We greet you on the New Year and pray that God bless you with health, love, joy, happiness, and success in all of your endeavors. We offer thanks for all of you that have supported us by the donation of your time, talents, and treasures. May our Lord through the intercessions of His most holy Mother bless you for your generosity. And, may God grant increased understanding, cooperation, and peace to all peoples on earth in this New Year.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV).
The New Year stands before us like a fresh chapter in a book. What will be the title of the next chapter of your autobiography? It’s entirely up to you.
A New Year’s resolution is basically a commitment to self-improvement in one’s life. The practice of New Year’s resolutions came, in part, from the tradition of Lent, although the motive behind Lent is typically one of sacrifice or self denial more than one of responsibility. Regardless of one’s creed, the concept of New Year’s resolutions is to annually reflect upon and to commit to some type of self-improvement.
If you haven’t yet decided on your New Year’s resolution, may I suggest that you consider developing “a spirit of gratitude.” Research indicates that having a spirit of gratitude can make you 25% happier. Think about that: 25% happier! Being grateful will also help you to overcome adversity, improve the quality of your sleep, and allow you to get along better with others.
Whatever resolution you might make for the New Year, please consider including increased gratitude. It’s good for you and good for the world.
We wish all of our sisters and brothers who celebrate the Lord’s Nativity today (New Calendar) a most blessed Christmas!
For those like us who are still awaiting to celebrate our Lord’s Nativity on January 7th, we wish a most spiritual and blessed remainder of the Season of Advent!
Lastly, we want to again thank each and every one of you for your support of our work. We remain steadfast in our desire to preserve and to share the ancient traditions of the Byzantine Slavonic Orthodox Catholic Faith.
We wish you a Christmas filled with joy, peace, serenity, and love.
We pray that you are able to relax and enjoy the Christmas weekend.
May you feel the presence of the One we celebrate this season!
A blessed and most Merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous New Year from Orthodox Catholic Monastery of Our Lady Joy of All Who Sorrow to your household!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas, that wonderful creation based on the comics of Charles M. Schulz. Many people are baffled by the show’s success or the fact that it even aired at all. Indeed, it should have been an absolute failure. The dialogue is melancholy bordering on depressing. The opening lines find Charlie Brown lamenting:
“I think there must be something wrong with me… I don’t feel the way I am supposed to feel … I know nobody likes me.”
His internal dialogue is routinely affirmed by the mocking voices of his peers. Added to these potential drawbacks are the decisions to explicitly decry consumerism and commercialization, while also allowing Linus to quote directly from the Bible.
Furthermore, the tree at the center of this pessimistic story is pitiful, small, and nearly needleless, requiring the security blanket of a child to hold it upright under the weight of a single decoration. And all of this is set to the tune of Vince Guaraldi’s despondent jazz score.
To suggest that the original script was lacking in the archetypes of a cheery holiday production is a grand understatement. And yet, here we are fifty years later beholding a minor masterpiece that has won both an Emmy and a Peabody award and is considered to be among the gold standards of Christmas specials.
The reason for its continued resonance with us, quite simply, is that “I am Charlie Brown”. And you, if you are honest, are often Charlie Brown as well. A Charlie Brown Christmas has endured because it is true. And its truth is not merely found in the fact that Christmas can bring about a period of depression for many, but also in the fact that too often our commonly shared expectations about family, joy, and community fail to come to fruition at this time of year.
Charlie Brown’s Christmas is a sincere Christmas that refuses to hide behind glazed hams, perfectly trimmed trees, or the plastic smiles on a greeting card. It is an honest Christmas that speaks to the reason why the very first Christmas was so utterly necessary. It is the well-known reason delivered to us annually by Linus as the lights dim and a spotlight falls on Luke 2:10-11:
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The Christmas message is one of hope and of joy and of rescue that reaches into the most broken of hearts and promises restoration. It is a message that can only be called “good news” if it has come to do away with all that is “bad.” It is a message that promises “great joy” for those, like Charlie, who are no longer fooled by the world’s twinkling lights and Santa Claus parades. The sort of people who wait all year for this honest, 20-minute reminder that, although it is dark, the Light has come.
– Excerpt from Think Christian by Stephen Woodworth
Commemorated on December 9/22
The Conception by Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Mother of God, was the youngest daughter of the priest Nathan from Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi. She entered into marriage with Saint Joachim, who was a native of Galilee.
For a long time Saint Anna was childless, but after a span of approximately twenty years, through the couple’s fervent prayer, an Angel of the Lord announced to them the conception of a daughter, who would bring a blessing to all the human race.
The majority of icons dedicated to the Conception of Saint Anna, portray the Most Holy Virgin trampling underfoot the serpent, representing the enemy of humanity.
There also exist icons, upon which Saint Anna holds on her left arm the Most Holy Virgin Mary as an infant and icons which depict the genealogy of Christ from the line of Saint Anna.
From ancient times this feast was especially venerated by pregnant women and by couples who hope to conceive a child.
LIVERPOOL, England – Scientists at a university in Liverpool recently unveiled what they say is the most realistic portrait ever created of St. Nicholas of Myra, the popular 4th Century bishop best known as the inspiration for the modern-day figure of Santa Claus.
Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University’s Face Lab used a facial reconstruction system and 3D interactive technology to create the portrait, which was unveiled on December 6, the feast day of St. Nicholas according to the Gregorian calendar. Orthodox Catholic Christians who observe the “older” Julian calendar commemorate the beloved Saint today (December 19th).
Reconstructed Image of Saint Nicholas
University Professor Caroline Wilkinson said the reconstruction relied on “all the skeletal and historical material” available, the BBC reports. A university spokeswoman said the new image uses “the most up-to-date anatomical standards, Turkish tissue depth data and CGI techniques.”
Among the features depicted in the saint’s image is a broken nose, which Wilkinson said had “healed asymmetrically, giving him a characteristic nose and rugged facial appearance.”
St. Nicholas lived 270-343 A.D. He was the bishop of Myra, in southern Turkey. During his years as bishop, he was imprisoned during the Diocletian persecution, then later released when Constantine came to power. He was known for his staunch defense of the faith, as well as his often anonymous generosity toward those in need.
Stories surrounding the saint abound. He is believed to have once rescued three sisters from being sold into slavery by throwing bags of gold through an open window into their house to pay their family’s debts.
Another popular story holds that he became so enraged by the heretic Arius – who claimed that Christ was not truly God – that he punched him during a heated debate at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.
Based on the broken nose in the saint’s facial reconstruction, maybe Arius punched him back
– Reposted from Catholic News Agency
Oxford University Press, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, annually announces a “Word of the Year,” selected by editorial staff from each of the Oxford dictionaries. The selection team is made up of lexicographers and consultants to the dictionary team, and editorial, marketing, and publicity staff. In 2016, “post-truth” was chosen due to its prevalence in the context of this year’s Brexit referendum and the US presidential election. Oxford defines the term “post-truth” as an adjective “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”
The pervasive and unconstrained cybersphere of social media provides an incubator for disinformation, hopelessly blurring distinctions among real reporting, opinion writing, blogging, conspiracy theories, and “fake news” that make facts (truth) increasingly difficult to discern. One recent study, for example, revealed a dismaying inability among students to tell reliable news sources from less reliable or even fake ones. In other words, the new word of the year “post-truth” doesn’t just describe conditions in which truth is no longer seen as existing, but rather describes an even more alarming condition in which truth is no longer really important.
Theologian Roger Olson points out that the larger questions about living in a post-truth culture are not so much epistemological as ontological. In other words, a post-truth world has come about not because of disagreements about how we know what we know, but rather whether or not there is such a thing as truth and, if so, what that actually means. The simple dictionary definition of “truth” is “the substance of reality; actuality.” The nature of truth is that it exists whether we know (believe) it or not.
Throughout the ages fallen humanity has dealt with the question of the existence of truth in a variety of flawed ways. As Orthodox Catholic Christians, we humbly accept that absolute truth is incomprehensible via human effort. There is however a condition under which the recognition of truth is possible. Truth can be known through revelation manifested in the Incarnation of God! Truth is revealed by God not discovered by humanity! Christ spoke of this clearly, plainly, and definitely:
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The term “post-truth” may be new, but the underlying assumption upon which it rests is as old as that asked of Jesus when he stood trial. In response to Jesus’ declaration that He came into the world to testify to the truth, Pontius Pilate asked, “What is truth?” The answer today is the same as it was then: Jesus is the truth and the life, and to affirm this affirms the importance of seeking truth in all things.
The original shrine to a Viking-king-turned-saint has been discovered in Norway, archaeologists say.
The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) announced Nov. 11 that its researchers had discovered the foundations of a wooden church where the body of King Olaf Haraldsson was taken immediately after he was declared a saint in 1031. St. Olaf, as he is now known, conquered and consolidated Norway in 1016 but held on to rule for a little more than a decade before his power was threatened by Canute I, king of Denmark and England. Olaf died in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030.
Now, archaeologists say they’ve found a key location in the king’s posthumous journey from martyr to Norway’s patron saint.
As the sun went into total eclipse on July 29, 1030 (July 30, according to modern astronomers), King Olaf’s army was defeated and he himself was killed, as had been revealed to him in a vision just before the battle.
But immediately a great fear fell on the soldiers of Canute’s army. And then miracles began to be manifested at St. Olaf’s body: a light was seen over it at night; a blind man recovered his sight on pressing his fingers, dipped in the saint’s blood, to his eyes; springs of water with healing properties flowed from his grave; and then, to the chagrin of Canute’s first wife, Aelgifu, and her son King Swein of Denmark, his body was found to be incorrupt. Soon the penitent Norwegians expelled the Danes, and recalled Olaf’s son Magnus from Russia to be their king.
The incorruption of Olaf’s body was certified by his loyal Bishop Grimkel, whose see was Nidaros (Trondheim). As we read in St. Olaf’s Saga: “Bishop Grimkel went to meet Einar Tambarskelver, who greeted the bishop gladly. They afterwards talked about many things and especially about the great events which had taken place in the land. They were agreed among themselves on all matters. The bishop then went into the market and the whole crowd greeted him. He asked carefully about the miracles which were related of King Olaf and learned a great deal from this questioning. Then the bishop sent word to Torgils and his son Grim at Stiklastad, calling them to meet him in the town. Torgils and his son did not delay their journey, and they went to meet the bishop in the town. Then they told him all the remarkable things which they knew and also the place where they had hidden the king’s body. The bishop then sent word to Einar Tambarskelver, and Einar came to the town. Einar and the bishop then had a talk with the king and Aelgifu and asked the king to allow them to take up King Olaf’s body from the earth. The king gave permission, and told the bishop to do it as he wished. Then a great crowd assembled in the town. The bishop and Einar then went with some men to the place where the king’s body was buried and had it dug up. The coffin had by this time almost risen out of the earth. In accordance with the advice of many, the bishop had the king buried in the ground beside St. Clement’s church. It was twelve months and five days from the death of the king to the day his holy relics were taken up, the coffin having risen out of the earth and looking as new as if it had just been planed. Bishop Grimkel then went to the opened coffin of King Olaf, from which there proceeded a precious fragrance. The bishop then uncovered the king’s face, and it was completely unchanged: the cheeks were red as if he had just fallen asleep. Those who had seen King Olaf when he fell noticed a great difference in that his hair and nails had grown almost as much as they would have done if he had been alive in this world all the time since his fall. King Swein and all the chiefs who were there then went to see King Olaf’s body.
“Then Aelgifu said: ‘A body rots very slowly in sand; it would not have been so if he had lain in mould.’
“The bishop then took a pair of scissors and cut off some of the king’s hair and also some of his beard (he had a long beard, as was the custom at that time). Then the bishop said to the king and Aelgifu:
“‘Now the king’s hair and beard are as long as when he died, and since then they have grown as much as you now see shorn off.’
“Then Aelgifu answered: ‘This hair will be a holy relic to me if it does not burn in the fire; we have often seen the hair of men who have lain longer in the earth than this man whole and unscathed.’
“The bishop then had fire brought in on a censer. He made the sign of the cross over it and put incense in it. Then he laid King Olaf’s hair in the fire. And when all the incense had burned the bishop took up the hair from the fire and it was not burned. The bishop let the king and the other chiefs see it. Then Aelgifu ordered them to lay the hair in unhallowed fire. But Einar Tambarskelver ordered her to be silent and said many hard words to her. Then the bishop declared, and the king agreed, and the people deemed, that King Olaf was truly holy. The king’s body was then borne into St. Clement’s church and placed over the high altar. The coffin was wrapped in a pall and over it was placed a beautiful cover. And then many miracles took place at the holy relics of King Olaf.”
Most of us go through our days on autopilot, not really living, but merely existing. We have so much outwardly, but feel so empty and lost on the inside. We allow our minds to keep us up late at night, mulling over things that don’t really matter in the end, such as bills, money, what others think of us, etc.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Of course, none of us truly knows the answers and what happens to us after this life, and we’ve all been thrown into the same boat. How we navigate this life, however, and the choices we make along the way, define our character and existence. Our experiences and choices shape us, but many of us spend our lives locked into commitments chasing money and power and stability instead of digging deep within us.
We count down the hours on the clock until we can go home for the day, rest, and do it all again the next day. We run around all chasing something, and wake up one day wondering why we even chased it. It may not matter to you now what you do with each day of your life, but maybe this advice from a dying 24-year-old will give you a wake up call.
He posted his story on a Reddit thread, and ever since, it’s gone viral. We hope you will take some wisdom away from this young man, and realize that we only have a short time on this planet. We may as well make the most of it, and love and live as authentically as we possibly can before our time is up.
Read on for the letter, and share it far and wide if you feel inclined to do so…
POWERFUL ADVICE FROM A DYING 24 YEAR OLD
“I am only 24 years old, yet I have actually already chosen my last tie. It’s the one that I will wear on my funeral a few months from now. It may not match my suit, but I think it’s perfect for the occasion.
The cancer diagnosis came too late to give me at least a tenuous hope for a long life, but I realized that the most important thing about death is to ensure that you leave this world a little better than it was before you existed with your contributions . The way I’ve lived my life so far, my existence or more precisely the loss of it, will not matter because I have lived without doing anything impactful.
Before, there were so many things that occupied my mind. When I learned how much time I had left, however, it became clear which things are really important. So, I am writing to you for a selfish reason. I want to give meaning to my life by sharing with you what I have realized:
– Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do.
– It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinions. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you‘re a legend.
– Take control of your life Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t.
– Appreciate the people around you. Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn’t take them for granted.
It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is.
I’m not upset because I understand that the last days of my life have become meaningful. I only regret that I will not be able to see a lot of cool stuff that should happen soon like the creation of AI, or Elon Musk’s next awesome project. I also hope that the war in Syria and Ukraine will end soon.
We care so much about the health and integrity of our body that until death, we don’t notice that the body is nothing more than a box – a parcel for delivering our personality, thoughts, beliefs and intentions to this world. If there is nothing in this box that can change the world, then it doesn’t matter if it disappears. I believe that we all have potential, but it also takes a lot of courage to realize it.
You can float through a life created by circumstances, missing day after day, hour after hour. Or, you can fight for what you believe in and write the great story of your life. I hope you will make the right choice.
Leave a mark in this world. Have a meaningful life, whatever definition it has for you. Go towards it. The place we are leaving is a beautiful playground, where everything is possible. Yet, we are not here forever. Our life is a short spark in this beautiful little planet that flies with incredible speed to the endless darkness of the unknown universe. So, enjoy your time here with passion. Make it interesting. Make it count! Thank you!”
*Excerpt from Power of Positivity
National Council of Churches grieves loss of life, condemns violence against Christians in Cairo
WASHINGTON: The National Council of Churches grieves the loss of twenty-five lives in the bombing of St. Peter’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday. We join with faith leaders around the world in condemning this horrific act, praying for the surviving victims, and calling for an end to this senseless violence.
We are grateful for the news that Pope Tawadros is safe and pray for his strength during these difficult days. We are also grateful that our Governing Board member, Metropolitan Serapion, is able to be in Egypt to minister to the church there. And yet we are saddened because once again, innocent lives have been lost due to the madness of terrorism.
The Coptic community in Egypt has been witnessing to the peace of Christ since the early days of Christianity. The Coptic Orthodox Church plays an important role in both the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA.
We offer our prayers and condolences to those who suffer directly through injury, and for those who have lost loved ones and neighbors. We see what perpetrators of this violence cannot see: that the world is diminished because of these lives that have been lost. We continue to strive for a world in which persons can worship in joy, peace, and security.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Icon “Znamenie” on this day, December 10, which is November 27 in the Old Julian Calendar. This is the icon most likely to confront any visitor to an Orthodox church, as it is usually present in the upper part of the altar, the focal point of any church. It is also one of the most ancient Christian icons, being found in the first-century catacombs where the early Church worshiped secretly. What does this image show, and what is behind its name?
The icon shows the Mother of God from the waist up, facing us, with her hands lifted up to the level of her head, elbows bent. From time immemorial this gesture has signified a prayerful appeal to God. The Christ-child, Emmanuel, is depicted in a circle of light at her bosom. Icons of this type were, and still are sometimes, called Oranta (Latin for praying). Her prayerful stance also gives the impression of presenting us with Christ, and our attention is drawn – as always with icons of the Theotokos – to her Son, our Saviour.
This image acquired the name Our Lady “of the Sign” (Znamenie – Знáменіе). It is sometimes thought – quite understandably, given the Icon’s composition – that this name refers to the prophecy of Isaiah:
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
And shall call His name Immanuel
(Isaiah 7:14)
However, the origin of the name in Russia can also be traced to a specific historical event, when through the Oranta icon, God wrought a miracle. On November 27, 1165 in the midst of the assault on the city of Novgorod by the forces of Prince Andrew of Bogolubovo, the citizens of the besieged town brought the Icon to the city wall. One of the arrows pierced the icon and the Most Holy Mother of God turned her face to the city and shed tears. The tears dropped on the phelonion of Bishop John of Novgorod, who exclaimed: “O wonder of wonders! How can tears be streaming from dry wood! O Queen! You are giving us a sign that you are entreating your Son that the city be spared.”
Inspired by the wonderful sign, the people of Novgorod repelled the attacks of the Suzdal forces. To this day, the whole of the Church of Rus’ celebrates the Feast of the Icon “Znamenie” on this day, December 10, which is November 27 in the Old Julian Calendar.
Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The first major feast of Advent is that of the Entrance of the Theotokos (Mother of God) into the Temple at Jerusalem. The festal hymns proclaim this holy day as the “prelude” of God’s plan for salvation: the Incarnation.
According to tradition, the Virgin Mary at the age of three was taken by her parents, Saints Joachim and Anna, to the temple in Jerusalem to fulfill their promise to dedicate their daughter to God. In spite of her tender years, the Most-Holy Virgin easily ascended the temple stairs, where the High Priest Zachariah greeted and blessed her. She was led to the holy place as a foreshadowing that she herself was to become the “holy of holies” of God, the living sanctuary and temple of the Divine Child who was to be born in her. The Virgin Mary dwelt in the Temple for nine years until she was taken from the temple by the priests and elders to be betrothed to Saint Joseph as her guardian.
As honor today is shown to Mary, the faithful are called to look forward to the Incarnation of Christ, celebrated in a little more than a month on the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.
