How do we give alms? What should we do when we are offended? And more specifically, how can or should we help our monastic institutions, our own parish, our neighbor? I can only pass along what I’ve heard from others, and seen others do. But we have an obligation to share the good things we learn, so when we need to remember them, the words and images will be safely stored in the hearts of our... 

I am so grateful that I was born into the Orthodox faith. There are so many people who wander about in this world with no sense of purpose or belonging, but never an Orthodox Christian. Every Orthodox Christian knows exactly why they are here. In God’s plan, He made all of us, male and female, in His image. And the purpose of our life is to see the image of God in ourselves and in everyone around... 

What does it mean to have a wonderful title, and no real job description? The position of the wife of a priest is exactly this. The various languages or every Orthodox country have titles of honor for the priest’s wife. Some might literally be translated as ‘priestess’, while some mean ‘wife of the priest’, and in at least one language — Russian — the priest’s wife is ‘mother’ or... 

August 6, 2011 In recent months, Russian media outlets have given much attention to issues pertaining to the well-being of Orthodox clergy, their ability to make a living, and their obligations to their parishioners. One of the tasks of the Fund for Assistance to ROCOR is to provide assistance to clergy of the Church Abroad in material need. Priest Alexandre Antchoutine, a cleric of the Eastern American... 

I’d like to introduce you to a former member of our church. His name is Darnel. I remember when he first came to visit. He had been to several churches but each one had its problems and eventually he found it necessary to look for another Church. I explained that All Saints had its problems as well, but Darnel assured me that he had grown from his past experiences and now wanted a quiet life of prayer... 

Editor’s note: Some time ago we translated from Russian Fr. Serafim Gan’s article Why is Attendance Declining in Russian Churches in the West? We’ve decided to ask clergy from different countries and different jurisdictions to share their experience of church attendace in the west. Is attendance increasing or decreasing, and why so? Today we offer our readers Fr. Antony Hughes’... 

Sensitivity key to ministering to “invisibly challenged” children Photo: RIA Novosti The name “invisible child” is both a descriptor of and a dedication to our children, who are invisible in the sense that their disabilities, though often severe, are hidden from view. Brain disorders, though biologically based, often are not obvious physically, so the invisible child looks like any other child.... 

When people meet me, they are usually surprised to learn that not only am I an Orthodox Christian priest, but that I also work as a computer Network Consulting Engineer. The term for what I am is “bi-vocational.” It is not a term that I invented, or which was even created in reference to Orthodox priests, but rather has its roots in Protestant thought, to describe a minister that works a secular... 

Get out of the head and into the heart. - St. Theophan the Recluse A statement of the problem: When I was little, I went to church with my family each Sunday. There were services morning and evening, with Sunday school in the afternoon. Since we lived more than a mile from the church and had no car, this level of commitment was actually very high. However, since that was all I knew, I did not complain... 

As much as we might groan and grumble about it, we know that paying taxes is part of our responsibility as citizens of this country. Just as we should know that as parishioners we have a responsibility to contribute to the financial support of our parish. It is evident, however, from the strained and meagre budgets on which so many of our parishes operate that this is a sadly neglected area of our...