Thomas asked for assurances not because he did not believe, but because he desired an untroubled faith for he longed for the resurrection and understood its significance.

by Bishop Benjamin of Saratov and Balashov (+1955)

Archbishop Averky on the Incredulity of Thomas

John 20:19-31
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. John
by Blessed Theophylact

Homily 1 - On Prayer
by St. Theophan the Recluse

Selected Sayings of St. Barsanuphius of Optina

With great sadness but also with joyful faith in the Resurrection of our Lord, the brethren of Holy Cross Monastery announced the repose of their beloved father in Christ

If any man be devout and loveth God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast!

Like the morning dew, now are our tears dried away!

by Archbishop Averky of Syracuse and Holy Trinity Monastery (+1976)

Paschal Message of His Holiness KIRILL Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Holy Saturday Homily of St. Photios the Great

On Great and Holy Saturday the Orthodox Church commemorates the burial of Christ and His descent into Hades.

by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, in the St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra on Holy Friday, 1816

by Metropolitan Philaret of Eastern American and New York (+1985)

On this day we celebrate the awesome, holy, and saving Passion of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

When the glorious disciples at the supper were illumined by the washing of the feet,
then was the impious Judas darkened by the disease of avarice.

A sermon given by Fr. Seraphim (Rose) during Great Lent, 1982

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?

Homily 78 of St. John Chrysostom

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins

We are entering into difficult days today: days when we recall the Passion of Christ

by St. Gregory Palamas

Excerpt from St. Andrew of Crete's Homily on Palm Sunday

by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

John 12:1-18
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. John
by Blessed Theophylact

St. John Chrysostom

A Sermon for the Raising of Lazarus
Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky, +1985)

by St. John Chrysostom

by St. Gregory of Neo-Caesarea

This Life of Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt was written down in the seventh century by Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

A Homily by St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow

From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Mark
by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) of Bogucharsk (+1950)

from the Notes of Archbishop Seraphim’s Spiritual Children

Mother Maria Skobtsova died in Ravensbruck concentration camp on Good Friday, 1945. This essay was written in 1937

Laudation of the Most Holy Theotokos

St. Cyril of Alexandria

by St. Luke, Archbishop of Crimea

In reading this explanation may we discover new meaning and inspiration for our Lenten struggle.

Archbishop Averky of Syracuse and Holy Trinity Monastery (+1976) on The Ladder of Divine Ascent

The Apostle of Ireland and Wonderworker,
Commemorated: March 17/30

By Priest Athanasios Papagiannis

From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Mark
by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

by Father Seraphim Rose of Platina

Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin)

Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia (†1927)

This epistle marks the integration of ROCOR in the USA and Canada into the North American Metropolitanate 

Saint Serapion distinguished himself by his wisdom at the Council of 1504, where he fervently defended the church and monastic estates as a means of charity.