The Stoglav Council of 1551 decreed that the sign of the cross, after touching the forehead, should be made upon the chest, where the heart is, and that those who do not cross themselves in this manner, according to chapter…
The sign of the cross is a “hidden apostolic tradition,” as stated by St. Maximus the Greek. We believe that from the very beginning, the sign of the cross took the form of the two-finger gesture (dvoeperstie), as affirmed by…
Faith is one of the cornerstones of our salvation from sin and of attaining eternal life with Christ. The spiritual life of every person, all knowledge of God, begins precisely with faith. Without faith, there are no truly good deeds;…
It is said that there is one answer that suits every question. That answer is: “I don’t know.” Likewise, there is one justification that suits every wrongdoing, every sin, every bad and foolish habit. This justification states: “So it is…
Reading the teachings of the holy fathers, one cannot cease to marvel that what they said many centuries ago is addressed also to us who live today. Only technology and means of passing the time have changed; our essence has…
By I. Kirillov 1. What is Old Belief? Many people have pondered this question, offering diverse and often contradictory answers. It is difficult to provide a comprehensive verbal definition of the very essence of Old Belief. In this case, we…
Quotes from Metropolitan Korniliy (Titov) The foundation of Christian life is growth in the Holy Spirit, so that the spirit in man may govern the flesh, and not the flesh the spirit. The holy fathers—hermits and ascetics—have left us, for…
This is an important question because it is natural for people to notice the sins of others before paying attention to their own. The Lord Jesus Christ addresses this tendency in the parable about removing the beam from one’s own…
Vices, passions, and sins—these are terms describing different phenomena that, in Christian worldview, are interconnected and share much in common. In the vocabulary of Orthodox Christians, the word vice has the following meanings: It is important to note that in ecclesiastical use,…
Indeed, while other commandments are relatively straightforward—”Do not kill” means you must not kill, and “Do not steal” means you must not steal—what does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Why is this sin unforgivable, even though Christians…