Oration on the Day of the Protection of the Mother of God Fr Sergius Bulgakov This [vision] happened near the end of the life of the blessed Andrew. It was toward the end of the all-night vigil in the church of Vlaherna that he saw the Mother of God enter the church through the imperial (western) doors surrounded by heavenly hosts and a multitude of saints. She was supported by Her relative, John the Forerunner, the greatest of those born of women, and by Christ's beloved dis

The essence in every virtue is the one Logos of God - and this can hardly be doubted since the essence of all the virtues is our Lord, Jesus Christ, as it is written "God made Him our wisdom, our righteousness, our holiness, and our redemption." These things are of course said about Him in an absolute sense, for He is Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification itself, and not in some limited sense, as is the case with human beings, as for example in the expression a "wise ma

The cross is the figurative inscription of the Name of God, working miracles and manifesting powers, like the Name of God revealed to Moses. The cross is the symbol of the Most Holy Trinity, the holy sign of God-Love, consuming in fire unlove, malice, and hatred. This Heavenly Cross was revealed to us, human beings, in Christ's cross, in that all-blessed tree whose image we venerate and kiss in awe. As Christ's warriors, we wear this cross; we bear it on our breast and in our

In the prophet Ezekiel (9:6) it is said that when the Angel of the Lord was sent to punish and destroy the sinning people, it was told him not to strike those on whom the “mark” had been made. In the original text this mark is called “tau,” the Hebrew letter corresponding to the letter “T,” which is how in ancient times the cross was made, which then was an instrument of punishment. And so, even then was foretold the power of the Cross, which preserves those who venerate it.

….Let the whole of creation make festival and sing of the most holy birth-giving of the holy Anna. For she bore for the world an inviolable treasury of blessings. Through her the Creator transformed all nature into a better state by means of humanity. For if a human being stands between mind and matter, since he is the bond between all visible and invisible creation, the creative Word of God, having become unified with the nature of humanity, was unified through it with the w