Do any of our followers happen to speak Spanish? I will be in Guatemala briefly and would like to know some words related to orthodoxy in the Spanish language in case I get to attend a service there. God Bless all and let us keep the fast!
-Patrick
Often one hears from converts after some years of seemingly unfruitful struggles that ‘I didnt know what I was getting into when I became Orthodox.’ Some sense this when they are first exposed to the Orthodox Faith, and this can cause them to postpone their encounter with Orthodoxy or even…
Happy Lent everyone!
Even though the liturgical color may be purple and the melodies melancholy let us remember this is a joyous time of year where we are reminded of Christ’s suffering in the flesh. Let us keep the fast to look towards the Resurrection, Amen!
just wow
it was only just yesterday that I learned that this was the hymn they sing during the presanctified liturgy in place of the Cherubic Hymn. Much to say my mind was blown.
Orthodoxy in Guatemala
Whenever someone speaks of “American Orthodoxy,” there is usually an unspoken understanding that the term refers to North American Orthodoxy: the United States, Canada, and sometimes Mexico. This way of speaking is indeed convenient, considering that the majority of Orthodox parishes in the Western Hemisphere are still located in North America. However, in the past few years a great change has occurred in Latin America that makes it increasingly inaccurate to focus on North America as the western outpost of Orthodoxy. Just two years ago, in 2010, the Orthodox Church received a large group of Guatemalan converts numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Now Guatemala, and possibly all of Latin America, holds tremendous promise of becoming fertile ground for the Orthodox Christian Church.
The seed of Orthodoxy in Guatemala was planted by the nuns of the Hogar Rafael Ayau, an Orthodox orphanage in Guatemala City. Many people are familiar with the incredible work of Mother Inés, Mother Ivonne, and Mother María. In fact, just this year a group of seminarians from St. Vladimir’s Seminary traveled with the seminary Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield to see the work of the nuns and to assist at the orphanage. It is through these nuns that the Guatemalan soil was first prepared for the Orthodox Church.
Now, with the recent chrismation of a new group of Guatemalan converts that numbers between 100,000 and 200,000, the Orthodox Church is ready to blossom in Guatemala. The magnitude of the event cannot be overstated. Almost overnight, Guatemala has become the most Orthodox country in the Western Hemisphere (by percentage of national population). Furthermore, the Orthodox communities in Guatemala continue to grow rapidly and attract attention throughout Guatemala. There is still, however, little information available to the broader Orthodox world on the history and character of these new communities. For this reason, I traveled to Guatemala this summer, spending two months visiting many of the Orthodox parishes, meeting the leaders of the communities, and accompanying the bishop of the Guatemalan Church—His Eminence, Metropolitan Athenagoras—as he made his historic first visit to the new parishes in Guatemala. I returned to the United States with the desire to share what I saw and the conviction that the Holy Spirit is at work with power in Latin America…
A beautiful icon of St. Peter the Aleut
I learned about St. Peter the Aleut recently, from a children’s book. His story was writen simply, and his martyrdom was not really detailed (because it was for kids) but his martyrdom really touched me. Since then, I always ask for his prayers to our Lord. I really don’t know if I had the courage to yell, “I am a Christian, I will not change my faith”, as he did.
You can read his inspiring story here. I am sure you will be touched, as I did.
May God give to all of us courage and strength to defend the Orthodox Christian faith until our last breath. May St. Peter, this humble Aleut that gave his life for Jesus, pray for us!
“From the Little Mountain” takes you through a year at the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in West Virginia. This video is an attempt to portray some of the beauty and struggle of monastic life using quotes from the Scriptures and the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church.
I encourage all my fellow American bloggers to make it out to Hermitage of the Holy Cross if you can! The monks are absolutely wonderful!
