Kassiani — also called Kassia, lived during the reign of Emperor Theophilos in Constantinople, from 829 to 842 AD. She came from a noble family, and for this reason she was among the most beautiful and most educated young women who were gathered at the palace so that the emperor could choose the best one as his wife. But she lost the crown because of her intelligence. As the emperor passed in front of her, he was struck by her beauty and modesty, and, wanting to tease her, he said: “From...

O Lord God, the woman who had fallen into many sins, having perceived Thy divinity received the rank of myrhh-bearer, offering Thee spices before Thy burial wailing and crying: "Woe is me, for the love of adultery and sin hath given me a dark and lightless night; accept the fountains of my tears O Thou Who drawest the waters of the sea by the clouds incline Thou to the sigh of my heart O Thou Who didst bend the heavens by Thine inapprehensible condescension; I will kiss Thy pure feet and I...

Fasting is always a conversation amongst Orthodox Christians, "cradle born" and converts alike. But if we try to deepen our understanding and need for it and its origins, then it would be something we all look forward to and are grateful for. So lets break down somethings that may help us in embracing it. First, lets address the idea that fasting is somehow associated with earning merit with God. Unlike our Catholic brothers and sisters, we do not believe fasting or any good work/deed can be...