Have some respect for your bishops! When we recite the Psalter, we promise God: I will meditate upon your statutes, and will not forget your words. It is a salutary thing for all Christians to observe this, but it is especially incumbent upon those who have received the sacerdotal dignity. … [Read more...]
The Priesthood & The Remission of Sins: Part 2
by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos 2. Spiritual Priesthood Apart from Sacred (ordained) priesthood, there is also what is called spiritual priesthood. Orthodox Psychotherapy has a whole section analyzing this important subject. It is explained there that a person who has noetic prayer and … [Read more...]
The Priesthood & The Remission of Sins: Part 1
by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos 1. Sacred (ordained) Priesthood My book Orthodox Psychotherapy emphasizes the great value of the Mystery of the Priesthood. Priesthood is highly prized. It is described in the writings of the holy Fathers of the Church, particularly in the teaching of St … [Read more...]
The Orthodox Priest: Icon of Christ
by Fr. Alister Anderson In this holy season you could have a child ask you, “why was Jesus born as a boy? Why couldn’t St. Mary have had a baby girl to be our saviour?” How would you answer these questions? I would say this because the Bible says it: God wanted to be born of St. Mary as a … [Read more...]
On The Mystery Of Ordination
by St. Nikolai Velimirovich "And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them" (Acts of the Apostles 6:6). By laying their hands on the chosen faithful, the apostles consecrated bishops, priests and deacons. It is apparent from this that the Christian Faith is not only a teaching, but … [Read more...]
Basic Pre-requisites For Ordination
by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos It is certain that the apostles transmitted this priesthood of Christ through a definite sacrament called the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Church also fixed the canonical prerequisites for anyone to receive this great grace and to exercise this highest … [Read more...]
Sermon On The Day of His Ordination
by St. Leo the Great Our father among the saints, Leo the Great was the bishop of Rome during difficult times. He was an eminent scholar of Scripture and rhetoric. During an invasion by Attila the Hun, St. Leo met him outside the gates of Rome. After some short words, to everyone’s surprise, Attila … [Read more...]
