The Dormition Fast begins August 1st, and lasts through to the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The BadgerDad wrote an excellent article on the details of the Dormition Fast, which you can read here. In it there are various prayers poignant to this period, as well as a bit about the …
The Dormition of Saint Anna, Mother of the Most Holy God-bearer We celebrate the Dormition of Anna, the mother of the Theotokos, on July 25th. As the mother of the Theotokos, St. Anna (together with Joachim) held an important role in preparing Mary for her role in Salvation history. They taught their daughter to pray, …
The Repose of Blessed Olga, Princess of Kiev, Who Took on The Christian Name Helen at her Holy Baptism July 11th is the feast of Blessed Olga, Princess of Kiev. Her Christian name is Helen, and she is also called Elena or Helga. And we also call her Equal to the Apostles. Olga attempted to …
Hyacinth of Caesarea Hyacinth was born in Caesarea in Cappadocia, between 88 and 96 A.D. He was raised Christian. And at some point he became a member of the Emperor’s household. The Emperor at this time, Trajan, persecuted Christians. Emperor Trajan led Rome’s military effectively, and greatly expanded the Roman Empire. History even calls Trajan …
Hope as a virtue is very particular to Christianity. In fact, without Christ, hope wouldn’t even make sense as a virtue. Because without Christ, hopes are mere optimistic ideals. And with Christ, our hope is firmly founded on faith and reason. Hope is necessary for our salvation. The one who has hope lives differently – …
The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul We have officially arrived at one of the key feasts in the post Pentecost Liturgical year for Eastern Christians. June 29th is the Feast of the All-holy and Praiseworthy Apostles Peter and Paul, our fathers among the saints. Since the Monday after the Eastern feast of All Saints, …
The Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas On June 11th we commemorate the Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas. So to help us celebrate, let’s go through what we know about these two saints, and their prayers and tropars. Bartholomew Bartholomew is one of the 12 Apostles. There is a strong possibility that he is the same …
Trying to establish a prayer life while busy? As a mom, a wife, and a friend, I both know and witness how hectic life can be. And especially since becoming a mom, I know how easy it is to be forgetful. The to-do list is longer than a yardstick. And even then, some important tasks …
Mnohaya lita! Mnohaya lita! Vo zdraviye, vo spasenniye! Na mnohaya lita! Pentecost is one of my favourite feasts of the church year. Even more so now that I’ve been exposed to the Byzantine celebration of Holy and Glorious Pentecost. I love green, so the fact that the liturgical colour in the East for this day …
St. John the Theologian John the Theologian is my favourite apostle, and Gospel writer! We celebrate his main feast day on May 8th. We also celebrate John during the Synaxis of the 12 Apostles, and on his dormition: September 26th. He is one of the sons of Zebedee (together with St. James). Tradition holds that …
