You may have noticed that our Church is named Nativity of the Holy Theotokos, and you may then wonder what the word Theotokos means. Theotokos is an ancient title for the Virgin Mary, which literally means “the Birthgiver of God” or “Mother of God.” Therefore, our Church is named after the birthday of the Virgin Mary, which… Continue reading What Does the Word Theotokos Mean?
God Remembers Our Labors of Love
Dear Friends in Christ, But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do… Continue reading God Remembers Our Labors of Love
Four Types of Prayer
Even in today’s secular world, we hear a lot about prayer. People tell each other, “I’ll pray for you” when something goes wrong. When something bad is going on in someone’s life, they may pray to God for help. Prayer for some people has become more of an exercise in positive thinking and visualization. The… Continue reading Four Types of Prayer
As We Begin Lent
March 2 marks the beginning of Lent this year for Orthodox Christians. Lent is a period of preparation for the greatest feast of the Church year, Pascha—the Resurrection of Christ. In order to be ready to celebrate this feast, the Church guides us through the season of Lent, which is a time of fasting geared… Continue reading As We Begin Lent
How Do Orthodox View Non-Orthodox Religious Phenomena?
For some coming to Orthodox Christianity, the conversion is a jolting experience where the difference between one’s former way of life and the Orthodox way of life becomes suddenly clear and is a stark contrast. For such converts, and for many people who were born into Orthodoxy and have never been anything else, Orthodoxy is… Continue reading How Do Orthodox View Non-Orthodox Religious Phenomena?
If Orthodoxy Is True, Why Have I Never Heard of It?
As was explained in the previous article, What is the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church believes itself to be the original and true Church of Jesus Christ. Orthodoxy is not large nor is it well-known in the West, however, which often makes people wonder why they have not heard of this Church before. Much of… Continue reading If Orthodoxy Is True, Why Have I Never Heard of It?
A Reading List for Academically-Inclined Inquirers
One of the most common questions from those looking into the Orthodox Church is, “what do I read?” While English-language resources for understanding Orthodox Christianity have thankfully increased greatly over the past forty years, they are not all of even quality. Most have a slant of one type or another, and oftentimes there are errors… Continue reading A Reading List for Academically-Inclined Inquirers
Doctrines and Spirituality
Have you ever been unsure about some aspect of who Jesus is? Or maybe you’ve heard someone on television preach something one way that sounds different from what you have heard before? You may have even seen a film where the Church is made out to be the bad guy, covering up the truth, such… Continue reading Doctrines and Spirituality
On the Truth of the Old Calendar
Dear Friends in Christ, I’d like to wish you all a Happy New Year and especially a Merry Christmas! For some of you reading this bulletin, you will have already celebrated the Nativity of Our Lord on December 25 with the civil, Gregorian, or “New” Calendar, while others are among those Orthodox who celebrate the… Continue reading On the Truth of the Old Calendar
How to Prepare for Christmas
Dear Friends in Christ, Thanksgiving has passed, and we are now jumping into the “Holiday Season.” Even in times of economic slowdown, shopping continues, and many of us will be invited to various holiday social functions at work, or at the homes of our family and friends. This is a good time to catch up… Continue reading How to Prepare for Christmas