COVID-19 CATECHESIS
ALASKA DALL SHEEP
An   ALMSGIVING    Opportunity
to help those impacted by Covid-19


Reflections and Daily Inspiration
"When you reach a state of harmony within yourself and become friends with yourself, then, simultaneously, your environment, Heaven and Earth, will become your friends. For such a person there are no enemies, no ‘impure’ people. Everything is pure to those who are pure."

"Do you realize that our best friend is ourselves? We don’t have a closer and more intimate friend than ourselves…So the first person you must befriend is yourself. You will then be able to see yourself with great love and compassion."

       - Fr. Maximos quoted in The Inner River 
TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION
NEW ST. JOSEPH THE HESYCHAST DOCUMENTARY
- Interview with Jonathan Jackson

In this interview, five-time Emmy award winning Hollywood actor Jonathan Jackson, who frequently visits Mount Athos as a pilgrim, talks about perhaps the most challenging role of his career playing Elder Joseph the Hesychast in a documentary filmed on Mount Athos. 
FROM THE NEWS
Message from Metropolitan Tikhon for the Sunday of the Myrrbearing Woman

On Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Woman, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon addressed an Archpastoral word to the faithful of the Orthodox Church in America in appreciation for the frontline workers, especially those who are members of the Orthodox Church in America.

Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!

This 2nd Sunday after Pascha, we Orthodox Christians keep the memory of the Myrrhbearing Women who, with all piety and care, brought spices and ointments to Christ’s tomb. We remember Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Joanna, Salome, Martha and Mary of Bethany, and along with these devoted women, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. All these together, in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation, courageously did what was necessary for their Lord.
SAINT OF THE DAY
MAY 5 / APRIL 22

The Venerable Theodore the Sykeote, Bishop of Anastasiopolis (613)  

Theodore was born in the village of Sykeon in Galatia, for which he was called the Sykeote. As a child of ten, he surrendered himself to strict fasting and all-night prayer after the model of Stephen, an elder who lived in his house. His mother, Maria, was a wealthy widow and intended to dedicate her son to the military profession. St. George appeared to her in a dream and informed her that Theodore was destined for the service of the King of Heaven and not a king of the earth. St. George appeared to Theodore many times, either to instruct him or to save him from certain dangers in which the evil demons had placed him. He also had several visions of the All-holy Theotokos. Theodore’s asceticism surpassed in its severity that of all the living ascetics of his time. He mortified his body through hunger, thirst, iron chains, and standing at prayer all night. He did all of this in order to bind his soul with love for God and to make his soul the complete master over his body. In response to Theodore’s love, the merciful Lord responded with love. God bestowed upon him great power over evil spirits and over all of mankind’s diseases and afflictions. He was famous everywhere as a wonderworking healer. Because of his purity and devotion, he was consecrated Bishop of Anastasiopolis against his will. He remained for eleven years at his episcopal duty, and then implored God to free him from this service in order to again dedicate himself to his beloved asceticism. After that, he returned to his monastery, where, in his old age, he rendered his soul to his Lord, for Whom he had willingly suffered much. He reposed at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Heraclius in about the year 613.