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The Life of St. Valentine

Of all the Saints that the Church remembers throughout the year, this Saint that I want to talk about today is probably recognized more than any other. With the exception of one other Saint, St. Nicholas, whose feast day is commemorated on Dec. 6 (during the same season as the birth of Christ), the name of this Saint is well-known throughout all of North America – and on his Feast Day, millions of people, both

Christ is Born! Glorify Him! The First Day of Christmas!

By His Grace Bishop John Abdalah As Orthodox Christians, we greet one another with this confident exclamation during the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord. With this seasonal greeting we affirm that Jesus, who took on flesh and was born into our world, is indeed the Christ, and worthy of glorification. This greeting is unlike other seasonal greetings about being merry (Christmas), glad (tidings), or happy (holidays). Not that I have any trouble with

The Twenty-Eighth Day of Christmas Advent: St. Spyridon’s Shoes – and My Shoes

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, September 9, 2019  Earlier this year I was making my way to Antiochian Village for a Writers’ Conference. Walking across the expanse of the Atlanta Airport, I became aware of something odd about my shoes. At first, I thought something had gotten into my shoe, a rock, or some such thing. Then I thought that maybe there was something strange about the foot bed. One of my toes seemed to be

Lest We Forget: Keeping Traditions

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, April 13, 2016 By Virginia Nieuwsma To hear Mother Victoria of the St. Barbara’s Monastery tell it, growing up in the Ukranian Orthodox Church was a rich and memorable experience at special times of year. On Christmas Eve, for instance, she remembers looking for the first star in the sky, which would signal the start of the Nativity meal. Before eating, she and her family always fed the animals first, in