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Spiritual Fathers/Mothers | Orthodox Glossary

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Orthodox Glossary · Term

Spiritual Fathers/Mothers

Experienced clergy or monastics who guide others in confession, prayer, and discernment, reflecting the pastoral care of Christ the Good Shepherd.

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Defined Term

S

Spiritual Fathers/Mothers

LexiconOrthodox Christianity 101

§ 01 — How to Study This Term

From definition into prayer.

The Orthodox tradition does not separate vocabulary from worship. Pair this term with Scripture, the Liturgy, and the lived life of the Church.

01
Look for the word in worship
Listen for it inside the Divine Liturgy, the daily prayers, or the hymns of the feast it belongs to.
02
Trace it through the Fathers
The same word usually echoes across centuries — Athanasius, the Cappadocians, Maximus, Gregory Palamas.
03
Pair it with a prayer
Vocabulary becomes piety when it lives inside a single, repeated prayer of the Church.

✦ Where to next?

One word, then another.

The Orthodox lexicon is a doorway, not a destination. Keep going — pair this term with prayer and a parish near you.

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