Each Day in Holy Week is devoted to a particular theme. Review these each day with members of your family, especially your children, during the coming week. The Beginning of the Cross Lazarus Saturday "Having fulfilled Forty Days... we ask to see the Holy Week of Thy Passion." With these words sung at Vespers, Lent comes to its end and we enter into the annual commemoration of Christ's suffering, death and Resurrection. It begins on Lazarus Saturday. The double feast of Lazarus' resurrection and the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is described in liturgical texts as the "beginning of the Cross" and is to be understood therefore, within the context of the Holy Week. … [Read more...]
Christ: The “Trojan Horse” of Redemption
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon The same monastic tradition that determined the psalms to be prayed at Thursday Matins also prescribed Psalms 75 and 91 (Hebrew 76 and 92) to be recited at Matins of Friday (Cf. The Rule of Saint Benedict, ch. 13). Because this sixth day of the week is “the day on which the Bridegroom is taken away” (Mark 2:20), the Church has always, from apostolic times, kept it as a fast day (Didache 8.1). Consequently, it is hardly surprising to find the theme of the Lord’s Passion in Psalms 75 and 91. The emphasis on the divine anger in these two psalms, however, differs considerably from that of the Thursday psalms. Whereas Jesus faces God’s wrath in Psalms 87 and … [Read more...]
“To Whom Was the Blood of Christ Offered” by St. Gregory the Theologian
By St. Gregory the Theologian More on Atonement – an Excerpt from “On Holy Pascha”, Homily 45 Now we are to examine another fact and dogma, neglected by most people, but in my judgment well worth inquiring into. To whom was that Blood offered that was shed for us, and why was it shed? I mean the precious and renowned Blood of our God and High Priest and Sacrifice. We were detained in bondage by the Evil One, sold under sin, and receiving pleasure in exchange for wickedness. Now, since a ransom belongs only to him who holds in bondage, I ask to whom was this offered, and for what cause? If to the Evil One, fie upon the outrage! If the robber receives ransom, not only from God, but a … [Read more...]
Services Continue at ASONA
OUR SERVICES WILL GO ON, and you can view them LIVE at the All Saints of North America Facebook page. We will be posting news and updates on our Facebook page also, as well as texting/emailing you on a very regular basis with updates. Flocknote is our principle platform for getting you information. We will also update our website. You can also expect regular calls and email from me, and from Parish Council members who live in your area. Instructions for viewing our Facebook page (whether or not you are on Facebook yourself!), are below. ASONA live-stream now available on our website. Click HERE to watch it. LIVE-STREAMING PLATFORM INSTRUCTIONS We will be broadcasting our services, at … [Read more...]
During Times of Plague, Priests Do What Priests Need To Do
by Terry Mattingly The second wave of influenza in the fall of 1918 was the worst yet. By the time Father Nicola Yanney reached Wichita, Kansas, a citywide quarantine was in effect. A 16-year-old girl had already died, creating a sense of panic. The missionary priest -- his territory reached from Missouri to Colorado and from Oklahoma to North Dakota -- couldn’t even hold her funeral in the city’s new Orthodox sanctuary. As he traveled back to his home church in Kearney, Nebraska, he kept anointing the sick, hearing confessions and taking Holy Communion to those stricken by the infamous “Spanish flu.” After days of door-to-door ministry in the snow, Yanney collapsed and called his … [Read more...]
ASONA Parish Pandemic Preparedness
The CDC has called for businesses, hospitals, schools, and individuals to begin preparing to respond to a possible Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and pandemic. This means churches also. Should a pandemic event occur, it would require an immediate, measured, and coordinated parish response. Our parish is small, so it will be less of a burden than it would be on larger communities. It's not a time for panic, but for careful, measured preparation. While the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is believed to be low at this time, everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health threat. The CDC is recommending that everyone make … [Read more...]
Teachings on the Interior Life
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...]
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