Κατηγορία

In English

A Theological Approach to and Interpretation of the Icon of the Entry of the Mother of God (Hierodeacon Filaretos, Monastery of the Holy Lavra, Kalavryta)

Κατηγορίες: In English

When we look at the icon of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, we’re conscious of the silence of the Holy Scriptures and listen instead to the augmentation of the Gospels by the sacred Tradition of the Church. This presents us with the preparation of the earthly vessel of the Son and Word, the precious bridal-chamber, the heavenly tabernacle, as she’s described in the kontakio of the feast. Saint John the Damascan declares that she ‘was planted’ in the house of God, that her spirit blossomed like a ‘laden olive-tree’, that she became ‘the refuge of all the virtues’, that she preserved her body and soul until she was able to receive Christ. As the dismissal hymn ...

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Saint John Chrysostom on Marriage (Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos)

Κατηγορίες: In English

‘Just as marriage is a haven, so it can also be a shipwreck. Not by its nature, but by the bad use some people have put it to’. These words of Saint John Chrysostom highlight truths which contemporary society doesn’t wish to see. ‘Marriage is a haven’. In a haven, ships are protected from the storms of the seas. In the same way, the couple, the husband and wife, are protected from the storms of life because they’re together. The instability of human relations, fear of loneliness, the lack of comfort when other people, work, financial woes or politics depress us, the stirring up of emotions, especially in an era of sensualism which drives people to seek pleasure but makes it ...

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