Saint Joachim, Father of the Theotokos
Saint Joachim, father of the Theotokos: his prayer in the wilderness, his offering to God, and the commemoration of Joachim and Anna on 9 September.
Category Fasts and Feasts
Articles on the Church fasts, feasts, and the order of the liturgical year.
The Nativity of the Mother of God, the Beginning of Our Salvation
The Nativity of the Mother of God on 8 September: Joachim and Anna, the teaching of the Holy Fathers, and the meaning of the icons of the feast.
The Church New Year: What the Indiction Is and How to Prepare
On 1 September the Church begins a new year. What the Indiction is, why it did not come from Nicaea, and how a Christian prepares for the year ahead.
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist: He Went Before the Lord in Death Also
On 29 August the Church commemorates the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist with fasting. What the Gospels and Josephus record, and how the Forerunner went before Christ even in death.
The Rich Young Man and the One Thing We Truly Need
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: the rich young man, the camel and the needle's eye, and the one thing needful at the Leave-taking of the Dormition.
The Dormition of the Mother of God
On 15 August the Church commemorates the true death and translation to life of the Mother of God. Why the feast is called the Dormition.
What Changes at the Transfiguration
On Tabor the Lord lifted for a moment the veil over His glory and opened the eyes of the disciples. What the feast asks of our own sight, and how it is kept.
Saint Stephen the Great
Saint Stephen the Great ruled Moldavia from 1457 to 1504 and is venerated as a defender of Christendom, founder of Putna Monastery, and spiritual son of Saint Daniel the Hermit.
Saints Peter and Paul: The Feast of the Crown
On June 29, the Church honours Saints Peter and Paul, not only for their apostolic labour, but for the crown of martyrdom that sealed their mission.
Why the Church Celebrates the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
In the Church's calendar, only three nativities have received a special commemoration. Why does the Forerunner belong to this rare order — and what does it tell us about holiness.