In the News

“God gives us what we need ALWAYS, but not necessarily what we want… In Orthodox countries, when people aren’t afflicted, they feel abandoned by God.”

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Saint Sophia Cathedral
Online Resources for our Religious Edification

Christos Anesti! 

Christ is Risen! 

TOPIC OF THE WEEK:

“God gives us what we need ALWAYS, but not necessarily what we want… In Orthodox countries, when people aren’t afflicted, they feel abandoned by God.”

Spiritual Resources for the Pandemic

Coping with COVID-19 for Orthodox Christians 

For Everyone: 
In the Saint Emmelia Podcast, Noah Bushelli mentions his parishioner, a little boy, who had a bone marrow transplant last year and so he and his family had to be isolated from their friends and non-nuclear family for a long time. This illness was something he might not have chosen, but it was God’s will for him. Read some things he learned from his experience that might help us now in the pandemic in this Isolation Advice from Master Gregory.
Adults/Family

“People have their own interior rhythm and you have to give them space for that but there needs to be a family rhythm. All our families should have a sense of rhythm but now we have to impose it upon ourselves rather than having it imposed upon us by our work schedule or the school schedule. Of course, that rhythm should start, continue and end in prayer. What a great chance to say ‘OK kids, we’ve fallen down the last couple of years, but this is our chance, we’re going to start again, we’re going to pray… Say ‘Thank you Lord, for this time, for calling me back to the kind of pristine family that you have set up for us….

The biggest single thing is that while you have your children back home, they are not outsourced at this point, you are doing really what is natural. You are saying this is how we are going to spend our time, this is what I want you to put in front of you, to gaze upon and to feed your soul with.

We know the phrase ‘You are what you eat’ and that’s why we rejoice in holy communion. We also are what we dwell upon, we are what we read, we are what we watch, we are what we do. And so put good things in front of your children…”

Listen to Father Noah in this podcast as he gives practical advice for schooling and parenting at home for ALL parents (homeschoolers and those who find themselves homeschooling during the pandemic). A rough transcript is available HERE.
Preschool/Elementary/Middle School
“God gives us what we need ALWAYS, but not necessarily what we want.”
What are some things that you have been given by God through this virus that maybe you needed but didn’t realize it? Was it more time with your family? More time at home for prayer? Make a list of things that you were not expecting that turned out to be blessings.
High School
Father Noah tells this story:
  • “It reminds me of 6 or 7 years ago I was on my way to camp… I was really praying that I could get my cellphone usage in control. If we’re honest, this is something that is true for all of us. I was praying about that and then I was on the bus with my kids. I called my dad (it was Father’s Day), called my godfather and father-in-law. I put my phone down. It disappeared. We went into a tunnel and it was gone. God gave me the answer to just get rid of the phone! When the answer came I wasn’t ready for it. I was nervous about it. I didn’t have an interior life to be able to say God is providing everything I need. The person in front of me God provided for me. I can’t check my email, contact my wife. It was a challenge. Rude awakening. This is what’s happening to people today – rudely awakened to life.”
In what ways have you been challenged by this pandemic to have to ‘do without’ some worldly thing(s) and to pay attention to the person(s) God provided in front of you? What worldly things do you still need to ‘lose’ to get their hold over you under control? At the end of this, will you be able to say “Thank you Lord, for this time, for calling me back to the kind of pristine family that you have set up for us.”?
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A Message from Maria Spanos

I am passionate about our Orthodox Christian faith and seek to help others learn as much as they can about it. My purpose here is to share online resources that help strengthen our relationship with Christ and bind us closer to His Church. I believe they are invaluable in learning about our precious Orthodox Tradition, and are a great aid for teaching family members, friends and others about Orthodoxy. ~Maria

Two of my favorite quotes:

“A true Christian behaves in this life so that it may be a preparation for the future one and not only a life here below. In his actions, he does not think what will be said of him here but of what will be said there in heaven; he represents to himself that he is always in the presence of God, of the angels and all the saints, and remembers that someday they will bear witness of his thoughts, words, and deeds.”  — Saint John of Kronstadt

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Of all the holy works, the education of children is the most holy.”
— St. Theophan the Recluse