A Boy’s Journey to Sainthood: St. Paisios the Athonite
$22.00
Pages: 48
Binding: Hardcover
The saints of our Church, even the greatest elders and ascetics, were once children!
On one summer day, in Konitsa of Epirus (Northern Greece), the young Arseny beheld the “Light of the world” with his own eyes. Over the years, this very child grew up to become the beloved saint we know today as St. Paisios the Athonite.
In this book, children will learn about the life of St. Paisios through sweet and moving stories, filled with wisdom and joy.
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 Child’s Guide to Prayer
$20.00
A Child's Guide to Prayer is a beautifully illustrated prayer book for Orthodox Christian children aged 5-10 who are just developing a habit of prayer. The selection includes morning and evening prayers, prayers during the day, at mealtimes, for family and friends, and prayers of and to the saints - along with psalms to pray and prayers that have to do with communion and confession. All the prayers were carefully selected by priests and youth workers to ensure their age-appropriateness. The 120-page guide also includes brief instructions on how to pray, why we pray, and a list of different ways to pray. The book concludes with several blank pages for personal prayer requests.
Format: paperback
Pages: 120
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.
About the Author: Dr. Nicole Roccas has a PhD in History from the University of Cincinnati and, in addition to being a writer and podcaster, she is an adjunct faculty member at the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College (Toronto). She is best known for her Ancient Faith Radio podcast Time Eternal. Her first books were Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life & Under the Laurel Tree: Grieving Infertility with Saints Joachim and Anna. A native of Wisconsin, Nicole lives in Toronto with her husband, Basil, whose efforts to indoctrinate her into the ways of maple syrup and Canadian spelling are slowly paying off.
Author: Nicole M. Roccas
Paperback: 376 pages
Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
A Practical Handbook for Priestly Ministry
$22.95
The Apostle Paul commands his disciple Timothy to “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. This exhortation encapsulates the Orthodox Church’s expectations from her clergy and forms the basis of her Pastoral Theology. The aim of the present work is to guide the contemporary Orthodox priest in his application of the Apostle’s words to his everyday life as a conduit of Divine Grace and shepherd of Christ’s flock. At the same time, its focus on the proper formation of the soul will benefit every Christian, whether ordained or not. Compiled from recent and historical sources reflecting the rich heritage of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
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
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.
Canon of Prayer For Those Who Have Ended Their Own Life
$5.75
This new addition to the Series of Akathists is a Canon of Prayer, to be said on behalf of one who has taken his or her own life. Intended for devotional (private) use, it is offered with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco. The Introduction, written by Bishop Irenei of London, provides a sober, yet mercifully compassionate voice from the Church. For ease of use, there are two sections: one intended for the soul of a man, and the other for the soul of a woman.
Full-color cover and inner pages; 36 pages.
Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas: A Family Devotional in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition
$14.95
With hymns, stories, meditations, and activities for each day as well as suggestions for the whole season, Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas provides an invaluable resource for families looking to restore the season of Christmas to its rightful place in their lives.
About the Author: AmandaEve Wigglesworth has been involved in ministry with children and youth for nineteen years. AmandaEve and her husband, Deacon Kevin, are members of St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox parish in Calgary, Alberta. She is a member of St. Peter's Camp board, where she is affectionately knows as Pegesus and can very occasionally be heard singing funky rap because a clever camper caught her putting her elbows on the table.
Author: AmandaEve Wigglesworth
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 48 pages
Dimensions: 8 X 10 inches
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.
Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament (Boxed Set)
$95.00
The work of Archbishop Averky (Taushev) stands apart in an intellectual climate that prizes innovation over tradition, headlines over the Truth, and intellectualism over divine revelation. Writing in the tradition of biblical exegetes such as Saint John Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Archbishop Averky provides a commentary that is firmly grounded in the teaching of the Church, manifested in its liturgical hymnography and the works of the Holy Fathers.
The author's approach is thoroughly patristic, constantly turning to the Church Fathers for the elucidation of one or another particular verse, especially to the commentaries and expositions of St John Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid, Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus, and most particularly to the voluminous Scriptural commentaries of St Theophan the Recluse. The commentary has been copiously annotated with citations to primary sources, which did not appear in the original text.
Using the best of pre-Revolutionary Russian sources, Archbishop Averky also remained abreast of developments in Western biblical scholarship, engaging with it directly and honestly. He was adamant, however, about the primary importance of Patristic exegesis in understanding the Scriptures.
Archbishop Averky’s commentaries have become standard textbooks in Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary and have been published in Russia to widespread acclaim. These present volumes are the first translations of these texts into English. They are an indispensable addition to the library of every student of the Holy Scriptures.
Book One: The Four Gospels
330 pages
Analyzing all four Gospels chronologically and simultaneously, Archbishop Averky allows the reader to see the life of Christ as an unfolding narrative in accessible, direct language. He approaches the Gospels first and foremost not as a literary work of antiquity, but as the revelation of Jesus Christ as God in the flesh.
Book Two: The Acts of the Apostles
146 pages
In this second volume, the author explains the significance of the Church's earliest history, as recorded in the Book of Acts. Questions of authorship and time of composition are also addressed.
Book Three: The Epistles and the Apocalypse
368 pages
This third and final volume of Archbishop Averky's New Testament commentary elucidates the moral and pastoral aspects of the Pauline and Universal Epistles and the Book of Revelation. Discussion of each New Testament book is preceded by an analysis of the authorship, time and place of composition, and major themes within. The final commentary on the Apocalypse, in which Archbishop Averky relies heavily on the ancient commentary of St Andrew of Ceasaria, is provided in the popular translation by Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), together with the Scriptural text itself.
About the Author:
Archbishop Averky (Taushev) (1906–1976) was the fourth abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, NY). He was born in Imperial Russia but had to leave the country with his family in the wake of the Russian Revolution. Living in Bulgaria, he was drawn to the monastic life, and soon became a monk and a priest. He taught and ministered in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Germany, before being assigned in 1951 to teach at the Holy Trinity Seminary. He was consecrated a bishop, and after the death of Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) became the abbot of the monastery. As abbot, he was also the rector of Holy Trinity Seminary and was heavily involved in the formation of its curriculum and daily life. He was also praised by converts to the Orthodox faith such as Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) for being a steadfast defender of traditional Orthodoxy. He wrote many commentaries on scripture and other works that are extensively read both in Russia and in the diaspora. He is best known in the English-speaking world for his commentary on the Book of Revelations, The Apocalypse in the Teachings of Ancient Christianity.
Conversations with My Heart: Contemplations on God and the World
$20.00
Metropolitan Anastasy was a leading figure of the Russian emigration following the Communist takeover of his homeland. A man of erudition, he formed a bridge between two worlds -- the Imperial Court of the last Tsar and the transient 20th century Russian diaspora. These reflections from his diary offer the groanings of his heart and musings on the eternal mercy of God which he writes “are part of my very essence.” They draw upon wisdom from sources as diverse as writers of classical antiquity, authors, composers and inventors of the age of enlightenment, offering unique perspectives on these. Also instructive are the bishop's inspired essays on the subject of revolution. This volume is enhanced by a short life of the author written by Archbishop Averky (Taushev) together with several black and white photographs.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 176
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.
Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage through Pregnancy
$19.00
Pregnancy is not just a trek from one medical appointment to another but a journey of the heart. Here at last is a guidebook through its sacred terrain. For each week, Orthodox doula Laura Jansson provides a new reflection on a theme specific to the ground covered at that stage. From one milestone to the next, she helps us unearth the spiritual treasures buried within the physical experiences of childbearing. These are gifts of love from a merciful God who reaches out to us, making a perilous expedition into a path of salvation.
About the Author: Laura S. Jansson is an Orthodox Christian doula, childbirth educator, and mother living and writing at the intersection of birth and faith. She earned her Masters degree in Theology and Philosophy from the University of Oxford, UK, and has also resided in the USA, Serbia, Germany, and Fiji. Since 2005 she has guided scores of expectant mothers on the path to parenthood, witnessing with wonder as bellies and souls grow along the way.
Praise for Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage through Pregnancy
"This eloquent book leads us week by week through the deepening journey to birth, accompanied by the insights the Orthodox faith uniquely can provide. Fertile Ground is an able companion and a wise guide to the deeply transformative experience of pregnancy and birth." -Kh. Frederica Matthewes-Green, author, mother, grandmother, and former childbirth educator
"Laura captures the sacred and eternal aspects of pregnancy and childbirth that can get lost in the medical exams, morning sickness, and dramatic life changes. She does not shy away from or sugar-coat the difficult topics or real hardships of pregnancy. Rather, she laces them with stories, scriptures, and theological reflection to find, within them, Christ Himself. This book captures how, with pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting, we find ourselves drawn forward toward the love of God who invites us to co-create with Him." -Dr. Philip Mamalakis, professor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, author of Parenting Toward the Kingdom, and father of seven
"Laura’s incredible ability to home in on the feelings of women in pregnancy and immediate postpartum stages gives her work an astonishing depth. As the mother of eleven children, I had many opportunities to reflect and pray while pregnant but never found an appropriate resource. This book was long needed. I will buy it for every pregnant mother I know." -Pres. Melissa Naasko, mother of 11, clergy wife, and author of Fasting as a Family
Read more under EDITORIAL REVIEWS
Author: Laura S. Jansson
Paperback: 320 pages
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Fr. George Calciu
$19.00
Father George Calciu (1925–2006) was one of the great confessors of Christianity in the twentieth century. Having survived the diabolic prison experiments of Communist Romania, Fr. George went on to become an apostle to spiritual seekers in Romania and, eventually, throughout the world. He was able to speak authoritatively of God’s love and forgiveness because of his own experience of God’s mercy. As a priest in America, Fr. George maintained a strict ascetic life of fasting and prayer, while at the same time pastoring his flock as a joyful and loving father.
Here we present a collection of his interviews, homilies, and talks. In them he shares his thoughts on his imprisonment, how to pray, his own experience of God’s Uncreated Light, and the Orthodox Christian’s battle against temptations in America. Included in this volume are the “Seven Homilies to the Youth” that he gave in Bucharest in 1978. These homilies, in which he fearlessly called Romanian youth to turn from atheism and materialism to Christ, led to his second imprisonment by the Communist regime. Here, as in his other writings and talks, the common thread of God’s mercy and forgiveness is woven into the fabric of man’s need for repentance and union with his Creator.
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
Help! I'm Bored in Church: Entering Fully into Worship in the Divine Liturgy
$12.00
Do you ever find yourself feeling bored in church? Don't despair—you're not alone, and there is hope!
Fr. David Smith offers four compelling reasons for going to church regardless of how we feel. He then explores
six reasons people sometimes feel bored in church,
five ways to think about your priest,
four ways you can participate more fully in services,
three kinds of waiting,
two kinds of prayer, and the
one thing truly needful in our relationship with God.
This book will help you see church as the best place you could possibly be—and the place you most want to be.
Author: David Smith
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Ancient Faith Publishing
Dimensions: 5.5 X 8.5 inches
Page Length: 136 pages
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 Candle's Glow
$19.95
The bees do their work. The beekeeper does hers. And little Felicia, with the honesty and faith of a child, takes the fruit of the bee and the beekeeper's efforts and lights her candle and prays. She prays once, she prays twice, she prays three prayers, then watches the breeze from the window carry her prayers from the candle heavenward.
About the author
Elizabeth Crispina Johnson writes from her underground house in the Finger Lakes district of New York, where she homeschools, raises chickens, and works on her plans for a gypsy vardo. She has written three previous books published by Ancient Faith Publishing. She attends St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Rochester, NY.
About the illustrator
Amandine Wanert is a French illustrator who currently lives in Paris. She divides her time between children’s books and medical illustration. She enjoyed working on In the Candle’s Glow, capturing the essence of this joyful, lively little girl who can also be contemplative. Amandine especially enjoyed creating the soft, candlelit atmosphere inside the church. The making of this book was an unusually rich experience for her.
Author: Elizabeth Crispina Johnson
Illustrator: Amandine Wanert
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 8 X 10 inches
Page Length: 32
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
Maria the Mother of God
$20.00
Pages: 50
Format: Hardcover
This youth title tells the wondrous story of Maria, who became the Mother of God by God's grace and her willing assent to His holy will, from her conception to her barren mother St. Anna, to her Falling Asleep. This amazing account of the Theotokos is told through story, hymnology, and captivating illustrations.
This book is dedicated to every child – that they may come to know the life of the Panagia – and to every adult who wants to speak to them about the Mother of God.
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.
My Life in Christ: The Spiritual Journals of St. John of Kronstadt (2 Book Set)
$39.95
Author: St. John of Kronstadt
Pages: 580 (in 2 vol.)
Format: Paperback
My Life in Christ has been read by millions, making it one of the most beloved modern works of Orthodox Christian spirituality. In this new edition, the English translation has been thoroughly revised and freshly typeset to make St John's own words more accessible to today's reader. The bite-sized reflections draw the reader in to the author's profound spiritual experience and love for Jesus Christ and the Church. This is the kind of book you will return to time and time again. Appropriate, relevant, and edifying reading for all Christians. The two parts of this present edition are available separately and as a complete set.
Mystical Marriage: Spiritual Life According to St. Maximos the Confessor
$23.00
Author: Elder Aimilianos (Simonopetra)
Translator: V. Rev. Arch. Maximos Constas
Pages: 220
Binding: Sewn softcover
This book contains six talks by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra (Mt Athos), focusing on select passages from the Chapters on Love by St Maximos the Confessor. More than a simple commentary, these talks offer a profound yet approachable introduction to the principles and practice of Orthodox spirituality.
From Chapter One:
We often say that we love God, and sing the praises of His love, but we are not able to pray without distractions. If this is the case, it means we are not speaking truthfully, that our praises are empty, because genuine love for God is the generative cause of undistracted prayer, and undistracted prayer is the generative cause of the love of God.
Would you like to have a practical standard of measurement to see if you love God? Pay attention and observe whether or not you pray without distractions. See, in other words, if when you pray your mind is distracted and cut into pieces by desires, thoughts, passions, or by any other foreign element that is not spiritual or immaterial. If there is something that is able to divide our mind and cut it into pieces, this means that we do not love God, for the love of God is like a strong, surrounding wall that protects us and prevents anything from outside entering our inner, spiritual world. Otherwise it’s like I have a saw and I use it to cut up a piece of wood, and in so doing the pieces fly in different directions—something similar happens to the mind when it is torn to pieces by thoughts and passions, by the various inclinations of the heart, by desires, and anything else like this.
—Elder Aimilianos
Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age
$9.00
|
“What does Nihilism mean?” wrote Friedrich Nietszche. “—That the highest values are losing their value. There is no goal.…There is no Truth, no ‘thing in itself.’ There is no answer to the question: why?”
“Nihilism has become, in our time, so widespread and pervasive, has entered so deeply into the minds and hearts of all men living today, that there is no longer any ‘front’ on which it may be fought.” —Eugene (Fr. Seraphim) Rose In 1962, the young Eugene Rose (the future Fr. Seraphim) undertook to write a monumental chronicle of the abandonment of Truth in the modern age. Of the hundreds of pages of material he compiled for this work, only the present essay has come down to us in completed form. Here Fr. Seraphim reveals the core of all modern thought and life—the belief that all truth is relative—and shows how this belief has been translated into action in our century. Today, four decades after he wrote it, this essay is more timely than ever. It clearly explains why contemporary ideas, values, and attitudes—the “spirit of the age”—are shifting so rapidly in the direction of moral anarchy, as the philosophy of Nihilism enters more deeply into the fiber of society. Nietszche was right when he predicted that the 20th century would usher in “the triumph of Nihilism.” “Atheism, true ‘existential’ atheism burning with hatred of a seemingly unjust or unmerciful God, is a spiritual state; it is a real attempt to grapple with the true God.… Nietzsche, in calling himself Antichrist, proved thereby his intense hunger for Christ.” —excerpt from NIHILISM This new second edition contains a superb essay entitled “The Philosophy of the Absurd,” written by Fr. Seraphim at the same time that he was working on “Nihilism.” 128 pages, full-color cover, paperback |
Copyright St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood
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
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
Raising Them Right: A Saint's Advice on Raising Children
$13.00
Saint Theophan, while from a different era and country, has an uncanny ability to communicate with modern Westerners. Raising Them Right provides both practical and spiritual insight into a variety of practical areas, such as baptism, the spiritual and psychological development of children through their teens, and preserving grace in a child's life.
96 pages; paperback.
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
Saint Sergius: A Beacon in the Wilderness of Radonezh
$20.00
Saint Sergius: A Beacon in the Wilderness of Radonezh, by George and Christian Danias, authors of Christ Amongst Us and Vested in Christ. Translated by Fr. Peter Chamberas.
About 700 years ago, in the dense forest of Radonezh not far from Moscow, a humble monk built a small wooden church and dedicated it to the Holy Trinity. In the span of a few years, that ascetic’s reputation began to spread far and wide. People began to visit the area in order to consult with the elder — even royalty considered it an honor to speak with him! Today, there is a magnificent monastery in the place where that small Church once stood. But what happened to that humble monk?
In the pages of this book, you will read all about the wondrous life of that monk — Saint Sergius of Radonezh — and how he became a beacon of the holy Orthodox faith and a river of holiness!
Format: hardcover
Pages: 49
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.
Sasha and the Dragon
$19.95
Walking the lonely streets of a new, unfamiliar town, Sasha feels displaced and alone. His grandmother is dying; the children in the neighborhood laugh when he walks by. And there is a dragon under his bed—he is sure! When Sasha cries for help, God and His saints hear him, and he has an experience that both changes his life and sweetens his soul.
Sasha and the Dragon is a modern fairy tale to be treasured by children and adults alike.
"I could not have received Sasha and the Dragon at a better time in our children's life. Our little 'Sasha' had been having his own fears and this book was instrumental in helping him face these dragons through the intersessions of Archangel Michael."
-MamaBirdEmma, Charming the Birds from the Trees blog
"The powerful image of St. Michael coming to Sasha's aid is one that will stick in children's minds and make its way to their hearts."
-Lisa A., Through the Mind to the Heart blog
"This book EMPOWERS our children to face their fears. It is beautifully written, and captures the heart of something we all face as we grow up. At first, I thought the dragon in the book might be scary to my girls, but the story had the opposite effect. They were captivated…"
-Erin Lynn
"I sit with tears of gratitude tonight after reading this beautiful story twice to my 5-year-old who struggles with many worries. He was white and tense during the first pages, but as soon as St. Michael's sword showed up, he was awestruck… The joy and excitement in his eyes said it all."
-GS
Author: Laura E. Wolfe, illustrated by Nicholas Malara
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
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
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 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 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 Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios
$17.00
This powerful memoir tells the story of a Greek youth who, out of a desire to know the truth empirically, began to experiment in yoga, hypnotism, and various occult techniques. Eventually drawn back to the Faith of his forefathers—Orthodox Christianity—he visited the ancient monastic republic of Mount Athos in his native Greece, where he was brought to a knowledge of the Truth of Jesus Christ by the saintly Elder Paisios (1924–1994). Nevertheless, believing he had only found “part of the truth” on the Holy Mountain, he chose to give the “same opportunity” to Hindu yogis that he had given to Elder Paisios and other Orthodox monks. Thus, at the age of twenty-five, he embarked on a trip to India, where he undertook his search in the ashrams of three famous gurus, one of whom was worshipped as a god. His experiences in India, along with his subsequent encounters with Elder Paisios on Mount Athos, are recounted in the present book in vivid detail.
Popular in Greece since its first publication there in 2001, The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios is a page-turning narrative of both outward adventures and inward struggles. What stands out most in this book, however, is the radiant image of Elder Paisios, possessed of divine gifts, laboring in prayer for his fellow man, and overflowing with unconditional love. Through this, one sees the uncreated Source of the elder’s love and of the author’s spiritual transformation: the true God-man Jesus Christ, Who honors man’s personal freedom while drawing him, through love, into everlasting union with Himself.
Softcover, 320 pages
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 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 Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church
$10.00
When Fr. Seraphim learned that the early Western Father, Blessed Augustine of Hippo, was being attacked in contemporary Eastern Orthodox circles, then he—himself a Western convert to Orthodoxy—rose in his defense. This book is the outcome. Fr. Seraphim said he wrote it in the hope that it would help remove Augustine as a scapegoat for today’s academic theologians, and thus “help free us all to see his and our own weaknesses in a little closer light—for his weaknesses, to a surprising degree, are indeed close to our own.”
“Narrow is the mansion of my soul; enlarge Thou it, that Thou mayest enter in … for without Thee what am I to myself except a guide to my own downfall?”
—Blessed Augustine of Hippo
After discussing Blessed Augustine’s strengths and weaknesses, Fr. Seraphim examines the views of other Holy Fathers concerning him. “His main benefit to us today,” he writes, “is probably precisely as a Father of Orthodox piety—something with which he was filled to overflowing.… Here he is one with the simple Orthodox faithful, as well as with all the Holy Fathers of East and West who, whatever their various failings and differences in theoretical points of doctrine, had a single deeply Christian heart and soul. It is this that makes him unquestionably an Orthodox Father.”
This new edition of THE PLACE OF BLESSED AUGUSTINE IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH contains letters written by Fr. Seraphim concerning Augustine, passages from Augustine’s Confessions which Fr. Seraphim found especially moving, and an Orthodox service to Blessed Augustine, commissioned by St. John Maximovitch.
144 pages, illustrated, full-color cover, paperback, $10.00
ISBN 0-938635-12-3
Copyright St. Herman's Press
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 Rest of the Bible: A Guide to the Old Testament of the Early Church
$13.95
by Theron Mathis
A beautiful widow risks her life to defend her people while men cower in fear. A young man takes a journey with an archangel and faces down a demon in order to marry a woman seven times widowed. A reprobate king repents and miraculously turns back toward God. A Jewish exile plays a game of riddles in a Persian king’s court. Young men and widows become martyrs in the face of idolatry. Wisdom is detailed and exalted. Christ is revealed.
These and many other stories make up the collection of writings explored in this book—authentic books of the Bible you’ve probably never read. Dubbed "Apocrypha" and cut from the Bible by the Reformers, these books of the Greek Old Testament were a vital part of the Church's life in the early centuries, and are still read and treasured by Orthodox Christians today. The Rest of the Bible provides a brief and intriguing introduction to each of these valuable texts, which St. Athanasius termed "the Readables."
Author: Theron Mathis
Format: Paperback
Dimensions: 5.5 X 8.5
Page Length: 128 pages
The Service of the Small Paraklesis to the Most Holy Theotokos
$11.00