"Ancient Faith Presents" an interview with Dr. Bradley Nassif, a professor of biblical and theological studies at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois, and the author of a new book from Zondervan press titled Bringing Jesus to the Desert.

Download Into the Rock Spring 2012 (PDF)

Christ is Risen!

Spring finally arrived after a long bout of fluctuating weather, represented here by a late, heavy snow in April. The storm was definitely beautiful, yet it presented other problems. As the large, pristine flakes of snow dropped and veiled the monastery in brilliant white, I thought and prayed about the newly installed package of bees, the garden that was half dug, and the enormous rhododendrons I had pruned, still in a preflower stage. Recalling Psalm 148, I trusted that everything would be all right: “frosts and snow” and “all flying and creeping things” praising the Lord together. On a hive check, I pressed my ear against the cold wood and could hear the buzzing of the community within the hive working together to maintain a comfortable temperature. In fact, they were probably warmer than I was as I made my way around the property with a snow shovel attempting to relieve the trees of their unwanted burden. Within a few days the weather was warmer and I returned to the garden to plant lettuce, corn, carrots, onions, herbs, and sunflowers. Some soil waits, prepared for the planting of the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, peas and company in June.....

To read more, download the complete newsletter (PDF)!

On a new "Ancient Faith Presents," Bobby Maddex welcomes back to the program Anne Van Fossen, one of the founders of the Classical Learning Resource Center, to discuss some of the exciting new developments that are taking place at the center.

On the 6th Sunday of Pascha, we read about the healing of the blind man. What does this miracle of Christ tell us about the blind man, about God, about Jesus and ultimately, about us? Fr. Thomas Hopko explore these themes in this episode from the archives.

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship's (OCF) Real Break program provides an alternative spring break for Orthodox college students across North America. This year, more than 50 students from 36 universities participated in the six service projects around the world in locations such as Constantinople, Mexico, Guatemala, Romania and Texas. This following OCF report summarizes the impact of Real Break, 2012.

As the week was coming to an end and all sat in the dining hall eating the typical meal of beans and tortillas, University of Illinois freshman, Anthony Jonas, notices Brayan with a sad face and not touching his food. Jesus Brayan is one of the 31 young boys living at the St. Innocent Orphanage in Rosarito, Mexico. Anthony says to him,

“¿Qué paso Brayan?” (What’s wrong Brayan?)

Brayan replies, “Me duele el corazón.” (My heart hurts.)

“¿Porqué?” (Why?)

“Saldran en pocos dias.” (You all will leave in a few days.)

Anthony related to the team that night, during the debriefing session, that his heart broke after his conversation with Brayan. Tears began to form in his eyes as he came to realize the importance of personal interaction and how much the very people he had come to serve had impacted him.

The encounter Anthony had in Mexico is not the typical spring break experience for most college students. Anthony, along with 54 other students from 36 different universities across North America, chose to spend their spring break loving and serving the needs of others on one of Orthodox Christian Fellowship’s six Real Break trips offered this year.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship, the collegiate campus ministry organization of the Orthodox Church in North America, has provided such trips through its Real Break program for 12 years. Since its beginning, over a thousand college students have served numerous people all over the globe. From roofing in Mexico, building a home in Houston, and feeding the homeless in Toronto, to refurbishing a half-way home in Puerto Rico, caring for orphans in Guatemala, and restoring tombs in Constantinople, the Real Break program offers college students the opportunity to do something “real” during their spring break; to encounter Christ in a deep and profound way through serving the needs of others.

To provide such an encounter with Christ is crucial, especially in our day and age, where young adults often seek to answer the question, “Who am I and how do I fit in this world?” without reference to Jesus Christ and his Church. Real Break provides students an opportunity to explore who they are as Orthodox Christians by encountering Christ in the poor, the marginalized, the orphaned, and the forgotten. By clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, and visiting the sick, college students who participate in Real Break have a chance to live out the faith described for us in Scripture (Matthew 25) and cultivate a deeper personal relationship with Christ by integrating their experience into their own spiritual lives.

The OCF Real Break experience begins as soon as a student registers for the trip. Real Break trips are not the cheap Spring Break get-aways, catered to the average college student budget. With trip costs ranging from $700 to $2000, students write letters, make announcements in their parishes, approach family members and friends, hold fundraisers on their campuses, and pursue other creative means to fund their trips, giving them a taste of the life of a missionary and providing the whole Church with an opportunity to come together to support the incredible work our students do in service to Christ. This takes some time and effort, but the response has proven to be overwhelmingly positive.

Each Real Break trip is lead by a priest who has experience in campus ministry. He, along with a lay advisor who is also experienced in campus ministry, prepares the team for their service prior to the trip and leads them in orientation and debriefing sessions throughout the trip. This allows students a chance to process the experiences of each day, maintain a united community serving together in Christ, and come to a deeper understanding of how their service draws them closer to Christ, be it putting on a new roof for an orphanage or restoring abandoned tombs in a cemetery. Having a clergy trip leader also allows students to ask questions about their faith and seek guidance concerning some of the daily struggles they face on campus.

With the constant bombardment of distractions, negative influences, unorthodox ideologies and teachings which dominate many college campuses, OCF seeks to provide programs for students which lift the cloud of distraction and confusion in order to reveal the light of Christ in each moment and in each person. Anthony Jonas and the 54 other students who participated in Real Break 2012 received this light and became lights themselves to the world through their service. It is our hope that this light continues to shine well after they return to their college campuses.

The Antiochian House of Studies School of Orthodox Theology, home of the St. Stephen's Program, has launched a new website section. The project centered on the work of two House of Studies graduate students, Keith Buhler and Mani Gergos, who worked with the staff of the House of Studies and the Dept. of Internet Ministry to update the web presence of this special Archdiocese ministry.

The new House of Studies section offers an introduction to the distance-learning school, a list of its academic programs, information for prospective and current students, and links for faculty, news and contact information. With affordable tuition and flexible scheduling, the House of Studies offers students, parents, or full-time professionals the ability to pursue an Orthodox theological education.

Browse the House of Studies section.

Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, May 16, 2012

Recently, the public discussion about marriage and about the propriety of its redefinition has once again become prominent. It is a discussion that is certain to continue for a long time yet. In light of this, the Assembly reaffirms the ancient and unchanging teaching of the Church and invites the faithful to read the important statement below, issued by the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) in 2003 and as relevant and binding today as when first published.

SCOBA Statement on Moral Crisis in Our Nation

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

As members of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), representing more than 5 million Orthodox Christians in the United States, Canada and Mexico, we are deeply concerned about recent developments regarding “same sex unions.”

The Orthodox Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality, firmly grounded in Holy Scripture, 2000 years of church tradition, and canon law, holds that marriage consists in the conjugal union of a man and a woman, and that authentic marriage is blessed by God as a sacrament of the Church. Neither Scripture nor Holy Tradition blesses or sanctions such a union between persons of the same sex.

Holy Scripture attests that God creates man and woman in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27-31), that those called to do so might enjoy a conjugal union that ideally leads to procreation. While not every marriage is blessed with the birth of children, every such union exists to create of a man and a woman a new reality of “one flesh.” This can only involve a relationship based on gender complementarity. “God made them male and female… So they are no longer two but one flesh” (Mark 10:6-8).

The union between a man and a woman in the Sacrament of Marriage reflects the union between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:21-33). As such, marriage is necessarily monogamous and heterosexual. Within this union, sexual relations between a husband and wife are to be cherished and protected as a sacred expression of their love that has been blessed by God. Such was God’s plan for His human creatures from the very beginning. Today, however, this divine purpose is increasingly questioned, challenged or denied, even within some faith communities, as social and political pressures work to normalize, legalize and even sanctify same-sex unions.

The Orthodox Church cannot and will not bless same-sex unions. Whereas marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred institution ordained by God, homosexual union is not. Like adultery and fornication, homosexual acts are condemned by Scripture (Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:10; 1 Tim 1:10). This being said, however, we must stress that persons with a homosexual orientation are to be cared for with the same mercy and love that is bestowed by our Lord Jesus Christ upon all of humanity. All persons are called by God to grow spiritually and morally toward holiness.

As heads of the Orthodox Churches in America and members of SCOBA, we speak with one voice in expressing our deep concern over recent developments. And we pray fervently that the traditional form of marriage, as an enduring and committed union only between a man and a woman, will be honored.

An Evangelical Protestant rock festival that serves as a hotbed for Eastern Orthodoxy? That’s exactly what Bobby Maddex found last July at the Cornerstone Music Festival in Bushnell, Illinois. Listen here to his audio documentary on the subject, exclusive to Ancient Faith Radio.

We fully experience the joy of the Resurrection when we worship God during the divine services. Fr. Tom Soroka reminds us that, by the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God is manifested to us when we know in truth who God is and who we are.

Photo by Vadim Arslanov[YONKERS, NY / SVOTS COMMUNICATIONS]  St. Vladimir's Seminary Chorale delivered a stunning performance of sacred music in the heart of Manhattan on Monday evening, May 7th. With artistic execution and prayerful potency, the singers filled the warm and inviting space of St. Malachy's Chapel with a sound fitting for heaven—and needful on earth.

Through a multi-media presentation titled "ORIENT: Sacred Song and Image" the chorale combined word and image to create an evangelical message that proved to be both spiritually powerful and aesthetically absorbing. The performance employed a variety of iconographic projections and liturgical compositions from the Orthodox Christian tradition, seamlessly matched to create a joyous yet profound experience for concert goers, who listened in rapt attention to the 22-voice chorus and expressed their appreciation to the chorale with a long lasting and standing ovation.

Included in the audience was a special guest, His Grace The Rt. Rev. Nicholas, auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn and Resident Assistant to Metropolitan Philip of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese.

Matushka Robin Freeman, a staff member in the Advancement Office at the seminary who holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, created the concert format and conducted in its premiere at IU's Jacobs School of Music in 2010. She served as one of the concert conductors for the New York City premiere, along with Hierodeacon Herman, lecturer in Liturgical Music and Chapel Choir Director at the seminary.

Seminary Chancellor and CEO, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, and in keeping with concert's theme, he delivered a homily about the Resurrection of Christ, near the conclusion of the program. Following Fr. Chad's homily, the producer of the concert, Dr. Nicholas Reeves, assistant professor of Liturgical Music at the seminary, expressed his profound gratitude to Father Richard Baker, rector of St. Malachy's Chapel (The Actors' Chapel), and to his parishioners, for their generous "gift of space" for the concert venue. The evening concluded with the entire crowd joyously singing the traditional Paschal hymn to the Mother of God, "The Angel Cried."

Read the full story on St. Vladimir's Seminary's website.

Having enjoyed a Blessed Pascha at the Holy Monastery of Saint John of San Francisco, Abbot Meletios Webber shares his plans to build a skete in Montana and to take a long awaited trip to Greece—on a new "Jottings from a Holy Mountain"!

Save 50% on over 65 Conciliar Press books. Orthodox Study Bibles are also on sale for 40% off. Act now; the sale only runs through Friday, May 18th. Bookstores can call customer service at 1-800-967-7377 for wholesale discounts.

On a new "Hearts and Minds," Fr. John Oliver tells the story of a monk in Greece struggling with alcohol and relates it to the Psalmist's words (and the words of the Paschal hymn!), "Let God Arise and Let His Enemies Be Scattered."

"Come Receive the Light,"  the flagship podcast of the Orthodox Christian Network (OCN), is running a series in May about Orthodox parenting. Notes Father Chris Metropulos, OCN's Executive Director, "I don't know about you but I never took a course in parenting either in high school or college but I did learn a great deal from my parents and I must confess I am learning about it every day as I watch our six children and now two grandchildren grow and mature."

The scheduled topics are:

 

May 4

Speaker: Dr. Philip Mamalakis

Topic: Parenting with a Purpose

This week, we begin our monthly theme of parenting with Dr. Philip Mamalakis. What is the relationship between our parenting and our faith? Dr. Mamalakis reflects on the connection between the Divine Liturgy and our everyday parenting goals, like getting kids to bed on time. 

May 11

Speaker: Dr. Nick Yphantides

Topic: Fueling our Kids to Excel

When does our journey of parenting begin? Hear what Orthodox doula Maria Armstrong thinks. Plus, how can we fuel our kids to succeed in life? Dr. Nick Yphantides talks about the connection of food to our children’s physical, mental and even emotional health.

May 18

Speaker: Dr. Allena Barbato

Topic: Self-Expression and Self-Esteem

We continue our month-long look at parenting with Dr. Allena Barbato, who will offer some guidance about children and self-expression. Where should we encourage our kids to express themselves, and where do we draw the line? 

May 25

Speaker: Dr. Ary Christofidis

Topic: Respect your Parents: Not Just for Kids!

In our final episode on parenting, author Calee Lee explains the inspiration behind her latest book, A Necklace of Virtues. Then, Dr. Ary Christofidis tackles the difficult topic of how to respect our parents when they do things we find morally objectionable, especially when we have to explain their decisions to our own children.

Listen to the current and back episodes.

O almighty Savior, Who didst pour forth water for the Hebrews from a solid rock, Thou didst come to the land of Samaria, and addressed a woman, seeking of her water to drink, whom Thou didst attract to faith in Thee, and who hath now attained life in the heavens everlastingly.

--Exaposteilarion of the Feast, Tone 2

On this day, the fifth Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the Samaritan Woman.

When thou camest to obtain corruptible water, O woman,
Thou didst draw forth living water that washeth away the soul’s stains.

The Samaritan woman—the holy, glorious Great-martyr Photeini—met Jesus at midday at Jacob’s Well, which was located in the city of Sychar. And being tired from travel and the heat, Jesus sat at Jacob’s Well. A little after, the Samaritan woman came to draw water, and had a long conversation with Him (it is the longest recorded discourse between Christ and a human in the entire Bible). Photeini did not want to talk to Jesus, because the Samaritans did not have any dealings with Jews; Jews considered her people heretics because Samaritans kept only the first five books of the Old Testament. However, the Lord talked with her anyway, read her heart, revealed her secrets and gave her the “Living Water”—the grace of the Holy Spirit that leads to eternal life and flows to all humanity—to drink. Photeini immediately ran throughout the city to proclaim Christ. Through her, many other Samaritans believed in Jesus.

By the intercessions of Thy Martyr, Photeini, O Christ God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Having come to the well in faith, the Samaritan woman beheld Thee, the Water of Wisdom; whereof having drunk abundantly, she, the renowned one, inherited the Kingdom on high forever.

Let us hear of the august mysteries, as John teacheth us what cometh to pass in Samaria: how the Lord speaketh unto a woman, asking water of her, even He that gathered the waters into the places where they are gathered, and Who is of one throne with the Father and the Spirit; for He, the renowned One, came, seeking out His image forever.

--Kontakion and Oikos of the Feast

C. S. Lewis’s popularity is a testimony to how people are longing for magic and mystery within the material world. Jeff Wisniewski explores how the Orthodox faith integrates the spiritual and physical realms into one cohesive experience and is thus the gateway to fulfilling those desires.

Brookline, MA – May 2, 2012

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) announced today that applications are being received for the position of North American Chaplain. The position is being increased to half-time, and will be held by an Orthodox clergyman who will also have the ability to continue to serve a parish or other ministry.

Fr. Michael Nasser, OCF’s current North American Chaplain, shared his thoughts on this development: “With OCF’s new leadership and with a fast-growing awareness among parents and clergy of how vital this ministry to our students really is, I couldn’t be happier that the next North American Chaplain will have more time to be dedicated to this great work.”

OCF is currently restructuring to better guide and support the hundreds of OCF chapters spread out across North America. The new North American Chaplain will work across all Orthodox jurisdictions, providing resources and assistance to the chaplains who work directly with the students on campus.

Interested candidates may download the Job Description. They may apply for the position by sending a letter via email or postal mail to Jennifer Nahas, OCF Executive Director (Jennifer@ocf.net), at the North American office. The letter should contain the applicant’s educational, ministerial and other work history; any relevant general experiences and relevant campus ministry experiences; their vision for Orthodox campus ministry and what motivates them to seek the position; and finally how they see this position interacting with their other parish/ministry assignment, including what would be required for the applicant to accept the position if it were offered to them. Applications must be postmarked or emailed June 15, 2012. For further information, please contact the OCF office at 800-919-1623 or info@ocf.net.

 

The recent vote in North Carolina outlawing same-sex marriage prompted this commentary from Fr. Andrew Damick about Calvinism and the politics of the damned. You can also read his comments here.

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and South America has designated May 20 as Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday. Antiochian Archdiocese member Kory Warr is Chairman of the Board for the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM). He explains: "The sixth Sunday of Pascha was selected as Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday because the prescribed epistle reading (Acts 16:16-34) describes the experience of Sts. Paul and Silas in a Philippian jail. This story is a clear reminder of the truth that the light of Christ shines in even the darkest of places, pouring forth healing and salvation. All of us who participate in the work of OCPM have, like Paul and Silas, encountered the transforming grace and power of God in places where despair and hopelessness seemed to have erected impregnable strongholds.

By obeying His command to visit Him in prison, we have personally experienced the reality of Christ's decisive and eternal victory over sin and death. We invite every Orthodox Christian to experience the joy that comes from going into some of the darkest places on earth, and there meeting Christ face to face." (Download OCPM's bulletin inserts and posters for Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday.)

On May 3, 2012, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and South America released a statement about Prison Ministry Sunday:

I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
+Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

May 20, 2012

To all of the Clergy and the Laity of the Holy Orthodox Churches in North America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

We, the Hierarchs of the Assembly of Bishops, are by the grace of God blessed to designate the Sixth Sunday of Pascha, which this year falls on May 20, as Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday. We embrace the diakonia of prison ministry in keeping with the example of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, Who in His earthly ministry preached His message of love and forgiveness to all sinners, even consorting with publicans and harlots, and saying that when we visit people who are in prison, we are visiting Him (Matthew 25:36). 

As we prepare to partake of Christ’s Holy Body and Precious Blood at each Divine Liturgy, we pray a prayer in which we identify ourselves, as did  the Holy Apostle Paul, as chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Many of those in prison have come to the same realization, and see themselves as the worst of sinners. The ministry of OCPM strives to guide them to the way of true life found in the Church, and to introduce them to the reality that, while they are indeed sinners, they can be set free from bondage to sin and death through the saving work of Jesus Christ.  In so doing, we not only help these men and women who are exiled from the citizenship of this world to become better members of society, we also give them the opportunity to become citizens of heaven, opening to them the pathway to repentance and abundant life in Christ. 

The Assembly of Bishops encourages the faithful to learn about prison ministry, to become involved in prison ministry, and to encourage their brothers and sisters in Christ who bring the Gospel of hope and salvation to the incarcerated. 

Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM) is the official prison ministry of the Assembly of Bishops. We ask all of our parishes to support OCPM, both financially and in other ways, as it carries out the work of the Church by visiting Christ in prison. 

With paternal blessings and love in the Risen Christ,

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America

The Rev. Dn. Hans Elhayek, Manager of Publications for the Antiochian Archdiocese, announces the release of two new book titles.

The Ancient Church on New Shores: Antioch in North America, authored by Economos Antony Gabriel, is a comprehensive history of the Antiochian Archdiocese that emphasizes the virtues of perseverance, struggle, and determination. The announcement notes that Fr. Antony Gabriel offers "a lucid presentation of our history in simile to the strivings of Saints Peter and Paul, the Founders of the Holy See of Antioch."

 The second book, Never Say You Can’t: Memoirs of a Lebanese-Syrian American Educator by Alice Cury Farkouh, is a record of a family's history through four generations. The author notes that she wanted to preserve her memories as a matter of record for her family, and also wanted to highlight the contributions of the Lebanese-Syrian American community to

 American life and culture.

To order a copy of either book, contact the Department of Publications:

Publications Department
P.O. Box 5238
Englewood, NJ 07631-5238
Phone: 201-871-1355
Fax: 201-871-1709
Email: publications@antiochian.org

Download The Ancient Church on New Shores flyer.

Download Never Say You Can't flyer.