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When I was a little boy back in the 60s I was fascinated by photos of my ancestors taken a century before. I often wondered why they looked so different from modern people. When I inquired about it, I was told that was just the way styles change, or that it was colder in those days and they needed to wear more clothing.When I came to know Christ in my 20s, I pondered the question anew. I understood that my ancestors were devout Christians, but I...

Ezekiel 44: 1-3 “Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. And he said to me, "This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain shut. Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way."Ezeki...

The following document is part of an official record of actions taken against a house church in the town of Cirta* in Algeria during the Diocletian persecution. It provides a description of both the church hierarchy of the Ante Nicene period (consisting of a single bishop, as well as priests, deacons, subdeacons and readers as it is in the Orthodox Church to this day) as well as an inventory of material possessions (including gold, silver, and br...

When Saint John the Forerunner (also known as John the Baptist) was beheaded by Herod, his head was placed on a platter and given to his daughter at the request of her mother. The masterfully-composed liturgical hymns for this commemoration are unsettling in their descriptions of the scene: As shameless Herod’s birthday was being celebrated, the terms of the oath to the wanton dancing girl were fulfilled; for the head of the Forerunner wa...

On August 16 we celebrate the Icon of Our Lord "Made Without Hands." This icon, also known as the Holy Face, the Holy Napkin, or the Mandylion, portrays the face of Christ on a piece of cloth, carried by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. According to Christian legend, King Abgar of Edessa wrote to Jesus, asking him to come cure him of an illness. Jesus declined the invitation, but sent a disciple with a miracle-working image of Jesu...