Met. Tikhon (Mollard) on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard) is the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). The following reflection was originally posted on OCA.org as part of an ongoing series of reflections titled "Reflections in Christ."

Today, we celebrate the death of the Mother of God, not because death is worth celebrating in and of itself, but because her Son has made death a passage-way to everlasting life. In particular, the Theotokos, according to St. Gregory Palamas, had done nothing worthy of the sentence of death, but she passed through death out of obedience and love for Jesus Christ, the most innocent Victim who suffered on the Cross for our sake. Just as He underwent the Passion so that He could intercede before the Father on our behalf, so His Mother, after her Dormition, has become for us the most powerful intercessor before her Son. Her maternal boldness toward Him and her maternal love for us mean that her prayers for the Christian people have potency unrivaled by those of any other. The feast of the Dormition reminds us that the Theotokos has passed beyond this world, is our steadfast protectress in joys and sorrows, by day and by night, all our life long. May we never fail daily to remember her, honor her, and ask for her supplications.

A Struggle for Freedom or a New Maidan? – The Protests in Serbia from the Perspective of Serbian Orthodox Church Believers

In an editorial recently published by UOJ-Serbia, readers are shown the opinions of Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) faithful regarding the current events in the country and the role of the SOC in all of it. The editorial team offers full support to the SOC in its desire to preserve peace and stability in the state.

The Doubling Down of Pat. Bartholomew

A look at the “apostolic visit” that at times felt more like a business trip in which Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stood firm on all the wrong things.

The Feast of Pokrov – a Prayerful Remembrance of the Mother of God’s Heavenly Protection

The Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated in memory of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God at Blachernae in Constantinople, as a sign of Her protection over Christians.

Why Is Israel Purging Jerusalem of Armenians?

The Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem, a historic Christian enclave, faces existential threats from the Jerusalem Municipality. Backed by property developers and radical Zionists, the city government seeks to oust the 1,600-year-old Armenian Christian presence. And how have Western governments and Christian communities responded? With silence.

A Russian Chrysostom: The Life and Testament of St. Metrophanes of Voronezh

Old Paths Press brings to light a long-overlooked saint of Russia, whose life and writings speak powerfully to today’s Orthodox faithful.

The Last Byzantine

Fr. Alexander Karloutsos was integral to Bartholomew's election as Ecumenical Patriarch and to Joe Biden's as President of the United States. He's a deeply medieval figure, one for whom the “wall of separation” between Church and State simply does not exist. (Make of that what you will.)