“Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped”According to the Patristic Theology, the Ascension of Christ is inherently connected to the descent of the Holy Spirit. Evidently, the Comforter’s coming is an essential continuation of Christ’s work on earth, as a part of His divine plan for the salvation of humanitymn. By taking the human nature, Christ does not just complete the divine plan of His Father, but...

Sunday of All Saints is a week after Sunday of Pentecost. But, why is a series of important Saints being celebrated on that day? The rationale behind this joint feast is the founding of the Church after the resurrection of Christ followed by the descent of the Holy Spirit. This brought to the world the possibility of man’s union with God. Thus, the Church decided that. All the Saints throughout...

2021 Year of St Joseph The proclamation of 2021 as the Year of St. Joseph by Pope Francis means much more than a simple anniversary tribute to the most beloved, loving and obedient father: The adoptive father of Jesus who has been canonized by both the Orthodox and the Catholic Church. The Pope’s intention is to indicate the importance of simplicity, patience, hope and co-responsibility at this critical time for...

It has been almost 600 years since 1426, when Arab pirates invaded the monastery of Amomon on the hill of Nea Makri, Athens, and killed St Ephraim by impaling him with a burning stick. Six centuries later, Saint Ephraim is a wonder worker and the faithful testify for the plethora of his miracles. Who was Saint Ephraim, the newly found saint that the faithful hold dearly in their hearts and...

In the Bible, Jesus Christ is many times referred to as the Good Shepherd, while his faithful, his friends and disciples, as his flock. It is also very common to see Jesus depicted with a sheep in his arms, a picture that shows love, care and protection. In an exerpt from John (10:1-21), where Jesus is referred to as the Good Shepherd, Jesus appears to let the needs of his...

Deep faith and simple diet. This is the secret of longevity and good health not just of the monks in Mount Athos, but also of all other monastic societies in Greece consisting of frugal ascetic figures that follow their monastic diet in earnest and without complain. Is there any correlation between the monastic and the Mediterranean diet?A common feature between these two nutritional models is the simple and plain diet....

Sudden headache that does not go away with just a painkiller. Unexplained drowsiness, unbearable stomach ache, annoying feelings of weakness and unbearable dizziness, feeling of suffocation, high pressure or discomfort without any biological cause. These are some of the most common symptoms that – if there is no obvious disease – are attributed to the evil eye, vaskania (bad energy). Whatever you call it, it is essentially nothing more than...

   Orthodox icons, icons of Christ, the our Holy Lady Theotokos (Panagia) and the Saints, are considered a timeless and the most unwavering bridge that unites man with God. What is it that differentiates the art of byzantine iconography from other types of religious art or techniques that have been used throughout time, such as for example renaissance art? Why do Orthodox icons have an inner power and are full...