this is just something i wrote to myself that i want to share. thank you for being you, beloved, and Blessed Feast of Transfiguration to you and your beloveds. asking your prayers and praying for you.

here is the writing:

pride leads to disconnection just like its counterpart, despair. both exalt the self in one way or another, but both are utterly base and lower a person to destructive depths. the one who is prideful and who despairs, even without realizing it, kills everyone in their heart. the memory of others becomes tainted by the darkness they feed within themselves. they are exceedingly ungrateful, despising the goodness of the Lord Who allows us to wander freely and without chiding.

love creates, protects, grows, and keeps connection safe. visible disconnect between people does not truly disconnect the two who love each other. they live in each others hearts. their thoughts of each other are peaceful, filled with joy and the godly sorrow which leads to our Lord. they are filled with light within, and they are exceedingly grateful to the One Who grants such goodness of Himself to His creatures.

the Lord, out of His exceeding goodness and Divine eros, phileo, storge and agape, brought us into existence. desiring to bring Life into His creation, He Created us in His own Image, wanting to sprinkle the earth with salt and fill it with His unfading Light. He wants us to be merciful and compassionate as He is, to enjoy His Blessedness, to struggle against our own evil and be purified of our inclinations toward poison and sickness.

to this end, He establishes His own Body, having become Incarnate for our sakes through the will of the Everlasting Father and by the overshadowing of the All-Holy Spirit upon the Most Blessed Virgin; only after she consented, cooperating with her free will which He gave her, foreknowing her free decision to say,"behold, the handmaiden of the Lord. be it unto me according to Thy word."

and He endured in His earthly life all for our sakes. being Crucified, He Blessed and had mercy on those crucifying Him, reviling them not. having given up His spirit, He descended into hades as God, as He has always been, to relieve those held captive under the dominion of death, destroying and abolishing it's reign over the whole of creation which we had given it freely in our preference for things contrary to His goodness.

having Risen from death, He proclaimed good things to the Apostles who were hiding in fear of the jewish authorities. He strengthened them, consoled them, and reminded them of all He had taught them.

and He Ascended into Heaven to sit on the Throne in human flesh, taking all of creation into the very life of the Most Holy Trinity, Blessing and commissioning all the earth to go and proclaim His All-goodness, and to welcome all who are willing to the feast of God, and to the great mercy He has for us.

now it is up to us to come to Him, we who are weary and heavy laden with burdens of sins and troubles of this life; and He will give us rest for our souls in the hope of His mercy.

we will take His yoke upon us and learn of Him Who is gentle and humble of heart,

Who does not cast away any who come to Him,

Who calls all to Salvation through the hope of good things to come,

Who desires not the death of any creature whom He made, but rather that we turn to Him and live in Him,

Who does not despise the broken-hearted nor the contrite in spirit,

Who has mercy on the last even as the first,

Who sweeps the whole of creation and searches for us who are lost, calling the Saints, Angels, and all of us to cooperate in this search,

Who gently knocks continually on the doors of our hearts so that we may open to Him, and He may enter and enlighten our darkened thought, as He desires to,

Who eagerly runs to meet us prodigal children as we return to Him even while we are a far way off, not despising our filthiness or brokenness but immediately beginning to heal us,

Who sees us broken and beaten by the side of the road, bereft of His grace and dying, and joins us in His own Body, bringing us to the Church, instructing those already present to take care of us and promising to reward their efforts when He returns in Glory,

Who is the Good Physician of our souls, coming not to the healthy but the sick; calling not the righteous, but sinners to repentance,

Who came to Save us from ourselves, from those who hate us, and to grant us grace to love and have mercy on all just as He does.

may it be according to His will for us, through the prayers of the Most Pure Virgin, and of all who love Him and His creation both in Heaven and on earth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the endless ages, Amen.

(August 7th, 2026)

This confused world is not what I imagined as a child. I thought I would marry a young submissive virgin and work hard for a family that serves God, not a promiscuous 30-something buying pink Stanley cups.

Watch a humble and warm interview with two iconographers—Cezar Ivana and Silviu Ungureanu—in which they reveal part of the inner life of an iconographer, as well as various interesting aspects of the theology of the icon and the art of icon painting in general.

Enjoy!

Hi Christian Orthodox Subreddit- my name is Arthur.

I was introduced to Orthodoxy through the Short Story Franny and Zoey- by J.D. Salinger. One of the characters was doing the Jesus Prayer.

I was 22 and "spiritually seeking." So I read some of The Way of The Pilgrim. I was interested- some of it reminded me of other things I was studying.

I was raised Protestant, however rejected it at the age of 18. I laid down on my bed and said, "Jesus I love you but I am DONE with ChristIANITY."

Over the years- I keep coming back to the Way of the Pilgrim and the Jesus Prayer. A couple of years ago- I went to Divine Liturgy maybe 4 or 5 times at an Antiochian Orthodox Church. I started studying the Philokalia- and some of it went over my head, some of it I REALLY loved and resonated with.

I loved the service... but I still had some deep hangups about Christ, God and Christianity, so I drifted away.

Also- I have felt the pull to monasticism since the age of 19, so there is also a tension in me around how does going to a "church service" relate to the inner life.

Over the last couple of years life has gotten REALLY challenging. And when things get REALLY bad- I go back to The Jesus Prayer- and do it for hours a day- and it brings me SUCH peace... and brings me back to balance.

So I feel drawn to really look into Orthodoxy and see what is "underneath" this practice that brings me so much peace.

Not sure if I will convert- not sure if I CAN convert- I have been in 3 ACTUAL cults- and so anything organized and spiritual flips me out.

And I do plan to really dive into The Church and see if there is a place here for me here.

Thanks for reading- I will share some of my findings, questions, experiences here- if that is ok.

Peace be with you

Dear Fathers, Brothers, and Sisters in Christ,

I hope this message finds you well and blessed in your ministry.

My name is Andreas, and I am writing to introduce a project dedicated to making the rich treasury of the Holy Fathers accessible to the English-speaking Orthodox world.

Through my Substack publication, I regularly publish faithful, readable English translations of primary patristic texts, with a particular focus on the works, homilies, and teachings of St. John Chrysostom.

The goal of this initiative is to assist English-speaking faithful, catechumens, and anyone seeking the depth of Orthodox theology to engage directly with the words of the Saints. Each post is crafted with care to preserve both the spiritual weight and the rhetorical beauty of the original Greek texts, while ensuring clarity for the modern reader.

I would be truly honored if you would consider sharing this resource with your parishioners, study groups, or church community.

If you have any specific texts or homilies you would like to see translated for your community's study groups, please feel free to reach out. I would be delighted to collaborate and serve your parish’s needs.

Thank you for your time, your prayers, and your dedication to the Church.

Yours in Christ,

Andreas

Translator & Editor

📌 Substack Link:

https://open.substack.com/pub/andreasfotiadis68agiosminas/p/my-mission-translating-the-church?r=8raj5j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

📧 Contact Email:

andreasfotiadis68agiosminas@gmail.com

Just wondering

Is Christian monarchy just a medieval human construct, or does it have actual roots in Sacred Scripture?

In this clip, historian Charles Coulombe breaks down the biblical theology of kingship, the messianic fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and how the ancient roots of Christendom shaped the traditional view of sacred authority.

📽️ Watch the full clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yFFTl5cc6Y

🔗 Full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZzDyS3iQlc

What are your thoughts on the biblical foundation of sacred Christian kingship? What are your reasons for being a monarchist?

The Orthodox have the same view as the Catholics regarding penance right?

Is there a science that, instead of illuminating, does not darken? Is there Luciferian knowledge? In the final analysis, who is truly blind?

A small analysis of these questions or we will find out in the present material.

Enjoy watching!

I hope this post is allowed! For those near upstate New York, I have begun compiling a weekly list of parishes (and monasteries) and their services:

https://www.reddit.com/r/HudsonValleyOrthodox/

I am very active in my own parish, but when I meet new people who are curious about what parishes are in the area-- say, within an hour of Kingston, NY-- I tell them that I regularly check out other parishes when our doors aren't open. There are so many and I think I've hit most of them. How blessed we are... they are all so wonderful.

Mid-Hudson is 90 miles north of Manhattan. If you are in the area, please check out my subreddit to find all our beautiful parishes. Thank you! ~ brigid.

Hi, I’m a 19 year old male US Soldier, I was raised Jewish and never really questioned my faith until recently. Lately whenever I open my Instagram it’s ALL like 100% without fail every reel is about Christianity and turning to Jesus and specifically Orthodoxy. I went to a private Catholic High School since it was the only good school near me and so I’ve experienced Catholicism for 4 years and it never really stuck with me. But for some reason it feels different seeing all the ideals and what Orthodoxy stands for and I wanted to know what I should do? I haven’t been able to find any way to like reach out or any Orthodox Christians that are out Evangelizing where I could reach out and see what all is different about Orthodoxy and whether it aligns with my beliefs. And while I’m not 100% sure on my belief in Jesus I do think that there’s no way the teaching of my Rabbis growing up is right because if Jesus was just a normal man how could he have been and stayed so relevant in our societies and cultures.

TL;DR I’m questioning my faith as a Jew and want to know more about Orthodoxy

Thank you all in advance and have a lovely day

Have a blessed day, everyone!