Sts. Sebastian and Mardarije Institute Begins in San Diego

The second annual St. Sebastian and St. Mardarije Ecclesial Orthodox Institute began on Monday, February 22, 2016, the leaving-taking of the Meeting of the Lord.

His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America and St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in San Diego, California are host to this year's event held in cooperation with the Clergy Brotherhood of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

The Sunday after the Sunday of Zacchaeus is devoted to the Publican and the Pharisee. At Vespers the night before, the TRIODION (the liturgical book used in the services of Great Lent) begins.

Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee who scrupulously observed the requirements of religion: he prayed, fasted, and contributed money to the Temple. These are very good things, and should be imitated by anyone who loves God. We who may not fulfill these requirements as well as the Pharisee did should not feel entitled to criticize him for being faithful. His sin was in looking down on the Publican and feeling justified because of his external religious observances.

Virtue and Knowledge in the Theology of St. Maximos the Confessor

Patriarch Irinej celebrated in Toronto on the feast of the Meeting of the Lord

Serbian Patriarch Irinej celebrated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of Saint Sava in Toronto on the feast-day of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, on 15 February 2016.

On the feast-day of Meeting of the Lord, believers of the Saint Sava parish in Toronto had a great blessing and privilege to welcome their Primate, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej.  For the first time since 1990 when then Patriarch Pavle served Divine Liturgy in this church, Patriarch Irinej officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of nine priests and protodeacon Damjan Bozic.

Promotion of "the Christian Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija" in Oxford

On February 14, St Theosevia Centre for Christian Spirituality in Oxford hosted a promotion of a truly splendid production—monograph on The Christian Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija.

Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, Bishop Maxim of Western America and Prof. Olivera Popovic from Oxford University spoke about this volume.

The Meeting of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple

Today the Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:22-40). Forty days after His birth the God-Infant was taken to the Jerusalem Temple, the center of the nation’s religious life. According to the Law of Moses (Lev. 12:2-8), a woman who gave birth to a male child was forbidden to enter the Temple of God for forty days. At the end of this time the mother came to the Temple with the child, to offer a young lamb or pigeon to the Lord as a purification sacrifice. The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need of purification, since she had given birth to the Source of purity and sanctity without defilement. However, she humbly fulfilled the requirements of the Law.