All Saints of North America Orthodox Church · Phoenix, Arizona

Orthodox Church on the west side of Phoenix Arizona including Sun City, Surprise, Peoria, Glendale, Litchfield Park, Buckeye, Tonopah, and more

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Why Do We Decorate Churches with Grass, Flowers and Tree Branches on Pentecost?

June 3, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

by Archpriest Boris Stark It symbolizes the soul, which blossoms and turns green after its winter sleep because the grace of God has touched it. Since ancient times, there is a pious tradition to decorate churches on the day of Pentecost with greenery – leaves, flowers, birch branches and so on. What is the origin of this tradition? Many people ask this question. I think there are two reasons for it: the first reason is church-historical, while the second one is symbolic. From the historical viewpoint, I believe, this branches remind us about the Mamre oak-wood: there was the oak under which the Lord, the Holy Trinity, appeared to Abraham in the shape of three angels.* We can see this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Theology [post-edit]

Christianity without Pentecost

May 30, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

by Fr. Josiah Trenham In this sermon, Fr. Josiah presents an intriguing idea: What happens if Christians experience Ascension, but do not experience Pentecost. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen. The last ten days in the Church have been unusual.  In some sense we have been living between two realities.  On the leave-taking of Pascha we ceased the sustained celebration of the Holy Resurrection of the Lord as well as our saying, “Christ is risen.  Truly He is risen.”  The next day we celebrated the Glorious Ascension of our Savior into the heavens to sit at the right hand of the Father.   For these days between Ascension and Pentecost we have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Theology [post-edit]

Freedom and Pentecost

May 27, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

What has Pentecost to do with freedom? What is freedom exactly? What is it not? by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon When we declare that God created the Cosmos in freedom, we mean that nothing outside of God had to be. Modern philosophers seriously ask—as other philosophers, for centuries, implied—why is there something instead of nothing? This sane and sensible question rests on the plain insight that nothing we see in the Universe really has to be. And if nothing in the Universe has to be, then the Universe itself does not have to be. So, then, why does it exist, since there appears to be no necessity that it should exist? The biblical doctrine of Creation, to which the Church is committed by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Theology [post-edit]

The Leavetaking of Pascha

May 23, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

The Apodosis (Leavetaking) of Pascha is celebrated on Wednesday of the sixth week after Pascha. On this day ends the forty-day celebration of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. For the last time we greet each other with the words of Paschal joy, “Christ is Risen!” and prepare ourselves to greet the upcoming feast of the Lord’s Ascension. The Apodosis of Pascha. History The last day of the afterfeast of great feasts such as Pascha, or of the Twelve Great Feasts, is called the “Apodosis”. These days have their own distinguishing liturgical features. From Church history we know that the leavetaking of the main Christian feasts, such as Pascha, the Nativity, and Pentecost, were honored as far … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Theology [post-edit]

ASONA Baptisms for Pascha 2023

April 30, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

On Lazarus Saturday, two brothers who were catechumens together were baptized into the Holy Orthodox faith at All Saints of North America Orthodox Church. Albert and Thomas Gonzales completed their catechumenate, and received baptism surrounded by friends, family, and fellow parishioners. Click on each photo for an enlarged version! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General [post-edit]

“The Christian Response to the WOKE Agenda:” Abbot Tryphon coming to Phoenix

April 29, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

On Fri. May 12 and Sat. May 13 a talk by Abbot Tryphon will be held at Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Phoenix. The Christian Response to the WOKE Agenda Abbott Tryphon Abbot of All Merciful Savior Orthodox Monastery, Vashon Island, WA Hosted by Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthodox Church Fri. May 12 - Sat. May 13 We are pleased to announce a weekend with Fr Abbot Tryphon from the All-Merciful Saviour Monastery. The schedule will be as follow for Friday and Saturday: 9-11:30 am Presentation 11:30 am-1:30 pm Lunch break. (Lunch will NOT be provided. There are several restaurants nearby where you can grab a quick lunch.) 1:30-4:00 pm Presentation Great … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Calendar Events, General [post-edit]

The Holy Fire has descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

April 15, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

The Holy Fire has descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as seen on the Ukrainian channel Svidok. The Holy Light descended at about 2:55 PM (7:35 AM Eastern Standard time). It appeared in the edicule (the small chapel built over the burial place of Christ) after the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, entered there at 2:50 PM (7:50 AM) to patiently pray and wait. After the Fire’s descent, the Patriarch passed the holy gift to the faithful who lit from it their bundles of 33 candles, per the age of Christ at the time of His Crucifixion and Resurrection. The descent of the Light was preceded by a complex ceremony: The doors of the Sepulchre were sealed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General [post-edit]

Why Do the Altars of Orthodox Churches Face the East?

April 10, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

  In the architectural tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the altar part is located on the eastern side of the church building. In view of this, parishioners and clergy pray facing east. According to the writings of the ancient Christian fathers, even outside the church, believers prayed facing east. Icons at home are oriented in the same direction as Orthodox altars. By the way, even the word “orientation” itself comes from the Latin oriēns, translated as “east”. Where does this tradition come from? St. Basil the Great writes in his essay On the Holy Spirit that the tradition of praying facing the east, as well as the custom of making the sign of the cross, was passed down … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General [post-edit]

Showdown at the Kiev Caves Lavra

April 9, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

Not sure what to make of the spiritual situation in Ukraine? Be ignorant no longer. This video shows "anti-Ukrainians" and those who fight against "spiritual slavery" in action. Epiphanie Dumenko said that those who prayerfully defend the Lavra act against Ukraine. Accordingly, the activists who oppose them "are called upon to stop this Russian world, everything that is trying to return us to spiritual slavery from inside."   … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General [post-edit]

“Why do we not do the Unction Service on Holy Wednesday?”

March 8, 2023 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

Originally entitled "Stump the Priest: General Unction and Holy Week" by Fr. John Whiteford The common practice among Greeks, Antiochians, and in some other parishes, of doing General Unction on the evening of Holy Wednesday is not an ancient practice. There is no mention of doing this service on that day in the Typikon, or in the Triodion. The Unction service makes no mention of Holy Week, and so stands completely outside of the liturgical cycle of Holy Week. There is a service that is appointed to be done on Holy Wednesday evening and that is the Matins of Holy Thursday, which is what we do in our parish. This service commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the Mystical Supper, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Theology [post-edit]

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All Saints of North America Orthodox Church

11234 W. Alabama Ave.
Youngtown, AZ 85363

(928) 910-2186

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A Directory of Arizona Orthodox Churches

Recent Posts

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