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33+ min ago (548+ words) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Saturday, 6 December 2025, presided over the Divine Liturgy for the feast of Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia and Wonderworker, at the festively celebrating church dedicated to him in Cibali, Constantinople. The church has been assigned for the pastoral care of the City's Ukrainian community. In his homily, the Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the recent visit of the Pope of Rome to the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. "Following this tradition, we chose this sacred church as the place to assess the significance of that visit. Every visit of the Bishop of Rome to the See of the Archbishop of Constantinople " New Rome is, in itself, a momentous event. When, moreover, it concerns the first journey of the new Pope outside Italy, and when it takes place with the presence and participation of the Pope and…...

53+ min ago (448+ words) St Bernard of Clairvaux was born about 1090 in Dijon in Burgundy. He became a Cistercian abbot who was a theologian and mystic, and one of the most influential churchmen of the Middle Ages. Bernard died at Clairvaux in 1153 after being abbot for about forty years and having founded or seen the foundation of hundreds of Cistercian houses throughout Europe. He was canonised in 1174. St Bernard's Advent sermons were collected as "De Adventu Domini" ("On the Advent of the Lord") but were published in English as "Sermons for Advent and the Christmas season", and they have been quoted down the centuries. St Bernard spoke of the past coming, the present coming, and the future coming." 1. The First Advent 2. The Second Advent" 3. Advent of new life Third, St Bernard spoke of a "middle coming" of Christ into the life of the believer…...

1+ hour, 3+ min ago (1033+ words) Reading 1 Isaiah 11:1-10 On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,…...

1+ hour, 30+ min ago (279+ words) An obvious Sabbath reference, I was reminded of this as I, yet again, got the feeling that I can now die in peace, having experienced what I had to experience, and learned what I came here to learn, and what follows hereafter is just a bonus. You ever get this feeling? Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed. - /account/dismiss-notice?notice_id=118 CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and…...

1+ hour, 44+ min ago (585+ words) The very first live nativity scene, it is said, was created by St. Francis of Assisi, who staged a reenactment of the birth of Jesus Christ in 1223, using a doll as the newborn Jesus and a few live animals to gather around townspeople playing Mary and Joseph. Today, there's a chapel at that site in Italy, with a painting that depicts the familiar scene, which is ubiquitous this time of year, showing up not only at churches and homes, but in nativity merch, to include chocolate, pajamas and even a "Peanuts" themed nativity set with the bird Woodstock in the manger. It's unclear if Charles Schulz would appreciate Woodstock in the manger, since the "Peanuts" creator was a devoted Christian who famously preached "the true meaning of Christmas" in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. "I preach in these cartoons, and…...

1+ hour, 50+ min ago (235+ words) The Church commemorates Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, and Martyr Athenodorus. Saint Ambrose was a senator and a distinguished Roman citizen. He was born in D 340. He studied rhetoric, philosophy, and law. He studied theology with Athanasius the Great when the Alexandrian hierarch was exiled to Trevira, France, because of his firm Orthodox belief. In Mediolanum (modern-day Milan) Saint Ambrose became an excellent and fair judge. When he became acquainted with the Holy Gospel and was baptized a Christian, his spiritual development and desire to serve God and people with humility and devotion helped him to join the sacred clergy and even reach the top ministry of the diocese of Milan. Saint Ambrose was an excellent shepherd of the faithful and fought vigorously against the heresies of Arius, Sabellius, and Eunomius. When Emperor Theodosius wanted to enter the Church of…...

4+ hour, 25+ min ago (160+ words) I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down... "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have…...

5+ hour, 18+ min ago (159+ words) At Utah Valley Institute devotional, Elder Ronald A. Rasband Rasband counsels to "form loving friendships, and find wise and faithful mentors." At packed Utah Valley Institute devotional, Elder Rasband counsels to "form loving friendships, find wise and faithful mentors" Apostle also says students "peacefully reflected the light and love that Jesus Christ has" following Sept. 10 UVU shooting OREM, Utah " Using examples from the scriptures and early Church history as well as personal experiences, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles extolled the virtues and impacts of good friends and mentors as he spoke to a standing-room-only devotional Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Utah Valley Institute in Orem, Utah. "I counsel all of you tonight: form loving friendships, and find wise and faithful mentors," he invited. Elder Rasband singled out Jesus Christ as "our most cherished friend," saying "In friendship,…...

5+ hour, 21+ min ago (628+ words) LOOK: Peace Window by Marc Chagall Chagall's design was executed by master glassmakers Brigitte Simon and Charles Marq of Atelier Simon-Marq. His 1964 Peace Window in New York City'not to be confused with his similar but much larger Peace Window of 1974 in the Chapel of the Cordeliers in Sarrebourg, France'is full of biblical allusions. My eyes are drawn first to the red and purple bouquet in the center, under which stands an amorous couple. Who are they? What do they represent? I can think of several possibilities: 2. The Annunciation'the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to announce that she had been chosen to birth and mother God's Son. The male head is bodiless, emerging from the crimson bloom (suggesting, perhaps, a supernatural entity), and there's a yellow glow at the woman's breast, perhaps signifying the conception of Christ. What's more, the woman…...

5+ hour, 30+ min ago (517+ words) An artificial intelligence-powered tool created this summary based on the source article. The summary has undergone review and verification by an editor. A majority of pastors are now using artificial intelligence to prepare their sermons, with ChatGPT and Grammarly reported as the top two AI tools, new survey data shows." "ChatGPT is the most visible generative AI tool that can engage in human-like conversations and assist with a wide range of tasks, from answering questions to generating content," researchers wrote in "The 2025 State of AI in the Church Survey Report" prepared by AiForChurchLeaders.com and Exponential AI NEXT." "As the most popular AI tool among church leaders (26%), ChatGPT is being used for applications such as sermon preparation, research, and crafting church communications. Its versatility and ease of use make it a powerful asset for streamlining ministry work and sparking creative…...