Year: 2011

St Ephrem the Syrian on the Ascension. St Athanasius explains the Psalms referring to the Ascension.

Do you see then to what height of glory human nature has been raised? Is it not from earth to heaven? Is it not from corruption to incorruption? … St Ephrem

On this account it foretells his bodily ascension into heaven, and says in Psalm 23, “Lift up your gates, you princes and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in.” And in the forty-sixth, “God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with a sound of a trumpet. … St. Athanasius of Alexandria

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Categorized as Ascension

Ascension – 11 questions and answers, and The whole of our faith is Jesus Christ. Two prophesies, one fulfilled, one being fulfilled.

hat significance does the event of the Ascension of Jesus Christ have for the Christian? We should understand why we celebrate any feast, and its inner meaning. In the gospel reading for liturgy on the Ascension, two gifts are mentioned by Christ. One is given and one is promised. What are they? Comment on their… Continue reading Ascension – 11 questions and answers, and The whole of our faith is Jesus Christ. Two prophesies, one fulfilled, one being fulfilled.

The Sunday of the Blind Man. What must I do to be saved?

The story of the healing of the blind man who washed in the pool of Siloam is a primer on what we must do and must not do – to be saved. We discuss some very important dogma presented at the beginning of the reading (what does it mean when is says Jesus “passed by” – it is something very specific, personal and important, questions abut sin, what our Lord’s important statement about work during the day means), and then we look at the character of the blind man, and the ruling Jewish elite. A clear pattern emerges of the things WE must do, and the things that God will do it we do these necessary things.

You can’t be saved unless you have character. God will not give it to you. Text/Audio. Sunday of the Blind Man.

Today, brothers and sisters, it’s already the fifth Sunday of Pascha and the Sunday of the blind man, and in keeping with all the other Sundays it is a day in which we read about someone who is enlightened and the process of their enlightenment, and we have another important characteristic of enlightenment especially shown today. It is shown in some of the others too, in St. Thomas, in the Samaritan Woman, but especially here we see incredible courage; we see incredible character. You can’t be saved unless you have character. God’s not going to give it to you. You can’t be saved unless in your heart you want to be honest and in your heart you want to be courageous. You won’t be saved unless you have good character. Don’t depend on God to give it to you. You have to have it. You have to have a desire to be good. This is good character. Whether or not you make mistakes and you have sins – that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about what is it that you desire and what is it that you value and how do you order your life? …

Electronic Newsletter May 15 / May 29 Sunday of the Blind Man

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas Electronic Newsletter May 15 / May 29 Sunday of the Blind Man Announcements Prayer Requests Schedule of Divine Services in the Coming week Fasting in the Coming week Links related to the coming week "Blinded in the eyes of my soul, I cry out to Thee, O Christ, like… Continue reading Electronic Newsletter May 15 / May 29 Sunday of the Blind Man

Commemoration of all benefactors on our summer feast.

We have been in our new temple since last June. We could not have built this temple with of the grace of God, and also without the generosity of many benefactors. We came close to being out of money, and a bad example according to the Gospel parable, many times, but always, somehow, funds became available.

We have made a solemn promise to commemorate our benefactors and their loved ones perpetually in our liturgies and to serve a yearly Moleben and panakhida for them. We have a permanent parish document with all the names, and it is mandated in our parish by-laws that each rector use these dyptichs in the proskimidie of the Divine liturgy.

We have fixed one or around the day of the “summer feast” of St Nicholas for this. since the commemoration of the translation of his holy relics falls on the 5th Sunday of Pascha, 2011, tomorrow, we will be serving a panakhida for the reposed loved one of our benefactors and also a Moleben for our benefactors and their families on Sunday.

The Dyptichs document is divided by benefactor families, and has addresses and other information. Below are just the first names only, stripped out of the document, to give you an idea of how many people have helped us, and how many we pray for, generally at least two times a week. …

5th Sunday of Pascha – The Samaritan Woman. Literacy, thirst, humility. zeal.

he story of the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, Photini, must be understood in a historical, theological, mystical and practical context. She said “the well is deep”, and this story can be discussed from many perspectives, many of which are, alas, unintelligible to most because of their low level of theological knowledge and interest. The most important one for us is what we must do do get the living water, the Holy Spirit. Saint Photini shows us several things that we MUST be if we are to be saved – theologically literate, having thirst for righteousness, humility, and zeal. Her conversation with the Lord and subsequent actions show all these things. Audio also available.