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.
Why Are Vigil Lamps Lit Before Icons
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- Parent Category: Articles Section
- Category: Orthodox Church
- Written by St. Nikolai of Ohrid and Zica
- Hits: 3565
Why Are Vigil Lamps Lit Before Icons
by St. Nikolai of Ohrid and Zica
First - because our faith is light. Christ said: I am the light of the world (John 8,12). The light of the vigil lamp reminds us of that light by which Christ illumines our souls.
Second - in order to remind us of the radiant character of the saint before whose icon we light the vigil lamp, for saints are called sons of light (John 12,36; Luke 16,8).
Holy Unction - The Sacraments
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- Parent Category: Articles Section
- Category: Worship
- Written by V. Rev. Thomas Hopko
- Hits: 3565
Holy Unction - The Sacraments
V. Rev. Thomas Hopko
Unction of the Sick
Christ came to the world to "bear the infirmities" of men. One of the signs of his divine messiahship was to heal the sick. The power of healing remains in the Church since Christ himself remains in the Church through the Holy Spirit.
The sacrament of the unction of the sick is the Church's specific prayer for healing. If the faith of the believers is strong enough, and if it is the will of God, there is every reason to believe that the Lord can heal those who are diseased.
Icons
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- Parent Category: Articles Section
- Category: Saints and Icons
- Written by Fr. Thomas Hopko
- Hits: 3598
Icons
In the Orthodox Church the icons bear witness to the reality of God’s presence with us in the mystery of faith. The icons are not just human pictures or visual aids to contemplation and prayer. They are the witnesses of the presence of the Kingdom of God to us, and so of our own presence to the Kingdom of God in the Church. It is the Orthodox faith that icons are not only permissible, but are spiritually necessary because “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). Christ is truly man and, as man, truly the “icon of the invisible God” (Col 1:15; 1 Cor 11:7; 2 Cor 4:4).
Which is the Oldest Church?
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- Parent Category: Articles Section
- Category: Orthodox Church
- Written by V Rev Dr Miltiades B. Efthimiou
- Hits: 3594
Which is the Oldest Church?
By V. Rev. Dr. Miltiades B. Efthimiou
- If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church in the year 1517
- If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry.
- If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
Thy Kingdom Come
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- Parent Category: Articles Section
- Category: Worship
- Written by Fr. Alexander Schmemann
- Hits: 3603
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:
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Subcategories
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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:
- 94
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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
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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:
- Article Count:
- 59
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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:
- 32
Articles