How can one convey the most important thing about family life in a few words? Archpriest Eugene Ambartsumov, a well-known pastor in St. Petersburg, wrote such a letter of advice on the occasion of the wedding of the young Gleb and Lida Kaled. They carried these words with them their entire lives and remembered them when Gleb Kaled became a renowned priest and professor, and Matushka Lida raised five... 

God has a plan for each and everyone one of us and we must have faith in him. That was what I was taught in Sunday School growing up. I knew the lesson, but I never understood it. Not until I experienced some difficult events in my life. I was 28 years old and I had a fulfilling life. I was married, I had a 5 year old daughter, a wonderful job, and we just built a house for our growing family. We knew... 

O Lord our God, Crown them with honor and glory” (Orthodox Wedding Sacrament) I’m ever intrigued by the impressions that our sacred services have upon visitors who attend Orthodox worship for the first time. The most evident feature of our weddings is the use of imperial crowns. Like royalty in general, crowns are a throwback to times past; even the queen of England wears her crown only on rare... 

Patience is a heavenly virtue, and it seems that God is giving the Christian Single a task that requires a lot of it. We ought to give thanks to God for everything, including our current situation, even if we don’t really like it. Trying to find that special person is a holy struggle. God had to wait at least 4,000 years to find the right woman to bear Christ, and the Old Testament is the story of... 

Over the past several decades the external pressures and challenges associated with parenting teenagers have been varied. Whether it was the introduction of rock and roll music, the “social scourge” of the 1950’s, or the pervasiveness of today’s social networking explosion, parents have faced the challenge of helping their children bridge the chasm that stands between childhood and adulthood.... 

“I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1) We hear so often, “She’s just like her mother,” or “He’s the spitting image of his father.” Even the old Russian proverb repeats the cliche: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It can mean so much or be inconsequential. Eye color, the stride, the way they deal with traumas, or the faint trace... 

No, this is not a review of the recently-released romantic comedy starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. For those of you who do not already know, “friends with benefits” is a euphemism—common these days—for a relationship in which two people engage regularly in sexual activity without making a long-term commitment to one another. I was recently conversing with a young woman in my parish... 

John weighed seven pounds, seven ounces on the day he was born. His first days of life were highlighted by bouts of crying and long periods of sleeping. On the drive home from the hospital, a few days later, John’s mother glanced down, looked at her new baby, and for a moment she smiled. Then she looked ahead. “Honey,” she began, as she stared at her husband, “I know we decided to keep our... 

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). If someone told you that you would have no problems with your children if you raised them a certain way, would you be interested in learning more? Who wouldn’t? For parents, the upbringing of children is the most important and sacred duty in life. And if we carry out that duty according... 

A girl of seven lingered after the rest of the the Church school students had left the classroom. Something was clearly bothering her, and she wanted to tell her teacher about it. The teacher put down the papers she had gathered up in preparation for leaving, and gave the child her full attention. “I’m having trouble with God,” the girl said. “Why did He let my dad lose his job and make my...