Plus, an Eloquent 5-star Review over at STM Press

Christ is Risen!

I hope you all have had a beautiful and profound Pascha this year. In addition to rejoicing in the “Feast of feasts,” I have been preparing for talks and book signings for the Thebaid Book beginning later in May, which is a bit surreal for me, and like nothing I have really ever done before.

Upcoming Schedule

First up is St. Tikhon’s Annual Memorial Day Pilgrimage, May 23-26, where I will be signing books and giving a brief talk about the Thebaid Pilgrimage and how the book came to be. The weekend after that (June 1), I will be hosted by my former home parish of many years, Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit in Cincinnati, Ohio, which will be a delightful reunion with dear friends, and an opportunity to meet many of the new members who have entered the Church there since I moved south in 2022. As I mention in my earlier post today, I will be delivering the remaining CTS pre-orders well in advance of the June 1 book signing.

The following week, June 3-6, I will be at the Third Annual PAIDEIA Conference, being held at Antiochian Village in Bolivar, PA. I feel honored, to have had my paper accepted, and to be scheduled to present it on Thursday morning, June 5. The theme of the conference is, “The Beauty of a God Who Is Among Us,” which I felt may rightly include a discussion of fine photography, hence my topic: “Photography, Stillness, and Beauty: Aesthetic and Ascetical principles to cultivate Numinous and Iconic Image Making.” My talk will be augmented by a digital slide presentation of photographs from The North American Thebaid pilgrimage, as well as of select images by some of the great photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, whose own words on photography serve to emphasize key points of my thesis.

In mid-July I’ll be giving a talk and book-signing at my home parish, St. Symeon the New Theologian, in Birmingham, Alabama, which will be a special and festive event. I am working on confirming a couple more events even as this post is being written, so watch for more updates soon, and I look forward to meeting some of you this Spring and Summer.

NEW REVIEW: ‘A profound and beautiful revelation’

The other news item today for the Thebaid Book is a recent 5-star review, posted over at St. Tikhon’s Monastery Press online store. The author clearly spent some time with the book before setting his thoughts down, and I’m very appreciative of his comments and insights, especially, perhaps, this assessment: “This book brings to light something many of us may not see clearly: the hidden life of prayer and asceticism quietly shaping the soul of our continent.”

What a hope-filled observation! In our age of chaos and uncertainty, it is the Orthodox monasteries and churches which strive in a hidden and quiet way to bear witness to Christ the Risen Lord and Pantokrator, and the “peace which passes all understanding,” and which, we may hope, offer a way forward through such times as ours.

I hope you enjoy this brief reflection (italics added for emphasis):

A profound and beautiful revelation of Orthodox monastic life in our midst —

The North American Thebaid is far more than a pictorial book—it is a spiritual encounter. From the first page, I was struck by the sheer beauty of the photography, the reverence of the compositions, and the deep sense of stillness captured in each image. It is stunningly produced, but beyond its visual richness, what moved me most was the profound realization that Orthodox monasticism is not a distant tradition—it is fully alive and flourishing here in North America.

This book brings to light something many of us may not see clearly: the hidden life of prayer and asceticism quietly shaping the soul of our continent. Every page invites reflection, and I find myself returning to it again and again—for inspiration, for encouragement, and for a renewed awareness of the spiritual treasures in our own backyard.

It is a gift to the Church, and a witness to the presence of grace all around us. Glory to God for this beautiful work! – Anthony, 4/19/25

That’s all for today. Thank you all, dear fellow pilgrims. Let us continue to follow the Risen Lord Jesus through the Forty Days, and on to Pentecost and beyond…

Ralph/zosimas