ORTHODIXIE ... Southern, Orthodox, Convert, Etc.

A note from Fr John Whiteford ...

"If you've wondered why I have not posted much lately, it is because I have been finishing up work on the 2011 St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar. This calendar is based on the Jordanville Calendar, though it will of course be in English.

Now that I'm done, I can relax for a week or so before starting on the 2012 calendar."

Visit St Innocent Press - HERE.
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This quote from Mollie:

A few years ago, I attended a worship service at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. I went so that I could witness the congregation’s interfaith Eucharistic prayer. The sermon text was Mark 7 and the priest told us that it showed how Jesus was xenophobic, racist and sexist.

The next day I ran into another priest from the church at an interfaith event in a suburb. I told her I had been at the previous day’s service. “I’m so sorry,” she immediately said. “Why?” I asked, thinking she was going to apologize for the sermon. “Oh, our sound was all off and we had those problems with the lighting. Didn’t you notice?”

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What does the above quote have to do with the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West?

Nothing, really -- 'cept I like Mollie's writing and could not [under]stand the writing in this book. (After over 300 pages -- I'm a slow learner -- I gave up and did not finish it.)

The Broadway Musical was wicked, sick, and bad (as in, you know how young people talk: "good").

The book?

It's about as convoluted as the theology expressed in the first paragraph of this post.

In a word: Phooey.
In the old-fashioned sense of the word.

Now, don't complain that this post has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. Everything has something to do with Orthodoxy! Why, I've even met other Orthodox clergy who could not finish Wicked! (Though I've yet to meet an Orthodox clergyman who would espouse the wicked theology noted above.)

If you've a different opinion, feel free to comment.

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On my final Sunday (9/26/10) at St George - Houston, I'd thought that fashioning my farewell remarks around previous clergy would prevent my succumbing to side-swiping emotions. I was wrong; it was difficult. Below -- sans quiver, tear and lump -- is the text of the address.

Click on the "Son of St George" links for more info.

This is my last Sunday as a priest at St George, however I shall always be a Son of St George. With that in mind, I wanted to say a few words about your sons.

Being a Son of St George is a blessing beyond words. This is a special place. In trying to come up with words to define this “specialness” of St George, I have failed. But, I can say this ... considering that it is love that saves: St George is a salvific oasis.

It’s not just the People -- it's also the Space, the beautiful Temple wherein the people are formed.

People and Space. Which comes first? I believe they both shape each other.

The Space, if one concentrates on any one aspect, is nothing spectacular.

The People, under individual scrutiny, would prove to be normal and ordinary. (That's a good thing.)

But, when you combine all the visual aspects of the Space, working together, and all the People blended by love (Space and People) – it becomes a special tapestry, an extraordinary thing. It is St George’s gift.

It is not a gift to the Church … for it is the Church.

Rather, it is, as we say in the Divine Liturgy, “Thine own of Thine own …” offered to God, whereupon it is returned … redeemed.

Now, I would like to turn to the offspring of this Parish: the Sons of St George. Some of these men were baptized and nurtured here; others, like me, became Sons by adoption.

Click on the "Son of St George" links for more info.

I shall not mention all the men who have served here, only the ones whom I have met, only one of whom has passed on to life eternal, one whose name is almost synonymous with St George: Archimandrite John Namie. Fr John’s legacy lives on here, through the wonderful stories you all share. This Son of St George also left his indelible mark on another salvific oasis in Pennsylvania known as Antiochian Village (and the other camping programs, like our own Camp St Raphael, which have grown up from the seeds Fr John planted). May his memory be eternal!

Speaking of Pennsylvania, another Son of St George -- Tommy Joseph, now Bishop THOMAS of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic -- now serves the diocese which surrounds Antiochian Village.

Not long after you cross into the Republic of Texas, if you’re traveling from the East, you’ll bump into a Son of St George at a parish which was established by St Raphael of Brooklyn; that would be Archpriest Michel Pavez.

Travel to our State Capitol and you’ll find a thriving parish adjacent to the University of Texas, St Elias, where a Son of St George labors with love, Archpriest David Barr.

In another college town, Norman -- home to the University of Oklahoma -- a Son of St George, Archpriest Justin McFeeters, will, next month, host Bishop BASIL as they open the doors of their new temple dedicated to the Great Feast of Our Lord’s Ascension.

But, as some sort of fate would have it, Pennsylvania (particularly Pittsburgh) is never far from St George. Archpriest Joseph Shahda, not only shepherded this community during some of its most exciting times of transition and growth, but without his labors in the mission field our Diocese would be smaller, our witness weaker. As he prepares to become a Jiddo, he is remembered as not only a Son of St George, but a grandfather already to many.

I hope you will forgive me if I don’t say many words about "Mr Pittsburgh" my friend and boss Archpriest John Salem. That may seem unfair -- but, you see, he’s still the Father here. And we all thank God for that! Many years, Abouna.

Recently, a truly remarkable thing happened in this Space among this People: a literal Son of St George was ordained to the Priesthood and placed just north of us in a parish which was, itself, born of St George -- Fr Anthony Baba of the Church of St Anthony the Great in Spring.

And, next month our former Youth Director, Deacon Michael Sakran, another life-long Son of St George will be ordained, in this Space among this People, to the Holy Priesthood.

May God grant eternal memory to Fr John Namie, and may He grant these remaining Sons of St George many, many years of fruitful ministry.

I thank you all for letting me (and my family) be a part of, forgive me this, such a Winning Team.

Which brings me to Deacon Symeon Kees. Symeon, or as we used to say “Dana”, is every bit a literal Son of St George. He has been raised from his “birth” – that is, from the time of his conversion to Orthodoxy – by the loving oasis that is St George. As a Son of St George he has served as choir member, chanter, altar boy, teacher, catechist, bookstore manager, and deacon. Thank God y’all are finally going to give him something to do! :)

I know that you will, as you have done for me and all of these men, bestow on him something that, to my knowledge, is unique to St Church Church; that is, you will love him into becoming a better man, a better husband, a better priest as he serves this Space and this People.

Finally, I would like to say that, in a very real sense: All of us men gathered here today are Sons of St George – not just those of us who are ordained. And I think all men, Sons of St George, will agree:

It’s the women of St George that truly help to make this Space and this People so very, very blessed.

To all:

THANK YOU and MANY YEARS!

IMAGE: The granddaughter of Fr Thomas Hopko placing a red egg on the grave of Fr John Namie, Pascha 2008.
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WARNING: The gist of this podcast concerns the startling quote of famous scientist Stephen Hawking that, concerning the creation of the universe, God is not necessary. Please note, I do not mean to demean all science … just the fictional kind which passes itself off as, uh, too smart for its own good.

Listen, if you’re a scientist and you believe in God, God bless you – this episode ain’t about you. Whatever you do, please don’t email me about how I am related to pigs or monkeys – that’s about as feasible as someone yapping about the glories of sweet red barbecue sauce; I just don’t believe it.

Recently, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking caused quite a stir with comments that God may not have had anything to do with creating the universe.

In his latest book, Hawking wrote: "Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing," … "It is not necessary to invoke God to... set the Universe going."

In Hawking's 1988 mega best seller, A Brief History of Time, a book my son and I enjoyed very much as we explored it together, Hawking appeared to accept the possibility of a "creator."

What happened to change his mind?


Can you imagine Adam not believing in God?
Ha!

How ‘bout Moses?
Think he was really an atheist?

How ‘bout those fishermen called by the Palestinian carpenter ...
Reckon they had doubts (following the Resurrection)?

Maybe St John of Shanghai and San Francisco, with gifts of clairvoyance and bi-location -- what?
Think maybe he doubted God was necessary?

But, I digress.

Before we set our sights too closely on the genius, though doubting, Dr Hawking …

Let’s head for one of Hawking’s favorite topics: the predicted-as-possible outer space Worm Hole, wherein upon entering (just pretend it’s possible!) we can travel back in time, specifically to the year 1981 …


The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

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With the blessing of His Grace Bishop George, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the Damascene Gallery, a supplier of fine antique icons, newly painted icons, and high quality mounted icons, opened on August 29 (the feast of the Translation of the Icon of the Savior "Not Made by Hands" from Edessa to Constantinople, Old Calendar). The web store features a wide selection of antique and new hand-painted icons, as well as a unique type of mounted icons consisting of high-quality canvas prints mounted to traditional solid-wood panels with support slats commonly found on antique icons. Concerning the rationale of such a design, the founders of Damascene Gallery explained that such panels combined with the canvas prints result in a mounted icon that looks and feels much like the antique icons also being offered in the store.

Currently, the web store features around 30 antique icons, ranging from the early 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Additionally, there are some 20 new painted icons in inventory, as well as numerous antique brass icons and crosses. Around 230 images, including many from the Holy Trinity Monastery collection, are available for ordering as mounted icons. The inventory of icons is expected to significantly increase within the next several weeks, and the selection of mounted icons is being continuously updated.

Explains Fr. Jonah Campbell, Co-founder of the Damascene Gallery, "In addition to the main website, we also host an Iconography Forum, a Blog and an exciting Public Domain Icon Gallery designed to be a collaborative project which, in time, will host thousands of searchable icons. The gallery has been designed with search fields specific to Orthodox Iconography such as Nationality, School (of Icon Painting), Age and Iconographer. All icons are being 'tagged' with the saints depicted on them, so that they are readily searchable. Anyone can join the gallery and upload their own icons or add additional information to icons already uploaded."

The shop is named in honor of the great defender of icons, St. John Damascene.

Thanks to Fr Jonah Campbell for alerting me to his new site.
Article info, above, taken from the Antiochian Archdiocesan webpage.
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By nature, man is changeable. Therefore, just as one who has fallen into the depths of vice and is enslaved to sin can turn to the good, so one who has been sealed with the Holy Spirit and filled with heavenly gifts is free to return to evil. When some people who have tasted of God’s grace and become communicants of the Holy Spirit can still become careless and not watchful, they grow spiritually feeble and their spiritual light dims, and they become worse than they had been before. This happens not because God changes or the grace of the Spirit goes out, but because the people themselves lose grace, and as a result they are led astray and fall into a multitude of evils.

-- Venerable Makary the Great

Stolen from the parish newsletter of Russian Orthodox Cathedral St John the Baptist (September 2010).

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Did you ever try to find something even remotely Orthodox in your local superstore, gift shop, or bible book store? Chances are, you'll find all manner of things purporting to be spiritual, religious, newfangled and Christian -- though nary even a wall calendar reflecting the Ancient Faith. Besides, what should you do when you do find one? Here's a snippet of this week's [Best Of] podcast ...

Hello! Welcome to Betsy’s Cards and Things! May I help you?

-- Oh yes, thank you. I’m looking for a Church wall calendar …

Sure, sweetheart! Over here we have the Woman’s Oneness with the One calendar which offers helpful sayings from leading Christian women to help meet the challenges of our crazy world!

-- No, actually, I was looking for something a little more traditional.

Well, we have our Be-Happy-Attitudes calendar – it’s very popular – I like to call it our Christian Fortune Cookie Calendar!

-- No, uh …

See it offers happy sayings for each and every day of the week, and a funny Bible passage on every Friday – you know, TGIF!

-- Actually, Friday’s a Fast day.

Oh, I know what you mean. I usually try to leave early every Friday if I can!

-- No, I mean Church wall calendars usually have Fridays colored in pink.

PINK?!

Why didn’t you say so? Why, we have this wonderful Pink Pinky Calendar … complete with little strings attached to each month that you can tie around your pinky to ...

The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

PS - Thanks [again] to my daughter Mary Catherine for Voice #1; my wife has not given me permission to thank Voice #2.

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On the day after celebrating the Birth of Mary, we remember her parents.

Be glad, O barren one;
Be glad, O aged Anna.
You will conceive and give birth
To a wondrous child, a chosen one –

As once did the aged Sarah,
And the mother of Samson,
And the mother of Samuel,
And the mother of John –

Yet you will be more glorious than all,
For you will give birth from the womb
To the wonderful Virgin, the only
Wonderful Mother of the Most-high King.

Be glad, O Joachim,
Father of the unprecedented mother,
Of whom the Creator desires
To be clothed with glory.

The Law loses its power
When God wills, and where He wills.
Who can gainsay God?
Can there be any dispute with God?

Not by disputation, but by love
Does God change His laws.
Before love, all laws
Are as if nonexistent.

When men hunger, the Lord
Makes the dry field fertile;
And because of the spiritual hunger of the world,
He makes the barren one fertile.

For the salvation of men, the Lord
Arranges all for the best.
That is why all the Church of the saints
Cries out to Him: Glory! Glory!

-- St Nikolai Velimirovic

Taken from the Prologue of Ohrid ("HYMN OF PRAISE: Saints Joachim and Anna" - September 9th).

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The "4 years ago" part is found within the text (which is taken from a post from 2006).
Glory to God for all things!

This 16th century icon, the Korsun Mother, is taken from the Index of Early Christian and Byzantine Image Pages -- a wonderful site!

For most American Orthodox, today is the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. (Check here for a complete look at the Church year.)

These Orthodox, though they'll wait 13 days to celebrate this Feast, are celebrating an upcoming union ... long in coming. Today, all Orthodox rejoice!


By Fr Alexander Schmemann

The Church's veneration of Mary has always been rooted in her obedience to God, her willing choice to accept a humanly impossible calling. The Orthodox Church has always emphasized Mary's connection to humanity and delighted in her as the best, purest, most sublime fruition of human history and of man's quest for God, for ultimate meaning, for the ultimate content of human life. If in Western Christianity veneration of Mary was centered upon her perpetual virginity, the heart of the Orthodox Christian East's devotion, contemplation, and joyful delight in Mary has always been her Motherhood, her flesh and blood connection to Jesus Christ. The East rejoices that the human role in the divine plan is pivotal.

The Son of God comes to earth, God appears in order to redeem the world, He becomes human to incorporate man into His Divine vocation, but humanity takes part in this. If it is understood that Christ's "co-nature" with us is Christianity's greatest joy and depth, that He is a genuine human being and not some phantom or bodiless apparition, that He is one of us and forever united to us through his humanity, then devotion to Mary also becomes understandable, for she is the one who gave Him His human nature, His flesh and blood. She is the one through whom Christ can always call Himself "The Son of Man."

Son of God, Son of Man... God descending and becoming man so that man could become divine, could become a partaker of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4), or as the teachers of the Church expressed it, "deified." Precisely here, in this extraordinary revelation of man's authentic nature and calling, is the source of that gratitude and tenderness which cherishes Mary as our link to Christ and, in Him, to God. And nowhere is this reflected more clearly than in the Nativity of the Mother of God. Nothing about this event is mentioned anywhere in the Holy Scriptures. But why should there be? Is there anything remarkable, anything especially unique about the normal birth of a child, a birth like any other? And if the Church began to commemorate the event with a special feast it was not because the birth was somehow unique or miraculous or out of the ordinary; but because on the contrary, the very fact that it is routine discloses something fresh and radiant about everything we call "routine" and ordinary, it gives new depth to the "unremarkable" details of human life. What do we see in the icon of the feast when we look at it with our spiritual eyes? There on a bed lies a woman, Anna according to Church tradition, who has just given birth to a daughter.

Next to her is the child's father, Joachim according to the same tradition. A few women stand by the bed washing the newborn baby for the first time. The most routine, unremarkable event. Or is it? Could it be that the Church is telling us through this icon that every birth, every entrance of a new human being into the world and life is a miracle of miracles, a miracle that explodes all routine, for it marks the start of something unending, the start of a unique, unrepeatable human life, the beginning of a new person. And with each birth the world is itself in some sense created anew and given as a gift to this new human being to be his life, his path, his creation.

This feast therefore is first a general celebration of Man's birth, and we no longer remember the anguish, as the Gospel says, "for joy that a human being is born into the world" (Jn 16:21). Secondly, we now know whose particular birth, whose coming we celebrate: Mary's. We know the uniqueness, the beauty, the grace of precisely this child, her destiny, her meaning for us and for the whole world. And thirdly, we celebrate all who prepared the way for Mary, who contributed to her inheritance of grace and beauty. Today, many people speak of heredity, but only in a negative, enslaving and deterministic sense. The Church believes also in a positive spiritual heredity. How much faith, how much goodness, how many generations of people striving to live by what is high and holy were needed before the tree of human history could bring forth such an exquisite and fragrant flower-the most pure Virgin and All Holy Mother! And therefore the feast of her Nativity is also a celebration of human history, a celebration of faith in man, a celebration of man. Sadly, the inheritance of evil is far more visible and better known.

There is so much evil around us that this faith in man, in his freedom, in the possibility of handing down a radiant inheritance of goodness has almost evaporated and been replaced by cynicism and suspicion... This hostile cynicism and discouraging suspicion are precisely what seduce us to distance ourselves from the Church when it celebrates with such joy and faith this birth of a little girl in whom are concentrated all the goodness, spiritual beauty, harmony and perfection that are the elements of genuine human nature. In and through this newborn girl, Christ-our gift from God, our meeting and encounter with Him-comes to embrace the world. Thus, in celebrating Mary's birth we find ourselves already on the road to Bethlehem, moving toward to the joyful mystery of Mary as the Mother to God.

Taken from "Celebration of Faith" Sermons, Vol. 3, "The Virgin Mary," by the late Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, 1995.

Thanks to FWD from Jean-Michel -- especially, again, for THIS WONDERFUL SITE.
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Today, with so much reading, people end up like tape recorders, filling up their cassettes with superfluous matters. According to Abba Isaac, however, wisdom not based on righteous activity is a deposit of disgrace. You see, many who are interested in sports read sports magazines and newspapers while they are sitting. They may be like the fatted calf, but they still marvel at athletes … they gain nothing … the same thing is done by people who read spiritual books. They may spend the whole night reading spiritual books with great intensity and be content. They take a spiritual book, sit comfortably, and begin reading. "Oh, I profited from that," they say. It would be better to say, "I enjoyed myself, I spent my time pleasantly." But this is not profit. We profit when we understand what we read, when we censure ourselves and discipline ourselves by applying it: "What does this mean? Where do I stand in relation to this spiritual truth? What must I do now?"

-- Elder Paisios the Athonite

Stolen from Fr Josiah's blog.

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St Elizabeth was from the lineage of Aaron and was the sister of St Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. She and her husband Zachariah, walking in all the commandments of the Lord (Luke 1:6), suffered barrenness, which in those times was considered a punishment from God.

When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit she announced that his name would be John, although no one in their family had this name. They asked Zachariah, who had been rendered mute because of his disbelief when an angel (traditionally the Archangel Gabriel) informed him that his wife would soon bear a child, what the child's name was, and he wrote the name John down on a tablet. Immediately the gift of speech returned to him, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, he began to prophesy about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord.

When King Herod heard from the Magi about the birth of the Messiah, he decided to kill all the infants up to two years old at Bethlehem and the surrounding area, hoping that the newborn Messiah would be among them. The king knew about John's unusual birth and wanted to kill him, fearing that John was the foretold King of the Jews. But Elizabeth hid herself and the infant in the hills. The murderers searched everywhere for John. Elizabeth, when she saw her pursuers, began to implore God for their safety, and immediately the hill opened up and concealed her and the infant from their pursuers.

In these tragic days St Zachariah was taking his turn at the services in the Temple. Soldiers sent by Herod tried in vain to learn from Zachariah the whereabouts of his son. Then, by command of Herod, they murdered this holy prophet Zachariah, having stabbed him between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23: 35). Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, and St John, preserved by the Lord, dwelt in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to the nation of Israel.

Stolen from Orthodox Wiki.

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On the last episode of the Orthodixie Podcast, I interviewed two Deacons of the Church – both hailing from the Old Country (i.e., Tennessee and West Virginia).

This week, a Yankee.

Actually, some would say he hails from the Holy Land.

(You know, Pittsburgh.)

On this week's episode of the Orthodixie Podcast, I interview Fr John Salem on the high calling of Priesthood.

Fr John is a very funny guy. Thus, I was surprised by his very serious reflections on the work and call of a priest. Here follows the questions; you'll have to listen in for his answers:

So ... you weren't happy in life, being whatever you were before you felt called to the priesthood; I mean, how's that work?

What can you say about the office of the Priesthood? What do you find to be the greatest struggle? The greatest joy?

What does a priest do?

[Follow up question] What does a priest do on that "half day" he does work?

I'm an adult convert to Orthodoxy; I grew up in church, but not the Orthodox Church. You, Fr John, grew up in the Orthodox Church. I'm sure there were priests along the way that you noticed --something about the way they carried themselves; they treated people; they served the Liturgy -- that had an influence on you?

Looking through the eyes of, say, your own children -- if they see a priest celebrating the Liturgy -- what questions might come to mind?

Anytime someone says to me that they feel called to be a priest, one of the first things I ask them is: "Do you like going to church?" I mean, if someone doesn't like going to church, I'd say they're probably not being called to Priesthood. So, you like going to church?

Someone comes to you and says, "I feel called to be a priest" - or - "I think I want to be a priest" - or - "I want to go to seminary and study for the Priesthood" ...

Do you have any standard counsel?


The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

Thanks to Carole Buleza, Director of the Antiochian Archdiocese Christian Ed Department for suggesting the interview, and Vasiliki Oldziey for her suggestions.

IMAGE: Fr John on the mic, me to his left, George Kaleh on guitar -- Source.
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Make Yours Acceptable to the Lord!

It seems odd saying "Happy New Year" in September, but that’s when the Church marks Her annual beginning. September 1st is, for the Church, the first day of a New Year.

A pious tradition of the Church holds that Jesus of Nazareth began preaching the good news of His mission on September 1st. When our Lord entered the Synagogue, He was given the book of the Prophet Isaiah to read, and He opened it and found the place where it is written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:18-21).

Tradition also holds that it was during the month of September that the Hebrews entered the Promised Land. And, the custom of beginning a new year with autumn was common in Biblical and Mediterranean lands because the summer harvest was completed, the crops were stored, and it was a time when people began preparing for a new agricultural cycle. It was an appropriate time for a new beginning. This is evident in the services for the New Year as the Church beseeches God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth.

As we begin this new year it should be noted that the Church Calendar is loaded with important events -- especially the 12 Great Feasts, the Four Fasts, and PASCHA. Also, each day of the Church Year is set aside to honor Saints; many of whom died on that particular date. Similar to our personal calendars where we mark the earthly birthdays of family and friends, the Church remembers the Saints on their "heavenly birthday" -- the day they passed from this life to Paradise.

Liturgically, the Church Year begins and ends with the Mother of God. The first Great Feast of the Year, September 8th, honors her birth; the last Great Feast of the Year, August 15th, remembers her falling asleep. Between these two Great Feasts the Church marks 10 other major Feasts and PASCHA, the Feast of Feasts. Here's a list of those Feasts, including their dates for the coming year (those using the so-called Old Calendar add 13 days to fixed feasts -- not Pascha, Ascension & Pentecost):

Special thanks to the webpage of the Greek Archdiocese for the following feast info!
Birth of the Theotokos, September 8th

Elevation of the Holy Cross, September 14th

Entry of the Theotokos in the Temple, November 21st

Nativity of Christ (Christmas), December 25th
-- preceded by a 40-day fast which begins on St Philip's Day, November 15th

Baptism of Christ (Theophany), January 6th

Meeting of Christ in the Temple, February 2nd

Annunciation of the Theotokos, March 25th

Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) April 17, 2011
-- preceded by the Great Fast and followed by Passion Week

PASCHA - April 24, 2011

Ascension of our Lord, June 2, 2011

Pentecost Sunday, June 12, 2011

Transfiguration of our Lord, August 6th

Falling Asleep of the Theotokos (Dormition), August 15th
-- preceded by a 2-week fast which begins on August 1st

The dates for Palm Sunday, PASCHA, Ascension, and Pentecost vary each year. In 2011, Eastern Orthodox Christians will -- yet again -- celebrate PASCHA at the same time the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches celebrate Easter, April 24th. The Apostles’ Fast can vary in length. It begins on the Monday after All Saints Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) and ends with the Feast, June 29th.

Each parish also celebrates its "altar feast" on the day set aside for its Patron Saint, Feast, or Name.

The wall calendars that most parishes make available each fall include many of the daily Saints and readings for the year. Also, most people have their own Patron Saint -- or "nameday" -- to remember, as well as other favorite and family Saints’ days.

Why not start the New Year off right? Mark your personal calendar with the Feasts, Fasts, and Saints days of the Church. Make a resolution to participate in the liturgical cycle of the Church. Unlike mundane New Year's resolutions, marking your calendar, keeping the Feasts and Fasts, and embarking for a new life within the annual life of the Church is a wonderful way to sanctify time. Let’s all join together in making this an “acceptable year of the Lord!”

Happy New Year!

As can be seen from some of the Comments, this is an edited re-post from 2006.
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