The Morning Offering
Wednesday, December 16 / 3 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 3 / 16. Prophet Zephaniah (Sophonias). St. Sabbas, abbot of Zvenigorod, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh. St.Theodulus, eparch of Constantinople. St. John the Silent of St. Sabbas’ Monastery. Hieromartyr Theodore, Archbishop ofAlexandria. New Hieromartyr Gabriel, Bishop of Ganos. New-Martyr Angelos of Chios. St. Nicetius, Bishop of…
Glory to God for All Things
To See the Heavenly Country
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These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, December 15 / 2 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 2 / 15. Prophet Habbakuk (Abbacum). St. Athanasius the Resurrected, recluse of the Kiev Caves, whose relics are inthe Near Caves. Saints John, Heraclemon, Andrew, and Theophilus of Egypt (also 12 June). Martyr Myrope of Chios. St. Cyril ofPhileotes in Greece. St. Jesse (Ise), Bishop of Tsilkansk…
Praying in the Rain
More on Fénelon
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I’ve been reading the works of François Fénelon, a French archbishop and spiritual writer whose life straddled the 17th and 18th centuries. Although his spiritual writings were condemned by the western church, they have been widely and profitably read by both western and eastern (Orthodox) Christians even to today. In fact, I have been told, the prayer in most Orthodox prayer books that is attributed to St. Philaret of Moscow and is…
The Morning Offering
Monday, December 14 / 1 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 1 / 14. Prophet Nahum. Martyr Ananias of Persia. Righteous Philaret the Merciful of Amnia in Asia Minor. St. Ioanniciusof Devich (Serbia). (Greek Calendar: St. Onesimus, Archbishop of Ephesus. Saints Ananias and Solochonus, Archbishops.Ephesus. St. Anthony the New of Chios, monk.) Photo of the Day Vashon Island’s,…
Glory to God for All Things
Brighter Than Any Royal Chamber
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At the end of the Great Entrance, when the priest places the Holy Gifts on the altar, there are several verses which he repeats quietly. They are all deeply meaningful to me, but one has been on my heart much of late: “Bearing life and more fruitful than paradise, brighter than any royal chamber: Thy tomb, O Christ, is the fountain of our resurrection.” For me, these words point to the true…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, December 13 / November 30 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 30 / December 13. Holy and All-praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called [(1) I Pet 1:1-2:6; (2) I Pet 2:21-3:9; (3) I Pet4:1-11. Matins: Matt 4:18-23. Liturgy: I Cor 4:9-16; Jn 1:35-51]. St. Frumentius, Archbishop of Abyssinia. (Greek Calendar: Bishop Alexander of Mithymna.) Photo of the Day Sheriff…
The Morning Offering
A Postscript
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from the priest who found fault with me, for having placed the Holy Cross at the site of the memorial for the fallen police officers. He has blessed me to post his letter, publicly. I’m choosing to delete his name, since there is no reason to publicly name him, in my opinion. He is a dear and loving man, and…
The Morning Offering
Fwd: The Morning Offering
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 29 / December 12. Martyr Paramon and 370 Martyrs in Bithynia. Martyr Philumenus of Ancyra, and with him MartyrsValerian and Phaedrus. St. Acacius of Sinai who is mentioned in The Ladder. St. Nectarius the Obedient of the Kiev Caves. St.Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth. St. Pitirim of Egypt,…
Glory to God for All Things
The Doorway to Bethlehem
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As we draw near to the feast of the Nativity, Bethlehem looms ever larger in my mind. At the same time, the entrance to Bethlehem appears as well. This article, posted on Christmas of last year, draws attention to the unusual feature of the entrance of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. We all have a journey to complete before we reach the manger of the Christ Child. This article describes…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Christianity and Ecology: Lessons on Sustainability from the Early Irish Sea
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A fascinating event held recently at St. Paul’s was this seminar and discussion led by Prof. Alfred Siewers of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (referenced in this previous post). You can now listen to both parts of the recording made of the seminar via Ancient Faith Radio: Part One—the bulk of the seminar, introduced by your host, in which I warble on a bit…
Praying in the Rain
Reading Messianic Prophecy (As a Christian)
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As we draw near to Christmas, I find joy in rereading the prophets: “’Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I am coming to you and I will dwell in your midst,’ says the Lord. ‘And in that day many nations shall flee to the Lord for refuge, and they will be His people, and they will dwell in your midst, and you shall know the Lord Almighty has…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
"The machine thus spoke for itself"
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Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost, November 29, 2009 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick Emmaus, Pennsylvania In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. On November 29th, 1877, a 30-year-old inventor in New Jersey handed a sketch to Swiss-born machinist John Kruesi and instructed him to build a new machine. Over the course of the next…
The Morning Offering
Friday, December 11 / November 28 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 28 / December 11. Martyr Stephen the New. St. Auxentius. Martyrs Basil, Stephen, two Gregories, John, Andrew,Peter, Anna, and many others [II Tim 1:8-18; Matt 10:23-31]. Martyr Hierenarchus and Seven Women-Martyrs at Sebaste. MartyrsTimothy and Theodore, Bishops; Peter, John, Sergius, Theodore and Nicephorus, presbyters; Basil and Thomas,…
Glory to God for All Things
The Heart of Forgiveness
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Nothing is more difficult to our heart than forgiveness of our enemies. I cannot complete this small series on the heart without a few words on this topic. This post was written last March. I cannot think that any of my readers is a stranger to forgiveness, either the need to be forgiven or the need to forgive. The need to forgive, according to the commandment of Christ, extends well beyond those…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, December 10 / November 27 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 27 / December 10. Great-Martyr James the Persian [Eph 6:10-17; Jn 15:1-7]. St. Palladius of Thessalonica. St. James,Bishop and Wonderworker of Rostov. St. Romanus the Wonderworker of Cilicia. Opening of the Relics of St. Vsevolod (Gabriel) ofPskov. St. Pinuphrius of Egypt. St. Nathaniel of Nitria. St. Diodorus,…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Sweet Afton
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Flow gently, sweet Afton! amang thy green braes, Flow gently, I’ll sing thee a song in thy praise; My Mary’s asleep by thy murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream. Thou stockdove whose echo resounds thro’ the glen, Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den, Thou green-crested lapwing thy screaming forbear, I charge you, disturb not my slumbering Fair. How…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, December 9 / November 26 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 26 / December 9. Repose of St. Innocent, first Bishop of Irkutsk [(1) Isa 35:1-10; (2) Wis 3:1-9; (3) Wis 4:7-15]. Matins:Matt 5:14-19. Liturgy: Heb 7:26-8:2; Jn 10:9-16]. St. Alypius the Stylite of Adrianopolis. Dedication of the Church of St. George atKiev. St. James the Solitary of…
Glory to God for All Things
What the Heart Reveals
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It has been said that “icons do not depict but rather reveal.” It is an insight into the intrinsic character of icons. Events that are seen in a merely historical manner do not reveal their true nature. The meaning of an event and its significance are almost never apparent. Indeed, the world itself does not yield its significance to us by mere observation. In St. John Chrysostom’s prayer of the Divine Liturgy,…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, December 8 / November 25 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 25 / December 8. Apodosis of the Entry into the Temple (Epistle & Gospel of the Feast). Hieromartyr Clement, pope ofRome [Phil 3:20-4:3; Matt 5:14-19]. Hieromartyr Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria. St. Peter Galata of Syria. St. Clement of Ochrida.(Greek Calendar: Martyr Porphyrius the soldier and 200 with…
Glory to God for All Things
Guard Your Heart
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I often think about the admonition of the fathers to “guard your heart.” It seems so obvious to me that the disposition of my heart has everything to do with how I will perceive and react to everything around me. An anxious heart perceives everything as a threat – a disaster or vexation in the making. An angry heart perceives the slightest hindrance as a great provocation. A sad heart can have…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Growth in two directions
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Dramatis personae: The Rev. A. S. Damick, Evangelia Damick (aged 2 yrs., 9 mos.) Rev. Damick: Look! Snow! Evangelia: Yes! We can play in it! It’s on the ground! Rev. Damick: Probably not tonight, youngun. Evangelia: Oh, well. Maybe later. Rev. Damick: Yes, maybe later. Evangelia: When you get small! Rev. Damick: What? Evangelia: When you get small! Rev. Damick: I don’t think I’m…
The Morning Offering
Monday, December 7 / November 24 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 24 / December 7. Afterfeast of the Entry into the Temple. Great-Martyr Catherine of Alexandria [Eph 6:10-17; Lk21:12-19]. Great-Martyr Mercurius of Caesarea in Cappadocia. (services combined) Martyr Mercurius of Smolensk. MartyrsAugusta the Empress, Porphyrius, and 200 soldiers at Alexandria with Great-Martyr Catherine. Virgin Mastridia of Alexandria. St.Gregory…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, December 6 / November 23 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 23 / December 6. Afterfeast of the Entry into the Temple. St. Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium. St. Gregory, Bishop ofAgrigentum [Heb 13:7-16; Matt 24:42-47]. Repose of St. Alexander Nevsky. St. Metrophanes (in schema Macarius), Bishop of Voronezh. St. Amphilocius of the Kiev Caves, Bishop of Volhynia. Martyr…
Glory to God for All Things
A Heart Without Exits
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The following is a short collection of sayings from the Elder Epiphanios of Athens (1930-1989). They are quoted from the text, Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit. True love is like the flame of a candle. However many candles you light from the flame, the initial flame remains unaffected. It doesn’t lessen at all. And every freshly lit candle has as much flame as the others do. I want whoever is near…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, December 5 / November 22 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day November 22 / December 5. Afterfeast of the Entry into the Temple. Apostles Philemon and Archippus. Martyr Apphia, wife ofPhilemon, and St. Onesimus, disciple of St. Paul. Martyrdom of St. Michael, prince of Tver. Martyrs Cecilia (canon only), Valerian,Tiburtius and Maximus at Rome. Martyr Procopius the reader at…
The Morning Offering
Friday, December 4 / November 21 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Entry of the Theotokos Saints of the Day November 21 / December 4. THE ENTRY OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS INTO THE TEMPLE [(1) Ex 40:1-5, 9, 10, 16, 34-35;(2) III Kgs 7:51; 8:1, 3-7, 9-11; (3) Ezek 43:27-44:4. Matins: Lk 1:39-49, 56. Liturgy: Heb 9:1-7; Lk 10:38-42; 11:27-28]. St.Yaropolk-Peter, prince of…
