housed in this remote 11th-century monastery. THE BIGORSKI MONASTERY IS A historic Orthodox monastery located in the western part of North Macedonia, nestled in the mountains of the Mavrovo National Park. Founded in 1020, it is one of the most important religious and cultural landmarks in the country. The…
† B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church: May the Grace, Peace and Mercy of Christ Risen in Glory be with you All * * * Most honorable brother Hierarchs, Dearly beloved children, Having arrived…
A day of complete purification and salvation shines today with mighty heavenly light. The joy of the angels and the celestial song overwhelms the earthly beings. Man becomes one with God in an indissoluble union of love and glory. A celebration of human resurrection and the opening of the doors to eternity. Our Bigorski Monastery…
The Blessing of Saint Gregory Palamas, the Miracle-Worker of Thessaloniki, which abundantly pours upon us during the second week of the Honorable Fast, traditionally attracts many God-loving souls to the heavenly palace of the Victor. This year was no different. The prayerful call was heard in the hearts, and numerous devotees of this Divine servant…
Tonight, like a garland of fresh roses, the words "Rejoice... Rejoice... Rejoice..." were recited, and every heart was filled with joy and contentment, because the Queen Mother covers the world with love and compassion under the mantle of her prayers. What seemed like an ordinary day, now shines with a special radiance, as it is…
The symphony of bells resounded triumphantly in the Holy Monastery of Bigorski, in honor of the victory and glory of Orthodoxy, which the Church of Christ has consecrated on this first Sunday of the Holy and Cleansing Forty Days. After the repentant tolls, the clarifying chimes, and the touching hymns and prayers of the past…
The endless expanse of the starry sky that evokes deep awe and joy in the human soul pales in comparison to the boundless expanse of the spiritual realm filled with God's martyrs, who, like stars around the Sun of Christ, delight and uplift the soul of the Christian. The memory of St. Theodore Tyron, observed…
"It was inconspicuous and insignificant, but it became wider than the heavens. It was an endless endurance in sorrows, but it became joy for all. She felt and called herself a 'handmaid', but became Queen of Heaven and Earth. We leave our pains, sorrows, and struggles to her, and She revealed herself to us -…
Like a vine hanging on the cross, O Savior, You have watered the ends of the universe with the wine of immortality, Christ. Therefore, I cry out to You: Me, who am heavily darkened by the drunkenness of sins, after You have filled me with the sweetness of true humility, strengthen me to abstain from…
Lord, wishing to save me, an unworthy one, with Your immeasurable mercy, I, a sinner, have taken up repentance. Therefore, I come to You, praying: with fasting, bend my soul towards You, for I have fled to You, the only one who is most merciful. (Verse from the hymn of the Matins service) With the…
As we live through the first days of fasting, intensified prayer, and self-reflection during the Holy Forty Days, today, at the first Divine Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts, our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ has deemed us worthy to partake in the holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-giving, and awesome Mysteries. A tremendous blessing has…
As pilgrims on earth, like all our fathers, let us guard the fleeting time of our blameless life, O our Savior, and have mercy on us, as the Lover of mankind. Here we are already taking the second step into the life-giving wilderness of Lent, and as we delve deeper into its elevated spaces, we…
Today is the day for repentance, a day of salvation and the beginning of a fast. Be awake, my soul, and close the doors of the passions, and turn to the Lord. These tender verses open before us the door through which we enter into that space where our inner self, free from the passions,…
Our merciful God, who knows the human heart so well, understands how difficult it can be to say "I'm sorry" to our neighbor. We often find it easier to raise our eyes to the heavens, seeking forgiveness from the Good One, rather than to meet the gaze of our neighbor, in whose eyes pain may…
ORTHODOX AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCH OF ALBANIA THE HOLY SYNOD Communiqué The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, during her session of February 23, 2023 under the presidency of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, reiterated that she gladly welcomes the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, of last May 2022, that “She…
The beauty of the communal gathering in our beloved Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, continued to protect our souls with even greater power today. Our revered Metropolitan, His Eminence Timothy of Plaoshnik and Debar-Kichevo, joyfully joined the prayerful and celebratory assembly in honor of the memory of our holy father, St. Partenij Lampsakiski, the Miracle Worker,…
