25 Dec 2025 at 6:00am
Christ is born! Glorify him! As we celebrate the midwinter feast of the Lord’s saving Nativity in the flesh, in some parts…
Christ is born! Glorify him!
As we celebrate the midwinter feast of the Lord’s saving Nativity in the flesh, in some parts of North America, snow lies thick across the ground, blanketing the whole landscape in white. Many of us who live in other parts of the country are merely dreaming of such a white Christmas. But whether the snow is real or imagined, outside our doors or in our heads, it is undoubtedly a potent popular symbol of this holiday. From an Orthodox Christian perspective, the symbolism could not be more appropriate: the one whom we worship lying in the manger is none other than the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. By his Blood, we, who were stained with sin, are clothed in the snow-white garment of his righteousness. God has become man, and all of creation is restored to relationship with the Creator: the whole world is covered in...
13 Dec 2025 at 5:50am
In this cold and dark season before the Nativity, we celebrate the memory of one of our great northern saints: the monk who…
In this cold and dark season before the Nativity, we celebrate the memory of one of our great northern saints: the monk who went to Valaam seeking the tradition of the holy Fathers, the missionary who went to Alaska seeking souls for Christ. As we prepare to welcome our Lord and God and Savior into the cold cave of Bethlehem – and, indeed, into the dark and chilly cave of our hearts, where the blackness of sin and the clamminess of despair make their reign – let us be guided toward salvation by the teaching and example of this great North Star of the Church of Christ. If we sincerely set out to follow the kindly guiding light radiating from St. Herman, the brightness of his holiness will surely lead us to Christ our true God, just as surely as the star once led the Magi to the place where the young Child lay.
12 Dec 2025 at 5:50am
Joyous feast of St. Spyridon! St. Spyridon is known as one of the “walking saints”: the cloth covering the feet of his…
Joyous feast of St. Spyridon!
St. Spyridon is known as one of the “walking saints”: the cloth covering the feet of his relics constantly wears down, such that his foot-coverings must be replaced more frequently than his other vestments. This miracle is a sign of a deeper reality. After all, the saints no longer need to go about on foot; they are everywhere in the Spirit. By virtue of the divine love dwelling in him, St. Spyridon is no longer bound by time and space; in love, he is everywhere present. Divine love is what connects the saints to us, and it is by attaining divine love that we, too, may transcend the bonds of mortality and live forever. May the merciful God, through the prayers of St. Spyridon, have mercy on us and kindle within us such true love.