On Reaching the Middle of the Fast

“The present life is a wrestling school, a gymnasium, a battle, a smelting furnace, and a dyer’s house of virtue” – St John Chrysostom

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

Wednesday of the 4th Week of Great Lent

Dear Ones

Blessings.

The Middle Point of the Great Fast

Having come to the middle point on the path of the Fast that leads us to Thy precious Cross, grant that we may see Thy day that Abraham saw and rejoiced, when on the mountain he received Isaac back alive as from the tombe. Delivered from the enemy by faith, may we share in Thy mystical supper, calling upon Thee in peace: Our light and our Savior, glroy to Thee.

Aposticha in Orthros, Wednesday of the 4th Week

On Reading Icons and Scripture

If some passages of Scripture are like clear springs bubbling up their meaning directly to the surface, others are like dark wells concealing unknown depths, where greater effort is required to draw out meaning. The same is true of images.

Fr. Maximos Constas, The Art of Seeing

The Adoration of the Precious Cross

This past Sunday, March 15th, was the Third Sunday of the Great Fast on which we keep the Veneration of the Precious Cross. All this week the Cross is kept in the center of the church and is venerated at the end of every divine service until Friday evening when it is returned to the holy place.

Crux Vaticana Restored- Oldest Reliquary Containing Cross

This Sunday a Special Memorial for the 1 year Anniversary of the Repose of Metropolitan Philip

His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip, reposed in the Lord on March 19th, 2014. Church across the country will remember him in a special memorial this Sunday at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.

Lenten Fasting Continues and Feast of the Annunciation

During the Great Fast the traditional fasting discipline of no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine and olive oil is observed on weekdays, with permission for wine and olive oil on weekends. Wednesday, March 25th, is the Great Feast of the Annunciation. The typikon-appointed Vespersal Divine Liturgy will be served at 630pm, followed by our annual catechumen dinner in the parish fellowship hall. Fish is allowed in honor of the Great Feast. The Annunciation and Palm Sunday are the two days during Lent that we are permitted fish.

The Fifth Week of Lent, the Great Canon and the Reading of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt

Because the Annunciation falls on Wednesday of the 5th Week, the usual order of services is re-arranged. The Great Canon of Repentance by St. Andrew of Crete with the reading of the complete Life of our Venerable Mother, Mary of Egypt, will take place during Little Compline this coming Monday evening, March 23rd.

Helen Machankova – a Neo-Martyr- March 15, 2013

from Mystagogy blog

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/03/helen-machankova-neomartyr-march-15-2013.html#more

“This was my offering to Allah” said her husband after he murdered Helen with a knife

Summer Program for Future or Current Students of Theology

This summer from July 1-13 there will be a special summer retreat and pilgrimage in Petrokerasa, Greece for present, past or future students of theology ages 19-30. 15 spots are available for this two-week intensive program. In addition to hospitality and divine services in the mountain-top village outside of Thessaloniki, a tour of ancient churches in Thessaloniki and visits to one or two monasteries in northern Greece, the program will include:

A. a five day program of services, lectures and discussions in Petrokerasa, including talks and presentations by professors of theology from the University of Thessaloniki (July 1-5).

B. A vigil for the feast of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco (July 4) and the all-night vigil at the Monastery of St. John the Theologian in Souroti, celebrating for the first time the Feast of the newly-glorified St. Paisios the Athonite, which promises to be an historic event (July 12).

C. A five day pilgrimage to Mt. Athos, where we’ll be hosted at several monasteries and kellia and meet with contemporary abbots and elders (July 6-10).

The cost of the program is just $300 per person, not including travel expenses which are the responsibility of each participant.

For more information be in contact with Father Peter Heers frpeterheers@gmail.com, Holy Church of the Prophet Elias, Petrokerasa, Greece

March for Marriage in DC April 25th!

Nice Orthodox promotion of the annual March for Marriage with resources – at http://www.crownthem.org