1886 saw a terrible cholera epidemic in the city of Kolyvan, Siberia when young Pavel (Paul) Lasareff was 6 years old. Days passed while the family watched wagons carrying many bodies to be buried. From the Orthodox Church,
The Russian Orthodox Church requires anyone who desires to receive Holy Communion to have prepared themselves with confession, the pre-communion prayers, and having abstained from food or drink from midnight on. Most of the world’s Local Orthodox Churches
We’ve all read news reports of horrid cases of people being imprisoned for long periods of time by perverted individuals who have been later diagnosed as classic psychopaths. By definition, psychopaths are individuals who are hateful towards others,
Growing up in Northern Idaho, I was surrounded by mountains and forests. I don’t remember a time when forests did not tug at my heart and fill my imagination with thoughts of adventure. As a small child my
The Old Testament is filled with the image of God’s people being a holy people, set apart. The ancient Israelites were not like their neighbors. Their values and their faith impacted everything about them. They dressed differently than
We often become frustrated with ourselves, wanting to change bad behavior, but seemingly incapable of making the changes we desire. Each week we confess the same sins over and over. We know the priest has heard the same
Fr. Alexander Webster discusses various ways we can confess Christ in public in his homily “The Crisis of Confessing Christ in Public” at St. Herman Orthodox Church, Stafford, VA, Sunday, July 17, 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjAdyOasuRc
My friends, if you are asked, “Who are you?” How would you answer? Answer in this way – a Christian! Yes – Christian – what an honorable name. For this name the first Christians did not spare even
Our laziness and misplaced priorities regarding the Sunday and holy day services, keep us from our obligations to God, and endanger the soul, for in keeping ourselves away from God’s temple, we remain afar from the cure that
The Old Testament God was revealed to us by Christ Jesus. Prior to the incarnation of the Logos, God’s people were forbidden to make any image of Him, for no one had seen His face. Yet when Christ
