St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)
Rating: 8,5|Votes: 11
The thief in the Gospels who ascended this ladder ascended from out of terrible crimes into most radiant heavenly habitations. From his cross he pronounced words filled with humility of wisdom; in humility of wisdom he entered into the knowledge of God, and through the knowledge of God, he acquired heaven. We receive the due reward of our deeds, he said. Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom
Instead of concentrating on keeping himself out of harm's way, Gerasimo wanted to find out what was behind that roar. He went up to the lion. He was within reach of its claws, its magnificent mouth with the sharp fierce teeth. He could feel its breath on his neck as he bent over it—for he'd seen a trail of red blood glancing down one of its paws. It was not the wounds the beast might inflict on him that occupied him, but the wound the beast was suffering from.
According to the Law of Moses, all Hebrew parents must bring their first born son on the fortieth day after birth to the Temple to be consecrated to God. It was the custom to bring a sacrifice in thanksgiving to God. The law was established in remembrance of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt — freedom from slavery — when the first-born Hebrews were spared from death. In fulfilment of this law, the Mother of God with Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem and brought for the sacrifice two fledgling doves.
In 2005, I interviewed Vladyka Alypy, Archbishop of Chicago and Detroit, renowned for authoring the book Grammatika tserkovnoslavyanskogo yazyka [Church Slavonic Grammar]. I asked about Vladyka’s life and how the church I attend was built. Archbishop Alypy kindly responded to my request in 2005 and composed a short autobiography. I am presenting the material as it was prepared for publication, including my brief introduction and an anecdote Vladyka told me. Vladyka Alypy deserves more attention than he now receives. This unique material has never before been published.
Priest Maxim Massalitin
Rating: 5,8|Votes: 89
Unfortunately, few of the faithful have recourse to the help of such a lamp of grace as the precious head of St. John the Baptist, “the first among martyrs in grace”.[2] Many Orthodox Christians come to France, but not all of them know how many holy relics there are still on French soil despite the outrages committed against them during the French Revolution and subsequent forgetfulness of France’s Christian past.
