CATECHESIS & DAILY INSPIRATION |
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The Holy Great-martyr Barbara and Martyr Juliana, at Heliopolis in Syria |
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The NATIVITY FAST
A time for preparation!
May our spiritual efforts bring us renewal in Christ!
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Reflections and Daily Inspiration |
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Even the least deeds, both good and evil, will be subject to strict inquiry. We shall be punished for an indiscreet glance, shall be held responsible for an idle word said in jest, for calumny, for evil desires, for drinking; while among our good deeds not even a cup of cold water given to the thirsty, not even a gentle word, not even a sigh of penance will be forgotten, but all will be rewarded.
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Interview with master iconographer
Dr. George Kordis
The importance of learning how to draw your own icon, and finding your personal expression.
Dr. Kordis interviewed at the Mets Arts Centre in Athens
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New Youth Worker Forum!
Led by members of the Orthodox Youth Directors in North America
Open forum discussing where are we with your youth work, sharing ideas, successes and failures
When: Dec 18, 2020 12:00 Noon Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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ROCOR HOSTING CHURCH SINGING IN CRISIS CONDITIONS ONLINE CONFERENCE
Berlin, December 17, 2020
The conference will be held online from January 28 to 30 with lectures by internationally-renowned specialists in choral singing and Church-musicianship. There will also be workshops and group discussions focused on the difficulties of Church singing during various historical crises.
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UNICEF to Feed Children in the UK for the First Time in Its History
“We’d normally associate UNICEF with coping with natural disasters, hurricanes, earthquakes in other parts of the world. So, the fact that they’ve considered it sufficiently severe here, the impact of covid on people’s access to food, and particularly children’s access to food, should be a wakeup call to us.”
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SAINT OF THE DAY
DECEMBER 17 / DECEMBER 4
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The Holy Great-martyr Barbara and Martyr Juliana, at Heliopolis in Syria
This glorious follower of Christ was betrothed to Christ from early childhood. Her father Dioscorus was a pagan and was renowned for his position and wealth in the city of Heliopolis in Egypt. Dioscorus locked up his only daughter Barbara, brilliant in mind and of beautiful countenance, in a high tower. He surrounded her with every comfort, gave her female servants, erected idols for worship, and built her a bathing room with two windows. Looking through the window at the earth below and the starry heavens above, Barbara’s mind was opened by the grace of God. She recognized the One True God, the Creator, despite the fact that she did not have a human teacher to bring her to this knowledge. Once, while her father was away from the city, she came down from the tower and, according to God’s providence, met some Christian women who revealed the true Faith of Christ to her. Barbara’s heart became inflamed with love for Christ the Lord. She ordered that a third window be cut open in the bath so that the three windows would represent the Holy Trinity. On one wall she traced a Cross with her finger, and the Cross etched itself deep in the stone as if cut by a chisel. A pool of water sprang forth from her footprints on the floor of the bath, which later gave healing of dis-eases to many. Learning of his daughter’s faith, Dioscorus beat her severely and drove her from the tower. He pursued her in order to kill her, but a cliff opened up and hid Barbara from her brutal father. When she appeared again, her father brought her to Martianus, the magistrate, who handed her over for torture. They stripped the innocent Barbara and flogged her until her entire body was covered with blood and wounds, but the Lord Himself appeared to her in prison with His angels and healed her. A certain woman, Juliana, upon seeing this, desired martyrdom for herself. Both women were severely tortured and with mockery were led through the city. Their breasts were cut off and much blood flowed from them. They were finally led to the place of execution, where Dioscorus himself slaughtered his daughter, and Juliana was slain by the soldiers. That same day, lightning struck the house of Dioscorus, killing him and Martianus. St. Barbara suffered in the year 306. Her miracle-working relics rest in Kiev. Glorified in the Kingdom of Christ, she has appeared many times even in our own day, sometimes alone and sometimes in the company of the Most-holy Theotokos.
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