Most of us have heard about Christmas in July and the annual sales many stores host six months before Christmas. Yet it is unlikely you have heard of New Year’s Day in September. Well believe it or not that is when the Church celebrates the New Year, on September 1. So what is going...
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Each year during the first fifteen days of August our Church honors the Mother of God in a special way. The time period is known as the Dormition Fast. It begins on August 1 and concludes on August 15 with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. During these two weeks the Church observes a...
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National Public Radio hosts a show every Friday called, “Science Friday.” Recently, one of the programs was entitled, “Science and Religion: can they coexist?” The panel of experts was a group of professors from some of America’s most prestigious universities. In time the discussion moved decidedly in the “against” category and one of the...
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In the best selling book, “Snow in August,” by Pete Hamill the main character Rabbi Hirsch is asked a compelling question. The young boy Michael asks the Rabbi, “If God sent a plague against the Pharaoh to save the Jews why didn’t he send a plague against the Nazis?” Rabbi Hirsch’s response captures...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… Few saints have been blessed with a vision of heaven while still in this life. Isaiah was one who saw heaven (Is. 6:1-8), as did Ezekial (Ezek. 1:1-28), and the Apostle John saw a new heaven-God’s eternal Kingdom revealed as a city (Rev. 21:1-25:5). When we read...
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From the Orhtodox Study Bible… The Bible and human history begin and end with weddings. Adam and Eve come together in marital union in Paradise, before the Fall, revealing marriage as a part of God’s eternal purpose for humanity in the midst of creation (Gen. 2:22-25). History closes with the marriage of the...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… Deification is the ancient theological word used to describe the process by which a Christian becomes more like God. St. Peter speaks of this process when he writes, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness . . . you...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… In the Old Testament account of creation, God created mankind and established a place for him called Paradise. He also gave ham a commandment regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: “And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, ‘You may eat food from every tree in...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… A major theme of the Book of Hebrews is the contrast between the earthly, or Levitical, priesthood, and the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek, which is fulfilled in Christ. The Levitical priesthood, established by Aaron of the tribe of Levi, is limited simply because those who fill it...
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