Matthew 18:23-35 Dearly beloved, it was Socrates who once said that: “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil”. Yet I tell you that one of the greatest evils that confronts each and every person upon this planet, (which echoes this wise saying of Socrates); is when we falsely seek forgiveness and merely …

From the most ancient times of the Church, liturgical vestments have been present and vital to the celebration of all Church services, for they employ symbolism to express the deepest and loftiest meanings of the Faith. No opportunity was lost, in utilising the time that the faithful spent within churches, to continuously remind them and transport them towards contemplation of the …

By Fr. Brendan Pelphery (Friday, 27th Febuary 2004. Source: http://dto.thischurch.org) Like many Orthodox churches, Annunciation Cathedral in Houston, Texas is set on a hill. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid” (Matt. 5:14). Ours is certainly not a literal hill, because this part of Texas is perfectly flat. But …

What is greater than to be called – and to be – the Mother of God – the source of life whom Christ took the humanity that He made divine? St Paul said: ‘if the root is holy, then the branches are also’ (Rom. 11:16). Her body is the bridal-chamber of virginity, the heaven above us, the earth that brings …

FOREWORD Dearly beloved readers and subscribers of Mode of Life, we regret that this week we have diverged from our usual schedule of article publications to bring some troubling news from our fellow Orthodox Christian brethren in Syria.  Many things have been reported within the Western media which are not detailed or objective, with preference given to the rebels who …

“And when the demon had been cast out, the mute spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, ‘Never was anything like this seen in Israel.’  (Matt. 9:33) This Gospel refers to two miracles: the healing of two blind men, and a demon-possessed deaf and mute person, by Jesus Christ. Authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone …

Upon an initial reading of the Genesis account of Cain and Abel (Gen 4:1-7), one would superficially conclude with the question of why God did not accept Cain’s sacrifice, which may seem to be undue preference of a petty and jealous God. Quite often Cain’s overreaction by killing his brother out of jealousy and envy, is often overlooked and explained …

This Gospel reminds us more or less of our own troubled time where people who by following their own imagination and individual notions of life, create huge problems in the peaceful course of humanity. It would be no exaggeration to state that Church life in today’s world has become irrelevant. This is why as mature and serious Christians, Christ’s presence …

Q. According to your thoughts and meditations Holy Elder, who was the first pious person to show genuine faith in God? A. As you may recall, in spite of what had transpired, people had become immensely savage and barbarian turning to all forms of idolatry. It seems that within this spiritually historical context, that Abraham was the first, some 2,039 …

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-urZ8ICy8Mk] Prologue Throughout Christian history, many places have arisen to spiritual prominence due to either their legacy of martyrdom or monasticism. Naturally within peaceful times where there were few people being martyred for the Faith, monasticism assumed a greater role within Christian witness, and within the era of the undivided Christian ecumene, numerous monastic centres became centres of prayer, …