Podcasts about jordanville

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Best podcasts about jordanville

Latest podcast episodes about jordanville

Orthodox Wisdom
Attire Befitting A Priest — Ecumenical Canons, Commentary, & Stories

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2025 8:01


A short but substantive article on priestly attire and why it is important that they wear their cassocks. Ecumenical Canons, comments from the author (a priest of the Russian Church Abroad), and stories illustrating the importance of the cassock for priests provide a memorable word on this topic. A reading of "Priestly Attire" from Orthodox Life, Jan-Feb, 1991 (Holy Trinity Seminary & Monastery, Jordanville, New York) 0:00 Introduction 1:29 Canons 3:52 Commentary 4:35 Stories7:23 Concluding Remarks Thumbnail: Patriach Pavle of Serbia walking down a crowded street (Left); The priest mentioned in the article who desired to be photographed with his cross in his pocket (Right)

Orthodox Wisdom
What is Freedom? - Archbishop Averky of Jordanville

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 10:15


Speaking to Russians in exile who saw firsthand the Bolshevik revolution, Archbishop Averky contrasts the true freedom in Christ from the tyrannical slavery of sin, indulgence, and worldly ambition that many falsely call “freedom.” As St. Paul wrote, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal 5:1). Reading from "The Just Shine Like The Stars: A Photographic Biography on the Life of Archbishop Averky of Jordanville Including Some of His Selected Sermons", pp. 59-61 -BUY Archbishop Averky's most popular book “The Struggle for Virtue: Asceticism in a Modern Secular Society”: https://www.holytrinitypublications.com/the-struggle-for-virtue -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ ______ And so now, having lived through all the bloody horrors and the merciless destruction of everything created by our forefathers over the centuries, those of us who still have a conscience can easily give an answer to the author's question: "Do you want a freedom which offers no restrictions and has no bounds?" No! You easily understand that this is not true freedom, not the freedom for which each human soul yearns. True freedom cannot carry with it hatred, sorrow and distress. This is not freedom; this is arbitrariness, a most crude and most cruel arbitrariness. Our reason, our heart and conscience, tell us that true freedom cannot be found in self-will, that self-will and arbitrariness are the enemies of freedom. Golden words! Do we not see, both in our Homeland and in the so-called "free world," this soul-terrifying randomness, under the wicked guise of "freedom"? This self-will reigns everywhere, in all aspects of our lives: personal, social, governmental and religious. People no longer think about the justice, fairness and humanity encompassed in the true sense of this word. Contemporary powers strive towards one goal: to make their own will become law for others, and are prepared to dole out harsh punishment to anyone who stands up in the name of the true Law — the Law of God — and who follows the principles of church and state which conform with this law. Where is this true Christian freedom, to which alone we should all strive? The Apostle Paul gives us the answer: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (II Corinthians 3:17). And this same holy Apostle commands us to preserve this true freedom unceasingly, admonishing us: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." In our times it is especially important to parry all the deceitful propaganda of the many false teachers, who are so energetically preparing throughout the world a foundation for the reign of the Antichrist. We must unmask this propaganda whenever possible, and we must act against it using all the means available to us, or we, too, might find ourselves in the camp of these self-proclaimed "teachers." And more than anything else, we must cherish our spiritual freedom, reminding ourselves as often as possible of the words of the Apostles: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1). "He that hath ears, let him hear." (St. Luke 8:8). _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Orthodox Wisdom
Children in Church - Fr. Michael Pomazansky of Jordanville

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 10:19


"Let the children be conscious that they are members of Christ's family. Let the children come to love church!" With an inspiring message for parents, Fr. Michael Pomazansky exhorts us to help our children not just come to church but to learn to love church. Addressing practical aspects and the important matter of compulsion, this short article offers a always timely message to Orthodox Christian parents and their children. 0:00 Beginning 0:07 The parents' obligation to raise their children in the love of God in church 2:51 Contact with spiritual grace is one of the first concerns of Christian parents 3:35 The key to religious education and the matter of compulsion 7:24 There must be at least some active participation for the child to grow to love church Fr. Michael Pomazansky was a priest trained in Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution and later Professor at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. Highly revered as a living link to Holy Tradition and transmitter of true Orthodoxy, Fr. Michael reposed just before his 100tg birthday in November 4th, 1988. -READ the text here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/pomaz_children.aspx -BUY Fr. Michael's most famous work, "Orthodox Dogmatic Theology": https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/odt.htm -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ ------- Fr. Michael writes: And however we may influence them in our family at home, however much we might teach them the Gospel, we would be depriving them of the direct action of heavenly grace, and at best we would arouse a thirst for faith in them—but we would still be keeping them far from the heavenly light and warmth, which comes down, regardless of our human efforts, in the mysteries, in all the services, in holy prayers. The task of religious 'education will be fulfilled only when we teach our children to love church. But certainly, if this remains just compulsion, and to such an extent that it creates a psychological repulsion in the young people—this will show that the aim has not been attained, that the method has proved to be inadequate and the compulsion in vain. Let the child brought by our will express a desire to remain there through his own will. Then you will have justified your action. “The holy maidens Faith, Hope and Charity, and the holy young bride Perpetua, who became martyrs, are witnesses to the fact that adolescence is an age prepared even for the highest active participation in Christ's Church. The baby in his mother's arms in church who cried out, "Ambrose for bishop!", and by his exclamation determined the choice of the renowned Ambrose of Milan for the episcopal cathedra—this baby is a defender of children's rights to an active participation in Christ's Church. And so let us take some trouble over our children: first let us give them the chance to take more part in church—and in a wider and more elevated form than just giving the censer to the priest; and secondly, let us adapt ourselves somewhat to our children when praying together with them. Let the children be conscious that they are members of Christ's family. Let the children come to love church! ______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
Fighting the Passions - Archbishop Theophan of Poltava

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 16:53


Archbishop Theophan of Poltava (+1940) whom we commemorate today (February 6/19) was a spiritual son of St. Theophan the Recluse, spiritual father of Archbishop Averky of Jordanville, and confessor for the Russian Royal Family before their martyric deaths in 1918. In these letters we are given general advice on fighting the passions, prayer, and answers to various specific questions many people have today. 0:11 Letter 23: Fighting the Passions 1:32 Letter 24: The Inner Struggle With Vain Thoughts and the Meaning of Humility 3:52 Letter 27: Exhaustion During Prayer and the Concept of Penance 5:28 Letter 8: Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov's Essays and the Proper Attitude Toward the Temptations Which Befall Us 8:00 Letter 21: Fighting the Passions and Dispassion 10:02 Letter 22: Preserving Inner Contemplation and Remembrance of God 11:25 Letter 26: Self-Reliance vs. Social Life; Fasting and Prayer 12:35 Letter 31: How Often Should One Receive Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ? 13:59 Letter 36: How to Prevent Sorrows From Disturbing One's Peace of Mind and Confession 14:57 Letter 54: The Proper Way to Conduct Spiritual Warfare These letters come from the book: “Selected Letters of Archbishop Theophan of Poltava” -BUY books from St. Theophan and Archbishop Averky here: https://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ ______ Archbishop Theophan writes: Until a man achieves dispassion he abides in the passions. The passions are, however, strongly manifest only in some people, in others they are inactive. But inactivity of the passions is not dispassion. In this case the passions are merely latent. When a man enters into battle with them, they assert their existence. "Many are the Saints," said St. Symeon the New Theologian, "but few are the dispassionate (those of perfect dispassion), and there is a great difference between the two" (Homily 84, para. 1; v. 2, p. 398). -Letter 21 When we forget about God, passions and evil thoughts arise. -Letter 22 One must compel oneself to remember God. -Letter 22 Until we reach the harbor of dispassion we must fight the passions and vain thoughts. There will be both victories and defeats, but we must conduct this battle until the end of our life. The battle will be successful only if it is conducted properly, and it will be conducted properly only if we depend not on our own might to conquer our passions and vain thoughts, but on God's might. In order to accomplish this we must constantly call upon God to help us by incessant appeal in God's name. -Letter 23 Penance is not, in the legal sense of the word, a punishment for a crime, but rather a spiritual remedy, the aim of which is to rid the person who uses it of a certain spiritual infirmity. The number of prostrations depends on the nature of the transgression or sin. -Letter 27 ______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
The Holy Zeal of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - Archbishop Averky

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 7:14


An examination of an important part of the holy personality of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia, his great love and zeal for Christ and His Church. Archbishop Averky was a righteous shepherd of the 20th century who served as Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery and Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. He was spiritual son of the great 20th century theologian and holy hierarch, Archbishop Theophan of Poltava, Russia, and therefore a living link in America to the Faith of Pre-Revolutionary Russia. Archbishop Averky was so esteemed that before his repose, St. John Maximovitch told Fr. Seraphim Rose that if he had any theological questions to ask Archbishop Averky. The honorable Archbishop reposed in 1976 and his relics lie in a small chapel for veneration at Holy Trinity Monastery. This short text comes from "Holy Zeal" by Archbishop Averky -LISTEN to the entire article here: https://youtu.be/0DOZQ3WZWTI -READ to the entire article here: https://deathtotheworld.com/articles/holy-zeal/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ Archbishop Averky writes: By citing such a picturesque example, we do not in the least wish to say that every one of us can or should follow this example literally: for this one must be himself just as great a holy hierarch as St. Nicholas. But this should absolutely convince us that we do not dare to remain indifferent or be unconcerned about the manifestations of evil in the world, especially when the matter is one of God's glory, of our Holy Faith and Church. Here we must show ourselves to be completely uncompromising, and we do not dare enter into any sort of cunning compromises or any reconciliation, even purely outward, or into any kind whatever of agreement with evil. To our personal enemies, according to Christ's commandment, we must forgive everything, but with the enemies of God we cannot have peace! Friendship with the enemies of God makes us ourselves the enemies of God: this is a betrayal and treason towards God, under whatever well-seeming pretexts it might be done, and here no kind of cunning or skillful self-justification can help us! Only holy zeal for God, for Christ, without any admixture of any kind of slyness or ambiguous cunning politics, must guide us in all deeds and actions. Be zealous, therefore, and repent! (Apoc. 3:19). _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
How to Understand the Jews as Being a Chosen People: An Orthodox Analysis

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 14:53


Are the Jews, even in light of Christ's death and resurrection, still in some way the chosen people of God? If so, how should we understand them and their role in God's providence? Who are the true Jews and what role do Jews and Judaism have in the prophesied rise of Antichrist? Note from Metropolitan Vitaly (+,2006) Chief Hierarch of ROCOR, 1986-2001:"The author of the following article lives in Russia. We received it some years back. The whole tone of the article in composes, discrete, and sober. Its ideas are profound, clear, and in complete agreement with the teaching of the Orthodox Church and the Holy Fathers." This article is found in Orthodox Life, Vol. 41, No. 4, Jul-Aug 1991. Orthodox Life is the journal of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary in Jordanville, NY, USA. -READ the article here: https://orthodoxlifemagazines.blogspot.com/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ Quotes from this article: If the Old Testament is understood as a foreshadowing, then one sees that the true Jews of the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of Christians, since all true Jews of the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of Christians, since all true Jews of the Old Testament lived spiritually in expectation of Christ the Savior, the Messiah. On the other hand, their enemies in the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of contemporary Judaism, that is, those who either consciously or unconsciously confess the Jewish religion, the very foundation of this religion being a rejection of Christ [Once one accepts the Christian Gospel, traditional Judaism loses its validity]. The Jewish religion which accepts Christ is the Christian religion. The first decree, the covenant with the Jewish people made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is never revoked, and therefore, in remaining a “special, different” people, since they do not accept Christianity, they repudiated their being the chosen people of God.… Even those Jews who do not accept Christianity, being infected by the bacillus of anti-Christianity, manage to preserve their identity supported by the Old Testament covenant. For this reason the hope of the Jews for universal supremacy is not in vain. This people will be preserved through all times; they will not be exterminated nor will they disintegrate. This Jewish materialistic approach openly and more subtly, under the appearance of various social theories and philosophical systems, encroaches upon the consciousness of Christians, breaking down Christian nations. In particular the penetration into the Christian consciousness of this Judaistic idea explains many heresies, the rise of Islam, the substitution of Christianity with humanism, altruism, Marxism, and separatist nationalism. What common denominator do some people seek in order to equalize black and white, Christianity and Judaism? — Judaism being a deified materialistic philosophy of earthly justice, worldly good, earthly freedom, and worldly well-being. Just as the deification of one's aspiration for all that which is worldly comes from Judaism, for the Christian that which is worldly is used only in so much as it is necessary in one's striving for the spiritual. It therefore follows that those who strive to equalize Judaism and Christianity, black and white, using the worldly as a basis, allow the spirit of Judaism to conquer them. In other words, having exchanged Christian spiritual goals for worldly ones, those that call themselves Christians lose that which distinguishes them from Jews and thus seek a union with Judaism, [perhaps unconsciously] rejecting Christ. They become co-workers in preparing for the kingdom of Antichrist. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
On Reception into the Orthodox Church - Elder Aimilianos Receives Roman Catholic Fr. Placide

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2023 18:24


Want to learn more about Baptism and the Reception of Converts? Uncut Mountain Press has just released a first-of-its-kind book: "Reception of the Heterodox into the Orthodox Church: Patristic Consensus and Criteria". BUY the book by 7/30/23 and receive excellent BONUS content. Learn more: --BUY the BOOK (including info about the bonus content and a free preview): https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/on-the-reception-of-the-heterodox-into-the-orthodox-church-the-patristic-consensus-and-criteria/ --WATCH the Trailer: https://youtu.be/8qhnX3qEPUw --READ Endorsements by Bishop Luke of Jordanville, Fr. Zechariah Lynch, and more: https://www.orthodoxethos.com/blog _______ After years as the abbot of a Trappist Roman Catholic Monastery and well-known scholar, Fr. Placide Deseille and his brotherhood realized they could no longer be Roman Catholic and needed to come to the Orthodox Church. They had previously visited Athos before they realized they should become Orthodox, and later went back to Athos to be received by their new spiritual guide, Elder Aimilianos of Simona Petra Monastery. This is a portion of the complete account of Fr. Placide's journey to Orthodoxy. Learn more about Fr. Placide here: https://orthochristian.com/109855.html This account is found in "The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain: Contemporary Voices from Mount Athos", Translated, with Introduction and Notes by Hieromonk (now Archbishop) Alexander (Golitzin), pp.63-93. Photo in the middle of the thumbnail is Fr. Placide and his brotherhood on the day of their baptism at the hands of Elder Aimilianos. _______ Fr. Placide writes: On determining when to formally convert to Orthodoxy: "But how could we remain loyal members of the Catholic Church, and so continue to profess outwardly all her dogmas, when inwardly we were convinced that certain of these dogmas had departed from the Tradition of the Church? How could we continue to share in the same Eucharist while aware of our differences regarding the Faith? How could we remain outside the Orthodox Church, outside of which there could be no salvation and life in the Spirit for those who, having recognized her as the Church of Christ, refused to join her for human motives? To give in to considerations of ecumenical diplomacy, opportunity, and personal convenience would, in our case, have been to seek to please men rather than God, and to lie both to men and to God. Nothing could have justified such duplicity." "The monks of Mount Athos are often criticized for their opposition to ecumenism, and are quite happily accused of sacrificing love for truth. We readily saw, from the time of our first visit when we were still Roman Catholics with no thought whatever of becoming Orthodox, how well the monks knew how to combine a gracious and attentive love towards other people, whatever their religious convictions and allegiance, with doctrinal intransigence. As they see it, moreover, total respect for the truth is one of the first duties that love for the other requires of them.... Christian unity, which is as dear to their hearts as anyone's, can only be brought to pass by the agreement of the non-Orthodox to the integrity and fullness of the Apostolic Faith. It could never be the fruit of compromise or of efforts born of a natural and human aspiration for unity among men. This would be to cheapen the deposit of faith entrusted to the Church. In ecumenism, as in the spiritual life, the Athonite position is one of sobriety and discernment. If one wants to please God and enter into His Kingdom, one must know how to assess the movements of one's feelings as well as the rationalizings of one' mind. Above all, one must give up being 'pleasing to men.'" "We asked freely to be received by baptism, in complete agreement with our abbot [Elder Aimilianos], because this procedure seemed to us both right and necessary for Athos, both theologically sound and canonically correct." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
Grace & Sin in the Heart Before and After Baptism - St. Diadochos of Photiki

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2023 20:08


Want to learn more about Baptism and the Reception of Converts? Uncut Mountain Press has just released a first-of-its-kind book: "Reception of the Heterodox into the Orthodox Church: Patristic Consensus and Criteria". BUY the book by 7/30/23 and receive excellent BONUS content. Learn more: --BUY the BOOK (including info about the bonus content and a free preview): https://uncutmountainpress.com/shop/product/on-the-reception-of-the-heterodox-into-the-orthodox-church-the-patristic-consensus-and-criteria/ --WATCH the Trailer: https://youtu.be/8qhnX3qEPUw --READ Endorsements by Bishop Luke of Jordanville and Fr. Zechariah Lynch: https://www.orthodoxethos.com/blog --WATCH a Short with a quote from St. Diadochos, narration from Timothy Honeycutt (Orthodox Wisdom): https://youtube.com/shorts/MATU6jsF_D4?feature=share _______ St. Diadochos reveals the immense grace and power of baptism: satan is expelled from the heart and Christ is planted therein. "As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ," (Gal 3:27) as the Apostle Paul proclaims. With Christ now dwelling in the depth of the heart, the battle against sin and the flesh is both similar and different than before baptism. St. Diadochos expresses with divine clarity the nature of the heart's activity and how the nous is purified and illumined as it battles against sin, no longer filled with demonic energy but now with grace and truth dwelling within. Sections 76-85 of "On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination: 100 Texts" by St. Diadochos of Photiki --BUY volume 1 of the Philokolia: https://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/9780571130139/ --LISTEN to the ENTIRE PHILOKALIA for FREE, from Patristic Nectar: https://patristicnectar.org/philokalia For more: --WATCH Fr. Peter discuss a portion of this text and how it teaches us about the nature of Grace in the Church and in the world: Is There Grace Outside the Church? St. Diadochos of Photiki and Fr. Peter Heers Answer https://youtu.be/nRv9OG0N6tU --READ: On the Operations of Nous according to St. Basil the Great https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/11/st-basil-great-on-operations-of-nous.html --LISTEN: On Watchfulness and Noetic Prayer - Elder Ephraim of Arizona https://youtu.be/sujsxSdh-MM _______ St. Diadochos writes: "Before holy baptism, grace encourages the soul towards good from the outside, while Satan lurks in its depths, trying to block all the nous's ways of approach to the divine. But from the moment that we are reborn through baptism, the demon is outside, grace is within. Thus, whereas before baptism error ruled the soul, after baptism truth rules it. Nevertheless, even after baptism Satan still acts on the soul, often, indeed, to a greater degree than before." "For when through holy baptism divine grace in its infinite love permeates the lineaments of God's image - thereby renewing in the soul the capacity for attaining the divine likeness - what place is there for the devil? For light has nothing in common with darkness (cf. 2 Cor 6:14). We who are pursuing the spiritual way believe that the protean serpent is expelled from the shrine of the intellect through the waters of baptism; but we must not be surprised if after baptism we still have wicked as well as good thoughts. For although baptism removes from us the stain resulting from sin, it does not thereby heal the duality of our will immediately, neither does it prevent the demons from attacking us or speaking deceitful words to us. In this way we are led to take up the weapons of righteousness, and to preserve through the power of God what we could not keep safe through the efforts of our soul alone." _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

The Saint Emmelia Podcast
059 - Ann Arbor Orthodox Classical Academy

The Saint Emmelia Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023


On this episode of the podcast, Melissa is talking to Father Gregory Joyce is the rector of St Vladimir's Orthodox Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Besides his seminary education from Holy Trinity in Jordanville, NY, he also holds a bachelors and masters in education. His parish is currently opening a brick and mortar elementary school in addition to his online supplemental program for homeschooling kindergarten and first grade students. We're joined by the principal, Dr Irene Melabiotis, who holds a PhD in education and is also a parent of a kindergartner in the blended learning program. The School's Website https://www.a2oca.org The School's YouTube Page https://youtube.com/@annarbororthodoxclassicala2456

The Saint Emmelia Podcast
059 - Ann Arbor Orthodox Classical Academy

The Saint Emmelia Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023


On this episode of the podcast, Melissa is talking to Father Gregory Joyce is the rector of St Vladimir's Orthodox Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Besides his seminary education from Holy Trinity in Jordanville, NY, he also holds a bachelors and masters in education. His parish is currently opening a brick and mortar elementary school in addition to his online supplemental program for homeschooling kindergarten and first grade students. We're joined by the principal, Dr Irene Melabiotis, who holds a PhD in education and is also a parent of a kindergartner in the blended learning program. The School's Website https://www.a2oca.org The School's YouTube Page https://youtube.com/@annarbororthodoxclassicala2456

The Saint Emmelia Podcast
059 - Ann Arbor Orthodox Classical Academy

The Saint Emmelia Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023 27:15


On this episode of the podcast, Melissa is talking to Father Gregory Joyce is the rector of St Vladimir's Orthodox Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Besides his seminary education from Holy Trinity in Jordanville, NY, he also holds a bachelors and masters in education. His parish is currently opening a brick and mortar elementary school in addition to his online supplemental program for homeschooling kindergarten and first grade students. We're joined by the principal, Dr Irene Melabiotis, who holds a PhD in education and is also a parent of a kindergartner in the blended learning program. The School's Website https://www.a2oca.org/ The School's YouTube Page https://youtube.com/@annarbororthodoxclassicala2456

Homilies of Fr Seraphim Rose
E05. Weekly Reading: Orthodoxy in the USA (Fr Seraphim Rose)

Homilies of Fr Seraphim Rose

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 55:22


Orthodox in the USA: It's Historical Past and Present. A talk delivered by Fr Seraphim Rose at the St Herman Winter Pilgrimage, on December 12th, 1979, at the Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville,, New York..

The Morbid Museum
The Death of the Romanovs

The Morbid Museum

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 72:53


The fall of the Romanov Dynasty and the subsequent murder of the Imperial family, is one of the most grisly endings to a monarchy the world has ever known. Shrouded in secrecy for years, the full story continues to unfold to this day, impacting Russia's political landscape both at home and abroad for many years to come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1em_lDQzmA&t=2505s (Last of the Czars - 1996 Documentary Series) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21094391-the-romanovs?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=coxuYTfGOm&rank=1 (Romanovs: 1613 - 1918 By Simon Sebag Montifiore) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40603533-the-last-days-of-the-romanovs (The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg by Helen Rappaport) https://time.com/5340985/romanov-century-dna-myths/ ("The Romanov Family Died a Century Ago. It's Time to Lay the Myths About Them to Rest, Too" By Helen Rappaport) https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/why-no-nation-would-rescue-nicholas-ii-and-his-family-from-revolutionary-russia/2018/08/02/bf5fcf0e-6a77-11e8-bea7-c8eb28bc52b1_story.html ("Why no nation would rescue Nicholas II and his family from revolutionary Russia" by Greg King) https://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/yurovmurder.php (The Executioner Yurovsky's Account ) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1928/03/the-last-days-of-the-romanovs/303877/ ("The Last Days of the Romanovs" By Edmund Walsh) https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kaiser-wilhelm-of-germany-and-czar-nicholas-of-russia-exchange-telegrams (Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and Czar Nicholas of Russia exchange telegrams - HISTORY) https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/arts/design/treasures-and-trivia-of-the-romanov-era.html ("Treasures and Trivia of the Romanov Era" New York Times By Eve M. Kahn ) https://tsarnicholas.org (Nicholas II - Emperor Tsar Saint) https://tsarnicholas.org/2019/07/19/we-have-to-search-for-more-remains-of-alexei-and-maria-says-us-researcher/ (“We have to search for more remains of Alexei and Maria,” By Paul Gilbert) https://www.russianhistorymuseum.org (Russian History Museum, Jordanville, NY ) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dna-analysis-confirms-authenticity-remains-attributed-romanovs-180969674/ ("DNA Analysis Confirms Authenticity of Romanovs' Remains Will Russia's fallen royal family finally receive a full burial from the Orthodox Church?" By Brigit Katz) https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/murders-ekaterinburg (The Murders at Ekaterinburg | Richard Cavendish | Published in History Today Volume 58 Issue 7 July 2008) Follow us on IG: @themorbidmuseum Email us at themorbidmuseum@gmail.com Artwork: Brittany Schall Music: "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by Kevin MacLeod 2022 All Rights Reserved

Orthodox Wisdom
The Life of Metropolitan Philaret of New York

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2022 17:36


Metropolitan Philaret of New York, third First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and towering figure in the great cloud of 20th century witnesses. An ardent defender of the Truth, both the Person of Christ and the dogma and ethos of His Body, the Orthodox Church, Vladyka Philaret's ascetic and prayer-filled heart guided ROCOR from 1964 until his repose in 1985. He is well known for his three “Sorrowful Epistles” written to the Hierarchy of the world in defense of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church against ecumenism and modernist corruptions of the life of the Church. Thirteen years after his repose on Nov 8/21, 1985, his relics were translated to the crypt under the altar at Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary in Jordanville, NY and were found to be incorrupt. In God's time, we may see this righteous Hierarch officially number with the Saints. Fr. Seraphim Rose wrote of Met. Philaret in 1976: “Among the Primates of the Orthodox Churches today, there is only one from whom is always expected—and not only by members of his own Church, but by very many in a number of other Orthodox Churches as well—the clear voice of Orthodox righteousness and truth and conscience, untainted by political considerations or calculations of any kind. The voice of Metropolitan Philaret of New York, Chief Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, is the only fully Orthodox voice among all the Orthodox primates. In this he is like to the Holy Fathers of ancient times, who placed purity of Orthodoxy above all else, and he stands in the midst of today's confused religious world as a solitary champion of Orthodoxy in the spirit of the Ecumenical Councils.” Learn more about Met. Philaret at the ROCOR Eastern Diocese website: https://www.eadiocese.org/metropolita... And also at this blog (run by an Old Calendarist, for your information): http://blessedphilaret.blogspot.com This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

Everyday Orthodox
Meet Fr. Serafim Baltich

Everyday Orthodox

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022 59:56


Born and raised in the former Yugoslavia, Fr. Serafim moved to America in 1995 because of the war. At the monasteries in Ocala, FL, he met Elder Ephraim and realized his won monastic calling. After attending Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, he became a hieromonk in 2008 at the New Gracanica Monastery in Illinois, where he still lives. Join Elissa as she visit with Fr. Serafim about his journey.

Everyday Orthodox
Meet Fr. Serafim Baltich

Everyday Orthodox

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022


Born and raised in the former Yugoslavia, Fr. Serafim moved to America in 1995 because of the war. At the monasteries in Ocala, FL, he met Elder Ephraim and realized his won monastic calling. After attending Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, he became a hieromonk in 2008 at the New Gracanica Monastery in Illinois, where he still lives. Join Elissa as she visit with Fr. Serafim about his journey.

Everyday Orthodox
Meet Fr. Serafim Baltich

Everyday Orthodox

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022


Born and raised in the former Yugoslavia, Fr. Serafim moved to America in 1995 because of the war. At the monasteries in Ocala, FL, he met Elder Ephraim and realized his won monastic calling. After attending Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY, he became a hieromonk in 2008 at the New Gracanica Monastery in Illinois, where he still lives. Join Elissa as she visit with Fr. Serafim about his journey.

Orthodox Wisdom
I Have Not Come To Bring Peace, But A Sword - Archbishop Averky of Jordanville

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2022 15:03


Archbishop Averky speaks to our times in the context of a frequently neglected saying of Christ. His peace is not the peace of the world, His truth both unites and divides. As he said to His disciples after his tough sayings led many to leave Him: “Do you also want to go away?” Let us respond like the Apostle Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Archbishop Averky: “All of these frequent, unnaturally flowery speeches, and until now, hysterical cries about peace for the world are for the most part from people who are either far from true Christianity or openly hostile towards the Church. These speeches come from people who themselves do not live in peace with God and their consciences. Their relations with their neighbors are filled with malice. Can we believe the sincerity of the words pronounced by people who reject faith in God and love for their neighbor, and do not recognize the voice of conscience? Can we believe that those who audaciously and arrogantly blaspheme, declaring war on God Himself and His Holy Church, are truly striving for peace? These are the same people who not long ago did not conceal the fact that their plan was "to kindle a worldwide fire" [Communism], and who openly preached "class hatred" as the basis for their ideology. They are not at all troubled over shedding rivers of blood and exterminating millions of people simply on the suspicion that they may not be in agreement with their ideology. Can we truly believe the sincerity of peace lovers who speak sweetly of "Christian love" and "universal forgiveness," yet at the same time sow conflict and dissension, spreading lies and slander which incite enmity and division, setting people against one another.” “Surely one understands that when our Lord Jesus Christ said, Resist not evil (Matt. 5:39) he was only replacing the previous Old Testament law of personal revenge, forbidding us to take revenge on those Who personally offend us. There is no way that one should understand this saying to refer to no resistance to evil in general, as Leo Tolstoy and his followers understood it. On the contrary, our Lord taught very clearly that His true followers must be completely uncompromising towards evil, even in those most difficult circumstances which involve our conscience, in those circumstances where evil becomes incarnate in people close and dear to us. Let us recall for example the following words of our Savior which so disturb those who view Christian love as something sweet, sentimental, nice: If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26).” This text is from “The Modern World in the Light of the Word of God, vol. I, 1951-1960,” pp. 404-409. This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
Standing in the Temple of Thy Glory, We Think Ourselves to Stand in Heaven, O Theotokos

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2021 17:08


“Everything in the Church must be heavenly.”“In truth the church is an earthly heaven, where God's altar is, where the awesome Mysteries are celebrated, where the Angels minister with men, where there is uninterrupted glorification of the Almighty - there heaven truly is, and the heaven of heavens.” –St. John of Krodstadt“In church, everything is different:  there one's particular world is not earthly, but heavenly; there one's rules, customs, one's regulations and customs are prescribed by the church order.  And he who loves the church, for whom it is the way to heavenly sanctity, such a one must know all this, and, if he does not know it, he must strive to learn it.”“And so, see the characteristic sign of our times: the true Church of Christ with her preaching of the spiritual life must needs be abolished, and exchanged for a certain false likeness, one with exclusively worldly working principles, aims and tasks.But isn't such a mentality the very clearest sign of the approach of that dread time, of which the Saviour and Lord spoke: “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)? Already many have no faith in God, no faith in Christ and no faith in the Church; and in the place devoid of faith, they set up other idols, among which the proponents of the new “false Church” have the idol of “organization” and that of “administration.”  But why, and what for, if the most important thing, faith, is not there, if it is unknown?“Organization” and “administration,” without real faith, without a genuine spiritual life, are but a body without a soul, a dead, lifeless corpse!”Archbishop Averky was a righteous shepherd of the 20th century who served as Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery and Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. He was spiritual son of the great 20th century theologian and holy hierarch, Archbishop Theophan of Poltava, Russia, who himself was a disciple of St. Theophan the Recluse, and therefore is a living link in America to the Faith of Pre-Revolutionary Russia. Archbishop Averky was so esteemed that before his repose, St. John Maximovitch told Fr. Seraphim Rose that if he had any theological questions to ask Archbishop Averky. The honorable Archbishop reposed in 1976 and his relics lie in a small chapel for veneration at Holy Trinity Monastery.Full text: https://orthodoxethos.com/post/standi...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
The Spirit of Antichrist and the Forerunners of Antichrist - Archbishop Averky

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2021 19:02


“From the second chapter of St. Paul's Second Epistle to the Thessalonians it is clear that the teaching about the Antichrist enters into the content of the earliest apostolic evangelization.”“But why is it so important to know this teaching?Because, as the Holy Fathers warn us beforehand, he who ignores this teaching, considering it unimportant and not essential in Christianity, will not recognize the Antichrist and will worship him.But is it really possible not to recognize the Antichrist? Yes, it is possible!”“Remembering Bishop Ignatii's words that "the Antichrist will be logical, just, and the natural result of the general moral and spiritual direction of mankind", we leave it to the reader attentive to surrounding life to draw his own conclusions from what has been said above, while, on our part, we can only repeat: "Let him who is being saved save his soul!"Archbishop Averky was a righteous shepherd of the 20th century who served as Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery and Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. He was spiritual son of the great 20th century theologian and holy hierarch, Archbishop Theophan of Poltava, Russia, who himself was a disciple of St. Theophan the Recluse, and therefore is a living link in America to the Faith of Pre-Revolutionary Russia. Archbishop Averky was so esteemed that before his repose, St. John Maximovitch told Fr. Seraphim Rose that if he had any theological questions to ask Archbishop Averky. The honorable Archbishop reposed in 1976 and his relics lie in a small chapel for veneration at Holy Trinity Monastery.Text: http://archbishopaverky.blogspot.com/...This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

Orthodox Wisdom
Orthodoxy in the USA - Fr. Seraphim Rose

Orthodox Wisdom

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2021 55:09


In this talk, Fr. Seraphim gives insight and advice especially helpful for Orthodox Christians in America. He briefly shares the history of Orthodoxy in the US, examines the present state of the Church, and gives advice on how we can live out our Orthodox Faith. Being a convert himself, he knows the common pitfalls that new Orthodox believers fall into and how to avoid them. Any inquirer, catechumen, or baptized Orthodox Christian will gain much help from this talk.Fr. Seraphim says in this lecture: "St. Tikhon, therefore, gives us a start in understanding what Orthodoxy is: it is something first of all of the HEART, not just the mind, something LIVING AND WARM, not abstract and cold, some thing that is learned and practiced in LIFE, not just in school."Fr. Seraphim gave this talk at the Saint Herman Winter Pilgrimage, December 12/25, 1979, at Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, New York.First published by the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood of Platina, CA in The Orthodox Word, vol. 16, no. 5 (94), Sept.-Oct., 1980, pp. 211-236.The text can be also be found here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/orth_...This channel is dedicated to sharing the prayers, hymns, teachings, and service texts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

Saint of the Day
St John (Maximovich), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco

Saint of the Day

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2021


This brightly-shining Saint of our own day was born in Russia in 1896. In 1921 his family fled the Russian Revolution to Serbia, where he became a monk and was ordained a priest. From the time of his entry into monastic life he adopted a severely ascetical way of life: for the rest of his life he never slept in a bed, sleeping only briefly in a chair or prostrated before the icons. He ate one meal a day, in the evening. Teaching seminarians in Serbia, he instructed them each day to devote six hours to divine services, six hours to prayer (not including the divine services!), six hours to good works, and six hours to rest (these six hours obviously included eating and bathing as well as sleeping). Whether his seminarians followed his counsels we do not know, but he himself not only followed but exceeded them.   In 1934 he was made Bishop of Shanghai (in the Russian Church Abroad), where he served not only the Russian emigre community but a number of native Chinese Orthodox; from time to time he served the Divine Liturgy in Chinese. When the Communists took power in China, he labored tirelessly to evacuate his flock to safety, first to the Philippines, then to various western countries including the United States. He served as Bishop in Paris and Brussels, then, in 1962 was made Archbishop of San Francisco. Throughout his life as monk and hierarch he was revered (and sometimes condemned) for his ascetical labors and unceasing intercessions. During his life and ever since, numerous miraculous healings of all manner of afflictions have been accomplished through his prayers. Once, in Shanghai, a caretaker, investigating strange noises in the cathedral after midnight, discovered Bishop John standing in the belltower, looking down on the city and praying for the people. Years later, when he visited Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, the priest responsible for hosting him found the saint walking through the halls of the monastery, standing outside the door of each room and praying for the monk or seminarian sleeping within. When the Archbishop had prayed outside each room, he returned to the beginning of his circuit and began praying again; and so he spent the entire night.   Even as Archbishop, he lived in near-absolute poverty. His appearance was striking: His cassock was made of blue Chinese "peasant cloth," crudely decorated with crosses stitched by orphans who had been in his care in Shanghai. His Bishop's "miter" was often a cloth cap to which he had glued paper icons. Even in the United States, even while serving the Divine Liturgy (which he did every day), he went barefoot in all seasons. (Eventually, after he was hospitalized with an infected foot, his Metropolitan ordered him to wear shoes; thereafter, he wore sandals). Needless to say, he was an embarrassment to those who like their bishops to make a more worldly appearance, but among his various flocks throughout the world, there were always those who recognized him as a Saint in his own lifetime.   Following his repose in 1966, a steady stream of healings and other miracles was accomplished through his intercessions, and in 1996 he was glorified as a Saint of the Church. His incorrupt and wonder-working relics can be venerated at his cathedral in San Francisco. At St John's funeral, the eulogist told his mourners (and all of us): because Archbishop John was able to live the spirituality of the Orthodox Church so fully, even in modern, western, urban society, we are without excuse.   Footnote: An acquaintance of Monk John once met him on a train in Serbia. When asked his destination, Monk John replied, "I'm going to straighten out a mistake. I've gotten a letter meant for some other John whom they intend to make a bishop." The same person met him again on his return journey and asked if he had been able to resolve his problem. John answered, "The mistake is much worse than I thought: they did make me a bishop."

Saint of the Day
St John (Maximovich), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco

Saint of the Day

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2021 4:14


This brightly-shining Saint of our own day was born in Russia in 1896. In 1921 his family fled the Russian Revolution to Serbia, where he became a monk and was ordained a priest. From the time of his entry into monastic life he adopted a severely ascetical way of life: for the rest of his life he never slept in a bed, sleeping only briefly in a chair or prostrated before the icons. He ate one meal a day, in the evening. Teaching seminarians in Serbia, he instructed them each day to devote six hours to divine services, six hours to prayer (not including the divine services!), six hours to good works, and six hours to rest (these six hours obviously included eating and bathing as well as sleeping). Whether his seminarians followed his counsels we do not know, but he himself not only followed but exceeded them.   In 1934 he was made Bishop of Shanghai (in the Russian Church Abroad), where he served not only the Russian emigre community but a number of native Chinese Orthodox; from time to time he served the Divine Liturgy in Chinese. When the Communists took power in China, he labored tirelessly to evacuate his flock to safety, first to the Philippines, then to various western countries including the United States. He served as Bishop in Paris and Brussels, then, in 1962 was made Archbishop of San Francisco. Throughout his life as monk and hierarch he was revered (and sometimes condemned) for his ascetical labors and unceasing intercessions. During his life and ever since, numerous miraculous healings of all manner of afflictions have been accomplished through his prayers. Once, in Shanghai, a caretaker, investigating strange noises in the cathedral after midnight, discovered Bishop John standing in the belltower, looking down on the city and praying for the people. Years later, when he visited Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, the priest responsible for hosting him found the saint walking through the halls of the monastery, standing outside the door of each room and praying for the monk or seminarian sleeping within. When the Archbishop had prayed outside each room, he returned to the beginning of his circuit and began praying again; and so he spent the entire night.   Even as Archbishop, he lived in near-absolute poverty. His appearance was striking: His cassock was made of blue Chinese "peasant cloth," crudely decorated with crosses stitched by orphans who had been in his care in Shanghai. His Bishop's "miter" was often a cloth cap to which he had glued paper icons. Even in the United States, even while serving the Divine Liturgy (which he did every day), he went barefoot in all seasons. (Eventually, after he was hospitalized with an infected foot, his Metropolitan ordered him to wear shoes; thereafter, he wore sandals). Needless to say, he was an embarrassment to those who like their bishops to make a more worldly appearance, but among his various flocks throughout the world, there were always those who recognized him as a Saint in his own lifetime.   Following his repose in 1966, a steady stream of healings and other miracles was accomplished through his intercessions, and in 1996 he was glorified as a Saint of the Church. His incorrupt and wonder-working relics can be venerated at his cathedral in San Francisco. At St John's funeral, the eulogist told his mourners (and all of us): because Archbishop John was able to live the spirituality of the Orthodox Church so fully, even in modern, western, urban society, we are without excuse.   Footnote: An acquaintance of Monk John once met him on a train in Serbia. When asked his destination, Monk John replied, "I'm going to straighten out a mistake. I've gotten a letter meant for some other John whom they intend to make a bishop." The same person met him again on his return journey and asked if he had been able to resolve his problem. John answered, "The mistake is much worse than I thought: they did make me a bishop."

Jordanville Readings
Welcome to Jordanville Readings!

Jordanville Readings

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2020 1:48


An introduction to the new daily podcast from Holy Trinity Publications in Jordanville, NY. Every weekday, we'll bring you a 10 to 15 minute selection from our library of spiritual counsels, lives of saints, biographies and more. Listen on your morning walk, during your lunch break, or on your evening commute as we offer a daily dose from the Heritage of Orthodox Russia.Our first episode drops Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 26th.To learn more about our publishing work, visit HolyTrinityPublications.com.

Ancient Faith Today Live
Orthodox Christian Ethics,  Morals, and Modernity

Ancient Faith Today Live

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020


Fr. Demetrios Harper from Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY joins Fr. Tom Soroka to talk about a challenging but important topic.

Ancient Faith Today Live
Orthodox Christian Ethics,  Morals, and Modernity

Ancient Faith Today Live

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020


Fr. Demetrios Harper from Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY joins Fr. Tom Soroka to talk about a challenging but important topic.

The Monastery Trapeza
The First Ecumenical Council - Met. Anthony Khrapovitsky

The Monastery Trapeza

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2020 19:25


Khrapovitsky, Met. Anthony. "The First Ecumenical Council." Orthodox Life, Volume 34, No. 6 (1984) (Jordanville, New York: Holy Trinity Monastery) ISSN:0030-5820, orthodoxlife.org

The Monastery Trapeza
The Passion of the Holy Great Martyr George

The Monastery Trapeza

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2020 40:24


"The Passion & Miracles of the Great Martyr and Victorious Wonderworker George." Orthodox Life. 1957, No. 1 (Jordanville, New York: Holy Trinity Monastery) ISSN:0030-5820, orthodoxlife.org

Everyday Orthodox
Meet Fr. Paul Drozdowski

Everyday Orthodox

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2020


A lifelong artist, Fr. Paul formally studied drawing, painting, printmaking, and design at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, earning a Bachelor's Degree of Fine Arts. Subsequently, he spent a year-and-a-half studying at Holy Trinity Theological Seminary in Jordanville, NY. During that time, he simultaneously worked under the tutelage of master iconographer Fr. Andrei Erastov and began fulfilling monastery orders almost immediately. Since then, Fr. Paul has fulfilled many commissions for both churches and individuals, and his work can be seen coast to coast. He is also the illustrator of the children's book St. Seraphim's Beatitudes, authored by Fr. Daniel Marshall. Fr. Paul is a protodeacon and serves at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Howell, NJ.

Everyday Orthodox
Meet Fr. Paul Drozdowski

Everyday Orthodox

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2020


A lifelong artist, Fr. Paul formally studied drawing, painting, printmaking, and design at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, earning a Bachelor's Degree of Fine Arts. Subsequently, he spent a year-and-a-half studying at Holy Trinity Theological Seminary in Jordanville, NY. During that time, he simultaneously worked under the tutelage of master iconographer Fr. Andrei Erastov and began fulfilling monastery orders almost immediately. Since then, Fr. Paul has fulfilled many commissions for both churches and individuals, and his work can be seen coast to coast. He is also the illustrator of the children's book St. Seraphim's Beatitudes, authored by Fr. Daniel Marshall. Fr. Paul is a protodeacon and serves at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Howell, NJ.

Saint of the Day
St John (Maximovich), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco (1966) (June 19 OC)

Saint of the Day

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2020


This brightly-shining Saint of our own day was born in Russia in 1896. In 1921 his family fled the Russian Revolution to Serbia, where he became a monk and was ordained a priest. From the time of his entry into monastic life he adopted a severely ascetical way of life: for the rest of his life he never slept in a bed, sleeping only briefly in a chair or prostrated before the icons. He ate one meal a day, in the evening. Teaching seminarians in Serbia, he instructed them each day to devote six hours to divine services, six hours to prayer (not including the divine services!), six hours to good works, and six hours to rest (these six hours obviously included eating and bathing as well as sleeping). Whether his seminarians followed his counsels we do not know, but he himself not only followed but exceeded them.   In 1934 he was made Bishop of Shanghai (in the Russian Church Abroad), where he served not only the Russian emigre community but a number of native Chinese Orthodox; from time to time he served the Divine Liturgy in Chinese. When the Communists took power in China, he labored tirelessly to evacuate his flock to safety, first to the Philippines, then to various western countries including the United States. He served as Bishop in Paris and Brussels, then, in 1962 was made Archbishop of San Francisco. Throughout his life as monk and hierarch he was revered (and sometimes condemned) for his ascetical labors and unceasing intercessions. During his life and ever since, numerous miraculous healings of all manner of afflictions have been accomplished through his prayers. Once, in Shanghai, a caretaker, investigating strange noises in the cathedral after midnight, discovered Bishop John standing in the belltower, looking down on the city and praying for the people. Years later, when he visited Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, the priest responsible for hosting him found the saint walking through the halls of the monastery, standing outside the door of each room and praying for the monk or seminarian sleeping within. When the Archbishop had prayed outside each room, he returned to the beginning of his circuit and began praying again; and so he spent the entire night.   Even as Archbishop, he lived in near-absolute poverty. His appearance was striking: His cassock was made of blue Chinese "peasant cloth," crudely decorated with crosses stitched by orphans who had been in his care in Shanghai. His Bishop's "miter" was often a cloth cap to which he had glued paper icons. Even in the United States, even while serving the Divine Liturgy (which he did every day), he went barefoot in all seasons. (Eventually, after he was hospitalized with an infected foot, his Metropolitan ordered him to wear shoes; thereafter, he wore sandals). Needless to say, he was an embarrassment to those who like their bishops to make a more worldly appearance, but among his various flocks throughout the world, there were always those who recognized him as a Saint in his own lifetime.   Following his repose in 1966, a steady stream of healings and other miracles was accomplished through his intercessions, and in 1996 he was glorified as a Saint of the Church. His incorrupt and wonder-working relics can be venerated at his cathedral in San Francisco. At St John's funeral, the eulogist told his mourners (and all of us): because Archbishop John was able to live the spirituality of the Orthodox Church so fully, even in modern, western, urban society, we are without excuse.   Footnote: An acquaintance of Monk John once met him on a train in Serbia. When asked his destination, Monk John replied, "I'm going to straighten out a mistake. I've gotten a letter meant for some other John whom they intend to make a bishop." The same person met him again on his return journey and asked if he had been able to resolve his problem. John answered, "The mistake is much worse than I thought: they did make me a bishop."

Everyday Orthodox
Dn. Nicholas Kotar

Everyday Orthodox

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2019


Deacon Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary choir in Jordanville, NY, and a semi-professional vocalist.

Everyday Orthodox
Dn. Nicholas Kotar

Everyday Orthodox

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2019


Deacon Nicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary choir in Jordanville, NY, and a semi-professional vocalist.

Ancient Faith Presents...
The Summer School of Liturgical Music

Ancient Faith Presents...

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2014


Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Andre Papkov, the founder and director of the Summer School of Liturgical Music at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, New York. Fr. Andre is also the chairman of the Liturgical Music Commission of the Synod of Bishops, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.