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Orthodox Feasts in September I
By Mihail Markasev The Church’s new year arrives right after the commemoration of the Beheading of the Forerunner on August 29. Summer ends with the harvest of a godly seed that testifies to the truth of the Gospel, sealing its witness with the blood of the righteous. Fruit of righteousness always comes with a cost,…
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St Mary of Egypt, the Repentant Desert Dweller
By Mihail Markasev If the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent points us to the peak of the love of God, as we ascend the Divine Ladder as presented by St. John Climacus, then the Fifth Sunday of Lent, which commemorates St. Mary of Egypt, leads us to understand her embodiment within the pit of sin.…
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The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos
By Mihail Markasev It’s been said that God performs no miracle until all human resources have been exhausted. Both church history and our own lives are filled with examples of God’s strength made perfect in our weakness (2Cor. 12:9), and when His providential care produces miraculous results. The feast of the Protection of the Mother…
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Meeting God in Prison
By Mihail Markasev Did you know that prison ministry is as old as the Bible itself? In fact, back in the old days, if you were involved in a prison outreach, you were almost guaranteed a seat with the righteous. And there was no need for funding, no need for approval from the church board,…
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Resurrection Sunday of Great and Holy Pascha
By Mihail Markasev Finally, Pascha! Finally, after the strenuous weeks of our spiritual struggle, after our feeble efforts and frequent ups and downs of this blessed season, we breathe a sigh of relief, and crowned with the quiet inner joy of the Risen Redeemer, we are looking forward to resurrecting our appetite for our favorite…
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How Charles Manson Made Peace with the Son of Man
Gone were the theatrics of years past. Gone was the venomous gibberish of a callous guru. Gone was the half-baked environmentalist radicalism, upon which Manson had built his internet citadel. The only thing left was the shriveled spectrum of a sick man, who stood on the threshold of death, seeking company and prayer as he…
