Complex Orthodox services are unthinkable without service books. Some of these books are known as sacred, these being fragments of the Bible read during services: Gospel Book (four gospels divided into segments for reading purposes), Psalter (150 psalms). Others are just known as church books: Typikon – Church constitution (service rules); Euchologion, containing sacred rites [ ]

It was due to the census of population of Palestine that the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Righteous Joseph had found themselves in Bethlehem nine months after Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Since many others came to the town for that same reason it became very difficult to find lodgings for the [ ]

First bells were cast in the West during the middle of the IX century in the Italian province of Campania. As soon as the technology of bell casting was mastered a Venetian nobleman dispatched a gift to the Byzantine Emperor Michael consisting of 12 bells for the church of Hagia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom of [ ]

Monk (deriving from monos – the solitary in Greek; also kalos-geros – good old man;) is a person who renounces all that is temporal for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven, striving to be faithful to Christ until death. Growing in his love towards God he accomplishes a special service witnessing the [ ]

The great sacrifice has been offered. Since God the Father does not regard the world as being material or spiritual but sees all creation through His Son, and since mankind fell into the slavery of nature, of that which was corruptible – of death, the Son of God was incarnated and lived an earthly life [ ]