Free Kindle versions of Pascha at the Duck Pond and The Three-Day Pascha are available via Amazon through February 17. The Three-Day Pascha uses simple verse to engage children in the story of our Lord’s crucifixion, entombment, and Resurrection. In Pascha at the Duck Pond, as the animals at the Duck Pond journey through Great Lent towards Pascha (Easter), they learn that Lent is not about the rules, but allowing God to change our hearts through love and repentance.
The Ordinations of the Servant of God Jason Ivey to the Holy Diaconate & Holy Priesthood
By the Grace of God and in accordance with the Apostolic Tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church, our pastoral assistant, Jason Ivey, will be ordained to the Holy Diaconate and the Holy Priesthood through the laying on of hands and invocation of the Holy Spirit by His Eminence Metropolitan GERASIMOS of San Francisco on Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15. Axios! Worthy!
Please keep Jason, his wife Renee, and their families in your prayers as he prepares for ordination. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through the intercessions of his patron saint, Seraphim of Sarov, grant him every good gift to strengthen, inspire, guide and bless his ministry.
Formal invitations to, more information about and ways you can offer your assistance in preparation for his ordinations is forthcoming. Again, "worthy!
Kids n' Cancer Bake Sale Sunday, February 11
Three Hierarchs Academic Lecture (Video)
“Deliver us from Danger and Distress:” Praying the Scriptures in the Early Church.
Assistant Professor of New Testament at Holy Cross and Director of the Religious Studies program at Hellenic College, Dr. Beck also has served since 2003 as the Director of the Pappas Patristic Institute at the school. His area of specialization is the study of the New Testament and its interpretation within the Church. He has studied at the Hebrew University, the University of Georgia, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Harvard Divinity School, where he received both received both his MDiv and ThD. Proficient is Greek (Homeric, Classical, koine/Biblical, Patristic), Hebrew (biblical and modern), Syriac, biblical Aramaic, Latin, French, and German, he draws from a wide range of sources in the interpretation of the New Testament, including the Greek Old Testament, the Orthodox lectionary, liturgical hymns, iconography, patristic writings, and academic scholarship. He has taught at Harvard College, Harvard Divinity School, and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, contributed chapters in edited volumes as well as papers for academic and parochial publications, offered lectures, interviews, and retreats throughout the world and worked in Academia for over 20 years.
The title of his presentation is “Deliver us from Danger and Distress:” Praying the Scriptures in the Early Church. “Deliver us from Danger and Distress” focuses on how the biblical figures serve as models for our prayers in the liturgy and feasts – how we are so connected with God’s saving activity in our past – including the prophets, patriarchs, and the saints – and ultimately how we are rooted in faithfulness of God to the Fathers and Mothers of the Christian faith – how we are constantly having recourse to these models of faith – which we see time and again in our prayers. This presentation will also address practical ways by which we can use this to our advantage – by pointing to ways that Christians can pray the Scriptures today.
Dr. Beck is currently writing a book about the role of the prophets and other biblical saints in the early Church as models of prayer. His recent publications include “Testing God: Echoes of Exodus in the Gospels;” “Intertextuality and Reception History in the story of Jonah and Elijah in the Lives of the Prophets: The Tradition of Jonah as the Widow’s Son” (with Christos Arabatzis), “Learn from me”: Embodied Knowledge through Imitation in Early Christian Pedagogy;” “The Aesthetic of Typology: The Prophet Jonah in the Church’s Liturgical Hymns;” and “‘Out of the Mouth of Babes’: Prophetic Children of Palm Sunday in Patristic Liturgical Tradition.”
Visit https://www.saintanna.org/study/# for a list of past speakers and topics.
A Journey into Eastern Orthodox Monasticism
Saint Anna Parish App for Apple & Android Phones/Tablets
Go to: http://www.planetorthodox.org on your mobile device.
To install on your phone/tablet homescreen:
- Apple: Open in Safari and just follow the instructions once the app comes up.
- Android: Open using the chrome browser and follow the instructions once the app comes up.
- Windows: Open in Internet Explorer and just follow the instructions once the app comes up.
And now you just click on the icon to view the Saint Anna App. It will be viewable anytime with a network connection.
Dr. Bruce Beck to speak at the 2018 Three Hierarchs Academic Lecture
It is a joy to announce that Dr. Bruce Beck, Ph.D., will offer the 2018 Three Hierarchs Academic Lecture, scheduled for Saturday, February 3 at 6PM. Dr. Beck is the Assistant Professor of New Testament at Holy Cross and Director of the Religious Studies program at Hellenic College. He also has served since 2003 as the Director of the Pappas Patristic Institute at the school. His area of specialization is the study of the New Testament and its interpretation within the Church.
Dr. Beck has studied at the Hebrew University, the University of Georgia, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Harvard Divinity School, where he received both received both his MDiv and ThD. Proficient is Greek (Homeric, Classical, koine/Biblical, Patristic), Hebrew (biblical and modern), Syriac, biblical Aramaic, Latin, French, and German, he draws from a wide range of sources in the interpretation of the New Testament, including the Greek Old Testament, the Orthodox lectionary, liturgical hymns, iconography, patristic writings, and academic scholarship. He has taught at Harvard College, Harvard Divinity School, and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, contributed chapters in edited volumes as well as papers for academic and parochial publications, offered lectures, interviews, and retreats throughout the world and worked in Academia for over 20 years.
The title of his presentation is “Deliver us from Danger and Distress:” Praying the Scriptures in the Early Church. “Deliver us from Danger and Distress” will focus be on how the biblical figures serve as models for our prayers in the liturgy and feasts – how we are so connected with God’s saving activity in our past – including the prophets, patriarchs, and the saints – and ultimately how we are rooted in faithfulness of God to the Fathers and Mothers of the Christian faith – how we are constantly having recourse to these models of faith – which we see time and again in our prayers. This presentation will also address practical ways by which we can use this to our advantage – by pointing to ways that Christians can pray the Scriptures today.
Dr. Beck is currently writing a book about the role of the prophets and other biblical saints in the early Church as models of prayer. His recent publications include “Testing God: Echoes of Exodus in the Gospels;” “Intertextuality and Reception History in the story of Jonah and Elijah in the Lives of the Prophets: The Tradition of Jonah as the Widow’s Son” (with Christos Arabatzis), “Learn from me”: Embodied Knowledge through Imitation in Early Christian Pedagogy;” “The Aesthetic of Typology: The Prophet Jonah in the Church’s Liturgical Hymns;” and “‘Out of the Mouth of Babes’: Prophetic Children of Palm Sunday in Patristic Liturgical Tradition.”
Visit https://www.saintanna.org/study/# for a list of past speakers and topics.
New Social Services Program of the Philoptochos: Telephone Cancer Support Group
Christmas at Project Mexico, 2017
Book of Daniel Study Class begins Jan 17
It is with great joy that we announce a new study class, an evening Bible Study, led by our Pastoral Assistant, Beginning on January 17, Jason Ivey will explore the Old Testament book of Daniel on Wednesday evenings, immediately after the Akathist Service (6:30-8pm). A beautifully written piece by Fr. Tadros Yacob Malaty about the book of Daniel and its significance for us as Christians is found below.
The Book of DANIEL: A book for every believer
The book of Daniel has a special significance in the life of believers, for it is not a record of Daniel’s life nor to an era of the history of the Israelites during the Babylon captivity, but rather it is a divine book, which the Holy Spirit offers us to instill hope in the hurt souls. Sometimes, God allows throwing us in the fiery furnace of trials, yet He changes the nature of fire for our comfort and peace.
From one aspect, this book reveals to us that God is the Controller of all history, who does for the edification of his faithful believers in any place. From another aspect, this book reveals to us that God is glorified in the very few whom are sincere to Him. He is their support in sanctifying their lives and a fiery fence that protects them and He arranges everything for their salvation.
Since God allows his believers to go through tribulations, as He allowed Daniel while still a youth, yet He elevated him to the highest level so that the greatest king at that time came and worshipped him, realizing that the Spirit of the Holy One is inside him. God enlightened his vision to grant him not only wisdom so he may know the king’s dreams and explain it to him, and not only to conduct all the matters of the kingdom wisely, but rather to enjoy the surpassing mysteries of God, so the Spirit may reveal to him the future and eternal work of God with humanity.
It is the book of divine friendship, which can elevate the believer’s heart to a surpassing heavenly life, even if he lived as a captive in his sojourn.
It is the book of divine knowledge, which God offers to His chosen and beloved people. This knowledge stems from faith from a heart filled with divine love. This knowledge is granted through the experience of severe tribulation and enduring sufferings for the sake of God and His people. The book also reveals how Satan tries to take away this knowledge by destroying our faith.
Lastly, this book is directed to every believer to realize his living role in the church life as well as the life of all the human race, for Daniel was not devoted for the ministry and prophecy, but rather he was like the prime minister in a country which dominated the whole world. He knew how to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. Daniel did not go back to Jerusalem like those who came back from the captivity, and did not participate in building the gate of Jerusalem, and did not restore building the temple with Zorbabel, but he was the first man who worked in secret in these matters. He influenced the kings of Babel and Persia; he offered a great service through his holy life and his faithfulness in his work.
May the Spirit of God enlighten our vision so we may discover His divine mysteries, know Him, accept His friendship with us, so He may use us in whatever place He sees suitable for the building of His kingdom.