Author Archives: Father Steven Allen

2 April OS 2016 – Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent; St. Titus the Wonderworker; Holy Martyrs Amphian and Aedesius The first reading at Vespers today, Genesis 22:1-18, presents one of the most powerful images in all the Old … Continue reading →

1 April OS 2016 – Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent; Thursday of the Great Canon; St. Mary of Egypt; St. Barsanuphius of Optina  The second reading at Vespers today, Proverbs 16:17-17:17, contains one of the best known verses … Continue reading →

25 March OS 2016 – The Annunciation The Holy Fathers are a never-ending source of illumination and delight.   This morning, I was studying the commentary of Blessed Theophylact on today’s Gospel reading (Luke 2:26-38), and the saint offered so much … Continue reading →

23 March OS 2016 – Fourth Tuesday of Great Lent, Holy Monk-Martyr Nikon and His 199 Disciples in Sicily One of the great theological themes of the Triodion and Pentecostarion is the Mystery of Holy Baptism, which, in the early … Continue reading →

11 March OS 2016 – Second Thursday of Great Lent, St. Sophronios of Jerusalem The second reading at Vespers today is Proverbs 6: 3-20.  My son, do that which I command thee, and save thyself; for on thy friend’s account thou … Continue reading →

10 March OS 2016 – Second Wednesday of Great Lent, Holy Martyr Quadratus and Companions  Today’s first reading at Vespers is Genesis 4:16-26.  And Cain went out from the presence of God, and dwelt in the land of Nod, over … Continue reading →

3 March OS 2016 – First Wednesday of Great Lent, Holy Martyrs Eutropios, Cleonicus and Basiliskos A few more thoughts on why it is important to read the Orthodox Old Testament, as we enter Great Lent and immerse ourselves in … Continue reading →

3 March OS 2016 – First Wednesday of Great Lent, Holy Martyrs Eutropios, Cleonicus and Basiliskos On the weekdays of Great Lent, we do not read from the New Testament at weekday services, but rather from the Old Testament.   There … Continue reading →

27 February OS 2016 – Friday of Cheesefare Week; St. Procopius of Decapolis The two Old Testament readings in the services today are from the Prophet Zacharias – at the Sixth Hour, chapter eight, verses seven to seventeen, at Vespers … Continue reading →

25 February OS 2016 – Wednesday of Cheesefare Week; St. Tarasios of Constantinople At the Sixth Hour today, we hear the first Old Testament reading from the Triodion, Joel 2: 12-26. St. Theophan the Recluse selects verses 12 to 17 … Continue reading →