Introduction: Fasting as a path of freedom, not as a “diet” The Church’s fasting—and especially the fasting of Great Lent—does not belong to the category of “religious habits,” nor to a moralistic program of self-improvement. It is ascetical pedagogy, a therapeutic exercise of the soul and of the whole human person, an ecclesial journey of repentance and participation in the Pascha of Christ. When fasting is lived in the Orthodox way, it does not humiliate the body, it does n

How Knowledge of the Self Leads to Knowledge of the Creator Introduction The ancient Delphic maxim “Know thyself” is one of the deepest and most enduring exhortations of Greek thought. Although it was born in a pre-Christian context, the Christian tradition adopted it, purified it, and raised it to a higher spiritual level. “Know thyself” is not merely a philosophical virtue, but a fundamental prerequisite for salvation. The Fathers of the Church, undertaking a spiritual int

In our modern age, we witness a striking blossoming of physical exercise: gyms, fitness programs, nutritional systems, athletic trends, and the cultivation of the “ideal body image.” And while physical exercise is good and beneficial for health—something the Church does not deny or disdain—in the Orthodox tradition, there exists a deeper, more holistic and meaningful form of exercise: the training of the mind, heart, and body, not for outward appearance, but for the healing a