Blog Posts
Our gratitude goes to Sherry Mohr, who uncovered this prayer by the Empress Theodora Palaiologina (13th century). It is found at the start of the Typicon of Lips, a handbook and last will and testament of the Empress for the organization and protocols of the convent she led.
We thank Fr. Arseny Aziz for sharing how two women in the parish in which he was raised influenced him. You may notice that neither of them is named. There is a recurring theme in the Coptic tradition of avoiding recognition. One example is Samira Doherty (1941-2015), who is acknowledged as a holy woman in the Coptic-American communities in California: she only shared her experiences with the saints with her priest. The wider world only learned of them from him after she passed. Here are Fr. Arseny’s influencers:
Starting September 1, Axia’s church year will be centered on the theme of HOSPITALITY.
Do you have a story—recent or long past—about hospitality that touched your life? Maybe it was a moment at a new parish when you were welcomed in, or a time when you opened your own door to someone, or when you witnessed hospitality in action among others. We’re interested in stories both within and outside the Church setting. Big or small, these moments of encounter and welcome can change us in profound ways.
Our next sermon on the Transfiguration is from Varvara Gulina:
The Transfiguration of Christ means that we can now be transfigured as well. Christ invites all human persons—including women—to shine.
Our next sermon on the Transfiguration is from Svantje Swider:
Christ is in our midst!
As we continue our series of prayers written by Orthodox women past and present, we’re moved by both of these prayers attributed to St. Mary of Egypt.
Call for book reviews!
From time to time, we receive wonderful reviews of books written by Orthodox women. We enjoy this so much that we would love to run more of them! If you’d like to write a review of one of the books below (or a book not on this list!), email us at axia@axiawomen.org with Book Review in the subject line.