Fr Joseph Purpura - Saint George

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Fr Joseph Purpura

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

O Lord Jesus Christ our God, the God of all mercies and bounties, Whose mercy is immeasurable, and whose love for mankind is an unfathomable deep: falling down in adoration before Thy majesty, with fear and trembling, as unprofitable servants, and now humbly rendering thanks unto Thy loving-kindness for Thy

THE MESSIAH

The word Messiah means “The Anointed One” or “The Chosen One” the name given to the promised Deliverer who would someday come to the people of Israel as their great Savior and Redeemer, “anointed” as Prophet, Priest, and King by God Himself. The great Messiah is anointed “above his fellows”

PRESBYTER

Presbyter - (Literal meaning in GR presbyteros, “elder”), a minister in the early Christian Church intermediate between bishop and deacon. The word presbyter is etymologically the original form of “priest.” Presbyter is, in the Bible, a synonym for bishop (episkopos), referring to a leader in local Church congregations. However, since

PERICOPE

PERICOPE -The prefix “peri” is from the Greek. It means “about,” “around,” or “beyond.” The rest of the word – “cope” – is from the Greek kopē, which means “a cutting.” It is pronounced ko-pay. A pe-ri-ko-pay is a section of text from a book or a document to be read aloud

ANTIMENSION

The antimension (from GR: "in place of the table"; in SL: ANTIMINS) - is among the most important liturgical adornments used in the Altar during the Divine Liturgy. This rectangular piece of fabric (usually linen or silk) is typically decorated with representations of the entombment of Christ, the

ARTOKLASIA

Artoklasia - a Greek compound word from artos meaning bread, and klasis meaning breaking: “breaking of bread”. The Greek term derives from the very words used by the Evangelists in describing the Last Supper at which Christ “broke bread” and offered it to His disciples as His own Body. The

ORDINATION

ORDINATION is the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Greek words used for ordination are cheirotonia and cheirothesia, both of which mean "the laying on of hands." Ordination derives its origin from Christ, the great High Priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice on the Cross "for all,

TYPIKA

The TYPIKA is a brief service that is appointed by the Typikon (OrthoFlash, Oct. 24, 2019) for certain occasions but may also be conducted when a priest or bishop is not present. According to the Typikon, the TYPIKA is appointed on those days when either there is no liturgy at

HOLY UNCTION

The sacrament (mystery) of HOLY UNCTION is a sacrament of faith (James 5:14-15). It is meant for any sick person and is always celebrated in the hope that it will bring healing. While this certainly is the desired effect, it is not the indispensable condition of the sacrament. Holy

Youth Ministry Connecting Learning with Living the Kingdom

Youth Ministry Connecting Learning with Living the Kingdom

This article will briefly look at what we are trying to accomplish in youth ministry, especially as we make the connection between what youth learn in the classroom...

When a Child is born into our Orthodox Church Community

When a Child is born into our Orthodox Church Community

Have you ever wondered about the process by which newborns are received into the Orthodox church?

A Family Guide in the event of a Loved One’s Death

A Family Guide in the event of a Loved One’s Death

In today’s modern world, humanity has access to so many luxuries and opportunities for advancement that death seems to be a distant and inconvenient matter, one that isn’t discussed in polite company.

Visiting those who are ill - Proper Spiritual Care for the Sick

Visiting those who are ill - Proper Spiritual Care for the Sick

Everyone needs prayer, especially the prayers and blessings of the Church in our daily life.

Getting Married

Getting Married

Getting married is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. You have already invested heavily in developing a relationship with your future spouse, and you both have made a commitment to love one another forever. Now that you are engaged and planning to get married, what is

PENANCE

PENANCE (Confession) - The sacrament of penance is our formal act of reconciliation with God in the Church when sin has severed us from the Church's life. When we sin, our relationship to God and to others is distorted. Through this sacrament, Christ our Lord continues to heal

HOLY MATRIMONY

HOLY MATRYMONY (mariage) is one of the holy mysteries of sacraments in the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church and the scriptures teach that "God made man; in the image of GodHe made him; male and female He made them. Then God blessed them; and God said to them, be

PROKEIMENON

PROKEIMENON (GR prokimen; plural: prokeimena)- The Greek word implies something that is "set before" or "introduces." The prokeimenon was originally an entire Psalm that served to "introduce" the reading f Scripture that followed it. One verse from the Psalm was selected as the

LAZARUS SATURDAY AND PALM SUNDAY

LAZARUS SATURDAY AND PALM SUNDAY

LAZARUS SATURDAY is a paschal celebration. On the day, the Church glorifies Christ as "the Resurrection and the life" who, by raising Lazarus, has confirmed the universal resurrection of mankind even before His own suffering and death. Because of the resurrection of Lazarus, Christ was hailed by the

VIGIL

On Great and Holy Friday, we watch our Lord's crucifixion by the hands of those He came to save. An ancient tradition in the Orthodox Church is the VIGIL AT THE TOMB OF CHRIST. After our Lord died on the Cross, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took His

COMPLINE

COMPLINE, in Greek and in Slavonic, means bedtime or after supper prayer. It has two versions: Great and Small Compline. SMALL COMPLINE is for private prayers before sleep. GREAT COMPLINE commemorates such events as the eve of the Nativity of Christ and His Epiphany, and provides a structure by which

ICON – ICONOSTASIS

Icon (Gr. "image"). Christ is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15). Because Christ is God who became Man, He can Himself be pictured or imaged. Thus, icons of Christ, the Theotokos - together with those of the Saints and scenes from the Bible

SACRAMENT

The term SACRAMENT (from the Latin sacramentum, meaning "a consecrated thing or act," l.e., "something holy," "to consecrate;" which itself was a Church Latin translation of the Greek mysterion, meaning "mystery"). In every SACRAMENT or HOLY MYSTREY there is a combination

CHURCH FATHERS

The teachers and defenders of the Christian faith of the first six centuries who added complete Orthodoxy to their learning are called HOLY FATHERS. They continued what the Holy Apostles began and were "Holy Witnesses" to the Truth and to the True Faith. They were theologians and spiritual

SEMANTRON

The semantron (from Ancient Greek sḗmantron, “a seal, signet”) is a percussion instrument used chiefly in Eastern Orthodox monasteries to summon the brethren to prayer or to lead processions. It is usually hung near the entrance of the sobor (church building [temple] of a monastery). In the traditional monastic ritual,

CHURCH BELLS

Bells are one of the most essential elements of an Orthodox church. The use of bells is symbolic of the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world. Bells are used for a number of purposes throughout the liturgical cycle, such as summoning the faithful to services; expressing the triumphal joy