Great Vespers: A Funeral Ode of Thanksgiving for the Old Creation
Great Vespers: A Funeral Ode of Thanksgiving for the Old Creation and the Entrance into the Eighth Day In the Eastern Orthodox Church (as in the Bible!), the liturgical day does not begin at midnight or at dawn, but at sunset. When the first three candles are lit on the solea and the royal doors are […]
Hebrews 11:35–38 and… 4 Maccabees
Does Hebrews 11 on the Maccabees Show Stronger Alignment with 4 Maccabees than 2 Maccabees? Hebrews 11 (the famous “Hall of Faith” chapter) does not explicitly mention the Maccabees by name, but many scholars and early Christian interpreters saw verses 35–38 as clear allusions to the martyrdom stories of the Maccabean era: “Women received back […]
Homily on 11/30/2025: Quo Vadis? Where are we going?
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Where are you going? Where are we going? These are the questions the Lord places before us today, just as He once placed them before the Apostle Peter on the Appian Way outside […]
Apostolic Succession was and still is a big deal: Early Christian voices
The Importance of Apostolic Succession in the Pre-Nicene Era Apostolic succession, a foundational principle of early Christian ecclesiology, ensured the continuity of apostolic authority and teaching through the orderly transmission from apostles to bishops and presbyters. In the pre-Nicene era (before the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD), this doctrine did not imply that […]
Prayers for the Dead – The Scriptural Case
*** Notes from Fr Laurent’s class on 11/13/2025 in Sandpoint (for those who missed it!) *** An Orthodox Christian Defense of Prayers for the Dead Prayers for the deceased are a cornerstone of Orthodox Christian practice, shared with Catholics and rooted in ancient Jewish (Old Testament) tradition. This practice, far from being a later innovation, […]