In need of prayer for protection and mercy in my life. Thank you.

Christ is Risen!

For former protestants that had a strong aversion to the Mother of God, what is your testimony on your perspective changing?

I know protestants that absolutely despise this part of Orthodoxy, and I can't speak to it in a way that can be heard because I'm cradle Orthodox and our family loves her very much. So my language sounds like nonsense to those that disdain her. It is very painful to hear people disparage her and I'd like to hear testimony from people that felt strongly one way and then came to understand her in the Orthodox manner.

Christ is Risen!

Hey guys,

I decided to pursue Christianity since last summer, and in the past few months I started attending an OC church under HOCNA and I’m under mentorship from my priest which has greatly made my life better. I’m also a catechumen that hasn’t been baptized yet.

Best church I’ve been to in my life, liturgy was beautiful, people are very friendly, and I couldn’t ask for a better priest ever.

I knew of the old calendar controversy and it’s history. However, I recently learned that the church isn’t in communion with the mainstream Orthodox church. And that has left me conflicted as a result of various issues.

I have my own opinion on matters and do side with my Church. However, as someone new to learning orthodoxy I’d appreciate any input from Orthodox Redditors.

Hello all! I am a Roman Catholic interested in attending a Greek Orthodox liturgy tomorrow morning. Does anyone know if this will fulfill my Sunday obligation and if I can partake in the Eucharist?

Also, are there any differentiations I should know beforehand and how I can use this experience to learn and grow in my faith. Thanks!!

I’ve been facing some personal anxiety issues about my health that may or may not be right, but they have shaken up my life, and I’m looking for any intercessions from others for me to God, for my prayers alone are not worthy to God in this state i am in. I am a man who sins too much, and willingly.

(Also if there are any saints that have gone through something like this, or ones that could help me through this, id be interested to know more and ask for their intercession aswell)

Thank you.

From the nots in the prayer ropes, to the repeating of threes, why is that? Is it for the Trinity, or how long Jesus lived? Got asked this question and want to have a definite answer thank you!

My parents are Jehovahs Witnesses and I have com to realize that the teachings are heretical and not consistent with the Bible. I want to be baptized and become an Orthodox Christian, but I was baptized as a JW (not a real baptism ofc) and if I leave their heretical sect my parents are obligated to limit all contact with me. I don’t live with them anymore but I live in the same town, so I won’t go homeless. I have nephews that I love dearly that I see at their home regularly. I don’t think they’ll completely shun me, but our relationship will be severely damaged. I know Christ said that He would divide families and this scripture has been comforting to me, I’m still terrified to do this. I want to be an Orthodox Christian, I want to make God happy, I want to take the Eucharist, I want to be Baptized. I see my nephews as icons of God and I cannot stand the thought of loosing contact with them. I don’t think my parents will disallow me to see them in their house, but I truly don’t know. I have gone to the Liturgy and the Fathers are aware of my situation. I want to speak with one of the Fathers about this in detail. I’m asking this community of Christians to give me reassurance, comfort, advice, and some ideas of what I should say to the Priest when I see him. I pray often, I read my Bible (reading the gospels and It has been very comforting), I go to Church when I can (I have to sneakily go as I will be excommunicated for doing so). Thank you all!!

New to Orthodoxy. Can someone explain to me how central theosis is to orthodoxy all around, like eastern, or oriental? Is theosis a concept in the Roman Catholic Church as well? This is foreign to me; but I actually am fascinated with the concept as a former Protestant and absolutely loving the Theotokos. Watching a video from Harmony on this.

Also, what are the differences in the Eastern, Antioch, Greek, etc Orthodox or other forms of orthodox churches?

And how does one delineate between eastern and oriental orthodoxy; or is there any difference?

Trying to learn - so I appreciate you

Somebody told me that St Epiphanius of Salamis teaches filioque in Ancoratus 75 and 67
How do we tackle this as orthodox

I’m a Romanian orthodox who has a Spanish Catholic fiancée and i want to celebrate my wedding in an orthodox church in spain but i want the celebration to be in spanish. If anyone could help id be so grateful.

If not, then what would the saying 'nowhere is there more temptation than at the foot of the alter' refer to?

I was always a passive Christian (I grew up LDS) and I have a lot of learning to do. I’m reading the Bible for the first time and came across “God the word” and need some clarification.

So I’m an Orthodox who was baptized back in February and for the most part my family is largely non-denominational. I live in a big city in a different state from them and they all live in a small town.

My Step-Dad is Catholic and I attended Christmas Mass once and really like it. I love being in The Orthodox Church though and believe it’s the fullness of the truth and never want to leave. My Mom told me that she doesn’t participate in communion since she isn’t Catholic so I convinced her to take catechism into the Catholic Church so she can participate in the Flesh and Blood of Christ. There is a small Orthodox parish deep in the countryside but it’s a far drive from my Mom and Step Dad and I know it would be a pain to convince them to go to that. Regardless, she plans to become a member of the Catholic Church and I’m beyond happy for her.

On a side note, my Mom and Step-Dad recently visited me and they really liked my Orthodox Church.

I noticed there’s a big controversy on ecumenism in among a lot of Orthodox, at least online. Obviously I would prefer if everyone on the planet was an Orthodox Christian but life isn’t that simple. Especially a country as diverse as America. I also don’t think that anyone who isn’t Orthodox is going to burn in hell since there’s not even a guarantee that I won’t haha. Obviously I should talk to my priest but I’m curious about your opinions on it.

Hello again everyone,

I am getting more and more interested in Orthodoxy. I am atheist/agnostic and I was wondering if to be Orthodox one must believe in the creation of the world as literal, as well as the creation of man (Adam and eve)?

As we have discovered many things about the world since the culmination and writing of the OT, I cannot believe that the world was creates literally as described in Genisis, same goes foe Adam and eve. I am able to believe it in a metaphorical and deeper abstrace sence, but not literal. Also there is historical evidence in the OT and NT, but just because places and some events did take place it doesn't automatically make the rest of the claims in the OT and NT historically accurate.

Does this belief bar me from becoming Orthodox?

I am not baptised, and i want to get baptised. But due to the fact, that the nearest othodox church is apx. 1hour away from me and family reasons, I don't know what I should join. Greek catholic for convenience or Eastern Orthodox for everything else. Why I prefer EO over GC : GC believes that pope is right and etc. I don't believe in pope, I don't like pope. So EO :Theology,Chants,Lithurgies,Traditions and Saints for EO :etc. Why I prefer GC over EO : convenience(5-10 (WALK) minutes to the nearest GC church in both homes) just in comparison it's 1,6 hours (60km/h CAR RIDE) from Home2 and 50 minutes CAR RIDE from Home1) and I don't have yet drivers license for an car, only for small motorcycle. And mine family leans away from EO so they probably wouldn't drive me there. The Bus is timed badly and too far

Side note in mine country EO is viewed as an Russian (bad) denomination (Slovakia)

Neutral- i like that greek catholic has some connections to Eastern Orthodox in comparison to Rome. So i have decided on Greek Catholic for near future just so i can practice Christianity. And I'm wondering if that is valid, if i want to convert to Eastern Orthodox in a time range of 4-10 years. Sorry for bad englisch, i wrote this fast while in the forest.

Hey guys I just ordered the Olive wood prayer rope from Saint Paisius Monastery Gift Shop and I was wondering if anyone knew why there are four larger beads that are seperate from the normal beads? Do I pray a specific prayer when I get to them or are they just like the others?

I know this is a little bit goofy to ask but woukd it be looked down upon to drive my motorcycle to church?

I'm sure this is gonna be talk to the town over the next week or so... Has anyone had a chance to watch MHFMs new video? I have some serious issues with how he allows for papal error, but he does make a case that Vigilius himself may not have erred in the way Orthodox and Protestants suggest he did.

I'd love some insight!

we are very close friends of years and i would do anything to help him regardless of the situation, but we have different religions and i have no idea about baptists or if i would even be allowed in their church due to my religion. i’m not an incredibly religious person.

should i decline or go with it? is it considered a sin?

The appearance of the Kollyvades in the 18th century on the Holy Mountain, and more broadly throughout Greece, marks a dynamic return to the roots of Orthodox tradition and to Orthodox spirituality.

Their "movement", as it is called, was a renaissance, both traditional and progressive; it was patristic and thus genuinely Orthodox.

In the 18th century, which was difficult for our national history, the Kollyvades sought to oppose the then current atheistic enlightenment with the mystical experience of Orthodoxy, which is the only one that saves humanity.

A group of monks, who were living within the apostolic and patristic tradition of noetic prayer, took the occasion from a specific event (the celebration of Memorials on Saturday), not without theological implications, to illuminate the proper course of the Church.

Another occasion was given by the publication in 1777 of a book, which spoke of the need "for frequent divine communion" and came from the circle of the Kollyvades.

The book was condemned by the Patriarchate (1785), for allegedly creating scandal and discord.

Later, however, the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself overturned the condemnation. The same people, who supported the Memorials on Saturday (from the "kollyva" of Memorials they mockingly called their opponents the Kollyvades), also supported frequent divine communion, opposing the ancient ecclesiastical act influenced by the Western custom of the Orthodox communing a few times a year.

The Kollyvades had the patristic tradition as the center of their life, which is the genuine tradition of the Church.

They were accused of being "innovators", but their "innovation" was nothing more than an attempt to return to authenticity and purify ecclesiastical life from any foreign element that distorted its truth.

The place where the Kollyvades struggled was mostly centered around worship.

They recommended the frequent participation of the faithful, after continuous spiritual struggle and preparation, in the mystery of the divine eucharist, the strict observance of the ecclesiastical typikon, which ensures spiritual balance, and the study of patristic works, which ensures the continuity of the patristic phronema.

Their opponents, the Anti-kollyvades, fought them as hard as they could, because they were strangers to their spirit and expressed a falsified tradition, which saw the effort of the Kollyvades as a dangerous "innovation".

It is important, however, that the few Kollyvades, who were clearly involved in the dispute and became known in history, showed that on Mount Athos, the stronghold and the sacred ark of Orthodoxy over the centuries, the patristic-traditional line was not lost, which a large number of monks, who immediately sided with them, followed.

To them belongs the honor of keeping the patristic continuity in our Church, noetic prayer and hesychasm, asceticism and experience, which constitute the identity of Orthodoxy throughout the centuries.

To all of them this honor belongs, and above all to the protagonists of this spiritual struggle, who are:

a) Saint Makarios Notaras (1731-1805), a descendant of a well-known Byzantine family, born in Corinth, and Metropolitan of Corinth (1765-1769). He is the "inspirer" of the movement.

b) Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite (1749-1809), who was officially proclaimed a Saint in 1955. He was the "theologian" of the Kollyvades movement. An ardent father, a great ascetic-hesychast and a very experienced writer, who left about 100 voluminous books, in which the whole of patristic wisdom is recalled, so that we can unreservedly say that whoever reads the works of Saint Nikodemos is as if he has studied the whole of our patristic tradition. Needless to say, from this point of view, I also recommend to those who have no means of being able to study the ancient Church Fathers themselves, the works of Saint Nikodemos, which also helped Hellenism within the Ottoman Empire to get to know its hesychastic tradition. In particular, his Handbook of Counsels is the most representative new work on Orthodox spirituality.

c) Saint Athanasios the Parios (1722-1813), the most militant of the Kollyvades but also the most martyric. He also became a Saint of our Church in 1995. Between the years 1776-1781 he remained deposed as a heretic for his involvement in the movement. He fought with sacred passion Voltairism and atheism and was accused of being an obscurantist, because he advised parents not to send their children, who would become priests, to study in the West. He, however, did not fight education, which, when right, leads to Orthodoxy, but atheistic education and the arrogance of secular wisdom, which sacrifices divine truth to the Moloch of the supposed omnipotence of human reason.

These were the leaders of the struggle.

Only the fact that they are recognized Saints of our Church proves the repercussion and the subsequent recognition of their struggle in the consciousness of the Orthodox fullness.

The Kollyvades had a great influence on their time and on later generations.

Historian Sergios Makraios, Alexandros Papadiamantis and Alexandros Moraitidis are directly influenced by the Kollyvades.

The revival of patristic Orthodox spirituality is due to them. Even other Orthodox countries (Russia, Romania, etc.), directly or indirectly, have benefited from the influence of the Kollyvades, as can be seen in the rebirth of hesychasm in these countries as well.

The Kollyvades are still becoming our spiritual guides in the rediscovery and the correct continuation of our Greek Orthodox journey.

Source

I was planning to give them away to somebody, but I've heard it's not nice to do that for some reason.

Saints Cyril and Methodios, Equals of the Apostles and Enlighteners of the Slavs, came from an illustrious and pious family living in the Greek city of Thessalonica. Saint Methodios was the oldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine [Cyril was his monastic name] was the youngest. At first Saint Methodios was in the military and was governor in one of the Slavic principalities dependent on the Byzantine Empire, probably Bulgaria, which made it possible for him to learn the Slavic language. After living there for about ten years, Saint Methodios later received monastic tonsure at one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus (Asia Minor).

Saint Constantine distinguished himself by his great aptitude, and he studied with the emperor Michael under the finest teachers in Constantinople, including Saint Photios, the future Patriarch of Constantinople (February 6).

Saint Constantine studied all the sciences of his time, and also knew several languages. He also studied the works of Saint Gregory the Theologian. Because of his keen mind and penetrating intellect, Saint Constantine was called “Philosopher” (wise). Upon the completion of his education, Saint Constantine was ordained to the holy priesthood and was appointed curator of the patriarchal library at the Church of Hagia Sophia. He soon left the capital and went secretly to a monastery.

Discovered there, he returned to Constantinople, where he was appointed as instructor in philosophy. The young Constantine’s wisdom and faith were so great that he won a debate with Ananias, the leader of the heretical iconoclasts . After this victory Constantine was sent by the emperor to discuss the Holy Trinity with the Saracens, and again he gained the victory. When he returned, Saint Constantine went to his brother Saint Methodios on Olympus, spending his time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy Fathers.

The emperor soon summoned both of the holy brothers from the monastery and sent them to preach the Gospel to the Khazars. Along the way they stayed in the city of Korsun, making preparations for their missionary activity. There the holy brothers miraculously discovered the relics of the hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25).

There in Korsun Saint Constantine found a Gospel and Psalter written in Russian letters [i.e. Slavonic], and a man speaking the Slavic tongue, and he learned from this man how to read and speak this language. After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won a debate with Jews and Muslims by preaching the Gospel. On the way home, the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking up the relics of Saint Clement, they returned to Constantinople. Saint Constantine remained in the capital, but Saint Methodios was made abbot of the small Polychronion Monastery near Mount Olympus, where he lived a life of asceticism as before.

Soon messengers came to the emperor from the Moravian prince Rostislav, who was under pressure from German bishops, with a request to send teachers to Moravia who would be able to preach in the Slavic tongue. The emperor summoned Saint Constantine and said to him, “You must go there, but it would be better if no one knows about this.”

Saint Constantine prepared for the new task with fasting and prayer. With the help of his brother Saint Methodios and the disciples Gorazd, Clement, Sava, Naum and Angelyar, he devised a Slavonic alphabet and translated the books which were necessary for the celebration of the divine services: the Gospel, Epistles, Psalter, and collected services, into the Slavic tongue. This occurred in the year 863.

After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor, and they began to teach the services in the Slavic language. This aroused the malice of the German bishops, who celebrated divine services in the Moravian churches in Latin. They rose up against the holy brothers, convinced that divine services must be done in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or Latin.

Saint Constantine said, “You only recognize three languages in which God may be glorified. But David sang, ‘Praise the Lord, all nations, praise the Lord all peoples' (Ps 116/117:1). And the Gospel of Matthew (28:18) says, ‘Go and teach all nations....’” The German bishops were humiliated, but they became bitter and complained to Rome.

The holy brothers were summoned to Rome for a decision on this matter. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Saints Constantine and Methodios set off to Rome. Knowing that the holy brothers were bringing these relics with them, Pope Adrian met them along the way with his clergy. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, the Pope gave permission to have divine services in the Slavonic language, and he ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in the Latin churches, and to serve the Liturgy in the Slavonic language.

At Rome Saint Constantine fell ill, and the Lord revealed to him his approaching death. He was tonsured into the monastic schema with the name of Cyril. On February 14, 869, fifty days after receiving the schema, Saint Cyril died at the age of forty-two.

Saint Cyril commanded his brother Saint Methodios to continue with their task of enlightening the Slavic peoples with the light of the true Faith. Saint Methodios entreated the Pope to send the body of his brother for burial in their native land, but the Pope ordered the relics of Saint Cyril to be placed in the church of Saint Clement, where miracles began to occur from them.

After the death of Saint Cyril, the Pope sent Saint Methodios to Pannonia, after consecrating him as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, on the ancient throne of Saint Andronicus (July 30). In Pannonia Saint Methodios and his disciples continued to distribute services books written in the Slavonic language. This again aroused the wrath of the German bishops. They arrested and tried Saint Methodios, who was sent in chains to Swabia, where he endured many sufferings for two and a half years.

After being set free by order of Pope John VIII of Rome, and restored to his archdiocese, Saint Methodios continued to preach the Gospel among the Slavs. He baptized the Czech prince Borivoi and his wife Ludmilla (September 16), and also one of the Polish princes. The German bishops began to persecute the saint for a third time, because he did not accept the erroneous teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit from both the Father and the Son. Saint Methodios was summoned to Rome, but he justified himself before the Pope, and preserved the Orthodox teaching in its purity, and was sent again to the capital of Moravia, Velehrad.

Here in the remaining years of his life Saint Methodios, assisted by two of his former pupils, translated the entire Old Testament into Slavonic, except for the Book of Maccabees, and even the Nomocanon (Rule of the Holy Fathers) and Paterikon (Book of the Holy Fathers).

Sensing the nearness of death, Saint Methodios designated one of his students, Gorazd, as a worthy successor to himself. The holy bishop predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885 when he was about sixty years old. The Saint’s burial service was chanted in three languages, Slavonic, Greek, and Latin. He was buried in the Cathedral Church of Velehrad.

Source

I'm a bit confused on this. I will ask my priest eventually, but this isn't a pressing issue that requires I do so right away. It is just a question of curiosity, as a result of the new deaconess distributing the Eucharist.

EDIT: Well, this has been even more helpful than I expected. It helped me locate an interview with Fr. Farley, and a couple of book suggestions! Many thanks!

Christ is risen, dear brothers and sisters! I have a question for you.

I experience inner spiritual battle. I very often have thoughts full of anger and hatred towards other people. Even if they haven't done anything at all such thoughts will pop up in my mind. For example when I am driving from point A to point B a bad memory of something that someone has done or has said will disturb my mind and heart. I even ask myself sometimes "where and why did that come from? I forgave this person and I don't want to have any bad feelings thoward him". I know that the devil can't see our thoughts and because of this I started to ask myself if I am a really that bad of a person.

Have you ever experienced such bad unreasonable feelings and thoughts thoward someone that you don't want to be inside you? How do you deal or have dealt with them?

On May 6, 2024, Russia announced non-strategic nuclear weapons exercises. The Russian Security Council is threatening to strike Britain, where I live now.

I'm scared. And I began to learn about countries that were safe in case of nuclear war.

The further from the epicenter of the explosion, the more radiation particles are scattered. Thus, I considered all parts of the earth that are distant from Russia, the USA, the UK, and Israel.

And I see that there are safe places in case of nuclear war, but they are not safe in themselves!

South America has a high incidence rate;

Southeast and east Asia has high levels of seismic activity;

Australia and New Zealand are very expensive.

But as a Christian, I would like to do what God wants. And as far as I know, there is nothing in the Bible about nuclear war.

Please tell me how to make a decision in such a situation as a Christian?

I know there’s obviously official sites. But I’ve been trying to follow some things on National Herald. Unfortunately, one of the columnists (Theodore Kalmoukos) tends to editorialize his articles and it seems like he’s often very anti-Elpidophoros, and that bias comes across in how he writes his articles.

I’m looking for an alternative website where I can keep up with the goings-on without being manipulated or preached to about how I should feel about our Hierarch’s decisions.

Is it still appropriate to “sign off” on posts with Christos Anesti?

I don't know what both terms are, can someone help me?