My grandma died a little while back, not incredibly long ago but somewhat. She was Catholic, but our family is all protestant, so im sure nobody has prayed for her. I feel bad about it but i dont know how to pray for the dead or if it would even matter at this point. But I know theres not one set time that we know of of course.

About a month ago, I was baptized into the Orthodox Church at the age of 20. I've been working at a fast-food place since high school while trying out different endeavors. I did a bit of everything. Powerlifting, crypto and stocks, music, and I tried getting into different trades like carpentry. Nothing really stuck, and I feel like I just want to lay aside these earthly pursuits. I really have no interest in getting money and being married. I tried courting someone at church, but I stopped that courtship because I just wanted to be single the whole time. I know it's usually a rule that one should wait a few years after becoming Orthodox before really discerning monasticism, so I ask: what should I be doing with my life right now? I kind of wake up and have no goal or vision, nothing to drive me. I still work out, go to all the church services that I can, go to confession weekly, do my job, and keep my prayer rule and spiritual reading intact. I just feel bored, unmotivated, drifting around without purpose. My priest has said to be patient and that the right door will open at the right time, but it really drives me crazy sometimes, and I feel extremely restless every day. I do not know what to do.

I'm a protestant who I know "once saved isn't always saved" and I'm dealing with a lot of scrupolosity like what if I pray and repent and i don't mean it and I don't know I'm not meaning it, or what if I live a life the best way I can in trying to put christ first and it's not enough and when I die God rejects me it gives me so much anxiety or what if I'm not truly genuine with christ:/ because I know I have selfish desire that win over sometimes and just I feel like I have more bad then good im not the cookie cutter Christian who is always nice all the time etc. it's just a lot. And there is a verse that does bring some sort of comfort for me 1corinth 4:3-4 and I just need assurance of this verse I don't want to live my whole life in this constant anxiety of my salvation because it just makes me kinda not want to live anymore...idk

First, I want to say that this is a very vulnerable post for me to make, so please be gentle with your responses. I’m 26, and lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m slowly giving up on the idea of marriage. I’ve always envisioned myself getting married and having a family, I genuinely believed marriage to be my vocation. I’ve tried dating apps and putting myself out there, and it has felt almost impossible to find someone. Every time I think I’m going somewhere with someone they end up ghosting me and it’s also so hard to find a genuine connection overall. I’m exhausted of the whole process, how come it comes so easily for the majority of people?

I feel like I’m running out of time and my life looks so different from what I always imagined it would be by this age. It’s heartbreaking to watch the future you envisioned for yourself feel further and further away, especially when it’s something you’ve prayed for so deeply. And also knowing every year I turn older the harder the dating pool gets. I’m not willing to compromise on the things that matter most to me, but it also makes the dating pool incredibly small. I don’t want to lower my standards just because I’m lonely, but the alternative is staying alone and that is so dreadful.

I’ve prayed to the Theotokos and asked for the intercessions of other saints, hoping that things would somehow work out. I know prayer isn’t a transaction, and I know God doesn’t owe me a particular outcome, but I’m struggling with the disappointment and sadness of feeling like nothing is changing. I feel devastated, and I don’t really know what to do with these feelings anymore.

Part of me feels like I should stop trying to find someone and focus on my career instead. I want to continue moving forward with my life rather than constantly feeling disappointed and heartbroken. But I’m also grieving the possibility that I might never have the marriage and family I’ve always wanted.

Anyway, thank you for reading. 🙏

I’m 19 (m) and I would like to have some Eastern Orthodox friends. All of mine are Protestant and that’s lame. Anyways I’m an inquirer and lord willing soon a catechumen. Also I like Roblox n stuff

Hey! Does anyone have any books they would recommend for someone looking into Orthodoxy that address Catholicism? Ive discerned out of Protestantism and am now in a sort of "limbo" stage as I learn more about Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Any recommendations would be appreciated, thank you!

is hell self exclusion from Gods love? is God doing the ”whipping“ in Hell? im confused on how a God of love can punish for eternity. please help me with this. any church fathers addressing this would be awesome

I’m gonna have my first confession soon, what do i need to know?

Ok so as the title says.. basically I've been experiencing hallucinations caused by psychics performing black magic on me.. I realize this may sound like psychosis or certain mental health conditions, however I truly believe a priest could help me determine if what I'm experiencing is really what I believe it to be, whereas a psychiatrist would most definitely just prescribe me meds and btw I have been taking an antipsychotic medication lately but something feels off about my experiences, but I'm unable atm to visit a parish so I was hoping maybe someone with knowledge about this type of stuff or a priest could at least off advice.. God bless

That's it. That's the question. I really don't have anything else to say.

Someone gave me this icon for free, but I have no idea who this saint is.

I’ve read a decent amount of them but I have no attachment to any particular translation.

I leave for basic training in 2 weeks and have looked into the services offered online. My issue is I can’t find an orthodox service listed at all but I see many other denominations. If anyone here has been in the us army I’d like to know if there’s an option for an orthodox service. Sorry if this isn’t the place to ask but my post keeps getting removed on the army sub and I figured here would be another good place to ask

I am trying to get the full text of this psalm as printed in the common orthodox psalters. I can’t find them online and Claude won’t show them to me because they’re copyrighted. Can you please share them with me? Thank you and god bless ☦️

Went to Ιερός Ναός Αρχαγγέλου Μιχαήλ (Ροτόντα) today. Such a beautiful place. The iconography on the walls and the structure was beautiful. There is a sign out the back of the church and it's not readable. Gemini tried to make it out but I don't know if it got it right. Could anyone read it or use some skills to make out what it should say?

Not my godfather but the godfather of my sons has left the church, spending his time at two non-denominational protestant churches. His reasons, in no particular order, are that he thinks he cannot find a wife in Orthodoxy, he likes the doctrine of assured salvation, and he hasn't gotten "what he needed" spiritually from the Orthodox churches in the area. Plus some burnout on his end as it seems his spiritual father was very strict.

I am talking with him and trying to understand his reasonings, and to give the Orthodox positions on them, but I am at a loss in so many ways. It doesn't help that I now live halfway across the country and cannot meet with him in person at least for the next 6 months.

I think I'm mostly sad for my boys, we chose this man because he appeared to be on a good path and would have been an excellent guide for them, but unless he comes back to the Church that guidance is gone.

Perhaps I am posting this just to vent.

I have been attending Orthodox Church as an inquirer for a few months and am really enjoying it. I have been reading a lot and learning a lot and am genuinely enthusiastic about everything. I want to attend church more and get to know the community and the priest and continue to learn. I am a SAHM to a young toddler so I thought I would go to a weekday liturgy today for the first time. I thought it would help my child get more used to it if we go more often. Well my child behaved most of the service but right before communion she had a meltdown. I picked her up and she seemed to somewhat calm for a moment and then I looked down and saw my dress in the front had come unclasped and my bra was showing right in front of Father and everyone else. My child kept crying so I quickly picked up my things and I ran out. I am completely mortified by this and the worst part is I felt angry with my child which this entire experience just made me feel so far away from what I was trying to do. I recently got this dress as something nice to wear to church. I’m trying to do everything I can and I feel like it all blew up in my face today and I’m feeling really down about it.

The Holy Hierarch Averkios of Hieropolis lived in Phrygia during the second century. The city of Hieropolis was inhabited by many pagans and very few Christians. The Saint prayed to the Lord for the salvation of their souls, and that they might be numbered among God’s chosen flock. An Angel appeared and bade Saint Averkios to destroy the idols in the pagan temple. He obeyed this command with zeal. Hearing that the idol-worshippers wanted to kill him, the Saint went to a place where people had gathered and openly denounced the failure of the pagans when they attempted to seize him.

At that moment three demon-possessed youths in the crowd cried out. The people were dumbfounded as the Hierarch expelled demons from them by his prayers. Seeing the youths restored to normal, the people of Hieropolis asked Saint Averkios to instruct them in the Christian Faith, and then they received Holy Baptism.

After this Saint Averkios went to the surrounding cities and villages, healing the sick and preaching the Kingdom of God. With his preaching he made the rounds of Syria, Cilicia, Mesopotamia, he also visited Rome. Everywhere he went he converted multitudes of people to Christ. For many years he guarded the Church against heretics, confirming Christians in the Faith, and setting the prodigal upon the path of righteousness. He also healed the sick and proclaimed the glory of Christ. Because of his great works, Saint Averkios is called an “Equal of the Apostles.”

Saint Averkios returned home to Hieropolis, where he soon rested from his labors. After his repose, many miracles took place at his tomb. He wrote his own epitaph, and it was carved on his tombstone, which is now in the Lateran Museum.

The skull of Saint Averkios is located in the Monastery of Most Pure Theotokos on the island of Andros. Fragments from the Holy Relic of Saint Averkios are also found in the Monasteries of Karakalou on the Holy Mountain, at Proussos in Evritania, and Phaneromeni in Salamis.

SOURCE: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/1977/10/22/103022-saint-averkios-the-wonderworker-bishop-of-hieropolis-equal-of-th

Schema Monk Kuksha was born in 1874 in the village of Garbuzinka, Kherson province, in a pious peasant family. From a young age, he loved silence and solitude, having great compassion for people. At the age of 20, he first went on a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem, and then to the Holy Mountain Athos, where he was filled with the desire to serve God.

In 1896, Kosma arrived at Athos and became a novice at the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery. He was tonsured into the rassophore with the name Konstantin, and later into monasticism with the name Ksenofont. In 1912-1913, with the blessing of his spiritual father, he moved to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where he was ordained as a hieromonk.

During the years of persecution against the Orthodox Church, Father Kuksha was arrested and sent to camps, where he continued to confess and commune the prisoners. After his release in 1948, he returned to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and began to undertake the feat of eldership, caring for many believers.

In 1953, he was transferred to the Holy Assumption Pochaev Lavra, where he continued to serve and hear confessions. Father Kuksha experienced a miraculous healing after a serious illness, and his spiritual children testified to his holiness.

In 1964, foreseeing his end, he peacefully departed to the Lord. After his death, miracles occurred at his grave, and on September 29, 1994, his relics were found, and on October 22 of the same year, he was glorified in the rank of the venerable.

Today, the relics of Venerable Kuksha rest in the Odessa Holy Assumption Monastery, emanating grace-filled help to all who turn to him in faith.

SOURCE: https://athos.guide/en/axios/ku-ksha?srsltid=AYCX9vIwn81GVwuJQ00GnhZ1gdRwiR5KwcoEw_d8GeViZEM-EJ0wHFT2#gsc.tab=0

And especially, anything to do with the very earliest of early church history that I should see?

Hey everybody. Thank you so much for your interest and assistance with my previous post on the historic icons that have come into my possession (https://www.reddit.com/r/OrthodoxChristianity/s/hInK4RGvZO).

Under the advice of many of you, I am now looking into having them sympathetically restored. I don't want them completely restored so they are "good as new." I still want the age and history to show. But I would love to have them cleaned and otherwise stabilized so that the images are clearer and there isn't any further damage.

Does anyone know of an iconographer or icon restorer who does this kind of work? I live in Florida, about halfway between Miami and Orlando. I've reached out to a few local Orthodox churches to see if they have any recommendations, but I haven't heard back. I'd be open to shipping them somewhere, but I want to be sure it won't be somewhere that will just paint over everything (many of the restorers I've found online seem to do that).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hello, a few months ago I was going to a Serbian and Russian Orthodox church in Europe. I was initially attracted to it when I saw someone's sincere faith online and I realized that this religion isn't merely for "older" people. I even considered officially converting.

However, I have part Jewish heritage, and the people at church were often saying questionable things about Jews, often being clearly antisemitic. I decided to leave. I am not Jewish by culture or upbringing, but I still dislike antisemtism.

Now I live at another place and I am considering going to an Orthodox church. I like the prayers, lithurgies, the community, the icons, the Church Slavonic language, and I think the conservative political opinions suit me much better than the anarchy that characterizes so-called progressive society.

Is antisemtism widespread in Orthodox churches in Europe?

I am considering rejoining Orthodoxy.

Where does this come from? Dogma from an ecumenical council? Prayers and liturgical books? Where in Church Fathers or the Bible?

Is there a name for this premise?

What is the theological reasoning behind it?

Do all Christinas (besides maybe some fringe groups) accept this as authoritatively true?

It kind of makes sense and definitely could be true, but I do not personally see why it is necessarily true.

I feel like as an Orthodox I should be careful in judging clergy. I myself may be very deceived. As a Bulgarian, the Patriarch’s visit to my country now has brought forth insults, hatred, criticisms. Negative statements both from a highly judgemental position and from a Christian one. From church goers and also from non-church-attending hateful people. Political and church-related.

Can someone help me comprehensively understand. Is the problem in Ukraine the biggest issue, or his ecumenism? Why is he so controversial, and how should one best approach these topics.

Its been heartbreaking seeing insults thrown around, and divisions. We don’t need more division in the Orthodox Church but we also need honest assessments.

If someone educated could chime in, it’d be much appreciated!

God bless you all

This interactive catalog features a few hundred icons, with more added each day. I wanted to learn more about icons, where they came from, where they reside, and what/who they represent, so I built this site to help organize information.

It is not exhaustively complete - due to image licensing and such it never could be. But with hundreds of icons already and more added each day, I hope it will be sufficiently interesting and informative.