Church guide

Archaeological notes: "... Langlois repeatedly stated to The Times of Israel that he is not trying to 'prove the Bible.' However, he said, 'from a purely historical standpoint, the most obvious solution is that there was a kingdom of David.' " 'In my paper I’m not trying to discuss whether King David exists, just trying to read the stone, and my conclusion for line 31 is that the most likely reading is Beit David, which takes into account the traces of letters and the combination of them,' said Langlois. To read any other way, he said, is basically stating a refusal to believe in the possibility of a biblical King David. " 'The new imaging technology that we have confirms the reading of Beit David,' said Langlois, adding, 'It’s a good thing when science can confirm a hypothesis.' ”

"... God cares for everyone. He loves us more than those closest to us. Therefore, the Lord knows that we have needs and concerns that are essentially temporary, based on the concept of eternity. And He understands how important it is for us to live our lives spiritually, so the direction of our being would lead us to Him, not away from Him. After all, our eternal life, which we cannot even imagine, unlike the Lord, depends on how we live our earthy life...."

"Churches in the Jerusalem claim their presence in the holy city is under threat due to a legal ruling on the sale of buildings. "Israel's Supreme Court has ruled against the Greek Orthodox Church in a 14 year old case which looked at the purchase of properties at the entrance to the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem known as Jaffa Gate.... "A spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Church said: 'The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate is very disappointed by the Supreme Court ruling on Jaffa Gate....' "With concerns over what the new owners will do with the buildings, the Greek Orthodox Church says it will continue to pursue the case by all legal means at its disposal. "The Church wants to ensure that the Christian character of the buildings continues in the future and that the access to the city's holy sites remain unimpeded for the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who visit each year. "In a statement of solidarity with the Greek Orthodox Church, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem said: 'We call upon Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli Government, President Rivlin, world leaders and all people of good will around the world to join with us in pursuing an outcome in this case that maintains the Status Quo, preserves the secure presence of the Christian community of Jerusalem, and rejects the use of underhand and illegal methods to seize its properties.' "

If these amethysts could talk, what a tale they could tell. Archaeological notes on ancient Christianity east of Byzantium: "Semi-precious stones, jewellery, as well as containers made of rare glass and other findings have been found by a Slovak archaeologist during this year's research mission in Kuwait. The Old Christian community of Nestorians left them on today's Failaka Island in the Persian Gulf where they lived in the early Middle Ages. "Scientists from the Archaeological Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Nitra in cooperation with the Kuwaiti National Museum has scrutinized in detail a complex of buildings with a large residential building and more economic objects. There are more than 140 such buildings in the settlement of Al Qasr from the 7th to 8th centuries.... " 'The extensive collection of raw materials has been preserved in the complex, semiprecious stones, mostly amethysts, which probably originate from Sri Lanka and are evidence of long-distance trade,' said the head of terrain research in Kuwait, Karol Pieta, as quoted by the SITA newswire. " 'It corresponds to the contemporary characteristics of the community of Nestorian Christians who were missionaries and spread the Christian faith further east to India, China, but at the same time were also traders and skilled craftsmen, hunters, as well as distributing pearls,' he told SITA.... "Archaeologists have found five kilograms of raw material the Nestorians used for the production of jewellery. Amethysts were a sought-after item at the time. " 'They were set in jewellery, their bead shapes a fashionable hit. Thanks to the trade that flowed from east to west, they were entering deep into Europe,' Pieta said, as quoted by SITA. "In the 7th century, Islam spread in the Gulf, but still, Christian communities also lived here. The desert island of Falaika was green in that time.... "There are two churches in the centre of the inhabited area and monastery. The mystery remains where residents at that time buried their deceased because with the exception of one person buried in the church, no human remains have been found."

"Celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the authoritative Holy Dormition-Pochaev Lavra’s Holy Spirit Skete [in western Ukraine] began on Sunday and will last through June 17. "His Eminence Metropolitan Sergei of Ternopil and Kremenets kicked off the celebration by celebrating the great rite of consecration of the skete’s Iveron Church and the Divine Liturgy, reports the Lavra’s website.... "The celebrations will end on June 17, the day of the Holy Spirit, with a hierarchical Liturgy in the Iveron Church, followed by a cross procession with the consecration of the newly-built bell tower and memorial chapel...."

Maya Prozorofskaya, the granddaughter of St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon, writes: "Grandfather had an amazing smile. A sweet smile not only with his lips, but one that shown on his whole face. Many times his laughter was contagious. He told funny stories about children and animals. Judging from photographs of him, many perceive that the Saint was serious and austere. But he was not like this. He was sweet, accessible, good, sensitive, compassionate."

Metropolitan Nectarios of Argolis on Saint Luke the Surgeon, Archbishop of the Crimea (1877-1961) – Part 2 For Part 1, see: https://www.facebook.com/HolyCrossOrthodoxMonastery/posts/10156660877003583

Metropolitan Nectarios of Argolis on Saint Luke the Surgeon, Archbishop of Crimea (1877-1961) – Part 1 For Part 2, see: https://www.facebook.com/HolyCrossOrthodoxMonastery/posts/10156660882698583

"Let us always entreat God for everything that we need without any hesitation and without having within us the thought that it does not suit the grandeur of God to entreat Him for our daily needs. Like little children we should always stretch out our hands to God seeking everything without hesitation. With the hope and the faith that children have, let us wait for His help, of course if that which we are seeking is according to His will." -- St. Luke of Crimea the Blessed Surgeon

"On May 30, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved to open two men’s monasteries in the Vologda Diocese: the St. Nilus of Sora Hermitage and the Vladimir-Zaonikievsk Theotokos Hermitage near Vologda. "On June 9, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius of Vologda and Kirillov installed Hieromonk Euthymius (Ershov) as the abbot of the ancient St. Nilus of Sora Hermitage, reports the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism of the Russian Orthodox Church.... "The service was attended by the abbots of the monasteries of the Vologda Diocese, the ordained monastics of the St. Cyril of White Lake Monastery, and clergy of the diocese. “ 'The St. Nilus of Sora Hermitage has again become a monastery,' said Met. Ignatius after installing the new abbot. 'Now awaits the brothers’ long and painstaking work on themselves, the work on the buildings, and their work with their flock.' " 'It is a difficult but rewarding task,' the hierarch assured the brethren. 'St. Nilus of Sora supported such work, and these buildings where the residents of the monastery now live are much more comfortable than the conditions in which St. Nilus of Sora, whose holy relics lie hidden under the Tikhvin Church, began his podvig [holy struggle] on this earth. I believe that St. Nilus, our God-bearing father, will guide the life of the monastery and all its surroundings, and we will help him.' "Met. Ignatius also noted that in his 5 years as head of the Vologda Diocese, the number of monasteries has grown from 4 to 11. 'However, it’s too early to relax: There are still many ruined churches and monasteries that remain to revive and restore in this province,' the hierarch said, adding a sobering word...."

"On June 7, 2019, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), with a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia... visited the Archdiocese of Cyprus to meet with His Holiness Chrysostomos, Archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus.... "Taking part in the first part of the talk were Ambassador S. Osadchiy and Archpriest Pavel Povalyaev, a cleric of the Metropolia of Limassol. Then Metropolitan Hilarion and Archbishop Chrysostomos had a talk in the one-to-one format.... "They discussed a wide range of issues concerning the bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Cyprus and items on the inter-Orthodox agenda."

Resources for Saint Onouphrios the Egyptian:

"Four years after a fire gutted its sanctuary, St. George Greek Orthodox Church reopened in a special Saturday evening service filled with prayers and scripture. "The domed church has been a Kingston Pike landmark since it was built in 1968. It's known for both its traditional Byzantine architecture and its custom-made interior religious mosaics. "But the church faced an extensive restoration after it was severely damaged and its interior ruined in an early morning fire on the Orthodox Easter Sunday on April 12, 2015. "It took four years and more than five million dollars to restore the church. Insurance paid for the majority of the restoration. But the work was time consuming, mostly because of the detail required to replace the church's glass mosaics. "But on Saturday, the tall wooden doors were blessed with holy water and then opened for a processional into the church and a special vespers service...." See related post from last week: https://www.facebook.com/HolyCrossOrthodoxMonastery/posts/10156649428633583

"On June 6, 2019, with a blessing of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations (DECR), arrived in the Holy Land.... "The archpastor celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of All the Russian Saints in the Gorneye Convent in Ein-Karem [the birthplace of St. John the Baptist]. He was assisted by Archimandrite Alexander (Yelisov) [head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem], as well as the clergy of the mission and the convent. Addressing the nuns after the service, Metropolitan Hilarion conveyed to them a blessing from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, who, as the archpastor noted, 'Always mentally abides with the Holy Land and this holy convent'.... "Later that day, Metropolitan Hilarion met with His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine. His Eminence conveyed to His Beatitude greetings and best wishes from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, after which they exchanged opinions on issues of mutual concern with regard to inter-church relations. "Metropolitan Hilarion also visited the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem and venerated its shrines – the Life-Giving Lord’s Sepulcher, Golgotha and Stone of Anointing. "On the same day, His Eminence visited the St. George Church in Lydda and the Church of the Righteous Tabitha in Jaffa (Joppa)."

"On Sunday, May 12, 2019, Saint Herman’s Orthodox Theological Seminary [SHS] held its 47th Commencement Exercises at the Afognak Native Corporation that overlooks Saint Paul Harbor and the city of Kodiak [Alaska]...."

"Within the span of a week, the Russian Orthodox Church opened three new shelters for mothers in difficult situations and a children’s hospice in various locations throughout Russia.... "Over the past 8 years, the Russian Church has opened 63 shelters for women in crisis situations, and over 100 new humanitarian aid centers over the past 3 years. Today, there are 64 shelters for women and more than 180 humanitarian centers.... "And in Pavlovsk, 18 miles south of St. Petersburg, a children’s hospice hospitality was opened in a formerly abandoned building in a local park on June 4, reports the Metropolia of St. Petersburg...."

Resources for Saint Luke the Blessed Surgeon:

Resources for the Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas:

Our monastery's brotherhood, friends, and supporters celebrated the five-year Requiem for our beloved founding Abbot, Archimandrite Theodor (Micka) after yesterday's Holy Liturgy on Sunday, June 9, 2019. May his memory be eternal! Very many people attended and stayed for our traditional potluck "Agape" meal of mercy. They brought an abundance of food and refreshments to share with their brothers and sisters for the repose of Fr. Theodor's soul. Below is a link to comments at his Requiem by his spiritual son and successor, Father Abbot Stephen. Friends of our monastery have posted recordings of other recent homilies here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0T-AajE6-cfv-C49RPwsdg/videos * * * In the monastery's newsletter distributed a few weeks prior to the event, our monastery's current abbot, Father Stephen, reflected upon his lifelong friendship with his spiritual mentor, Archimandrite Theodor (Micka): "I first met Archimandrite Theodor of blessed memory in the spring of 1970, with whom I later founded Holy Cross Orthodox Monastery and who was my spiritual father for 44 years. "He received me into the Orthodox Church on my 19th birthday in October of that same year and gave me my very first unabbreviated Orthodox Prayer Book [actually his own], with this inscription written in his own hand: ================================== 'Feast of St. Hierotheos, martyr October 4, 1970 To Stephen, my son in God. May you grow in greater likeness to Him, Who has called you. — Father Theodor' ================================== Nothing bonds true friends like a life of prayer and labor for the glory of God and for the building of His Kingdom, as St. Basil the Great attests when speaking of psalmody: "A psalm forms friendships, unites those separated, conciliates those at enmity. Who, indeed, can still consider as an enemy him with whom he has uttered the same prayer to God? "So that psalmody, bringing about choral singing, a bond, as it were, toward unity, and joining the people into a harmonious union of one choir, produces also the greatest of blessings, charity. "A psalm is a city of refuge from the demons, a means of inducing help from the angels, a weapon in fears by night, a rest from toils by day, a safeguard for infants, an adornment for those at the height of their vigor, a consolation for the elders, a most fitting ornament for women. "It populates the solitudes; it rids the marketplace of excesses; it is the elementary exposition of beginners, the improvement of those advancing, the solid support of the perfect, the voice of the Church. It brightens the feast days; it creates a sorrow which is in accordance with God. "For, a psalm is the work of angels, a heavenly institution, and is spiritual incense.” — St. Basil the Great (4th century)

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An "atmospheric river" from Hawaii is currently flowing overhead and dropped torrential rains all night. Flash flood warnings remain in effect until tomorrow morning for the San Francisco Bay Area's inland valleys. But we are happy to report that Stonybrook Creek, which flows through our monastery properties, seems to have crested and is now flowing briskly at about a foot down from the edge of its banks here at the monastery. So as we say in colloquial English, "If the Lord's willing and the Creek don't rise" we remain accessible to visitors and pilgrims. With love and blessings, Father Abbot Stephen

Our monastery is a very international place, with pilgrims and friends hailing from all over the world. That's why it is so good for us to have our Bulgarian-born novice Lubomir Hardalov here, who can freely converse with visiting Bulgarian Orthodox faithful. His family emigrated to Montreal, Canada when he was 16, so he is also fluent in French. English is his third language -- and he has studied Russian. Impressive, yes. But some people just never grow up! Subdeacon Lubomir is nearly 31 years old, yet here he is -- "caught on camera" as it were last Sunday on Pascha in our monastery's library -- breaking Easter eggs with two Bulgarian boys, the sons of Stanislav and Violet Angelov. What is really embarrassing is that he lost the egg-breaking contest twice -- to children who are less than half his age! Ah, the agony of defeat! Our novice Lubomir clearly needs more practice to preserve the honor of our monastery! (Video courtesy of the boys' mother, Violeta)

Okay, folks. This is starting to become serious. The creek has risen two more feet and is flowing OVER two of our neighbors' bridges and is also overflowing all around the pumphouse of the well and 5,000-gallon water storage tank on our original property. Our Father Peter is shutting off the power to our well's pumphouse so the electricity doesn't short out under water. The creek has also risen to to reach just below our bridge on our furthest property. Who ever said monasteries are boring places? Two years ago during the drought the creek never ran at all. The creekbed just collected puddles of water. This year we are seeing flooding like I haven't seen here in 30 years. I'm starting to think we shouldn't have taken all those "Supplicatory services for rain during times of drought" that we took last fall [[:-(3

A few weeks ago, we received a telephone call from a company offering river cruises, asking us if the cruise line could include Holy Cross Monastery as one of its "ports of call" for its river cruises. "River cruise?" I asked. "Yes," she replied. "We've stopped at your monastery in the past; and we'd like to include it as one of our river cruise destinations again." "I don't think so," I said. "We do have Stonybrook Creek running through our monastery property, but I don't think one of your cruise ships would fit in our creek, much less make it this far upstream. Are you sure you aren't looking for "holycrossmonastery dot com" instead of us at "holycrossmonastery dot org"? "Oh," she said. "Isn't this the large Episcopal monastery on the Hudson River in New York?" "I'm afraid not," I replied. "We're just a small Orthodox monastery located near Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area." But on the other hand, if we continue receiving torrential rains from many more of these atmospheric rivers passing overhead, perhaps we could become a river cruise "port of call". Here's a "state of the creek" video clip taken from the balcony of our abbot's cell earlier this afternoon:

It's hard to believe that seven years have passed. But it was on this day seven years ago (July 5, 2009) that the monastic sons of our late Archimandrite Theodor of thrice-blessed memory both received ordination at the same Primatial Divine Liturgy performed at our monastery by His Beatitude Metropolitan JONAH of the Orthodox Church in America. Our chapel was too small to accommodate the large number of worshippers that day, so it was performed outdoors. At that memorable Liturgy our Archdeacon Stephen was elevated to the priesthood, having previously served in the diaconate for over 32 years. Subdeacon Peter was ordained to the diaconate at the same Liturgy and would be elevated to the priesthood in our monastery chapel in April of the following year (2010). These were the first ordinations ever to be performed at Holy Cross Orthodox Monastery. This brief film clip was taken by two of our monastery's most steadfast supporters, Viorel and Mihaela Andronic. But we must confess that we only recently came across it and watched it. It is especially precious because it contains rare footage all of the original "three monksketeers" of our monastery. Father Theodor can be seen walking at the altar, Father Stephen can be seen being led around the altar three times immediately before kneeling for ordination, and Father Peter can be seen standing before the icon of Christ with a towel around his neck as he awaits his ordination that will follow. In his homily, His Beatitude Metropolitan JONAH noted that it was a fitting day for the ordinations to take place, because it was the feast day of two of the greatest monastic saints in the Orthodox Church -- the Venerable Athanasius. the Founder of the Great Lavra and Cenobitic Monasticism on Mt. Athos, and the Uncovering of the relics of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. May God grant many years to our monastic brotherhood, to our friends, and to our supporters -- and may He grant that Holy Cross Orthodox Monastery continue to serve Him until the end of time!