Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This Sunday, March 21st, is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. This is the day we remember when the heresy of iconoclasm was defeated by the Orthodox Faith and Tradition, particularly through the zeal of St. Theodora the Empress. For over 100 years icons were destroyed and the faithful Orthodox who promoted them were often persecuted; some were even killed. After the 7th Ecumenical Council, convened by Empress Irene in 787 A.D., which affirmed the faith of Orthodoxy against the heresy of iconoclasm, the adherents to iconoclasm still were able to promulgate their ideas until St. Theodora finally put an end to iconoclasm in 843 A.D. To this day we remember the triumph of Orthodox over heresy by processing with icons on the first Sunday of Great Lent.
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21)
By Fr. Nick Kotsis - Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, like most of you, I assume, I've been terribly saddened by the recent events that have taken place throughout the country starting from the killing of George Floyd.
By Fr. Alex Radulescu "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." (John 15:1-2) By Fr. Alex Radulescu - Sometime in 312 A.D., as he was riding through France with his army, preparing to battle his political opponent Maxentius, the blessed Emperor Constantine saw a sign in the sky. It was the shape of a cross in front of the sun. Along this cross, there were the words En Touto Nika (In This Sign Conquer).
By Fr. Nick Kotsis - Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, if one were to rank the most influential people in terms of their legacy upon world history, a historian worth his salt, and not subject to the vacillations of revisionism or political correctness, would have to put Saint Constantine on that list. It’s one thing that he had the foresight, intelligence, military acumen, and political sensibilities to forge a second capital of the Roman Empire which allowed the Empire to flourish for another 800 years and continue to last for a total of more than 1,100 years. It’s another thing to understand that his faith in Christ completely, and to a certain extent, radically, changed the face of the Western world (and the world as a whole); and those changes are still present in our day and age.
By Fr. Nick Kotsis - Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, that is the official tourist slogan of the state of Texas. I remember it from the commercials I would see on television as a kid. They are telling the truth.
By Fr. Nicolaos Kotsis - Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I learned a lot of things working in the cafeteria. Some things had to do with the running of a kitchen. Some things had to do with dealing with co-workers (as in all the jobs I ever worked). Some things had to do with dealing with customers (disgruntled seminarians). Some things had to do with understanding people.
By Fr. Alex Radulescu - I remember an old Romanian saying that goes like this: Totdeauna lucrul tãu sã-l începi cu Dumnezeu (Always start your work with the Lord). This saying is rooted in the Christian idea of glorifying God every time we start working. Why? Because He is our Creator. He gives us strength, intelligence, wisdom, and pretty much everything we need to labor for our own benefit and ultimately for our salvation.
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Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
3109 Scio Church Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: (734) 332-8200
Fax: (734) 332-8201
Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
3109 Scio Church Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: (734) 332-8200
Fax: (734) 332-8201