A Child's Guide to Confession
$20.00
An engaging, illustrated guide to confession for children. This 100-page, easy-to-use aid will help a child understand and prepare for confession. Designed for both younger and older children, this book assists the child with brief, inspirational thoughts followed by prayers and an age-appropriate self-examination based on 1 Corinthians 13 (the "love chapter"). A Child's Guide to Confession also includes a glossary of basic vocabulary that children typically encounter when learning about or going to confession. Fully illustrated in a simple, colorful, yet reverent style.
This work for our children was compiled by the editors, as well as various staff members and content contributors, of Ancient Faith Ministries under the supervision of several Orthodox clergy as cited on the copyright page: namely, Fr Noah Bushelli, Fr Nicholas Speier, and Fr Andrew Stephen Damick.
A Journal of Thanksgiving: Record Three Years of Gratitude in a Sentence a Day
$24.95
Throughout Scripture and patristic writings, Christians are consistently enjoined to give thanks to God in all things. But it can be easy to forget to give thanks on a daily basis, especially in times of trial. This journal contains an inspiring quotation for each day of the year, plus space to record brief thanksgivings for three years in a row. With a consistent practice of giving specific thanks to God each day of the year, you will see your life transformed.
Author: Nicole M. Roccas
Paperback: 376 pages
Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
Akathist to the Mother of God, "Nurturer of Children"
$6.00
This Akathist to the Mother of God—the first in the Series of Akathists which began over twenty years ago—is now being presented as a new edition. Both the cover and inner pages have been colorfully redesigned, but the time-honored text remains the same. Thousands of people faithfully take this little book in hand to pray daily for their children by name.
Both the cover and inner pages are printed in full color; 28 pages, on glossy, durable paper for daily use.
Copyright St. Paisius Monastery Gift Shop
Beautiful Christmas: An Orthodox Coloring Book for Children
$11.00
illustrated by Megan Elizabeth Gilbert
Beautiful Christmas is a 64-page coloring book for children aged 5-12. As they color Christ in the cave or the shepherds glorifying God with the angels, they are cultivating their own sensibility to beauty while learning to recognize some of the meaningful symbols, elements, and motifs of the Church. May this small book bless those children who color and create within its pages.
Age Range: 5-12 years
Illustrator: Megan Elizabeth Gilbert
Paperback: 64 pages
Dimensions: 7.25 x 10 inches
Bilingual Stories: Петушок-золотой гребешок, The Rooster with a Golden Crown
$5.00
This book, written in both the Russian and English languages, is a classic Russian fairytale about a cunning Fox and a sensitive Rooster. The English and Russian texts are printed parallel to each other, so that children and their parents are able to read the book in both languages, helping to quickly and easily develop language skills in English, and in Russian.
В этой книжке английский и русский тексты печатаются параллельно, так что и дети, и взрослые могут читать книгу как на одном, так и на другом языке, легко и непринуждённо помогая развивать знания обоих языков.
16 pages/страниц
Cancer, My Love
$15.00
This memoir of personal transformation has changed countless lives in Romania since it was first published there in 2014. Author Mioara Grigore describes how, as a self-absorbed religion teacher with thoughts of becoming a nun, she began an unlikely courtship with an atheistic math teacher. The math teacher found faith, the two were happily married, and within six and a half years five children were born to them, one with Down syndrome. Mioara’s life was full, her home brimming with love. Then came the devastating cancer diagnosis.
With unflinching honesty, a keen eye for detail, and endearing humor, Mioara recounts her intense struggle with cancer. With the help of her husband and children, of her spiritual father, and then of new friends who sacrificed themselves for her and her family, she turned that struggle into a journey of spiritual self-discovery. In the agony of her cross-bearing, she found what it means, at the deepest level, to love and be loved by others and by God. Ultimately, hers is a story not only of growth but of indomitable joy and triumph.
280 pages, paperback, illustrated.
Commemoration Book: Living and Departed
$5.00
This Commemoration Book is designed for collecting the names of your loved ones and all those for whom you offer prayers. It contains eleven pages for the health fo the living, and ten pages for the commemoration of the departed. Both the cover and inner pages are printed in color; 24 pages.
Eternity in the Moment
$17.00
Elder Arsenie (Papacioc) of Romania (1914–2011) was a witness of the eternal truth of Christ, given by God to contemporary man. A man of deep prayer, he also possessed experiential knowledge of the ways of the world. Before going to the monastery, he had been a gifted athlete, a talented sculptor, a soldier, a mayor, and a prisoner of the Romanian Communist regime. Prison became a spiritual academy for him, and after his release, he dedicated his life to God as a monastic. For the next six decades, he would labor as a monk—in prison and out of prison. He became a beloved spiritual father, counseling the nuns of the Techirghiol Monastery and the multitude of faithful who flocked to his monastic cell. Drawing on his knowledge of the spiritual life and the workings of the world, he was able to guide people to a life in Christ, marked by activity, not philosophizing and speculation.
Every endeavor of his life was characterized by an intensity of purpose and an uncompromising confession of the truth: a knowledge that within each moment we make our choice for eternity. During his long years in prison, he had profound experiences of grace, which helped him realize the power of suffering and sacrifice for Christ. As he himself said, “We must sacrifice not what we have, but what we are.”
This comprehensive biography, compiled from the elder’s own words, the recollections of his spiritual children, and the 3,500 pages of files kept by the Romanian secret police, includes many of Fr. Arsenie’s counsels and spiritual maxims.
288 pages, paperback, illustrated.
For Mind and Heart: St. Nektarios as Teacher
$21.00
Author:St. Nektarios of Pentapolis
Translator:Rev. Dr. Fr. John Palmer
Pages: 124
Binding:Sewn and Glued
St Nektarios of Pentapolis (1846-1920) was both a careful student of the art of teaching and a tireless teacher. The present work aims to present and analyze his labors with the sphere of education as well as furnish translations of his core writings on the topic. By these means he is shown a strong proponent of the view that education is properly understood as formation of the whole person, rather than the simple imparting of information.
FROM THE PROLOGUE: It is often observed that St. Nektarios’ well-earned reputation as a wonderworker has largely overshadowed his other feats and accomplishments, as well as the other gifts he has bestowed upon the Church. Numbered among these oft-forgotten contributions is the bequest he has made to the sphere of education, a bequest under-girded by a rare, insurmountable desire to both learn and teach. From the time the Saint could read the 50th Psalm, he began repeating and emphasizing the line, I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. From the time his little hands could manage, be began sewing together little booklets in order to disseminate God’s words. From the time he could clamor, he would ascend the stool in his mother’s kitchen and preach the homily he had heard that morning in church for the benefit of any who might hear. These youthful expressions of that desire to teach are interpreted by the Saint’s modern encomiasts as foreshadowing the significant educational work which would occupy a central, albeit oft-overlooked, place in his life and spiritual legacy.
Friends of Christ - January
$22.00
Pages: 72
Binding: Hardcover
Introducing Friends of Christ, a new twelve volume hardcover series of books for young people. Each beautifully illustrated volume contains the lives of five Saints, which take children on a journey where the real events of history inspire them to love the Lord and His wondrous deeds in the lives of the Friends of Christ!
The January volume contains the lives of : St. Basil the Great (Jan 1), St. George the Neo-Martyr of Ioannina (Jan 17), St. Mark of Ephesus (Jan 19), the Venerable Ascetic Xenia (Jan 24), and the Venerable Ascetics Xenofon, his wife Maria and their two children Arkadios and John (Jan 26).
Each volume includes a large decal.
Gratitude in Life's Trenches: How to Experience the Good Life. . . Even When Everything Is Going Wrong
$18.95
No end of books these days offer us techniques for self-improvement. Taking a different tack, Robin Phillips shows that God meets us where we are, in the pain and heartache of the present moment. Instead of looking for a way to escape from hardship, we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude, peace, and self-acceptance that will transform our experience of suffering.
Drawing on his own experiences and his work as a consultant in the behavioral health industry - as well as stories of saints and sufferers, teachings of the Fathers, and recent discoveries in neuroscience - Phillips shows us that the journey to personal well-being is one we can all travel, regardless of the hardships we may face.
About the Author: Robin Phillips is a freelance author and researcher living in the Pacific Northwest. He has a Master’s in Historical Theology from King’s College London and is completing a Master’s in Library Science through the University of Oklahoma. He contributes to a variety of publications, including Touchstone and Salvo, and in his spare time he loves playing the piano, reading, hiking, spending time with family and friends, and writing for his blog. While researching for his earlier book, Saints and Scoundrels, Robin was impressed by heroes of the faith who retained a spirit of gratitude in the face of suffering and affliction. After experiencing some setbacks in his own life, he decided to study how these Christians were able to live the good life even when everything was going wrong. This book is the result of that spiritual journey.
Praise for Gratitude in Life's Trenches:
"Modern pop Christianity too often deals with suffering through cotton-candy forms of denial. Orthodox Christianity, by contrast, sees that suffering can be for our own salvation -- but only if we accept it in a Christian way. Robin Phillips uses Scripture, Orthodox teaching, and stories from everyday life to show how we can not only carry our crosses, but also be made holy by them. Phillips has a gift for making profound wisdom accessible to a wide readership. This book will open closed minds, gladden weary hearts and change people's lives." -Rod Dreher, senior editor at The American Conservative and author of The Benedict Option and Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents
"Who among us has not, at one time or another, found themselves trapped in the dark, disorienting trenches of life? When we are at our lowest, what we most long for is not an end to pain, but a lens to help us locate meaning from within it. Like a luminous beacon, Robin Phillips's Gratitude in Life's Trenches guides travelers lost on the seas of stress, weariness, chronic toxic thinking, and despondency back to the harbor of gratitude and the peace only Christ offers." -Nicole M. Roccas, PhD, author of Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life
Read more under EDITORIAL REVIEWS
Author: Robin Phillips
Paperback: 328 pages
Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
Habitation of Holiness: Selections from the Writings of St. Nektarios
$23.00
Author: St. Nektarios of Pentapolis (1846-1920)
Translator: Rev. Fr. Peter Chamberas
Pages: 170
Binding: Sewn and Glued
As Abbess Theodosia wrote concerning the founder of her monastery, "St. Nektarios delighted insatiably in the spiritual honey of the doctrines, the mysteries, the worship, the hymnography, the Christian ethics and in general of the Orthodox spiritual life and tradition. He was most meticulous in studying and very precise in applying the divine word, which he then transmitted through his preaching, his writings and primarily his personal example." This collection gathers some of this spiritual fruit, translated for the first time in English.
This collection includes the following essays:
- The Privilege of Loving and Worshiping God
- The Relation of True Freedom with Moral Freedom
- Attaining Salvation Through the Grace of God and the Will of the Human Person
- Worship in Spirit and Truth
- The Nature and Mission of the Church
- The Priesthood of the Church
Healing of the Healers: Clergyman as Penitent
$20.00
Book: Sewn hardcover, printed in two colors with gilded edges and page marker ribbon. 260pp..17x24cm.
Made for Union, by Rev. Fr. George Dokos, presents a comprehensive study of the sacramental spirituality of St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, a Saint of the Orthodox Church who flourished in the late 18th and early 19th century during the period of the Ottoman Occupation. Although a monk and serious ascetic himself, St. Nikodemos emphasized in his many works the centrality and necessity of the liturgy and sacraments in the life of the Christian.
From the Foreword(by V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas)
In a series of richly and meticulously documented chapters, Fr. Dokos details St. Nikodemos’ sacramental spirituality, providing us with a detailed presentation of the sacramental foundations of the saint’s thought and theology. After an introduction covering the saint’s life and work, the book begins with a general overview of St. Nikodemos’s ecclesiology, in which the Church is the locus of new life in Christ. This is followed by chapters on Baptism, Chrism, Eucharist, and Confession and Repentance. Fr. Dokos possesses a virtually unparalleled familiarity with St. Nikodemos’ writings, which he has studied both deeply and widely, bringing the full range of the saint’s teaching to bear on the subject. His book provides us with an important corrective to the specious separation of “private” ascetic prayer and “public” liturgy.
I Pray Today (board book)
$14.95
by Angela Isaacs, illustrated by Amandine Wanert
Good morning, God.
The day is new.
I say my first small prayer to You.
Lord, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy! When you're a toddler, every day is full of beautiful ups and difficult downs. And yet from sunrise to sunset, each day, each moment even, can be met with a powerful prayer that young children can remember: Lord, have mercy.
About the Author: Angela Isaacs didn’t realize she should be a writer until after getting an MA in Cognitive Psychology. Now she juggles freelance editing with book writing and raising her two daughters. Her first book for children, Goodnight Jesus, was published by Ancient Faith Publishing in 2016. She also has a forthcoming educational children’s book series, The Little Elephants' Big Adventures. When not writing or reading, Angela can usually be found knitting or cycling around the Illinois flatlands with her two daughters in tow.
About the Illustrator: Amandine Wanert is a French illustrator who currently lives in Paris. She illustrates both for the medical field and for children's book publishers, especially enjoying those projects that illuminate the world of young children. She previously illustrated In the Candle's Glow for Ancient Faith Publishing and has appreciated working on I Pray Today, bringing to life one little girl's quest to pray throughout the day. Amandine has two sons and a baby daughter.
Age Range: 2 – 6 years
Author: Angela Isaacs
Illustrator: Amandine Wanert
Format: Board book (heavy card stock, with rounded corners)
Dimensions: 6 X 8.5 inches
Page Length: 24 pages
If You Love Me: Serving Christ and the Church in Spirit and Truth
$18.00
“The lesson of love can never be taught simply by words . . . Rather, it is taught by truly giving yourself and communicating the love and longing for Christ to those you serve. . . . How awesome and dignified is Christian service! And how good is the trustworthy and loyal servant who can say along with Christ, ‘Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart’ (Matt. 11:29).”
This book is essential and inspiring reading for all who would devote their lives to the service of Christ and His Church.
About the Author: Known in the West as Matthew the Poor, Abba Matta is widely regarded as the greatest Egyptian elder since St. Antony the Great. He produced a huge and varied body of work in Arabic, only a little of which has been translated into English. In addition, a great many of his informal talks to monks and visitors were recorded. He had a marvelous ability to communicate the deepest spiritual truths in the simplest and most practical language, making them accessible to laypeople as well as monastics. He speaks to the heart rather than the head, gently exhorting the reader to pursue a deeper life in Christ.
Author: Matthew the Poor
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 5.5 X 8.5
Page Length: 160 pages
In the Eyes of Your Creator: Truly Valuing Yourself and Others
$19.00
Many of the ills of our society can be traced to the sense of worthlessness that afflicts so many people today. If we only understood in the depths of our being how valuable we are in the eyes of our Creator, we could learn to obey Christ’s commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. With In the Eyes of Your Creator: Truly Valuing Yourself and Others, priest and counselor David Fontes marries the best insights of psychology with those of the spiritual tradition of the Orthodox Church to point the way toward this understanding.
About the Author: David Fontes was born in California. During his college years he developed a strong personal relationship with God and wrestled with whether he should become a priest or a psychologist. He ended up becoming both an Orthodox priest and a licensed clinical psychologist. Along with years of pastoral care for others, he has counseled thousands of state employees through the Employee Assistance Program and hundreds of patients in his private practice.
Author: David L. Fontes
Format: Paperback
Dimension: 5.5 X 8.5 inches
Page Length: 256 pages
Laurel and the Wind
$19.95
At night, the wind blows through the rigging of the boat where Laurel lives. Sweet aromas float across the water and surprise her—as though they’d traveled from another land. One night, Laurel is transported across the water to an ancient world of mystery.
In this gorgeously illustrated and poetically written story, you will discover the wonder of Byzantium’s capital city, Constantinople, at the height of its glory. At the center is the magnificent church of Holy Wisdom, where the worship of God unfolds in splendor while the wind dances through the trees. This book will cultivate in the young a taste for the mystical and rekindle wonder in adult readers. In the waking dreams of a single little girl, this edifying tale explores in an alluring whirlwind both the power of remembrance and the beauty of truth, all centered around Christ’s glorious resurrection.
Age Range: 2-10 years
Author: Gaelan Gilbert
Illustrator: Ned Gannon
Hardcover: 32 pages
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches
Living According to God’s Will: Principles for the Christian Journey
$18.00
Author: (Taushev), Archbishop Averky
Form: Paperback
Pages: 176
The task of man’s earthly life is preparing himself for eternal salvation and blessedness. To attain this, a man must live in a holy and pure manner - that is, according to God’s will.
In this short but incisive treatise the reader is guided on a spiritual journey that begins with the awakening of conscience and the realization of the presence of both sin and virtue in the world, culminating in a union with God: that is “a living, personal relationship with the one we love.” In following the path of this ascent the author delineates many of its markers and stresses that these have both personal and societal aspects.
This book is suitable for both private reading and group study. Questions for discussion or contemplation are interspersed throughout this edition. A short biography of the author is also included.
Contents:
Foreword
1 Conscience and Moral Responsibility
2 The Nature of Sin
3 Virtue
4 God’s Law
5 Freedom of Will
6 The Christian “I”
7 Humility
8 Conversion of Sinners
9 Grace and Salvation
10 Learning and Religion
11 Emotional Development
12 Emotional Development in Children and on Christian Hope
13 The Education and Development of Man’s Will
14 Strengthening the Will with Work and Vows
15 The Struggle against Lust
16 Drunkenness, Greed, and Other Carnal Problems; Christian Death
17 Christian Justice
18 Falsehood: Christian Charity
19 Envy; Cursing and Anger
20 Insolvent Ethical Systems
21 Christian Love as the Basic Principle of Morality
22 The Orthodox Family
23 Family and Society; Patriotism
24 Christian Service; War
25 The Unity of Love for God and for Neighbor
26 The Christian Obligation to Know God
27 The Necessity of Prayer
28 The Model of Christian Prayer
29 Prayer; Feasts and Fasts
Appendix 1: A Short Biography of Metropolitan Philaret
Appendix 2: The Transfer of the Blessed Remains of Metropolitan Philaret
Appendix 3: Metropolitan Philaret on Christianity and Communism
Notes
Scripture Index
Copyright Holy Trinity Publications
Made for Union: The Sacramental Spirituality of St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain
Sold Out
Book: Sewn hardcover, printed in two colors with gilded edges and page marker ribbon. 260pp..17x24cm.
Made for Union, by Rev. Fr. George Dokos, presents a comprehensive study of the sacramental spirituality of St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, a Saint of the Orthodox Church who flourished in the late 18th and early 19th century during the period of the Ottoman Occupation. Although a monk and serious ascetic himself, St. Nikodemos emphasized in his many works the centrality and necessity of the liturgy and sacraments in the life of the Christian.
From the Foreword(by V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas)
In a series of richly and meticulously documented chapters, Fr. Dokos details St. Nikodemos’ sacramental spirituality, providing us with a detailed presentation of the sacramental foundations of the saint’s thought and theology. After an introduction covering the saint’s life and work, the book begins with a general overview of St. Nikodemos’s ecclesiology, in which the Church is the locus of new life in Christ. This is followed by chapters on Baptism, Chrism, Eucharist, and Confession and Repentance. Fr. Dokos possesses a virtually unparalleled familiarity with St. Nikodemos’ writings, which he has studied both deeply and widely, bringing the full range of the saint’s teaching to bear on the subject. His book provides us with an important corrective to the specious separation of “private” ascetic prayer and “public” liturgy.
Mother of the Light: Prayers to the Theotokos
$25.00
Mother of the Light: Prayers to the Theotokos…translated by the V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas, is a collection of 13 prayers and 3 canons to the Mother of God. The prayers, originally written in Greek, are ascribed to St Ephraim the Syrian (and are the first published English translations of the Greek Ephraim in 300 years). The canons are the works of St Theodore the Studite, St Methodios of Constantinople, and St John of Euchaita (Mauropous). The prayers and canons are united by their spirit of compunction, praises of the Theotokos, and entreaties for her intercessions and deliverance.
A brief, but powerful, introduction accompanies the translation that addresses the place of the Theotokos within the Orthodox Church, and the spiritual and historical importance of the translated prayers and canons.
Beautifully manufactured, Mother of the Light, is a round back hardcover, sewn bound, and offset printed on 100gsm Munken paper. It features a beautifully debossed cover, decorative endpapers, two page marker ribbons, and original artwork.
87 pages.
O is for Orthodox
$25.00
Author: Theofanis Sawabe / Vladimir Ilievski
Illustrator: Vladimir Ilievski
Pages: 104
Binding: Glued board book
In this beautiful alphabet book, parents and little ones will be introduced to 26 words related to the Orthodox Faith as they learn their ABCs together.
With thick, die-cut shapes for every letter, children will have an interactive way to learn a little about the holy Orthodox faith, as well as develop a tactile appreciation for the alphabet.
On Marriage and Family Life
$16.00
Christian tradition often seems to give only grudging approval to the married life, particularly its sexual aspect. In these sermons of St. John Chrysostom we find an important corrective to this view. Although himself a monk, Chrysostom had a profound understanding of the needs of his congregation. Inspired by the epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians, he discusses the reasons God instituted marriage—primarily to promote holiness of the husband and wife, and only secondarily to produce children.
Chrysostom goes on to discuss sexual relations, the mutual responsibilities of marriage, and parenting. While parts of Chrysostom's sermons may seem limited to his own time, the vast majority of his advice has timeless relevance for the Christian family.
Author: St John Chrysostom
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 5 X 7
Page Length: 114 pages
Parable of the Prodigal Son: A Commentary in the Light of the Fathers
$13.00
The Prodigal Son: A Commentary in the Light of the Fathers by Hieromonk Gregorios, Elder of the Cell of St. John the Theologian, Koutloumousiou Monastery, Mount Athos., Trans. by Stelios Zarganes. Trim Size: 10.5x17cm, 25px40p [4.15x6.6in], 100pp.
From the Prologue: The Lord taught this parable because “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them’.” (Luke 15:1) Christ lovingly welcomed sinners and ate with them. The Scribes and the Pharisees were unable to comprehend this love and, because of this, grumbled against the benevolent Lord, accusing Him of keeping company with tax collectors and sinners. In order to help them, Jesus told this wonderful parable which incorporates great truths for all believers.
It is to be hoped that some of the brethren reading this will make the decision to return to God our Father, whether like the younger or the elder son (whichever of the two they identify with spiritually), and confess: Father I sinned in heaven and against you. It is certain that they will hear the fatherly voice: This son of mine was dead and is alive again. And after a resurrection into God’s embrace, they shall share anew in His philanthropic love.
This new edition has been re-typeset in two colors, and includes new art.
Paperback, 90 pages.
Practicing Prayer: A Daily Workbook
$13.00
Developing a habit of prayer is crucial to the Christian life, but many people find the process confusing and intimidating. In this 28-day workbook, Fr. Alexander Goussetis breaks the process down into accessible steps. With each day's exercise, you will practice and journal about a new aspect of prayer, gradually incorporating each one into a sustainable daily prayer rule that is customized for you.
About the Author: Rev. Dr. Alexander Goussetis serves as director of the Center for Family Care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. He is a graduate of Drexel University, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (M.Div.), and Andover-Newton Theological School (D.Min. in Psychology and Pastoral Counseling). Fr. Alexander has served more than twenty years as a parish priest and authored four books on Orthodox life and faith. He hosts the podcast on Ancient Faith Radio entitled Family Matters. Fr. Alexander is married to Presbytera Lisa, and they have three children - Julia, Nicholas, and Sophia.
Paperback: 112 pages
Prayer Book and Psalms: Pocket Edition
$12.00
From the publisher of the Jordanville Prayer Book and A Psalter for Prayer comes the perfect devotional companion for travel and everyday life. This truly pocket edition brings together prayers for use throughout the day with all one hundred fifty "Psalms of David" adapted from the classic Miles Coverdale translation. Designed with convenience and affordability in mind to encourage all Christians to "pray without ceasing."
Pages: 416
Copyright Holy Trinity Publications
Renewing You: A Priest, a Psychologist, and a Plan
$25.00
Are you struggling in your walk with Christ? Do you want to rediscover your reason for living, the person you were created to be? Renewing You: A Priest, a Psychologist, and a Plan gives you the keys to unlock areas of your life that hold you back from fully experiencing the renewal and transformation God has in mind for you. Co-authored by a priest and a psychologist, Renewing You combines principles of spiritual growth with psychological tools to help you become your best self, fully connected with God's purpose for you.
Rev. Dr. Nicholas Louh is a priest, and Dr. Roxanne Louh is a clinical psychologist. In their book and in their ministry, the Louhs are a marriage of two different worlds and fields of study. Their work unites the seemingly opposing fields of faith and psychology to support the kind of inward reflection that leads to lasting outward transformation. For the last 10 years, Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne have worked together to help people seek the changes they want most for their lives.
Paperback: 416 pages
Praise for Renewing You: A Priest, a Psychologist, and a Plan
"Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh have blended not only their lives in marriage, but also what they have learned in their vocations to provide insights and practical suggestions for becoming the person you were designed to be. I highly recommend this book for all who aspire to reach their potential for God and good in the world." -Gary Chapman, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of The Five Love Languages
"We all want to live healthier, more productive lives. Yet so often we get sidetracked by unhealthy habits and addictions. That leads to discouragement about our lack of spiritual progress. Father Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh can help. Renewing You: A Priest, a Psychologist, and a Plan is a practical primer on how to become your best self. Here are the tools you need to build better habits and stronger relationships, starting today!" -Michael Hyatt, New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and founder and CEO of Michael Hyatt & Company
"Drawing deeply from Scripture and the wisdom of the ancient Church, Father (Dr.) Nicholas and Presvytera (Dr.) Roxanne Louh inspire you to grow in relationship with the Lover of your soul, expel guilt, receive peace, nurture life and health in personal relationships, and aspire to spiritual and emotional maturity for the greater benefit of the Kingdom of God. I highly recommend this book!" -Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast and author of numerous books, including Truth Matters, Life Matters More: The Unexpected Beauty of an Authentic Christian Life
Restoring the Inner Heart: The Nous in Dostoevsky's Ridiculous Man
$22.00
Suddenly I dreamed that I picked up the gun and, sitting in my armchair, pointed it straight at my heart—at my heart, and not at my head.
--Fyodor Dostoevsky
“The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” is a tale of the transformation of the heart and of a journey from despair to joy: a joy that can be known by all through an experience of God that transcends a simply rational discourse.
In this eye-opening literary study, Mary Naumenko uses the story as a springboard for a wider discourse on Christian spirituality and transformation. She examines the title character and his spiritual metamorphosis in light of the ancient concept of Nous as it has developed from the Greek philosophers to the Church Fathers. By comparing the “Ridiculous Man” to similar characters in Dostoevsky’s corpus the author shows how an Orthodox Christian understanding of how the nous underpins Dostoevsky’s own anthropology; in turn, his literary works guide the reader toward a truer vision of humanity.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
Rock and Sand
$26.00
Newly designed third edition.
Rock and Sand: An Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and Their Teachings, by Archpriest Josiah Trenham. Trim size 7x10in, 272pp.
From the Author's Introduction:This book has been written for three purposes. First, to provide the Orthodox reader with a competent overview of the history of Protestantism and its major traditions, from its beginnings in the 16th century to the present day. This overview relies heavily upon the Reformer’s own words as well as the creeds of various Protestant faiths, in order to avoid misrepresentation and caricature. Second, to acquaint Orthodox and non-Orthodox readers with a narrative of the historical relations between the Orthodox East and the Protestant West. Finally, to provide a summary of Orthodox theological opinion on the tenets of Protestantism.
Sam and Saucer 3-Book Set (Shepherding Sam, The Barn and the Book, Painting Angels)
$28.00
A chapter book series for ages 7 - 12
Shepherding Sam (Sam and Saucer, Book 1)
Sam’s Aunt Eva says he’s like a tornado—he causes a ruckus everywhere he goes. But Aunt Eva won’t give up on Sam, and neither will Saucer, the monastery’s corgi puppy. Saucer lives at the monastery, but he dreams of herding sheep. With no sheep in his life, Saucer tries to herd everyone else—farm animals, nuns, and especially Sam. Sam doesn’t want to follow anyone, not even a funny puppy. But Saucer knows that if he just keeps trying, he can bring this lonely boy back to the flock.
The Barn and the Book (Sam and Saucer, Book 2)
Sam wants to know if animals (especially Saucer!) can speak at midnight on Christmas Eve. Grace and Macrina are competing to write a story, and Elias is losing his patience. Meanwhile, Sister Anna hopes God will rescue her from teaching Sunday school. Christmas is coming, but hearts are full of secrets and frustrations. The Barn and the Book is a story about the traps we build when we try to see in the dark. We tumble into trouble and confusion on our own, but God can steer us clear of our traps and shine His kindly light into our darkness.
Painting Angels (Sam and Saucer, Book 3)
What happens when you can’t get away from the person who drives you craziest? Sam and Macrina are about to find out. Stuck working together to help the nuns, Sam and Macrina come up with a thousand reasons to disagree. Sam is too rude. Macrina is too bossy. Summer at the monastery will be miserable if they can’t find some common ground. With the help of three friendly nuns, a runaway bunny, and Saucer the trusty corgi, Macrina and Sam discover a big secret that helps put them on the road toward peace.
Seasonal Reflections
$4.25
A little booklet of poetical prayers on the theme of Christ's Nativity, taken from St. Nikolai Velimirovich's famous Prayers by the Lake. 6 pages.
A lovely Christmas gift!
Copyright St. Paisius Monastery Gift Shop
Spyridon's Shoes
$13.00
By Christine Rogers
Young Spyros spends his days fishing, octopus hunting, and dreaming of attending school like his best friend, Niko. When he encounters an elderly man on the beach after an accident, his whole life begins to shift and change. But who is this mysterious, saintly man, and why is his friendship so important? Take a short trip back in time to the Greek island of Corfu and discover the real reason for the mystery surrounding Spyridon's shoes.
About the Author: Kh. Christine Rogers is married to Fr. John Rogers and is the mother of four. She is also the author of The Road to Golgotha. A life-long Alaskan, she enjoys indoorsy activities like reading, sewing and not camping, and can often be found in the church kitchen cooking for anywhere from 50-300 people.
Age Range: 7 - 12 years
Author: Christine Rogers
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 5.25 X 7.5 inches
Page Length: 104 pages
St. John Chrysostom and the Jesus Prayer
$25.00
Translators: Very Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas and Rev. Fr. Peter Chamberas
Book: Sewn hardcover, 140pp.
Since the middle Byzantine period, one of the most widely read texts on the Jesus Prayer was a lengthy letter said to be written by St John Chrysostom. The letter assumed increasing authority in the late Byzantine period when it was cited approvingly by the Synodical Tome of 1341, which championed the theology of St Gregory Palamas. The letter remained canonical reading through the eighteenth century, when it was mentioned by St Nikodemos in his prologue to the Philokalia. This book studies the history of this letter and its authorship, and presents the original Greek text together with a facing-page English translation. The book concludes with an additional work on the Jesus Prayer by St Mark of Ephesus.
Strength in Weakness
$9.00
From the richness of his work as a Professor of Patristics and Early Church History, His Grace, Bishop Irenei offers us in this small but timely volume, as balm for the soul’s wounds, his reflections on the spiritual strength our Lord unfailingly gives us in times of struggle.“It is easy,” he writes, “to hear God’s words—My strength is made perfect in weakness—and take them to mean simply that when our strength is depleted, His manifests itself. That when we have no more power to carry on, God sustains us. These things are, of course, true, and they are beautiful and important; but they are not the real message of the Lord’s words to His Apostle. What the Lord opens to St. Paul is a deeper revelation: that in order for God’s power to be made perfect in a man, that man must become weak.... Then, in a life that is weakened of all its self-possessive fortitude, broken down into spiritual emptiness (often, precisely through physical trials), the Lord fills the heart with a strength that at last has room to reside there.”
4x6 size; full-color cover; 54 pages, with sewn and glued binding.
Copyright St. Paisius Monastery
The Age of Division: Christendom from the Great Schism to the Protestant Reformation
$21.00
The Age of Division: Christendom from the Great Schism to the Protestant Reformation - Paradise and Utopia: The Rise and Fall of What the West Once Was, VOLUME TWO
If you have ever wondered exactly how we got from the Christian society of the early centuries, united in its faithfulness to apostolic tradition, to the fragmented and secular state of the West today, The Age of Division will answer all your questions and more. In this second of a four-volume cultural history of Christendom, author John Strickland applies insights from the Orthodox Church to trace the decline and disintegration of both East and West after the momentous but often neglected Great Schism. For five centuries, a divided Christendom was led further and further from the culture of paradise that defined its first millennium, resulting in the Protestant Reformation and the secularization that defines our society today.
About the Author: John Strickland is an Orthodox priest and former college professor. His first book, The Making of Holy Russia, is a study of the resilience of Christianity in the modern world. The first volume of the present work, The Age of Paradise, was published by Ancient Faith Publishing in 2019. An active blogger and podcaster, John brings to this series a lifetime of reflection on the religious background of the West. He lives in western Puget Sound with his wife and five children.
Author: John Strickland
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
Page Length: 360 pages plus 8-pages of color photos
The Age of Paradise: Christendom from Pentecost to the First Millennium
$21.00
The Age of Paradise: Christendom from Pentecost to the First Millennium - Paradise and Utopia: The Rise and Fall of What the West Once Was, VOLUME ONE
“Before there was a West, there was Christendom. This book tells the story of how both came to be.” (from the Introduction)
The Age of Paradise is the first of a projected four-volume history of Christendom, a civilization with a supporting culture that gave rise to what we now call the West. At a time of renewed interest in the future of Western culture, author John Strickland—an Orthodox scholar, professor, and priest—offers a vision rooted in the deep past of the first millennium. At the heart of his story is the early Church’s “culture of paradise,” an experience of the world in which the kingdom of heaven was tangible and familiar. Drawing not only on worship and theology but statecraft and the arts, the author reveals the remarkably affirmative character Western culture once had under the influence of Christianity - in particular, of Eastern Christendom, which served the West not only as a cradle but as a tutor and guardian as well.
About the author: John Strickland is an Orthodox priest and former college professor. His first book, The Making of Holy Russia, is a study of the resilience of Christianity in the modern world. An active blogger and podcaster, he brings to the present work a lifetime of reflection on the religious background of the West. He lives in western Puget Sound with his wife and five children.
Author: John Strickland
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
Page Length: 304 pages plus 8-pages of color photos
The Broken Wheel: The Triumph of Saint Katherine
$15.00
"It was a cruel invention, this wheel. A wheel that forced submission from those beneath it..."
Young Katherine, born into noble wealth with an insatiable hunger for knowledge, surpasses even her tutors when it comes to learning. But her learning counts for nothing when she meets the only man worthy of her - her heavenly Bridegroom. Trading worldly knowledge for eternal wisdom, Katherine challenges even the emperor himself - and he prepares a cruel invention to break her. Meet this great bride of Christ in the second graphic novel in the Among the Saints series - written to inspire both children and adults.
About the Author: Gabriel lives near his childhood home in rural Indiana with his wife Emily and their three daughters. Their home is over 100 years old - a true fixer-upper - and the subject of many of his woodworking projects. In his free time, he pursues carpentry and music and enjoys making homemade tacos with his wife and sketching with his daughters. Graphic novels are his favorite form of artwork, and aside from his comics based on the lives of saints, he has other secular novels in the works.
Author: Gabriel Wilson
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 7 x 10 inches
Page Length: 104 pages
The Divine Liturgy of Our Father Among the Saints Basil the Great: Parallel Slavonic-English Text
$36.00
This convenient pocket-sized book contains the necessary texts for the celebration of the liturgy of St Basil the Great by the priest and deacon, interpolated with comprehensive rubrical directions. Texts sung by the choir are also shown. The parallel format gives the Church Slavonic texts on the left page and the English on the right. The book includes the proskomedia, daily and festal dismissals, thanksgiving prayers, and special petitions. This smyth-sewn gold foil stamped hardback edition is printed in two colors, with rubrics in red. Includes two marking ribbons.
Form: Hardcover
Pages: 336
The Divine Liturgy: A Commentary in the Light of the Fathers (Hardcover)
$35.00
The Divine Liturgy: A Commentary in the Light of the Fathers by Hieromonk Gregorios, Elder of the Cell of St. John the Theologian, Koutloumousiou Monastery, Mount Athos, is the most important commentary on the Divine Liturgy published in recent memory. Based on the writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church, it draws the reader into "the mystery of God’s love; that it was given because He first loved us; and that from it we obtain the beneficence of becoming participants in Christ and images of His love."
Assiduously referenced, Fr. Gregorios begins by introducing the reader to the history and purpose of this great mystery of the Church. He then leads the reader through the entire service, from its preparation in the Rite of Kairos, through the concluding final dismissal of the faithful. The Divine Liturgy: A Commentary in the Light of the Fathers is a book for both newcomers to the holy Orthodox faith, and for those who wish to acquire a deeper understanding of its theology and symbolism leading to a more profound participation in sacrament of the Divine Eucharist.
NEW EDITION: With the blessing of the author, this new beautifully crafted edition has been enhanced with numerous small changes to the translation of the text. These changes include the replacement of some terminology from Western Christian to Orthodox. For example, Easterhas been replaced with Pascha, chasuble with phelonion, etc. The latinized spelling of some names have been updated to reflect their Greek pronunciation. For example, Macarius has been replaced with Makarios, Proclus with Proclos, Eudoxia with Evdoxia, and so on. American spelling conventions have been chosen for this edition, therefore Savior is used instead of Saviour, honorinstead of honour, etc. Finally, the book has been completely redesigned with the intention of making it easier to use in catechetical settings with three color printing and other enhancements.
This edition replaces the previously available softcover edition.
The Lost Saint
$14.95
Marko’s life changes in an instant when he spies an armada of Ottoman ships on the horizon. After a battle separates him from his family, he finds help and guidance with a small group of monks. But when they stumble upon an abandoned church and a mysterious icon, Marko must conquer his own fears in order to make peace with God and to reunite with his family. Journey back to 1522, Rhodes, Greece, and experience with Marko what it means to be lost, then found.
Age Range: 10 - 14 years
Author: Christine Rogers
Paperback: 264 pages
Dimensions: 5.25 x 7.5 inches
The Mystery of Marriage: A Fellowship of Love
$13.00
The Mystery of Marriage: A Fellowship of Love by Hieromonk Gregorios, Elder of the Cell of St. John the Theologian, Koutloumousiou Monastery, Mount Athos. Trim size: 10.5x17cm, 72pp.
This book examines, on the basis of Holy Scripture and the writing of the Holy Fathers of the Church, the Orthodox understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage. In addition to explaining the sacrament itself, Hieromonk Gregorios spends considerable time on the spousal relationship, both prior to and after the marriage, with a view to helping couples understand how to establish a strong and lasting bond of love under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Paperback, 64 pages.
The Orthodox Faith, Worship, and Life
$26.00
AUTHOR: Hieromonk Gregorios, Cell of St. John the Theologian, Koutloumousiou Monastery, Mt. Athos
PAGES: 320pp
BINDING: Sewn and Glued
INTERIOR: 3 color on 100gsm Pure Munken Paper
The Orthodox, Faith, Worship, and Life is an Orthodox catechism, suitable for students and teachers. Structurally, it is based on the Creed, and divided into three sections: 1) The Faith of the Church, 2) The Worshipping Church, 3) The Life in Christ. The entire Table of Contents can be found by following this link.
While its contents are extensive, and the references to the writings of the Holy Fathers are copious, it remains easy to read and understand.
This edition has been completely redesigned for its wide-release to the English speaking world.
FROM THE FOREWORD: "Nowadays, many people in all parts of the world are discovering the Orthodox Church as the only source of life and truth able to satisfy man’s spiritual thirst and hunger. And because they feel that only in the Orthodox Church they can find the truth and the life which are offered as a divine gift by Christ, they wish to acquire a better knowledge of this true faith and to experience and participate in the life in Christ and in the Church’s worship. Christ said I am the way, and the truth, and the life: He is the truth in which Christians believe, the way which leads to life, and the true life itself.
In the pages that follow, you will find a humble attempt to come, with the help of the holy Fathers, to a closer understanding of the faith of the Church and to learn about the worshipping life celebrated in it, so that we can live the life in Christ more deeply. It also endeavors to transmit the Gospel of salvation (Eph. 1: 13) proclaimed by the holy Apostles and our God-bearing Fathers."
The Orthodox Study Bible, Ancient Faith Edition, Hardcover: Ancient Christianity Speaks to Today’s World
$50.00
The Orthodox Study Bible is the fruit of over twenty years of labor by many of the best Orthodox Christian theologians of our time. Here, by the grace of God, you will find the living water of His Word with comprehensive study guides and teachings that bring to our modern world the mind of the ancient Christian Church. It is the first-ever full-length (Old and New Testaments) Orthodox Study Bible in English.
What’s new in 2019?
- Stunning new cover design and a ribbon marker
- 8 additional pages containing pre- and post-Communion prayers from the Ancient Faith Prayer Book
The Ancient Faith Edition (released 2019) contains the identical content you know and love from the previous, most current release of the Orthodox Study Bible, including the same commentaries, notes, supplemental articles, and full-color icons and maps.
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 6.7 X 9.5 inches
Page Length: 1864 pages
Publisher: Produced exclusively for Ancient Faith Publishing
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament & Psalms, Paperback: Discovering Orthodox Christianity in the Pages of the New Testament
$29.00
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms in paperback is the most portable and lightweight edition of the Orthodox Study Bible available today. Perfect for travel and office, this edition features dozens of updated and expanded notes and commentaries.
Other features:
- Christ's words in red
- Contains a variety of Bible study aids and articles written from the Orthodox perspective
- Well organized for Bible study groups and church school use
- Makes a great gift for new church members, students, godchildren, etc.
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 6 X 9 inches each
Page Length: 1041 pages
The Perfection of Women in Christ
$12.00
In this book, Abbess Theologia succinctly explains the status of women before the incarnation of the Savior and in what way the Lord Jesus Christ has liberated women by way of the Gospel:
"It is plainly obvious that she lost her bearings. Indeed, after twenty long centuries, in her very attempt to gain her rights, the modern woman has again ended up becoming the victim of various exploitations! But this time, it is on account of the ruinous road which she herself has elected to follow. This disorientation is due to the fact that she has lost her navigational compass, who is none other than the God-man Jesus. The teaching of Christ, His work, His passion and resurrection, His Church, His promises for the present and the future age constitute the only secure context for life and the full potential of women in particular. Only when women are re-baptized in the waters of the Gospel will they be able to recognize their noble lineage, and once again recover their identity and fulfill their high calling, which is their rebirth, maturity and perfection in Christ..." (From the Prologue)
Author: Abbess Theologia of the Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God at Mikrokastro
Format: Paperback
Pages: 65
The Refuge: Anchoring the Soul in God
$25.00
"Prayer is a refuge of God's great mercy to the human race." The refuge is a place of inner stillness and peace where the heart is fully opened to the embrace of God's love. It is a return to the ancient paradise from which the human race, in Adam, had to depart because of disobedience to the command of God. "The Refuge" is an exposition of the concrete actions we should take if we truly desire to live with and in God. It weaves together meditations on scripture (from the Psalms in particular) and amplifies these with the wisdom of early Christian saints, in particular the ascetical writings of St John of the Ladder, St Macarius the Great and St Isaac the Syrian. It is an active exhortation for us to reacquire the original nobility with which God fashioned us in the beginning.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 448
The Seven Mysteries of the Lord's Prayer
$13.00
According to the Orthodox tradition, the Lord’s Prayer is the key to all prayer. Indeed, a careful survey of the great treasures of our Fathers on the subject of prayer indicates that all genuine prayers are related to the Lord’s Prayer, and that the latter represents a fullness which is not to be found elsewhere. In the earliest manual of Church life and order, the Didache of the Twelve Apostles (1st c.), the recital of the Lord’s Prayer three times daily is mentioned as an obligation for the faithful. This is reiterated in the seventh book of the Apostolic Constitutions (ch. 24), a later manual (3rd c.), which deals with “the manner of life of the Christians, the Divine Eucharist and Christian Initiation.”
Paperback, 66 pages.
The Shield of Psalmic Prayer: Reflections on Translating, Interpreting, and Praying the Psalter
$20.00
In this posthumous collection of poet and teacher Donald Sheehan's reflections on Psalms and psalmic prayer, culled from his journals and teaching notes, you will find two quite different kinds of writing working in tandem: poetic and personal journaling by a man of faith, a scholar, a linguist, and, in the deepest sense, a teacher; alongside scholarly linguistic and poetic analysis by a man steeped in poetry who thought like a poet.
"In the spiritual life, two things are essential: what we do, and how we do it. In this wonderful collection of the late Donald Sheehan’s thoughts on the Psalms, we see both. He takes us into what the Psalms are in depth—the Word of God. He also demonstrates, time and again, how those depths shape his life and the world in which he lives. Thus, we are given two things: the Word of God and a life in which the Word has given shape. It is a path we all should walk." -Fr. Stephen Freeman
368 pages, paperback.
Thirsting For God in a Land of Shallow Wells
$17.00
This outstanding book will help Orthodox readers more deeply appreciate their faith and will give Protestant readers a more thorough understanding of the Church. Beginning in the street ministry days of the Jesus Movement, Matthew Gallatin devoted more than 20 years to evangelical Christian ministry. He was a singer/songwriter, worship leader, youth leader, and Calvary Chapel pastor. Nevertheless, he eventually accepted a painful reality: no matter how hard he tried, he was never able to experience the God whom he longed to know. In encountering Orthodox Christianity, he finally found the fullness of the Faith. In Thirsting for God, Gallatin expresses many of the struggles a Protestant will encounter in coming face to face with Orthodoxy: such things as Protestant relativism, rationalism versus the Orthodox sacramental path to God, and the unity of Scripture and Tradition. He also discusses praying with icons, praying formal prayers, and many other Orthodox traditions.
Author: Matthew Gallatin
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 5.5 X 8.5 inches
Page Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Ancient Faith Publishing