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Saint Longinus the Centurion

~ Who was Saint Longinus and what is his story? By Zachary Porcu “Longinus” is the name given to the Roman centurion who had been serving under Pontius Pilate, the governor who oversaw Christ’s execution, and was said to have stood at the foot of the cross, witnesses Christ’s death. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, St. Longinus was the one who said, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54) following the earthquake that

St Patrick – Equal to the Apostles

~By Father Jeremy McKemy, March 17, 2014 PATRICK’S EARLY LIFE St. Patrick, one of the few saints I recognized before becoming Orthodox, lived somewhere around the years of 390-460 AD.  People all over the world still celebrate his feast day, though it is usually by consuming alcohol, wearing the color green, and perhaps decorating with four-leaf clovers.  But who was St. Patrick?  What kind of life did he live?  I read his autobiography and put

The Third Friday of Great Lent: St. Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland

Authored by Orthodox Church of America Parades, wearing of the green, shamrocks, celebrations – which one of these is a true event in the life of St. Patrick? The humble bishop who helped establish Christianity in the country now known as Ireland would be surprised, and perhaps saddened, by some of the “traditions” associated with his missionary work during a challenging period in the life of the Church. A little-known fact is that Patrick was

The Second Thursday of Great Lent: St Patrick the Bishop of Armagh and Enlightener of Ireland

Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland was born around 385, the son of Calpurnius, a Roman decurion (an official responsible for collecting taxes). He lived in the village of Bannavem Taberniae, which may have been located at the mouth of the Severn River in Wales. The district was raided by pirates when Patrick was sixteen, and he was one of those taken captive. He was brought to Ireland and sold as a slave, and was

The Presence of God

You cannot not live in the presence of God. You are totally surrounded by God all the time and everywhere. You have no choice in the matter, except to bring it to consciousness. St. Patrick said it well in the prayer attributed to him: God beneath you, God in front of you, God behind you, God above you, God within you. You cannot earn this God by any practice whatsoever. You cannot prove yourself worthy

The Third Monday of Great Lent: St Patrick the Bishop of Armagh and Enlightener of Ireland

Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland was born around 385, the son of Calpurnius, a Roman decurion (an official responsible for collecting taxes). He lived in the village of Bannavem Taberniae, which may have been located at the mouth of the Severn River in Wales. The district was raided by pirates when Patrick was sixteen, and he was one of those taken captive. He was brought to Ireland and sold as a slave, and was