At the time of Christ, crucifixion on the cross was the cruelest and most humiliating death sentence imposed. Slow suffocation was hastened by breaking the legs of the condemned so they could no longer push up to take a breath. When the crowd shouted “Crucify him!” they expressed the greatest rejection and revulsion of the […]
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September 1st is the Day of Prayer for Creation
On September 1, 1989 His All-Holiness, the late Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I, issued a message on the environment marking the first annual “Day of Prayer for Creation. Each September 1st our “Green Patriarch” His All Holiness Bartholomew asks us to work and pray to protect our earthly home on the Day of Prayer for Creation. Since […]
Why is September 1st important to Orthodox Christians?
In A Year of the Lord, Vol. 1 Professor Theodore Stylianopoulos explains that while we now celebrate the beginning of the secular New Year on January 1st, in ancient times September 1st was the beginning of the Church year and remains so for the Orthodox to this day. The tradition of computing the start of […]
Why are icons so important to the Orthodox Church?
Icons are much more than sacred art. Icons are a means to grow closer to God and are thus considered holy objects. Icons offer a place within the secular reality of hectic, daily routines to contemplate the spiritual reality of God’s word and His role in our life. The role of the icon can be […]
Are icons just religious pictures?
Upon entering an Orthodox Church’s sacred space, one’s attention is immediately drawn to the Iconostasis or Icon screen with its colorful and distinctive figures or to the somewhat surrealistic images in the dome or on the surrounding walls. Orthodox churches, whether vast or small, whether traditional or modern, whether richly appointed or modestly furnished, all […]