Sheol is a Hebrew word in Judaism which describes the place where those who have died are congregated; it can be translated into English as “pit” or “abyss”[1], and is described in the New Testament (in Greek) as Hades which is then translated into the English word “Hell”. In short, Sheol is equivalent to Hades which is equivalen...

In the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (known to many as “the Byzantine Liturgy,” and is one of the most ancient rites in the world) there are litanies that ask for God’s help in a variety of our affairs as men.  The response the people sing together after each petition is “Lord have mercy.”  Here’s some of those prayers: For f...