After several months, Fr. Thomas continues this series with a reflection on the 1st half of the 15th century and the further declarations of the Roman Catholic Church.

As the series on the structure and organization of the Church continues, Fr. Thomas reflects on the famous Council of Florence and the Orthodox participation and rejection of the Council.

One of the most significant events in Church history was the fall of Constantinople. Fr. Thomas helps us understand the the years immediately following the fall.

From Constantinople we go to the Church in Kiev and Rus from the 10th to the 13th Centuries.

In this episode, you will learn about the relationship between the Church in the Russian lands and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople in the 14th Century.

Fr. Tom talks about the important 15th century in the lands of Rus at the time of the sacking of Constantinople by the Turks.

The 16th Century was pivotal for the Orthodox Church in Russia which is during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and also the period when the Russian Church was given autocephaly.

Fr. Thomas Hopko calls the Reformation one of the most impactful periods of Church history on Orthodoxy. Learn about how the Orthodox were influenced by Roman Catholic and Protestant thinking.

Fr. Tom talks about what happened in the 17th Century, when Orthodoxy in both Constantinople and Ukraine were influenced by non Orthodox thinking.

In the next in his series on Church organization and structure, Fr. Tom talks about 17th Century Russia and the influences of Patriarch Nikon and the Old Believer schism.

In this fascinating episode, Fr. Tom talks about the tragic influence of Peter the Great and the further westernization of the Orthodox Church in Russia.

Fr. Tom takes up his series on the bishops and structure of the Church and moves to the 19th Century fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Last time, Fr. Tom talked about the Ottoman Empire and its demise. Today he reflects on the impact of Turkish rule on Orthodox clergy and laity.

For the next few podcasts, Fr. Tom will be looking at the important 19th century in Russian Orthodox history. He recommended several books but in particular these three. The Heart of Russia by Scott M. Kenworthy The Making of Holy Russia by Fr. John Strickland Russian Orthodoxy on the Eve of Revolution by Vera Shevzov

In his continuing series on bishops and Church organization, Fr. Thomas speaks about various clergy figures from that time. He references the book My Life's Journey: The Memories of Metropolitan Evlogy.

One of the most influential and revered figures of 19th-century Orthodox Russia was St. Philaret of Moscow. Fr. Tom also speaks about Leo Tolstoy.

Today Fr. Tom speaks about the famous author Anton Chekhov from 19th-century Russia.

In August I published a post examining a common question in email marketing – do email subscription pop-ups work? The post detailed how I went about implementing pop-ups via OptinMonster (affiliate), as well as the results I attained in using them on two separate sites. Despite “most people” claiming they hate them, the results were…

The post Comparing Email Subscribers Acquired from Pop-Ups vs. Other Methods appeared first on Sugarrae.

If you've looked into search engine optimization as a promotional technique for your website, you have likely come across the advice to make your website secure (having an https:// appear in front of your URLs instead of http://). Google has been very vocal in pushing for all websites to make the move to being secure,…

The post How to Make Your WordPress Website Secure (SSL) in 6 Steps appeared first on Sugarrae.

Fr Joseph, at home with the peeps of St Joseph/Houston (masks and all), says: Christ is Risen!

Fr. John shares from Psalm 117:1-14. "When we depend on ourselves, we cannot succeed. When we put our hope in God, we cannot fail."

Fr. John continues his sermon from Psalm 117.

Fr. John concludes his homily on Psalm 117.

Fr. John shares from Psalm 118, a psalm that is chanted at every Orthodox funeral.

Fr. John continues his series from Psalm 118, "Wherewithal shall a young man correct his way? By keeping Thy words."

Fr. John continues his series from Psalm 118.

Fr. John shares from Psalm 19.

Fr. John uses Psalm 118, and the life of King David, to discuss the importance of living according to God's will.

Fr. John Whiteford delivers a timely message on the Resurrection, from Psalm 65.

As this site slowly crumbles and falls apart, it’s about time I made a small announcement as to where you can find me. 99% of my audience should know I’ve already moved to Detailed.com and Gaps.com, but if you didn’t, then here we are. I’m secretly hoping this might go out to some RSS feeds […]

The post I No Longer Blog Here: Please Join Me on Detailed.com and Gaps.com appeared first on ViperChill.

A lot of people around us suffer from the physiological pressures of this pandemic. Some were suffering before it all started, others have only now found themselves facing this struggle. The point is that there are SO MANY among us who suffer quietly and unknown by anyone. We MUST open our eyes to see them. St Silouan tells us that a loving, prayerful heart naturally feels the pain of the world and willingly crucifies itself in prayer for the world. We must close the judgemental eyes of our minds and open the loving eyes of our hearts, so we may perceive the silent pain in our brothers and sisters. Once we see it, we must do what Christ teaches us to do: lift their cross on our shoulders and carry it for them. At least for an hour. At least for a day. It may not be much, but it will allow them a respite from the lonely hell of a mind in pain.

Having Constant Spiritual Ups and Downs? (w/ Fr. Seraphim Aldea)