January 29, 7534
Prayer has two aspects. First, prayer is communication with God, during which those praying express to the Divine their requests, thanksgiving, and praise. In prayer, a person pours out to God both joy and sorrow, repentance, and longing for the heavenly abode. Second, prayer is any supplication. Strictly speaking, one can petition, entreat, or implore…
This question needs to be divided into three parts. First, let’s determine whether it is possible to address God directly without any “intermediaries.” The answer is unequivocal: “Of course, it is.” God calls people to turn to Him. He does not reject those who come to Him. Moreover, like a shepherd seeking a lost sheep, He strives…
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…
A man is the head of the woman. How should a man conduct himself so that a woman does not feel demeaned? How can one avoid extremes such as “You’re nothing, and your place is in the kitchen”? This question touches on two critical spiritual truths: the creation of the world and the Fall. St….
How can one save a marriage and restore relationships if they married foolishly, out of passion, or without love? Is such an unsuccessful marriage also considered God’s will, requiring humble submission? This question has two parts. What we do is not necessarily done according to God’s will. However, everything we do is allowed by God…
How can one build a happy marriage? Why is marriage a sacrament? What mystical, mysterious events occur during the wedding ceremony? To build something successfully, one must first understand what it is. For example, to construct a building, one needs to know what it is, on what foundation and materials it stands, what dimensions and…
What does the common phrase “The Lord visited someone” mean? How should we understand such situations, draw the right conclusions, and avoid the necessity for such occurrences? The phrase “The Lord visited” or “the visitation of the Lord” is used in Holy Scripture to refer both to blessings and to punishments. For instance, regarding Hannah,…
What does the common phrase “we crucify Christ with our sins” mean? How can this be understood if Christ was crucified once, long before our time? When the Lord Jesus Christ began His public ministry, St. John the Forerunner, who was calling people to repentance and baptizing them in the Jordan, pointed to Christ and…
The Apostle James wrote these words when explaining in his epistle how a person is justified before God. At that time, an idea had already appeared in Christianity that simply believing in Christ was sufficient for the salvation of the soul, allowing one to live however they pleased, without observing commandments or following any restrictions….
According to the explanatory dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov, a dogma is “a fundamental principle in religious doctrine, regarded (by the Church) as immutable truth and not subject to criticism.” It is often said that the only reason for breaking church communion can be dogmatic distortions, i.e., distortions in the foundations of the faith. This argument…