Sunday, July 31, 2022

Book Discussion (Date TBA) Dialogues with Patriarch Athenagoras

 

From the Foreword by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros

Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras is one of those rare hierarchs who has shaped profoundly and permanently the destiny of world Orthodoxy. Throughout the twentieth century, from his ministry on Kerkyra (Corfu), in America, and ultimately as Ecumenical Patriarch, his initiatives and determination to serve the most vulnerable as a fundamental expression of our Christian faith, have proved an inspiration for many Christians, regardless of denomination or confession, over many generations. Fifty years after his repose, Orthodox Christianity sill lives into his vision. 

The translation of these unique Dialogues with Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras  was long overdue. I am particulary happy that this publication is taking place during the centennial celebration of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. In deed, before his election to the See of the Mother church of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras presided over vital developments of Orthodoxy in America for over a decade, profoundly shaping the identity and nature of our presence in this country. 

Saturday, June 4, 2022

July 14, 2002 7:00 PM Book Discussion: Hymn of Entry Family Life Center

 


By  Archimandrite Vasileios


Theology, as seen by Archimandrite Vasileios, is by its very essence liturgical; it is not a philosophy or a system but the expression of the church's mystical life:

"The first Christians lived their theology totally and with the whole of their bodies, just as they are baptized with the whole of their body and soul into the new life ... Thus their liturgical gatherings were an initiation into the mystery of theology ... The mystery of theology was celebrated in their lives, and they attained to the knowledge which is eternal life."

Bishop Kallistos (Ware) states in his foreword:

[Hymn of Entry] offers nothing less than a fresh vision of theology, the church and the world, a vision that is both original and yet genuinely traditional. The quality that characterizes this remarkable book is above all a sense of wholeness. The unity of the divine and human in the incarnate Christ, the unity of heaven and earth in the Divine Liturgy, the unity between theology and spirituality, between theology and life - such are the author's master-themes. 

About the Author: Archimandrite Vasileios is the Abbot of Stavronikita Monastery on Mount Athos. He is regarded as the pioneer of the movement which led to the modern revival of monasticism on the Holy Mountain.

 

The Book Discussion will be held at the Family Life Center 7:00 PM July 14, 2022. The book is available in the church bookstore and library. Please note:  It is strongly encouraged to discuss spiritual material with your spiritual father, father confessor or spiritual mother. 

Sunday, April 10, 2022

First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew


By Frederica Mathews-Green

Each Wednesday during Lent the church community met at the Family Life Center after the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts for a Lenten pot-luck dinner. Following dinner, Father Christos lead a discussion of a few chapters of First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew.


Adapted from the introduction: The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is a prayerful hymn of epic length, which is offered in a Lenten worship service every year in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was written by the 8th century St. Andrew, a leading figure of early Christian hymnography. St. Andrew built up his Canon while taking to heart lessons from Scripture urging him to love God more completely. The work is very personal and may have been written for his own personal use. But it was taken up broadly and used every Lent in the Eastern Church. Through rigorous self-examination, St. Andrew shows us a path to repentance. The book is arranged into 40 readings, one for each day of Lent. Each reading is accompanied by commentary and suggested meditations. The Appendix includes the Life of St. Mary of Egypt, Lenten intercessor. 

The commentrary by Mathews-Green is very helpful.  The book is available in the church bookstore and library. Please note:  It is strongly encouraged to discuss spiritual material with your spiritual father, father confessor or spiritual mother.

Saturday, January 15, 2022

The Religion of the Apostles: Book Discussion January 20, 2022 6:30 Family Life Center and Zoom

 

"In the twenty-fourth chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel we are told how Cleopas and his companion were met by the risen Christ while walking to Emmaus. In the ensuing conversation we are told how Jesus 'explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about Himself' (Luke 24:27). This passage, together with the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit at the first Pentecost, has been taken by the Church to indicate that from those events forward, the apostles had a complete and coherent Faith to pass on for the conversion of the world. In contrast, much scholarship in recent times has maintained the view that instead of being whole from the beginning, Church doctrine - particularly Christology - 'developed' to its definitive statements by the Great Councils. In contrast to these claims, Fr. Stephen De Young here presents forceful arguments to show that the Faith of the apostles was indeed complete from the beginning and was simply refined to meet heretical challenges. It is well worth reading." - +Melchisedek, Archbishop of Pittsburgh & Western Pennsylvania. Orthodox Church in America

 The book discussion will be presented on Zoom and in person at 6:30 p.m. January 20 at the Family Life Center.  The book is available in the church bookstore and library. Please note:  It is strongly encouraged that spiritual material be discussed with your spiritual father, father confessor or spiritual mother.

The Way of the Ascetics

 



The Way of the Ascetics
is a rich, compact introduction for modern readers to the Eastern Christian spiritual tradition that has been an inspiration to millions for centuries. These compassionate and insightful reflections on self-control and inner peace are meant to lead the readers to fuller union with God. The author makes a generous selection of succinct yet profound extracts from the spirtitual Fathers and provides and illuminating commentary and practical applications for daily devotion and practical applications for devotion. He tempers austerity with warmth, and even humor as he urges us on our journey toward God. Written for laypersons living fully in the world as much as for clergy, Way of the Ascetics is an excellent resource for daily meditation, authentic spiritual guidance, and revitalized religious life. Please note: It is always recommended that spiritual literature be discussed with your spiritual father or mother, or father confessor (or book discussion!).

The book discussion was held following the 6:00 p.m. service of the Paraklesis to the Theotokos in the Family Life Center. is available in the church bookstore and library.

Sunday, April 4, 2021

Book Discussion: Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind

 



 What does it mean to “Think Orthodox”? Orthodox Christianity is based on preserving the mind of the early Church, its phronema. Dr. Eugenia Constantinou brings her more than forty-years’ experience as a Professor, Bible teacher, and speaker to bear in explaining what the Orthodox phronema is, how it can be acquired, and how that phronema is expressed in true Orthodox Theology. Reviews: “Orthodox Christians, living in the West, have a need to be grounded in the phronema of Orthodoxy as we are tossed about as a minority group of Christians in a sea of religious and secular voices that can lead us away from the true faith. So much confusion and private opinion surrounds us and we need to have a light to guide us to a safe harbor. In Thinking Orthodox we have such a light. It is a joy to read and a treasure to have.” - Archpriest Chad Hatfield, D. Min, D.D., President & Professor of Pastoral Theology, St. Vladimir’s Seminary. “Becoming Orthodox is difficult, especially for non-Orthodox, Western Christians. Many inquirers are drawn to Orthodoxy’s liturgical beauty, historical continuity, and theological stability. These are relatively easy to appreciate and access. However, the challenge is in acquiring a truly Orthodox way of thinking. This is precisely where Dr. Constantinou’s book is a godsend. As a convert myself, I spent years trying to shoe-horn Orthodox theology into my Protestant categories. It was futile exercise; the more I tried, the more frustrated I became. In this powerful book, Dr. Constantinou demonstrates why this was the case and why it doesn’t work. More importantly, she explains exactly how anyone can acquire an Orthodox mind. The book is …. easily accessible to anyone who desires to become fully Orthodox.” - Dn. Michael Hyatt, New York Times Bestselling Author Deepen your experience of Great Lent by attending the Lenten Book Discussion, via Zoom, from 7:00 PM-8:30 PM. Join us on Tuesday, March 30, April 6, and April 13, 2021. The book is available in the Church Narthex and the Library. Please note: It is always recommended that spiritual literature be discussed with your Spiritual Father or Mother, or Father Confessor

Sunday, August 2, 2020

October 22, 2020 Virtual Book Discussion: For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church

“Orthodox Christians sometimes feel, as they do all the 'right things'—pray, fast, worship, etc.—without experiencing the change of heart they desire. A fuller understanding of almsgiving can reshape and renew both the believer and the corporate Church.” (read more here: https://www.goarch.org/prayer-articles/-/asset_publisher/zg5D5ENaCTK9/content/the-disconnected-cross-philanthropy-and-almsgivi-1)

The book selection approved by Fr. Christos for the next Book Discussion is For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church that was just released with the blessing of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.  It offers timely perspectives regarding almsgiving.


Press release: This publication, edited by eminent theologians Dr. David Bentley Hart and Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, imparts a roadmap for navigating modern-day challenges with the wisdom of the Orthodox spiritual tradition. It delves into such critical issues as racism, poverty, injustice, human rights, reproductive technology, bioethics, and climate change

 

The book is the culmination of the work of a special commission of theologians appointed by His All-Holiness to prepare a document on the social doctrine of the Orthodox Church. The commission included Dr. James C. Skedros, Michael G. and Anastasia Cantonis Professor of Byzantine Studies and Professor of Early Christianity at Holy Cross.

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America concludes his foreword to the book by saying, “This text offers to the reader, …, insight and guidance on how to participate in life in the world, all the while enjoying life in the Spirit. It is my prayer and hope that its enlightened discourse will spur all of us to lift our sights to our higher purpose, to the better angels of our nature, and to richer and deeper communion with God and with one another.”

 

For the Life of the World can be purchased in the narthex prior to Sunday liturgy, borrowed from the church library, or ordered online or by phone from Holy Cross Bookstore at www.holycrossbookstore.com or 1-800-245-0599. Email inquiries should be sent to bookstore@hchc.edu.

 

A link to the Zoom meeting will be sent by Fr. Christos. Please note:  It is strongly encouraged that spiritual material be discussed with your spiritual father, father confessor or spiritual mother.