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Saints and Readings of the Day [ Why two calendars?]

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November 23/December 6, Afterfeast of the Entry into the Temple. St. Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.

Counsels from Contemporary Romanian Elders: To Laypeople, Monastics, and Clergy. From The Orthodox Word (Jan-Feb, 1992).

Humble-Mindedness: The Doorway to Pure Prayer: An interview with Elder Dionysius (Ignat) of the St. George Kellion, Kolitsou Skete, Mount Athos, Greece. From The Orthodox Word (Jan-Feb, 2005).

On Dispositions of the Heart. An excerpt from Wounded By Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios.

On Illness. An excerpt from Wounded By Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios.

On the Intercession and Invocation of the Saints. A compilation for Protestants by Reader Christopher Orr.

On faith; and to those who say that those in the world cannot attain perfection virtues. To start with, a most profitable tale. By St. Simeon the New Theologian. From Writings from the Philokalia: on Prayer of the Heart.

Orthodox Patristic Wisdom, a blog by Michele Sparrow. This is an excellent response to comments publicly posted over the past few months that criticize and even slander Elder Ephraim of St. Anthony's Monastery in Florence, AZ, as well as the Abbot, Elder Paisios. It is a sad sign of our times that such a site is needed. [Posted on 12/11: Seraphim Larsen has also weighed in with a thoughtful blog defending Elder Ephraim and his monasteries.]

Arxodariki: Orthodox Spiritual Lectures. This site from Greece contains many edifying services, homilies and lectures in English.

New site features: The search engine and "Related Articles" panel now use Google behind the scenes instead of Microsoft SQL Server Full Text Search. You may experience slightly longer page load times, but the results are better and allow you to use your "Google expertise" in combination with Google's many search parameters. The site also now exposes an RSS Feed for the "Recent Additions" section of the home page. You could even use the new Google Reader to keep track of updates : ).

September 10/23, Afterfeast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora at Nicomedia.

Photos from my Pilgrimage to Spruce Island, where Saint Herman of Alaska lived and died.

August 19/September 1, Afterfeast of the Dormition. Martyr Andrew Stratelates and 2,593 soldiers with him in Cilicia (3rd c.).

International Orthodox Christian Charities, Inc. Please make a donation to help alleviate suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

August 8/21, Afterfeast of the Transfiguration. St. Emilian the Confessor.

While There Is Time, by Metropolitan Augoustinos of Florina.

Negligence, the Unsleeping Danger for the Orthodox Christian: from "The Plow", July 2003.

Comboschini (The Prayer Rope): Meditations of a Monk of the Holy Mountain Athos. This is an excellent introduction to the practice of the Jesus Prayer.

Elder Joseph the Hesychast and the Teaching of Mental Prayer Which Flowed from His Letters. A homily by Abbot Ephraim of Vatopaidi Monastery.

Prayer of the Heart for the Faithful Living in the World, by Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi (Spiritual Child of Elder Joseph the Hesychast).

Elder Joseph the Hesychast on Patience and Endurance, excerpts from Monastic Wisdom: The Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast.

Modesty and Will, by Metropolitan Philaret Voznesensky (+ 1985).

On Account of the Angels: Why I Cover My Head. By Elisabet. From the Spring 1997 issue of Conciliar Press.

The Divine Liturgies Music Project, by St. Anthony's Monastery in Florence, AZ.

Reconsidering the Meaning of Conversion: Fr. John Whiteford responds to a recent Christianity Today essay by Sam Torode.

Orthodoxy In America: An online directory of the Orthodox Church in North America. This is the best parish and monastery directory I've seen. Please help them keep the database up-to-date by submitting/verifying your listing.

The Antiochian Archdiocese leaves the National Council of Churches. This recent decision is a small but excellent step in the right direction. May God grant that one day they will take a firm, official stance against ecumenism and cease all involvement in the Ecumenical Movement. Read Terry Mattingly's comments about this decision.

April 11/24, Palm Sunday. Hieromartyr Antipas, Bishop of Pergamus, disciple of St. John the Theologian.

Orthodoxy of the Heart: Chapter 86 from Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works, by Hieromonk Damascene.

The Official Conclusions of the September, 2004 conference "Ecumenism: Origins, Expectations, Disenchantment", sponsored by the School of Pastoral Theology, The Aristotelian University, Thessaloniki, Greece. Among the concluding proposals of the conference participants we read:

"That it be made manifest to church leaders everywhere that, in the event that they continue to participate in, and lend support to, the pan-heresy of Ecumenism - both inter-christian and inter-religious - the obligatory salvific, canonical and patristic course for the faithful, clergy and laity, is excommunication: in other words, ceasing to commemorate bishops, who are co-responsible for, and co-communicants with, heresy and delusion. This is not a recourse to schism but rather to a God-pleasing confession, just as the ancient Fathers, and bishop-confessors in our own day have done, such as the esteemed and respected former Metropolitan of Florina, Augustinos, and the Fathers of the Holy Mountain (Athos)."

Excerpts from The New Saint of the Russian Church, Seraphim of Viritsa (+1949). Translated by Fr. Nicholas Palis.

Pascha Polyglotta: a wonderful Web site for finding "Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!" in approximately 250 languages.

American Salvation: The Place of Christianity in Public Life, by Albert J. Raboteau. From Boston Review (April/May 2005). "I was drawn in part by a sense of profound similarity between Orthodoxy and the ethos of African-American Christianity. In both there is a quality of sad joyfulness, a sense that life in a minor key is life as it is; an emphasis on the importance of suffering as a mark of the authenticity of faith." See also Professor Raboteau's book A Sorrowful Joy.

March 14/27, Second Sunday of Great Lent (St. Gregory Palamas). St. Benedict of Nursia, Abbot.

Simplicity: Chapter 87 from Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works, by Hieromonk Damascene.

Photos from My Pilgrimage to the Holy Monastery of St. Herman of Alaska, Platina, CA, with a short trip to St. Xenia Skete in Wildwood (July, 2004).

Introduction to Apostle to Zaire: The Life and Legacy of Blessed Father Cosmas of Grigoriou.

February 20/March 5, St. Leo, Bishop of Catania in Sicily. St. Agatho, Pope of Rome.

Two Letters from Elder Moses of Optina, to His Brother Living in the World.

On the World and Family, by Elder Ephraim.

Introduction to Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit: The Lives & Counsels of Contemporary Elders of Greece.

Introduction to The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church, by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra, Mount Athos. This is an outstanding teaching on the importance of the Lives of Saints and how to honor and be inspired by them in our daily lives. From the article: "If we live with all the saints (Eph. 3:18) by attentively reading their lives each day as we walk in the spiritual garden of the Synaxarion, we shall discover little by little those whom our heart especially goes out to. They will become our close friends in whom we love to confide our joys and sorrows; whose lives we love to read time and again, as well as to chant their troparia and to venerate their icons. These close friends will be the guides of our choice and a great comfort to us along the strait and narrow way that leads to Christ (Matt. 7:14)."

The Serbian Orthodox Church Vis-á-Vis Ecumenism, by Bishop Artemije. A talk delivered at the September, 2004 conference "Ecumenism: Origins, Expectations, Disenchantment", sponsored by the School of Pastoral Theology, The Aristotelian University, Thessaloniki, Greece.

February 17/March 2, Great-Martyr Theodore the Tyro.

Photos from My Pilgrimage to the Holy Monastery of St. Anthony the Great, Florence, AZ (February 22-28, 2005).

February 5/18, Martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily. Martyr Theodula of Anazarbus in Cilicia, and with her Martyrs Helladius, Macarius, and Evagrius.

Resentment and Forgiveness, by Hieromonk Damascene. A talk delivered at the Annual Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America, St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, San Diego, California, February 28, 2003.

Contours of Conversion and the Ecumenical Movement: Some Personal Reflections, by Hieromonk Alexios Karakallinos. A talk delivered at the September, 2004 conference "Ecumenism: Origins, Expectations, Disenchantment", sponsored by the School of Pastoral Theology, The Aristotelian University, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Pastoral Guidance - Chapter 84 from Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works, by Hieromonk Damascene.

Elder Barsanuphius of Optina: Part II of excerpts from the section "Talks with Spiritual Children", by Fr. Victor Afanasiev.

On Compromise in the Hierarchy During the Communist Yoke: Excerpts from two books by Fr. Roman Braga.

On Prayer of the Heart: Excerpts from Exploring the Inner Universe, by Fr. Roman Braga.

The Explanation of the Four Gospels, by Archbishop Averky (Tauchev). Translated by Seraphim Larin.

January 31/February 13, Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cyrus and John.

Photos from My Pilgrimage to Greece and Mount Athos, January 2005.

December 15/28, Hieromartyr Eleutherius, Bishop of Illyria, and his mother Martyr Anthia.

The Non-Orthodox: The Orthodox Teaching on Christians Outside of the Church. The complete text of this book, originally published in 1999 by Regina Orthodox Press, is now available.

October 25/November 7, Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius the Notaries of Constantinople.

Concerning the Jesus Prayer. From the Jordanville Prayer Book (1996 ed).

Towards a Fruitful Spiritual Life: Reasons Why Our Intentions to Lead a Better and Holy Life Do Not Produce Results. From the Conversations of Metropolitan Gregory of Novgorod.

Elder Barsanuphius of Optina: Talks with Spiritual Children, by Fr. Victor Afanasiev. This is the first installment of various talks from this wonderful book in The Optina Elders Series. The Optina Elders are especially significant for our day as they essentially lived in modern times. They had tremendous impact on Russian society, influencing many people from all walks of life—young, old, rich, poor, lay, clergy and monastic. These talks were selected for publication on this Web site due to their special appropriateness for lay people struggling to live an Orthodox life in the world.

The Orthodox Church in America and Its Future, by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich.

"Super-Correctness": Chapter 63 from Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works, by Hieromonk Damascene.

In Defense of Fr. Dimitry Dudko, by Blessed Father Seraphim of Platina.

Problems of Bioethics, i.e., Abortion, Contraceptives, Cloning, Homosexuality, Etc. An official statement of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Press Release following the conclusion of the Inter-Orthodox Theological Conference on Ecumenism announced on this site on September 1/14.

Out Now: Why the Orthodox Churches Should Quit the NCC, by John Couretas.

Ecumenical Impact on Orthodox Witness and Mission: A Convert's Reflections, by Fr. John Reeves.