Some Greek Orthodox communities mark the start of Lent in a quite different way. For them the first day of Lent is treated as the first outdoor day of the new year. Lent is the beginning of spring. After the long death of winter, here is the first sign that new life is coming. We must go out to greet it. The community celebrates this day by climbing the nearest hill and flying kites on the fresh spring wind! Always... Read more

As we begin our shared journey to our Lord’s Passion, I fall down before you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, asking your forgiveness and wishing you all a spiritually profitable Fast. Forgive me. Pray for me.Unworthy Priest Joseph Read more

With the Great Fast (Lent) starting Monday for Orthodox Christians, the following suggestions come from St Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, Wichita, Kansas. Recipes, using the ingredients (or substitutes), to follow. Noodles … Be careful of packaged noodles, most have part of egg or milk in them. Replace noodles with pastas or vegan noodles. Mayonnaise … Most brands have milk, egg, or both. Margarines … If you really want to fast, check your margarines for whey products. A soy margarine is... Read more

With the Great Fast (Lent) starting Monday for Orthodox Christians, the following suggestions come from St Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, Wichita, Kansas. Recipes, using the ingredients, to follow. To stock a Lenten Pantry you will need … + dried fruits (raisins, currants, apples, cranberries, apricots, prunes, coconut flakes)+ fresh fruits and vegetables+ candied peels, mixed+ dried beans (black beans, soy beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, great northern beans, mung beans, etc)+ dried legumes (red lentils, green lentils, brown lentils,... Read more

The strange thing about the Michael Jackson trial is that the supporting actors are more interesting than the star. The weirdness of the King of Pop is so overexposed that no new revelation can shock. Either Jackson is a complete lunatic who slept with young boys and didn’t fondle them or he’s a complete lunatic who slept with young boys and did. Oh wait. Maybe it’s this one … “Is it true that your father used to say you had... Read more

For Orthodox Christians the Great Fast (Lent) begins this year on Clean Monday, March 14th … leading up to Pascha (Easter) on May 1st. The traditional fasting rules have been posted on the Antiochian Archdiocesan website for handy reference. As always, those with questions and concerns about the Fast should speak with their Priest and/or Spiritual Father. Read more

Anglican woman covers her head in church. Her statement on the Windsor Report. I just can’t get used to photos like this. Even now, they seem to make a mockery of things. Oh by the way, the pic & link are from the pro-homosexual lobby of the Anglican Church, Integrity. Thanks: Classical Anglican Read more

WHEN … anxious … Psalms 121,107; Luke 7, 17; Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6; Hebrews 12:4-11, 13:5 business is poor … Psalm 37; Ecclesiastes 5 discouraged … Psalms 23, 42, 43 everything goes from bad to worse … 2 Timothy 3; Hebrews 13 sorrow overtakes you … Psalm 46; Matthew 28 friends seem to go back on you … Matthew 5; 1 Corinthians 13; Psalms 35, 41:9-13; 55:12-23; Luke 17:3,4; Romans 12:14, 17, 19 tempted … Psalms 1:1; 15, 19,... Read more

Hip Hop became the topic of recent comments on Conciliar Press’s new blog when someone mentioned the Black Eyed Peas recent hit, “Where is the Love?” as a positive example of the genre. Like much of contemporary pop music, the song is based on an older hit. Here follows the lyrics from the original version of “Where is the Love” followed by the Black Eyed Peas version. Where Is The LoveRoberta Flack & Donny Hathaway Where is the love (7... Read more

So that we might joyfully encounter the Lord upon his glorious Second Coming, let us learn to encounter Him here, especially in the Holy Mysteries. — St. John of Kronstadt Seeking to please men destroys not only our love toward God, but even our remembrance of God.— Holy Hierarch St. Ignaty Brianchaninov To be angry is part of human nature, but to suppress one’s anger is part of a Christian’s nature.— Blessed St. Jerome of Stridon Taken from the monthly... Read more