Fr. John Meyendorff on the Use of Oikonomia in Byzantium

In both historical and theological literature, the principle of oikonomia is often referred to to illustrate the particularly Byzantine ability to interpret the law arbitrarily to suit political or personal purposes. Such a use betrays an obvious misunderstanding of the term, and is an injustice both to the principle itself and to its proper application. [...]

Read Full Post »

Fr. Alexander Schmemann on the Eucharistic Decay and Renewal

It is impossible, and even unnecessary that we present in this short report the question of lay communion in all its dogmatical and historical aspects. What is essential can be summarized as follows.
It is a well-known and undisputed fact that in the early Church the communion of all the faithful, of the entire ecclesia at [...]

Read Full Post »

Saint Isaac the Syrian on Love for One’s Neighbour

Do not demand love from your neighbor, because you will suffer if you don’t receive it; but better still, you indicate your love toward your neighbor and you will settle down. In this way, you will lead your neighbor toward love.
Don’t exchange your love toward your neighbor for some type of object, because in having [...]

Read Full Post »

A Lesson from Saint Abraham of Scetis

It was said of an old man that for fifty years he had neither eaten bread nor drunk wine readily. He even said, “I have destroyed fornication, avarice, and vain-glory in myself.” Learning that he had said this, Abba Abraham came and said to him, “Did you really say that?” He answered, “Yes.” Then Abba [...]

Read Full Post »

An Example of the Faith of Saint John Maximovitch

Vladika John’s constant attention to self mortification had its root in the fear of God, which he possessed in the tradition of the ancient Church and of Holy Russia. The following incident, told by O. Skopichenko and confirmed by many from Shanghai, well illustrates his daring, unshakable faith in Christ. “A Mrs. Menshikova was bitten [...]

Read Full Post »

Saint Lucian of Antioch and a Divine Liturgy Celebrated in Prison

The saints of God place great importance on receiving Holy Communion before their death. Even though they were sacrificing their lives for Christ the Lord and washing away all their sins by the blood of martyrdom, the martyrs longingly received the Holy Mysteries whenever it was possible. St. Lucian was in prison with several of [...]

Read Full Post »

Writings in Orthodox Christianity related to Beards

The following is a list of quotes from Orthodox sources on the tradition of beards. One should take care not to turn the following quotes into pharisee like laws, and begin to  judge those around them.
In the history of the Orthodox Church there were saints who trimmed and shaved their beards i.e. Constantine the Great, [...]

Read Full Post »

Saint John of Damascus on Astrology

Now the Greeks declare that all our affairs are controlled by the rising and setting and collision of these stars, viz., the sun and moon: for it is with these matters that astrology has to do. But we hold that we get from them signs of rain and drought, cold and heat, moisture and dryness, [...]

Read Full Post »

List of the canonized New Martyrs who suffered under the Turkish Yoke

The Following martyrs are all canonized saints in the Orthodox Christian Church.
Fifteenth Century

Ephraim the New of Nea-Makri
George the Soldier
Cosmas
Peter the Priest
Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesbos
Andrew Argentes
Nimat the Young
John the Merchant
Michael Mavroeides
Arsenius the Metropolitan Verroia

Read Full Post »

Fr. John Meyendorff on the Role of Art in Byzantium

Of all the cultural families of Christianity—the Latin, the Syrian, the Egyptian, or the Armenian—the Byzantine was the only one in which art became inseparable from theology. The debates of the eighth and ninth centuries have shown that in the light of the Incarnation art could not retain a “neutral” function, that it could and [...]

Read Full Post »