Confessing Between the Lines

Recent interview on "Journey to Orthodoxy" on OCN

2008-10-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Divine Liturgy word cloud I found

2008-07-28T05:54:00.001-07:00

Ordination to Presbyter

2008-06-16T18:25:00.001-07:00

Ordination to Presbyter, originally uploaded by joeolas.

AXIOS AXIOS AXIOS! My dear friend Fr. Daniel has been ordained.
JM+

my hardcore 3 year old brother

2008-06-15T12:37:00.001-07:00

MOSMoF 2008

2008-06-11T12:11:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by jmorthodox.

Just returned from playing at MoSMoF 2008 - an Orthodox music festival at All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Bloominton, IN. It was raining the entire time and many were turned back from coming because of washed out roads. But the event was great. I would check out Ron Moore and Small Town Heros if you can and buy their cds (I think they are both on myspace).

Peace,
JM+

Youth Group anyone?

2008-01-20T12:50:00.001-08:00

Fullness of the Faith.com (BETA Launch!)

2007-11-09T21:24:00.001-08:00

More designs to come... Also check out the full site at FullnessoftheFaith.com! What do you think? (Click on Share button to add this to your site! Why? Because 10% of all the proceeds are donated to Orthodox Ministries involved in Missions and Evangelism and proclaiming the Fullness of the Faith! )

JM+

www.LoveYourLabor.com

2007-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Above is a link to my wife's new doula (birth assistant) site. Check it out!

www.LoveYourLabor.com

JM+

Kurt Moll - O Isis und Osiris

2007-10-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

Russian Orthodox Music 13

2007-10-18T14:36:00.001-07:00

This is beautiful... like a heavenly dance.

JM+

Tube-a-BBQ 07 photos!

2007-07-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

Some photos from St. Anne's annual tubing and BBQ event:
(http://www.justinmathews.com/Blog/Townsend%202007/index.html)

It was a blast!!
FJM

Glory to God for All Things

2007-05-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Today one of my favorite blogs posted a link to my latest recording and the song "See Paradise." Fr. Steven Freeman is the pastor of St. Anne's Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, TN and his blog can be found here:
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/.

As many of you may know my family and I are moving to Oak Ridge, TN in about two weeks where I will be serving as the second priest and chaplain for the University of TN OCF. Wonderful times ahead!

Fr. Justin

Just watch!

2007-05-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGfX3l7fSzA

Before my former priest (and SVS grad.) Fr. John Platko died in my first year at SVS he said that he thought the Protestant world was theologically rediscovering Orthodoxy, at least in terms of Chruch history. What do you think?

Fr. Justin

Some of my favorite Orthodox Liturgical music

2007-04-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Audio recording with pictures of Georgian Churches. Totally American cast of singers under directions of Guy Brower sing Georgian music.

"Georgian folk music has more musical ideas
then all contemporary music"
Igor Stravinsky(Los Angeles Times, USA)

Hayden Innocent Mathews is born!

2007-04-21T18:06:00.001-07:00

Hayden was born on April 21st, 2007 at 12:53am at home. He is 8 lbs 15 oz. and 21 inches long! We are thanking God for a perfect little baby boy and a healthy mommy! More to come...

With love,
FJM

The Velo SoleX in Action!

2007-04-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Restoring the Velo SoleX! (a cross post from the family Blog)

2007-04-14T19:21:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know I am working on restoring a Velo Solex like the one pictured above (yes that is a french priest riding his velo solex in a cassock!). I have uploaded some photos of the restoration progress starting with a few pictures from today when, with the help of a Solex expert named Brian, I finally got it up and running. It was perfect!!

The photos can be found on www.flickr.com/photos/jmorthodox/sets

Last week I ordered and replaced the unique 1.75 X 19" Solex tires and tubes. After trying for 2 hours to get the new tires on the rims I decided to make a trip to the bike shop in Yonkers for some other tools and a special tire wrench to help pry the new tires onto the rims - very hard!

Today we cleaned out the old corroded carbon and oil from the gas tank and the fuel lines (this required carberator cleaner and rubbing alcohol with a lot of time and a long paperclip), replaced the fuel filter in the bottom of the gas tank and at the air intake before the gas return line, and replced a gasket and diaphram from the guts of the fuel pump. Next we tightened some brake lines, fixed some springs (on the light switch and on the choke/frontbrake mechanism). Once all of this was done it ran beautifully and I got to ride it around for the first time! It was much quiter than I expected.

Anyone interested in more info on the velo SoleX start here:
http://solexin.free.fr/us/index.html
or here:
http://solexin.free.fr/us/history/histo/index.html

The solex is not only a more ecomomical way to travel to and from my parish and around town but since it gets over 100 miles per gallon I can do my small part to reduce our family's environmental impact. (not much but its a start...)

A friend at the seminary gave me a wonderful wicker 2 bottle wine basket with a wicker hinged top for the rear rack and I plan to get some other accessories as I can afford them over the years (leather vintage Solex saddle bags, Solexine spare gas can for longer rides, a Solex tool kit and bike pump that mount under the rear carrier rack, original 3800 Solex rear light lens, etc.)

Its not 500 lbs Triumph like Jodi's brother's got but hey a priest in a cassock just wouldn't look very cool on that.

Enjoy!
FJM

Holy Saturday

2007-04-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Troparion - Tone 2

When Thou didst descend to death, O Life Immortal,
Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead,
and when from the depths Thou didst raise the dead,
all the Powers of Heaven cried out,
O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to Thee!

Restoring the Senses

2007-04-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

+
Greetings on this Holy Saturday and Easter blessings!

I wanted to pass on to you this wonderful Public Radio program "Speaking of Faith" on the Orthodox Christian Easter celebration.
The radio broadcast/podcast is supplemented by wonderful website materials, images, and music.

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/restoringthesenses/index.shtml

Pass it on. They have done a beautiful job.

In Christ,
Fr. Justin

Feast of the Annunciation Celebrates a Proud Mary

2007-03-28T05:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Fr. Alixis Vinogradov sent me this link to a great NPR commentator speaking on the feast of the Annunciation and Mary.

Click here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9145469

Its been a long time...

2007-03-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation

St. Patrick (ca. 377)

Love, a difficult and thorny path.

2006-11-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

From "Diary of a Russian Priest" p43:

"We have been given a supreme law of life which leads us straight to God -
Love, a difficult and thorny path;
but we must follow it, bearing our cross,
with no excursions into byways."
- Fr. Elchaninov

"Martyria "(Gr.): Witness

2006-11-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

From "Diary of a Russian Priest":

“It is better to live in such a way that we start with our own personal experience and pass from this to certain general ideas, rather than proceeding visa versa. Otherwise, we shall only be making verbal judgments about the experiences of others, without having experienced these things ourselves: but unfortunately this is precisely what we usually do in spiritual questions.” (Diary, P.41)

Christianity, a white man's religion?

2006-11-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

These conferences enable African Americans and people of all races to discover more about ancient Christianity and helps Orthodox Christians to appreciate the many contributions of African Christianity. See www.stmaryofegypt.net for more information.

Fr. Paisius, the cofounder and author of this video, is one of the most inspiring and sincere Christians I know. I encourage you all to check out his work here posted and visit Reconciliation Ministries in Kansas City if you are ver there.

[I only wish the content posted on our national Orthodox Church websites (particularly when asking for "charity") could always exemplify the diveristy of the Church as she really is and demonstrate the sensetivity and forethought required to be "all things to all people" for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.]

FJM

Today starts the Nativity fast and Advent...

2006-11-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

I am presiding at Matins in the morning and preaching on Luke 15:1-10. I have been praying and trying to prepare for the homily. Obviously I have been considering fasting and asceticism as, for Orthodox Christians, today began the Advent season and the Nativity fast. Here is a bit on fasting by Evdokimov sent to me by my friend and Prof . Peter Bouteneff this evening.

"In the desert of the Thebaid, extreme fasts and constraints were imposed. Today the combat is not the same. We no longer need added pain. Hair shirts, chains, and flagellation would risk uselessly breaking us. Today mortification would be liberation from every kind of addiction – speed, noise, alcohol, and all kinds of stimulants. Asceticism would be necessary rest, the discipline of regular periods of calm and silence, when one could regain the ability to stop for prayer and contemplation… and above all to listen to the presence of others. Fasting, instead of doing violence to the flesh, could be our renunciation of the superfluous, our sharing with the poor and a joyful balance in all things."

I'll be chewing on this for a while... In the mean time I will try to find the reference to share with you if anyone is interested. If you know it please post a comment.

Grace and Peace,
FrJM

This is your life. Are you who you want to be?

2006-11-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

If you have not visited www.OrthodoxYouthOutreach.net and gotten involved with this ministry - praying, giving, participating, spreading the word, etc... please do tonight! Start by watching this video and showing it to everyone you know.

Fr. Kevin Scherer, who is now the Exec. Dir. for OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship on college campuses) started this based on his St. Vladimir's Seminary thesis project. This is faith in ACTION!

To support the work of OYO financially please click HERE.

Grace and Peace,
FrJM

Pictures from my ordination to the priesthood by +BENJAMIN Oct. 22nd, 2006

2006-11-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Friends, sorry for the delay but thank you for your patience. Click here to see photos from my priestly ordination.

FrJM

(Thanks also to Emily, Sophia, Gary, Jonathan, Roman, and Dave for the INCREDIBLE photos!)

Naked as we came... by Iron and Wine

2006-11-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

Some things don't need an introduction... Just listen.

a parable of the last judgement...

2006-11-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

For those of us who really think we "know" the Lord...

~ INCREDIBLE IDEA ~

2006-11-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

You need to check out this record and most importantly the idea behind the diribution of the album. Click here!

Derrek Webb plays with an acquantance of mine from college, Jeremy Casella (www.Jeremy Casella) and used to play with Caedmon's Call. Pretty pointed record at some points. But I like it! Especially check out "A King A Kingdom".

Blessings,

FrJM

[PS - I would love to do this with my last record! I am looking into it... If anyone is interested in helping me GIVE AWAY my records online please email me. ]

objective order.

2006-11-02T11:39:00.000-08:00

"To free ourselves from inner chaos, we must recognize objective order."

- From "Diary of A Russian Priest"

receive, attain, possess, struggle +

2006-11-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

"We receive salvation by grace and as a divine gift of the Spirit. But
to attain the full measure of virtue we need also to possess faith and
love, and to struggle to exercise our free will with integrity."

St. Makarios of Egypt

love without getting tired...

2006-10-30T10:18:00.000-08:00

"…it is up to us to add labors to labors in order to “go from strength to strength” (Ps. 83:7),
and to come “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13)…"
- St. Seraphim of Sarov

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to
love without getting tired."
- Mother Teresa

I found this icon online at the Coptic Orthodox Church Center, Uk, in their section about iconography and personal prayers.

The icon is of Christ and the Samaritan woman (St. Photini, as the church knows her, "the light bearer") - an icon of love for us to consider today.

FrJM

A monastic in the "desert of human hearts"

2006-10-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a fabulous book entitled "Living Icons: Persons of Faith in the Eastern Church" by Fr. Michael Plekon. The book was a gift to me at the outset of my internship/ parish assignment in my last year at SVOTS from Fr. Michael.

It is a well written and thought provoking anthology of sorts, a gathering of the lives and labors of some of the last century's most incredible human beings - people truly human. It is available here. (http://www.amazon.com/Living-Icons-Persons-Eastern-Church/dp/026803351X)

I am working on my Masters thesis, a meandering corralling of ideas surrounding the issue our role as Co-Creators - a reflection on faith, art and liturgical worship, inculturation, missions and evangelism at this point... So I have been studying the people that Fr. Michael writes about in his book, particularly Mother Maria Skobtsova.

Fr. M made reference to one of Mother Maria's articles on "types of religious lives" and quoted much of it in his chapter on her - I was immediately excited, she clarified much for me regarding current Ortho-praxis in America. I found a link to a newly translated text of the article here (http://www.tuirgin.com/orthodoxy/articles/types_of_religious_lives.html) It blew me away! I also found this page (http://incommunion.org/articles/resources/st-maria-skobtsova/mother-maria-skobtsova-bibliography) from Incommunion.org [the Orthodox Peace Fellowship website] that has an exhaustive bibliography concerning her life and labors for Christ before her martyrdom in a Nazi concentration camp.

Get ready to dive in deep at the deepend...

FrJM

OCF Winter Retreat - "Be Still and Know that I am God"

2006-10-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

In years past I was honored to participate in this wonderful event. This year I am not speaking or giving a concert but I may be able to attend. The line up of speakers looks incredible!

Download this flyer (http://www.ocf.net/collegeconf/cc06_poster.pdf) and spread the word.
I hope you can come!

Fr. Justin

PS- Yup, I wrote my name correctly believe it or not... I was ordained last weekend! More on that awesome event to come - with some photos of course. Thank you all who have been praying for my family! Blessings!

Garth Road Inn...

2006-10-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Typically I am bound to my desk studying or my kids playing or with my wife (watching LOST!). But every now and then I have the opportunity to journey out to my fav. NY pub near SVS - Garth Road Inn.

Last night I had the pleasure of embibing a frosty beverage with my friend Prof. Dr. Peter Bouteneff. He taught my Dogmatic Theology 101, 102 and Ecumenism classes. I must say these were among my fovorite classes; some of the most practical for answering daily life theological questions.

Our evening jumpped from one topic to the next - straying from His new book on Genesis to the American political scene and ROCOR. It was a lovely time with a good friend and brother in Christ.

Along the way Dn. Caleb and Jeremy (also SVS buds) showed up to say hello.

Dn. Caleb and I spent the remainder of the evening talking "Tarazi" (one of our NT/OT Prof.'s)

It was a good night at the Garth!

DnJM

raining and reading... what could be better?

2006-10-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
Mother Teresa
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Do not desert a friend in time of need, nor forsake him nor fail him, for friendship
is the support of life. Let us then bear our burdens as the Apostle has taught (cf. Gal. 6:2):
for he spoke to those whom the charity of the same one body had embraced together. If
friends in prosperity help friends, why do they not also in times of adversity offer
their support? Let us aid by giving counsel, let us offer our best endeavors, let us
sympathize with them with all our heart."

St. Ambrose

Its true...

2006-10-16T08:15:00.001-07:00

I totally stink at posting to my blog don't I... OK, well ˆ am not making any huge promises to literary greatness, but I will post some quotes I am reading and some thoughts now and again. Perhaps this will spur me on. By the by, I am being ordained to the Priesthood this weekend - I am utterly speachless. This the fulfillment of a lifelong calling and the beginning of more than I can imagine. Your prayers would be great...

In Christ - DnJM

"For him who is perfect in love and has reached the summit of dispassion there is
no difference between his own or another’s, or between Christians and unbelievers,
or between slave and free, or between male and female. But because he has risen above
the tyranny of the passions and has fixed his attention on the single nature of man,
he looks on all in the same way and shows the same disposition to all. For in him there
is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female, bond not free, but Christ who 'is all, and
in all' (Col. 3:11; cf. Gal. 3:28)."

St. Maximos the Confessor
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to
us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness
and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is
Where our love for each other must start.

Mother Teresa

Some recent photos from OH and VA

2006-04-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful time we had these last couple of retreats and concerts! Three retreats and concerts in two weeks! Whewww! Thanks to all who worked so hard to make them possible.

Anyone who was there I would love to get your thoughts on the events in the comments below...

Blessed Lent!

Justin

Concert and reflection on the Spiritual Life

2006-03-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

help spead the word in Lima, OH and kindly drop on by...

Justin

Forgive me a sinner. God firgives us both.

2006-03-06T05:03:00.000-08:00

Last night's forgiveness vespers is one of the most beautiful and important of the whole year.

There is something so very vulnerable and jarringly innocent about going around the entire church one person at a time giving the kiss of peace and saying "Forgive me a sinner" and responding "God forgives," while the choir sings paschal (Easter) hymns in anticipation of the feast.

There is something so whole and utterly real about the way the church prompts us to live and lift up our lives to God in thanksgiving. There is not one moment of our existence left without meaning. I truly believe if this medicine were applied more liberally its soothing balm would heal many wounds in our world. God forgive us all.

The kids were so cute... Elias turned to me and said "dad, why are you kissing so many people? Stop it!" and I smiled. What a lesson, from the earliest age - reconciliation, forgiveness and love. Lived out liturgically right before their eyes - no simple mental ascent but real action and modeling.

I wish you were all there... Have a Joyful Lent.

Forgive me a sinner. God Forgives us both.

Justin

Quote for the day

2006-02-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today St. Basil is remembered in the Orthodox Christian Church. Find out more about this amazing Father of the Church here: www.OCA.org.

Here is a quote>>

"The Christian ought not to say anything behind his brother’s back with the object of calumniating
him, for this is slander, even if what is said is true (cf. II Cor. 12:20; I Pet. 2:1). He ought to turn
away from the brother who speaks evil against him (cf. I Pet. 3:16-17; Jms. 4:11)…"

St. Basil the Great

New Site Launch!

2006-02-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

New site launched with online store, link to iTunes store and other goodies. Hope it suits your taste! I hope to have more to write soon. I will be posting various quotes, photos and sundry things from time to time. Feel free to comment or email at Justin@JustinMathews.com to discuss something I post or just to chat. Hope to be in your town soon!

Grace and Peace,

Justin

photos if you please...

2005-10-25T20:20:00.000-07:00