Saturday, December 28, 2013

ORTHODOX BURIAL CUSTOMS

"A CHRISTIAN ENDING" PODCAST SERIES

"Rediscovering Ancient Christian Burial Customs For The Modern World"

Have you ever gone back in your mind to how funerals used to be? Exactly what has happened to our Christian funeral traditions? Are we being deprived of a sacred gift by accepting modern secular funeral practices? Have you ever questioned "How should Christians bury their departed loved ones"? These and many more questions are addressed in this podcast series.
www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/christianending

THE PHILOKALIA

Philokalia means "Love of the Beautiful". Here that means the beautiful Truth of God, of His Kingdom, and of His Righteousness. The writings(now in 5 volumes in English) are texts of some 30 Church Fathers from the fourth through the fifteenth centuries organized around particular themes. This amazing labor of "love", and labor of "love of Truth" was accomplished by two modern saints: St Macarios Notaros(1731-1805) and, St Nicodemos the Agorite(1749-1809). The Philokalia is a treasure of Orthodox Christian spiritual life.
 
A CONVERSATION ON THE PHILOKALIA
> Metropolitan Kallistos Ware Interview
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4qtQ6AUrRE

BOOKS TO READ
> Philokalia - The Bible Of Orthodox Spirituality
An Introduction by Anthony Conairis
www.light-n-life.com
> The Philokalia Volumes 1 - 5 (Light n Life or Amazon)

Monday, December 23, 2013

CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST - A JOURNEY TO THE ANCIENT FAITH

Watch and listen to the wonderful story of how seven 1960's Campus Crusade for Christ leaders went from evangelizing college campuses to starting churches and then discovering the Orthodox Church.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-FmAaT7Ivs

Saturday, December 7, 2013

JOURNEY TO ORTHODOXY

STORIES OF PEOPLE FROM RWANDA, CHINA, GUATEMALA, FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, DISCOVERING THE TRUE FAITH AND THE TRUE CHURCH!!!




www.journeytoorthodoxy.com

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

ENGLISH ORTHODOX CHANT

85 Videos That Play Continuously:







www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-JDZB-rHFU&list=PLF2AF35667A6318811

To Get To The 85 Continuous Videos You May Have To Do A Youtube Search For "English Orthodox Chant".

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

THE BOOK OF HEBREWS INTRODUCES JESUS

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
                                        (Hebrews 1:1-6)

The above six verses present 10 facts that demonstrate the deity of the Messiah/Christ

1) The Messiah is called God's "SON".
2) The Messiah is the "Heir of all things".
3) The worlds "were made through Him (Messiah)". (see John 1:1-3)
4) The Messiah shares in God's glory.
5) The Messiah is the very equal of the person of God.
6) The Messiah holds together the vast creation by His omnipotent power. (see Colossians 1;16,17)
7) The Messiah purged us of our sins, an act only God can do.
8) The Messiah shares the throne of God. (see Revelation 22:1)
9) The Messiah is named God's Son by God Himself.
10) The Messiah is to be worshiped by the angels, only God is to be worshiped.

Bible Study Blogs by Mike Simmons
www.MikesBibleNotes.BlogSpot.com
www.FaithCenter.BlogSpot.com
www.AncientFaithBibleStudy.BlogSpot.com

Monday, November 4, 2013

THE MORNING OFFERING with Abbott Tryphon

You Must Check Out Some Of Abbott Tryphon's 569 podcasts. They Run 3 to 6 Minutes. Enjoy Your Morning!



THE MORNING OFFERING
Commentary On Orthodox Living
www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/morningoffering

And Abbott Tryphon's Monastery, "All Merciful Savior", on Vashon Island in Washington State sells Coffee. Check out www.vashonmonks.com

Thursday, October 24, 2013

TAKE A TOUR OF ST ANDREWS ORTHODOX CHURCH

Learn all about Orthodox Church Architecture and Holy Space on this guided tour of the magnificent St Andrews Orthodox Church in Riverside CA by its' parish priest Fr Josiah Trenham.

www.saintandrew.net/videos.html

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

THE ROAD TO EMMAUS

A Journal of Orthodox Faith and Culture

www.roadtoemmaus.net

You can read fascinating articles on a myriad of subjects @ their "BACK ARTICLES"


A SAINT FOR OUR TIME

The Prophet Nahum!!!
A short must-read blog post!!!
Could his message of old apply to us? Click here:
www.comeandseeicons.com/2013/06/27/a-saint-for-our-time/

ORTHODOX WEB LINKS

Lots and Lots of Orthodox Information
www.aggreen.net/orth_links/orthlink.html

Sunday, October 20, 2013

A READERS GUIDE TO ORTHODOX ICONS

Check Out This Amazing Blog That Explains The Details Of The Amazing Orthodox Icons

 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

"I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" - Jesus - Matthew 16:18

"And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. Which is his body, the fulness of him that fills all things" - Ephesians 1:22,23

"...that you may know how you ought to behave in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." - 1 Timothy 3:15

Monday, September 23, 2013

ORTHODOXY AND THE BIBLE

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS
When one visits an Orthodox Church they will be struck(if they are acquainted with the Bible) by how much the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, are quoted, sung, read, prayed, and referred to. We know that Jesus established the Church, and said "I will build my church, and the gates of hades will not prevail against it".(Mt. 16:18,19) And we know that the Church is founded upon the teachings of the "apostles and prophets"(Eph. 2:20-22), Jesus being the chief cornerstone. And we know that the Church "is the pillar and ground of the truth(1 Tim. 3:15). We know that where the Church is the Holy Spirit is there!!! And we know the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. And we know that the Holy Spirit inspired the Holy Scriptures(2 Tim. 3:16,17). It's true that the Scriptures flowed out of the Church. But it's also true that the Church flowed out of the Holy Scriptures. As the Word was preached, people were converted, baptized, and the church grew(Acts 6:7). It's also true that the Church was given the Scriptures as "bread from heaven", the scriptures are food for the soul, they are instruction in righteousness.


ARTICLES ON HOLY SCRIPTURE
> How To Read The Bible by Met. Kallistos Ware
www.oca.org/reflections/misc-authors/how-to-read-the-bible
> Which Came First? The Church Or The New Testament?
www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/whichcamefirst.aspx

AWESOME PODCASTS ON HOLY SCRIPTURE
> Search The Scriptures
Bible Commentaies by Dr Jeannie Constantinou
www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/searchthescriptures

BOOKS TO READ
> "Whose Bible Is It?" by Jaroslav Pelikan

Saturday, September 21, 2013

FASTING IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

"This effort to purify the passions needs to be carried out on the level of both soul and body. On the level of the soul they are purified through prayer, through the regular use of the sacraments of Confession and Communion, through daily reading of Scripture, through feeding our mind with the thought of what is good, through practical acts of loving service to others. On the level of the body they are purified above all through fasting and abstinence, and through frequent prostrations during time of prayer. Knowing that man is not an angel but a unity of body and soul, the Orthodox Church insists upon the spiritual value of bodily fasting. We do not fast because there is anything in itself unclean about the act of eating and drinking. Food and drink are, on the contrary, God's gift, from which we are to partake with enjoyment and gratitude. We fast, not because we despise the divine gift, but so as to make ourselves aware that it is indeed a gift -- so as to purify our eating and drinking, and to make them, no longer a concession to greed, but a sacrament and means of communion with the Giver. Understood in this way, ascetic fasting is directed not against the body but against the flesh (p. 61). Its aim is not destructively to weaken the body, but creatively to render the body more spiritual." Bishop Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Way, p. 116.

The Fasting Rule Of The Orthodox Church
www.abbamoses.com/fasting.html

Food, Faith, And Fasting - A Podcast By Rita Madden
"Ancient Ingredients For Modern-Day Health"
www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/foodfaithfasting

Thursday, September 19, 2013

REDEEMING TIME - THE CHURCH CALENDAR

Book To Read > "The Year Of Grace Of The Lord" by a Monk of the Eastern Church. St Vladimir's Seminary Press

Web Calendar > www.goarch.org/en/chapel/calendar.asp

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

WHO IS THE THEOTOKOS?

Theotokos means "The Birthgiver of God". Mary, the Virgin(Isaiah 7:14), gave birth to the God-Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth(Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2). The Incarnation of the Only-Begotten Son of God is the "Great Mystery" of the Faith(1 Tim. 3:16).


Podcast By Fr Thomas Hopko:
www.ancientfaith.com/specials/hopko_lectures/who_is_the_theotokos_part_1-1

Book To Read:
"The Orthodox Veneration of MARY The Birthgiver of God"
by St. John Maximovitch www.sthermanpress.com


Friday, August 2, 2013

WHY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN WOMEN WEAR HEAD COVERINGS

Check Out This 3 Minute Youtube Video
"Veiled Christian Women"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2A48DE-dmM

Read These Short Articles On Head Coverings:

"On Account Of The Angels:Why I Cover My Head"
www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/headcoverings.aspx

"On The Covering Of Heads"
www.stjohnaz.org/stjohnaz/index.cfm/resources/attending-divine-services/on-the-covering-of-heads/

***Head Covers Unlimited - Shop Online For Head Coverings
www.headcovers.com/scarves/head-scarves


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

THE PROPHET ELIAS aka ELIJAH

Listen To This 20 Minute Podcast Taught By Fr Josiah Trenham
www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/thearena/the_fire_of_the_prophet_elias

July 20 > Feast Day Of The Prophet Elias / Elijah

Sunday, July 14, 2013

THE TIME OF EASTER

                     The Time Of Easter

The Sunday Of Thomas

The Sunday Of The Myrrh-bearing Women

The Sunday Of The Paralytic

The Sunday Of The Samaritan Woman

The Sunday Of The Blind Man

The Sunday Of The Holy Fathers

HOLY PASCHA - EASTER SUNDAY

HOLY WEEK

LAZURUS SATURDAY AND PALM SUNDAY

SUNDAY OF ST MARY OF EYGPT - The Fifth Sunday Of Lent

SUNDAY OF ST JOHN CLIMACUS - The Fourth Sunday Of Lent

SUNDAY OF THE ADORATION OF THE HOLY CROSS - The Third Sunday Of Lent

SUNDAY OF ST GREGORY PALAMAS - The Second Sunday Of Lent

Books Relating To St Gregory Palamas:
"The Complete Homilies Of St Gregory Palamas"
translated by the Monks of St

"Becoming Uncreated: The Journey To Human Authenticity"
by Daniel Rogich

THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY - The First Sunday Of Lent

GREAT LENT

THE TWELVE GREAT FEASTS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

Sermons On The Twelve Great Feasts Of The Orthodox Church
www.oca.org/fs/sermons

Feasting And Fasting
www.antiochian.org/discover/feasts

The FastingRule Of The Orthodox Church
www.abbamoses.com/fasting.html

Fasting And Fast-Free Seasons Of The Church
www.oca.org/liturgics/outlines/fasting-fast-free-seasons-of-the-church


ORTHODOX ICONS

> Icons Of The Church Year
www.oca.org/FSicons-churchyear.asp?SID=4

> Icons Of The Mother Of God
www.oca.org/saints/icons-mother-of-god


ORTHODOX SAINTS

Check Out These Links To Learn About Orthodox Saints

> Lives Of The Saints - Daily Readings
www.oca.org/saints/lives

> The North American Saints
www.oca.org/FSnasaints.asp?SID=4

> Canonization In The Orthodox Church
www.oca.org/fs/canonization

> The Glorification Of The Saints In The Orthodox Church
www.oca.org/fs/glorification-of-saints

> Calendar Of Orthodox Saints By Month
www.abbamoses.com


Wednesday, June 5, 2013