SUNDAY OF THE CROSS – Midpoint of Great Lent
The third Sunday of Lent is called "The Veneration of the Cross." At the Vigil of that day, after the Great Doxology, the Cross is brought in a solemn procession to the center of the church and remains there for the entire week-- with a special rite…
Sunday of Orthodoxy
Rejoicing today in the triumph of Orthodoxy on this first Sunday of Lent, we joyfully commemorate three events: one event belonging to the past; one event to the present; and one event which still belongs to the future.
Whenever we have any feast or joy in the Church, we Orthodox first of all look…
Forgiveness Sunday
In the Orthodox Church, the last Sunday before Great Lent – the day on which, at Vespers, Lent is liturgically announced and inaugurated – is called Forgiveness Sunday. On the morning of that Sunday, at the Divine Liturgy, we hear the words of Christ:
"If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also…
Sunday of The Last Judgment
This Sunday (February 15) is called “Meat-Fare Sunday” because during the week that follows a limited fast – abstention from meat – is prescribed by the Church. In preparing for Great Lent the Church begins now to “adjust” us to the great effort that she will expect from us seven days…
Theophany: The Feast of the Manifestation of God
The feast of Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, commemorates the baptism of Christ. In the early Church, Epiphany was a day of baptism and those catechumens who were prepared to enter the Church were baptized on the eve of this feast; for this reason, it is also known…
A Blessed Feast of the Nativity to All!
The Nativity Cycle
As Orthodox Christians, we begin the celebration of the Nativity of Christ - on December 25 - with a time of preparation. Forty days before the feast of the birth of Our Lord we enter the period of the Christmas Fast: to purify both soul…
Saint Nicholas of Myra the Wonder-worker
By tradition, Nicholas born in the province of Lycia in the southern part of Asia Minor in the city of Patara to well-to-do parents. The date of his birth is not known. Having inherited his parents' estate, he became known for his generous gifts to those in need. As a…
Patronal Feast of the The Sign of the Theotokos Church (November 27)
The icon of the Mother of God of the Sign is one of the most venerated icons of Russia. Its history is linked with the history of Novgorod, which in Kievan Russia was the cultural and commercial center of the North of Russia and…
FeastOfThe SignOfTheTheotokos
On The Entry of the Theotokos Into the Temple (November 21)
It seems thousands of years removed from us, but it was not so very long ago that life was marked out by religious feasts. Although everyone went to church, not everyone, of course, knew the exact contents of each celebration. For many, perhaps even the…
