Articles Section

This section of our website has articles about Orthodoxy and our church. These articles are also currently subdivided into three categories:

Orthodox Church, a collection of articles about the Orthodox Church. We hope the articles in this section will be helpful to both inquires of Orthodoxy, and to those who are members of the Church.

Worship, a collection of articles about services, prayers, and worship of the Orthodox Church.

Saints and Icons, a collection of articles about saints, their relics, or their icons. We hope to include articles, of special interest to our parish, on the saints who are depicted on our icons, or whose holy relics rest here. Articles on our feast day icons will be included here also.

Also see our Salvation History Section and our list of Videos.

Canons - Holy Tradition

Details: Parent Category: Articles Section; Category: Orthodox Church; Written by Fr. Thomas Hopko; Hits: 1706

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Canons - Holy Tradition

^{By Fr. Thomas Hopko}

There are canon laws of ecumenical councils, of provincial and local councils, and of individual church fathers which have been received by the entire Orthodox Church as normative for Christian doctrine and practice. As a word canon means literally rule or norm or measure of judging. In this sense the canon laws are not positive laws in the juridical sense and cannot be easily identified with laws as understood and operative in human jurisprudence.

Give us this day our daily bread

Details: Parent Category: Articles Section; Category: Worship; Written by Fr. Alexander Schmemann; Hits: 1712

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Give us this day our daily bread

^{Fr. Alexander Schmemann}

^{Number 5 of 8 commentaries on The Lord's Prayer broadcast on Raido Liberty by Fr. Alexander Schmemann to listeners in the former Soviet Union. (Translated by Alexis Vinogradov)l}

Give us this day our daily bread" ^{(Mt 6:11)}. This is the fourth petition - the one concerning our daily bread. The word daily really means "substantive," that which is essential for survival, which is why we need itas daily food. If the first three petitions related directly to God, if they expressed our desire that his name would be glorified, that his kingdom would come, that his will would be accomplished not only in heaven but on earth as well; then with this fourth petition we are, as it were, switching over to our own needs, we begin to pray for ourselves. The bread signifies here not only bread as such, and not even food in general, but absolutely everything necessary for life, everything which makes possible our existence.

Church's Belief in Guardian Angels

Details: Parent Category: Articles Section; Category: Orthodox Church; Written by Fr. Patrick Reardon; Hits: 1722

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The Church's Belief in Guardian Angels

By Fr. Patrick Reardon

The Church's belief in the ministry of the Guardian Angels is amply supported by our Lord's warning, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven"^{(Matthew 18:10)}. Luke, likewise, in referring to Peter's angel, testifies to that belief among the early Christians^{(Acts 12:15)}. These references indicate that the Guardian Angels were already well known to the readers of the Matthew and Luke; the idea required no explanation.

The Doctrine of Faith

Details: Parent Category: Articles Section; Category: Orthodox Church; Written by Fr. Thomas Hopko; Hits: 1719

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The Doctrine of Faith

^{by Fr. Thomas Hopko}

I believe…

Faith is the foundation of Christian life. It is the fundamental virtue of Abraham, the forefather of Israel and the Christian Church. “Abraham believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” ^{(Gen 15:6)}.

Jesus begins his ministry with the same command for faith.

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” ^{(Mk 1:15)}.

All through his life Jesus was calling for faith; faith in himself, faith in God his Father, faith in the Gospel, faith in the Kingdom of God. The fundamental condition of the Christian life is faith, for with faith come hope and love and every good work and every good gift and power of the Holy Spirit. This is the doctrine of Christ, the apostles, and the Church.

Thy Kingdom Come

Details: Parent Category: Articles Section; Category: Worship; Written by Fr. Alexander Schmemann; Hits: 1743

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Thy Kingdom Come

^{Fr. Alexander Schmemann}

^{Number 3 of 8 commentaries on The Lord's Prayer broadcast on Raido Liberty by Fr. Alexander Schmemann to listeners in the former Soviet Union. (Translated by Alexis Vinogradov)}

The second petition of the Lord's Prayer is: "Thy kingdom come." As with the first petition, we must ask what meaning does a believing Christian ascribe to these words, to what does he direct his conscience, his hope, his desire. I am afraid that, as with the first petition, this question is equally hard to answer.

At the dawn of Christianity the meaning of this petition was simple, or more accurately, one can say that it embodied and expressed the essential in Christian faith and hope. For it is enough to read the Gospels once to be convinced that the teaching of the kingdom of God lies at the very heart of the preaching and teaching of Christ. Christ came preaching the gospel of the kingdom, saying:

Subcategories

Orthodox Church
Articles about the Orthodox Church

This section of our website, is a collection of articles about the Orthodox Church. We hope the articles in this section will be helpful to inquires of Orthodoxy, Catechumens, and to those who are members of the Church.

Good starting points would be:
- The Orthodox Church: An Introduction
- Meeting The Orthodox
- What is the Orthodox Church?
- Sources of Christian Doctrine
- A Pastoral Letter on the Occasion of the Third Christian Millennium (a re-telling of the Good News of God's love for us)
Article Count:

93
Worship
Articles on services and prayers.

This section of our website has a collection a collection of articles about services, prayers, and worship of the Orthodox Church.

Good starting points would be:
Article Count:

82
Saints and Icons
Articles on Saints and Icons

This section of our website, is a collection of articles about saints, their relics, or their icons. We hope to include articles, of special interest to our parish, on the saints who are depicted on our icons, or whose holy relics rest here. Articles on our feast day icons will be included here also.

Besides enhancing the beauty of our church, icons remind and instruct us in matters pertaining to the Christian faith. They can lift us up to the prototypes which they symbolize, to a higher level of thought and feeling, to help transform us and sanctify us. Icons can stimulate us to imitate the virtues of the holy personages depicted on them. They serve as a means of worship and veneration.

Good starting points would be:
- Icons
- The Saints - Holy Tradition
Article Count:

59
Videos

Articles by Video

This part of our website is where we post videos for now. They may be moved into other categories on the website, whatever seems best.

(All the 7 questions 7 answers vedios are noiw in this category.)

Article Count:

34