Byzantine, Texas

I follow this blog which is great for my etymological bug. Fortuitously, a recent word of the day had a hagiographic connection; an interesting story about St. Æthelthryth of Ely. tawdry : The meaning of today's word reflects undeserved shame on its eponym. Etheldreda, the queen of Northumberland in the 7th century, rejected the pomp and circumstance of her station and moved to the Isle of Ely near Cambridge, where she established a convent. As she lay dying of a throat tumor in 679, she declared her malady divine punishment for the vanity of her youth, when she was overly fond of neckwear. She was canonized as St. Audrey and the city of Ely established an annual fair in her honor. In time, this fair became known for its cheap, frilly scarves, called St. Audrey lace. This expression eventually contracted to t'Audry (lace), which came to be used as an adjective, ultimately to be respelled as today's word.

All good things here. Praying for Christians in need of ardent prayers, organized process of making these changes, and real deference given to local bishops. To our Beloved Hierarchs and Clergy, Board of Trustees, Parish Councils, and Faithful of this Archdiocese: Greetings and Blessings as we approach the Holy Fasting Season in preparation for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos! This season brings with it a very special spiritual experience in light of the fact that the Most Holy Theotokos holds a place of honor with us which is second only to her son, our Lord Jesus Christ. At all celebrations of the Paraklesis to the Most Holy Theotokos, the following must be included: At the Ektenias, within the petition that begins “Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, pardon and remission of sins of the servants of God…” you should add “for the suffering Christians of Syria, Palestine, Iraq, all of the Middle East (any other country that may be locally ...

From the Daily Signal "How Ryan T. Anderson Responded to a Gay Man Who Wants to Redefine Marriage." More from this conference here .

( MOSPAT-USA ) - On Friday, July 25, 2014, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia concluded in Moscow. According to Journal № 66 of the Summer Session of the Holy Synod of Bishops: Journal № 66 -His Eminence Justinian of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA is appointed the Ruling Bishop of the Diocese of Elista and Kalmykia (Russia). -The Holy Synod expresses their gratitude to Archbishop Justinian for his Archpastoral Duties -Hieromonk John (Roschin), cleric of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City is appointed as the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, with the title of "Naro-Fominsk" -The location and time of Hieromonk John's elevation to the Episcopacy, following his elevation to the rank of Archimandrite is at the discretion of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Detailed Information will be posted on this...

( spc.rs ) - Orthodoxy in Melbourne under the aegis of the Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in Oceania commemorated the beginning of the First World War in the "Axion Estin" ("It is Truly Meet") Greek Orthodox Monastery in Melbourne on Saturday, 19 July 2014 with the celebration of a Pan-Orthodox Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Memorial Service.

( OCA ) - On Monday, July 21, 2014, abbots and abbesses or their representatives from several of the Orthodox Church in America’s monasteries were welcomed to the Chancery in Syosset, NY by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon at the opening session of a conference for monastics. The day ended with the celebration of Small Compline in the Chancery’s Saint Sergius of Radonezh Chapel. After the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday morning, the participants gathered for a day-long session. Among the topics discussed were major challenges facing the OCA’s monastic communities, selection of leaders, the special concerns of women’s and men’s monasteries, application and formation processes, the role of psychological testing, spiritual guidance and mentorship, finances, and the needs and demands of the surrounding community [dioceses, parishes and society in general]. Also to be considered during the gathering are ways the Orthodox Church in America can offer the monasteries it...

( GOARCH ) - Despite the best efforts of many policy experts and lawmakers to bring universal healthcare coverage to all Americans, 16% of the population – 45 million people – still do not have health insurance, a number that is higher in 2014 than it was in 2008, according to a recent Gallup poll. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has exacerbated many of the reasons that people do not have coverage and 2% of the American workforce, more than 3 million people, have lost their employer-sponsored coverage due to loopholes and other consequences of the Act, making the net benefit of the Act debatable. But this blog post is not written to discuss why the ACA is, or is not, succeeding. Rather, it is written to show how Orthodox Christians are responding to a problem in the United States that has been pervasive for decades and will continue with no clear end in sight. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, FOCUS North America recently opened the first comprehensive Orthodox health care facility in...

( OCA-DOS ) - Over 100 Clergy and Lay Delegates and Observers gathered in St Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral for the First Plenary Session on the first full day of the 2014 Diocese of the South Assembly. The day began at 8:00am with Matins served by Priest John Mikita, then continued with a relaxed breakfast in the Cathedral's parish hall. At 10:00am, His Eminence, Archbishop Nikon addressed the Clergy Delegates on matters of mutual interest, while Archpriest Eric G Tosi, Secretary of the OCA, gave a talk on evangelism - the lifeblood of the Diocese of the South - to the Lay Delegates and Observers. At noon, Vladyka Nikon treated the Matushki to an Italian meal, while the clergy met with their respective Deaneries for lunch at area restaurants. After lunch, the business began in earnest with the First Plenary Session beginning at 2:00pm with a Molieben to St Seraphim, then continued with the Report of our Locum Tenens, with the long-awaited news that a Special Episcopal Nominati...

( Orthodox Mission ) - The Philippines are a group of coral-embroidered islands, which the Pacific Ocean stole from the land of South Asia and made its own. They form a sea carved archipelago of more than 7,000 islands with a population of 95 million people. Their people are characterized by politeness in speech and kindness. Their piety stems from as pure as crystal soul and the religious feeling permeates throughout their society.

( Orthodox Herald ) - A petition has been filed before the Ernakulam Munsiff Court by Jacobite Almaya Forum seeking to declare that the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church and Catholicos Baselios Thomas I have no right or authority to establish any diocese outside India, the territorial jurisdiction of the Church, and to depute priests or bishops for foreign dioceses. The petition was filed by Mathachan Thukalan of Mulanthuruthy and Paul Varghese, president and secretary of the forum respectively. It is alleged that Catholicos had gone to the extent of functioning as the Catholicos of the Universe, though his authority is limited to India. “The members of the Church in India and followers are part of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church under the supremacy and control of Patriarch of Antioch. The Catholicos is the regional head in India. He has no authority to function in any foreign country,” the petitioner said. It is submitted that the exercise of authority by the Catholicos ...

Moscow, July 22 ( Interfax ) - The Moscow Patriarchate has called on those who are involved in the crash of the Malaysian plane in Ukraine to tell the truth about the crash. "It would be so right if the commanders of all missile systems that were in the crash area on July 17 told the whole truth about what they did and saw, if they said it to everyone, to God and people! The names of these people should, of course, be known to the leaders of both conflict sides," Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations, told Interfax-Religion on Tuesday. The same applies to the crew of the plane which is said to have flown near the crashed plane, he said. "If these people did nothing wrong, they should have nothing to hide. If a deadly sin, the killing of hundreds of innocent people, has occurred, it's better to speak about it than carry the heavy burden of this guilt in the soul," the priest said. He said he beli...

( MOSPAT-USA ) - On Sunday, July 20, 2014, the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA prayerfully concluded its celebrations of the 700th Anniversary of St. Sergius of Radonezh at St. Nicholas Cathedral in NYC, presided by the His Beatitude, the Most Blessed Tikhon, Metropolitan of All America and Canada. His Beatitude was co-served by His Eminence Hilarion, Metrpolitan of Eastern America and NY, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad and His Eminence Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. The hierarchs were co-served by Patriarchal, ROCOR and OCA clergy. Present at the Divine Services was the Wonderworking Icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Before the Communion of the Faithful, Abbot Nicodemus (Balyasnikov) delivered a sermon on the history of the Wonderwokring Icon. At the conclusion of the service, the Archpastors sang the Magnification before the Holy Icon. On behalf of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Archbishop ...

( The Atlantic ) - A Palestinian medic evacuates the body of a girl from Gaza's eastern Shejaiya district on July 20, 2014.

( OCA-DOW ) - His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin, presided over the annual Fourth of July Pilgrimage to Fort Ross on the northern coast of California. Here find a small pictorial with some scenes from that day.

( Patriarchate of Jerusalem ) - The Patriarchate of Jerusalem is alarmed upon hearing the horrifying statement issued by the Islamic State group, telling Christian communities in the Iraqi city of Mosul that they must convert to Islam, pay a jiziya tax, or give up all their possessions and leave the city, otherwise face imminent execution. The inhumane statement is contrary to the peaceful symbiosis of Christians and Muslims in Iraq and in the entire Middle East region throughout the centuries and completely goes against the principles and values of these monotheistic religions. The “Mother Church” of Jerusalem strongly and unequivocally condemns the appalling statement of the Islamic State group and appeals with utmost urgency to the international community to immediately intervene in order to avoid such actions and to protect the Christian population of Iraq, which has been living for many centuries in peace with their Muslim compatriots. His Beatitude THEOPHILOS III Patriar...

Fire from Ashes: The Reality of Perpetual Conversion is a new book that has just been published by Ancient Faith Publishing (formerly Conciliar Press). Intriguingly, this book was penned by not one, but two very notable Orthodox personalities. The Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Huneycutt is pastor of the burgeoning St. Joseph Orthodox Church in Houston, TX, a well-known podcaster and blogger , and an accomplished author of several books on the faith. Steve Robinson of Mesa, AZ is an insightful blogger and illustrator, podcaster , and author . They were kind enough to answer a few questions in the below interview. What motivated y'all to begin this book? This is a pretty unique pairing of two well-known Orthodox authors in creating an equally unique book. Steve: I’m old… I don’t really remember how this came about. My recollection is, about a year and a half ago, I got an email from Fr. Joseph asking if I would be willing to illustrate a book he was thinking about writing o...

( NPR ) - The Church of England voted Monday to ordain women as bishops. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the church's spiritual leader, said before the vote that the public would find it "almost incomprehensible" if the church's General Synod did not approve the change. Given all that they have said and done for the past many decades I can only agree. If you've let so much tradition and belief flow under the bridge why not let women rule? A similar proposal was narrowly defeated in 2012. A revised proposal had been put to a vote and approved in 43 of the church's 44 dioceses, according to the BBC. Under the revised plan, opponents can request male priests and bishops, but they are offered no guarantees. Read: Whinge to your heart's content, but we are required to only reluctantly lift up a single eyebrow and then wave our hand at you with the most feeble of recognitions before we laugh at you as you depart. Outside of England, more ...

H/T: Mode of Life From the Greek Archdiocesan "Discovering Orthodox Christianity" series, Abp. Demetrios speaks on Psalm 8. You can see that the seminary professor in him is still alive and well. In my own seminary not a class went by that we were not entreated to read and study the Psalms; it was a panacea for spiritual illness, theological instruction, and times of difficulty. That petition was it however and we were left to find our own books to study with. I'm quite fond of these titles, but welcome any other recommendations. "Commentary on the Psalms of David," (1950), Apostolos Makrakis "Praying the Psalms in the Byzantine Church," (2011), Jack Custer “The Psalterion According to the Seventy,” (2010), Holy Apostles Convent "Treatise on the Inscriptions of the Psalms," St. Gregory of Nyssa I've added the translations below the video for reference. The Greek is not there just to be pedantic, but because Abp. Demetrios is qu...

( mospat.ru ) - On 7 July 2014, the feast day of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, the Divine Liturgy and the burial service for the deceased Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine were celebrated in the square before the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Laura of the Caves in Kiev. Numerous worshippers, who had paid their last respects to the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, were praying at the service. Metropolitan Onufry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan See of Kiev, officiated. Concelebrating with him were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, representative of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; the assembly of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; and other hierarchs of the Moscow Patriarchate: Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldova; Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain (Russian Orthodox Church O...

I waited for AFR to supply the transcript before posting. You will see that many of His Eminence's opinions will take the Antiochian Archdiocese in a markedly new direction. ( AFR ) - Archbishop Joseph delivers his inaugural comments at the Parish Life Conference for the Western Diocese of the Antiochian Archdiocese in San Francisco, California, after being named Metropolitan by Patriarch John X and the Holy Synod of Antioch. Good evening. [Good evening.] In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: one God. [Amen.] Beloved in Christ, glory be to God. [Glory to Him forever.] I thank all of you for your love and for your sincere commitment in the faith. I thank God for my safety to here. I just arrived this afternoon from Lebanon, and I am bringing with me the love of our holy fathers, Patriarch John X and the holy synod and all the hierarchs. We met together over the past few days. It was not [an] easy journey. Nothing is done by accident, but, beli...

( AFR ) - The 2014 Orientale Lumen Conference, which took place in Washington D.C. from June 23rd through the 26th, focused on Ecumenical Dimensions of Marriage. The event was sponsored by the Society of St. John Chrysostom, the Orientale Lumen Foundation, and Eastern Christian Publications, and speakers included Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ, Archpriest Peter Galadza, Father Patrick Viscuso, Father John Beal, Sr. Vassa Larin, and Solon and Marianna Patterson. Click here to visit the Orientale Lumen Foundation store. Talks available here .

Kyiv, July 8 ( Interfax ) - The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church made the decision to elect its new leader on August 13. "The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church met on July 7 under the chairmanship of the Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan See Metropolitan Onufry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, and made the decision to call the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's Bishops Assembly in Kiev on August 13, 2014," the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said on its website. Speaker of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Archpriest Georgy Kovalenko said this process does not involve canvassing or polls. "Election of the primate does not involve an election campaign, canvassing, debates, presentations, or polls. Therefore, we hope the bishops, clergy and the flock will refrain from making forecasts, or commentaries," Archpriest Georgy wrote on Facebook. Leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) of Kiev and All Ukraine died on July 5. He was le...

( NOLA ) - The Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge has issued a statement decrying a decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court that could compel a local priest to testify in court about confessions he might have received. The alleged confessions, according to legal documents, were made to the priest by a minor girl regarding possible sexual abuse perpetrated by another church parishioner. The statement, published Monday (July 7) on the diocese's website, said forcing such testimony "attacks the seal of confession," a sacrament that "cuts to the core of the Catholic faith." The statement refers to a lawsuit naming the Rev. Jeff Bayhi and the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge as defendants and compels Bayhi to testify whether or not there were confessions "and, if so, what the contents of any such confessions were." "A foundational doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church for thousands of years mandates that the seal of confession is absolute and inviol...

In many locations child protection laws tie the hands of police and attorneys so that innocent people are caught in heavy-handed laws meant for people with malicious intent. That's not the case in this story. This is basically the equivalent of a child skipping school and a parent being arrested with absolutely no notice in front of all of his children. He lost his job and is now the subject of a lot of media attention. Common sense used to beat out the nuclear option, but that doesn't seem to be the case much any longer. We're blowing up families and imprisoning parents who are trying to do the right thing. ( Daily Signal ) - What started out as a normal Sunday morning for Jeffrey Williamson of Blanchester, Ohio, turned into a nightmare when police officers showed up to his front door and arrested him in front of his family. His crime? Child endangerment—as the authorities described it—because his son skipped church to go play with friends. He now faces up to six months...

BELGRADE ( B92 ) - A letter explaining the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) regarding the canonization of Alojzije Stepinac was recently handed to a Vatican official. The daily Politika writes that the letter was given to Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States Dominique Mamberti, who has been on a visit to Serbia. The content of the message, however, remains unknown, but the newspaper noted that the SPC "undoubtedly does not view favorably announcements that Stepinac could become a saint." Mamberti will also take with him to the Vatican another letter dedicated to the same subject, sent by the Serbian president. In an interview for Politika published in Sunday, SPC Patriarch Irinej said the announcements from the Vatican that Stepinac could be canonized by the end of the year came as "a great surprise" for the Serbian Orthodox dignitaries - "because in order for someone to be a saint, they must be a truly shining and holy p...

Kyiv ( AFP ) - The head of Ukraine's Moscow-linked [body] of the Orthodox Church died Saturday, the ex-Soviet country's largest Church said. Metropolitan Volodymyr -- the leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriachate -- passed away in a Kiev clinic after suffering internal bleeding, local media said. "Volodymyr has gone to the Lord," the church said in a statement. Volodymyr, 78, had a long battle with cancer and Parkinson's disease. He headed the Ukrainian wing of Russia's Orthodox church since 1992 and was seen as an inclusive figure during the recent upheavals in the country. In Ukraine, Orthodox Christians make up the largest denomination but the faithful are split between two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, one loyal to the Moscow Patriarchate and the other to the Kiev Patriarchate, set up following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Moscow-linked one is believed to be the largest, with more than 11,000 parishes, alt...

From the blog Icons and their Interpretation a post entitled "The Eyes Have It: The Westernization of Russian Icons in the 17th Century." In the latter 17th Century — the late 1600s — there was a significant change in Russian icon painting. That was an important century, historically. First, in its middle, came the huge controversy in the Russian Orthodox Church over revisions in ritual (such as how to make the sign of the cross) and in liturgical books. Patriarch Nikon, the head of the Church, thought that the way the Greeks did things at that time was the correct model to follow, and that the Russian Church had deviated from what he thought was that standard. On the other hand, conservative traditionalists were furious over that uppity Nikon wanting to change the way their fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers had done things, and saw Nikon as a dangerous heretic. How dare he say that the spelling of Jesus should have an extra letter! How dare he change ...

H/T: The Life of the World "Essential oils" are all the rage these days. Compare to the Orthodox equivalent...

Coffins for 2,000 dollars with free shipping that are wonderfully Orthodox? This is the way to go. At Orthodox Coffins , we seek to provide the Orthodox faithful in North America with a beautiful, simple, traditional and less expensive alternative to the standard secular funeral home caskets of today. Our coffins are hand made by Orthodox Christians in the traditional six-sided style. The coffin lid is completely separate from the coffin. The absence of hinges allows for a proper 'open-casket' in the center of the church. We believe that Orthodox Christianity in America is now mature enough to begin to reclaim many traditions it has lost during its initiation in this country. One example of a lost tradition is the typical Orthodox funeral. In some cases, funeral services have been moved out of the home parish and into the funeral home, distancing this final, beautiful rite from its proper setting in the church. Even when the funeral takes place in the church as is tradi...

( SoulPancake ) - Zach meets with a Greek Orthodox, who isn't...Greek! Noah works and lives at the St. Sophia Cathedral here in LA. A fairly "new" member of the church at 26, he has been with the a member for 7 years and has a leadership role working with the people in his age group.

( ROCOR ) - From June 24-30, 2014, a regular session of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia convened in San Francisco, scheduled to coincide with the 20 th anniversary celebrations of the canonization of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco (Maximovich, +1966), the great archpastor, man of prayer and miracle-worker of the Russian diaspora. The Council, presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of ROCOR, included: His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany, Vice President of the Synod; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, Secretary; His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; His Eminence Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe; His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America; His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America; His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle, Vicar of the Western...

( academic.ru ) - Our Lady of Perpetual Help (or of Succour) or "Sancta Mater de Perpetuo Succursu" (Official Latin Title) Holy Mother of Perpetual Help is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Pope Pius IX, associated with a Byzantine icon of the same name dating from the 15th century. The icon has been in Rome since 1499, and is currently in the church of Sant'Alfonso di Liguori all'Esquilino. In the Eastern Orthodox Church this iconography is known as the Virgin of the Passion or Theotokos of the Passion. Some Roman Catholics believe the icon to be a true copy of the painting that according to legend was painted from the life by Saint Luke using the meal table of the Holy Family in Nazareth, and in Eastern Orthodox tradition was often identified with the Hodegetria icon, and consider it to be a miraculous imprint of the Blessed Virgin Mary both in the Latins and Orthodox communities. The icon is unique and renowned due to Mary looking towards the fait...

This selection was a surprise to very few. It will be interesting to see how the archdiocese is guided after having the same leadership for so many decades. ( antiochian.org ) - His Eminence Archbishop Joseph has been elected Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America by the Holy Synod of Antioch, meeting in Balamand, Lebanon on Thursday, July 3, 2014. Much more additional information is forthcoming. Axios! His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph was consecrated to the Holy Episcopacy on June 30, 1991 at the St. Mary Cathedral in Damascus, after many years of serving as a deacon and a priest. His Eminence was born in Damascus, Syria, in 1950. His Eminence was consecrated with the title, Bishop of Katana in Syria, and served as Patriarchal Assistant and Secretary of the Holy Synod of Antioch. In 1995, he was sent by Patriarch Ignatius to America. Here, in our Archdiocese, Bishop Joseph was assigned to the West Coast Chancery by Metropolitan Philip. After self-rule...

( OCA-NYNJ ) - A series of interviews, some video and some audio, with our esteemed senior clergy and their wives has been prepared by Father John Shimchick and is now available on our website. The series, which will be expanded in the days ahead, is: “Gift and Grace: Stories of Orthodox Clergy and their Wives.” An icon-link to CLERGY STORIES is displayed on this homepage along with other valuable icon-links to items of interest. “I hope as well this may encourage similar oral history projects within our parishes,” said Father John. “We know our seniors represent a unique and irreplaceable treasury of knowledge and experience, and of witness a kind of martyria of love and dedication to God, pastoral work, and love. Let's all commit to this effort of documenting and learning from the lives of those who have served our Church with such energy, clergy and lay people, married and those who are single. It's important to be reminded of those stories around us that have led ‘to a...