The Eastern Cross/Guides
Guides
Learn the Orthodox faith
Clear, practical guides for inquirers and for the faithful, from your first Liturgy to the fasts and feasts of the Church year.
How to Become Orthodox
A gentle, step-by-step map of the road into the Orthodox Church: prayer, your first Liturgy, talking to the priest, the catechumenate, and being received.
Read the guide →
The Bible, with the Fathers
The whole Psalter and 19 books of the New Testament, verse by verse, with 9,434 passages from St. John Chrysostom, Blessed Augustine, St. Cyril of Alexandria and more.
Start reading →
Orthodox vs Catholic
What the two Churches share, why they split in 1054, and the real differences, explained fairly.
Read the comparison →
Orthodox vs Protestant
Scripture and Tradition, faith and theosis, the sacraments and the saints, and the main Protestant families, explained fairly.
Read the comparison →
Eastern vs Oriental Orthodox
The Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian and Syriac Churches: why they split at Chalcedon in 451, and how close the two families are today.
Read the comparison →
Why So Many Orthodox Churches?
Greek, Russian, Antiochian, OCA: how one Church is organized into many local churches, and who's who in North America.
Meet the family →
Orthodox Calendar
Today's fast, feasts and saints on the New or Old Calendar, with a phone calendar you can subscribe to.
Open the calendar →
What to Eat When Fasting
Meals for every kind of fast day, a "can I eat this?" checker, and classic Lenten recipes.
Get cooking →
Your First Divine Liturgy
What happens in the Orthodox Sunday service step by step, what everything in the church is, and the unwritten rules.
Walk through it →
How to Pray
Morning and evening prayers in English and Greek you can pray right on the page, the Jesus Prayer, the sign of the cross and your icon corner.
Start praying →
What Icons Mean
Tap through an icon of Christ and of the Theotokos to learn what every colour, letter and gesture means.
Read an icon →
The Orthodox Glossary
Every word you'll hear in an Orthodox church, with the Greek, how to say it and what it means, plus flashcards to test yourself.
Look up a word →
The Nativity Fast
When the fast begins, what you can eat on each of the 40 days on Greek and Russian rules, and the feasts along the way.
See the 40 days →
Orthodox Name Days
Find any name day on the New or Old Calendar, see who celebrates today, and make a Chronia Polla card.
Find your name day →
Find Your Patron Saint
Search Orthodox saints by your name, your birthday or what you need help with, with their feast days and stories.
Find your saint →
Orthodox Fasting Recipes
Lenten dishes from Greek, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Georgian and Lebanese kitchens, sorted by what each fast day allows.
Find a recipe →
Orthodox World
Spin the globe to find where the saints lived, follow the Apostles’ journeys, and watch the faith spread century by century.
Spin the globe →
Byzantine Time
The clock of Mount Athos, where the day begins at sunset. See it live where you are, with today's prayer hours and a converter.
See the clock →
Orthodox Easter
The date of Pascha, why it differs from Western Easter, Holy Week day by day, and the midnight service.
See Holy Week →
Learn with others.
The Eastern Cross is a Discord server for Orthodox Christians and people looking into Orthodoxy. Bring what you've read here and talk it through, or ask Pater.
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