Simeon the elder (on the left hand of Zachariah) carried the infant Christ in his arms at the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. In the canticle’s …
Zachariah, Father of John the Baptist
Zachariah (left front middle) is the father of John the Baptist and Forerunner, and his canticles appears in the Gospel of St. Luke. Zachariah’s …
Miriam, Sister of the Prophet Moses
Miriam Miriam (back left row, outside end) is the sister of the great prophet Moses, and she sang a canticle of praise for their escape from …
Hannah, Mother of the Prophet Samuel
Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, is one of several women in the Bible who were barren and conceived because of a miraculous blessing from …
King David, the ‘Sweet Singer of Israel’
David, the King and Prophet, the “sweet singer of Israel,” is in the front left row next to the central medallion. David is not the chronological …
End-of-Life Planning Workshop
Every one of us, aside from a few examples in the Bible, has to face the end of life. The options are becoming more diverse, and the planning more …
Welcome to Our New Home
Welcome to the new website of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Portland, Oregon. This site is under construction, but the calendar is maintained and …
On Andrei Rublev’s Christ
I wonder sometimes what Russian in the throes of the Revolution nailed St. Andrei Rublev’s icon of Christ the Savior into the stairs. I think it …
The Prayer of St. Ephraim – Part 1: Negatives in the prayer of St. Ephraim
After 15 years in the Orthodox Church, I have seen the prayer of St. Ephraim come up on the Lenten horizon and sink behind Pascha often enough to know …
The Season of Paschaltide
Pascha II — The Sunday of St. Thomas (Acts 5:12-20 & John 20:19-31) The Gospel of John is centered around seven wondrous “signs” which the Lord …