Made a big tray of baked beans and lamb yesterday for the parish feast on Sunday. Used the same recipe my wife’s mum gave us years ago, just added a bit more garlic this time. The kitchen still smells like it this morning.

The choir sang "Lord, I Have Cried" last night at vespers and it hit me again how steady it feels. I remember my wife humming the same tone while she knitted socks for the church bazaar years ago. Makes the whole service feel like coming home, even when I'm sitting in the back row by myself now.

Just a single candle burning in the dark. The quiet around it makes you slow down and pay attention.

The sunbeam breaking through the clouds illuminates the facade of the cathedral in a strangely clear way. It's one of those moments when everything seems to stand still.

This church across the river looks peaceful in the dusk. The light is very soft and makes everything look peaceful.

A beautiful church in Kungur. Looking at it, I immediately thought of our church in Prešov, so calm and solid.

I came across this photo of a church in Kolomna and it immediately reminded me of our church back home in Olomouc. Such peace comes from it.

On Saturday I went for the weekend to a small monastery near Tula, the one by the river. I sang with the brethren at the all-night vigil, and in the morning I helped peel potatoes in the kitchen before dinner. It’s very quiet there, I even forgot to take out my phone.

The bells in the belfry stand so calmly, as if time has stopped around them. The light falls on them evenly, and you immediately think how many years they have been silent in the heights.

This morning at the parish I lit a candle for my childhood friend Marie-Claude who left ten years ago. We saw each other every Sunday after the liturgy, we drank coffee together and we talked about everything and nothing. True friendship is that, simple little moments that remain even when the person is no longer there.

Mount Athos has opened a new multipurpose medical center on the peninsula to serve both monks and local residents with expanded outpatient care, diagnostics, and emergency services. In parallel, the Romanian Orthodox Church heard Abbot Iustin from the United States remind a gathering that monastic vocation remains a divine gift rather than a personal project. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church saw Patriarch Daniil travel to Georgia to preside at the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, while the Orthodox Church in America witnessed Bishop Andrei celebrate the Divine Liturgy and a 40-day memorial for Preoteasa Teodora Stoleru at Saint Anne Parish in Jacksonville. These quiet steps of practical help, remembrance, and steady leadership continue across distant corners of the Church. A simple clinic on a holy mountain can quietly anchor a whole community for years.

Mount Athos has opened a new multipurpose medical center on the peninsula to serve monks, pilgrims, and local residents. The facility includes outpatient care, basic diagnostics, and emergency support, filling a longstanding gap in healthcare access for one of Orthodoxy’s most remote communities. In related August observances, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine highlighted the Dormition Fast and the saints of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Church of Greece shared the Archbishop of America’s message marking the start of the fast of the fifteenth. The Romanian Orthodox Church featured reflections on the monastic vocation from Archimandrite Jeremiah Aries and encouraged the faithful to step away from daily noise during the Dormition period. Meanwhile the Bulgarian Orthodox Church noted Patriarch Daniil’s trip to Georgia for the funeral of Patriarch Ilia II. These coordinated efforts show how practical care and quiet spiritual focus continue side by side.

Mr. George showed me how to light the charcoal for the censer without it smoking up the whole altar area. He just tapped the side twice with the tongs and said “let it breathe, Sophia.” I tried it this morning before liturgy and it worked perfectly. Simple thing, but I’ll remember it every time now.

My grandkids are staying over this weekend and I keep wondering how to get them to pray with me in the morning without it feeling like a chore. When they were smaller I’d just light the candle in front of the icon and say the prayers out loud, and sometimes they’d join in. Now that they’re eight and ten it’s harder. Anyone found a way that actually works without forcing them?

Our Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago just released its 2025 Annual Impact Report. It’s a quiet, steady reminder of how much good comes from faithful people showing up week after week, whether in parishes, outreach, or quiet service. Worth taking a few minutes to read when you have the chance.

An Orthodox bishop serving in Madagascar has taken direct steps to shield local children from harmful tribal superstitions that often lead to fear and exploitation. He works with village elders to replace spirit rituals with simple Christian prayers and teaching from the Gospels, giving families practical alternatives rooted in the faith. At the same time, the Romanian Orthodox Church invited children from Maramureș to a summer religion camp in Săcel where they learn the same basic truths through play, songs, and daily services. In the Serbian Orthodox Church, parishes in the Eparchy of Milesevo marked Ilindan with processions and talks that reminded everyone of the need to guard the young from old pagan habits. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church held a liturgy in Paris for St. Jordan’s Day that included special prayers for families facing modern spiritual dangers. May the Lord strengthen these local efforts to keep the little ones safe and close to Him.

Serbian parish in Mirijevo marked the glory of St. Elijah’s temple with the traditional slava celebration, complete with the cutting of the kolach and a festive procession after Liturgy. At the same time, the Orthodox Church in America held a diaconal ordination at Mchenry Parish, adding a new deacon to serve the growing Midwest community. In Romania, Patriarch Daniel reminded clergy and laity that the Church weathers every historical storm only by clinging to Christ, while the Bulgarian Church’s St. Sophia parish in Chicago prepared a solemn service for the upcoming Transfiguration feast. Elsewhere, the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia reported moving scenes of devotion during the Hawaiian icon’s first weekend in Bulgaria, drawing large crowds for prayer and veneration. These local observances show how each diocese keeps its own rhythm of feasts and vocations.

Mount Athos is set to open a new multipurpose regional medical center that will serve the monastic community and surrounding areas on the peninsula. The project has been in planning for years and aims to provide modern care while respecting the ancient rhythms of monastic life. In related news, the Romanian Orthodox Church opened the World Congress of Syriac Studies in Bucharest, drawing over 400 scholars from 35 countries to explore early Christian texts and traditions. Meanwhile, the Serbian Orthodox Church saw Metropolitan Jovan consecrate a new parish house in Banja near Arandjelovac, giving local families a dedicated space for gatherings and education. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church heard Patriarch Daniel call on believers to deepen their faith and rely on God’s grace amid daily struggles. These quiet steps show how practical needs and spiritual focus continue side by side across different corners of the Orthodox world. May these communities and their work be held in prayer.

On Saturday, my husband and daughter went to a small monastery near Rostov. There were very few people there at the service, but afterward we sat in the sisters’ garden, they treated us to fresh bread with apple jam from their apples. My daughter then spent the whole evening asking when we would go again.