“Your mother is a cause for wonder: the Lord entered herand became a servant; He who is the Word entered — and became silent within her; thunder entered her—-and made no sound; there entered the Shepherd of all, and in her He became the Lamb, bleating as He came forth. Your Mother’s womb has reversed... Continue Reading →
Fasting Because All Things Are Good
“To eat and drink with thanksgiving to God all that is served up or prepared for one is not in any way opposed to the rule of knowledge. For everything is very good (Genesis 1.31). But voluntarily to abstain from what is agreeable and abundant is a sign of great discernment and higher knowledge. We... Continue Reading →
Christianity is Not The Destruction But The Elevation of The World
The highest aim for Christianity is not ascetic detachment from the natural life but its hallowing and purification. But in order to purify it, one must, in the first instance, be pure from it.
In Praise of Athanasius
"In praising Athanasius, I shall be praising virtue. To speak of him and to praise virtue are identical, because he had, or, to speak more truly, has embraced virtue in its entirety. For all who have lived according to God still live unto God, though they have departed hence. For this reason, God is called the... Continue Reading →
Vanity of Vanities
“Vanity of vanities”, says the Preacher, “vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” ’ "To those who are entering the church of the mind and are wondering at the contemplation of the created things, the Word says, ‘You must not think that these things are the final goal that has been stored up for you by the promises... Continue Reading →
Consecrating An Illustrious Life, Dear to God
"For they did not at all accept the Savior of all; they never stopped insulting him, practicing every kind of wickedness in their cruelty. Their insanity reached such a degree that they nailed to a cross the Author of life, and thought they could conquer by death the one who is greater than death. For... Continue Reading →
Lent and The Exodus From Egypt
"For when first the soul escapes from the Egyptians, the power of God approaches to help and leads it to the truth. But the spiritual Pharaoh, the king of darkness of sin, when it knows that the soul is in revolt and is fleeing out of his kingdom, pursues the thoughts which he so long... Continue Reading →
A Joyous Lent
"Ascend, my brothers, ascend eagerly. Let your hearts' resolve be to climb. Listen to the voice of the one who says: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of our God (Isa 2.3.), Who makes our feet to be like the feet of the deer, 'Who sets us... Continue Reading →
An Unhoped for salvation
“From the beginning, God did bear human being to be swallowed up by the great whale, who was the author of transgression, not that they should perish altogether when so engulfed, but arranging in advance the finding of salvation, which was accomplished by the Word, through the ‘Sign of Jonah’ [Matthew 12:39-40], for those who... Continue Reading →
Our Slavish Idolatry
“But now your possessions are more a part of you than the members of your own body, and separation from them is as painful as the amputation of one of your limbs. Had you clothed the naked, had you given your bread to the hungry, had your door been open to every stranger, had you... Continue Reading →
He Who Sustains All Came to Birth
"The lofty one become like a little child, yet hidden in Him wasa treasure of wisdom that suffices for all. He was lofty but he sucked Mary's milk, and from His blessings all creation sucks. He is the Living breast of living breath; by His life the dead were suckled, and they revived.Without the breath... Continue Reading →
We Are Our Own Birth Givers
"Now, it is certainly required that what is subject to change be in a sense always coming to birth. In mutable nature nothing can be observed which is always the same. Being born, in the sense of constantly experiencing change, does not come about as the result of external initiative, as is the case with... Continue Reading →
An Ancient Faith For a Modern World 