Triodion

Bishop Paisie of Sinaia says God restores, not humiliates, the repentant believer

Speaking on Sunday at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia said that the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son does not reproach his child, does not humiliate him and does not demand explanations. “His gaze does not fall on the sin, but on the suffering that needs healing.…

Feb 10, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel says God meets repentant sinners through the Church, in sermon on the Prodigal Son

Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday that when a sinner turns back to God and takes the first steps of repentance, God Himself runs out to meet that person — and that the outstretched hands of God the Father are made visible in the saving and sanctifying work of Christ’s Church. “When a sinner returns to…

Feb 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Varlaam urges faithful to restore their bond of love with God the Father ahead of Lent

“May the good God grant us the wisdom that leads us back to Christ, and help us use the time of Great Lent with discernment, so that the feast of Pascha may truly become, for each of us, a return to the boundless love of our Heavenly Father,” said Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești…

Feb 9, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel says God prefers a humble sinner to an arrogant righteous man, at start of Orthodox Triodion season

Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday that, in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the decisive criterion before God is not outward correctness, but humility of heart, stressing that “God prefers a humble sinner to an arrogant righteous man.” The Patriarch explained the meaning of the Gospel reading for the 33rd…

Feb 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Archbishop in UK calls Triodion season a “school of repentance and humility”

In a pastoral message issued at the beginning of the Triodion period, Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said that this liturgical season is “a true school of repentance and humility, a school of prayer, and also a school of spiritual asceticism, which reopens for us the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven.”…

Feb 3, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox Christians to begin Great Lent on Feb. 23 as Pascha falls on April 12

In about a month, on February 23, Orthodox Christians will enter Great Lent, also known as the Great Fast. The Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord (Holy Pascha) will be celebrated on April 12 this year. On February 1, the liturgical season of the Triodion begins, including three preparatory weeks for Great Lent, followed…

Jan 22, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

The Great Canon is humanity’s collective cry for repentance, Bishop Paisie of Sinaia says

On the second evening of Great Lent, His Grace Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia officiated the Great Compline with the Great Canon at the Patriarchal Cathedral, describing it as “the dialogue of the sinful man with his own conscience before God.” Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie continued this penitential canon “is not the repentance of…

Mar 5, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Ignatie of Huși: The Triodion period as a spiritual MRI for the soul

“The Triodion period is a time of invitation and reflection, a call to look within ourselves and conduct a kind of spiritual technical inspection. All the services performed during this period serve as a sort of spiritual MRI, showing us where we stand in our effort toward the Kingdom of God,” said Bishop Ignatie of…

Feb 25, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas reflects on pride during Liturgy at Putna Monastery

His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at Putna Monastery, delivering a sermon on the spiritual dangers of pride, inspired by the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. During his homily, Metropolitan Nicolae emphasized that even hermits are not exempt from the temptation of pride. “Those monks who…

Feb 13, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarch calls for humble prayer and increased almsgiving as Triodion period begins

In his sermon on the first Sunday of the Triodion period, Patriarch Daniel emphasized that believers are entering a time of intensified humble prayer, increased reading or listening to the Holy Scriptures, more frequent confession and Eucharistic communion, as well as greater almsgiving towards those in need. The Romanian Orthodox Patriarch explained the significance and…

Feb 11, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Triodion begins: Patriarch Daniel urges learning good deeds from the Pharisee and humility from the publican

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel urged, at the onset of the Triodion, from the altar of the historic chapel of the patriarchal residence, that in order to be pleasing to God, we should emulate the Pharisees’ practice of conducting good deeds and the tax collector’s humility. Triodion begins His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel noted that Orthodox believers…

Feb 27, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu