Metropolitan Jonah to take part in 2009 March for Life

SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] — On Thursday, January 22, 2009, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah will join Orthodox Christian clergy and faithful from across America for the 36th annual March for Life in Washington, DC.

On the evening of Wednesday, January 21, 2008, Metropolitan Jonah will celebrate Vespers at St. Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, DC, at 7:00 PM. The following day, he will take part in the March and will be one of the first religious leaders to give a message at the rally on Capitol Hill. That evening, Metropolitan Jonah will give the invocation at the March for Life’s annual Rose Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Washington.

“The Orthodox Church in America has designated the Sunday before January 22, the annual date for the March for Life, as ‘Sanctity of Life Sunday,'” said OCA Director of Communications, Archpriest Andrew Jarmus. “This year, the Sanctity of Life Sunday will fall on January 18. We will shortly be posting Metropolitan Jonah’s message for the Sanctity of Life Sunday and special petitions to be included in the Divine Liturgy on that day.”

More information about the 36th March for Life may be found at www.marchforlife.org.

IOCC Delivers Emergency Food Supplies to Children in Gaza

Baltimore, MD — International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is providing fortified biscuits and milk for about 23,000 children in Gaza. IOCC expects to deliver these supplies by Saturday to the southern areas of Khan Yunis and Rafah. The conflict, now in its second week, has displaced more than 20,000 people from their homes.

IOCC will also provide a shipment of quilts to Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. East Jerusalem YMCA, a long time partner, will assist in delivering IOCC supplies. While news agencies are reporting that forces have agreed to suspend fighting for three hours each day to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, it still remains dangerous to move supplies.

IOCC has been working in cooperation with Action by Churches Together (ACT) member agencies to coordinate a response to the current crisis. Since 1997, IOCC has implemented a variety of educational, employment and school repair programs in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

Help IOCC speed relief to families who have been caught in this conflict. Visit www.iocc.org, call IOCC toll free at 1-877-803-4622, or mail a check or money order payable to “IOCC” and write “Middle East Relief” in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.

IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $275 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.

OCA to publish book commemorating election & enthronement of +Jonah

SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] — The Chancery of the Orthodox Church inAmerica has announced plans to publish early in 2009 a book commemoratingthe election of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah.

“The book will document His Beatitude’s election as Primate of the OrthodoxChurch in America at the OCA’s 15th All-American Council, November 12, 2008,and his enthronement at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC, December28, 2008,” said OCA Director of Ministries and Communications, ArchpriestAndrew Jarmus. “The publication will also offer insight into the life andministry of Metropolitan Jonah prior to his election. Additionally, the bookwill give OCA parishes, institutions and members an opportunity to publishgreetings to His Beatitude.

“The OCA chancery has also announced that profits from the sale of thecommemorative book will be earmarked for the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards[FOS] to help fund Church ministries. “Metropolitan Jonah has also indicatedhis desire that the a portion of the book’s sales will go to support thework of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, OCF, which is involved withcampus ministry at universities and colleges throughout the US and Canada,”Fr. Andrew said.

The OCA Chancery is also examining the possibility of producing a videodocumentary of Metropolitan Jonah’s election and enthronement.

A mailing with information regarding greetings for the commemorative book will be sent out by the Chancery shortly.

Quiet

Sorry I have been so quiet it is not that there is nothing to say it is just hard to find the time to say it. I am working on a few essays that I will try and post over the weekend and I have recorded another part of my four part lecture series on Orthodox Spirituality and I hope to have that posted this weekend as well.

Cross Posting

This is cross posted from www.shepherdofsouls.com

Great News!

We have added two more affiliates to the Shepherd of Souls Family.

Radio Free London 95.7 from London, Kentucky Sunday mornings at 9am.

The show has also been added to the line up on the Access America Satellite Network
Monday’s at 9:00 AM
Wednesday’s 7 PM and
Sunday’s 6:30 AM

at the following information:
Galaxy 19 Ku-Band
(formerly Galaxy 25, Telstar 5 and IA 5)
Transponder: 23
Polarity: Vertical (V)
Frequency: 12.115 MHz
Symbol Rate: 22.425FEC: 3/4
Audio PID 1794 E

7 January ~ St. Kentigerna

St. Kentigerna was a widowed hermitess. She was the mother of St. Coellan, and the daughter of Kelly, Prince of Leinster, Ireland.

Upon the death of her husband, she left Ireland and moved to Inchebroida Island in Loch Lomond, Scotland, where she remained for the rest of her life. She entered into the heavenly kingdom in 733. A church remains dedicated to her to this day.

January 6th ~ Theophany

About the beginning of our Lord’s thirtieth year, John the Forerunner, who was some six months older than Our Saviour according to the flesh, and had lived in the wilderness since his childhood, received a command from God and came into the parts of the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins. Then our Saviour also came from Galilee to the Jordan, and sought and received baptism though He was the Master and John was but a servant. Whereupon, there came to pass those marvellous deeds, great and beyond nature: the Heavens were opened, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove upon Him that was being baptized and the voice was heard from the Heavens hearing witness that this was the beloved Son of God, now baptized as a man (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:1-22). From these events the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the great mystery of the Trinity were demonstrated. It is also from this that the present feast is called “Theophany,” that is, the divine manifestation, God’s appearance among men. On this venerable day the sacred mystery of Christian baptism was inaugurated; henceforth also began the saving preaching of the Kingdom of the Heavens.

From www.goarch.org

Was Jesus a Liberal?

I have often asked this question and I think about it often. I don’t think we can take the current 21st Century meaning of these words and try and fix them to ancient persons but I think this post does a pretty good job of it.
To be Liberal is to Trust

I think this hits the nail right on the head. Now these are not my words but I do agree with them so be kind in your comments toward me. If you wish to flame someone leave the comments on his blog. Don’t shoot the messenger… LOL

War and Hatred do not Resolve Problems

VATICAN CITY, 4 JAN 2009 (VIS) – After the Angelus the Pope invited all to pray for an end to the war in Gaza, recalling that hatred and war do not resolve problems.

“Today, in all the churches of the Holy Land, the patriarchs and leaders of the Christian churches of Jerusalem invite the faithful to pray for an end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip and implore justice and peace for their land. I join with them and ask you to do the same, remembering, as they are saying, ‘the victims, the wounded, those with broken hearts, who are living in anguish and fear, that God bless them with consolation, patience, and the peace that proceeds from Him”.

The Holy Father affirmed that “the dramatic news that we are receiving from the Gaza Strip shows that the refusal to dialogue leads to situations that weigh unspeakably on the populations who are again victim to hatred and war”.

War and hatred are not a solution to problems. Most recent history again confirms this. Let us pray, then, that ‘the Baby in the manger … inspire the authorities and those responsible on both sides, Israeli and Palestinian, to act immediately to put an end to this tragic situation”.

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