Fast Painting, Jesus Christ (by Orthodox)

Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie...




The wind blows hard against this mountainside

Across the sea into my soul

It reaches into where I cannot hide

Setting my feet upon the road




My heart is old it holds my memories

My bοdy burns a gemlike flame

Somewhere between the soul and soft machine

Is where I find myself again




Kyrie Eleison

Down the road that I must travel

Kyrie Eleison

Through the darkness of the night

Kyrie Eleison

Where I'm going will you follow

Kyrie Eleison

On a highway in the light




When I was young I thought of growing old

Of what my life would mean to me

Would I have followed down my chosen road

Or only wished what I could be




Kyrie Eleison

Down the road that I must travel

Kyrie Eleison

Through the darkness of the night

Kyrie Eleison

Where I'm going will you follow

Kyrie Eleison

On a highway in the light





Kyrie Eleison

Down the road that I must travel

Kyrie Eleison

Through the darkness of the night

Kyrie Eleison

Where I'm going will you follow

Kyrie Eleison

On a highway in the light

Encyclical for the Feasts of the Nativity of Christ And the New Year

No. Prot. 103/10
Amfilochios by the mercy of God, Metropolitan Archbishop of New Zealand and Exarch of Oceana
To our reverend Clergy and our pious Orthodox Christians.

Beloved “off spring” in the Lord,
The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is a great feast that shows the love of God toward man.
God so loved the world, we read in the Holy Gospel, that He sent to it His Only-begotten Son to become man and to save man - all men in general, regardless of colour, race and language.
Our Christ humbled Himself to an unimaginable degree by leaving the great glory which He had near His Father in order to become a simple man – without, however, ceasing to be God. He was born in a meagre and insignificant cave in Bethlehem from the pure Virgin Mary who received the Divine Child in one of the mangers where the dumb animals ate their food so that on that cold winter night they could warm the Baby with their breath.
Our Christ did all of these things out of love and desiring only to raise man up to the original beauty he had in Paradise before the disobedience of the “First-created,” Adam and Eve.
It is worth the effort for us too, to show the Saviour of the world our love by striving to apply all that His Holy Gospel tells us and the things our holy Church teaches us.
The new year 2011 is a good opportunity for us tο sort out our spiritual strengths; to repent for all the evil deeds we did and for all the good deeds we did not do, that we kneel down under the “epitrachileion” (stole) of the Spiritual Father and confess with sincerity and a change of heart whatever weighs us down and in this way preparedly, with repentance and confession, the fasting and the prayers, draw near to the Chalice of Life to receive the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ unto the remission of sins and to life everlasting. Amen.

« Χρόνια πολλά » (many years) to all of you.
With paternal love
Christmas 2010


your Metropolitan,




+Archbishop Amfilochios of
New Zealand

I have returned back to my home

An exiting revelation and a heartfelt expression of thought by two blessed souls, that of Maria from New Plymouth (North Island) and that of Rozalina from Nelson city (South Island) of New Zealand.

Maria, daughter of an Anglican New Zealander and of Greek Orthodox mother from the Greek island Kythera, was baptized as an Orthodox Christian in the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wellington, which is the capital city of New Zealand. She lived, whoever, at New Plymouth, where had neither an Orthodox Church nor a priest. She felt the need to attend Church somewhere. Thus she was going to Anglican Church. She was married there with her husband, who was also Anglican, and baptized her children.

When she was informed, two years earlier, by the local newspaper that in New Plymouth an Orthodox Church will function by the name of St Nicholaos, she came to see, to ask and to learn. With honesty and overcome with emotions she said to Bishop: “A voice says to me that I belong here”!

She did not need long time to prepare, to cover the gap of these years which she lived far away from the Church to which she belonged and to which she now is returning, satisfying her mother’s soul who never ceased to pray for her in Heaven. As soon as she received Holy Chrismation, which is necessary for her incorporation into the Orthodox Church, she was joyful and said: “I thank God! I feel that I have returned back home”!

Rozalina, a Russian Orthodox, lives in Nelson; she is married to a New Zealand Anglican. In the above city there was neither an Orthodox Church nor an Orthodox Priest. Thus, the 15 Greeks, 80 Russians and I do not know how many Serbs, Romanians and other Orthodox lived deprived from their Church; and how many felt the need to attend church service and were attending at the Roman-Catholic, or more commonly at the Anglican Church. Rozalina, who is strong in her religious beliefs, practiced in the same manner.

The time came, when on Sunday the 13th April, the first Orthodox Divine Liturgy was celebrated. Many attended and the joy of 30 Greeks, Russians and Serbs was widely expressed.

Because Rozalina showed special interest in organizing this Liturgy, I asked to her to light the first candle before the holy icon of the Holy Trinity which was placed on an icon-stand. She agreed. She closed her eyes and wiped her tears which were outpouring and then she lighten the candle and honoured heartfelt the holy icon. When asked after the Divine Liturgy: “How did she feel?” She answered: “I felt that I returned back home”!

If we to have ask each and everyone who participated in the first Divine Liturgy, after so many years, we will have received the same answer. It was not necessary to ask them. They showed with their eyes full with tears as they approached to receive Holy Communion.

“I returned back to my home”.

Maria’s and Rozalina’s testimony is common. In Plymouth, Nelson and Hastings and wherever, after so many years, the opportunity is given to the Orthodox Christians to participate in the Divine Liturgy celebrated by a canonical ordained priest. Like thirsty deer they come to drink and to be satisfied from their Church’s cool and crystal spiritual water, which they know that is the One and True Holy Church and which they will never exchange with anything.

I have known the Orthodox Missionary work from very close and I know from first hand how important it is to give the opportunity to people who thirst to know Christ and His true Church; to be enlightened. To become civilized in the true meaning of the word.

As much of importance is the Missionary work, when one addresses the people who do not know the Saviour Christ and His Gospel, it is much more and priceless when its objective is not to loose those who are already Orthodox Christians, who in the multi-nation and multi-culture society face the danger to loose the valuable treasure of the Orthodox Faith, which they received with the Holy Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation at their infancy.
Archbishop of New Zealand Amfilochios
http://www.ecp-metnz.org.nz/archarticles.htm

What is that? 2007

Father and son are sitting on a bench. Suddenly a sparrow lands across them.

Turkish war crimes in Cyprus

In this clip from Michalis Cacoyiannis film, Attila '74: rape of Cyprus, victims describe some of the atrocities committed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

In fact, Turkey committed every possible war crime in Cyprus in 1974, including mass murder, mass rape, looting, ethnic cleansing and so on.

Regarding rape, a 1976 European Commission on Human Rights report found that: 'Turkish troops were responsible for wholesale and repeated rapes of women of all ages from 12 to 71, sometimes to such an extent that the victims suffered haemorrhages or became mental wrecks. In some areas, enforced prostitution was practiced, all women and girls of a village were collected and put into separate rooms in empty houses where they were raped repeatedly. In certain cases, members of the same family were repeatedly raped, some of them in front of their own children. In other cases women were brutally raped in public. Rapes were on many occasions accompanied by brutalities such as violent biting of the victims causing severe wounding, banging their heads on the floor and wringing their throats almost to the point of suffocation. In some cases, rape was followed by the stabbing or killing of the victims. Victims included pregnant and mentally retarded women.'

To watch all of Attila 74: the rape of Cyprus, go here: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?d...

Also see: http://hellenicantidote.blogspot.com/...

History of Orthodox Christianity

Our journey begins with the founding of the Church, the spread of Christianity to "nations" by the Apostles, the Gospel and the institution of Sacraments.

WISDOM OF THE ELDERLY - WITH ORTHODOX CORRECTIONS!

I have added my Orthodox Teachings to some of the following words of wisdom

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and
parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
(NEVER GET ANGRY WITH GOD... ALWAYS THANK HIM FOR EVERYTHING - EVEN THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS THAT BRING US CLOSER TO HIM AND GIVE US THE WISDOM OF LIFE'S EXPERIENCE... GOD NEVER EVER CAUSES SUFFERING, DEATH, DESTRUCTION OR ANYTHING EVIL OR HARMFUL TO US... THAT IS ALWAYS THE RESULT OF HUMAN ACTIONS OR THE EVIL ONE WHO SEEKS OUR SPIRITUAL DESTRUCTION!)

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
(ENJOY THE PLEASURES AND BLESSING OF LIFE BUT DO NOT OVER INDULGE OR OBSESS!! SELF-DENIAL OF THE FLESH MAKES US STRONGER & MORE SPIRITUAL.)
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
(CELEBRATE EACH DAY AS THOUGH IT WAS YOUR LAST DAY ON EARTH... DON'T HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH ANYONE!)

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
(THE ABILITY TO WEEP IS A BLESSING - SOMETIMES WE BECOME TOO STUBBORN AND SPIRITUAL HARDENED TO EXPRESS OUR SORROW... IT IS A JOYFUL RELEASE TO SHED TEARS OF PAIN, REPENTANCE, JOY, SADNESS, SORROW, ETC... THANK GOD FOR TEARS! THEY WASH OUR SOULS CLEAN... NEVER BE ASHAMED OF YOUR TEARS...)

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
(ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE - THERE IS SO MUCH - BUT DON'T HANKER AFTER WHAT YOU WISH YOU HAD - SOMETIMES WE DO NOT REALISE THAT THE THINGS WE WANT ARE NOT ALWAYS THE THINGS THAT WILL BRING US HAPPINESS, PEACE OR JOY!)

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
(ANYTHING THAT CANNOT STAND THE EXPOSURE OF GOD'S DIVINE LIGHT AND TRUTH IS NOT WORTHWHILE. AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE!)

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks. (LIVE IN THE MOMENT AND APPRECIATE THE TIME WE HAVE NOW... YESTERDAY IS GONE... & TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME!! AND ONLY GOD KNOWS...)

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
(THAT IS WHY GOD ALLOWS US TO HAVE ADVERSITY IN LIFE - IT'S CONSEQUENCES ARE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT GREAT BLESSINGS AND CAUSE PERSONAL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER...)

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. (DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT AND WHETHER IT IS TO THE DETRIMENT OF ANYONE ELSE!!)

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
(THIS LIFE IS NOT A REHEARSAL ... IT IS THE REAL DEAL... WE ONLY HAVE A SET NUMBER OF YEARS, MONTHS, WEEKS AND DAYS TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR ETERNITY - DON'T WASTE A MOMENT ON UNPRODUCTIVE - UNFRUITFUL - NONSENSE!)

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
(DO WHATEVER YOU CAN AND TRUST GOD - LEAVE THE REST UP TO HIS DIVINE WILL!)

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
(ENJOY, HAVE FUN AND CELEBRATE EVERY MOMENT!)

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years,will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.
(FORGIVENESS IS THE MOST POWERFUL VIRTUE IN THE WORLD. IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE BY DIVINE GRACE - SO WITH PRAYER, GOD MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO FORGIVE AND TO BE FORGIVEN. FORGIVENESS IS THE MOST LIBERATING VIRTUE FOR IT SETS THE SOULS FREE OF THOSE WHO FORGIVE AND THOSE WHO ARE FORGIVEN!!)

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
(GOD HAS GIVEN US ALL FREE WILL... WE MUST CONCERN OURSELVES WITH OUR OWN SPIRITUAL CONDITION - NOT THAT OF OTHERS WHO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEMSELVES. IF WE SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING AT AND CORRECTING OUR INNER BEING, WE WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO JUDGE ANYONE ELSE!!)
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
(TIME AND PRAYER FOR GOD ENABLES US ALL TO HEAL ... SOME OF US HEAL FASTER THAN OTHERS... EACH IN OUR OWN TIME AND ACCORDING TO OUR OWN SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES.)
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
(IN THIS LIFE, THERE IS ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE AND EVERYTHING IN LIFE ENDS SOONER OR LATER... BUT IN ETERNITY THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF CHANGE AND NO OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT ANY ERRORS... DEPENDING ON THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION IN WHICH WE DIE, SO SHALL WE SPEND ALL ETERNITY - FOREVER. SO CORRECT WHATEVER IS POSSIBLE NOW FOR WE NEVER KNOW HOW LONG WE HAVE TO DO SO...)
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
(DIVINE MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING ALL THE TIME... SIMPLY STUDY YOURSELF... YOUR HEART BEATS... YOUR LUNGS BREATH.... YOUR BRAIN IS FUNCTIONING FASTER THAN LIGHT... IT IS A MIRACLE THAT WE EXIST ... EVERYTHING IS INDEED MIRACULOUS... FROM CONCEPTION -WOW! - TO DEATH - THE SEPARATION OF BODY AND IMMORTAL SOUL! )
34. God loves you because of Who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
(LOVE IS THE GREATEST VIRTUE WE RECEIVE FROM GOD AND IT IS THE ONE VIRTUE THAT IS NECESSARY FOR ETERNAL LIFE. IF WE DO NOT HAVE LOVE - WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT ALL!!)
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
(NO MATTER HOW BADLY OFF WE THINK WE MAY BE, THERE ARE ALWAYS SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE FAR WORSE OFF! BE GRATEFUL AND THANK GOD FOR HIS GREAT MERCY TO YOU!!)
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
(GOD ALWAYS GIVES US MORE THAN WE NEED SO THAT WE MAY SHARE WITH OTHERS ... IT IS OUR CONSTANT TEST AND SACRED DUTY TO HELP ONE ANOTHER BOTH SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY... ON THIS VIRTUE ALONE, WE WILL BE JUDGED SEVERELY!! WE MUST BE AS GENEROUS TO OUR FELLOW SINNERS AS GOD IS TO US - SAINT OR SINNER!)
42. The best is yet to come.
(THAT IS SO TRUE! AND THE TASTE I HAD WAS SO GLORIOUS, I PRAY THAT I AM WORTHY OF ETERNAL LIFE!! WOW!!)
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
(OUR EGOS AND STUBBORNNESS CAUSE MORE DAMAGE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE!)
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
(THIS LIFE IS INDEED A MOST PRECIOUS GIFT FOR GOD HAS PROVIDED US WITH A TIME TO PREPARE OURSELVES SPIRITUALLY SO THAT WE MAY BECOME WORTHY CITIZENS OF HIS HEAVENLY KINGDOM AND SO THAT WE CAN CORRECT OUR ERRORS AND WEAKNESSES - AND SO THAT WE MAY EXPERIENCE AND GAIN AGAPE... HIS TRUE, PURE AND DIVINE LOVE THAT MAKES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE - EVEN THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE THINGS OF THIS LIFE...
GOD HAS GIVEN US THIS TIME IN ORDER TO REGAIN OUR LIKENESS TO HIM AND TO ENJOY A CLOSE AND PERSONAL FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM - EVERYTHING THAT HE INTENDED FOR US SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CREATION - AND EVERYTHING HE MADE US TO BE...
GOD WANTS EVERY SOUL HE HAS EVER CREATED TO BE WITH HIM IN HIS DIVINE AND ETERNAL KINGDOM! TRULY THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL IS GOD'S LOVE FOR US!)

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.
(MY BELOVED LORD, IN HIS INFINITE WISDOM, HAS GRANTED ME THE MOST LOVING AND WONDERFULLY SPECIAL FAMILY ANYONE COULD EVER DESIRE. THANK YOU LORD FOR THE GREAT ABUNDANCE OF BLESSINGS THOU HAS BESTOWED UPON ME AND ALL MY SPIRITUAL CHILDREN WHOM I LOVE SO DEARLY.)

Drinking water at the correct time.

Another little tidbit that's news to me. Always knew to drink a lot of water, but who knew the timing effected things.

Drinking water at the correct time maximizes its effectiveness on the Human body:

2 glasses of water after waking up helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion

1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure

1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

The island OSTROV

Twas the month before Christmas

A Christian’s thoughts about Christmas
DEARLY BELOVED FRIENDS AND FAMILY:

THE POEM BELOW EXPRESSES MY GREATEST SORROW AND CONCERN AT THIS SPECIAL TIME OF THE YEAR, WHEN WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING THE NATIVITY OF OUR INCARNATED LORD AND SAVIOUR – JESUS CHRIST – THE TRUE AND ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD HIMSELF WHO CAME TO TEACH US HIS DIVINE TRUTH DIRECTLY AND TO SHOW US BY HIS PERFECT EXAMPLE HOW TO LIVE THIS PREPARATORY PERIOD BEFORE ENTERING ETERNITY AND – HOPEFULLY – RESIDING PEACEFULLY AND WITH ALL OUR LOVE IN HIS HEAVENLY KINGDOM.

FOR MANY YEARS NOW, DIMIT & I HAVE IGNORED THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT AND FRENETIC SHOPPING AND SPLURGING AND SELF INDULGENCE THAT SO MANY HAVE BEEN LURED INTO AT THE COST OF THEIR SPIRITUAL WELFARE – AND AT THE THREAT OF SEVERE DEBT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW YEAR!!

ALL THE TEMPTING GOODIES ON SALE AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR ONLY ENCOURAGE OUR GREED AND INSATIABLE DESIRES FOR MORE AND MORE THINGS THAT WE CERTAINLY DO NOT NEED AT ALL BUT WHICH WE ARE PERSUADED THAT WE REALLY CRAVE!!

INSTEAD, WE QUIETLY FOCUS ON THE WONDERS AND BLESSINGS THAT GOD BESTOWS UPON US BUT WHICH ALL TOO OFTEN WE TAKE FOR GRANTED - AND IN THIS COUNTRY - CERTAINLY - WE ALL LEAD SUCH LUXURIOUS, PEACEFUL AND RELATIVELY CAREFREE LIVES!

WE NO LONGER BUY NUMEROUS UNWANTED, EXPENSIVE GIFTS FOR ALL AND SUNDRY – AND RATHER TRY TO SUPPORT CHARITABLE CAUSES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND WE PARTICIPATE IN ALL THE HOLY SERVICES, WHICH MAKE THIS PART OF THE YEAR SO DIFFERENT TO THE REST OF THE YEAR.

WE SHOULD ALL BE OBSERVING THE NATIVITY FAST (WHICH PERMITS THE CONSUMPTION OF FISH, EXCEPT ON WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS) AND CONTEMPLATING THE ENORMOUS IMPACT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS HAD IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES – ACKNOWLEDGING OUR INUMERABLE BLESSINGS AND SHARING AND CONVEYING OUR LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR GOD AND FOR ONE ANOTHER.

I HAVE FORWARDED THE FOLLOWING POEM TO YOU, BECAUSE I THINK YOU WILL APPRECIATE IT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT! SO TRUE! SO TRAGIC!

WITH LOVE

MP

Twas the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*
*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*
*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,
not Happy Holiday !*
Please, all Christians join together and
wish everyone you meet during the
holidays a
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!

NATIVITY OF CHRIST - MATINS SERVICE

NATIVITY OF CHRIST - MATINS SERVICE

"Beautiful Noise" by Neil Diamond

What a beautiful noise
Comin' up from the street
Got a beautiful sound
It's got a beautiful beat


It's a beautiful noise
Goin' on everywhere
Like the clickety-clack
Of a train on a track
It's got a rhytm to spare


It's a beautiful noise
And it's a sound that I love
And it fits me as well
As a hand in a glove
Yes it does, yes it does


What a beautiful noise
Comin' up from the park
It's the song of this kids
And it plays until dark


It's the song of the cars
On their furious flights
But there's even romance
In the way that they dance
To the beat of the lights


It's a beautiful noise
And it's a sound that I love
And ist makes me feel good
Like a hand in a glove
Yes it does, yes it does
What a beautiful noise


It's a beautiful noise
Made of joy and of strife
Like a symphony played
By the passing parade
It's the music of life


What a beautiful noise
Comin' into my room
And it's beggin' for me
Just to give it a tune

Hit the Bottle (or The Bottles' Greatest Hit)

Peacherine Rag

THE BIRTHDAY GIFT

A married lady was expecting a birthday gift from her husband. For many months she had admired a beautiful diamond ring in a showroom, and knowing her husband could afford it, she told him that was all she wanted. As her birthday approached, this lady awaited signs that her husband had purchased the diamond ring.
Finally, on the morning of her birthday, her husband called her into his study. Her husband told her how proud he was to have such a good wife, and told her how much he loved her. He handed her a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, the wife opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the wife's name embossed in gold. Angrily, she raised her voice to her husband and said, 'With all your money you give me a Bible?' And stormed out of the house, leaving her husband.
Many years passed and the lady was very successful in business. She managed to settle for a more beautiful house and a wonderful family, but realized her ex-husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to visit him. She had not seen him for many years.
But before she could make arrangements, she received a telegram telling her that her ex-husband had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to her. She needed to come back immediately and take care of things. When she arrived at her ex-husband's house, sudden sadness and regret filled her heart.
She began to search through her ex-husband's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as she had left it years before.
With tears, she opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. Her ex-husband had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, 'And if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father, who is in heaven, give what is good to those who ask Him?' As she read those words, a tiny package dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a diamond ring, with her name engraved on it
-- the same diamond ring which she saw at the showroom. On the tag was the date of her birth, and the words.

'LOVE YOU ALWAYS'.

How many times do we miss God's blessings, because they are not packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this. Do not spoil what you have, by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKAGED THE WAY YOU WANT IT,
IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKAGED THE WAY IT IS.
ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS;
THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO BIGGER & BETTER THINGS.

'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.'

Orthodox Christian Festal Calendar - December 2010

Orthodox Christian Festal Calendar - December 2010 Sacred Lessons - December 2010

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship!

I shall not want = That's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!

For His name sake = That's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of t he shadow of death = That's
Testing!

I will fear no evil = That's Protection!

For Thou art with me = That's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies =
That's Hope!

Thou annointest my head with oil = That's Consecration!

My cup runneth over = That's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life =
That's Blessing !

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security! !

Forever = That's Eternity!

Face it, the Lord is crazy about you.

Woman and a Fork

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.

'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.

'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.'

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, no knowing quite what to say.

'That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked.

'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.'

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as h hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized t her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel , indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed . They lend an ear, they share a word of praise , and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to 'Keep your fork.'

Cherish the time you have , and the memories you share ... Being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.


And keep your fork.

AMAZING!

This is the moment a group of tiny caterpillars formed an incredible 17-ft long convoy to cross a road.

Some 136 caterpillars made the single line and wriggled tip-to-toe across the road, linked by a thin silk thread which set their path.

And their safety-in-numbers approach had the desired effect as the slow-moving convoy was easily seen by motorists, who were held up for 20 minutes as it made its way across.
Bumper to bumper: this slow-moving convoy of migrating caterpillars was spotted in the Kruger National Park by Jamie Rooney, from High Wycombe, Bucks, who was visiting the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Jamiewas in a jeep full of tourists when their driver slammed on the brakes just inches from the crawling caterpillars.

Jamie, 38, who works in website sales, said: "It was an incredible sight.

"We were out driving in Kruger National Park on a safari, when all of a sudden the driver shouted out and slammed on his brakes.

"He managed to stop just in time in front of this amazing trail of caterpillars, which was stretching across the road.

"Conservation is a massive deal in South Africa and the idea is that if there is any living creature in the road you have to wait patiently until it is safely across.

"We got out to get a closer look and counted 136 caterpillars in convoy, all moving together across the track.

"They were following a very, very thin silk thread on the ground and it took them about 20 minutes to get across the road safely.

"'Our guide had never seen it before, but he'd heard about it and explained they were migrating into the bush where they would disperse.

"'It's like the mass migration of bigger animals such as wildebeest, but on a different scale and pace.

'When they arrive in the bush, they turn into chrysalis and then butterflies.'

"It's a rare sight. It was an absolute joy to watch and a great experience to get down close and see it first handThis incredible convoy is the ultimate commuter train – a trail of tiny caterpillars heading off into the bush. An amazing 136 caterpillars wriggled top-to-toe across a road on their migratory route in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
."Hold up: Traffic stopped while the slow-moving caterpillar convoy crossed the road.

ALBINO PEACOCK

THINK THIS IS JUST TOO BEAUTIFUL NOT TO SHARE.
THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN VERY OFTEN....
HE LOOKS LIKE A GIANT SNOWFLAKE!!!
What absolute beauty only God could create!!

May your troubles be less,
Your blessings be more
And nothing but happiness
Come through your door

Electromagnetic activity of water gets several times higher on Epiphany Day – scientists

Moscow, February 5, Interfax – All water, including that in the water supply system, changed its physical properties on the Epiphany Day and the day before it, the Sysin’s Research Institute of Human Ecology and Environmental Hygiene of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences physicists found some days ago.

The institute’s scientists daily researched properties and quality of regular water from the pipe measuring quantity of ion radicals in it. From 17 January the ion radical level started rising, and the water started smoothening. The water’s pH level was rising too making it less acidic, the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily said on Monday.

As they had expected, the activity maximum was reached in the evening 18 January. The high amount of ion radicals made the water’s electroconductivity equivalent to that of an artificial catalyst (electron saturated water).

The electromagnetic activity started coming down in the morning 19 January and reached its normal level by 20 January.

The reason for that rapid raise of water electromagnetic activity on Epiphany Day was a great ion radical accumulation in the Earth lithosphere, which is ‘a real reservoir of electrons transferring most of them to water,’ Dr. Anatoly Stekhin, an experiment researcher, said.

The researchers also measured the Epiphany Day water’s level of structuring, freezing for that purpose some water from the pipe, some from the Moskva-River, and some form a church well.

‘Even water supply system tap water, which is usually far from ideal, looked harmonic in the microscope when we iced it,’ Stekhin said.

On the Church

By Protopresbyter
fr. John Romanides( † )
Source: Taken from the students’ audiotaped notes on Dogmatics, recorded during the lessons delivered by professor fr. John Romanides, Thessaloniki, 1972.

The Church is the body of Christ, which is comprised of all those faithful in Christ; of those who participate in the first resurrection and who bear the betrothal of the Spirit or even those who have foretasted theosis (deification). The Church has existed even before Creation, as the kingdom and the glory that is hidden within God and in which God resides, along with His Logos and His Spirit. By a volition of God, the aeons were created, as were the celestial powers and the incorporeal spirits or angels therein, and thereafter, Time and the world within it, in which Man was also created, who unites within himself the noetic energy of the angels with the logos-reason and the human body.
The Church is both invisible and visible; in other words, She is comprised of those who are enlisted (in active duty) on earth and those who are in the heavens, that is, those who have triumphed in the glory of God.
Among the Protestants there prevails the opinion that the Church is invisible only - whereas the sacraments of Baptism and the Divine Eucharist are merely symbolic acts - and that only God knows who the true members of the Church are. The Orthodox Church, on the other hand, also stresses the visible aspect of the Church. Outside the Church, there is no salvation.
The Church, as the body of Christ, is the residence of God’s uncreated glory. It is impossible for us to separate Christ from the Church, as it is to separate the Church from Christ. In Papism and Protestantism there is a clear distinction between the body of Christ and the Church; that is, one can participate in the body of Christ, without being a member of the Papist church. This is impossible for Orthodoxy.
According to the Calvinists, after His Ascension, Christ resides in heaven and consequently, the transformation of bread and wine into actual Body and Blood of Christ is impossible…. A complete absence of Christ…. Approximately the same thing is highlighted in the Papist church, because, Christ is regarded as absent, and through the minister’s prayer, He descends from the heavens and becomes present. This implies that Christ is absent from the Church. Members of the Church are –as mentioned previously- those who have received the betrothal of the Spirit and the deified ones.
When the ancient Church referred to the body of Christ as the Church, and Christ as the Head of the Church, they of course did not mean that Christ was spread out bodily all over the world and that He –for example- had His Head in Rome, the one hand in the East and the other in the West, but that the whole of Christ exists in every individual church with all its members, i.e., the Saints and the faithful of the Universe. In this way, according to the teaching of the Fathers, when we perform the Divine Eucharist, not only is Christ present, but all His Saints and the Christians of the Universe are present, in Christ. When we receive a tiny morsel of the Holy Bread, we receive all of Christ inside us. When Christians gather together for the same reason, the whole Church is gathering together, and not just a fraction of it. This is the reason that it has become predominant in Patristic Tradition to refer to the temple of a monastery as the “Katholikon”. The destination of all the faithful is theosis (deification). This is everyone’s ultimate objective. This is why a Christian must proceed “from glory to glory”; in other words, the slave must first become a salaried worker, then a son of God and a faithful member of Christ. There cannot be salvation outside the Church. Christ offers redemptive grace to all people. When one is saved outside the visible Church, it means that Christ Himself has saved him. If he is a heterodox member then he is saved because it was Christ who saved him, and not the religious “offshoot” that he belongs to. His salvation therefore is not effected by the ‘church’ he belongs to, because One is the Church that saves - and that is Christ.
Wherever the Orthodox dogma does not exist, the Church is in no position to opine on the authority of the sacraments. According to the Fathers, the Orthodox Dogma never separates itself from spirituality. Wherever there is an erroneous dogma, there is an erroneous spirituality and vice-versa. There are many who separate the dogma from piety. That is a mistake. When Christ says “become ye perfect, as the Father is…” it implies that one must be familiar with the meaning of perfection. The criterion for the authority of the sacraments for us Orthodox is the Orthodox dogma, whereas for the heterodox, it is Apostolic Succession. For the Orthodox Tradition, it is not enough to trace one’s ordination back to the Apostles, but to possess the Orthodox dogma. Piety and dogma are one identity and cannot be separated. Wherever there is upright teaching, there will be upright action. “Orthodox” means:
a) upright glory,
b) upright act.
The terrestrial, actively engaged Church is the Orthodox Church. “Orthodox dogma” and “Scriptural teaching” are one and the same thing, because the dogma exists, and it comes from within the Holy Bible.

http://www.oodegr.com/english/ekklisia/peri_ekklisias1.htm


Behind every test lurks the blessing of God

Almost all attribute their conversion to some ordeal.
Sorrow is not nice. However, behind it, behind the pain, behind the sorrow, behind the test, lurks the blessing of God, the rebirth, the reforming of man, of family. Almost everyone attributes his/her conversion to some test. They believe everything goes well, then God takes their child, and then there is mourning, pain etc. Then comes the grace of God which overshadows them, making these people calm. They approach the Church, approach the confession, approach the priest. Thanks to that child they go to the Church. Their pain makes them to seek, to pray for repose, to request liturgies.
Pain relieves the heart and makes it receptive to the word of God, while earlier it was hard and unreceptive. For example, a man during his youthful exuberance thinks, "I am and no one else is". There go the degrees, the glories, the health, the beauty and everything else. However, when he is laid in bed sick, he thinks differently. Vanity of vanity, everything is vanity. I may die, he thinks. What is the benefit of all these and he starts to think differently. It is like a man approaching him and tells him, "read this book and check what it says". He hears a word of God and then he listens to it. And if you give him a book, his pain has already made his heart suitable and he opens the book and the Bible and reads it and thus starts the repose of man. And when he is healed, immediately then he stands up and lives carefully his life and does not live like before with pride and with the fantasy he had.
Sickness and sorrow is by and large medicine of the providence of God to bring man closer to Him and increase his virtue.
The sickness and sorrow is by and large medicine of the providence of God to bring man closer to Him and increase his virtue. Job was the best man on earth but God wanted to make him even better. Before he was tested, Job was not famous. As soon as he was tested and fought, struggled, crowned and became rich, after that began his glory to this day. His example is the most brilliant one and empowers every man that is being tested. If he was tested being a saint, so much more us who are sinners. The result was he was made holy and was given again years of life and blessed him doubly and thrice with what he had, thus becoming a bright example throughout the centuries and for him to relax and say: "As the Lord wished so it happened. May the name of the Lord be blessed". He lowers his head and says: "God gave and God took" And even if He took my child, hasn't God given him to me? He took it. Where is my child? In heaven? So what happens there? He reposes there.
Behind every test lurks the will of God and the benefit which naturally he could not see at that time, but with time he will know the benefit. We have many such examples.
Like also the Saints Andronicus and Athanasia. They were a couple. He was a jeweler of great wealth etc. Part of his profit from work was used to feed his family. Another part of his profit he gave to the poor and a third of his profit was lent to people who had no money, interest free. They had two happy daughters. One day both died from sickness. Both parents went to bury them. Athanasia, the unfortunate one, would cry inconsolably over their graves. So did Andronicus. With great pain he started for home. Poor Athanasia stayed behind to mourn over their graves. "My children" and "My children" she cried. The sun was setting and the cemetery was closing. In her sorrow she saw a monk coming to her and telling her: "Lady why are you crying?"
How could I not cry Father?" (She thought he was the priest of the cemetery). "I buried both my children, my two angels, I laid them in their graves and I and my husband are left alone. We have no more freshness anymore.
He tells her: "Your children are in paradise with the angels. They are in the joy and grace of God and you cry? Pity, and you are a Christian.
"So they live my children? Are they angels?"
Of course your children are angels"
He was the Saint of that Church. Finally both Andronicus and Athanasia became monastics and were sanctified.

Elder Ephraim, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Philitheou.
Tested spiritual admonitions for receiving our spiritual health and salvation.
Publication, "Orthodox Kypseli" Thessalonica.
http://www.impantokratoros.gr/4A6E2981.en.aspx

“E” ELEMENTS IN OUR NUTRITION

Every pre-packed foodstuff is accompanied by a label which contains information about the chemical composition and the methods of standardization and storage. Apart from the date of expiry which is also on this label and which we should systematically look for before we purchase the product, there should also be the constituents of the food in order of priority according to their weight. Apart from the ingredients there is also a note of the chemical additives, in other words the “E” (trace elements) which are used by the companies preparing the foods, for which there are indications according to the “Cheumont” Hospital Centre in France, as well as other research centres, that these chemical additives are harmful to our health.
They are usually added in small amounts and that is why they are recorded at the end of the list of contents. We need to stress here that most people have no particular knowledge of chemistry and so most of these words cannot be understood. The result is that most times we take no notice and simply place the product in our shopping baskets.
It is important for us to know that the more chemical additives are contained in food, the less beneficial it is for our health. These chemical additives are used to add flavour, colour or aroma to the food and even a longer shelf life. The “E” code has been instituted by the European Union to indicate the presence of an approved particular chemical additive. Independent of whether the “E” trace elements are approved by the European Union, the more products we use that contain the “E” elements, the more we burden our health, especially if we consume them on a daily basis. The catalogue below is indicative and we hope that it will make us all more careful us consumers: we need to look very carefully at the ingredients of the products to be sure that they do not contain “E” elements.

E 102: Tartrazine (Harmful - allergies)
E 104: Quinoline yellow (Suspicious. – Banned in the U.S.A.)
E110: Sunset yellow (Harmful – causes allergies)
E120: Cochineal (Harmful)
E122: Carmoisine (Suspicious – has many side-effects)
E123: Amaranth ( Very dangerous and a carcinogen)
E124: Ponceau 4R (Harmful)
E127: Erythrosine (Harmful – causes hyperactivity in children)
E131: Patent blue V (A carcinogen – causes allergies)
E141: Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins (i) Copper complexes of chlorophylls (ii) Copper complexens (Suspicious)
E142: Green S (A carcinogen)
E150: Sulphite Ammonia Caramel (Suspicious)
E151: Brilliant Black BN, Black PN (Suspicious)
E153: Vegetable carbon
E161: Lutein (Harmful to the liver)
E171: Titanium dioxide (Suspicious)
E173: Aluminium (Suspicious)
E180: Lithol Rubine PK - cheese coverings (side effects for kidneys and lymphglands)
E210: Benzoic Acid (A carcinogen – causes allergies and asthma)
E211: Sodium Benzoate (A carcinogen)
E213: Calcium Benzoate (A carcinogen – causes allergies and asthma)
E214: Ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate (A carcinogen – causes allergies and asthma)
E215: Sodium ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate (A carcinogen)
E217: Sodium propyl p-hydroxybenzoate (A carcinogen)
E220 & E228: Sulphur Dioxide & Potassium Hydrogen Sulphite (Cause headaches, nausea and asthma)
E:230 & 232: Biphenyl, diphenyl - Sodium orthophenyl phenol
Mainly added to fruits, especially to citrus fruits which is why we transfer the taste to foods from our hands as we clean them.
E239: Hexamethylene tetramine (A carcinogen)
E250 & E252: Very harmful to young children and prevent transfer of oxygen to the blood)
E259: (A carcinogen)
E280: Propionic acid (Banned in many countries)
E311: Octyl Gallate (Causes eczema)
E312: Dodecyl Gallate (Causes eczema)
E321: Butylated hydroxytoluene (Causes cholesterol)
E330: Citric Acid ( A Carcinogen)

Father Simeon de la Jara: On a righteous path from Peru to Mount Athos

When Miguel Angel de la Jara Higgingson was seven, his mother had a vision. She sensed that her son would some day leave her for a "far away place, like an island, there where people of solitude lived who pray all the time and rarely step out into the world". Even she, however, could probably not have imagined just how far from his native Peru, both physically and spiritually, his life's search would take him.
Now he is Father Simeon the hermit, a GreekOrthodox monk who lives on Mount Athos, a self-administrating, all-male monastic community on the Athos peninsula - the eastern most of three jutting peninsulas in the northern Greek prefecture of Halkidiki.
However, it's not just his Peruvian origins that make Father Simeon such a well-known figure among visitors to MountAthos; it's also his radiant presence as an artist, poet and painter that makes him so sought after, especially by the young.
His journey began in 1968, when at the age of 18 he left Peru to discover the world. After travelling through Europe and Asia for over two years - during which time he was exposed to eastern philosophies and religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and yoga - he finally settled in Paris, where he lived for the next three years.
It was in Paris that he first met a GreekOrthodox monk and learned about Orthodoxy, a meeting that was to have a profound effect on him. For the next two and a half years he studied hagiography (icon painting) with Leonide Ouspensky, while his interest in Orthodoxy deepened.
He first visited Greece in 1972, where he accepted the Orthodox faith, before returning to stay in 1973, originally joining the monastery of Agios Georgios (St George) on the large Greek island of Evia. When, in 1974, the entire monastery relocated to Agios Grigorios (St Gregory) on Mount Athos, Simeon followed, living at the Agios Grigorios Monastery until 1987. He subsequently became a hermit, moving to the old hermit's cell of Timios Stavros near the Stavronikita monastery, where he built a new dependency and formed a complex.
On first meeting Father Simeon, one is struck by his youthful passion and joy - qualities which, as he says, "one cannot hide". A compassionate listener and gentle speaker, he responds to questions with spontaneity and rigour, without ever becoming dogmatic or distant. Behind his piercing eyes is an inquisitive mind, forever seeking ways to express the love and joy he wants to share with others.
After 24 years in Greece, Father Simeon declares a profound love and admiration for Greek culture and language, saying he prefers writing in Greek to even his native Spanish. To his extensive travels he owes a rich and varied experience, as well as a love of French Surrealism, tatami mats, Japanese food and Chinese art. And to his Peruvian family he owes his love of art.
According to Simeon, it is the need to tap into the inner joy in all things which has led him to art and prayer; that has been the predominant force in his life. Through poetry, paintings, photographs, prayers and lectures he has reached out and tried to touch people's hearts beyond the borders of the Holy Mount.
He has several published works, including his 1985 lecture "Nifalios Methi" (Sober Drunkenness), the 1983 publication"The Holy Mountain Today" brought out by Alexandria Press in London andthe poetry collection "Simeon Mnema", published in 1994. A new book of poetry, entitled "Me Imation Melan" (In Black Cloth), is due to be broughtout shortly by Agra Editions in Athens.
An artist in solitude as much as a solitary, a monk, in the midst of art, his poems and his paintings have both the freshness of the "here and now" and the depth of eternity, and are of a striking immediacy and poise. They make one wonder what the difference between the artist and the hermit is - or even if there is one at all.

Liturgy of St. John (Modern English) - staff notation

All the music for the Eastern Orthodox Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in Modern English in staff notation in the style of Byzantine chant.
Liturgy of St. John (Modern English) - staff notation

HONEY

Honey was always, evening ancient Greece, a precious natural and therapeutic food. It is also well-known that in mythology it was the food of the gods. Many nations have a history of honey spanning thousands of years, as do the Greeks. Greek honey is distinguished as it comes from wild flowers, aromatic plants and cone-bearing trees and so is more complete because of the great variety of pollen that it contains, in comparison with most honeys from other countries which come from single crops.

It is beneficial to people of all ages, especially to children, to pregnant women, athletes and generally to all who need invigorating, due to physical or mental exhaustion.

There are various types of honey, which are divided into three categories:

a) Honey from thyme – known throughout the world for its particular and unique aroma
b) Honey from con-bearing trees (fir, pine etc) which belongs to the rare tastes. It is worth noting that this variety has great healing value, as it contains many minerals and vitamins
c) Honey from flowers, which comes mainly from wild flowers, aromatic plants and medicinal plants. This variety crystallizes easily

There are many therapeutic properties in honey and we will mention only a few here. For example three or four teaspoons of honey daily help in the following instances:

 Exhaustion
 Post operative situations as it helps I convalescence
 Flu and colds
 The clear working of the brain so it is good for children with difficulties in learning
 Pregnancy
 For insomnia – one teaspoon of honey diluted in a little warm water just before bed
 One small spoon of honey daily helps infants that are underweight

It also helps infants that are teething as well as being a very mild laxative. Honey can be given to infants in their bottles.

Those suffering from cardiac problems can drink a glass of hot water with honey every night before bed, because honey revitalizes the heartbeat and generally assists the heart in its work. As it contains glucose, honey helps the liver to work properly. It also helps to regulate the acidity and secretion of gastric juices and helps prevent ulcers. It is also excellent in the treatment of constipation. It helps in the faster burning of food and improves the body’s digestion.

Medical research has shown that spreading of honey on burns is especially effective. This research has also shown that one of the reasons for longevity is the frequent use of honey.

In other words honey is beneficial, it helps in all ways, especially dark-coloured honey which is rich in minerals and vitamins.

The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Nativity of the most Holy Mother of God (8 September)

The most Holy Mother of God was born of her elderly parents Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the royal line of David, and her mother of the line of Aaron. Thus, She was of royal line on her father's side, and of hierarchical on her mother's side, with which She pre-imaged Him Who was to be born of Her, as a King and High priest. Her parents had been already grown old, yet, childless. Therefore, they were embarrassed before the people and humble before God. In their humbleness they prayed to God in tears to bring them joy in their old age and to grant them a child, as once before he had brought joy to elderly Abraham and Sarah granting them their son Isaac. And the Almighty God, Who sees everything, brought them joy that surpassed all their expectations and the most beautiful dreams. For He had granted them not only a daughter, but also the Mother of God; He lightened them not only with temporary bliss, but eternal as well. God granted them only one daughter who later gave birth to only one grandson - Yet, what a daughter and a grandson! Most blessed Mary, magnified among women, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the altar of the Living God, the table of the heavenly bread, the reliquary of the holiness of God, the tree with the sweetest fruit, the glory of men, the praise of women, the source of virginity and purity - that was the God-given daughter of Joachim and Anna. Born in Nazareth, and after three years taken to the Temple of Jerusalem, where from She returned to Nazareth later, only soon afterwards to hear the annunciation of the Holy Archangel Gabriel of the nativity of the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, of her most pure and chaste body.