Synaxis of Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist
By St. Nikolai Velimirovich Because John’s main role in his life was played out on the day of the Epiphany (Theophany), the Church from earliest times dedicated the day following Epiphany to his memory. To this feast is also linked the incident with the hand of the Forerunner. The Evangelist Luke desired to remove the […]
Saint Nina the Equal to the Apostles and Enlightener of Georgia
By St. Nikolai Velimirovich Nina was a relative of St. George the Great Martyr and Juvenal, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Her parents belonged to the nobility in Cappadocia and since they both were tonsured in the monastic state, Nina was educated under the tutelage of Patriarch Juvenal. Hearing about the people of Georgia, the virgin […]
Site of Jesus’ Baptism Literally Remains a Minefield
January 20, 2011 Associated Press Just months before the official opening of one of Christianity’s holiest sites to visitors, the area where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus remains surrounded by thousands of land mines. Israel says the sites visited by pilgrims and tourists in an area known as Qasr el-Yahud will […]
The Orthodox Celebration of Theophany
By Professor Ioannes Fountoulis On January 6th our Church celebrates the great despotic feast of “Theophany” or “Epiphany” or “Holy Lights”. The forefeast begins the day after New Years, January 2nd. In this preparatory period is found the “Sunday Before the Lights”. This fits into the functional forefeast preparation. In the Gospel reading from the […]