February 22, 2020 343 1 Proskomedia Particles The first part of the Liturgy is called Proskomedia (Greek: προσκομιδή – bringing). During this preliminary part of the Eucharist, clerics prepare bread and…
February 21, 2020 588 0 What Is The Pledge? When a priest is being ordained, the bishop hands over to him the so-called Pledge (Greek: παρακαταθήκη), a particle of the Body of Christ….
February 17, 2020 708 0 A Monk from a Samurai Family Hierodeacon Nikolai (Ono) comes from an old family of priests of the Japanese Orthodox Church. His great-great grandfather’s name—Priest John Ono—is often mentioned in…
February 15, 2020 3881 0 The Triple Meaning of the Axios You can always hear a very ancient exclamation, most often in Ancient Greek – ἄξιος, which means “worthy”, during the ordination of the deacon,…
January 10, 2020 941 0 What Is the Antimension For? An antimension (Greek: ἀντί – instead of, and lat. mensa – table, lit. “instead of the table”) is a special rectangular plate made of…
January 5, 2020 107 0 Do All The Requirements of the Church Charter Have to Be Met? On the one hand, the church charter is a set of rules that an Orthodox Christian has to comply with. But, as Mikhail Skaballanovich,…
January 4, 2020 506 0 Why Is the Litany for the Catechumens Omitted Sometimes? We can often find that in the everyday liturgical practice of a parish, the litany for the catechumens, and thus the prayer for the…
December 7, 2019 772 0 What Does Litya During the All-Night Vigil Mean? During the All-Night Vigil before major holidays, the clergy in most parishes and monasteries come out of the altar and march through the entire…
December 4, 2019 369 0 A Royal Priesthood A friend asked: Doesn’t the Bible say all Christians are priests? Then why does Orthodoxy have a separate class of people called priests? And…
November 19, 2019 540 0 Lifehacks of Matushka Elena Matushka Elena Ovcharenko is a mother of eight and the wife of Archpriest Alexander, a priest of the Diocese of Zaporozhye. Personal Motto “Live…