By Metropolitan Saba (Isper) Christmas remained connected to the feast of Epiphany, in the early Church, until the fourth century. After Christianity became a recognized religion in the Roman Empire, and then the state religion, the Church made the birth of the Lord in the flesh an independent feast, separated it from Epiphany, and appointed the feast of the sun as its date. The feast of the sun was a popular pagan feast, accompanied by celebrations unworthy of Christians. Th

By Metropolitan Saba (Isper) Saint Paul begins his letters with one of the following greetings: "From Paul... to the holy brethren" (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians), or "To those called to be saints" (Romans), or "To the Church of God in..." (2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians), or "To the church of God in... who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints" (1 Corinthians). Saint Paul's greetings clearly indicate that all believers are calle

By Metropolitan Saba (Isper) Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia (also known as Saint Porphyrios the Seer, +1991) recounts, in the context of narrating events from his life, his experience as a spiritual father with the sacrament of confession. He was a mere fourteen years old when he fled to Mount Athos. There, he lived in the company of two hermits who were brothers according to the flesh. His illness compelled these hermits to send him down from the sacred mountain in search

(From The Prologue from Ochrid by St. Nicholai Velimirovich) The unknown village of Mutalaska, in the province of Cappadocia, became famous through this great luminary of the Orthodox Church. St. Saba was born there of his parents John and Sophia. At the age of eight, he left the home of his parents and was tonsured a monk in a nearby monastic community of St. Flavian (Feb. 16). After ten years, he moved to the monasteries of Palestine and remained longest in the monastery of