RTOC Diocese of Pallini & Western Europe
RTOC Diocese of Pallini & Western Europe
Life resumed, at least outwardly, as before. I continued my studies in the United States, but something had changed within me. The flame that had begun years earlier was no longer merely a longing. It had become a direction. Whenever…
Among all the passions that wage war against the human soul, the most dangerous is often not the strongest one, but the one that we refuse to acknowledge. The passion that we defend, excuse, justify, and even cherish is the…
My first pilgrimage to Jerusalem lasted only a short time – several weeks, but some of its effects would remain with me for all the years. Among the many blessings of that journey was the opportunity to meet monks and…
When I look back now, I sometimes wonder how I managed to do some of the things I did when I was young. Perhaps youth gives us a courage that age later replaces with caution. I had finished high school…
+ Bishop Philaretos As I grow older, people sometimes ask me why I chose the path I did. Much worse, and much more painful, are those who propose to understand me—those who desire to believe that I did everything to…
In an age of confusion and uncertainty, every soul longs for a sanctuary. For the Orthodox Christian, that sanctuary is found in the Holy Church—the safe harbor where Christ is present, the Holy Mysteries are celebrated, and the Faith of the Apostles is preserved unchanged. Despite the trials of our times, the True Orthodox Church remains a refuge where the faithful find truth, peace, and communion with God.
The Holy Apostle Paul warned Timothy that there would come those who possess “a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.” These words are often applied to the secular world, to nominal Christians, or to those outside the Church.…
Much Devotion About Nothing. When religious activity replaces prayer.
Among the ancient traditions of Mount Athos and the monasteries influenced by Athonite spirituality throughout Greece, and in full accordance with the Fathers of the Desert, is the practice of praying by the prayer rope (komboskini) in place of written…
