by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon At the beginning of Holy Week, just after the celebration of Palm Sunday, the Church turns her attention to Jesus’ act of purging of the Temple. As our guiding text here we may take Zechariah 14:20-21, the closing verses of that book: “The vessels in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Indeed, every vessel in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a tradesman in the house of the Lord of hosts.” In fulfillment of this prophecy, Mark records that Jesus, when he cleansed the Temple, “would not allow anyone … [Read more...]
What Shall We Offer to the Virgin?
by St. Photios the Great Such things the archangel was saying, drawing the spotless maiden to assent. But to this what was the reply of the honored virgin, the heavenly chamber, the holy mountain, the sealed fountain, kept for Him only who had sealed it? “Since,” says she, “thou hast clearly explained that the Holy Ghost shall come upon me, I no longer demur, I no longer object. Be it unto me according to thy word (Lk. 1.38). If I am judged worthy for the Lord, I will gladly serve His will. If the Builder desires the thing built to become a temple to the Builder, let Him construct a house unto Himself as He has pleased. If the Creator rests on His creature, let Him mold in me His … [Read more...]
The Power of the Sign of the Cross
by Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) The power of the sign of the cross is known since the times of the holy apostles who performed miracles by it. Once, St John the Apostle found a sick man lying on the road in fever and healed him with the sign of the cross (St Dimitry of Rostov. Life of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian). Saint Anthony the Great, speaking about the power of the sign of the cross against demons, said the following: “…Therefore, when demons come to you at night, wishing to foretell the future, or calling themselves angels, do not heed them, because they lie. If they praise your asceticism and exalt you, do not listen to them and do not bond with them in the … [Read more...]
“Man of God” Movie Stuns Box Office; Finishes in Top Five Highest Grossing Movies in US
Theaters need to learn there's a "huge" market for good, Orthodox, faith based and family friendly movies out there. If you make them, we'll come and see them. Man of God” was a box office success on the first night of its two-night-only release, finishing in fourth position among the top-five highest grossing films, behind “The Batman", "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" and "Uncharted" on Monday, March 21. #1 The Batman #2 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 #3 Uncharted #4 Man of God “Man of God” was originally scheduled to be released in select theaters nationwide for one night only (March 21). But, due to popular demand, Fathom Events added another showing, on March 28. Don't miss your chance to see it on the … [Read more...]
An Epistle Calling for Peace by His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill to the Spiritual Children of the Western American Diocese
Beloved in the Lord, Brothers and Sisters! Today the eyes of many of us are affixed to varying sources of information, and our hearts, numb and in bitter distress, behold the events presently unfolding in the God-preserved land of Ukraine. Seeing everything that is taking place, we instinctively call to mind the words of our Saviour, “of wars and rumors of wars,” and His warning: “see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6). These words of the Son of God before His suffering on the Cross have resounded in our churches for many years, but it seemed to us that they were describing events from the distant past or some future … [Read more...]
Why We Kept Our Church Open During the COVID-19 Hysteria
The short answer is 'not on my watch.' The long answer is described by St. Hippolytus of Rome (c. 180 AD) below. “And the churches too will wail with a mighty lamentation, because neither oblation nor incense is attended to, nor a service acceptable to God; but the sanctuaries of the churches will become like a garden-watcher’s hut, and the Holy Body and Blood of Christ will not be shown in those days. The public service of God shall be extinguished.” - On the End of the World, 34 … [Read more...]
Axios! Ordination of Fr. Michael Vallecillo to the Holy Priesthood
It is a great day in the life in any parish when one of their own is elevated to Holy Orders, and even more so when one of those is ordained to the rank of presbyter, to the Holy Priesthood. On Sunday, February 20, 2022, a small group from ASONA, including Fr. John, Dcn. Joseph, and Mka Deborah Peck, travelled to participate in the ordination of Dcn Michael Vallecillo to the Priesthood at Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco, the resting place of the relics of St. John Maximovitch. Fr. Michael will be assigned to St. Herman’s parish in Show Low, AZ. Here is the link to the video of the entire service (the ordination begins at 1:23:00). Here is the link to the video starting with the … [Read more...]
The Acquisition of Humility
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Among the imperatives of the Christian moral life, I wonder if any is the occasion of more bewilderment than the call to be humble. This impression arises not only from my own experience of the problem but also from the many times other Christians have asked me, “How can I learn humility?” If humility were simply one of the moral virtues—as it is often treated—its acquisition would be rather simple, I think. A person would first define humility, as an ideal, and then bring his conduct, as far as possible, into conformity with that ideal. This is, after all, the way someone attains other moral virtues, such as justice and prudence. We have always known, … [Read more...]
The Ass and The Ox in The Nativity Icon
By Jonathan Pageau There is no ass or ox in the Biblical narratives of the birth of Christ. Yet, besides the Christ Child himself, the ass and the ox are the most ancient and stable elements in the iconography of the nativity. In fact the earliest example of a nativity known to us contains only the swaddled Christ in the manger flanked by the ox at his head and the ass at his feet. David Clayton, on the New Liturgical Movement blog, has written a detailed piece on the subject, and I will go through the basics while adding a few more aspects he does not mention. When reading comments on the nativity (for example in Ouspensky’s “The Meaning of Icons”) one finds that the inclusion of this … [Read more...]
Nativity Fast: A Time of Preparation
The Fast of the Nativity is the Church's wise solace and aid to human infirmity. We are a forgetful people, but our forgetfulness is not unknown to God; and our hearts with all their misconceptions and weakened understandings are not unfamiliar to the Holy Spirit who guides and sustains this Church. We who fall far from God through the magnitude of our sin, are called nonetheless to be close to Him. We who run afar off are called to return. Through the fast that precedes the great Feast of the Incarnation -- which itself is the the heart and substance of our calling -- the Church helps draw us into the full mystery of what that call entails. Like Great Lent, the fast of the Nativity is a … [Read more...]
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