As we prepare for the spiritual work of Great Lent, take some time to listen to these wonderful teachings by Fr. Serafim Gascoigne of Seattle, WA on interior life, the Jesus Prayer, and how not to be overwhelmed and enslaved by your thoughts. … [Read more...]
“A Christian Ending” Lenten Retreat Led by Fr. Andre Paez
You are invited to attend an important and informative Lenten Retreat presented by Father Andre Paez on Saturday, March 28th, 2020. He will cover the Orthodox understanding of death & burial, how to save thousands on funeral costs and properly prepare for the end of life according to ancient Christian tradition. He will use Deacon Mark Barna's excellent book, "A Christian Ending: A Handbook for Burial in the Ancient Christian Tradition" updated second edition as a primer for the retreat. Saturday 3-28-2020 Orthodox Lenten Retreat: 09:00-09:30 am: Registration & Coffee/Refreshments 09:30-10:45 am: Session 1: Overview- A Christian Ending with Q&A 10:45-11:00 am: Break … [Read more...]
About Closed Communion
by Abbot Tryphon Closed communion protects those who do not hold to the Church's teachings regarding the Holy Mysteries When a stranger approaches the Holy Gifts during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy it is the norm in the Orthodox Church for the priest to ask the person to "kiss the chalice". Not knowing if the person is Orthodox, or whether they are in good standing with the Church, the priest can not give them communion. This "closed communion" is not meant as a way of separating ourselves from visitors as though we were better than them, but as our way of guarding the Holy Mysteries from being received by someone who is not part of the Church and who may hold to views concerning … [Read more...]
How Can We Know When Christ Was Born?
Why do we celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25th? There's a lot of myth and distortion, as well as outright deception, regarding why Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Much of it is borne of ignorance, but Christians especially should be aware that the Church is a reliable and authentic bearer of truth, and a faithful witness of God's interactions with man in history. You've probably seen many of the strange claims about it - that pagan figures such as Horus, or Mithra, or Dionysius, or some other pagan deity had 12 disciples, was born of a virgin, etc. They are all completely false, and even a cursory examination into these claims reveals their … [Read more...]
Parishes Targeted by Phishing Scams
Cyber crime has been infiltrating our lives and our homes for years. It is now knocking at the door of Orthodox parishes. Parishes and religious communities are being targeted by a phishing scam where the attacker poses falsely as the priest and asks the recipient for money. It often begins like this. An email arrives in an unsuspecting person's inbox from an email address that is similar to but different than the priest's email address, something like orthodoxpreist@gmail.com (notice the typo!) or frpeter.stgeorgenh@gmail.com. The email might read something like: Have you got a minute? I need you to complete a task for me discreetly. P.S: I'm going into a meeting now and can't talk, so … [Read more...]
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