August 15, 7533
The Holy Gospel. From Matthew. Reading 77. The Lord spake this parable. For this cause was likened the heavenly kingdom unto a man, a king, who desired to reckon concerning matters with his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, they brought unto him one debtor of ten thousand talents. But he, not having…
A Homily by Metropolitan Andrian (Chetvergov) The fundamental law of our life, the Holy Gospel, in a concise and vivid form—through striking imagery, instructive stories from the life of the Savior, and profound allegorical parables—gently and unobtrusively provides us with a Christian understanding of life and answers to all of life’s questions. Unfortunately, we ourselves…
“Together with the Word, let us now ascend the lofty mountain of the Transfiguration, casting off the material and dark garments of worldly life and clothing ourselves in those woven from above, shining with the rays of rational virtues,” calls St. Andrew of Crete to the faithful on this great feast day. “And it is…
By the Example of the Holy One Who Called You, Be Holy Yourselves (1 Peter 1:15). Are the lessons of this day meant for us? Be holy. Be transformed into the “image of Christ.” Change your sinful life to one modeled after the One who called us—Christ. Exchange the dirty, stained garments of the soul…
“‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you,’” thus the Lord teaches us in today’s Gospel (Matthew 17:20). St. John Chrysostom explains this thought as follows: “Speaking of miraculous faith, He (the…
The name of this feast can be confusing for modern people, who might think it refers to the origin of the wooden pieces of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Church interpreters of Scripture and theologians have long viewed a passage from the Book of Isaiah as a prophecy about the Lord’s Cross:…
This year, according to the civil calendar, marks 1,000 years since the martyric death of the holy passion-bearers Princes Boris and Gleb. A thousand years is an immense span of time that erases both the bad and the good from memory. However, there are enduring values over which time should have no power—at least, it…
Dear brothers and sisters! What a precious treasure is sincere, warm, heartfelt prayer to the Lord. In it, we bring to the Lord our sorrows, our gratitude, and our requests. The Lord, in response to sincere prayer offered with faith and repentance, sends us His countless blessings and miracles, testifying to His power and might….
HOW VLADIMIR WAS BAPTIZED, AND BAPTIZED HIS CHILDREN, AND THE WHOLE RUSSIAN LAND FROM END TO END, AND HOW BEFORE VLADIMIR, VLADIMIR’S GRANDMOTHER OLGA WAS BAPTIZED. WRITTEN BY JACOB THE MONK Father, bless! Paul, the holy apostle, teacher of the Church and light of the whole world, sending a letter to Timothy, said: “My child…
During today’s Divine Liturgy, we hear the Gospel account of the Savior’s healing of the paralytic in the city of Capernaum. Attentive Christians may recall that this Gospel reading is presented to the faithful twice a year. This fact alone underscores how instructive this Gospel is for us. At the beginning of the reading, it…