THE TRADITION OF THETheophany House Blessing During the days following the Feast of the Theophany (January 6th), it is customary for the Priest to visit the homes of his parishioners, bringing with him the “Jordan Water” for the traditional Theophany House Blessing. The First Great Sanctification of Water is performed at the end of the Divine Liturgy on the Paramon of Theophany (January 5th). While that water may be given to the faithful to drink on that day and throughout... Read more

Righteous Juliana of Lazarevo and Murom presents an astonishing example of a self-denying Russian Christian woman. She was the daughter of the nobleman Justin Nediurev. From her early years she lived piously, kept the fasts strictly and set aside much time for prayer. Early on having become orphaned, she was given over into the care of relatives, who did not take to her and laughed at her. Juliana bore everything with patience and without complaint. Her love for people was... Read more

It’s later than you think.— Father Seraphim Rose You know, it just may be later than we think. After “surviving” the Y2K Computer Bug of 2001, some folks may be resting on their laurels in regards to preparation for death, the judgment, the “afterlife” — not to mention a foretold time of persecution. Especially in America, we have become complacent (or worse). Beginning in 1994, for seven years, my wife and I did without Cable TV. I then became a... Read more

Thirty-five acres of rolling hills and rocky shores of the Sea of Galilee, tucked between key sites in Jesus’ ministry, would be leased to an association of evangelists led by American religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, Israeli tourism officials say. The potential deal for turning over biblical lands to develop a tourist destination underlines how ties have strengthened in recent years between Israel and evangelical Christian groups that support the Jewish state. Evangelical Christians contribute millions of dollars to Israel every... Read more

GOOD BOOK: It has taken more than 25 years, but part of the Bible is now readable in Gullah, the creole language spoken by the descendants of slaves on islands off America’s southeastern coast. “Da Nyew Testament” went on sale [last] month. “Gullah is an oral language, so the translation was painstaking,” an AP report explains. But even King James might recognize the result. Take the English verse John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was... Read more

The very strong impression that comes through is one of “So, Lewis is this great Christian figure? Well, he smoked! and drank! and had sex! So there! Now what do you think of your hero, hmm?” The fact that some of us may contrive not to fall to the floor in staggerment at this astounding revelation does not seem to have occurred to the gentleman, much less the possibilty that Lewis never wished to be presented as a plaster saint.... Read more

JANUARYLittle did I know, a year ago, that I’d serve a church within a short walk of Joel Osteen’s. Then there was the whole “Sponge Bob is Gay” & the debunking of the “Prophecies of St Nilus.” Of course, January 2004’s news was dominated by the Tsunami. Was God there? On a personal note, we lost our beloved family pet of 18 years. FEBRUARYThe second month of the year saw various calls for Orthodox Unity (1 … 2) … and... Read more

In any case, here’s a pic of him from the upcoming Pic that totally disses the Roman Catholic Church. Though Eastern Orthodoxy was hardly on Dan Brown’s radar screen, it should be on Tom’s. [Insert favorite Forrest Gump quote here.] HT Canterbury Tales Read more

[A]mong the new movements that have arisen in the Catholic Church, the Neocatechumenal Way is the one that goes the farthest in introducing innovations to the celebration of the Mass. In the Neocatechumenal Way, communion is taken while seated around a large square table, with a large loaf of bread that is divided among the participants and wine that is passes from hand to hand and is taken in large swallows. But communion is not the only area in which... Read more

I received the following note from a reader: I caught this show on Christmas day. It was a very interesting history about his life and how his relics had traveled. Then using the relics they reconstructed his face using forensics. My thoughts? Well, it just goes to show ya, scientists should always check with the Orthodox — it might save time, effort, and money: Icon of St Nicholas, 10-11th century, the Walters Art Museum. Read more