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