Monachos.net eNewsletter - 1 / 14 March 2009

[Monachos.net eNewsletter]

The Monachos.net eNewsletter

1 / 14 March 2009

Eve of the Sunday of St Gregory Palamas

As we emerge from the second week of Great and Holy Lent, into the weekend dedicated to the memory of St Gregory Palamas, Monachos.net has continued to expand its provision of resources for this Lenten period. This includes the wide array of Lenten materials we have maintained from past years, as well as new provision that is expanding throughout the weeks of this 2009 Fast. These are consolidated into a distinct, dedicated area of the web site:

Resources for Great Lent, 2009 

http://www.monachos.net/content/lent

In this main area, you will find introductory materials, general Lenten resources, as well as a week-by-week calendar of the whole Fast, with dedicated materials for each week and thematic day. These include, for example: the Lenten prayer of St Ephrem in multiple languages, as well as a discussion of its various versions; outlines of Lenten services; reflections on themed days in the Fast; liturgical texts such as the Great Canon, Life of St Mary, akathists, etc.; studies of the Fathers commemorated during Great Lent; a calendar of readings and commemorations; etc.

Among these, a few newly-added materials are worth highlighting:

Order of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts 
http://www.monachos.net/content/liturgics/liturgical-texts/471

Many of the faithful regularly attend this important service during the Lenten period, without being fully aware of its contents and shape. This compact outline describes the 'shape' of this significant service, showing its composition from several services, and allows one to engage with it more directly.

The 'Farewell Homily' of St Tikhon of Moscow, on the Triumph of Orthodoxy 1907 
http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/patristictexts/473

We offer here a new translation of one of St Tikhon's homilies, delivered in 1907 at the New York cathedral on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This was the saint's 'farewell homily' to his flock, before departing the USA, and contains important reflections on missionary zeal as well as touching reflections by St Tikhon on his work in North America.

Readers who are not yet aware, might be interested to know that they can now also become listeners: Monachos.net and Ancient Faith Radio have joined together to produce a series of weekly internet broadcasts ('podcasts'):

'A Word from the Holy Fathers' Weekly Broadcasts 
http://www.monachos.net/content/podcasts

A weekly series of short radio broadcasts, reflecting each week on a different writing from the Fathers of the Church, exploring its history, context, and above all relevance to the spiritual life of Christians in today's world. These can be listened to through the streaming players on the Monachos.net web site, or subscribed to via the Ancient Faith Radio site, or various other sources (such as the Apple Music Store).

FOR THE CURRENT WEEKEND, wherein the Church keeps the memory of St Gregory Palamas, the following resources from the Great Lent area on Monachos.net will be especially relevant:

St Gregory Palamas: An Historical Overview 

http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/studies-fathers/61-gregory-palamas-an-historical-overview

An overview of the life and times of St Gregory, including the controversies of the age, in which he was involved.

St Gregory Palamas: Knowledge, Prayer, Vision 
http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/studies-fathers/62-gregory-palamas-knowledge-prayer-and-vision

An introductory study to the theological vision of St Gregory.

St Gregory Palamas: On the Holy Icons 
http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/patristictexts/160-palamas-on-icons

Extracts from St Gregory's writings, on the pastoral quality of icons in the Church.

We hope the above resources, together with the full Lenten and other materials on Monachos.net, will be of use and interest to readers during this time of the Great Fast -- and we will be continuing to add to them during the whole of Great Lent.

Finally, readers may wish to know that it is now possible to subscribe to Monachos.net's RSS feed in order to be kept up-to-date on the latest additions and changes in an immediate fashion. Simply visit our What's New Area, where you will find a subscription link:

http://www.monachos.net/content/whats-new