a photographic pilgrimage to Orthodox Christian monasteries across the continent
I am very encouraged by today's announcement of an important new work, an Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Monasteries. I see this new publication as a sign of growing interest in Orthodox monasticism in North America, as well as the sort of book which will itself help grow that interest, especially by providing a handy and …
Continue reading ‘Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Monasteries’ Announced
Monastics are a sign to the world, and to the Church in particular, that there are persons, men and women, whose love for Christ and zeal for following His call is so extreme as to lead them to literally "deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him." This is the visible, radical, total response …
Continue reading ‘Fire in the Desert’ – The Radical Call of Monasticism
What is a “thebaid”? Per the Catholic Encyclopaedia, The valley of the Nile, under Roman domination, was divided into four provinces: Lower and Upper Egypt, Lower and Upper Thebaid. The last two comprised the upper part of the valley. During the fourth to fifth centuries it was the chosen land of the monks, who by their sanctity and by the form they impressed on the monastic system greatly influenced …
In his edifying little patericon, 'Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters', Elder Paisios (who was officially entered into the calendar of saints a year ago, on January 13, 2015) presents "the lives of Athonite fathers who were vessels of divine grace and lived approximately in the period from 1840-1980. As a conclusion to the book, the author …
Continue reading St. Paisios of Mt. Athos: ‘Don’t sit at the crossroads. Choose a cross…’
The North American Thebaid 