DVD Giveaway!

This week, I’ll be giving away a DVD, from the Little Mountain: Reflections on Orthodox Christian Monasticism, (English version) a documentary produced by the monks at Holy Cross Monastery. The short, 32 minute work takes you through a year at the monastery, giving you a glimpse into monastic life -- not to mention the gorgeous changing seasons in West Virginia.

I’ve written about the documentary previously, as I was gifted a copy soon after it was produced in 2008. It’s with great pleasure that I can share this with you. I’ve watched it many times in the last few years and always find it refreshing for the soul.

You can read more about it, as well as other reviews at the Holy Cross website:

Hermitage of the Holy Cross

Watch the trailor here:

Just leave a comment or email me at heartjoys2002(at)yahoo(dot)com to enter your name in the drawing, to be held on Monday, August 9, 2010. Contest limited to residents of USA.

Praying in the new year with St. Panteleimon

Happy New Year to all my pals in the blogosphere =-)

December proved to be a month of emotional highs and lows, with a healthy dose of deadlines thrown in for good measure. My time was divided between work and family and one family member in particular has occupied our hearts and minds over these past 5 weeks.

My 2 year old niece was diagnosed with a malignant tumor at the beginning of the month and subsequently, undergone many tests and two chemotherapy treatments. It’s a hard time for the family and yet, as my sister will attest, it’s also been a season of unexpected gifts of compassion.

Never before has my sister and her family been in a position to receive such generosity and love from others... it is nothing short of amazing to be at the local grocery or post office when someone approaches to say, “How is your niece?” ...or “Isn’t it your sister’s little one who is on our church prayer list? How is she doing?”

Between the internet and instant messages to church prayer lists/chains, news of my sweet niece traveled faster than beauty shop gossip. I know she has prayer warriors out there lifting her name to our merciful God from Florida to Chicago to California and probably beyond.

One of those prayer warriors is Holy Great-Martyr St. Panteleimon, a physician and healer during his time on earth in the early 4th century. A group of friends & I made our way to Holy Cross Monastery recently and went to a moleben (mo LEH ben) to St. Panteleimon, asking for his intercessory prayers for my niece among others who are ill and suffering.

A moleben, a Russian term, is a service of thanksgiving and supplication in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Theotokos or a particular saint or martyr. In Orthodoxy, we believe that those who die believing and following Christ are not dead, but alive in Christ, worshipping Him in heaven and interceding for us on earth. Just as we would ask a friend to pray for us when we’re ill, so, too, we ask the saints in heaven to please pray for us!

The service was so beautiful... I wish I had photos to share, but it was not the time or place to be making pictures. It was a time for reverence and quiet and prayer. We lit the long beeswax taper candles and placed them in front of St. Panteleimon’s icon and then stood for the remaining minutes of the service.

Fr. Seraphim led the moleben while a monk and novice added harmonious refrains of “Lord have mercy” as well as St. Panteleimon’s Kontakion and readings from the Holy Gospel. While the names of our loved ones were called out through the service, I noticed the beauty of the candlelight upon the brass casings and how the sunlight, even on a cold wintry day, came into the church like a warm embrace of our Heavenly Father. There is no place on earth I would rather have been at that hour. We concluded the service by venerating a relic of St. Panteleimon and being anointed with holy oil by Fr. Seraphim.

It is that peace, that hope and love in Christ Jesus that I wish for you during our new year.

A Peaceful Retreat at Holy Cross

At the end of April, I visited Holy Cross Monastery with over 30 of my fellow parishioners from St. George Orthodox Cathedral.  The trip was organized by our Young Adult Fellowship and led by Fr. Andrew Damick. 

We spent the better part of a sunny Saturday touring the monastery grounds, listening to Fr. Seraphim speak on spiritual topics, participating in a moleben where our suffering loved ones were brought before the Lord in prayer, and visiting the Monastery Gift Shop.   

We also enjoyed a delicious lunch with the monks, in silence, as is their custom, while another monk read a spiritual book aloud.   Fr. Segius, who graciously led the tour, showed us the bell tower, the chapel where we learned about their patron saint, St. Panteleimon, the room where incense is rolled by hand in the traditional Athonite style, and he pointed out the small cells that dotted the landscape where the monastics live.   

As we made our way over to the beautiful outdoor chapel, Fr. Sergius spoke to us about the monastic life, their daily routine and answered various questions from our group.   The weather could not have been more agreeable, with plenty of sunshine and gentle breezes to animate the flowering dogwoods. 

Fr. Seraphim, the Abbot of Holy Cross, is such a warm and welcoming host.  His face radiates with kindness and wisdom is in his eyes.  He spoke to us about nourishing our spiritual life and used the verse from Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.   If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  to illustrate the fact that God is always present seeking us. 

It was heartwarming to listen to Fr. Seraphim recount the early days of the monastery’s move to rural West Virginia from Missouri in 2000.  He shared some humorous anecdotes from this mostly Baptist community curious about their new Russian Orthodox neighbors.  He also talked about the kind deeds of these same neighbors who, after becoming acquainted with and embracing the hermitage,  have helped wayward pilgrims to find the route to the monastery.   

At the end of our visit, Fr. Seraphim spoke with us again regarding our prayer life.  He shared with us a quote that I will paraphrase from one of the Church Fathers;  ‘If you pray and doubt God hears you or that He will answer your prayers, you aren’t really a Christian.’   Those are strong words which gave me pause to consider my own thoughts on the power of prayer.  He encouraged us to make a daily habit of prayer, even if it is just saying the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  before we begin our day.  

 I was thankful to have the time to linger at the close of our retreat.  I walked the grounds, visiting the goat herd, taking photos and soaking up the serenity.  I very much look forward to my next visit.  

A Beautiful Gift

A few weeks ago  I had the pleasure of seeing some of my friends from the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in Wayne, WV.  They were vendors at our Parish Life Conference, offering books, handmade soaps and lotions, candles and other worship items and gifts.  I was aware of the Holy Cross’ recent DVD production titled, from the Little Mountain:  Reflections on Orthodox Christian Monasticism and was glad to see portions of it playing on a television in their booth.   While paying for my items ( a small book of quotes and my favorite Goat’s Milk and Honey hand cream!), Fr. Sergius surprised me by gifting me with a copy of their new DVD which takes the viewer through a year at the Hermitage.  Not only is the scenery brilliant, but the atmosphere of the monastery is captured so well.  It’s a place of peace and this documentary does a fine job in illustrating the essence of monastic life in the hills of wonderful West Virginia.  

The insights given by one of the senior monks are especially helpful to people like myself who are curious about the lives of monks, why they choose this life and what their daily routine is like.  I once thought monks sought to recede from the world and us wretched sinners so that they could become sanctified for their own gain.  But this is incorrect for monks touch thousands of lives unseen.  They are  disciplined prayer warriors who seek the salvation of the world.   St. Seraphim said it best: “Acquire the Holy Spirit, and a thousand around you will be saved.”

As they work out their own salvation and draw nearer to God, so they become beacons for Christ in their community and around the globe.  I feel blessed to have the Hermitage of the Holy Cross so near to home.  To my friends there, thank you for your generosity and may God bless you and keep you in the mighty palm of His hand.

*If you may be interested in purchasing this 32 minute DVD, or any of their fine handcrafted products, check out: The Hermitage of the Holy Cross