The Most High God, the Holy Trinity, sustains and gives life to all things, from the smallest blade of grass to the most distant star. The beautiful and staple prayer, “O Heavenly King,” clearly confess this reality, “Who art everywhere present and fills all things.” The Holy Trinity is the Giver of life – the …
Tag: Orthodoxy in America
Worldly Progress or the Cross?
Below the reader will find another teaching from the great lion of the 20th century, Archbishop Averky. The article is taken from “Orthodoxy and the Modern World,” Chapter 28, “The Kingdom of God on Earth, Progress, or the Cross?”1 In these days, our hope must be in Christ Jesus. All of man's “progress,” which for …
The Gates of Hell Shall not Prevail
Below is a sermon by Archbishop Averky of blessed memory from a collection of his works entitled, “True Orthodoxy and the Modern World.”1 The sermon is from chapter 29 of this work, “The Church of Christ is 'the Pillar and Bulwark of the Truth.” Our Venerable Father Seraphim of Platina called Archbishop Averky one of …
The open appeal of the faithful of the Zaporozhye Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople
Below the reader will find the English translation of an open letter by the faithful of the Zaporozhye Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The faithful Hierarch of this Diocese is Luke. I have in the past translated a few of his writings (which may be found on this …
The Eternal Paradise of the Cross
My dear readers, during this most beautiful week of the Cross, in the middle of the Great Fast, I wanted to share with you the words of the holy Archbishop Averky. They are from his work, “The Kingdom of God on earth - progress or the Cross?” Which is a chapter is a greater work …
You may not, not kiss the Icon
For Orthodox Christians, what does it mean to properly venerate an icon? Are there required physical actions of Orthodox when venerating an icon? Can one simply venerate it in one's heart and forego outward physical greetings? Many people are already familiar with the theological teaching behind the use of icons as proclaimed especially in the …
Green Shepherds for the Global Fleecing
“Cursed is the person who has hoped in humankind and who will lean the flesh of his arm on him and his heart is removed from the Lord,” Jeremiah 17:1 The “climate change” agenda, as it is expounded by Government agencies, foundations, corporations, and so forth is much more about the control of humanity than …
The Cause and Idol of War
A bit ago, my wife came upon an audio version, in Russian, of a work by St. Nikolia Velimirovich entitled, War and the Bible. As is her custom, she listens to various audiobooks while doing this or that around the house, many a time small crumbs of audio wisdom waft my way as I am …
The Divine Liturgy Conquers Hades
Below the reader will find my translation from the Russian of sermon number 18 by St. Seraphim (Zvezdenski), On the Divine Liturgy. The preceding sermons may be found by clicking here. St. Seraphim reminds us that the only way to rise up from the darkness that surrounds our world and us is through the worship …
Rome, Constantinople, Kyiv, and the Union of Man
“Just as the disruption of war can create new circumstances favorable to peace … so, too, can ecclesial conflicts create new circumstances for unity. At the end of 2022, divisions in global Orthodoxy have rarely been so deep. That paradoxically offers new possibilities for ecumenical progress,”1 proclaims a prominent Roman Catholic publication, The National Catholic …
Continue reading Rome, Constantinople, Kyiv, and the Union of Man
The Inkless Pen 