August 15, 7533
On the Same Day [Friday of the Third Week of the Fast]: A Teaching of Saint John Chrysostom on the Reading of Books. Reading is a good and beneficial practice, especially for every Christian. “Blessed are they that search out His testimonies, that seek Him with the whole heart” (Psalm 118:2). What does it mean to “search…
On Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent: A Teaching of St. Ephrem on Judgment and Repentance Come, all of you, brothers, both small and great, and listen to my humble teaching, for I speak to you for your benefit. Beloved ones, the great and dreadful day is drawing near, yet we remain careless, unwilling…
On Monday of the Third Week of Lent: A Teaching of St. John Chrysostom on the Rule of the Christian Life Whoever is merciful and gives alms from his own labor is pleasing to the Lord. But whoever lives by injustice, taking profit from the poor and the orphan, and then gives alms from that…
On Monday of the Second Week of the Fast: A Sermon of Saint Cyril the Monk on the Fear of God Beloved brethren and sisters, have ever before your eyes the fear of God, and remember the hour of death and those dreadful torments prepared for sinners. Let us fear the kinship of fire, for…
“Prayer is the breath of our soul,” says St. Macarius. How long can one remain alive without breath? Not long at all. In the same way, our spiritual life, if not refreshed and sustained by prayer, quickly weakens, withers, and dies. This is why the holy Apostle exhorts us not only to pray frequently—as often…
We read of the true meaning and spiritual purpose of fasting in the writings of one of the brightest apologists of Orthodoxy in the early 20th century — Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov). What is fasting? Nowadays we hear many objections against fasting — often and from many directions. Why fast at all? “Not that which goeth into…
In addition to the commonly observed fasting days for all (the four long fasts, and Wednesdays and Fridays of each week), there also exist customs of private fasting. A Christian, in agreement with his spiritual father, may take on an additional day of abstinence to strengthen his repentance. An extra fasting day may also be…
What is fasting? In general, fasting is abstinence—abstinence from carnal things, from sin, from anything that may corrupt our soul and lead us astray from the path of salvation. Fasting is a multifaceted discipline that touches not only on food but also on many other aspects of Christian life. There are three components, three dimensions…
Although the basic requirements of the fast are laid out in any Church calendar, both believers and non-believers often have a wide range of questions on this topic. How does one properly prepare for the beginning of the fast? How should the first week be spent? Priest Ioann Kurbatsky: The Church prepares Christians for Great…
Fasting, as a form of piety, has been known since ancient times. The Old Testament recounts prophets who fasted during their communion with God, such as the prophet Moses, who fasted for forty days while conversing with God on Mount Sinai. Even abstaining from eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…