Fr. Michael Gillis
December 12, 2020
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A few links ...
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Cycles of the Orthodox calendar (and why they matter) by Dr. Nicole Rojas
- https://www.pravmir.com/mama-said/ Jesus listens to his Mother at the Wedding at Cana
- Pravmir.com: Orthodox Christianity and the world
- Why We Do That: A Guide for Understanding Orthodoxy after 2,000 Years by Fr. Matthew Streett
- The New Athesim and Five Argunments for God by William Lane Craig
- Men and Church by Frederica Mathewes-Green
- The Role of Women in the Eastern Orthodox Church by Angelo Nicolaides
- WHY ORTHODOX MEN LOVE CHURCH by Frederica Mathewes-Green
- Theotokos - The Joy of All Who Sorrow by Helen Creticos Theodoropoulos (Excerpted from an address given March 23, 1996)
- A very Large Glossary of Orthodox Terms from Church of the Mother of God
- 12 Things I Wish I’d Known… (First Visit to an Orthodox Church) by Frederica Mathewes-Green, Copyright © 1989-2013
- The Meaning of the Great Fast by Mother Mary and Bishop Kallistos Ware
- Fasting (Rules) in the Holy Orthodox Church by Photios Michael and AnnaSophia
- A Letter to an Evangelical An explanation of why tradition matters by Father Michael B. Johnson
- Why do we fast? Always do the things you CAN do: The Holy Fathers on Fasting. Prison Ministry Letter.
- How to Set up a prayer (icon) corner is a good summary of where, what icons and items are appropriate, and some cautions about the place of worship in your home
- Church Etiquette: This is meant as a guide and local customs may vary
- Conservative minds convert to Orthodox Christianity by Rod Dreher
- Children in Church by Abbott Tryphon
- Link HERE to many more articles that have appeared on this site
What We Want in Our Political Leaders
Website of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship
"....In a word, we want leaders who are not prisoners of power, profit, possession, position, privilege and pleasure."
SHOWING THE WORLD TO BE THE WORLD
Fr. Stephen Freeman
ON DIFFICULTIES IN CHRISTIAN LIFE
Igumen Nektary (Morozov)
A mountain ahead. Hurray?
Is God a Fool?
May 23, 2022 · Fr. Stephen Freeman
PRAISE YE THE LORD FROM THE HEAVENS
Hieromonk Pafnuty (Fokin)
Essential Truths needed for salvation
- Accept God's power and be afraid
- Always live in the Now and don't expect anything
- Confess sins and beg God's forgiveness
- Truly believe in forgiveness. Forgive yourself and forgive others
- There really is a path to salvation
- Acknowledge mysteries, miracles, angels, and saints
- Believe in the devil; don't be distracted by his tricks
(This list was offered by an old friend and is his personal list which helps him during his struggles and are of course shared by many believers)
What is Incense?
The ingredients given to Moses by God:
Ex 30:34-38 - 34And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. 38Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
(Wood) Resins:
Resins are natural secretions which occur when the bark of the plant is damaged, which provides protection from pests. Frankincense, myrrh, copal, damar, and amber are common resins. Resin don’t give off much scent until they are burned; exposure to high heat causes resins to give off smoke and aroma. Benzoin is a very common fixative with an earthy “vanilla ice cream” scent.
Athonite incense, in the tradition of the Greek monasteries of Mount Athos, are made from pure frankincense tears ground into a powder and mixed with fragrant oils and aromatic wood resins. The mixture is kneaded into a “dough-like” consistency; rolled and cut. The pieces are coated with a very finely ground white clay to mitigate the stickiness to keep the rolled pellets from clumping together. The incense is finally cure for at least 30 days which results in a substance of complex fragrances.
Some popular types of Athonite incense include: Old Church - a woody blend of frankincense, cedar, fir needles, and vetiver. Burning Bush – soft floral with cinnamon, clove, and honey. Jerusalem – powerful rose with berry, and honey. Bethlehem Rose – rose with vanilla. Damascus Rose – intense rose fragrance with rich amber. Byzantium – geranium, lily, wild berry, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Evergreen and Embers - fir, spruce, balsam, cedarwood and moss with touches of cinnamon, cloves, and eucalyptus (great during Nativity season). Nazareth – sandalwood, musk, florals, and cinnamon. Iveron – white blossoms, rose, lily, and musk. Certain varieties of incense are popular during particular Festal seasons - such as rose scented varieties for celebrations of the Theotokos. Other varieties (such as Nazareth) may be "low impact" for those persons with sensitivities to smoke or asthmatic.
Athonite style incense is burned using a charcoal tablet in a “burner” with is usually metal, stone, or other heat resistant container.
(The types of charcoal and charcoal burners are covered in these articles ---->>>>HERE)
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Prayer corner with icons, Bible, candles, and incense |
CREATED OUT OF NOTHING FROM THE WILL OF GOD
The Doctrine of the Creation of the World, Part 1
St. Innocent of Kherson
The Priest “Father”?
Source: Out of Egypt
FR. JAMES GUIRGUIS | 23 AUGUST 2022
The Reading from 1 Corinthians 4:9-16
Mean for us Today?
PRIEST ROBERT MICLEAN | 02 OCTOBER 2022
A Particular Scandal
Source: Glory to God for All Things
ARCHPRIEST STEPHEN FREEMAN | 01 AUGUST 2022