Sergei Komarov
Christ did and taught, and that’s what the Church should do. And the Church is us.
The Apostol occupies a special place in the New Testament cycle of books.
Sergei Khudiev
Our life is a mission to us from God. However, this does not negate some simple earthly things.
Jonathan Dunne
These are crosses I have come across in my everyday life, in Bulgaria and other countries, on holiday or while performing an errand. I hope these photographs will serve to remind us of the presence of God in our daily lives.
Archpriest Leonid Grilikhes
Many will say that there is no need to study the Scriptures, since we believe in Christ. But if we study it at least a little, our faith will become deeper and richer.
Professor Larisa Marsheva, Peter Gramatik
The Omnipotent God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, “the Wonderful Counsellor, the ruler of the world,” for the first time reveals Himself to mankind in Three Persons.
Priest Valery Dukhanin
God became man, Heaven came down to earth, and thus people became related to the angels.
Fr. Lawrence Farley
That is why apocalyptic literature is thrilling and full of violent imagery. It leaves many details vague and compensates for this by a wealth of symbolism.
Christianity clothes men, robing them in virtues and holiness. Sin disrobes. Removing the clothing of virtues from a man, sin leaves him naked, weak, ugly.
Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol
Satan fights against the Church throughout the world. Therefore, we pray in Liturgy for “the good estate of the holy Churches of God.”
Archpriest Alexander Shargunov
To love those who don’t love us, to do good to those who don’t do us good, to give to those from whom we don’t hope to receive in return—to be divine by the gift of Christ, to be like God by our cross.
Christ is our peace and His presence fills our souls with peace. Christ visits the penitent man.
Jesse Dominick
Scripture depicts history symbolically because God’s providence guides history symbolically.
Larisa Marsheva, Peter Sadikov
The texts for this feast are filled with numerous symbols that glorify the instrument of Christ’s victory over death, revealing the soteriological aspects of theology and speaking of the priceless gifts that believers have acquired through the salvific death of Jesus.
Elder Epiphanios (Theodoropoulos)
If it’s impermissible to denigrate the mission and work of clergy serving in the world (as well as of the zealots and bearers of gifts of grace from among the laity), it’s also impermissible to denigrate the mission and work of monks. The Church is led unerringly by the Holy Spirit.
St. Luke of Crimea
Pray as best as you can, sincerely, like small children. Christ hears your prayer, for no matter how weak it is, it rises very high to God, and the Lord accepts all prayers. Don’t be discouraged, don’t be idle, don’t expect your prayer to be freed from distraction quickly and easily.
All of our hope and our thoughts should strive to go there, “to the Heavenly… to the Heavenly… to the light…,” as said the dying St. Gregory Palamas. There God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Rev. 21:4). Let us turn our hope there and let us believe: It will not put us to shame, for the promises of God are immutable.
Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)
The Sign of the Cross is the only seal that has spiritual power. Our cross-bearing, our struggle with sin, our endurance of sickness, anguish, co-suffering with others, and much more—life according to God—is a witness to the fact that we bear God’s seal on ourselves. What is technology, computers, someone’s human or even diabolical desire to make us submit to his influence, to his seal? Nothing compared to that great seal which the Savior has given us for salvation.
The seal of antichrist will come when antichrist comes to reign and receives power, and becomes the one and only ruler on the earth. Right now every nation has its own head. Therefore, do not panic before the time, but fear now the sins that open and pave the way to the future antichrist.
Professor Larisa Marsheva, George Surkov
And in this holiness, in total devotion to God, the Most Holy Virgin showed an example of the highest life, which is possible for everyone. In holiness and purity, in ineffable motherhood, she has become so close to God that the Church ceaselessly turns to her as to an intercessor, a patroness, and places its hope on her and praises her as a “firm hope in … intercessions.”
