by Phyllis Meshel Onest Begin Everything with Prayer Since we are reminded in Scripture to begin whatever we do with prayer, it has been the practice of Orthodox Christians for centuries to have new dwellings blessed either before or just after settling in. This has been extended to one’s business or office, and even college dorm rooms. “The service performed by the priest to bless the new dwelling is somewhat similar to the consecration of a church [in the Russian practice] in that holy water, holy oil, and incense are used and a lesson from the holy Gospel is read. All the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water and each of the four outer walls are anointed with the sign of … [Read more...]

This article was included in all of our Christmas Newsletters this year. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, believes that the Church has entered an apocalyptic era, he said during an interview recently, and many agree with him. Commenting on the introduction of electronic passports, gradual replacement of cash, the emergence of digital identifiers, as well as the possible complete control of the state over a person, Metropolitan Onuphry noted that “changes in the life of humanity in recent times indicate that we are entering a new historical era, which is called apocalyptic in the ecclesiastic language." At the same time, he says, in the future "the Church … [Read more...]

According to a Gallup Poll released on Monday, frequent church attendees were the only group in the U.S. that did not experience a mental health decline in 2020. Gallup has conducted its November Health and Healthcare Survey annually since 2001. The 2020 results show 34% of Americans consider their mental health "excellent," and 76% consider their mental health "excellent/good," both are all-time lows. Forty-six percent of Americans who regularly attend religious services said their mental health is "excellent," an increase from last year's 42%. Source … [Read more...]

by Monk Paul of the Holy Mountain, Biologist, MD Molecular Biology and Biomedicine It is with sorrow and wonder that we are observing an event unprecedented in world history [1]. In the name of “love” for the elderly and the more vulnerable, vaccination is being scheduled for all people worldwide, in order to exterminate the implacable “invisible enemy”, known as Corona virus SARS-Cov2 (COVID19): A necessary legal framework that will abolish the right to individual choice and will “defend” the benefit-right to public health (Law 4675/2020 for Greece) [2] An accompanying governmental authoritarianism to enforce it. Creating demand and expectation for the vaccine … [Read more...]

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register."  - Luke 2:1–3 On the Dateline NBC’s “The Birth of Jesus” episode, Dr. John Dominic Crossan, co-founder of the wildly popular Jesus Seminar, called into question the historical veracity of Holy Scripture. Said Crossan: “Luke tells us the story that at the time Jesus was born Augustus had decreed a census of the whole earth. Now, every scholar will tell you there was no such census ever.” Is Crossan correct? Is the Canon corrupt? Did Dr. Luke make a … [Read more...]

by Fr. Stephen Freeman I do not believe it is possible to exhaust this topic. I have set forth a few suggestions of how we might build and maintain a life of thanksgiving. Particular thought is given to those times when giving thanks is difficult. 1. I must believe that God is good. I struggled with this for many years. I believed that God was sovereign; I believed that He was the Creator of heaven and earth; I believed that He sent His only Son to die for me. But despite a host of doctrines to which I gave some form of consent, not included (and this was a matter of my heart) was the simple, straight-forward consent that God is good. My father-in-law, a very simple Baptist deacon of … [Read more...]

Two of our most popular booklets, the ASONA Prayerbook and the Door to Paradise, are back in stock at ASONA. The ASONA Prayerbook is, of course, our parish published Orthodox Prayer book, containing all the necessary prayers for one's prayer rule, as well as a special prayer for peace, the Prayer Rule of St. Pachomius, and an Examination of Conscience in preparation for Confession. Prayerbooks are available for a donation of $10. The Door to Paradise is a booklet, published by St. Hermans Press, that we offer for free to first time visitors, or other visitors who have not had the chance to be offered a copy. It is an excellent introduction to the Orthodox faith and spiritual way of life. … [Read more...]