by: Rev. Christopher Foustoukos

The Orthodox Church celebrates the great feast of the Transfiguration with great solemnity on August 6th, forty days before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th). The wisdom of the Church is evident in its liturgical rhythm and the choice of the date for each feast.

by: Rev. Christopher P. Foustoukos Proistamenos

May and June are months for graduations from high schools, col- leges, professional schools like nursing and the like. They are months of wed- dings, baptisms, signing up for summer camps and volunteering. At a time when some people are just hanging out and doing nothing or looking for instant success and quick money, there are many people dedicating their lives to something higher. They realize life must hold more than instant success and easy money. They reject these values and strive after something more long lasting even at the expense of self- sacrifice, inconvenience and suffering.

by: Rev. Christopher P. Foustoukos Proistamenos

Pascha is the feast of feasts. The light has prevailed. Death is overcome. The clear sky gently envelops the earth. Our frail hearts can hardly contain the flow of life seeking to transform our pain into joy, to reduce our bitter defeats and failures to laughable, insignificant trivialities.

by Metropolitan Methodios of Boston

A few weeks ago we closed our personal Book of 2011 and placed it in the library of eternity. Rather than make resolutions for the New Year - resolutions which more than likely I would not keep - I decided instead to reflect upon the past, observe more carefully the present, and try to envision the future, as these aspects of time bear upon the life of the Church and of her members.

by: Rev. Christopher P. Foustoukos Proistamenos

The two weeks before we begin using the book called the Lenten Triodion (the book gets this title because the chanting of the Canon during weekday Matins/ Orthros of Great Lent has only three Canticles instead of the normal eight, thus three (Tri) odes or Triodion) we hear the Gospel of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1- 10). The lesson on January 22nd describes how Zacchaeus climbed a tree beside the road where Christ was to pass. Zacchaeus is not only eager but also filled with an intense desire to see the Lord. We apply this Scripture to ourselves in approaching Great Lent.