March 2, 7534
In Christ’s Church, saints are always present in every generation of Christians. Propagandists from among the New Rite often accuse the Old Rite Orthodox Church of lacking saints after the Schism. This is a profound misconception. Some of the more honest historians of the New Rite Church acknowledge that the number of canonized saints within…
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, and one must only believe at all times. A moment without faith—and you begin to sink. — Mother Maria (Skobtsova) On Bishop Mikhail…
George Neminuschy Introduction In our present-day liturgical practice, the shortage of clergy, the necessity of undertaking practical tasks in preparation for Pascha, and the desire to rest before the all-night service of Paschal Matins and the Paschal Divine Liturgy often lead to the omission of one of the most important parts of the Passion–Paschal cycle:…
By Bishop Mikhail Semyonov This Sunday is dedicated to the memory of St. John of the Ladder, the author of a remarkable book about the Path to Heaven—thirty steps of ascent “up the ladder”… to that place where the seraphim stand before the Divine Throne, covering their faces. The image of the ladder to heaven is…
Attitudes toward New Year and Christmas trees vary greatly within the Old Believer community. This depends on many factors. What might be beneficial for one person could prove harmful for another. Traditions differ, as does the environment in which we live. Ultimately, everyone can choose the approach that suits them best. If you have doubts,…
“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…
Bows in the divine services are a visible sign of reverence for the Lord, the Mother of God, and all His saints. In Old Rite prayer practice, as in the pre-schism Russian Church, there are three types of bows. This is how it is described in the pre-schism book The Son of the Church and in the…
Following the appearance of the Old Believer YouTube channel “GLAGOL TV,” previously discussed on our site, viewers began to see its participants in a new light—especially Archpriest Vadim Korovin from the Saratov region. In church circles, he is already well known for his deep knowledge of liturgical practice and canon law, but we were genuinely…
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…