6 DAY TRIP TO ROMANIA
OUR ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY ORGANISES...
A 6 DAY TRIP TO ROMANIA
Departure: Larnaca-Bucharest 29/04/2019 OB 138 12.30-14.50
Return: Bucharest-Larnaca 04/05/2019 OB 137 16.15-18.30
1st DAY: LARNACA - BUCHAREST - IASI
Meeting at the area next to the church of St. Apostle Barnabas Dasoupolis. Departure for Larnaca airport. Direct flight to Bucharest capital of Romania, by blue air airlines. After arriving at Bucharest we will take the bus and travel to Iasi. (Capital of Moldavia) After a couple of stops, arrival at the hotel. Free time to take a rest. Dinner.
2nd DAY: IASI - SUCEAVA - IASI
Breakfast. Departure for Suceava area in the provicne of bucovina, well known for its painted monasteries, masterpieces of Byzantine art. (both indoor and outdoor) We will first viist the convent of VORONET dedicated to St. George (built at 1488 AD by st. Steven) It is considered wondrous for its beautiful frescoes that are famous worldwide for their blue color. St. Steven built the monastery so that he would fulfill the promise that he gave to his spiritual father after a victory agaist the Turks. The
How Advent and Christmas are loosing their sense in the modern world
So…they’ve taken Christmas out of Christmas and put it in Advent, and they’ve taken Christ out of Advent, except it’s not really Advent anymore, it’s Shopping Season, and then when the real Christmas comes, Christ is still in Christmas but Christmas is over. And who has done it is not who everybody thinks it is. (Are you still with me?) That is where modern American society is. The true Advent and Christmas are still here in the Church, but is anybody paying any attention?
Orthodox Advent and Christmas
Here’s how the Church intends us to keep this time of year: On November 15 our Orthodox Advent (Christmas) Fast begins. The calendars all say it should be kept like Great Lent. In parish use (outside the monasteries) I think it is usually just meatless. All Christians once kept an Advent Fast; now we Orthodox alone are left to tell you, and I’m not sure how many of us keep it. All the liturgical churches, east and west, follow approximately the same pattern. Advent is intended to be a time of quiet patient waiting, hope, prayer, repentance, reflection on the m
The problem of children's confession and fasting before Holy Communion
Most of us are familiar with the main principle of parenting: leading with your personal example. What should you do if you are far from being a perfect Christian? How can you plant the proper values in your children’s hearts? Even though in theory we are generally aware of what we should be aiming at, we frequently fail at practical implementation of our stated goals. For example, when and how should you begin to explain the basic tenets of the Orthodox faith (such as, the Holy Trinity or the Sacrament of Communion) to your child? How do you explain to your little human why he or she needs to confess his or her sins? What is the age at which your children are required to fast before taking communion?
Today, we have an interview with Fr. Artemii Vladimirov, whose vast pedagogical and priestly experience enables him to come up with answers filled with a little bit of humour and inexhaustible love towards kids.
Father, speaking of children’s confession, how would you explain to a child why he or she needs to see a priest?
First, the mother has to enter into a “separate agreement” with the priest, “Father, my cutie-pie is going to come to you. She is four but she is very eager to confess like her mum. My sweetie wrote down her confession last night, it’s hilarious.” Dear priests! Please don’t say, “What an affront! Get away with your child, and don’t disturb me!” Look at that paper sheet and say, “Hmm, I see, I see. You didn’t do your bed, you lost your toothbrush, and you demanded from your mother to buy something or played up. God will forgive you for these sins, and I’m waiting for your next confession next week.”
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"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"