Author: Dn. Nicholas Park

The Mystery of the Annunciation Two soul nourishing talks about the Theotokos, our Panagia by Papa Demetrios Carellas Hosted by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney TX May 27 2017 The Saturday after the Ascension. Everything is free, of course! There will be time for discussion and questions after each talk. Sat, May 27: 3:00 pm… Continue reading Papa Demetrios Carellas to speak on May 27th

“O my soul, fear the passions of the Sanhedrin! No matter how terribly criminal they are, they are not far from the weak human heheart. If you are not attentive to yourself, if you do not begin to watch over your feelings and desires, if you do not set the fear of God as a… Continue reading The Passions of the Sanhedrin

As we gathered this evening in worship at the Bridegroom Matins service of Great and Holy Monday, I was struck by the first sticheron on the praises: AS THE LORD WAS GOING TO HIS VOLUNTARY PASSION, HE SAID TO THE APOSTLES ON THE WAY, BEHOLD, WE GO UP TO JERUSALEM, AND THE SON OF MAN… Continue reading Entering Holy Week

(thank you to Natalia Hawthorne for finding and translating this story) St. Nicholas and the Church Keys This story is told by nun Maustrigia. During the Soviet persecution of churches, her monastery was closed down and all the nuns were told to leave. Nun Maustrigia had been living in the monastery with her blind sister.… Continue reading A Recent Miracle of St. Nicholas

    "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). In a well-known first century text called the "Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus", the Christians of the time are described as follows: "But while they dwell in cities of Greeks and barbarians as the lot… Continue reading By this all will know that you are My disciples…

As Orthodox Christians, we must strive to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind (c.f. Luke 10:27) — in other words, with our entire being.  The cultivation of the love of God in the mind consists in large part of studying the faith. We must immerse ourselves in the… Continue reading Distance Education in Orthodox Theology

Today, we as a church family are reading the first half of the Gospel according to John the Theologian. (If you are not there yet, don't worry — the main thing is to keep reading!) This selection tells of two things: Jesus' washing of His disciples feet and His knowledge of Judas' betrayal. The Church,… Continue reading Thoughts on John 13:1-20

In the second half of John 10, Jesus says: "I and the Father are one." "I am the Son of God." "…the Father is in Me, and I in Him." What do we mean when we say the Jesus is God, that He is the Only-Begotten Son of God, of one essence with the Father?… Continue reading “the Father is in Me, and I in Him”

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he… Continue reading The sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

  St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas Electronic Newsletter February 20 / March 3rd  Triumph of Orthodoxy Announcements "Mighty Mites" Collection Prayer Requests Schedule of Divine Services in the Coming week Fasting in the Coming week Announcements Tuesday, 3/6 is our day in the McKinney 40 days for life campaign. Please come and pray with… Continue reading Electronic Newsletter February 20 / March 3rd Triumph of Orthodoxy