Recommended reading:

Canons of the Orthodox Church is an Orthodox website containing an electronic version of a book by Archd. Prof. Dr. Ioan N. Floca, Canoanele Bisericii Ortodoxe (a book published by Editura Institutului Bibilic şi de Misiune a Bisericii Ortodoxe Române in 1993 and republished in 2005 by Deisis). Unfortunately, the website is in Romanian, but we could try to translate a few excerpts into English (please contact me if you would like to volunteer!)

Ancient Evidence for Jesus from Non-Christian Sources

Still need evidence that Jesus lived on earth as a historical figure? Read this article written by Michael Gleghorn, Ancient Evidence for Jesus from Non-Christian Sources, and you'll find out what Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Josephus, or Lucian had to say about Jesus Christ, Our Lord!

Web Tour: Recommended Websites

1. THE FALL OF ORTHODOX ENGLAND. The Ecclesiastical Roots of the Norman Conquest, 1043-1087 by Vladimir Moss available on line HERE!
2. Liturgica.com: Orthodox Liturgics, Books and Music.
3. Irish Ties to the Orthodox Church. On the Trail of the Seven Monks of Egypt. Links between Coptic Orthodox Christianity and the early Irish Church.
4. Personal Experience Of The Holy Spirit According To The Greek Fathers by Kallistos Ware, Bishop of Diokleia.
5. Children and Television by Novice Joseph.

Textkit Helps You Learn Greek and Latin!

Textkit was created to help you learn Ancient Greek and Latin!

Textkit is the Internet's largest provider of free and fully downloadable Greek and Latin grammars and readers. With currently 146 free books to choose from, Greek and Latin learners have downloaded 687,131 grammars, readers and classical e-books.

Featured Resources:

• Greek Grammar, William W. Goodwin
• First Greek Book, John Williams White
• A Brief Introduction to New Testament Greek, Samuel G. Green
• Greek Prose Composition, North and Hillard
• Greek Grammar, Herbert Weir Smyth
• Latin For Beginners, Benjamin L. D'Ooge
• Beginner's Latin Book, Collar and Daniell
• A Latin Grammar, Charles E. Bennett
• New Latin Grammar, Allen & Greenough
• A New Latin Prose Composition, Charles E. Bennett

religion-online.org

Full texts by recognized religious scholars
More than 6,000 articles and chapters. Topics include Old and New Testament, Theology, Ethics, History and Sociology of Religion, Communication and Cultural Studies, Pastoral Care, Counseling, Homiletics, Worship, Missions and Religious Education.

Click HERE to go to the website!

The Annunciation to the Theotokos

The Annunciation (or Evangelismos in Greek) to the Theotokos is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthod

ox Church, celebrated on March 25. This is one of only two days during Lent, the other being Palm Sunday, when fish is permitted.

According to the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce to her that she would conceive and bear a son, even though she "knew no man." According to holy tradition Mary had come home to her parents when she was only fifteen when she was visited by Gabriel. This date was selected by the

Church Fathers to be exactly nine months ahead of Christmas, indicating that Christ was conceived in perfection at that time "of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary," as stated in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.

The feast of the Annunciation normally falls during the season of Great Lent, but it is still a joyous day. Many lessen their fast with fish on this

day.

If the feast comes on a weekday of Lent, the Divine Liturgy of the feast is served in the evening with Vespers. When this happens, the fasting rules for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts are followed. The Divine Liturgy of the Annunciation is the only celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom allowed on a weekday of Great Lent.

If the feast falls on the same day as Pascha, the resultant festival is called Kyriopascha and is celebrated with special rubrics.

Recommended reading:

• Chapter: Pictures of the Virgin Mary, in History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene Christianity. A.D. 100-325, by Philip Schaff(1819-1893)

--click here or on the chapter title to read/download the text for free--

FREE issue of STUDII TEOLOGICE (in Romanian)

Click HERE to download the Janury-March 2005 issue of Studii Teologice - a theological magazine of the Faculties of Theology within the Romanian Patriarchate. I know its old, but some of you might find it useful. Enjoy!

Free Magazine

December Issue of The Word Magazine Now Available Online. Click HERE to download .pdf!