Brothers and sisters, today we commemorate the holy Apostle Thomas. The Gospel read at the Divine Liturgy tells us of a significant and instructive event. On the evening of the day of Christ’s Resurrection, when the doors of the house where the disciples had gathered were shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus Christ suddenly…
The Church, desiring to adorn this feast, requires a great teacher and a wise preacher — but we are poor in word and clouded in mind, and we do not possess the fire of the Holy Spirit to compose words profitable to the soul. Yet, for the love of the brethren who are with me,…
Today’s Sunday bears several names in the Church’s tradition: Antipascha, New Sunday, and the Sunday of Thomas. The name “Antipascha” in Greek means “in place of Pascha,” just as the prosphora, distributed to the faithful after the Liturgy, are called “antidoron,” meaning “that which is given instead of the Holy Gifts.” Likewise, today is the…
Among Orthodox Christians, it is well known that all of Bright Week is honored with the same reverence as the day of the Bright Resurrection of Christ itself—as though this day were magnified sevenfold in accordance with the greatness of the work of our redemption accomplished therein. On the following Sunday, known as Thomas Sunday,…
Answered by Priest Gleb Bobkov: The rule for determining the date of Pascha (Easter) can be summarized as follows: “Pascha is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after the spring equinox.” The Alphabetical Syntagma of Matthew Vlastar on the date of Pascha states: “Concerning our Pascha, attention must be…
There are two ways to live: completely lawfully and respectably,walking upon dry land—measuring, weighing,foreseeing. But one can also walk upon the waters. Then it is impossible to measure or foresee, andone must only believe at all times. A momentwithout faith—and you begin to sink. — Mother Maria (Skobtsova) On Bishop MikhailFrom the Krotov Library, courtesy…
Brothers and fathers, the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ have the power to awaken sobriety in our souls whenever we contemplate them. But especially now, in these present days, when they are being fulfilled one by one before our eyes: the plotting of His death, His arrest by the Jews, the trial before Pilate,…
St. Kirill of Turov Today is a double joy for all Christians and unspeakable gladness for the world, on account of the feast now come, in place of the sorrow that belonged to the former mystery. And what was that sorrow of the mystery that preceded it? On the day before yesterday, our Lord Jesus…
St. Leo the Great Beloved, in my last sermon, as far as I can tell, I rightly urged you to partake in the Cross of Christ, so that the very life of the faithful might embody the Paschal mystery and that our conduct would glorify what is honored in the feast. And you yourselves have…
Metropolitan Korniliy (Titov) Christ Resurrected! Dear brothers and sisters, Today we sing of the Resurrection of Christ. In the Paschal night, with the words of St. John Chrysostom, we proclaimed the victory of life over death: “O hell, where is thy sting? O death, where is thy victory?” St. John Chrysostom exclaims: “Christ resurrected—and not one dead…