Archbishop Demetrios at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
If you words from the Archbishop after the Akathist to the Theotokos on 3-10-2017
Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Aug. 6, 2018)
Orthros and Divine Liturgy celebrating the Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church.
Cheesefare Sunday Divine Liturgy 2/18/18 at Assumption Panagia Greek Orthodox Church Chicago, IL
Cheesefare Sunday Divine Liturgy 2-18-18 at Assumption Panagia Greek Orthodox Church Chicago, IL - Captured Live on Ustream at
Gift Shop OLPH ABQ
The best Eastern Christian gift shop within 1500 miles is at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church, 1837 Alvarado Dr. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico. A stunning selection of icons from Russia, America, and the Near East. Carved olive wood from the Holy Land. Bibles. Books on church history, the church fathers, spirituality, apologetics, and much more. Also all the supplies you need to make pysanki, the elaborately colored Easter eggs of Ukraine and other parts of eastern Europe.
Dormition of the Theotokos رقاد والدة الإله
Dormition رقاد والدة الله
The Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on August 15. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ's mother. It proclaims that Mary has been assumed by God into the heavenly kingdom of Christ in the fullness of her spiritual and bodily existence.
About the feast
The Orthodox feast of the Dormition is very similar to what Roman Catholicism calls the Assumption of Mary. According to Orthodox Tradition, Mary died like all humanity, falling asleep, so to speak, as the name of the feast indicates. She died as all people die, not voluntarily as her Son, but by the necessity of her mortal human nature which is indivisibly bound up with the corruption of this world.
The Apostles were miraculously summoned to this event, and all were present except Thomas when Mary passed from this life. She was then buried.
Thomas arrived a few days later, and desiring to see her one more time, convinced the others to open her tomb. Upon doing so, the Apostles discovered that her body was no longer present. This event is seen as a firstfruits of the resurrection of the faithful that will occur at the Second Coming of Christ. The event is normally called the Dormition, though there are many Orthodox parishes in English-speaking countries with the name Assumption. In Greek, Dormition is Koimisis—falling asleep in death—from which the word cemetery derives.
As with the nativity of the Virgin and the feast of her entrance to the temple, there are no biblical or historical sources for this feast. The Orthodox Church teaches that Mary is without personal sinscitation needed, as well that Mary truly needed to be saved by Christ as all human persons are saved from the trials, sufferings, and death of this world. She truly died and was raised up by her Son as the Mother of Life and participates already in the eternal life of paradise. This life of paradise is prepared and promised to all who hear the word of God and keep it. (Luke 11:27-28)
The dormition of the mother of the Theotokos, the Righteous Anna, is celebrated on July 25.
Celebration of the feast
The feast is preceded by 14 days of strict fasting, with the exceptions that fish is eaten on the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6). On weekdays before the feast, either the Great Paraklesis (service of supplication) or the Small Paraklesis is celebrated.
On the eve of the feast, Vespers is served and contains three Old Testament readings that have New Testament meaning. In Genesis 28:10-17, Jacob's Ladder which unites heaven and earth points to the union of God with men which is realized most fully and perfectly in Mary the bearer of God. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven! In Ezekiel 43:27-44:4, the vision of the temple with the door to the East perpetually closed and filled with the glory of the Lord, symbolizes Mary. And in Proverbs 9:1-11, Mary is also identified with the house which the Divine Wisdom has built for herself.
Sometimes Matins is served on the morning of the feast. The Gospel reading is from Luke 1:39-49, 56. It is read on all feasts of the Theotokos and includes the Theotokos' saying: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
Divine Liturgy is served on the day on the feast. In some churches, it is the custom to bless flowers on this feast before the Liturgy. The epistle reading is from Philippians 2:5-11, and speaks of Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. The gospel reading is taken from Luke 10:38-42 and 11:27-28 together; this reading is also always read on all feasts of the Theotokos. In it, the Lord says, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!
Troparion (Tone 1)
In giving birth you preserved your virginity,
In falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos.
You were translated to life, O Mother of Life,
And by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death.
Source:
stpaulbrisbane.org.au
Icons being painted at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Just a tiny video from where I sat.
Panagia Faneromeni Monastery - Crete - Greece (Μονή Παναγίας Φανερωμένης)
The Monastery of Panagia Faneromeni (Μονή Παναγίας Φανερωμένης) about 9km west of Sitia town and 1km away from the beach of Platani.
It is built on the edge of the Agioi Pantes canyon.
The name Panagia Faneromeni derives from the icon of the Virgin Mary which was found in the cave inside the monastery.
The monastery is quite old, although the date of its foundation can not be accurately determined.
It is is believed to have been founded before 1455 by hermit Ioannikios, but was later destroyed by pirate Barbarossa.
It was restored by Monk Gennadios in 1624.
In the centre of the monastery, there is the two-aisled church dedicated to the Assumption (celebrated 15 August) and St. George (celebrated 3 November).
The church contains frescoes dating back to 1455, which were unfortunately blackened by the smoke when the Turks set the church on fire.
Holy Mount Athos, Greece CBS News American doc
25 Top Tourist Attractions in Europe - Travel Video
With its layers of history and overlapping of cultures, Europe is a treasure trove of everything from the medieval and ancient to the baroque and art nouveau. Couple this with Arctic conditions in the north and beautiful Mediterranean climates in the south, and there’s a whole side of nature to go with the main dish of culture that can be found in this wonderful continent. Here’s a look at the top tourist attractions in Europe:
Serbian Orthodox Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of our Lord, Zagreb
February 2013
Sunset Concert - 2015 Festival of the Aegean - St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
John Rutter's Look at the World with all choirs conducted by William Wyman begins at 16:30
Featuring
Lincoln Choral Arts, Nebraska Wesleyan Choir, Saint Paul United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, Central Community College Spectrum, Western Nebraska Community College Collegiate Chorale, Children's Chorus of Sussex County.
Greece | Wikipedia audio article
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Greece
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SUMMARY
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Greece (Greek: Ελλάδα, Elláda Greek pronunciation: [eˈlaða]), officially the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Ellinikí Dimokratía Greek pronunciation: [eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a]), historically also known as Hellas (Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellás Greek pronunciation: [heˈlas]), is a country located in Southern and Southeast Europe, with a population of approximately 11 million as of 2016. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki.
Greece is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Situated on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, the Cretan Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a large number of islands, of which 227 are inhabited. Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak at 2,918 metres (9,573 ft). The country consists of nine geographic regions: Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands (including the Dodecanese and Cyclades), Thrace, Crete, and the Ionian Islands.
Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilisation, being the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, as well as the Olympic Games. From the eighth century BC, the Greeks were organised into various independent city-states, known as poleis (singular polis), which spanned the entire Mediterranean region and the Black Sea. Philip of Macedon united most of the Greek mainland in the fourth century BC, with his son Alexander the Great rapidly conquering much of the ancient world, spreading Greek culture and science from the eastern Mediterranean to India. Greece was annexed by Rome in the second century BC, becoming an integral part of the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine Empire, wherein Greek language and culture were dominant. Rooted in the first century A.D., the Greek Orthodox Church helped shape modern Greek identity and transmitted Greek traditions to the wider Orthodox World. Falling under Ottoman dominion in the mid-15th century, the modern nation state of Greece emerged in 1830 following a war of independence. Greece's rich historical legacy is reflected by its 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The sovereign state of Greece is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced high-income economy, a high quality of life, and a very high standard of living. A founding member of the United Nations, Greece was the tenth member to join the European Communities (precursor to the European Union) and has been part of the Eurozone since 2001. It is also a member of numerous other international institutions, including the Council of Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Greece's unique cultural heritage, large tourism industry, prominent shipping sector and geostrategic importance classify it as a middle power. It is the largest economy in the Balkans, where it is an important regional investor.