Podcasts about Constantinople

"Saint Peter was a humble, devout and peace-loving man, unlike his father, Tsar Symeon the Warrior (d. 927), during whose reign there had been perpetual warfare. By contrast, Peter's long reign was peaceful, and notable for the restoration of good relations with Byzantium and with the West. Peter married Maria, the grand-daughter of the Emperor Romanus Lecapenus, who recognized him as basileus (tsar or king), and he obtained independence from Constantinople for the Bulgarian Church with its own Patriarch. He had a great love for Saint John of Rila (19 Oct.), whom he would often consult, and he kept in touch with renowned ascetics of the time like Saint Paul of Latros (15 Dec.). The King acted energetically against the Bogomil heresy, an offshoot of Manicheism, by which some of his people, lacking sufficient instruction in the faith, were being misled. He called a council in order to condemn the heresy and reassert Christian principles. Nevertheless, the infection was to remain active for many years in Bulgaria. Following the invasion of the north of his Kingdom by Prince Svyatoslav of Kiev in 969, Peter abdicated and became a monk. He died in the following year, having consecrated his final days to God alone." (Synaxarion)   A note on the Bogomils: The Bogomils flourished in the Eastern Europe as an organized church from the 10th to the 15th century. In theology they were dualistic, incorporating some Manichean and Gnostic ideas from the Paulicians. They were nationalistic and gained much support through their opposition to Byzantine dominance over the Slavic peoples. They disappeared as an organized body around the fifteenth century, but elements of their beliefs persisted in popular thinking for many centuries afterward.

In the year after the Saint's repose both the Emperor Arcadius and his wife Eudoxia, who had been most responsible for St John's exile, died. Their son Theodosius II succeeded to the throne. Soon most of the exiled supporters of St John were restored to their sees. In 434 St Proclus, a disciple of St John Chrysostom, was made Archbishop of Constantinople, and persuaded the Emperor to have St John's relics solemnly translated from Comana to Constantinople. But all efforts to disinter his remains failed, as if his coffin were sealed in the earth. Learning of this, the Emperor wrote a letter to St John asking forgiveness for his father's persecution, and pleading with him to agree to return to the Imperial City for the benefit of the faithful. As soon as this letter was placed over the Saint's tomb, his coffin was removed with no difficulty and conveyed solemnly to Constantinople.   When the cortege reached Constantinople, the Emperor met it and prostrated himself before it, once again begging the Saint's forgiveness for the sins of the State against him. At last, the relics were deposited beneath the altar of the Church of the Holy Apostles, where they worked many miracles during the celebration of the Liturgy. Since then, the relics have been scattered throughout the world, where they never fail to reveal the Saint's loving presence.

This light of the Church is one of only three holy Fathers whom the Church has honored with the name "the Theologian" (the others are St John the Evangelist and Theologian, and St Symeon the New Theologian).   He was born in 329 in Arianzus in Cappadocia to a pious and holy family: his father Gregory, mother Nonna, brother Caesarius and sister Gorgonia are all counted among the Saints of the Church. His father later became Bishop of Nazianzus. He studied in Palestine, then in Alexandria, then in Athens. On the way to Athens, his ship was almost sunk in a violent storm; Gregory, who had not yet been baptized, prayed to the Lord to preserve him, and promised that henceforth he would dedicate his entire life to God. Immediately the storm ceased.   In Athens, Gregory's fellow students included St Basil the Great and the future Emperor Julian the Apostate. The friendship between Gregory and Basil blossomed into a true spiritual friendship; they were loving brothers in Christ for the rest of their lives. After completing their studies, Sts Gregory and Basil lived together as monks in hermitage at Pontus. Much against St Gregory's will, his father ordained him a priest, and St Basil consecrated him Bishop of Sasima (in the Archdiocese of Caesarea, over which St Basil was Archbishop).   In 381 the Second Ecumenical Council condemned Macedonius, Archbishop of Constantinople, and appointed St Gregory in his place. When he arrived in the City, he found that the Arians controlled all the churches, and he was forced to "rule" from a small house chapel. From there he preached his five great sermons on the Trinity, the Triadika; these were so powerfully influential that when he left Constantinople two years later, every church in the City had been restored to the Orthodox.   St Gregory was always a theologian and a contemplative, not an administrator, and the duties of Archbishop were agonizing to him. In 382 he received permission from a council of his fellow-bishops and the Emperor to retire from the see of Constantinople. He returned to Nazianzus (for which reason he is sometimes called St Gregory of Nazianzus). There he reposed in peace in 391 at the age of sixty-two.   His writings show a theological depth and a sublimity of expression perhaps unsurpassed in the Church. His teaching on the Holy Trinity is a great bastion of Orthodox Faith; in almost every one of his published homilies he preaches the Trinity undivided and of one essence.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “A local church's elders do not rule on their own merits or according to their own designs but as subjects and delegates of Christ the chief shepherd…. Our elders may appear to be painfully ordinary men, but under their loving leadership, we receive the ministry of Christ himself…. “Our holiness is not merely personal. It is also the foundation of our corporate identity as the church. The surprising thing about the Bible's testimony is that the word saints does not single out exemplary church members, or church members whose gifts and graces are only of a particular variety. In fact, in biblical terms, there are no individual saints. In its sixty appearances in the New Testament, the word is always plural and always used as a description of all the Christians in the church…. We are not lone saints…; we are corporate saints, members of a holy company…. “The church in eternity will appear more lovely, but it will not be more loved.”~Megan Hill in A Place to Belong: Learning to Love the Local Church “God allowed his Son to suffer as if a condemned sinner, so that we might be delivered from the penalty of our sins. This is God's righteousness, that we are not justified by works (for then they would have to be perfect, which is impossible), but by grace, in which case all our sin is removed.”         ~John Chrysostom (c. 347-407), early church leader in Constantinople “And so, we, having been called through His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or understanding or piety or works which we wrought in holiness of heart, but through faith, whereby the Almighty God justified all men that have been from the beginning….”~Clement of Rome (died c.100 AD), early church leader in Rome, from a letter written c. A.D. 96 “This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest gospel and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word by heart, but occupy himself with it every day as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much.”~Martin Luther (1483-1546) in his commentary on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans “The body of Scripture is a doctrine sufficient to live well…. Theology is the science of living blessedly forever. Blessed life arises from the knowledge of God…. And therefore it arises likewise from the knowledge of ourselves, because we know God by looking into ourselves.”~William Perkins (1558-1602), Cambridge-based Puritan theologianSERMON PASSAGERomans 1:1-17 (ESV) 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Warnings of Earthquake Judgments (1) (Audio) David Eells, 1/25/26 I'm going to talk to you today about many warnings about earthquakes that have been prophesied to come to America. Some of these are old, and some are recent, which confirms them because God is still speaking through His prophets. God warns ahead so that many get the warning. If it was immediately fulfilled it wouldn't be a warning. He has been patient and very merciful towards people.  A recent earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 struck off the coast of Oregon at 7:25 p.m. PT on January 15, 2026, according to preliminary data. The quake occurred offshore at a shallow depth of about 7 km, which is why it was widely felt across western Oregon and coastal communities. No tsunami warnings were issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Early reports indicate the epicenter was well offshore, but shallow quakes travel far — and fast. If you felt shaking, swaying, or a sudden jolt, you're not alone. The offshore area near the Oregon–California border is part of a seismically active region where earthquakes occur regularly due to the interaction between tectonic plates along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Most earthquakes in this area occur offshore and are often not felt on land, though larger events have the potential to be widely felt along the Pacific Northwest coast. (This 6.0 quake, which happened very near a fault line, is a precursor to a much larger earthquake.) https://x.com/JosetteCaruso_/status/2012012701334024207?s=20 https://x.com/KristyTallman/status/2012057788932112687?s=20 It seems the Lord is blessing America to undo the damage done by liberals, who also have pushed the Land for Peace upon Israel, for which God said He would judge the US with earthquakes. It seems He is judging the liberals' rebellion against law and government. I believe the Lord told me that we are seeing spiritual earthquakes happening. We are certainly seeing spiritual shifts and separations of the earth here, a polarization of left from right. A clear separation of radical left from what is right. The Lord has shown us that He can fulfill prophetic dreams, visions, and prophecies in a physical or spiritual way (and sometimes both), depending on the actions of His people. Considering His mercy and grace being shown toward America, are we still going to see great physical quakes judging America? We are seeing tremendous precursors of earthquakes come and miraculously go as if by God's hand. He is still telling us He is going to judge apostate Christianity in America, bringing them into Babylonish captivity. Are these precursors being put down to show God's mercy once more, or are they a warning to pray against coming quakes? We saw massive riots and demonstrations on the East Coast in DC and the West Coast in Portland during and then following the inauguration. In the last several months, we've seen protests and riots against ICE, the National Guard, and other law enforcement in Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Minneapolis, and other cities. These could be symptoms of the spiritual earthquakes. Are the physical quakes still coming, or will both be true? This event has been considered in the past as a potential warning of a POSSIBLE pending large earthquake on the west coast. Now, let me share with you some revelations the Lord has given concerning these earthquakes.     More Shaking and Tsunami to Come for Russia and Japan and then for California     8/3/25 Alison Pound (David's notes in red)   The Lord says: The ring of fire is erupting. One side has gone off. The other side, where California is, will react to the Russian side. Do you remember, I will shake the earth like a cottage. (A cottage has a flat floor, walls and a roof) Think of how big the Earth is. Then think of Me shaking it. One side goes down, the other side goes up. Then it is the turn of the first side to go up, whilst the other side goes down. There was no breakage, no land fell off into the sea on the Russian side. But when the Californian side reacts to the Russian side shaking, the land will break up, and a chunk will fall into the sea. Everyone will be able to see this chunk sticking up at the cracked edge and submerged under the sea at the outer sea edge. Keep watch. The shaking on the Russian side has not ended. There will be more before the other side reacts. On the Japan and Russia coastlines, there will be another tsunami. This will be most devastating. It will happen first, and then the shaking will begin on the US coastline. Alaska will not be devastated at this time. But the Japan tsunami and the Russia shaking will set off the other side of the ring of fire. No, this is not a tribulation quake. These are the birth pangs. They lead up to the tribulation. The tribulation begins in America after WWIII, when she is bombed. Then, in a series of events, the World Order will be brought down hard upon the whole earth. (The present day prosperity of NESARA/GESARA under Trump's administration will be reversed as we can clearly see in Revelation chapters 12 and 13.) A moment of triumph for satan. A moment is all I will grant him. To wear out the saints. The earthquakes will not stop when the tribulation begins. It will not be like that. Volcanic eruptions will continue. Weather events, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, famines, plagues. But in all of this, I Am with you! TO HIS CHOSEN: You are Mine! Psalm 91. It will not come near to you. I will not allow it. I will preserve My beloved. All of My precious ones. Only those who have not prepared themselves by drawing near to the throne of Grace will be taken out of the way in those days. Sleep (death) will be a merciful act of God in those days. Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.   To Whom it was Given to Hurt the Earth and Sea 01/04/26 Alison Pound Revelation 7:2   Thursday 1st January 2026 I Am about to visit Japan. And then California also. Everything I told you I would do, I will do to them. I Am about to do it. I told you. My true prophets will know because I will tell them. Just before I do it, I will tell them. I will say to them, it is time. I will tell them to brace for impact. Because you, and they, will feel the impact of what I Am going to do. The shaking and the destruction of the earth and the people in those places will be immense. Shocking. It will be all that the survivors around the earth can talk about for a long time. That is, when they start talking. Because when this happens, at first, they will not talk. The shock will hit them. Some will then shake their fists in the air and will no longer follow Me. These ones did not know Me at all well before. But others will turn to Me in a big way. Prepare for this. Many will want to talk about Me suddenly. They will have questions. They will want to get right with Me. And My hand of mercy will be outstretched to these. Be ready to speak. Donald Trump is going. He will go shortly after California goes. And California is about to go. The seabed is in turmoil. Out of California, the underwater volcanoes are coming to life. Angels have been sent to command them to erupt. Angels are My messengers. They put My judgments into action. Remember the scrolls and the decrees? (The Book of Revelation, see below) Keep watching and waiting. When you see that Japan has had a magnitude 8 earthquake, a tsunami will follow. Then you will know California is next. The shaking will shift tectonic plates. I will shake the earth like a cottage. I have not told you this before, but this earthquake, the one that takes out California, will be felt further away than any earthquake before it. Other volcanoes in the vicinity will also erupt. Remember, I told you to keep an eye on the ring of fire? This is the time. This is the time when shipping will be interrupted and new paths will be found for the ships in order to bypass the volcanic activity. [In 2012 the Lord spoke about this, but I just did not understand at the time. He said: Way below the earth's crust, there will be a disturbance far greater than any before. Out upon the waters of the Pacific, there is going to be a disturbance that comes from far below. Shipping will be lost at this time. There will become an area that must now be avoided.] The Earth will never be the same again after this. Many, many sea creatures will die and will be washing up on far shores. This will go on for months. Dear one, this will be a terrible time for the people of the earth. Very trying. But incredibly, the wicked will continue to be wicked. It will be like they think time is short and they must get a whole lot more wickedness in before they go. Their hearts will harden, if that were at all possible. And although I Am in judgment mode and I Am very angry, I will be very controlled and perfect in all My judgments. You will have access to Me at all times. I will not be like the angry father here on earth who does not want to talk to anyone when he is in his angry mode. I do not want you to keep away from Me. But draw near and remain. This is the only way. Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,   California! This is What is Going to Happen 6/23/22 McKana Isaiah 24:20-21(KJV) 20. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. Considering the impending grave danger and catastrophe coming shortly, there is not enough warning to alarm and prepare the people in the regions. The imminent danger is not localized to a specific place or region. From what the Lord revealed to many of us, the nature and intensity might vary but the East, the West, the North, the South and the Center are in the same prophesied calamities of the judgment hands of Almighty God. The Lord has shown me in dreams and visions, over eight times, what is coming to California. The revelations given were: 1. Swarms of earthquakes in the ring of fire, two times. 2. A big earthquake in the region of California, many times. 3. Buildings in Los Angeles rattle, give off and crumble to the ground like dust. 4. Buildings all the way down the mountain range of the west coast rattle and crumble like the side of a mountain crumbling and falling off to the ground. 5. The land under the Pacific Ocean moves to the East, Northeast, and towards the East Coast. 6. The land from the floor of the Pacific Ocean moves, climbs over the coastline, and crumbles, bringing total destruction. 7. The land moving from the floor of the ocean, over the coastline, cracks the land along the fault line and breaks off the land to throw it down to the ocean. I have seen this in a vision which looked like “real action.” From these visions, dreams, and revelations, this is what is going to happen to California. There will be wide, big swarms of earthquakes along the ring of fire, under the ocean, on the coastline of North and South America, East of Australia, East of the small islands in the Pacific, East of the Philippines, East of China, Japan, Russia, and South of the land and coast of Alaska. This earthquake will bring about the movements of the floor of the ocean. The land of the floor of the Pacific Ocean, east [she means west] of California and Oregon, will move towards the East Coast. One part of the floor of the Pacific Ocean moves to the East and then to the northeast to be submerged under the land on the floor, subducted. The next part of the land from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, South and adjacent to the first one, will move towards the East Coast. It will climb over the East (West) Coast of California. It will crumble and fall back to the floor and will ultimately break off the East (West) Coast of California along the San Andria fault line. This land movement and the shaking, so big, will bring a big tsunami to go further East and inundate the inland. All, what I have seen.   One of the visions below will give a short glimpse of what is befalling California.   California Earthquake-Last Warning (Vision of October 15, 2017. 1:30 AM and 4:00 AM)  I see chairs and tables being pushed. A few, finely dressed people are pushing a whole set of tables and chairs as they are together, quarter of a football size, all at once, row after row. They are pushing them first to the East, then to the North and push them all to store them in a house, big auditorium-like setting. One group is pushing the set of tables and chairs to the North-East and storing them in the same way. They pushed it over a high cliff like stairs. After they are done, the whole stairs made of stone collapsed and sank to the ground, crumbling. I turned to the right, and a row of high-rise buildings was crumbling like the side of a mountain, falling to the ground with the dust cloud and debris falling to the ground. I looked far to the North. There is a range of mountain buildings. The buildings look resting on a small but very long range of hills. They started crumbling from the North down South. I started screaming loud “Sound the alarm, warn them, tell them!” to the station on the left, but it is too late. No alarm, no warning, no escape. The whole row after row of the buildings along the mountain range collapsed and fell to the ground with so many people in them. No warning, no time to escape, all gone. I held my head and started crying, screaming and shouting, then I woke up. Then at 4:00 AM, I saw another dream, the same region, first a standing metallic pole, a wave from the pole to the West and from the pole to the North. It is an Earthquake with the poll, Epicenter, close to and in the middle of the range of the mountain building I saw above, the fault lines. It is an Earthquake like we have never seen before, a California Earthquake. I have to think, inquire, and ask what it is. It is the land moving like a table Cascadia Subduction zone and the San Andreas fault line. I saw the California Earthquake few years ago. This one is a warning that time has run out and is imminent. Sudden without warning. Lord have mercy.   California  Summary of Visions and Dreams from 2016  1. Thou city who claims to be the City of the Angels, who has exalted yourself into heaven and sent all the dirty, filthy things of fashions and things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send it away, with your fine churches and steeples, and so forth, the way you do, remember, one day you'll be lying in the bottom of this sea The world is falling apart, fifteen hundred mile chunk of it, three to four hundred miles wide, will sink maybe forty miles down into that great fault out yonder. William Branham, 1933. 2. The earthquakes began in the west, around Idaho and Wyoming, and then quickly spread in every direction. I saw a huge earthquake hit Utah and then California. There were earthquakes all over California, but they were especially devastating in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. San Francisco appeared to turn upside down. Sarah Menet-1979 3. The United States is going to experience in the not-too-distant future the most tragic earthquakes in its history. One day soon this nation will be reeling under the impact of the biggest news story of modern times. It will be coverage of the biggest, most disastrous earthquake in history. It will cause widespread panic and fear. Without a doubt, it will become one of the most completely reported earthquakes ever. Television networks will suspend all programming and carry all day coverage. David Wilkerson Prophecy 1994 4. The shape of the United States is going to change if we do not cry out to God. Whenever man turns away from God it will start to decay. The Earth will not yield itself to you. Earthquakes are not going to strike only the coastal areas of the United States but also the Midwest of the United States. JOHN PAUL JACKSON, 2007 5. A massive Earthquake that seemed to crack off the coast of California. It reminded me of a saltine cracker that just cracks in two. The great cities of the West Coast fall into the ocean all the way from Mexico to Alaska and a giant wave flooded inside, and much of the West Coast was not there. It has disappeared into the Pacific Ocean. Maurice Sklar, March 14, 2014 6. The landscape of America is about to change. There will be many signs I perform as a warning for your nation. The Lord says, the oceans will come as far as the Rockies in some areas on the West Coast. The Grand Canyon will begin to fill with water. Dr Patricia Green, 7/7/2015 7. There is a massive earthquake coming to America, says the Lord. There is a massive earthquake that is about to take place; we have never heard of this kind. Everything will shake, says the Lord. My people are not listening says the Lord. This earthquake will wake up everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Times are changing, and that means our earth is changing. Be ready for change these days. Everything will happen quickly, says the Lord. When the world is saying peace, peace, then comes a sudden destruction. Dawn Obrien 6/21/2016 8. I saw a very devastating Earthquake in the West Coast of the US, with collapsed buildings and the earth split, from South to North along a fault line, and people scrambling to save the victims. McKana, 5/23/2013   “Redmond #9 – Unforgettable”  Julie Teig - 5/5/2011 (David's notes in red) (First, I want to give a little background: I used to be a volunteer member with a group that helped with wine competitions for charity events, which is why God gave me this dream the way He did. Briefly, wines would be tasted and judged by professional wine makers, writers for wine magazines, and wine distributors, etc.) On or about May 5, 2011, I had the following dream: I was at work and someone had given me a very large bottle of red wine as a gift. I no longer drink much wine, so I decided to re-gift it to my boss, Bill, because I know he and his wife like to entertain and enjoy wine. My boss said, “Wow, this is great! Call Lindsey (his wife) and tell her you are coming over to dinner with this wine.” I felt a little uncomfortable about calling her and inviting myself to dinner, and I didn't really want to go because they had recently moved into a new high-rise condo downtown, and I had visited them previously, but I don't like heights too much. (They are on the 37th floor). The bottle of wine, like I said, was very large and, in my mind, I was thinking “magnum”, but the bottle appeared to be much larger than that. I told my boss, “Let's see what, if any, award the judges gave this wine in the competition!” The label on the wine bottle said, “Redmond #9” so I'm reading over the spreadsheet listing all the wines, searching for it, and I found it listed just as the label reads, “Redmond #9.” I noticed that it did not receive a medal, but in the comments made by the judges, it only said, “Unforgettable”. End of the dream, and I woke up. After playing it over in my mind several times, I knew I was to remember “Redmond #9, Unforgettable” So I started asking the Lord what that meant, and is it “unforgettable good” or unforgettable bad”…? I received a revelation then the following Saturday, May 7, when I was watching a video posted by Glynda Lomax where she was talking about the very strong feelings she was having about a large earthquake coming to America, and she kept saying “8+, 8+ earthquake,” and then I remembered my dream and the wine bottle, “Redmond #9, Unforgettable.” (meaning 8+ 'magnitude' earthquake) http://wingsofprophecy.blogspot.com/p/videos.html So I started searching on Google maps for “cities in the US named Redmond,” and I found in the first few hits Redmond, WA, and Redmond, OR. The two cities are approximately 6 hours and 330 miles apart. This area or location seemed relevant to someone's dream that was recently shared about a possible tsunami hitting the Western part of the US from an earthquake (upper US area). Then, even more recently, the supposed next BIG earthquake to hit at the 188-day interval shows it as the upper Northwest US. (I remember this but we've looked and cannot find it, it's lost from the site now)  In addition, since the wine bottle in my dream appeared to be much larger than a magnum, which holds the equivalent of 2 bottles of wine, I searched for wine bottle sizes. I found this chart very interesting! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_bottle   Volume (litres) Ratio Name Notes 0.1875 0.25 Piccolo "Small" in Italian. Also known as a quarter bottle, pony, snipe or split. 0.25 0.33 Chopine Traditional French unit of volume 0.375 0.5 Demi "Half" in French. Also known as a half bottle or split. 0.378 0.505 Tenth One-tenth of a U.S. gallon* 0.5 0.67 Jennie "White Spirit" in Welsh. Also known as a 50 cl bottle. Used for Tokaj, Sauternes, Jerez, as well as several other types of sweet wines. 0.620 0.83 Clavelin Primarily used for vin jaune. 0.750 1 Standard   0.757 1.01 Fifth One-fifth of a U.S. gallon* 1.5 2 Magnum   2.25 3 Marie Jeanne Also known as a Tregnum or Tappit Hen in the port wine trade. 3.0 4 Jeroboam (a.k.a. Double Magnum) Biblical, First king of Northern Kingdom. "Jeroboam" has different meanings for different regions in France.[5] 4.5 6 4.5 6 Rehoboam Biblical, First king of separate Judea 6.0 8 Imperial   6.0 8 Methuselah Biblical, Oldest Man 9.0 12 Mordechai Biblical, Cousin of Esther Queen of Persia 9.0 12 Salmanazar Biblical, Assyrian King 12.0 16 Balthazar Early Christian folklore, one of the Wise Men 15.0 20 Nebuchadnezzar Biblical, King of Babylon 18.0 24 Melchior Early Christian folklore, one of the Wise Men 20.0 26.66 Solomon Biblical, King of Israel, Son of David 25.0 33.33 Sovereign   27.0 36 Primat   30.0 40 Melchizedek Biblical and other Middle East religions   Then about a week later, a woman who used to work in our office in San Diego, CA, sent an update email telling us she was working in our Seattle, WA office now and that she and her family had finally arrived safely and had found a nice place to live in “Redmond, WA” which reminded me of my dream and prompted me to get this written down and send it to you.   Please Check Out of Hotel California Soon Brian Lake – 3/7/2022 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginning of sorrows.” Mark 13:8 The Lord Jesus gave me a dream during the early morning hours of March 1, 2022. I found myself swimming in the Pacific Ocean somewhere off the coast of Southern California. The water started to churn, and all of the swimmers were being tossed around. After realizing that this was a tsunami, I started shouting for people to get to higher ground. The strength of the swirling waters made it very difficult for them to get back to shore. As I was starting to drown, I woke up. Christian prophetic warnings have gone out to California for nearly 100 years. Because the great earthquake has not yet happened, most Californians now ignore any and all earthquake warnings. Joseph Brandt was shown the great California earthquake in his 1937 dream/vision. He was also shown the collapse of the Boulder (Hoover) Dam. https://444prophecynews.com/dream-earthquake-sink-los-angeles-much-of-california-and-japan-joe-brandt/ Millions have hardened their hearts and refuse to leave the state. They love the good weather and numerous attractions that California provides. They love Hollywood, the Music Center, and their professional sports teams. They love swimming in the ocean and skiing in the mountains. (idolatry) Many of my family and friends do not understand or comprehend the magnitude and extent of this prophesied great earthquake. They remember the Northridge quake (1-17-1994) and the Whittier Narrows quake (10-1-1987). They reason that the next quake could not possibly be any larger than either of those two. Unfortunately, this quake will affect a wide area: from north of San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas. All of the beloved Pastors, Rabbis, and Priests in California have been warned, in one way or another, about this great earthquake. Most of them have chosen not to warn their congregations. As a result, the blood of their sheep will be on their own hands. (Ezekiel 33) All glory to the Lamb and the One who sits on the throne! In Messiah, Brian Lake   West Coast Evacuation Not as an Escape Clause 8/5/25 LaTonya Canada-Christ August 1, 2025 “LaTonya, take a message: “It is My will that My people love Me, truly love Me – not as an escape clause or insurance policy. I desire for them to actually enjoy My ways, right living, and honoring one another in the beauty of holiness. It is not inconceivable to think that I would want My people to want to be with Me, not as a chore or task, but in genuine fondness, service, and requited love. Why is this such a foreign idea? I want love and closeness as much as the next. But I will not accept scraps like a begging dog. For I am a GREAT KING! The offer is still open, but for some, it will be too late. That is all.” Jesus Christ, the Great King of kings.   Evacuate the West Coast 8/5/2025 - LaTonya Canada-Christ Saints, Last week, upon hearing of the earthquakes in Russia, I began to pray for my loved ones and friends. 16 years ago, we were called to warn WA churches and the West Coast state authorities of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. So, I asked the Lord whether I should warn my family and friends who have refused the warnings previously to evacuate. And the following was His response. “LaTonya, I know you want to warn them, but they have been warned. They don't want Me, so what does it matter to warn them to move? Where can you go from Me? Pray that they discern a need for My salvation of their souls and return to Me.” For those who are not hardened, warn them to evacuate their sin and the West Coast, seeking the Lord's direction. The key is salvation first. When COVID happened, the Lord asked me a question. “Why do the people have to wait to lose everything before they heed My warnings to move?” He said, “When the disasters happen, then people figure out how to move, if they live to do so.” We are praying for all concerned. Jesus gave us free-will. Note: The 5 state authorities warned were Hawaii, CA, OR, WA, and Alaska. Psalms 2:8, Nehemiah 4:14, Deuteronomy 7:9, Ezekiel 36:24-33, Acts 17:30-31   I Will Not Stop It! Earthquake Warning 4/15/2019- Ken Dewey A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD I move at His command now: I AM that I AM and I move now to warn you again of the soon coming storm of Earthquakes coming upon many people. I speak first now of Japan, for I see that in the ground [plates of the Earth below Japan], alignment that is ready for another even greater Earthquake. I move to warn you that you, who have ears to hear, must hear, prepare your hearts and lives for this day is coming, that will be a most terrible time. If you are trusting in Me, I will move My mighty hand to help you, but I CANNOT STOP THE PLATES FROM MOVING because there is so much false worship of Idols in Japan, and men turning to stones to worship, I cannot hold My judgment upon such evil worship. In Japan, so many today are worshipers of themselves, and see themselves in the Light that are led to do all that is both false and evil, saying it is all good. SHAKING WILL COME. I SEE IT COMING. 1,2,3 IT WILL BE, shaking will start… The Shaking will be like a trigger on a gun, that when it happens, it pulls the shaking in the coast of North America. California is in direct hit of the coming shaking. For those who are watching, know that the plates are lining up for the shaking. All know that it is coming, and coming soon. Prepare your hearts for it, for I will NOT STOP IT. The sin is too great, and the door has been opened too wide for the enemy to destroy you. You have chosen him over Me, and walk deliberately away. I speak not just to Japan and California, for the shaking coming which I wrote in my Word will happen, and SHAKE MANY PLACES across America, and the World. But watch Japan, knowing that it triggers even more….. Know it is coming, prepare your hearts because the Shaking will come, even now it is in the ground, working. Thus saith the Lord, open your hearts now to Me and repent and receive My only way to escape. Run to the finished work and see your Savior, for HE HAS DONE ALL TO SAVE YOU. Do not put it off, do not be so deceived to think you will yet have time, because TIME IS SHORT. I have many people whom I love and will help them in their many trials and troubles. I WILL NOT FAIL YOU WHO TRUST ME. I have written this Word as I have heard it in Spirit Speaking. Lord, open your people's eyes to see and hearts to know and be ready for such a time coming. Help, O Lord, remember mercy. Desert Prophet Eve Brast, in a dream, saw 7 large earthquakes that went around the world, disrupting the crust. These first 3 revelations resemble this in magnitude and scope. Bill Weather was shown 8 signs by the Lord for a Mega Japan Quake and tsunami to ruin the U.S. West coastline as a sign of, weeks later, the coming of the California Mega Quake. (Dates are always subject to change due to the Lord's people praying and judgments being delayed, etc. A delay is not necessarily a delete. See: Prophecies, Dreams & Visions: Date setting and delays? How to judge the false.) Below are prophecies by Joe Brandt and William Branham from the 1930's that confirm what the Lord is showing Bill Weather: In 1937, Joe Brandt saw an Earthquake sink Los Angeles, much of California, and Japan. (Many times God lessens the severity of a judgment through prayers of faith.)    The Coming Earthquake Introduction by Jessica Madigan (Mei Ling) On Christmas Eve, in 1965, my husband, my closest friend, Fran Brandt, and her husband, Joe, were celebrating with sandwiches, and coffee, and fruit cake...For some reason, Joe—Fran's husband—ventured to speak of the coming California earthquake. ... Joe was saying that he had an accident—a fall from a horse when he was 17, and for days he had a concussion. During this period, a continuous dream came again and again—as if he were viewing a tremendous earthquake and inundation in California and other parts of the world. I listened—politely—made some comment, and turned to talk to Fran about a new movie—or some equally world-shaking event. I was vaguely aware that Joe had brought in a sheaf of papers—and he said he would put it in my downstairs desk [in 1965] until I had time to read the "dream". That time did not arrive until, by accident, I came across them this last week [in 1967]—pages upon pages—written in a boy's handwriting, about the coming California earthquake. It would take weeks to research all this material—but I phoned my former geology professor and read portions to him. COULD THIS HAPPEN? COULD CALIFORNIA GO DOWN IN JUST THIS WAY? WOULD OTHER AREAS BE AFFECTED IN A MATTER OF HOURS? He answered in the affirmative. Joe had written (sleeping and dreaming—and in drowsy awakening—about positions of various FAULTS, strata of rock, earth movements, so much material that a geologist of many years would scarcely attempt such a work [this geological data was omitted from Jessica's book]. Yet—here it was—waiting for me to find it for two years. ... Consciously, he knew nothing of geology or of the possibility of a coming earthquake. The notes are 30 years old—yellowed with age—and yet there is a clarity and an unbelievable reality in them. Some of the highlights must be given—because, I am certain now, as I was not certain on Christmas Eve of 1965, that the California earthquake WILL come . . . and its coming is close at hand. Since Joe covered the AREAS AROUND THE WORLD WHICH WOULD BE AFFECTED, not all of these can be given, ... but for those of us in THIS LAND . . . especially CALIFORNIA, these are the highlights of that vision.    Dream of an Earthquake Sinking Los Angeles, Much of California and Japan Joe Brandt - 1937 (Link) I woke up in the hospital room with a terrific headache—as if the whole world was revolving inside my brain. I remember, vaguely, the fall from my horse—Blackie. As I lay there, pictures began to form in my mind—pictures that stood still. I seemed to be in another world. Whether it was the future or it was some ancient land, I could not say. Then slowly, like the silver screen of the "talkies," but with color and smell and sound, I seemed to find myself in Los Angeles—but I swear it was much bigger, and buses and odd-shaped cars crowded the city streets. I thought about Hollywood Boulevard, and I found myself there. Whether this is true, I do not know, but there were a lot of guys my age with beards and wearing, some of them, earrings. All the girls, some of them keen-o, wore real short skirts. . . and they slouched along—moving like a dance. Yet they seemed familiar. I wondered if I could talk to them, and I said, "Hello," but they didn't see or hear me. I decided I would look as funny to them as they looked to me. I guess it is something you have to learn. I couldn't do it. I noticed there was a quietness about the air, a kind of stillness. Something else was missing, something that should be there. At first, I couldn't figure it out, I didn't know what it was—then I did. There were no birds. I listened. I walked two blocks north of the Boulevard—all houses—no birds. I wondered what had happened to them. Had they gone away? Again, I could hear the stillness. Then I knew something was going to happen. I wondered what year it was. It certainly was not 1937. I saw a newspaper on the corner with a picture of the President. It surely wasn't Mr. Roosevelt. He was bigger, heavier, big ears. If it wasn't 1937, I wondered what year it was. . . My eyes weren't working right. Someone was coming—someone in 1937—it was that darned, fat nurse ready to take my temperature. I woke up. Crazy dream. The next day: Gosh, my headache is worse. It is a wonder I didn't get killed on that horse. I've had another crazy dream, back in Hollywood. Those people. Why do they dress like that, I wonder? Funny glow about them. It is a shine around their heads—something shining. I remember it now. I found myself back on the Boulevard. I was waiting for something to happen and I was going to be there. I looked up at the clock down by that big theater. It was ten minutes to four. Something big was going to happen. I wondered if I went into a movie (since nobody could see me) if I'd like it. Some cardboard blond was draped over the marquee with her leg six feet long. I started to go in, but it wasn't inside. I was waiting for something to happen outside. I walked down the street. In the concrete they have names of stars. I just recognized a few of them. The other names I had never heard. I was getting bored, I wanted to get back to the hospital in Fresno, and I wanted to stay there on the Boulevard, even if nobody could see me. Those crazy kids. Why are they dressed like that? Maybe it is some big Halloween doings, but it don't seem like Halloween. More like early spring. There was that sound again, that lack of sound. Stillness, stillness, stillness. The quiet is getting bigger and bigger. I know it is going to happen. Something is going to happen. It is happening now! It sure did. She woke me up, grinning and smiling, that fat one again. "It's time for your milk, kiddo," she says. Gosh, old women of thirty acting like the cat's pajamas. Next time maybe she'll bring hot chocolate. Where have I been? Where haven't I been? I've been to the ends of the earth and back. I've been to the end of the world—there isn't anything left. Not even Fresno, even though I'm lying here right this minute. If only my eyes would get a little clearer so I can write all this down. Nobody will believe me, anyway. I'm going back to that last moment on the Boulevard. Some sweet kid went past, dragging little boys (twins, I guess) by each hand. Her skirt was up—well, pretty high—and she had a tired look. I thought for a minute I could ask her about the birds, what had happened to them, and then I remembered she hadn't seen me. Her hair was all frowzy, way out all over her head. A lot of them looked like that, but she looked so tired and like she was sorry about something. I guess she was sorry before it happened—because it surely did happen. There was a funny smell. I don't know where it came from. I didn't like it. A smell like Sulphur, sulfuric acid, a smell like death. For a minute I thought I was back in chem. [Chemistry class]. When I looked around for the girl, she was gone. I wanted to find her for some reason. It was as if I knew something was going to happen and I could stay with her, help her. She was gone, and I walked half a block, then I saw the clock again. My eyes seemed glued to that clock. I couldn't move. I just waited. It was five minutes to four on a sunny afternoon. I thought I would stand there looking at that clock forever waiting for something to come. Then, when it came, it was nothing. It was just nothing. It wasn't nearly as hard as the earthquake we had two years ago. The ground shook, just an instant. People looked at each other, surprised. Then they laughed. I laughed, too. So this was what I had been waiting for. This funny little shake. It meant nothing. I was relieved and I was disappointed. What had I been waiting for? I started back up the Boulevard, moving my legs like those kids. How do they do it? I never found out. I felt as if the ground wasn't solid under me, knew I was dreaming, and yet I wasn't dreaming. There was that smell again, coming up from the ocean. I was getting to the 5 and 10 store and I saw the look on the kids' faces. Two of them were right in front of me, coming my way. "Let's get out of this place. Let's go back East." He seemed scared. It wasn't as if the sidewalks were trembling—but you couldn't seem to see them. Not with your eyes you couldn't. An old lady had a dog, a little white dog, and she stopped and looked scared, and grabbed him in her arms and said: "Let's go home, Frou, Frou. Mama is going to take you home." That poor lady, hanging on to her dog. I got scared. Really scared. I remembered the girl. She was way down the block, probably. I ran and ran, and the ground kept trembling. I couldn't see it. I couldn't see it. But I knew it was trembling. Everybody looked scared. They looked terrible. One young lady just sat down on the sidewalk all doubled up. She kept saying, "earthquake, it's the earthquake," over and over. But I couldn't see that anything was different. Then, when it came, how it came. Like nothing in God's world. Like nothing. It was like the scream of a siren, long and low, or the scream of a woman I heard having a baby when I was a kid. It was awful. It was as if something—some monster—was pushing up the sidewalks. You felt it long before you saw it, as if the sidewalks wouldn't hold you anymore. I looked out at the cars. They were honking, but not scared. They just kept moving. They didn't seem to know yet that anything was happening. Then, that white car, that baby-sized one, came sprawling from the inside lane right against the curb. The girl who was driving just sat there. She sat there with her eyes staring, as if she couldn't move, but I could hear her. She made funny noises. I watched her, thinking of the other girl. I said that it was a dream and I would wake up. But I didn't wake up. The shaking had started again, but this time was different. It was a nice shaking, like a cradle being rocked for a minute, and then I saw the middle of the Boulevard seem to be breaking in two. The concrete looked as if it were being pushed straight up by some giant shovel. It was breaking in two. That is why the girl's car went out of control. And then a loud sound again, like I've never heard before—then hundreds of sounds—all kinds of sounds; children, and women, and those crazy guys with earrings. They were all moving, some of them above the sidewalk. I can't describe it. They were lifted up. And the waters kept oozing—oozing. The cries. God, it was awful. I woke up. I never want to have that dream again. It came again. Like the first time, which was a preview and all I could remember was that it was the end of the world. I was right back there—all that crying. Right in the middle of it. My eardrums felt as if they were going to burst. Noise everywhere. People are falling down, some of them are hurt badly. Pieces of buildings, chips, flying in the air. One hit me hard on the side of the face, but I didn't seem to feel it. I wanted to wake up, to get away from this place. It had been fun in the beginning, the first dream, when I kind of knew I was going to dream the end of the world or something. This was terrible. There were older people in cars. Most of the kids were on the street. But those old guys were yelling bloody murder, as if anybody could help them. Nobody could help anybody. It was then I felt myself lifted up. Maybe I had died. I don't know. But I was over the city. It was tilting toward the ocean—like a picnic table. The buildings were holding, better than you could believe. They were holding. They were holding. They were holding. The people saw they were holding and they tried to cling to them or get inside. It was fantastic. Like a building had a will of its own. Everything else breaking around them, and they were holding, holding. I was up over them—looking down. I started to root for them. "Hold that line," I said. "Hold that line. Hold that line. Hold that line." I wanted to cheer, to shout, to scream. If the buildings held, those buildings on the Boulevard, maybe the girl—the girl with the two kids—maybe she could get inside. It looked that way for a long time, maybe three minutes, and three minutes was like forever. You knew they were going to hold, even if the waters kept coming up. Only they didn't. I've never imagined what it would be like for a building to die. A building dies just like a person. It gives way, some of the bigger ones did just that. They began to crumble, like an old man with palsy, who couldn't take it anymore. They crumbled right down to nothing. And the little ones screamed like mad—over and above the roar of the people. They were mad about dying. But buildings die. I couldn't look anymore at the people. I kept wanting to get higher. Then I seemed to be out of it all, but I could see. I seemed to be up on Big Bear near San Bernardino, but the funny thing was that I could see everywhere. I knew what was happening. The earth seemed to start to tremble again. I could feel it even though I was high up. This time it lasted maybe twelve seconds, and it was gentle. You couldn't believe anything so gentle could cause so much damage. But then I saw the streets of Los Angeles—and everything between the San Bernardino mountains and Los Angeles. It was still tilting towards the ocean, houses, everything that was left. I could see the big lanes—dozens of big lanes still loaded with cars sliding the same way. Now the ocean was coming in, moving like a huge snake across the land. I wondered how long it was, and I could see the clock, even though I wasn't there on the Boulevard. It was 4:29. It had been half an hour. I was glad I couldn't hear the crying anymore. But I could see everything. I could see everything. Then, like looking at a huge map of the world, I could see what was happening on the land and with the people. San Francisco was feeling it, but she was not in any way like Hollywood or Los Angeles. It was moving just like that earthquake movie with Jeanette McDonald and Gable. I could see all those mountains coming together. . . I knew it was going to happen to San Francisco—it was going to turn over—it would turn upside down. It went quickly, because of the twisting, I guess. It seemed much faster than Hollywood, but then I wasn't exactly there. I was a long way off. I was a long, long way off. I shut my eyes for a long time—I guess ten minutes—and when I opened them I saw the Grand Canyon. When I looked at the Grand Canyon, that great big gap was closing in, and Boulder Dam was being pushed, from underneath. And then, Nevada, and on up to Reno. Way down south, way down. Baja, California. Mexico too. It looked like some volcano down there was erupting, along with everything else. I saw the map of South America, especially Colombia. Another volcano—eruption—shaking violently. I seemed to be seeing a movie of three months before—before the Hollywood earthquake. Venezuela seemed to be having some kind of volcanic activity. Away off in the distance, I could see Japan, on a fault, too. It was so far off—not easy to see because I was still on Big Bear Mountain, but it started to go into the sea. I couldn't hear screaming, but I could see the surprised look on their faces. They looked so surprised. Japanese girls are made well, supple, easy, muscles that move well. Pretty, too. But they were all like dolls. It was so far away I could hardly see it. In a minute or two, it seemed over. Everybody was gone. There was nobody left. [Brother Branham said: "Japan . . . she's ready to rock to pieces right now. And there's no way you can stop it, because they have neglected to do exactly what God told them to do. Instead of preach Gospel, they have built buildings, and had fine scholarships, and educations" (Uncertain Sound, #61-0415E)]. I didn't know time now. I couldn't see a clock. I tried to see the island of Hawaii. I could see huge tidal waves beating against it. The people on the streets were getting wet, and they were scared. But I didn't see anybody go into the sea. I seemed way around the globe. More flooding. Is the world going to be drenched? Constantinople. Black Sea rising. Suez Canal, for some reason seemed to be drying up. Sicily—she doesn't hold. I could see a map. Mt. Etna. Mt. Etna is shaking. A lot of area seemed to go, but it seemed to be earlier or later. I wasn't sure of time, now. England—huge floods—but no tidal waves. Water, water everywhere, but no one was going into the sea. People were frightened and crying. Some places they fell to the streets on their knees and started to pray for the world. I didn't know the English were emotional. Ireland, Scotland—all kinds of churches were crowded—it seemed night and day. People were carrying candles and everybody was crying for California, Nevada, parts of Colorado—maybe even all of it, even Utah. Everybody was crying—most of them didn't even know anybody in California, Nevada, Utah, but they were crying as if they were blood kin. Like one family. Like it happened to them. New York was coming into view—she was still there, nothing had happened, yet the water level was way up. Here, things were different. People were running in the streets yelling, "end of the world." Kids ran into restaurants and ate everything in sight. I saw a shoe store with all the shoes gone in about five minutes. 5th Avenue—everybody running. Some radio blasting—bigger—a loudspeaker—that in a few minutes, power might be shut off. They must control themselves. Five girls were running like mad toward the YMCA, that place on Lexington or somewhere. But nothing was happening in New York. I saw an old lady with garbage cans, filling them with water. Everybody seemed scared to death. Some people looked dazed. The streets seemed filled with loudspeakers. It wasn't daylight. It was night. I saw, like the next day, and everything was topsy-turvy. Loudspeakers again about fuel tanks broken in areas—shortage of oil. People seemed to be looting markets. I saw a lot of places that seemed safe, and people were not so scared. Especially the rural areas. Here, everything was almost as if nothing had happened. People seemed headed to these places, some on foot, some in cars that still had fuel. I heard—or somehow I knew—that somewhere in the Atlantic land had come up. A lot of land. I was getting awfully tired. I wanted to wake up. I wanted to go back to the girl—to know where she was—and those two kids. I found myself back in Hollywood—and it was still 4:29. I wasn't up on Big Bear at all, I was perched over Hollywood. I was just there. It seemed perfectly natural in my dream. I could hear now. I could hear, someplace, a radio station blasting out—telling people not to panic. They were dying in the streets. There were picture stations with movies—some right in Hollywood—these were carrying on with all the shaking. One fellow in the picture station was a little short guy who should have been scared to death. But he wasn't. He kept shouting and reading instructions. Something about helicopters or planes would go over—some kind of planes—but I knew they couldn't. Things were happening in the atmosphere. The waves were rushing up now. Waves. Such waves. Nightmare waves. Then, I saw again. Boulder Dam, going down—pushing together, pushing together breaking apart—no, Grand Canyon was pushing together, and Boulder Dam was breaking apart. It was still daylight. All these radio stations went off at the same time—Boulder Dam had broken. I wondered how everybody would know about it—people back East. That was when I saw the "ham radio operators." I saw them in the darndest places, as if I were right there with them. Like the little guy with glasses, they kept sounding the alarm. One kept saying: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea. Get to high places. Get to the mountains. All states west—this is California. We are going into the. . . we are going into the. . ." I thought he was going to say "sea," but I could see him. He was inland, but the waters had come in. His hand was still clinging to the table; he was trying to get up, so that once again he could say: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea." I seemed to hear this, over and over, for what seemed hours—just those words—they kept it up until the last minute—all of them calling out, "Get to the mountains—this is California. We are going into the sea." I woke up. It didn't seem as if I had been dreaming. I have never been so tired. For a minute or two, I thought it had happened. I wondered about two things. I hadn't seen what happened to Fresno and I hadn't found out what happened to that girl. I've been thinking about it all morning. I'm going home tomorrow. It was just a dream. It was nothing more. Nobody in the future on Hollywood Boulevard is going to be wearing earrings—and those beards. Nothing like that is ever going to happen. That girl was so real to me—that girl with those kids. It won't ever happen—but if it did, how could I tell her (maybe she isn't even born yet) to move away from California when she has her twins—and she can't be on the Boulevard that day. She was so gosh-darned real. The other thing—those ham operators—hanging on like that—over and over—saying the same thing: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea. Get to the mountains. Get to the hilltops. California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Utah. This is California. We are going into the sea." I guess I'll hear that for days.    Confirming Prophecies of William Branham A prophecy that I made about 1935 or something like that, said: "The time would come that the sea would weep its way into the desert." Look what'll take place. If those thousands of square miles fall down into the lava of the earth and slide in, there'll be millions who die at one time. And that'll cause such a tidal wave. . . Remember, plumb up into the Salton Sea is a hundred or two hundred feet lower than the sea level. That water will probably come almost to Tucson with that tidal wave coming across there. And the sea shall weep its way into the desert (William Branham, Trying to do God a Service without being in the Will of God, p. 6:25). [The Spirit of the Lord came upon the Prophet as he was preaching in Los Angeles]: "We don't know what time. And you don't know what time that this city one day is going to be lying out here in the bottom of this ocean." "O, Capernaum," said Jesus, "Thou who exalted into heaven will be brought down into hell, for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, it'd have been standing till this day." And Sodom and Gomorrah lays at the bottom of the Dead Sea, and Capernaum's in the bottom of the sea. Thou city, who claims to be the city of the Angels, who's exalted yourself into heaven and sent all the dirty filthy things of fashions and things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send it away, with your fine churches and steeples, and so forth the way you do; remember, one day you'll be laying in the bottom of this sea. There's a great cavernous honeycomb under you right now. The wrath of God is belching right beneath you. How much longer will He hold together this sandbar hanging over that? That ocean out yonder, a mile deep, will slide plumb back to the Salton Sea. It'll be worse than the last day of Pompeii. Repent, Los Angeles. Repent the rest of you and turn to God. The hour of His wrath is upon the earth. Flee while there's time to flee and come into Christ." Let us pray." (Choosing a Bride, p. 35:3-5). [And again]: "The last meeting I had in California, while speaking, and didn't know nothing happened till I got on the street, It told California, I said, "Capernaum, Capernaum, the city that's called by the name of the angels (that's Los Angeles), you've exalted yourself into heaven, but you'll be brought down into hell. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom that's been done in you, it would've been standing till this day." "Now, the last few days, the great roaring and popping. Then, here come out a paper of science that said, "It's all honeycombed; it's got to go under." They just know it." "And you watch, the water will come plumb back into the Salton Sea. Los Angeles is doomed for judgment. I tell you before it happened, that you might know when it does happen. I never spoke that by myself. And I've never had Him to tell me one thing but what happened. And you can bear record of that. That's right. When? I don't know." "I went out, and they told me what I said. And I listened, went back and searched the Scripture. You know, Jesus said, almost in the same words about Capernaum; and Sodom and Gomorrah was in the bottom of the Dead Sea, I suppose was then. And later, about a hundred years later, Capernaum slid into the sea, and it's in the sea. The same God that put Sodom in the sea for its sins, the same God that put Capernaum in the sea for its sins, the same God will put Los Angeles in the sea for its sins, that city of corruption." (Works is Faith Expressed, p. 8:61-64).

He lived in asceticism in the wild hills outside Antioch. For forty-five years he had no tent or house of any kind, but wandered from place to place, living in caves or in clefts. In his old age, his disciples finally prevailed on him to build a small hut. Altogether he spent seventy years living in solitary ascesis.   Once a hunter met the recluse and asked him what he did in the mountains. The Saint answered 'Like you, I have come to the mountain to hunt. I am hunting for God, whom I long to see. I ardently desire to catch Him and will never tire of so excellent a chase!'   Once the people of Antioch rioted and tore down a pair of statues of the Emperor Theodosius and his wife. Two generals came from Constantinople, planning to inflict a bloody punishment on the people. Saint Macedonian, learning of this, came to the city and sought out the generals, asking them to take a message to the Emperor: that he, being human and subject to weakness like all men, should not be immoderately angry with other men; and that he should not, in return for the destruction of lifeless images, destroy those who are the very image of God.   During his lifetime Saint Macedonian was granted the gifts of spiritual insight and wonderworking, by which he worked many miracles of healing for the people of Antioch and its surroundings. He reposed in peace around 430, and was buried with honor in Antioch.

This is the Apostle to whom two of St Paul's Epistles are addressed. He was from Lystra in Lycaonia, born to a pagan Greek father and a Jewish mother. His mother, whose name was Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, brought him up in piety and love of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul converted the two women during his first missionary visit to Lystra; returning seven years later, he found Timothy full of zeal for Christ, and baptized him. Timothy became his closest disciple: in his epistles, St Paul calls calls him "my dearly beloved son." So that Timothy would be able to preach the Gospel in the synagogues, St Paul personally circumcised him.   The Apostle Paul consecrated Timothy as the first bishop of Ephesus. As such, he became a disciple and exarch of St John the Evangelist, who supervised all the churches in Asia. In AD 97, he attempted to oppose the celebration of a festival to Artemis; the pagans, enraged, mobbed him and beat him to death. He was buried near the tomb of St John. In 356 his precious relics were translated (along with those of Sts Andrew and Luke) to Constantinople and enshrined in the Church of the Holy Apostles. In 1204 they were stolen by the Latin Crusaders when they pillaged the city.

As Dr. Jenkins continues looking at the Schism between Greek East and Latin West, he picks up with the perhaps the most dramatic event in the history of the two communions, the sack of Constantinople by the armies of the 4th Crusade. This event and its long sequel shall dominate the podcast for the next several weeks.

He was born Michael Tivolis in 1470. In his early youth he traveled to Italy, where many scholars had fled to preserve Hellenic culture despite the fall of Constantinople. After completing his studies in Florence, he went to the Holy Mountain in 1507 and entered Vatopedi Monastery, where he received the name of Maximos. Ten years later he was sent to Russia in answer to a request of Grand Prince Basil Ivanovich, who sought someone to translate works of the Holy Fathers on the Psalter, as well as other Church books, into Slavonic. Maximos completed this work with such success that he was made to stay in Russia to correct the existing translations (from Greek to Slavonic) of the Scriptures and liturgical books, and to preach. His work aroused the jealousy of some native monks, and Maximos was falsely accused of plotting against the Prince. In 1525 he was condemned as a heretic by a church court and banished to the Monastery of Volokolamsk, where he lived as a prisoner, not only suffering cold and extreme physical privation but being denied Holy Communion and the use of books.   One day an angel appeared to him and said 'Have patience: You will be delivered from eternal torment by sufferings here below.' In thanks for this divine comfort, St Maximus wrote a canon to the Holy Spirit on the walls of his cell in charcoal, since he was denied the use of paper and pen. (This canon is sung on Pentecost Monday in some Russian and Serbian Monasteries). Six years later he was tried again and condemned to indefinite imprisonment in chains at a monastery in Tver. Happily, the Bishop of Tver supported him, and he was able to continue his theological work and carry on a large correspondence despite his confinement. He endured these grim conditions for twenty years. Toward the end of his life, he was finally freed by the Tsar in response to pleas on his behalf by the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria and the intervention of pious Russian nobles. He was received with honor in Moscow, and allowed to carry on his theological work at the Lavra. The Tsar Ivan IV came to honor him highly, partly because the Saint had foretold the death of the Tsar's son. When the Tsar called a Church Council to fight the doctrines of some who had brought the Calvinist heresy into Russia, he asked St Maximos to attend. Too old and weak to travel, the Saint sent a brilliant refutation of the heresy to the Council; this was his last written work. He reposed in peace in 1556, aged eighty-six. Not long after his death, he was glorified by the Church in Greece as a Holy Confessor and 'Enlightener of Russia.' In 1988 (!) he was added to the calendar of Saints by the Moscow Patriarchate.

Lorsque l'empereur latin de Constantinople propose à Louis IX de lui confier la Sainte Couronne, s'organise le voyage de la plus grande relique de la Chrétienté.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Justin Hibbard continues our series on the 21 Ecumenical Church Councils by The Fifth Lateran Council. How did the Age of Discovery influence the Church? What were some of the major problems scandalizing the Catholic faith? And how did the Church's 18th ecumenical council prove to be too little too late?SOCIAL LINKS* Follow Why Catholic on Instagram.* Subscribe to Why Catholic on YouTube.* Follow Justin on Facebook.SOURCES:* The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History by Joseph Kelly* Video: General Councils 12: The Councils of Lyons II & Florence - Fr Timothy Matkin - St Francis Dallas* Papal Encyclicals Online: The Fifth Lateran Council* Catholic Encyclopedia: The Fifth Lateran Council * Episode 112: Not all Popes are Saints* Showtime Series - The BorgiasPREVIOUS EPISODES IN THIS SERIES* Episode 146: Introduction to the 21 Ecumenical Councils* Episode 147: The World that Led to the Council of Nicaea* Episode 148: The First Council of Nicaea (325)* Episode 149: From Nicaea to Constantinople* Episode 150: The First Council of Constantinople (381)* Episode 151: The Council of Ephesus (431)* Episode 152: The Council of Chalcedon (451)* Episode 153: The Second Council of Constantinople (553)* Episode 154: War Among the Monotheists* Episode 155: The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)* Episode 156: The Second Council of Nicaea (787)* Episode 157: Reflections on the First Seven Ecumenical Councils* Episode 158: The Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870)* Episode 159: The Great Schism* Episode 160: The First Lateran Council (1123)* Episode 161: The Second Lateran Council (1139)* Episode 162: The Third Lateran Council (1179)* Episode 163: The Fourth Lateran Council (1215)* Episode 164: The First Council of Lyon (1245)* Episode 165: The Second Council of Lyon (1274)* Episode 166: The Council of Vienne (1311-1312)* Episode 167: The Avignon Papacy & The Great Western Schism* Episode 168: The Council of Constance (1414-1418)* Episode 169: The Council of Florence (1431-1445) Get full access to Why Catholic? at whycatholic.substack.com/subscribe

A @Christadelphians Video: Inspiring, thought-provoking and insightful, join us for the first part in our exploration of the monumental 500-year story of the English Bible. This revealing expositional journey uncovers the courageous sacrifices and outstanding scholarship that brought God's Word into the hands of ordinary people. We reflect on how this history shapes our personal responsibility to read, understand and value the Scriptures today.**Chapters:**00:00 - Introduction: The Consequential Book01:19 - Why This History Matters for Us03:37 - The Biblical Ethos: Read for Yourself04:52 - Sources and Commemoration05:20 - The Central Figure: William Tyndale05:39 - Historical Backdrop: The Roman Empire and Jerome's Vulgate06:44 - The Fall of Constantinople and the Flood of Scholarship10:00 - Erasmus and the Greek New Testament12:10 - The Translation Timeline: Wycliffe to Tyndale13:14 - William Tyndale: Early Life and Education14:40 - The ‘Call' at Little Sodbury16:19 - Flight and Translation Work in Europe16:51 - The First Printed Translation and the Cologne Fragment17:36 - Success: The 1526 New Testament18:22 - Tyndale's Later Work, Betrayal and Martyrdom19:53 - Legacy: The King James Version and Beyond20:47 - Conclusion and Reflection**Bible Verse Category:**

This holy defender of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church labored in the final days of the Byzantine Empire, when, pressed on all sides by the Turks, the Emperor in desperation sought union with (or rather submission to) the Papacy in hopes of obtaining aid from the West. It was St Mark who stood almost alone to prevent such a disaster to the Faith.   He was born in Constantinople in 1392 to devout parents. He received a thorough education and seemed destined for a secular career, but at the age of twenty- six he abandoned all worldly claims and became a monk in a small monastery in Nicomedia. Soon the Turkish threat forced him to return to Constantinople, where, continuing in the monastic life, he wrote a number of treatises on prayer and the dogmas of the Church. In time he was ordained priest, then, at the insistence of the Emperor John VIII Paleologos was made Metropolitan of Ephesus. The Emperor also prevailed on him to join the delegation which traveled to the Council of Florence to consider the reunion of the Orthodox Church and the churches under the Papacy. (Saint Mark went as exarch of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria, who were unable to attend.)   The Greek delegation included the Emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople. All, including Metropolitan Mark, began with great hopes that a true union in faith might result from the Council, but as the sessions proceeded, it soon became clear that Pope Eugenius and his theologians were interested only in securing submission of the Eastern Church to the Papacy and its theology. The Metropolitan spoke forcefully against various Latin dogmas such as the filioque and Purgatory, but the Greek delegation, desperate for western aid, bowed to expediency and agreed to sign a document of Union which would have denied the Orthodox Faith itself. Saint Mark was the only member of the delegation who refused to sign. When the Pope heard of this, he said "The bishop of Ephesus has not signed, so we have achieved nothing!"   When the delegation returned to Constantinople, the signers of the false Union were received with universal condemnation by the people, while Metropolitan Mark was hailed as a hero. The churches headed by Unionists were soon almost empty, while the people flocked to the churches headed by those loyal to Orthodoxy. Saint Mark left the City to avoid concelebrating with the Unionist Patriarch. He was exiled by the Emperor to Lemnos, but was freed in 1442. He continued to oppose the Union until his repose in 1444. In 1452 the Union was officially proclaimed in Constantinople, but the hoped-for Western aid was not forthcoming, and the City fell to the Turks in 1453.

THIS WEEK's BIRDS: an abbreviated episode (TWO HOURS ONLY, opps.) w/ Balkan vocalists Stefka Sabotinova & Valya Balkanska; Moroccan vocalist Houria Aîchi performing sacred music  from the Aures Mountains; Malian vocalists Bako Dagnon, Lassana Tamoura, & Neba Solo w. Benogo Diakite ; Noura Mint Seymali from Mouritania; experimental bop from Roland Kirk & the Modern Jazz Quartet; Regis Huby as leader & w/ Bruno Angelini Quartet; two in the Raga Kalkani: one on Sarod (Ashoke Roy) & one vocal rendition (Rashid Khan);  Ay Lazzat from Dagestan; Absaldin Magomedov (also from Dagestan); Ghalia Benali, Constantinople & Kiya Tabassian perfrom Rumi; much, much more.... Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN: https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580 Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere. Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online: PLAYLIST at SPINITRON: https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/21836136/Conference-of-the-Birds and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/  Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks Find WRFI on Radio Garden: http://radio.garden/visit/ithaca-ny/aqh8OGBR   NEW MAILING ADDRESS:  Stephen Cope  @ Conference of the Birds, POBOX 428, Tivoli, NY, 12583, USA. 

Saint Athanasius, pillar of Orthodoxy and Father of the Church, was born in Alexandria in 275, to pious Christian parents. Even as a child, his piety and devotion to the Faith were so notable that Alexander, the Patriarch of the city, took Athanasius under his protection. As a student, he acquired a thorough education, but was more interested in the things of God than in secular learning, and withdrew for a time into the desert to sit at the feet of Saint Anthony (January 17), whose disciple he became and whose biography he later wrote. On returning to Alexandria, he was ordained to the diaconate and began his public labors for the Church. He wrote his treatise On the Incarnation, when he was only twenty. (It contains a phrase, still often quoted today, that express in a few words some of the depths of the Mystery of the Incarnation: God became man that man might become god.)   Just at this time Arius, a priest in Alexandria, was promoting his enticing view that the Son and Word of God is not of one essence with the Father, but a divine creation of the Father. This view, which (as Athanasius realized) strikes at the very possibility of mankind's salvation, gained wide acceptance and seemed for a time to threaten the Christian Faith itself. In 325, the Emperor Constantine the Great convoked a Council of the Church at Nicaea to settle the turmoil that the Arian teaching had spread through the Church. Athanasius attended the Council, and defended the Orthodox view so powerfully that he won the admiration of the Orthodox and the undying enmity of the Arians. From that time forth his life was founded on the defense of the true consubstantiality (homoousia) of the Son with the Father.   In 326, not long before his death, Patriarch Alexander appointed Athanasius to be his successor, and Athanasius was duly elevated to the patriarchal throne. He was active in his pastoral role, traveling throughout Egypt, visiting churches and monasteries, and working tirelessly not only to put down the Arian heresy, but to resolve various schisms and moral declines that affected his territory.   Though the Arian heresy had apparently been condemned once and for all at Nicea, Arius had many powerful allies throughout the Empire, even in the Imperial court, and Athanasius was soon subjected to many kinds of persecution, some local, some coming from the Imperial throne itself. Though he was Patriarch of Alexandria for more than forty years, a large amount of that time was spent in hiding from powerful enemies who threatened him with imprisonment or death. Twice he fled to Rome for protection by the Pope, who in the early centuries of the Church was a consistent champion of Orthodoxy against its various enemies. From his various hiding places, Athanasius issued tracts, treatises and epistles which helped to rally the faithful throughout Christendom to the Orthodox cause.   In 366, the Emperor Valens, fearing a revolt of the Egyptians on behalf of their beloved Archbishop, officially restored Athanasius to favor, and he was able to spend the last seven years of his life in peace. Of his forty-seven years as Patriarch, about seventeen were spent in hiding or exile. He reposed in peace in 373, having given his entire adult life, at great suffering, to the defense of the Faith of Christ. With St Athanasius, the Church commemorates St Cyril (Kyrillos), also Archbishop of Alexandria (412-44). His lot was to defend the Faith against the heretic Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who denied that Christ in his Incarnation truly united the divine with the human nature. Cyril attempted in private correspondence to restore Nestorius to the Christian faith, and when this failed he, along with Pope Celestine of Rome, led the defense of Orthodoxy against Nestorius' teaching. Saint Cyril presided at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, at which the Nestorian error was officially overthrown. After guiding his flock for thirty-two years, he reposed in 444.

Many historians call the Abbasid caliphate ‘the Golden Age of Islam' but in this episode I want to analyse the contradiction in this description since, at a time when Islam underwent an undisputed cultural flowering, it also collapsed politically.For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, The End of Antiquity, on Amazon. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.

The story of St Peter's imprisonment and miraculous release by an Angel of God is told in Acts ch. 12. The chains which fell from his hands were collected by Christians and passed down through the generations as precious relics, finally coming to Constantinople and being placed in the Church of St Peter, where they worked many miracles and healings.   There is nothing superstitious about the veneration of clothing and other objects belonging to the Saints; the Acts of the Apostles describes how handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched the Apostle Paul would heal the sick (ch. 19), and that even the shadow of the Apostle Peter healed those on whom it fell (ch. 5). In the twentieth century, a shirt worn by St Nektarios on his death-bed healed a paralyzed man. The sanctity of those united to God extends not only to their bodies but at times to their garments.

He was the son of Eutropius, a prominent senator, and Theodora, who lived in Constantinople. At the age of twelve, he secretly fled his home, taking nothing but a Gospel book with him. Entering the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones in the City, he gave himself up with fervor to a life of prayer, self-denial and obedience. For three years he ate only on Sundays after taking communion, and became so thin and haggard that he bore no resemblance to the young nobleman who had entered the monastery.   Tormented by longing to see his parents, but unwilling to give up the ascetic struggle, he left the monastery with his Abbot's blessing, dressed in beggar's rags, and took up residence in a poor hut near the gate of his parents' house. Here he lived, mocked by those who had once been his servants and despised by his own parents, who no longer recognized him.   After three years, Christ appeared to him and told him that his end was drawing near, and that in three days angels would come to take him home. John sent a message to his parents, asking them to visit his hut. In perplexity, they came, and John, showing them the Gospel book that they had given him as a child, revealed to them that he was their son, and that he was about to die. They embraced him, rejoicing at their reunion but weeping for his departure from this life. Immediately, he gave back his soul to God.   The whole City of Constantinople was stirred by the story, and great crowds came to John's burial service. A church was later built on the site of his hut, and many miracles were wrought there through the Saint's prayers.

Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com Dr. Jacobs delivers a lecture on Nicene Trinitarianism, examining the metaphysical foundations established by the Cappadocian Fathers at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople. He explains the Greek terms ousia and hypostasis, addresses common analogies and heresies, and clarifies the eternal generation of the Son and procession of the Spirit. Jacobs contrasts the Eastern approach with Western developments in Augustine and medieval scholasticism, particularly regarding divine simplicity, the filioque, and the nature-person distinction. He concludes by discussing how these theological differences continue to shape East-West Christian relations.All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

On May 29th, 1453, Constantinople fell—and with it, the last continuation of Rome.But the real story isn't just Ottoman cannons and overwhelming numbers.It's the cold mathematics of power: betrayal, sabotage, and profit-driven neutrality.In this episode of Hidden Forces in History, we follow the receipts behind one of the most pivotal days in world history:why the city was still defensible (if help had come)how Genoa's colony of Galata stayed “neutral” while Ottoman ships passedwhy Venice negotiated safe passage instead of fightinghow Western Europe sent prayers instead of armiesand why the fall wasn't inevitable—it was a series of choicesBecause the most disturbing truth is this:Constantinople didn't fall because it was weak. It fell because powerful allies decided it was convenient to let it fall.If you want history as investigation—documents, incentives, and the people who benefited—subscribe for weekly deep dives into the hidden forces behind the official story.Question for you: Was this “inevitable”… or a calculated sacrifice?

Beauty in Orthodoxy: Architecture I The Beauty of Creation and the Shape of Reality In this class, the first in a series on "Orthodox Beauty in Architecture," Father Anthony explores beauty not as decoration or subjective taste, but as a theological category that reveals God, shapes human perception, and defines humanity's priestly vocation within creation. Drawing extensively on Archbishop Job of Telmessos' work on creation as icon, he traces a single arc from Genesis through Christ to Eucharist and sacred space, showing how the Fall begins with distorted vision and how repentance restores the world to sacrament. The session lays the theological groundwork for Orthodox architecture by arguing that how we build, worship, and inhabit space flows directly from how we see reality itself. --- The Beauty of Creation and the Shape of Reality: Handout Core Thesis: Beauty is not decorative or subjective, but a theological category. Creation is beautiful because it reveals God, forms human perception, and calls humanity to a priestly vocation that culminates in sacrament and sacred space. 1. Creation Is Not Only Good — It Is Beautiful Beauty belongs to the very being of creation. Creation is "very good" (kalá lian), meaning beautiful, revealing God's generosity and love (Gen 1:31). Beauty precedes usefulness; the world is gift before task. 2. Creation Is an Icon That Reveals Its Creator  Creation reveals God without containing Him. The world speaks of God iconographically, inviting contemplation rather than possession (Ps 19:1–2). Right vision requires stillness and purification of attention. 3. Humanity Is the Priest and Guardian of Creation Humanity mediates between God and the world. Created in God's image, humanity is called to offer creation back to God in thanksgiving (Gen 1:26–27; Ps 8). Dominion means stewardship and priesthood, not control. 4. The Fall Is a Loss of Vision Before a Moral Failure Sin begins with distorted perception. The Fall occurs when beauty is grasped rather than received (Gen 3:6). Blindness precedes disobedience; repentance heals vision. 5. True Beauty Is Revealed in Christ Beauty saves because Christ saves. True beauty is cruciform, revealed in self-giving love (Ps 50:2; Rev 5:12). Beauty without goodness becomes destructive. 6. Creation Participates in the Logos Creation is meaningful and oriented toward God. All things exist through the Word and carry divine intention (Ps 33:6). Participation without pantheism; meaning without collapse. 7. The World Is Sacramental Creation is meant to become Eucharist. The world finds fulfillment as an offering of thanksgiving (Ps 24:1; Rev 5:13). Eucharist restores vision and vocation. 8. Beauty Takes Form: Architecture Matters Sacred space forms belief and perception. From Eden to the Church, space mediates communion with God (Gen 2:8; Ps 26:8). Architecture is theology made inhabitable. Final Horizon "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men" (Rev 21:3).How we see shapes how we live. How we worship shapes how we see. How we build is how we worship. --- Lecture note: Beauty in Orthodoxy: Architecture IThe Beauty of Creation and the Shape of Reality When we speak about beauty, we often treat it as something optional—something added after the "real" work of theology is done. Beauty is frequently reduced to personal taste, emotional response, or decoration. But in the Orthodox tradition, beauty is none of those things. Beauty is not accidental. It is not subjective. And it is not peripheral. Tonight, I want to explore a much stronger claim: beauty is a theological category. It tells us something true about God, about the world, and about the human vocation within creation. Following the work of Archbishop Job of Telmessos, I want to trace a single arc—from creation, to Christ, to sacrament, and finally toward architecture. This will not yet be a talk about buildings. It is a talk about why buildings matter at all. Big Idea 1:  Creation Is Not Only Good — It Is Beautiful   (Creation Icon) The biblical story begins not with scarcity or chaos, but with abundance. In Genesis 1 we hear the repeated refrain, "And God saw that it was good." But at the end of creation, Scripture intensifies the claim: "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) In the Greek of the Septuagint, this is kalá lian—very beautiful. From the beginning, the world is not merely functional or morally acceptable. It is beautiful. Archbishop Job emphasizes this clearly: "According to the biblical account of creation, the world is not only 'good' but 'very good,' that is, beautiful. Beauty belongs to the very being of creation and is not something added later as an aesthetic supplement. The beauty of the created world reveals the generosity and love of the Creator." Pastoral expansion: This vision differs sharply from how we often speak about the world today. We describe reality in terms of efficiency, productivity, or survival. But Scripture begins with beauty because beauty invites love, not control. A beautiful world is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be received. God creates a world that draws the human heart outward in wonder and gratitude before it ever demands labor or management. Theological lineage: This understanding of creation as beautiful rather than merely useful comes from the Cappadocian Fathers, especially St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa. In Basil's Hexaemeron, creation reflects divine generosity rather than human need. Gregory goes further, insisting that beauty belongs to creation's being because it flows from the goodness of God. Archbishop Job is clearly drawing from this Cappadocian cosmology, where beauty is already a form of revelation. Big Idea 2:  Creation Is an Icon That Reveals Its Creator (Landscape) If creation is beautiful, the next question is why. The Orthodox answer is iconographic. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech." (Psalm 19:1–2) Creation speaks. It reveals. It points beyond itself. Archbishop Job reminds us: "The Fathers of the Church affirm that the world is a kind of icon of God. Creation reveals the invisible God through visible forms, not by containing Him, but by pointing toward Him. As St. Anthony the Great said, 'My book is the nature of created things.'" Pastoral expansion: This iconographic vision explains why the Fathers insist that spiritual failure is often a failure of attention. Creation does not stop declaring God's glory—but we may stop listening. Beauty does not overpower us; it waits for us. It invites stillness, humility, and patience. These are spiritual disciplines long before they are aesthetic preferences. Theological lineage: This way of reading creation comes from the ascetical tradition of the desert, especially St. Anthony the Great and Evagrius Ponticus. For them, knowledge of God depended on purified vision. Creation could only be read rightly by a healed heart. When Archbishop Job calls creation an icon, he is standing squarely within this early monastic conviction that perception—not analysis—is the primary spiritual faculty. Big Idea 3:  Humanity Is the Priest and Guardian of a Beautiful World (Naming Icon) Genesis tells us: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'" (Genesis 1:26) And Psalm 8 adds: "You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands." Human dominion here is priestly, not exploitative. Archbishop Job explains: "Man is created in the image of God in order to lead creation toward its fulfillment. The image is given, but the likeness must be attained through participation in God's life." Pastoral expansion: A priest does not own what he offers. He receives it, blesses it, and returns it. Humanity stands between heaven and earth not as master, but as mediator. When this priestly role is forgotten, creation loses its voice. The world becomes mute—reduced to raw material—because no one is offering it back to God in thanksgiving. Theological lineage: This vision begins with St. Irenaeus of Lyons, who distinguished image and likeness, but it reaches full maturity in St. Maximus the Confessor. Maximus presents humanity as the creature uniquely capable of uniting material and spiritual reality. Archbishop Job's anthropology is unmistakably Maximosian: humanity exists not for itself, but for the reconciliation and offering of all things. Big Idea 4:  The Fall Is a Loss of Vision Before It Is a Moral Failure (Expulsion) Genesis describes the Fall visually: "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, a delight to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise…" (Genesis 3:6) The problem is not hunger, but distorted sight. Archbishop Job writes: "The fall of man is not simply a moral transgression but a distortion of vision. Creation is no longer perceived as a gift to be received in thanksgiving, but as an object to be possessed." Pastoral expansion: The tragedy of the Fall is not that beauty disappears, but that beauty is misread. What was meant to lead to communion now leads to isolation. Violence and exploitation do not erupt suddenly; they flow from a deeper blindness. How we see determines how we live. Theological lineage: This understanding of sin comes primarily from St. Maximus the Confessor, echoed by St. Ephrem and St. Isaac the Syrian. Sin is a darkening of the nous, a misdirection of desire. Repentance, therefore, is medicinal rather than juridical—it heals vision before correcting behavior.   Big Idea 5:  "Beauty Will Save the World" Means Christ Will Save the World (Pantocrator) The Psalms proclaim: "From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth." (Psalm 50:2) And Revelation declares: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…" (Revelation 5:12) Archbishop Job cautions: "True beauty is revealed in the self-giving love of the Son of God. Detached from goodness and truth, beauty becomes destructive rather than salvific." Pastoral expansion: Without the Cross, beauty becomes sentimental or cruel. The Crucified Christ reveals a beauty that does not protect itself or demand admiration. It gives itself away. Only this kind of beauty can heal the world. Theological lineage: Here Archbishop Job corrects Dostoyevsky with the Fathers—especially St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Isaac the Syrian. Beauty is Christological and kenotic. Love, not attraction, is the measure of truth. Big Idea 6:  Creation Contains the Seeds of the Logos (Pentecost) The Psalms declare: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made." (Psalm 33:6) Archbishop Job explains: "The Fathers speak of the logoi of beings, rooted in the divine Logos." Pastoral expansion: Creation is meaningful because it is addressed. Every being carries a call beyond itself. When we encounter creation rightly, we stand before a summons—not an object for consumption. Theological lineage: This doctrine belongs almost entirely to St. Maximus the Confessor, building on St. Justin Martyr's logos spermatikos. Maximus safeguards participation without pantheism, transcendence without abstraction. Big Idea 7:  The World Is Sacramental and Humanity Is Its Priest (Chalice/Eucharist) "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." (Psalm 24:1) "To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb…" (Revelation 5:13) Archbishop Job writes: "The world was created to become a sacrament of communion with God." Pastoral expansion: A sacramental worldview transforms daily life. Work, food, time, and relationships become offerings. Sin becomes forgetfulness. Eucharist heals that forgetfulness by retraining vision. Theological lineage: This language comes explicitly from Fr. Alexander Schmemann, but its roots lie in St. Maximus and St. Nicholas Cabasilas. Archbishop Job retrieves this tradition: Eucharist reveals what the world is meant to be. Big Idea 8:  Beauty Takes Form — Architecture as Consequence and Participant (Church Interior) Genesis begins with sacred space: "The Lord God planted a garden in Eden." (Genesis 2:8) And the Psalms confess: "Lord, I love the habitation of Your house." (Psalm 26:8) Archbishop Job writes: "Architecture expresses in material form the vision of the world as God's dwelling." Pastoral expansion: Architecture teaches before words. Light, movement, and orientation shape the soul. Sacred space does not merely express belief—it forms believers. Long after words are forgotten, space continues to catechize. Theological lineage: This vision draws on St. Dionysius the Areopagite, St. Maximus the Confessor, and St. Germanus of Constantinople. Architecture is theology made inhabitable. Conclusion "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men." (Revelation 21:3) Creation is beautiful. Beauty reveals God. Humanity is its priest. How we build reveals what we believe the world is—and what we believe human beings are becoming.  

Full Text of Readings The Saint of the day is Saint Gregory Nazianzen Saint Gregory Nazianzen's Story After his baptism at 30, Saint Gregory Nazianzen gladly accepted his friend Basil's invitation to join him in a newly founded monastery. The solitude was broken when Gregory's father, a bishop, needed help in his diocese and estate. It seems that Gregory was ordained a priest practically by force, and only reluctantly accepted the responsibility. He skillfully avoided a schism that threatened when his own father made compromises with Arianism. At 41, Gregory was chosen suffragan bishop of Caesarea and at once came into conflict with Valens, the emperor, who supported the Arians. An unfortunate by-product of the battle was the cooling of the friendship of two saints. Basil, his archbishop, sent him to a miserable and unhealthy town on the border of unjustly created divisions in his diocese. Basil reproached Saint Gregory Nazianzen for not going to his See. When protection for Arianism ended with the death of Valens, Saint Gregory Nazianzen was called to rebuild the faith in the great see of Constantinople, which had been under Arian teachers for three decades. Retiring and sensitive, he dreaded being drawn into the whirlpool of corruption and violence. He first stayed at a friend's home, which became the only orthodox church in the city. In such surroundings, he began giving the great sermons on the Trinity for which he is famous. In time, Gregory did rebuild the faith in the city, but at the cost of great suffering, slander, insults, and even personal violence. An interloper even tried to take over his bishopric. His last days were spent in solitude and austerity. He wrote religious poetry, some of it autobiographical, of great depth and beauty. He was acclaimed simply as “the Theologian.” St. Gregory Nazianzen shares the celebration of his liturgical feast with St. Basil the Great on January 2. Reflection It may be small comfort, but post-Vatican II turmoil in the Church is a mild storm compared to the devastation caused by the Arian heresy, a trauma the Church has never forgotten. Christ did not promise the kind of peace we would love to have—no problems, no opposition, no pain. In one way or another, holiness is always the way of the cross.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

In continuation of our series on the 21 Ecumenical Councils, Justin Hibbard talks about the Council of Florence, which occurred in Basel, Ferrara, Florence, and Rome. What began as an attempt to thwart papal supremacy led to one of the most potentially significant councils in history as the Eastern Greek Church united with the Western Latin Church. Would that unity survive? SOCIAL LINKS* Follow Why Catholic on Instagram.* Subscribe to Why Catholic on YouTube.* Follow Justin on Facebook.SOURCES:* The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History by Joseph Kelly* Video: General Councils 12: The Councils of Lyons II & Florence - Fr Timothy Matkin - St Francis Dallas* Papal Encyclicals Online: The Council of Florence* Catholic Encyclopedia: The Council of Florence* Ancient Faith Radio: Bishops-Part 42: The Council of Florence (Orthodox Source)* Laetentur Caeli* Episode 63: Not all Catholics are Roman Catholic* Shameless Popery: Why I'm not OrthodoxPREVIOUS EPISODES IN THIS SERIES* Episode 146: Introduction to the 21 Ecumenical Councils* Episode 147: The World that Led to the Council of Nicaea* Episode 148: The First Council of Nicaea (325)* Episode 149: From Nicaea to Constantinople* Episode 150: The First Council of Constantinople (381)* Episode 151: The Council of Ephesus (431)* Episode 152: The Council of Chalcedon (451)* Episode 153: The Second Council of Constantinople (553)* Episode 154: War Among the Monotheists* Episode 155: The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)* Episode 156: The Second Council of Nicaea (787)* Episode 157: Reflections on the First Seven Ecumenical Councils* Episode 158: The Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870)* Episode 159: The Great Schism* Episode 160: The First Lateran Council (1123)* Episode 161: The Second Lateran Council (1139)* Episode 162: The Third Lateran Council (1179)* Episode 163: The Fourth Lateran Council (1215)* Episode 164: The First Council of Lyon (1245)* Episode 165: The Second Council of Lyon (1274)* Episode 166: The Council of Vienne (1311-1312)* Episode 167: The Avignon Papacy & The Great Western Schism* Episode 168: The Council of Constance (1414-1418) Get full access to Why Catholic? at whycatholic.substack.com/subscribe

THE CRISIS OF THE THIRD CENTURY AND AMERICAN PARALLELS Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 92 AD. Gaius and Germanicus explore Rome's "Crisis of the Third Century," where military coups and a fractured empire nearly caused total collapse. Germanicus draws parallels to the currently divided US elite and constitutional order, suggesting America might eventually require a "Tetrarchy"—a split management system—to survive its polarization. After debating historical alternatives like the US remaining a Britishdominion, they end with optimism. Citing Rome's miraculous recovery and the rise of Constantinople, they speculate America may eventually build a new, perhaps "space-based," fortress to ensure its longevity. NUMBER 31940

"Saint Gregory, the younger brother of Basil the Great, illustrious in speech and a zealot for the Orthodox faith, was born in 331. His brother Basil was encouraged by their elder sister Macrina to prefer the service of God to a secular career (see July 19); Saint Gregory was moved in a similar way by his godly mother Emily, who, when Gregory was still a young man, implored him to attend a service in honour of the holy Forty Martyrs at her retreat at Annesi on the River Iris. Saint Gregory came at his mother's bidding, but being wearied with the journey, and feeling little zeal, he fell asleep during the service. The Forty Martyrs then appeared to him in a dream, threatening him and reproaching him for his slothfulness. After this he repented and became very diligent in the service of God. He became bishop in 372, and because of his Orthodoxy he was exiled in 374 by Valens, who was on one mind with the Arians. After Valens' death in 378 he was recalled to his throne by the Emperor Gratian. He attended the Local Council of Antioch, which sent him to visit the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which had been defiled and ravaged by Arianism. He attended the Second Ecumenical Council, which was assembled in Constantinople in 381. Having lived some sixty years and left behind many remarkable writings, he reposed about the year 395. The acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council call him "Father of Fathers." (Great Horologion)

Saturday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-394; part of a family which gave many years of service and five saints to the Church; he became bishop of Nyssa in 371; during a trip to Jerusalem, he was forced to defend his Christology, although he was then and is now well-known for his Trinitarian theology; in 394, he attended a synod in Constantinople and is thought to have died shortly after that when mention of him in church records ceases Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/10/26 Gospel: John 3:22-30

SHOW1-8-2026THE SHOW BEGINS IN DOUBTS ABOUT THE SARCASTIC INVENTION, THE DON-ROE DICTRINE..SPHERES OF INFLUENCE AND THE RETURN OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE Colleague Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Anatol Lieven argues that "spheres of influence" have returned, with the US reasserting the Monroe Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere and threatening to seize Greenland. Unlike traditional alliances, this approach risks alienating fellow democracies. Lieven contrasts this with Russia's territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union and China's historic regional goals. NUMBER 1COLD WAR TACTICS: THE SEIZURE OF A RUSSIAN TANKER Colleague Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Lieven discusses the US Navy's detention of a Russian-flagged ship in the North Atlantic, viewing it as a dangerous escalation akin to piracy. This move humiliates Moscow and aims to control oil supplies. Lieven warns that if European nations mimic these seizures, Russia may retaliate violently, risking a direct war. NUMBER 2THE SUPREME COURT AND THE MYTH OF THE UNITARY EXECUTIVE Colleague Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute. Richard Epstein challenges the view that the Roberts Court blindly supports a "unitary executive." He argues the Court is correctly questioning the constitutionality of independent administrative agencies, like the FTC, which insulate officials from presidential removal. Epstein contends that relying on case counts ignores the specific legal merits regarding separation of powers. NUMBER 3TRUMP V. ILLINOIS: LIMITING PRESIDENTIAL POWER OVER THE NATIONAL GUARD Colleague Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute. Discussing a recent unsigned Supreme Court order, Epstein notes the Court upheld a decision preventing the President from deploying the National Guard without a governor's consent. This ruling contradicts claims of judicial bias toward the executive, affirming that the President cannot simply declare an emergency to override state sovereignty. NUMBER 4ONE YEAR LATER: ANGER AND STAGNATION AFTER THE PALISADES FIRE Colleague Jeff Bliss, Pacific Watch. A year after the Palisades fires, Jeff Bliss reports that residents remain angry over government inaction. Rebuilding is stalled by the Coastal Commission's strict regulations, and fuel loads in canyons remain high due to environmental restrictions on brush clearing. The fires, driven by Santa Ana winds, highlight systemic bureaucratic failures in Los Angeles. NUMBER 5#SCALAREPORT: AI AND ROBOTICS DOMINATE CES Colleague Chris Riegel, CEO of Scala.com. Reporting from CES, Chris Riegel highlights the dominance of AI and robotics, from household droids to military applications. While the tech sector booms with massive infrastructure spending, Riegel warns of a "K-shaped" economy where Main Street struggles with softening demand, masking the wealth concentrated in artificial intelligence and data centers. NUMBER 6LANCASTER COUNTY: AMISH SPENDING AND DATA CENTER GROWTH Colleague Jim McTague, Author and Former Barron's Editor. Jim McTague reports that the Lancaster County economy remains robust, evidenced by heavy Amish spending at Costco and thriving local businesses like Kegel's Produce. Despite some local protests, data centers are being built on old industrial sites. McTague sees no need for Fed rate cuts given the stable local economy. NUMBER 7THE NUCLEAR ESCROW: MANAGING PROLIFERATION AMONG ALLIES Colleague Henry Sokolski, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Henry Sokolski warns that allies like Poland, Turkey, and South Africaare considering nuclear weapons due to eroding trust in US guarantees. He proposes a "nuclear escrow" account: storing refurbished warheads in the US for allies to deploy only during crises, providing leverage without permanently stationing targets on foreign soil. NUMBER 8THE SIEGE OF 717 AND THE VOLCANO OF THERA Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. In 717 AD, Arab forces besieged Constantinople but failed due to the city's massive walls and "Greek fire." Professor Watts explains that a subsequent volcanic eruption in Thera was interpreted as divine punishment for the empire's sins, leading to a spiritual crisis and the rise of iconoclasm to appease God. NUMBER 9THE STUPIDITY OF SUCCESSORS: MANUEL AND ANDRONICUS Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Manuel Komnenos favored grand gestures over systemic stability, weakening the Roman state. His successor, Andronicus, was a nihilistic sadist whose tyranny and family infighting destabilized the empire. Watts details how the refusal to punish rebellious family members created a culture of impunity that eventually led to a violent overthrow. NUMBER 10THE CRUSADES: FROM COOPERATION TO CONFLICT Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Relations between East and West collapsed during the Crusades. While the First Crusade cooperated with Rome, the Second and Third turned hostile, with Crusaders seizing territory rather than returning it. Watts notes that the theological schism of 1054 and cultural distrust entrenched this division, setting the stage for future betrayal. NUMBER 111204: THE SACK OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE END OF CONTINUITY Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. The Fourth Crusade, diverted by Venetian debt, sacked Constantinople in 1204, burning the city to quell resistance. Watts argues this marked the true end of the ancient Roman state. The meritocratic system collapsed, and elites like Nicetas Choniates lost everything, severing the 2,000-year political continuity of the empire. NUMBER 12VENEZUELA: THE REGIME SURVIVES MADURO'S EXIT Colleague Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal. Despite Maduro's removal, the Venezuelan regime remains intact under hardliners Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello. Mary Anastasia O'Grady notes that repression continues, and European oil companies are hesitant to invest. The regime feigns cooperation to avoid US intervention, but genuine recovery is impossible without restoring the rule of law. NUMBER 13RUSSIA'S OIL CRISIS AND REGIONAL DEFICITS Colleague Michael Bernstam, Hoover Institution. Russiafaces a financial crisis as oil prices drop below $60 per barrel. Michael Bernstam explains that increased global supply forces Russia to sell at deep discounts to China and India, often below cost. This revenue loss prevents the Kremlinfrom paying soldiers, sparking severe regional budget deficits. NUMBER 14EUROPEAN FREEZE AND THE MYTH OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND Colleague Simon Constable, Journalist and Author. A deep freeze hits Southern Europe while commodity prices like copper rise. Simon Constable reports on the UK's bleak economic mood and dismisses the feasibility of British or French "boots on the ground" in Ukraine. He notes that depleted military manpower makes such guarantees declarative rather than substantial. NUMBER 15ARTEMIS 2 RISKS AND THE SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE Colleague Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com. Bob Zimmerman urges NASA to fly Artemis 2 unmanned due to unresolved Orion heat shield damage, arguing safety should trump beating China. He also dismisses concerns about lunar methane contamination and highlights a new study suggesting ice caps could allow liquid water lakes to exist on Mars. NUMBER 16

He was born to pious parents in Tarsia in Bithynia. At the age of twenty he entered monastic life at the Monastery of Agaures near his home. There he became a model of prayer, ascesis and zeal for holiness — he possessed nothing but the cloak he wore, and did not even have his own cell, choosing instead to sleep on the bare ground. When he slept he would not lie on his back or his left side, but always on his right side. In church, he stood repeating 'Lord, have mercy!' to himself throughout the services. He was ordained to the priesthood, and in time was made abbot of the community. But just at that time, Leo the Armenian became Emperor and revived the iconoclast heresy. The monks of Agaures, who held to the Orthodox Faith, scattered to caves and forests to escape persecution. Eustratius himself was imprisoned for a time, and was only able to re-gather the community and resume its direction when Leo died and Orthodoxy was restored in 842.   As abbot, Eustratius continued to live as the humblest of the brethren, spending the day sharing in their manual labor, and most of the night in prayer and prostrations. He often traveled among the dependencies of his large monastery to offer counsel and encouragement to the brethren. While traveling he would often give his coat or even his horse to anyone in need whom he met on the way. Once he gave the monastery's only ox to a peasant who had lost his own. Once, on a visit to Constantinople, he was given a large sum of money by the Emperor for the monastery; on the way back he distributed all of it to the poor. Once, on the road, he met a man who had despaired because of his sins and was about to hang himself. The Saint took the man's hand and said 'My child, may the weight of your sins lie on me from now on. On the day of Judgment, I will answer for them instead of you. Only throw away this rope and hope in God.'   During his own life, Saint Eustratius performed countless miracles by his prayers: healing the sick, quenching fires, raising the dead. He reposed in peace in Constantinople at the age of ninety-five, having spent seventy-five years in monastic life.

Full Text of Readings The Saint of the day is Saint Gregory of Nyssa Saint Gregory of Nyssa's Story The son of two saints, Basil and Emmilia, young Gregory was raised by his older brother, Saint Basil the Great, and his sister, Macrina, in modern-day Turkey. Saint Gregory of Nyssa‘s success in his studies suggested great things were ahead for him. After becoming a professor of rhetoric, he was persuaded to devote his learning and efforts to the Church. By then married, Gregory went on to study for the priesthood and become ordained (this at a time when celibacy was not a matter of law for priests). He was elected Bishop of Nyssa in 372, a period of great tension over the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. Briefly arrested after being falsely accused of embezzling Church funds, Gregory was restored to his see in 378, an act met with great joy by his people. It was after the death of his beloved brother Basil, that Gregory really came into his own. He wrote with great effectiveness against Arianism and other questionable doctrines, gaining a reputation as a defender of orthodoxy. He was sent on missions to counter other heresies and held a position of prominence at the Council of Constantinople. His fine reputation stayed with him for the remainder of his life, but over the centuries it gradually declined as the authorship of his writings became less and less certain. But, thanks to the work of scholars in the 20th century, his stature is once again appreciated. Indeed, Saint Gregory of Nyssa is seen not simply as a pillar of orthodoxy but as one of the great contributors to the mystical tradition in Christian spirituality and to monasticism itself. Reflection Orthodoxy is a word that can raise red flags in our minds. To some people it may connote rigid attitudes that make no room for honest differences of opinion. But it might just as well suggest something else: faith that has settled deep in one's bones. Gregory's faith was like that. So deeply embedded was his faith in Jesus that he knew the divinity that Arianism denied. When we resist something offered as truth without knowing exactly why, it may be because our faith has settled in our bones.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

THE SIEGE OF 717 AND THE VOLCANO OF THERA Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. In 717 AD, Arab forces besieged Constantinople but failed due to the city's massive walls and "Greek fire." Professor Watts explains that a subsequent volcanic eruption in Thera was interpreted as divine punishment for the empire's sins, leading to a spiritual crisis and the rise of iconoclasm to appease God. NUMBER 91680 CONSTANTINOPLE

1204: THE SACK OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE END OF CONTINUITY Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. The Fourth Crusade, diverted by Venetian debt, sacked Constantinople in 1204, burning the city to quell resistance. Watts argues this marked the true end of the ancient Roman state. The meritocratic system collapsed, and elites like Nicetas Choniates lost everything, severing the 2,000-year political continuity of the empire. NUMBER 121661

She was born in Rome and reared in the love of Christ. She secretly left her parents' house and traveled by ship to Alexandria, where she found lodging with four virtuous pagan maidens. By her example and counsel these four were in time led to abandon idolatry and embrace Domnica's faith. The five then sailed to Constantinople, where it is said that the Patriarch Nectarius (October 11) was notified of their coming by an angel and met them at the dock. The Patriarch baptized the four maidens himself, giving them the names Dorothea, Evanthia, Nonna and Timothea, then settled them and Domnica in a monastery.   Soon the fame of Domnica's pure life, wise teaching, and wondrous healings spread throughout the city, and even the Emperor Theodosius, with the Empress and his court, came to see her. Soon the crowds made it impossible for her and her sisters to live the heavenly life for which they had entered the monastery; so they relocated the monastery to a remote, demon-haunted location where executions had once commonly been performed, since everyone avoided the area. Here a new monastery was built by order of the Emperor, and the sisters found peace.   Saint Domnica's fame continued, and she became not only a healer but an oracle for the city of Constantinople, prophesying the death of the Emperor Theodosius and the unrest which followed it. She reposed in peace, having first entrusted the care of the monastery to Dorothea. At the moment of her death, the whole monastery was shaken, and those present saw Saint Domnica dressed as a bride, being borne heavenward escorted by a company of white-clad monks and nuns.

This week Dr. Jenkins's look at the schism takes us to a disputation on Constantinople in 1135, one that reveals real differences between the Orthodox and the Latins, but one which also reveals a good bit of cordiality and amity, seeking a way forward to overcome differences. For the latest issue of Rule of Faith: ttps://tinyurl.com/Rule6-2

Guest: Professor Edward J. Watts. Emperor Diocletian reorganized the empire's administration and persecuted Christians to protect his new system. Following Diocletian's retirement, Constantine seized power through civil war, attributing his military victory to a Christian vision. Constantine subsequently established Constantinople as a new, grand capital to rival Rome.

Justin Hibbard continues our series on the 21 Ecumenical Council by examining the 16th Council - the Council of Constance, which met to solve the dilemma of three rival popes. How did the council solve the Great Western Schism, and how did it address some of the forerunners of Protestantism? SOCIAL LINKS* Follow Why Catholic on Instagram.* Subscribe to Why Catholic on YouTube.* Follow Justin on Facebook.SOURCES:* The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History by Joseph Kelly* Video: General Councils 11: The Council of Constance - Fr Timothy Matkin - St Francis Dallas* Papal Encyclicals Online: The Council of Constance (1414-18)* Catholic Encyclopedia: The Council of ConstancePREVIOUS EPISODES IN THIS SERIES* Episode 146: Introduction to the 21 Ecumenical Councils* Episode 147: The World that Led to the Council of Nicaea* Episode 148: The First Council of Nicaea (325)* Episode 149: From Nicaea to Constantinople* Episode 150: The First Council of Constantinople (381)* Episode 151: The Council of Ephesus (431)* Episode 152: The Council of Chalcedon (451)* Episode 153: The Second Council of Constantinople (553)* Episode 154: War Among the Monotheists* Episode 155: The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)* Episode 156: The Second Council of Nicaea (787)* Episode 157: Reflections on the First Seven Ecumenical Councils* Episode 158: The Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870)* Episode 159: The Great Schism* Episode 160: The First Lateran Council (1123)* Episode 161: The Second Lateran Council (1139)* Episode 162: The Third Lateran Council (1179)* Episode 163: The Fourth Lateran Council (1215)* Episode 164: The First Council of Lyon (1245)* Episode 165: The Second Council of Lyon (1274)* Episode 166: The Council of Vienne (1311-1312)* Episode 167: The Avignon Papacy & The Great Western Schism Get full access to Why Catholic? at whycatholic.substack.com/subscribe

CONSTANTINOPLE AS HELM'S DEEP AND THE LATIN-GREEK SCHISM Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The final segment eulogizes Constantinople as a "perfect," intentionally designed city that served as "Helm's Deep" for Western civilization, preserving law, credit, and military organization when the rest of the West was atomized. The speakers detail the tragic sack of the city in 1204 by Latin Crusaders, describing it as a betrayal driven by the enduring envy and "bipolar tension" between the Latin West and the Greek East. This event stripped the city of its "divine" status and gold, ending its role as a sanctuary. They conclude by linking this ancient schism to the modern world, positing that the current geopolitical conflict between the US (the inheritor of the Latin West) and Russia (centered in Moscow, the successor to the Greek East) is a continuation of this unresolved cultural and religious struggle. NUMBER 3 1954

First, let me wish you a Happy New Year and I hope you had a good break if you took time off. This episode tells the story of one of the greatest empires in history – the Umayyad Caliphate. Its territories stretched from Samarkand to the Atlantic. Like the Roman Empire, it straddled three continents – Asia, Europe and Africa. But appearances can be deceptive, and to most contemporaries the Umayyad Caliphate seemed much more fragile than it does to us today with the benefit of 1,400 years of hindsight. Find out why in this episode!For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.

Send us a textTwo saints, one goal: heaven. We trace Basil and Gregory from Cappadocia to Athens and Constantinople, showing how holy friendship, strong doctrine, liturgy, and mercy can shape a life that burns for God and serves the poor with courage.• childhood formation in faith-soaked Cappadocia• covenant friendship at Athens aiming at holiness• conversion through prayer, fasting and surrender• monastic vision shaped by community and the Eucharist• defense of the Trinity against Arianism• Basil's rule and Gregory's preaching in action• letters as spiritual direction and encouragement• hospitals, care for the poor and lepers• liturgy and hymns that form the heart• final call to pursue sanctity with courageBe sure to click the link in the description for special news itemAnd since there is more to this article, finish reading and check out the special offerVisit journeysoffaith.com website todaySaints Basil and Gregory CollectionOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showJourneys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here The Goal is Heaven Click Here Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! Buy Me a cup of Coffee Why you should shop here at Journeys of Faith official site! Lowest Prices and Higher discounts...

Ninth Day of Christmas Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen; Fourth Century Doctors of the Church; they studied in Athens, and began to follow a monastic way of life; as Bishop of Caesarea, St. Basil wrote rules for monks and integrated social programs into monasteries; St. Gregory, Bishop of Constantinople, defended the Church against the Arian conspiracies, clarified the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and presided in the Council of Constantinople; they preached fervently, wrote extensively, and are beloved as the Cappadocian Fathers, along with St. Gregory of Nyssa Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/2/26 Gospel: John 1:19-28

Dead Funny History: Justinian and Theodora. Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the lives of Justinian and Theodora; the ultimate Byzantine power couple who ruled an empire, survived riots, and reformed the law.This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring the past to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From humble beginnings, he was the nephew of a pig farmer, she may have been the daughter of a bear trainer, Justinian and Theodora rose to become co-rulers of the Byzantine Empire, based in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).Their love story began at the chariot races and led to a marriage that defied the law, until Justinian got it changed. Together, they faced the terrifying Nika Riots, when rival teams joined forces to burn the city. Justinian wanted to flee, but Theodora's legendary speech convinced him to stay and rebuild.Expect parodies, sketch comedy, and a quiz to test what you've learned. Discover how they reformed Byzantine law, improved rights for women, and built the stunning Hagia Sophia. There's also a Thrash Metal battle with the Vandals and Ostrogoths, a ghostly uncle, and a goose-honking nod to Theodora's early career.It's history with heart, humour and high production value. Perfect for curious kids, families, and fans of You're Dead To Me.Written by Jack Bernhardt, Gabby Hutchinson Crouch and Dr Emma Nagouse Host: Greg Jenner Performers: Mali Ann Rees and Richard David-Caine Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Associate Producer: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch Audio Producer: Emma Weatherill Script Consultant: Professor Peter Frankopan Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Production Manager: Jo Kyle Studio Managers: Keith Graham and Andrew Garratt Sound Designer: Peregrine AndrewsA BBC Studios Production

Justin Hibbard continues our series on the 21 Ecumenical by examining the history between the Councils of Vienne and Constance. Why did the papacy move from Rome to Avignon? Who were the seven French Popes that make up the Avignon Papacy? And how did the return of the papacy to Rome lead to the Great Western Schism where three men claimed to be the rightful Pope? SOCIAL LINKS* Follow Why Catholic on Instagram.* Subscribe to Why Catholic on YouTube.* Follow Justin on Facebook.SOURCES:* The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History by Joseph Kelly* Nine Popes in Avignon* Catholic Answers: Was Avignon the Babylon of the West* Video: General Councils 11: The Council of Constance - Fr Timothy Matkin - St Francis Dallas* Unam Santam - Pope Boniface VIII* Video: The Palace of the Popes in AvignonPREVIOUS EPISODES IN THIS SERIES* Episode 146: Introduction to the 21 Ecumenical Councils* Episode 147: The World that Led to the Council of Nicaea* Episode 148: The First Council of Nicaea (325)* Episode 149: From Nicaea to Constantinople* Episode 150: The First Council of Constantinople (381)* Episode 151: The Council of Ephesus (431)* Episode 152: The Council of Chalcedon (451)* Episode 153: The Second Council of Constantinople (553)* Episode 154: War Among the Monotheists* Episode 155: The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)* Episode 156: The Second Council of Nicaea (787)* Episode 157: Reflections on the First Seven Ecumenical Councils* Episode 158: The Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870)* Episode 159: The Great Schism* Episode 160: The First Lateran Council (1123)* Episode 161: The Second Lateran Council (1139)* Episode 162: The Third Lateran Council (1179)* Episode 163: The Fourth Lateran Council (1215)* Episode 164: The First Council of Lyon (1245)* Episode 165: The Second Council of Lyon (1274)* Episode 166: The Council of Vienne (1311-1312) Get full access to Why Catholic? at whycatholic.substack.com/subscribe

A reading of reflections and poems of Saint Symeon taken from various sources and translations including:~ The Book of Mystical Chapters: Meditations on the Soul's Ascent from the Desert Fathers and Other Early Christian Contemplatives, Translated by John Anthony McGuckin~ The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell~ The Fire rises in Me - English version by Ivan M. GrangerSaint Symeon the New Theologian (949 -1022 AD) was an Eastern Orthodox monk and poet who was one of the three saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and given the title of "Theologian." "Theologian" was not applied to Symeon in the modern academic sense of theological study; the title was intended only to recognise someone who spoke from personal experience of the vision of God. One of his principal teachings was that humans could and should experience theoria (literally "contemplation," or direct experience of God).Symeon was born into the Byzantine nobility and given a traditional education. At age fourteen, he met Symeon the Studite, a renowned monk of the Monastery of Stoudios in Constantinople, who convinced him to give his own life to prayer and asceticism under the elder Symeon's guidance. By the time he was thirty, Symeon the New Theologian became the abbot of the Monastery of Saint Mamas, a position he held for twenty-five years. He attracted many monks and clergy with his reputation for sanctity, though his teachings brought him into conflict with church authorities, who would eventually send him into exile. Symeon is recognized as the first Eastern Christian mystic to share his own mystical experiences freely. Some of his writings are included in the Philokalia, a collection of texts by early Christian mystics on contemplative prayer and hesychast teachings. Symeon wrote and spoke frequently about the importance of experiencing directly the grace of God, often talking about his own experiences of God as divine light. Another common subject in his writings was the need of putting oneself under the guidance of a spiritual father. The authority for many of his teachings derived from the traditions of the Desert Fathers, early Christian monks and ascetics. Symeon's writings include Hymns of Divine Love, Ethical Discourses, and The Catechetical Discourses.Photography: George Digalakis ~ The Sound of Silence  / georgedigalakisphotography  https://www.digalakisphotography.com/Music: "Let My Love Be Heard" by Jake Runestad. Performed by the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir.   • Let My Love Be Heard - Jake Runestad  Cousin Silas - Slow Rotations https://cousinsilas1.bandcamp.com/With thanks to Pat for his kind permission to use his music for this channel.

He lived during the years when Constantinople was held in captivity by the Crusaders, and the Imperial government was in exile in Nicaea. Simon fled the world at a young age and traveled to the Holy Mountain, where he submitted himself to a strict but wise Elder for many years. In time, seeking greater seclusion, he moved to a small cave on the western side of Mt Athos, near a cliff that towered a thousand feet above the sea. One night, a few days before the Feast of the Nativity, he saw a star move across the sky and come to rest above the cliff near his cave. Taking this as a demonic delusion, he ignored it; but on the Eve of Nativity, the star once again took its place above the cliff, and Simon heard a voice from heaven saying 'Be in no doubt, Simon, faithful servant of my Son! See this sign, and do not leave this spot in search of greater solitude as you have in mind, for it is here that I want you to establish your monastery, for the salvation of many souls.' Soon afterward, three young monks from wealthy Macedonian families, who had heard of the Saint's holiness, came and laid their wealth at his feet, asking that he accept them as disciples. Simon sent for builders and ordered them to construct a monastery on the very edge of the precipitous cliff. The builders at first refused, saying the work was much too dangerous; but, persuaded by a miracle worked through the Saint's prayers, they were convinced. As soon as the building was finished, the monastic community began to grow rapidly.   In his own lifetime St Simon was the source of many miracles, prophecies and healings. Once the monastery was attacked by Saracen pirates. Simon went to meet them with gifts, hoping to dissuade them from attacking. When the pirates attacked him, they were blinded, and the arm of one of them was paralyzed when he attempted to strike the Saint. All of them were healed when the holy man prayed for them, and at this wonder they all repented, received Baptism and became monks.   Saint Simon reposed in peace. A fragrant, healing balm afterwards flowed from his tomb in great quantities, so that he came to be called Myroblytis, 'Myrrh-gusher' or 'Outpourer of Myrrh.' In subsequent years, the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt more than once, and no trace now remains of the tomb.

A kinsman of the Apostle Paul, the Holy Stephen was one of the seven deacons (with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas) first appointed by the Church to minister to the people; and it pleased God to receive him as the Church's first Martyr for Christ. Read the long, beautiful and edifying account of his witness in the Acts of the Apostles, chapters 6-8. When Stephen, "full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people," (Acts 6:8), some members of a synagogue in Jerusalem came to dispute with him and, enraged by his proclamation of Christ, stoned him to death. In his death St Stephen revealed Christ's erasure of the boundary between heaven and earth, and the new communion between man and God: his face shone with the light of the Transfiguration, and he was granted a vision of Christ enthroned at the Father's right hand. His dying words were "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7:60).   According to holy tradition, the martyrdom of St Stephen occurred exactly a year after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. His body was taken and secretly buried by Gamaliel, a member of the Sanhendrin and secretly a Christian.   Saint Stephen's relics were discovered by the priest Lucian in 415 following a vision. They were translated to the church built for them in Jerusalem by the Empress Eudocia, and later taken to Constantinople.   The Saint's missionary speech before his death (like that of the deacon St Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch) reminds us that those appointed to serve the Church materially are not barred, or even excused, from proclaiming the glorious Gospel of Christ.

She was born in Rome to a wealthy and prominent family. Though her father Pretexatus was a pagan, her mother Fausta instructed her in the things of God. Her father married her against her will to Publius, a prodigal and impious man lacking in Christian or pagan virtue. Anastasia was in the custom of dressing herself as a poor working woman and going out by night to visit and comfort the many Christians in prison (this was the time of Diocletian's persecution). When Publius discovered this, he was furious that his wife was demeaning herself by consorting with the despised Christians, and had his wife locked in the house with so little food that she came close to death by starvation. She was able to get a letter to her spiritual father Chrysogonus, who was also in prison, and their correspondence helped to sustain her through her ordeal. After three months her husband died in a shipwreck and she regained her freedom. Immediately she redoubled her work for the suffering Christians and their families, devoting all her time and wealth to their comfort and care.   One day Diocletian declared that all Christians in his prisons should be slain, and his command was carried out in one night. The next day Anastasia came to visit her beloved companions and, learning that all were dead, fell sobbing by the gate, no longer caring to conceal her Christian faith from anyone. Almost immediately she was arrested and brought before the authorities, who subjected her to every form of abuse. One prefect offered to marry her if she would bow to the idols, but to have her tortured to death if she would not. When she was unmoved, he attempted to rape her, but was struck blind and died miserably. She then briefly escaped to Nicaea and found refuge with the pious St Theodota, but was seized again along with Theodota and her children. After further trials and torments Anastasia, Theodota and her children, and others who had been converted to Christ through Anastasia's example, were executed.   Saint Anastasia's relics were taken to Rome, where a church was built in her honor. The relics were later translated to Constantinople and placed in another church bearing her name, where they worked many miracles. Because she has healed many through her prayers from the effects of poisons and potions, she is called Pharmocolytria, "Deliverer from Potions."

The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS. Robert Spencer https://youtu.be/yTMFsl_RmeY?si=RoPPUlCzL8lN2WbD Sangam Talks 1.11M subscribers 176,278 views Premiered Mar 16, 2021 Reclaiming Indian History It is taken for granted, even among many Washington policymakers, that Islam is a fundamentally peaceful religion and that Islamic jihad terrorism is something relatively new, a product of the economic and political ferment of the twentieth century. But in The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS, Islamic scholar Robert Spencer proves definitively that Islamic terror is as old as Islam itself, as old as Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, who said “I have been made victorious through terror.” Spencer briskly traces the 1,400-year war of Islamic jihadis against the rest of the world, detailing the jihad against Europe, including the 700-year struggle to conquer Constantinople; the jihad in Spain, where non-Muslims fought for another 700 years to get the jihadi invaders out of the country; and the jihad against India, where Muslim warriors and conquerors wrought unparalleled and unfathomable devastation in the name of their religion. Told in great part in the words of contemporary chroniclers themselves, both Muslim and non-Muslim, The History of Jihad shows that jihad warfare has been a constant of Islam from its very beginnings, and present-day jihad terrorism proceeds along exactly the same ideological and theological foundations as did the great Islamic warrior states and jihad commanders of the past. The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS is the first one-volume history of jihad in the English language, and the first book to tell the whole truth about Islam's bloody history in an age when Islamic jihadis are more assertive in Western countries than they have been for centuries. This book is indispensable to understanding the geopolitical situation of the twenty-first century, and ultimately to formulating strategies to reform Islam and defeat radical terror. About the Speaker: ROBERT SPENCER is the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is the author of twenty-one books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) (Regnery Publishing) and The Truth About Muhammad (Regnery Publishing) and the bestselling The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS (Bombardier Books) . Spencer has led seminars on Islam and jihad for the FBI, the United States Central Command, United States Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group, the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Justice Department's Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council and the U.S. intelligence community. He has discussed jihad, Islam, and terrorism at a workshop sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the German Foreign Ministry. He is a senior fellow with the Center for Security Policy. Timestamped Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The Jihad Question in Modern Context 05:07 Quranic Foundations of Islamic Warfare 08:14 The Conquest of India: Muhammad ibn Qasim 12:32 Instructions for Total Conquest and Submission 17:11 Demographic Transformation Through Oppression 21:19 Akbar's Exception: Less Islam, More Humanity 23:26 Love Jihad: Ancient Strategy, Modern Implementation 26:28 The "Religion of Peace" Deception Strategy 29:31 Islamic Scholars as Enablers, Not Reformers 33:16 The Myth of Moderate Islam Exposed 38:54 Apostasy: The Death Penalty Keeping Islam Alive 43:58 Love Jihad in Europe: Britain's Coverup Scandal 49:01 France Takes Action: Hope for European Resistance 54:18 What Hindus Can Do: Practical Resistance Strategies 58:26 Future Scenarios: AI, Modernization, and Islamic Cycles 1:02:28 Why Educated Muslims Join ISIS 1:07:00 The West's Suicidal Trajectory 1:11:18 Building Coalitions: The Need for Non-Muslim Unity 1:18:35 Identifying Fake Ex-Muslims: Key Warning Signs 1:23:51 Christian Organizations' Dangerous Naivety 1:26:53 The Realistic Future: Will Islam Ever End? Subscribe to our YouTube channels: YouTube English:    / sangamtalks   YouTube Hindi:    / sangamhindi   Follow Sangam Talk on social media : Telegram : https://t.me/sangamtalks Twitter:   / sangamtalks   Facebook:   / sangamtalks   Instagram:   / sangamtalks   Website: https://www.sangamtalks.org Donate: https://www.sangamtalks.org/donate Hashtags #islamichistory #india #jihad #lovejihad #robertspencer #sangamtalks #history #geopolitics #islam #hinduism #breakingindia #historicaltruth #academicfreedom #civilizationalwarfare #dhimmitude #islamicconquest #templedestructions #forcedconversions #apostasy #islamophobia #taqiyya #moderateislam #europeanislam #britishcoverup #hindurights #islamiclaw #sharia #interfaithdialogue #religiousfreedom #culturaldefense  

The words High and Late Middle Ages conjures up images of fog rising up over a field where knights in shining armor are trading blows with double handed swords, mighty bishops overseeing the construction of monumental cathedrals and peasants toiling on the land as serfs. The reason we see it that way goes back to the chivalric literature that celebrated the aristocratic lifestyle where tournaments and poetry mattered more than the humdrum world of business.But let's just take a look back at the High Middle Ages, the time of Richard the Lionheart, Saint Louis and Frederick Barbarossa. Who controlled access to the great endeavor of the time, the conquest of the Holy Land? Who re-opened up the connections to the wider world, from Novgorod to India and China? Who were the most ferocious fighters who neither expected norgranted any quarter? Who had all the money?These were the great cities of Italy, of Flanders, of Picardie and Provence and of the Holy Roman Empire. Verona under the Della Scala in the 14th century generated tax revenues twice as high as those of England, Venice capacity was sixty percent of what France could generate. And these cities fielded armies that, as we know, defeated the Holy Roman Emperors, even the most capable ones like Barbarossa and Frederick II time and time again. Their absolute dedication to fight to the end was evidenced by their extremely heavy and slow war carts, the Carroccios and by the bravery of the Flemish Militia at the Battle of the Golden Spurs. And the first European since Roman times to make to India and China wasn't a Knight errant, but a Venetian merchant, nor were the vast lands on the Eastern side of the continent linked up by military force. The crusades, the grand project of the age was as much a venetian mercantile adventure as a religious pilgrimage, culminating in the sack of Constantinople in 1204. What happened? Where did all these city states go? And why?That is what we are going to discuss today, when we look at the showdown between Maximilian of Habsburg, widower of the last duchess of Burgundy and father of Philip, the universally recognised heir of the Low Countries and the Flemish cities, and specifically its largest, the city of Ghent.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts....

War-War: NATO Provocations and American Detachment from Europe — Gaius & Germanicus — Gaius reports on escalating aggressive rhetoric from NATO and fortification initiatives throughout the Baltic region, questioning whether these military deployments constitute "false flag" provocations deliberately designed to entrap the United Statesin direct warfare with Russia. Germanicus contends that European elites are systematically manufacturing an external Russian crisis to maintain institutional power and governmental legitimacy against ascending populist movements and deep-seated fear of abandonment by the new American "Emperor." Germanicus draws a historical parallel to the permanent schism of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, characterizing the United States as the prosperous, militarily secure Eastern Empire (Byzantine Constantinople) and contemporary Europe as the economically weak, militarily collapsing Western Empire facing irreversible institutional decay. Germanicus argues that just as Constantinople eventually ceased attempting to save the disintegrating Western Empire from Vandal invasions and territorial collapse, the United States is strategically detaching from European geopolitical failures, recognizing that continued military commitment represents strategic wastage of American resources without corresponding security benefit. Germanicus emphasizes that European strategic incompetence and political cowardice render European salvation impossible through Americanmilitary intervention, making strategic withdrawal the rational American policy response. 1944 GOLD BEACH H-HOUR

Revisitamos 29 de maio de 1453 para além do clichê da “queda”: por que muitos preferem falar em Conquista de Constantinopla e como essa escolha muda toda a narrativa. Partimos da cidade de Bizâncio mítica à Segunda Roma de Constantin, com suas muralhas teodosianas, a Hagia Sophia e o peso simbólico que a tornava desejada no mundo islâmico e último bastião da ortodoxia no cristianismo. Recontamos o longo declínio bizantino (da peste e das perdas territoriais ao golpe da Quarta Cruzada) e a ascensão otomana, com disciplina janízara, uso pioneiro da pólvora e a ambição universalista de Mehmed II. No clímax, o cerco de 1453: canhões que abalam milênios, a manobra dos navios por terra, a defesa liderada por Giovanni Giustiniani e a morte heróica de Constantino XI. E também analisamos os legados: Istambul como capital otomana, a conversão da Hagia Sophia, impactos nas rotas comerciais, nas Grandes Navegações e no Renascimento — e a disputa viva entre “Queda” e “Conquista” que ainda molda identidades, memórias e política. Patronato do SciCast: 1. Patreon SciCast 2. Apoia.se/Scicast 3. Nos ajude via Pix também, chave: contato@scicast.com.br ou acesse o QRcode: Sua pequena contribuição ajuda o Portal Deviante a continuar divulgando Ciência! Contatos: contato@scicast.com.br https://twitter.com/scicastpodcast https://www.facebook.com/scicastpodcast https://www.instagram.com/PortalDeviante/ Fale conosco! E não esqueça de deixar o seu comentário na postagem desse episódio! Expediente: Produção Geral: Tarik Fernandes e André Trapani Equipe de Gravação: Gustavo Rebello, Luis Filipe Herdy, Maria Oliveira, Marcelo de Matos, Matheus Silveira Citação ABNT: Scicast #673: A Conquista de Constantinopla. Locução: Gustavo Rebello, Luis Filipe Herdy, Maria Oliveira, Marcelo de Matos, Matheus Silveira. [S.l.] Portal Deviante, 15/12/2025. Podcast. Disponível em: https://www.deviante.com.br/podcasts/scicast-673 Imagem de capa: Domenico Tintoretto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Referências e Indicações Sugestões de literatura: CROWLEY, Roger. 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West (detalhes sobre Giovanni Giustiniani e o papel genovês no cerco). O Grande Turco, John Freely. Osman´s Dream, Caroline Finkel. Armies oft he Ottoman Turks, David Nicolle Constantinople 1453, David Nicolle Byzantium: A History, John Haldo Lords of The Horizon, Jason Goodwin Sugestões de filmes: Ascensão: Império Otomano (Netflix) Fetih 1453 Sugestões de links: Artigo sobre tentativas de assassinato contra Mehmed II, incluindo detalhes de complôs venezianos: https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/sultan-mehmed-ii-from-painters-to-assassins-venices-war-with-the-ottomans/news Sobre a “legalização” do fratricídio: https://belleten.gov.tr/tam-metin/354/eng Sugestões de games: Assassin´s Creed: Revelations See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"These five courageous men shone like five resplendent stars in the dark days of the anti-Christian Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. St Eustratius was a Roman general in the city of Satalios, Eugene was one of his comrades in arms and Orestes likewise a respected soldier. Auxentius was a priest and Mardarius a simple citizen who came, like Eustratius, from the town of Aravraca. The imperial governors, Lysias and Agricola, tortured Auxentius first as he was a priest. Beholding the innocent suffering of the Christians, Eustratius presented himself before Lycias and declared that he also was a Christian. While Eustratius was being tortured, Eugene stood up before the judge and cried out: 'I am a Christian too, Lycias!' When they were driving Eustratius and the other martyrs through the town, Mardarius saw them from the roof of his house, and he took leave of his wife and two frail daughters and hastened after them, shouting into the faces of their tormentors: 'I am a Christian too, like the Lord Eustratius!' Orestes was a young and handsome soldier, who stood head and shoulders above all the other soldiers. One day, when he was at target practice in Lycias's presence, the Cross he was wearing fell from his breast, and Lycias realised that he was a Christian. Orestes openly confessed his faith, and was martyred with the others. Auxentius was beheaded, Eugene and Mardarius died under torture, Orestes was exposed on a red-hot iron grid and Eustratius died in a flaming furnace. St Blaise (see Feb. 11th) gave Communion to St Eustratius in prison before his death. Their relics were later taken to Constantinople, and are preserved in the church dedicated to them — The Holy Five Companions. They were seen alive in that church, and St Orestes appeared to St Dimitri of Rostov (see Oct. 28th). A beautiful prayer by St Eustratius is extant, which is read at the Midnight Service on Saturdays: 'I glorify Thy majesty, 0 Lord for Thou hast regarded my lowliness and hast not shut me up in the hands of my enemies, but hast saved my soul from want...'. " (Prologue)