Articles comes "The Word" magazine published by the AOC

In the most recent publication of The Word magazine, provided by the Antiochian Orthodox Church Archdiocese of America are several articles worth reading. 

The first article "Taking Water to the Jordan" is an astonishing look at how Israel is purposefully hurting and denying the basic tenets of life to those living in the West Bank and Palestinian settlements by denying them access to water.  The article begins on page 4.

The second article "Eating in an Anciently Refreshingly Way," written by Rita Madden, Program Director for Mediterranean Wellness, talks about the food that we consume today and it's effects on us.  She does a great job of relating to the Church Fathers for reference and guidance.  The article begins on page 9-14.

The third article,"St. Ignatius's Call for Unity," written by V. Rev. Joseph Antypas, Chaplain of the Order, is dedicated to the Order of St. Ignatius and the call for unity which was central to St. Ignatios epistle's that he wrote to the various communities on his way to Martyrdom.  The article begins on page 15-16.

The last article, "Sharing the Faith," written by Carole Buleza, talks about the importance of exposing and enstilling the essence, history, tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church into our children to ensure the future and authenticity of the Holy Faith in the generations to come.

"The Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church"

This article comes from Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  It was written by Dr. Lewis J. Patsavos, Ph.D. 

Read the article here The Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church

"Pope & Patriarchs: The 1848 Letters of Pope Pius IX and the Orthodox Patriarchs"

This amazing compilation comes from the website OrthoCath blog. 

Shortly after his ascension to the papal throne in 1846, Pope Pius IX wrote the Apostolic Letter In suprema Petri apostoli sede,  “On the Supreme Throne of Peter the Apostle” (6 January 1848). While it was primarily intended for Eastern Catholics of the various Oriental Rites it also addressed Orthodox Christians, calling them back to unity with Rome.

Fr. Aidan Nichols characterizes Pius IX’s letter as

“the first ‘unionist’ encyclical of the modern papacy” and as the first part of  “a papal concern for the Christian East of a depth and urgency not seen since Florence.” “Thousands upon thousands” of this letter were distributed in a Greek translation directly to the Orthodox faithful. (Rome and the Eastern Churches, p. 352).

Despite its historical importance as one of the first texts of the modern era relative to Catholic—Orthodox relations, English translations of Pius IX’s letter have been few and, until now, have not been available online.

A translation from the French version, published in the journal Irenikon in 1929, has been prepared by Michaël de Verteuil. The French text can be found here at the Internet Archive and was supplied by the Monastery of Chevetogne, publishers of Irenikon.

The reply to Pius IX’s letter, issued by the Orthodox Patriarchs later that year, is better known and is online here and used with permission.

The Orthodox Patriarchs’ reply was signed by Anthimos VI, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, along with Hierotheus, Patriarch of Alexandria, Methodios, Patriarch of Antioch and Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, along with the Holy Synods of each of the Patriarchates.

Read the entirety of the whole thing at Popes and Patriarchs

This is true statement of the Orthodox stance against papist authority.

Today, December 13th, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the first Saint canonized in America by the Orthodox Church in America, St. Herman of Alaska.





Saint Herman of Alaska (born 1756 or 1760 in Serpukhov, Russia – died December 13 or November 15, 1837 on Spruce Island, Alaska) was one of the first Eastern Orthodox missionaries to the New World, and is considered by Orthodox Christians to be the patron saint of the Americas.



Saint Herman was born in the town of Serpukhov in the Moscow Diocese around 1756. Herman is his name in monasticism; his birth name is unknown. At 16, he entered the Russian Orthodox monastic life at the Trinity-St. Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg.



There, while still a novice, he developed a severe throat infection or abscess. After fervent prayer before an icon of the Theotokos, he collapsed into a deep sleep. During this sleep, he saw a vision in which he was greeted by the Virgin Mary and healed. Upon waking the next day, there was no trace of the past infirmity. Approximately five years later he transferred from Trinity-St. Sergius Hermitage to Valaam Monastery. Eventually he was tonsured a monk, though he was never ordained to the priesthood. While at Valaam, he was under the spiritual guidance of Abbot Nazarius who had played a significant role in the revitalization of spiritual life in Russia. During this time, the head of the Golikov-Shelikov Company, Gregory Shelikov, visited Valaam and made a request for several monks to begin a mission into the Alaskan territory. Herman was selected, along with seven other monks.




St. Herman and the other monks arrived on Kodiak Island on September 24, 1794, aboard a ship named The Three Saints, a name which became that of Three Saints Bay, Alaska. The monks converted the native Aleuts, and as time progressed they found themselves protecting the natives from exploitation and abuse. Because of this moral stance the monks themselves were abused, arrested and physically threatened. In time, enduring hardship, inclement weather, illness and more, Herman stood as the only remainder from the original band of missionaries, the others either being martyred for their faith, dying of natural causes or returning to Russia.




St. Herman felt it his duty to protect the Aleuts from exploitation. He defended them against the often cruel treatment of those who controlled the colony. His concern for their needs have been documented, expressed in letters sent to the former administrator of the colony, Simeon Ivanovich Yanovsky. Herman also would intercede before the governors on behalf of the oppressed. He helped those in need in whatever way he found possible.




Between the years of 1808 and 1818, St. Herman lived on Spruce Island. Spruce Island is almost completely covered by forest and is separated by a strait about a mile and a quarter wide from Kodiak Island. Selecting this island for the location of his hermitage he called the land there "New Valaam" after the monastery from which he had left to come to America. He dug a cave in the ground and lived out his first full summer there. It was in this cave that he was later buried. To endure the harsh winters he constructed a cell in which he lived for more than forty years.




A small chapel was built as well, along with a school and guest house. The local people would visit him often. Food was produced from an experimental garden he planted for himself and the orphans of the land. He devoted his life to prayer and to performing those services he could do as a simple monk who had not been ordained to the priesthood.




His love for the people of Alaska was sincere and he found happiness in being around the children. An epidemic plagued Alaskans when an American ship made land at Kodiak. Herman remained with the ill and dying, offering them constant comfort and ceaseless prayer. It is said that his love was so genuine that he could see into the hearts of his spiritual children and help them.




The natives regarded him as their intercessor before God. When there was a tsunami on the Island, St. Herman took an icon of the Theotokos, placed it on the beach and assured the people that the water would not rise beyond the place where the icon was, and it did not. When there was a great fire on the island, it is said that he dug a trench and stayed the flames. Prior to his death he foretold that there would be no priest to bury him and that he would be forgotten for 30 years. He died on November 15, 1837, but was not buried until December 13 because a priest could not come to serve the funeral, and was forgotten until the first investigation of his life in 1867 by Bishop Peter of Alaska. This investigation was followed by publications of his life in 1894, 1900, and 1952. In 1952 an Akathist Hymn (devotional song, prayer or chant) was composed in his honor.




There are many books about St. Herman of Alaska, check out St. Herman Press






I would also suggest getting Little Russian Philokalia of Abbot Nazarius which is about St. Herman's spiritual Father!
 

 

Troparion:

Joyful North Star of the Church of Christ,

Guiding all people to the Heavenly Kingdom;

Teacher and apostle of the True Faith;

Intercessor and defender of the oppressed;

Adornment of the Orthodox Church in America:

Blessed Father Herman of Alaska,

Pray to our Lord Jesus Christ

For the salvation of our souls!

 

Troparion:

O blessed Father Herman of Alaska,

North star of Christ's holy Church,

The light of your holy life and great deeds

Guides those who follow the Orthodox way.

Together we lift high the Holy Cross

You planted firmly in America.

Let all behold and glorify Jesus Christ,

Singing his holy Resurrection.

 

Kontakion:

The eternal light of Christ our Savior

guided you, blessed Father Herman,

on your evangelical journey to America

to proclaim the Gospel of peace.

Now you stand before the throne of glory;

intercede for your land and its people:

Peace for the world and salvation for our souls!

From the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22

The Orthodox Church in America is autocephalous not in order to be self-sufficient and isolated, but in order to be in living communion and close contact with all Orthodox Churches... The Orthodox Church in America received autocephaly not in order to be master of Orthodox unity in America but in order to be a servant of this unity.

Bishop DMITRI Bishop of Dallas and the South Address to Patriarch Pimen on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Patriarchate Holy Trinity- St. Sergius Monastery, 1978

To the Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America:

Forty years ago, the Orthodox Church in America received its autocephaly from the Russian Orthodox Church and soon after glorified the first North American saint, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska. The Holy Synod of Bishops gives thanks to Almighty God for the prayerful intercessions of St Herman and of all the saints who shone forth on this continent and likewise celebrates and affirms the gift of autocephaly. By the grace of God, this great gift was the result of a long process of reconciliation between the Metropolia and the Moscow Patriarchate, whose relations had tragically gone astray, a gift which still stands at the heart of our ecclesial life and serves as the basis for understanding ourselves.

At the same time, much has transpired in the past forty years within the life of the Orthodox Church in America. A most significant event took place on May 25th-27th of this year with the convening of the first Episcopal Assembly for the region of North and Central America. All of the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in America participated in this historic gathering of the canonical Orthodox Bishops of this region. Our Holy Synod is grateful to His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who wisely undertook the task of convening the Fourth Pre- Conciliar Pan Orthodox Conference in Chambésy, Switzerland in June of 2009. This Pre- Conciliar Conference resulted in the establishment, with the blessing of all the Orthodox Patriarchs, of an Episcopal Assembly for our region which has as its goal the “swift healing of every canonical anomaly” [Message of the Patriarchs 3.12] and the working out of a solution to Orthodox administrative unity on this continent.

This event, as well as the recent dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, has provided us with an opportunity to enter more fully into the pan-Orthodox process in North America. As such we have reflected on how we understand our life and work and how these can become a means for greater and deeper interrelationship with the other Orthodox Churches as we move towards authentic unity through the process of the Episcopal Assemblies.

As we reflect upon the past forty years, we affirm the following principles:

1. We understand ourselves to be an indigenous, multi-ethnic, missionary Church, laboring to bring Orthodox Christianity to all citizens of this continent.

2. We affirm that our historical reality derives from the Russian Orthodox Church and that we have humbly received and faithfully maintain the inheritance of the Russian Mission of 1794, the Diocese of Sitka in 1843; the Diocese of San Francisco in 1870, and its relocation to New York in 1907, and the Autocephaly of 1970.

3. As directed by the Tomos, we live as other self-governing Churches do: electing our own bishops and Primate, without confirmation by any other Synod, maintaining inter-Church relationships with all other Churches; and consecrating our own chrism.

4. As envisioned in the Tomos, we believe that the autocephaly given to us will be fully realized when the promise of Orthodox unity in North America is fulfilled, and the OCA together with all the Orthodox faithful in North America become one united Autocephalous Church of America, recognized by all other Orthodox Churches.

5. We commit ourselves to work within the Episcopal Assembly in order to realize the goal of unity.

We express our gratitude to all the Patriarchs for their care and ask all of the clergy, monastics and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America to be of one mind and one heart to offer thanksgiving to God for the gift of the Church, whose mission in this world is to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the people of North America. We ask the clergy and faithful to pray that we be worthy of the heritage of the saints who shone forth in North America in building up the Body of Christ, fulfilling these words of Scripture: “Speaking the truth in love, may [we] grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Asking God’s blessings on all the flock,

THE HOLY SYNOD of the ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA

The Most Blessed JONAH Archbishop of Washington Metropolitan of All America and Canada Locum tenens of the Diocese of the Midwest Locum tenens of the Diocese of the South

The Most Reverend NATHANIEL Archbishop of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate

The Right Reverend NIKON Bishop of Boston and the Diocese of New England and the Albanian Archdiocese

The Right Reverend TIKHON Bishop of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania

The Right Reverend BENJAMIN Bishop of San Francisco and the Diocese of the West Locum tenens of the Diocese of Alaska

The Right Reverend ALEJO Bishop of Mexico City and the Exarchate of Mexico

The Right Reverend MELCHISEDEK Bishop of Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Western Pennsylvania Locum tenens of the Bulgarian Diocese

The Right Reverend MICHAEL Bishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey

The Right Reverend IRENEE Bishop of Quebec City and Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada

Archimandrite MATTHIAS (Moriak) Bishop-Elect of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest

Nativity Fast, 2010

Original post can be found HERE

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Bishop of Myra

Today on December 6th, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of St. Nicholas.  


This Saint lived during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, and reposed in 330, As a young man, he desired to espouse the solitary life. He made a pilgrimage to the holy city Jerusalem, where he found a place to withdraw to devote himself to prayer. It was made known to him, however, that this was not the will of God for him, but that he should return to his homeland to be a cause of salvation for many. He returned to Myra, and was ordained bishop. He became known for his abundant mercy, providing for the poor and needy, and delivering those who had been unjustly accused. No less was he known for his zeal for the truth. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council of the 318 Fathers at Nicaea in 325; upon hearing the blasphemies that Arius brazenly uttered against the Son of God, Saint Nicholas struck him on the face. Since the canons of the Church forbid the clergy to strike any man at all, his fellow bishops were in perplexity what disciplinary action was to be taken against this hierarch whom all revered. In the night our Lord Jesus Christ and our Lady Theotokos appeared to certain of the bishops, informing them that no action was to be taken against him, since he had acted not out of passion, but extreme love and piety. The Dismissal Hymn for holy hierarchs, The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock ... was written originally for Saint Nicholas. He is the patron of all travellers, and of sea-farers in particular; he is one of the best known and best loved Saints of all time.

Troparion:

In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith,

an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence;

your humility exalted you;

your poverty enriched you.

Hierarch Father Nicholas,

entreat Christ our God

that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion:

You revealed yourself, O saint, in Myra as a priest,

For you fulfilled the Gospel of Christ

By giving up your soul for your people,

And saving the innocent from death.

Therefore you are blessed as one become wise in the grace of God.

Description of St. Raphael's funeral service- from OHS

This is an amazing look into the funeral of the first Bishop consecrated in America, and later a Saint. 

St. Raphael