O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy, blessed Father, O Jesus Christ:
Having come to the setting of the sun,
having beheld the evening light,
we praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: God.
Meet it is for Thee at all times to be hymned with reverent voices,
O Son of God, Giver of life.
Wherefore, the world doth glorify Thee.

Album: Valaam Monastery Choir, "Taste of the Fountain of Immortality"

View the Holy Fire Livestream on Greece's ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΟΣ ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ 4Ε (TV 4) from the Holy Sepulchre at 1pm Jerusalem/ 6am ET in N. America. Live stream feed: www.tv4e.gr/livestreaming.php

"If Christ is in your heart, then, for you, He is God. If He is only on your tongue, or on paper, or on a wall, or in a museum of the past--and even if you call Him God--for you, He is but a toy. Beware then, O man, for no one can play around with God without punishment." +St Nicolai of Zica

The Holy Fire has arrived! 2021

Christ is Risen! Khristós Anésti! Khrystos voskres! Kriste agsdga! Christos vaskrse! Hristos voskrese! لمسيح قام! حقا قام! ܫܪܝܪܐܝܬ ܩܡ! Please feel free to respond with a Paschal greeting in your native language

Wherever Christ is, there is Paradise. + St Paisios of Mt Athos

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “**My Lord and my God!**” +John 20:26,28.

We trust a "doubting" apostle to speak emphatically that Christ is God! The title "Doubting Thomas" is incorrect. Icons of St Thomas are correctly named "The Belief of Thomas" or "The Touching By St Thomas."

On Antipascha, Saint Thomas Sunday, we commemorate St Thomas and a declaration that did not come of a careless belief or an "over-easy temper" (St John Chrysostom). Thomas did not want to be found guilty of placing his faith in an apparition. “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

This Apostolic declaration of the deity of Christ resounds through the centuries and proclaims the Orthodox Christian faith.

When he saw the Lord change water into wine, the newly-married Simon (Simeon) (May 10/ May 23) left his home and parents and bride to follow Christ. His great and burning zeal for the Saviour and His Gospel earned him the name Simon the Zealot. The Holy Apostle proclaimed the gospel from Britain to the Black Sea. Like his Lord, the Holy Apostle Simon suffered death by torture and crucifixion.

"With praise let us all bless Simon, the herald of God, who established the doctrines of wisdom securely in the souls of the pious. Now he stands before the throne of glory, and rejoicing with the angels, he unceasingly prays for us all."

The sun knows its setting. You established darkness, and it was night. O Lord, Your works shall be magnified greatly; You made all things in wisdom. -from Psalm 103, Vespers

“Struggle with all your power to gain Paradise. And do not listen to those who say that everyone will be saved. This is a trap of Satan so that we won’t struggle.” +St Paisios the Athonite

"The angel came to the myrrhbearing women at the tomb and said: Myrrh is meet for the dead; but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption! So proclaim: The Lord is risen, granting the world great mercy!" + Troparion for Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women with the Noble Joseph of Arimathea, Third Sunday of Pascha