The Tragedy of Man

Archimandrite Sophrony was born in 1896, to orthodox parents in Tsarist Russia. From childhood he showed a rare capacity for prayer and as a young boy would ponder questions heavy with centuries of theological debate. Elder Sophrony is best known as disciple and the writer of the biography of St Silouan the Athonite and compiler of […]

Elder Sophrony: The Basics of the Divine Liturgy

Before I left the Holy Monastery I found an opportunity in a discussion to ask him [Elder Sophrony] about the Divine Liturgy, and he presented me with the basic teaching about it. – “The Priesthood is not given to man as a reward for virtues, but as a gift for the edification of the Church. […]

Theosis, Saint Silouan and Elder Sophrony

”Coming into contact with Father Sophrony was always an event of a most especial kind. His monastics, first and foremost, but also those who made up his wider spiritual family, ”lived,” as Father Zacharias put it, ”in an abundance of the word of God.” As a young boy, I had the blessing of serving each […]