Today we observe with gratitude the 113th birthday of Archbishop Iakovos, who led our Archdiocese for 37 years. Memory Eternal to this great Hierarch of the 20th Century!

In these holy days, let us all run most earnestly to the Theotokos, that she grant us her protection and mercy. Every day let us supplicate her with faith for the salvation of our souls and of the world.

As we celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ upon Mount Tabor, let us also learn to bask in His ineffable light that illumines every corner of the creation that willingly embraces His rays of Divine Love.

In these days of the Little Lent that leads us to the Little Pascha of the Theotokos, let us run in prayer and supplication to the Mother of the God, imploring her aid for our own lives and her mercy for the world.

As we sing in the Paraklesis: “O Theotokos, we shall never be silent of your mighty acts.” In this intense season of prayer and fasting, when we prepare ourselves to receive the blessings of her Holy Dormition, let us lift our voices even higher, to her praise and glorification.

During these holy days, we bring to the Church lists of our loved ones, and even those not so close to us. By reading these names, we send our intentions for healing, mercy, forgiveness, and restoration on high – to the Throne of Mercy, and to the Queen of Heaven.

Let this year’s Holy Feast of the Dormition be a reminder to all of us that whatever comes our way, the will of God cannot be undone by anyone or anything. The Church is, and will always be victorious, through “the One Who dwelt within her ever-virgin womb.”

Paraklesis services are touchpoints where we are free to go beyond ourselves and those who are near and dear to us. Every Paraklesis is an occasion for us to practice compassion for others, even strangers, and invoke upon them the tender mercies of the Mother of God.

Let us pray to the Theotokos, the “shelter for the world,” that she may intercede on behalf of all those threatened by the fires near Athens and protect the heroic firefighters who night and day brave the flames to save the life and lives of their neighbors.

In her Dormition, the Virgin seals the Divine Drama of our salvation, by anchoring the Ladder of Divine Ascent in her tomb. Thus we chant: The tomb has become a ladder to Heaven! By enduring a peaceful, she becomes for us the model of our transition from this life to the next.

Today is truly a day of glory, when the Mother of our God is enthroned as Queen of Heaven and Intercessor for the world! Through the grace of Her Son, our Lord, she is received into the celestial heights, there to live forever as a promise of the Resurrection for all humankind.

Eternal+Ever-Living God: we come before You, seeking Your Heavenly Benediction upon this DNC. Grant unto the nominee for President of USA, VP Kamala Harris & her running mate Governor Tim Walz to pursue the highest offices in the Land with love, with hope and with faith in our Nation.

At the #DNC2024CHICAGO, I had the honor of greeting President Barack Obama and conveying the blessings of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, whom he has met twice—first in Istanbul and later at the The White House during his presidency.

We call upon our faithful to help ease the suffering from the recent fires in Greece. While we await a full assessment of needs, Greek Orthodox Arch will fund the restoration of Panagia Axion Esti Monastery in Varnava Attica to ensure it serves the community for years goarch.org/donate/greecef…

The desecration of the Orthodox Cemetery of St. Eleftherios in Tatavla (Kurtuluş), Istanbul, is a stark reminder of the need for religious tolerance & respect. We ask for the Greek minority’s protection and call on authorities to ensure the sanctity of all sacred sites is upheld.

At the Phanar, in the presence of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, we welcome the New Church Year, praying for God’s abundant grace upon all creation.

Attending the Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate with others from around the world, we affirm the global role of the Mother Church.

On this Labor Day, we honor those who fought for the rights of the hardworking, ensuring fair wages and dignity in labor. As St. Paul reminds us, “The laborer deserves his wages” (1 Tim 5:18). This is how we fulfill the promise of the American dream, for all to partake.

At the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, we remember those lost on #September11, 2001, and those whose service took their health and lives in the years after. Our doors are open to all who seek solace and remembrance. #NeverForget

The Lord asks us to choose to love over hate, generosity over selfishness, and compassion over indifference: then we are truly carrying our crosses, plowing the same path He did on the way to Golgotha.