(Feast Day ~ October 1) We Christians believe, as did our Jewish ancestors, that God is working in history to bring about his plan for mankind. Whether slowly and “in the fulness of time”, or in a sudden, miraculous event, God’s purpose for us is being made known. Our free will allows us to cooperate […]
The Finding (Invention) of the Cross
(May 3) Having just experienced again the drama of Holy Week and Pascha – having walked the way of the Cross with our Lord, lamented his sufferings and venerated his Cross; having run to see the empty tomb and rejoice in his Resurrection – we now celebrate the recovery of this most sacred relic which […]
St. Athanasius of Alexandria
(Feast Day ~ May 2) Christianity abounds in apparent contradictions with the world around us. Our symbol of triumph – the Cross – is, in the eyes of the world, a vehicle for execution and a symbol for failure. Our Savior’s call for loving our enemies and turning the other cheek is viewed as weakness […]
St. Matrona of Moscow
(Feast Day ~ May 2) In 1881, in a small Russian village, the mother in a poor family was expecting her fourth child. Doubtful of the family’s ability to feed another mouth, she decided to send the child to a neighboring village to an orphanage. The orphange had been founded and was supported by one […]
St. Tamar of Georgia, Queen
Feast Day ~ May 1 It is almost impossible for Americans to conceive of a saintly ruler. We are taught from early childhood that it is only right to maintain a separation of Church and State, to keep religion out of politics and politics out of religion, that our Constitution mandates it. We also live […]
St. Vitalis
(Feast Day ~ April 28) In the early days of the Church, when Christians were being persecuted and put to death for their religious beliefs, information about those who were martyred passed quickly through the Christian community. Sometimes, eyewitnesses were able to record the words spoken at the trial and execution, but in other cases, exact […]
St. Mark, the Evangelist
(Feast Day ~ April 25) As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations in 2006, some of us wrote descriptions of our journeys into Orthodoxy – the stories of our conversion to this faith and way of life. Many of these stories reveal a slow, gradual path (some with detours and tangents along the way) before […]
St. Thomas, the Fool-For-Christ
Feast Day ~ April 24 The Church honors saints who fall into many different categories – first the martyrs, who were killed for being Christians; then Popes, Bishops, Priests, and monastics who were spiritual leaders for the faithful; and many others, including devout rulers. The most unusual category is that of fool-for-Christ, one who gives […]
St. Mellitus, Bishop and Confessor
(Feast Day ~ April 24) Those of us who live in the Washington area are accustomed to seeing careers rise and fall with changes in the political climate, and it is not surprising to us when someone who was in favor is suddenly sent packing with a change in administration. What we may find surprising […]
St. George the Martyr
(Feast Day ~ 23 April) There are few post-apostolic saints who have had the renown of the Holy and Great Martyr George. He is called saint not only because he gave up his life rather than renounce his Lord, but also because of the holiness of his life and the miracles associated with his relics […]
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