Services and Sacraments

First Monday of Lent – Clean Monday

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, resides.…

Forgiveness Vespers

The Beginning of the Great and Holy Lent "Let Thy grace shine forth, O Lord, let the illumination of our souls be kindled. This is the acceptable time, this is the time for repentance; let us cast aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of Light; and after crossing the great sea…

Cheesefare Week

The Expulsion of Adam from Paradise "When Adam saw the angel driving him out, and the door of divine Paradise closing, he sighed deeply and said: O Merciful One, have mercy on me who have fallen." (Contakion from the Matins Canon) The intemperance and disobedience of our first-created ancestors towards God were the reasons for…

(Video) Sunday of the Prodigal Son

The wealth of grace that was bestowed upon me when I departed, I, the wretched one, have squandered needlessly, O Savior; living licentiously, I falsely dispersed it to the demons: therefore, as I turn back like the prodigal son, receive me, o Bountiful Father, and save me. Sticheron from Matins How good is God to…

The Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee

Why does our Lord God love and cherish humility? He, Who is Himself the very embodiment of it in the truest sense of the word. What does it mean to love? Is it not an emptying of oneself, of one’s ego, to make room for the beloved? What does it mean to humble oneself? Is…

(Video) Pan-Orthodox concelebration, fraternal love and Archimandrite’s dignity at the Liturgical celebration of St. Parthenius

The Divine Liturgy is the culmination of love, faith, joy, mercy, grace... Yesterday's festive archipastoral Liturgy, headed by the highly esteemed shepherd of the holy Debar-Kichevo diocese, His Eminence the Metropolitan Timothy, in fraternal concelebration with our dear, beloved, and years-long friend in Christ, His Grace Bishop Nikiphoros of Amorion and Abbot of the Vlatadon…