Forwarded from He Loves Mankind ☦️
"Through genuine love for God we can drive out the passions. Love for God is this: to choose Him rather than the world ..."
+ St Maximos the Confessor
+ St Maximos the Confessor
Forwarded from The Islander
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🇬🇷☦️ The stunning Easter 'rocket war' of Greece: Rival churches turn island of Chios into breathtaking centuries-old tradition of fire and light
Pelting thousands of fireworks at each other, with most direct hits to belfries 400 meters apart determining the winner
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Pelting thousands of fireworks at each other, with most direct hits to belfries 400 meters apart determining the winner
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Donate - Support Our Work
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BREAKING: Israeli Police Officer Places Foot on the Stone of Anointing Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
On Saturday, April 19, 2025, during the Holy Fire ceremony, a Jerusalemite Armenian reportedly witnessed a police officer placing his foot on the Stone of Anointing—the site where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial following the Crucifixion. When the Armenian pointed this out, the officer removed his foot. However, one of his colleagues then violently expelled the Armenian and his brother from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—on one of the holiest days in the Christian liturgical calendar.
Whether the act was intentional remains unclear, but the incident should prompt local authorities to show greater respect for the sanctity of Christian sites.
Via Kegham Balian
Jerusalemite Armenian
📱 ROBINMG
On Saturday, April 19, 2025, during the Holy Fire ceremony, a Jerusalemite Armenian reportedly witnessed a police officer placing his foot on the Stone of Anointing—the site where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial following the Crucifixion. When the Armenian pointed this out, the officer removed his foot. However, one of his colleagues then violently expelled the Armenian and his brother from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—on one of the holiest days in the Christian liturgical calendar.
Whether the act was intentional remains unclear, but the incident should prompt local authorities to show greater respect for the sanctity of Christian sites.
Via Kegham Balian
Jerusalemite Armenian
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Forwarded from Orthodox Spirituality
Blessed is Christ, coming into my heart, into my soul, into my life. I am just as ready, O Lord, to come out to meet You, ready to spread out before You the garments of my virtues and the God-pleasing works I have done. When we act in that way, we are saying "Hosanna."
But let’s ask ourselves (and try to give an honest, unhypocritical answer) the question: "Does that exclamation often sound in my life? Does not "Crucify Him, Crucify Him" sound out more often in my soul? That is precisely what my soul cries out to God when I continue to stagnate in my sins; when I continue to be indifferent to the state of my soul, and do not care whether it is healthy or sick, or perhaps, already dead; when what is happening around me doesn’t matter to me, when I am concerned only with my own visible success; when I don’t see the person who is right beside me; when I am blind to his needs and I remain callous, selfish, not wanting to even think that someone might be in need of my human warmth, my kind words, my sympathetic glance.
In short, when I forget my Christian calling, I join the crowd of those Jews who in anger and hatred cried out to Pilate "Crucify Him, crucify Him."
-Archpriest Victor Potapov
But let’s ask ourselves (and try to give an honest, unhypocritical answer) the question: "Does that exclamation often sound in my life? Does not "Crucify Him, Crucify Him" sound out more often in my soul? That is precisely what my soul cries out to God when I continue to stagnate in my sins; when I continue to be indifferent to the state of my soul, and do not care whether it is healthy or sick, or perhaps, already dead; when what is happening around me doesn’t matter to me, when I am concerned only with my own visible success; when I don’t see the person who is right beside me; when I am blind to his needs and I remain callous, selfish, not wanting to even think that someone might be in need of my human warmth, my kind words, my sympathetic glance.
In short, when I forget my Christian calling, I join the crowd of those Jews who in anger and hatred cried out to Pilate "Crucify Him, crucify Him."
-Archpriest Victor Potapov
Forwarded from Ask About The Orthodox Faith
Often people expect that if they become Christians, life is going to get better. It does not work like that. Even if you try to be good, you still live in the same world. And our goal is to learn to live here and still preserve righteousness.
“We cannot live in such a way that no one grieves or offends us, for the Apostle Luke writes: we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22), and bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). Let us therefore ask that we may bear sorrows with self-reproach and humility and not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, and with the Prophet say: With them that hate pace I was peaceable (Ps. 119:6).” - St. Hilarion of Optina
“We cannot live in such a way that no one grieves or offends us, for the Apostle Luke writes: we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22), and bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). Let us therefore ask that we may bear sorrows with self-reproach and humility and not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, and with the Prophet say: With them that hate pace I was peaceable (Ps. 119:6).” - St. Hilarion of Optina
Forwarded from He Loves Mankind ☦️
"After all, He saved the thief on the holy hill of Golgotha because of one hour’s faith, will He not save you too, since you have believed?
+ St Cyril of Jerusalem
+ St Cyril of Jerusalem
Forwarded from Ask About The Orthodox Faith (SamiTafesh)
☦️🕯️SUNDAY OF SAINT THOMAS🕯️☦️
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Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:27-29).
The Orthodox Church observes the Sunday of Thomas one week following the celebration of the Sunday of Holy Pascha. The day commemorates the appearance of Christ to His disciples on the evening of the Sunday following Passover. It also commemorates the appearance of the Lord to His disciples eight days later when Thomas was present and proclaimed "My Lord and my God" upon seeing the hands and side of Christ.
This Sunday is also called Antipascha (meaning "in the stead of Pascha," not "in opposition to Pascha") because with this day, the first Sunday after Pascha, the Church consecrates every Sunday of the year to the commemoration of Pascha, that is, the Resurrection.
Some icons depicting this event are inscribed “The Doubting Thomas.” This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, “The Touching of Thomas.” The Slavonic inscription is, “The Belief of Thomas.” When Saint Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts.
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Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:27-29).
The Orthodox Church observes the Sunday of Thomas one week following the celebration of the Sunday of Holy Pascha. The day commemorates the appearance of Christ to His disciples on the evening of the Sunday following Passover. It also commemorates the appearance of the Lord to His disciples eight days later when Thomas was present and proclaimed "My Lord and my God" upon seeing the hands and side of Christ.
This Sunday is also called Antipascha (meaning "in the stead of Pascha," not "in opposition to Pascha") because with this day, the first Sunday after Pascha, the Church consecrates every Sunday of the year to the commemoration of Pascha, that is, the Resurrection.
Some icons depicting this event are inscribed “The Doubting Thomas.” This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, “The Touching of Thomas.” The Slavonic inscription is, “The Belief of Thomas.” When Saint Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts.
Forwarded from Rural Orthodoxy☦