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
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
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.
Chosen by God for His People Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine
$7.00
by Nun Cornelia (Rees)
This double issue of The Orthodox Word features an article by Nun Cornelia (Rees), editor of the well-known OrthoChristian.com website, on the current metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Onuphry (Berezovsky). Ukraine has been torn by political strife, especially since the overthrow of the lawfully elected government in 2014. Additionally, the country has been in the throes of a religious conflict, made far worse by the uncanonical granting of autocephaly to schismatics by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2019. In the midst of these ongoing crises, Metropolitan Onuphry has been a truly Christian man of peace, an embodiment of the Gospel teachings, and a beacon of hope for his embattled flock. The article details his life and the situation he is facing, and contains a selection of his teachings.
Also featured in this issue is an article from the second edition of Genesis, Creation, and Early Man, by Hieromonk Seraphim Rose, which will soon be published in a digital edition and a third print edition. The article, “Modern Saints and Elders on Evolutionism,” provides teachings and commentaries by holy men of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries on the inadmissibility of Darwin’s theory of evolution for Orthodox Christians, and the incompatibility of this false theory with revealed Truth.
The issue concludes with the eighth installment of the English translation of letters of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, followed by a book review of an outstanding new volume on Tsar-martyr Nicholas II of Russia and his family: The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal, published by the St. John the Forerunner Monastery on Cyprus.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 98
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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 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 Great Martyr Saint Catherine
$9.00
Οur Saints are the best role models, who never lose their worth, no matter how many years go by. Saint Catherine, is a wonderful example of a young girl of noble birth from Alexandria, Egypt, who was endowed with exceptional physical beauty and great wisdom; she was, therefore, able to face even the wisest idolaters of her time. Once she recognized the One and True God, she sacrificed everything, wealth, comfort and glory, so that she could stay close to Christ for eternity.
Format: Softcover
Number of Pages: 24
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 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 Psalter (Audio Recording)
$24.00
The Hermitage of the Holy Cross has recorded the reading of the Psalter on three compact discs. Our text of the Psalms was translated by Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, MA, from the 1821 Moscow edition of the Greek Septuagint Psalter, the most trusted and reliable of all extant printings of the traditional Greek text of Orthodox Church. The Psalms are read in a manner common to Orthodox prayer services: a simple intonation minimizing any possibility of subjective interpretation. The arrangement of the Psalms into tracks also follows the liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church, where the whole Psalter is divided into twenty Kathismata and each Kathisma into three stases. Each stasis is concluded with a Trinitarian Doxology. The Psalter is read by a monk of the Hermitage of the Holy Cross. Our hope is that those who purchase this recording will reap years of spiritual benefit from the use of the recording which is an excellent accompaniment on a daily commute, road trip or a day at work.
Hermitage of the Holy Cross
English, 214 minutes
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 Service of the Small Paraklesis to the Most Holy Theotokos
$11.00
The Sleepy Bear and the Golden Whispers
$22.00
This hardbound, full-color children's book brings to life the remarkable true story of a bear — inspired by God — saving the life of the Russian New Martyr, Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsy.
Infused with prayer and evocative watercolor illustrations, this warm tale will engage the eyes and hearts of young children while revealing the fruits of the Jesus Prayer.
The author-illustrator is the wife of a Russian Orthodox priest, an accomplished artist, and an iconographer. 48 pages.