He was a "priest of the most high God" (Genesis 14:18-20), who blessed our Forefather Abraham and "brought forth bread and wine," prefiguring the Holy Eucharist, centuries before the Law was given to Moses or Christ became incarnate. The Epistle to the Hebrews (ch. 7) reveals Melchizedek, the Priest-King, to be a type of Christ.

She was born near Rome to pious parents. Since she was born on a Friday, she was named Paraskeve (Friday in Greek; literally "preparation" or "preparedness" because Friday was the Biblical Day of Preparation for the Sabbath). From early childhood she studied the scriptures, consecrated herself to a monastic life, and brought many to faith in Christ by her example and teaching. During the reign of Antoninus she was arrested because she was a Christian. When ordered to worship the idols, she answered "Let the gods that have not made heaven and the earth perish from off the earth" (Jeremiah 10:11). For this, after severe tortures she was beheaded in 140.

"Saint Eudocimus was from Cappadocia, the son of pious and most illustrious parents, patricians in rank. He especially cultivated chastity and mercy, the one by never meeting the gaze of a woman, the other by cheerfully providing the needs of the poor. When he was made military commander of Cappadocia, he continued in his righteous ways, showing mercy and uprightness in all his dealings. Having so lived in piety, quietly and without ostentation, he was called from this life at the age of thirty-three, about the year 840, during the reign of the Iconoclast Theophilus. Not long after his burial, his grave became a fountain of unending miracles, as God revealed the virtue that Eudocimus had striven to hide; when his grave was later opened, his body was found incorrupt. His holy relics were translated to Constantinople." (Great Horologion)

In her own lifetime she was a wonderworker through her holy prayers. She brought her husband back from idolatry to Christian faith; he later became bishop of Nazianzus. Her son Gregory's profound and devout writings bespeak the Christian upbringing she gave him. By her prayers she once saved St Gregory from perishing in a storm. She was a deaconess, and reposed in peace in 374.

"There is an ancient tradition that the holy, righteous elder Symeon, who came from Egypt, was one of the Seventy learned Jews chosen in the days of the Pharoah Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-246 BC) for the task of rendering the Hebrew Bible into Greek, and that to Symeon was assigned the translation of the book of the Prophet Isaiah. When he reached the famous passage where the Prophet foretells the virgin birth of Christ, saying: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Is. 7:14), he was so perplexed that he took a penknife to erase the word 'virgin' in order to replace it by 'young woman'. At that moment, an angel of God appeared and prevented him from altering the sacred text, explaining that what seemed impossible to him was, in fact, a prophecy of the coming into this world of the Son of God. To confirm the truth of this, he promised that Symeon would not see death until he had seen and touched the Messiah born of the Virgin. When, after many long years, Christ was brought into the Temple at Jerusalem by the All-Holy Mother of God, the Holy Spirit revealed to the Elder Symeon that the time of fulfilment of the promise had come. He hurried to the Temple and, taking the Child in his arms, he was able to say wholeheartedly to God: Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation (Luke 2:29). For indeed, the Elder Symeon was the living image of the ancient Israel of the Old Testament, which having awaited the coming of the Messiah was ready to fade away and give place to the light and truth of the Gospel. The relics of the holy and righteous Symeon were venerated at Constantinople in the church of St James, built at the time of the Emperor Justin.   "The prophetess Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, was eighty-four years old. Since the early death of her husband, she had spent her whole life in the Temple in hope of the coming of the Saviour. She is the pattern for holy widows, virgins and monks, who have freed themselves of worldly cares in order to dwell always in the Temple, offering their fasts, hymns and prayers in eager expectation of the Lord's coming. And when, like Anna and Symeon, they have seen the indwelling Christ with the eyes of their heart and touched Him through their spiritual senses, they proclaim with joy and assurance to all mankind that the Saviour is still coming into the world: A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of His people Israel (Luke 2:32)." (Synaxarion)   The Synaxarion notes that the tradition that St Symeon was one of the Seventy is by no means universal among the Fathers. According to some, Symeon was the son of Hillel and father of Gamaliel, St Paul's teacher. According to others, he was a righteous and devout Jew aged 112, neither a priest nor a Pharisee.

Licinius was co-emperor with Constantine the Great. At his accession, he had agreed to tolerate Christianity in his territories, but soon turned to persecuting the Christians, and to a variety of carnal sins. He conceived a passion for Glaphyra, a Christian virgin handmaid of the Empress Constantia. When Glaphyra told Constantia of this, the Empress sent her away to Amasia in the East for her protection. There she was received and protected by Bishop Basil of that city. Licinius learned where Glaphyra was hiding and ordered that both she and the bishop be brought to him as prisoners. The soldiers who came for her found that she had already died, so they returned with only Bishop Basil, who was subjected to cruel tortures, then beheaded. His body was cast into the sea, but, with the help of an angel of God, his people found his body, retrieved it from the sea, and returned it to Amasia.   The Prologue adds, "The Emperor Constantine raised an army against Licinius, overcame him, arrested him and sent him into exile in Gaul, where he ended his God-hating days."

He was a "priest of the most high God" (Genesis 14:18-20), who blessed our Forefather Abraham and "brought forth bread and wine," prefiguring the Holy Eucharist, centuries before the Law was given to Moses or Christ became incarnate. The Epistle to the Hebrews (ch. 7) reveals Melchizedek, the Priest-King, to be a type of Christ.

She was born near Rome to pious parents. Since she was born on a Friday, she was named Paraskeve (Friday in Greek; literally "preparation" or "preparedness" because Friday was the Biblical Day of Preparation for the Sabbath). From early childhood she studied the scriptures, consecrated herself to a monastic life, and brought many to faith in Christ by her example and teaching. During the reign of Antoninus she was arrested because she was a Christian. When ordered to worship the idols, she answered "Let the gods that have not made heaven and the earth perish from off the earth" (Jeremiah 10:11). For this, after severe tortures she was beheaded in 140.

"Saint Eudocimus was from Cappadocia, the son of pious and most illustrious parents, patricians in rank. He especially cultivated chastity and mercy, the one by never meeting the gaze of a woman, the other by cheerfully providing the needs of the poor. When he was made military commander of Cappadocia, he continued in his righteous ways, showing mercy and uprightness in all his dealings. Having so lived in piety, quietly and without ostentation, he was called from this life at the age of thirty-three, about the year 840, during the reign of the Iconoclast Theophilus. Not long after his burial, his grave became a fountain of unending miracles, as God revealed the virtue that Eudocimus had striven to hide; when his grave was later opened, his body was found incorrupt. His holy relics were translated to Constantinople." (Great Horologion)

In her own lifetime she was a wonderworker through her holy prayers. She brought her husband back from idolatry to Christian faith; he later became bishop of Nazianzus. Her son Gregory's profound and devout writings bespeak the Christian upbringing she gave him. By her prayers she once saved St Gregory from perishing in a storm. She was a deaconess, and reposed in peace in 374.

This is the most celebratory time of the whole year! Rita shares ways to joyfully celebrate Pascha without forfeiting a healthy relationship with food.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses the parable of the Prodigal Son, how he asks to return as a servant but is instead given sonship, expanding on this theme in terms of the ways in the spiritual life what we desire from God is often not what He is offering.

Matthew brings part one of a two-part series on the differences between Eastern and Western views of imputed righteousness.

Matthew brings part two of a two-part series on the differences between Eastern and Western views of imputed righteousness.

By popular demand, Matthew explores further a topic he introduced a few weeks ago.

So, is God's righteousness a commodity he bestows on us or is it part of His being and we enter into it?

This week Matthew takes a closer look at Abram becoming Abraham and what his faith brought about.

Matthew continues his look at Abraham and his faith. What did God impute to him as a result?

Are we really righteous as the result of a declaration? Matthew continues his look at Abraham's faith and how that relates to our lives as Christians today.

Dancing with God has become a lost art in the west. Listen as Matthew helps us recover this wonderful and living movement with our Creator.

Matthew is helping us understand the nature of our "dance" with God. Abram, Sarai and Hagar are the focus of today's study.

What is the nature of faith and how does it relate to the phrase "faith alone?"

What God really wants from us is a living connection. A joining with our beings. Just believing that doesn't make it happen.

Faith is the beginning of the journey to salvation but obedience is the path. It is simply our love relationship with God.

Abraham faces the greatest test of his faith imaginable.

This is the final episode in the Imputed Righteousness series. If you would like a CD package (4 CD's) of all 13 episodes in this series it is available for $30 when you make your request by emailing us. We will give you the details on how to process your order.

How does the Faith proclaim when life begins? It might surprise you and help inform you as some of you go to the polls tomorrow.

Fr. Michael talks about the sin of becoming "too righteous."

St. Isaac the Syrian refers to zeal as a guard dog. He refers to sinful and unwanted thoughts and impulses as birds that fly around our soul. Zeal is the guard dog that barks and warns us that these unwanted thoughts are there and motivates us to chase these birds away.

What should lay people do when they have a priest whose words or behaviour is unworthy of the grace of the priesthood? What should any person in authority do to better hear the voice of those under their care, especially when that voice is critical of them?

If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one (I John 2). Fr. Tom explores what the Scriptures mean by this term.

In our Troparia for Nativity, we sing "Your Nativity, O Christ our God, has shone to the world the Light of wisdom! For by it, those who worshipped the stars, were taught by a star to adore You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know You, the Orient from on High. O Lord, glory to You!" In today's episode, Fr. Tom reflects on these terms for Christ.

In the remaining days before Christmas, let us embrace the radically disorienting calling to hope in nothing and no one other than the God-Man Who is born to heal and fulfill all who bear the divine image and likeness.

As we continue to celebrate our Lord’s glorious resurrection on the third day and victory over Hades and the tomb, we have to admit that all too often we live as though death still reigned. We do so especially when we obsess about how weak, broken, and vulnerable we are, especially in light of the grave.

This week we concentrate upon the epistle reading, where St. Paul mentions (as he does elsewhere), God’s armor for our use in life. This imagery may be difficult for a contemporary audience, but it is found many places in Scripture, and cannot be dismissed. We consider the “active” and “passive” weapons wielded by our Lord Jesus, and commended to us, by means of other NT readings, Isaiah, and the book of Wisdom. (2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Isaiah 59:15-17; Wisdom 5:17-20; Isaiah 11:3-5)

The “unnecessary” stories of the three youths (in Daniel 3 and The Song of Azariah) and of St. Joseph, husband of the Theotokos (Matthew 1) are illumined by God’s care for the humble in Deuteronomy 10:14-21.

This Saturday we commemorate the righteous Job, who is seen as an exemplar of intercessory prayer, and steadfastness, in both Old and New Testament. Today we probe his prophetic insight into the complexity of this world and the greatness of our human-loving LORD.

As we approach Lent, we are confronted by Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25, and Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 8 about making good judgments in life. We see these two passages illumined by the prophet Ezekiel’s parable of the Shepherd and the sheep.

This week we unpack the reading from Hebrews 11-12 for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Looking to Exodus, Judges, 1 Kings 17, and Daniel, we fill in the stories of Moses, Barak, Gideon, Sampson, Jephthah, Daniel, and Elijah with the woman whose son was resurrected. We see that, though exemplifying weakness and sin, they show us the importance of dependence upon God and hope in His promises. For this faith and hope, they are rightly celebrated as righteous, and are part of God’s covenant family.

We read of the joy, warnings, and blessings of God in Rev 14:1-13, helped in our interpretation by St. Andrew of Caesarea, St. Bede, and St. Augustine, as well as three passages from the OT— 2 Kings 6, 2 Sam 11:6-13, Genesis 2:1-3. Because of its imagery, the worship in heaven may seem exclusive; however, all who follow the Lamb are invited to join in the “new song.”

"The Annunciation of the Angel to the Righteous Joseph," from Feasts of Christ and the Theotokos and Miracles of the Lord by Spiritual Fragrance Publishing (2012). In honor of this the 500th episode of "Readings from the Under the Grapevine," we are giving away a gift set containing The Miracle of the Red Egg by Elizabeth Crispina Johnson, The Legend of the Cross by Dr. Chrissi Hart, and the CD Pascha: Come Receive the Light by Eikona. For a chance to win, simply write to Dr. Hart at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/**/ and tell her which "Grapevine" reading you have enjoyed the most, as well as what you love about Pascha. The winner will be announced on April 10, 2015.

Welcoming the Christ Child: Family Readings for the Nativity Lent, "Conclusion – Righteous Joseph and A Child is Born in Bethlehem," by Elissa Bjeletich, illustrated by Jelena Jeftic (Sebastian Press, 2017).

The world's time is different than God's time, and we need to be able to strike a balance between the two.

Kevin speaks with author Fr. Dn. Stephen Holley about how Orthodox Christians ought to approach finding the right marriage partner. Dn. Stephen is the author of "How Do I Find The Right Partner For Life", published by Light and Life.

Human exceptionalism advocate and author Wesley J. Smith speaks with host Kevin Allen about the animal rights-animal liberation movement and its insistence on the "moral equivalence" between animals and humans! How does this compare with Orthodox teachings about the "brotherhood" of humans, animals and inanimate nature (St Gregory Palamas)? Listen and find out !

Listen to a short reflection about R., whose life has been difficult as he lives for the Truth.

Listen to stories written by Brother Luke at St. John the Compassionate Mission.

More stories, written by Brother Luke, from St. John the Compassionate Mission.

A handful of stories demonstrating how the repentance of the poor and downtrodden offers everyone a glimpse at the doors that lead to peace and life.