Throughout our lives, we all commit transgressions. Sometimes our conscience immediately convicts us of wrongdoing; other times, we come to realize only later that our actions were incompatible with the Christian way of life. These transgressions are called sins. Sins burden the soul in this life and, in the life to come, can hinder it…
“Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Our earthly life—its purpose and meaning—is a preparation for Eternal Life. What awaits us beyond depends entirely on how we live here: either we shall become co-heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, or we shall perish, cast into the outer darkness prepared for…
Epitimia is a spiritual directive intended to help a person overcome sinful attachments and serve as a means of atoning for sins committed. Epitimia may consist of specific prayer assignments (for example, making a certain number of bows each day with a prayer to a particular saint, or reading a set number of kathismas), of…
Sin and Repentance The feeling of repentance is, to some degree, familiar to everyone. In human life, it manifests in a wide variety of forms and expressions. It may be a simple “forgive me” addressed to a loved one, or a polite “excuse me, please” for others, or even a lighthearted “pardon,” as well as…
A Christian places his full trust in the Lord, attributing both health and illness to His saving providence. Yet the desire to preserve health, and to restore it when lost, is natural to all people, including Christians. The body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and caring for it is a natural human…
Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) The question of the Mysteries (Sacraments) is the most essential in the dispute between sectarianism and the Church worldview. “The Mysteries,” they say, “are superstition, sorcery, magic, harmful witchcraft” (Tolstoy). “Some sort of external act of incantation is performed, terrifying formulaic spells are recited, and some kind of superstitious folk-healer actions are…
The Church, like a good mother, accompanies a person throughout the whole course of life, blessing, comforting, and strengthening him. For any serious undertaking, a Christian comes to the house of God to seek a blessing. Behind the priest’s words, “God will bless,” lies something very profound: from that moment on, God Himself invisibly abides…