by William J. Tighe on the Story Behind December 25 In this, one of my favorite articles, William Tighe explodes the notion we were all taught in public school about the ‘Christianization’ of a pagan festival for the date of Christmas. He uses historical fact to prove his point, and has thereby offered all Christians […]
Leadership: How It’s Done
by Michael Carl Should a president lead citizens in a national prayer of repentance? Uganda’s Christian president believes so. The Ugandan newssite New Vision reports President Yoweri Museveni celebrated Uganda’s 50th anniversary of independence from Britain at the National Jubilee Prayers event by publicly repenting of his personal sin and the sins of the nation. […]
Scapegoating The Jews
by Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) This comes to us from Abbot Tryphon of All Merciful Savior Monastery. With all the conspiracy theories regarding 9/11, the banking industry, and the takeover of our American government by Jews, it is time, I believe, to read the words of this holy hierarch, an address made from the steps of […]
What A Holy Greek Preacher Asked For When He Preached
“I came to your village and I preached to you. It is thus just for you to pay me for my effort. With money perhaps? What would I do with it? My payment is for you to put the words of God in your hearts, that you may gain eternal life.” – Saint Kosmas the […]
Obedience To The Church
by St. Nikolai Velimirovich Why is it necessary to listen to the Church and not listen to one man who thinks against the Church, even though he might be called the greatest thinker? Because the Church was founded by the Lord Jesus Christ, and because the Church is guided under the inspiration of the Spirit […]
The Lost Lesson of Thanksgiving
by John Stossel Had today’s political class been in power in 1623, tomorrow’s holiday would have been called “Starvation Day” instead of Thanksgiving. Of course, most of us wouldn’t be alive to celebrate it. Every year around this time, schoolchildren are taught about that wonderful day when Pilgrims and Native Americans shared the fruits of […]
The Akathist of Thanksgiving
The Akathist Hymn: “Glory to God for All Things” This Akathist, also called the “Akathist of Thanksgiving,” was composed by Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov shortly before his death in a prison camp in 1940. The title is from the words of Saint John Chrysostom as he was dying in exile. It is a song of praise […]
Hagia Sophia Frightens Muslim Turks
By Niko Hilodakou From the moment that Constantinople fell to the Ottomans and Mohammad Fattish entered the great Church of Saint Sophia on his white stallion, he remained transfixed for a long time by the icon of Christ in the dome. This is according to Turkish sources. This immense Church of Orthodoxy became the epicenter […]
The Necessity of Iconography and the Idolatry of Gnosticism
by Fr. John A. Peck How Dogmatic Iconography defends the doctrine of the Incarnation against ancient Gnosticism. Harold Bloom, in his book, The American Religion, rightly comes to the startling conclusion that America is a nation of Gnostics, believers in a pre-Christian tradition of individual divinity. The American propensity to be religious iconoclasts on the […]
The Agreeableness of Preaching in the Eyes of God
by Humbert of Romans CHAPTER ONE III. Its Agreeableness in the Eyes of God To understand how much the office of preachers is pleasing to God, it is necessary to note that their discourses are like hymns. Nehemiah reports that “the singers entered upon the possession of their cities” (II Esdras 7:73) on their return […]