We Call Ourselves Christian

Soon after the teaching of Christ began to spread among the Gentiles, those who came to believe in Christ and became His followers began in Antioch to be called Christians (Acts 11:26). ...more

Sermon Given at the Funeral of Matushka Tamara Kotar

“Blessed is the way in which thou shalt walk to-day, O soul; for a place of rest is prepared for thee.” (Prokeimenon from the services for the Burial of the Dead). ...more

The Cross Preserves the Universe

In the Prophet Ezekiel (9:6), it is said that when the Angel of the Lord was sent to punish and destroy the sinning people, it was told him not to strike those on whom the "mark" had been made. In the original text this mark is called "tau," the Hebrew letter corresponding to the letter "T," which is how in ancient times the cross was made, which then was an instrument of punishment. ...more

On Repentance

"Lord, grant me to see my own faults and not to condemn my brother, for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen." (from the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian)

We have again survived, by the mercy of God, to those days in which the Church turns our thoughts and feelings to that which is most important in life: the salvation of our souls! On what, then, does it follow that we should concentrate our efforts? ...more

Maslenitsa - A pagan holiday?

One often hears that Maslenitsa [1] is a pagan holiday and that it is not good for Christians to participate in such festivities. Is this so? There is not a simple answer to this question and many similar questions that meet at the intersection of Christianity and pre-Christian pagan culture and customs. The answer to this question is complex. That is to say, it consists of several parts. ...more

In Memory of the Royal Martyrs

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Tomorrow (July 4/17) the Holy Church praises Saint Andrew, the Bishop of Crete, the author of the Great Canon of Repentance, and at the same time we gather here to pray for the souls of the Tsar-Martyr and those assassinated with him. ...more

Fort Ross

"Our homeland represents the embodiment of the Gospel in the national character and national existence, as well as embodiment of the Heavenly Kingdom; our Russia is not only a legal entity or a state, no – it is a universal, all-encompassing idea." – so said the great hierarch of the Russian land, the most blessed Metropolitan Anthony on 5 October, 1904, on the day of the four saints of Moscow, warning Russia about the coming hardships. ...more

How Will the Upcoming Russian Church Unity Affect the Youth of Our Diocese?

It is hard to think of a more momentous occasion than the reunification of the Russian Church. Yet it is very likely that ordinary parish life and the life of the youth in particular will remain largely unaffected, at least on the surface. ...more

On the Psychology of Schism

Behold how good it is for brothers to dwell as one.(Ps. 133:1) Unity and one mindedness (edinamisli) are important aspect of the Christian life. ...more

The Labors of Bishop Nektary (Kontzevich) of Seattle in the Field of Spiritual Nurturing of Children and Youth

February 6, 2008, was the 25th anniversary of the blessed repose of the vicar bishop of the Western American Diocese, Bishop Nektary (Kontzevitch) of Seattle. The life path of Vladyka Nektary deserves a separate study; this article is dedicated merely to one of the aspects of his service to the Church – his labors with children and youth. ...more