MRC News and Announcements for May 25, 2020 (Please Read)

Dear Readers:

Christ is Risen!

I just wanted to update everyone on some news and announcements regarding the ministry of the Mystagogy Resource Center.

First of all, I have received a few inquiries about donations and subscriptions. Since 2012, I usually do a fundraiser for the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center twice a year - before Christmas and after Easter. This year, because of the worldwide coronavirus crisis and the devastating economic impact it has had, I decided to skip making a request for donations after Easter and will wait till Christmas time, in the hopes of an economic recovery by then.

Second, last year around Christmas time I had announced a new subscription service that was going to give access to five exclusive websites beginning late January. Due to some issues with that, I had to extend that date, and with one issue piling on top of another, everything is finally about ready to launch. In fact, it will be launched June 1st. The process was a lot more difficult than I anticipated, permissions needed to be granted, and on top of everything my life got a lot busier once the coronavirus crisis hit.

The five websites are basically five different books I am working on and translating from Greek to English. The five books are:

1. Salvation of Sinners by the Monk Agapios Landros

2. Know Thyself by St. Nektarios of Aegina

3. The Complete Letters of Fr. John Romanides

4. Mystical Experiences from the Holy Land

5. From the Ascetic and Hesychastic Hagiorite Tradition

I'm very excited to get all these great books out to the public. Excerpts from these five books will be posted once a week until they are completed. And when each is completed, new books will be added which I am also anxious to work on. This is exclusive content, and they will only be available to those who subscribe monthly for $5 or more, or who make a donation of at least $60 a year beginning from last year July 1st 2019. Once you cease your subscription or your annual fee is complete, you will no longer have access to this material. On June 1st all those who are eligible will receive an email from me with instructions on how to access these websites. If I do not have your updated email, please send it to me at mystagogy@aol.com along with your name so I can check to see if you are eligible.

With that being said, I want everyone to know that if you are not a subscriber or annual contributor, a $5.00 monthly subscription or a $60 annual donation is a very small fee to have exclusive access to these five great Orthodox books, and that is not to mention the content that is given out daily for free on the ten websites of the Mystagogy Resource Center. Unfortunately, with the coronavirus crisis, we have lost about twenty subscribers, as well as major sponsors, and it has been a major financial hit, however at the same time I am very grateful to all those who have continued subscribing. Also, I am very grateful that in this difficult time for everybody I have also gained a few new subscribers and have received some donations even without me having to make a request. So if you can right now, sign up for the exclusive content, but if you can't right now, please do so in the future when you are able.

Stay safe everyone, and my condolences to all those who may have experienced loss during this time.

With love in the Risen Lord,

John Sanidopoulos

Click on the DONATE button to make a one-time donation (a Paypal account is not needed to make a one-time donation):

To make a monthly contribution, choose from the options below to set your amount and click on the SUBSCRIBE button (please use a browser other than Mozilla Firefox to change the amount of the monthly donation).

Option 1 : $5.00 USD - monthly Option 2 : $10.00 USD - monthly Option 3 : $15.00 USD - monthly Option 4 : $20.00 USD - monthly Option 5 : $25.00 USD - monthly Option 6 : $30.00 USD - monthly Option 7 : $40.00 USD - monthly Option 8 : $50.00 USD - monthly Option 9 : $60.00 USD - monthly Option 10 : $75.00 USD - monthly

To send in your donation, please do so to the following address:

John Sanidopoulos
PO Box 320284
West Roxbury, MA 02132

Third Finding of the Honorable Head of Saint John the Baptist: Epistle and Gospel Reading

Third Finding of the Honorable Head of Saint John the Baptist

May 25

Matins Gospel Reading

Gospel According to Luke 7:17-30

English

At that time, the report concerning Jesus spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. The disciples of John told him of all these things. And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me."

When the messengers of John had gone, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." When they heard this all the people and the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John; but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

Sixth Monday after Pascha: Epistle and Gospel Reading

 Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.
Psalm 103.4,1
Who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God you are very great.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 17:1-9

English

In those days, when the apostles had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this. And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Sunday of the Blind Man: Epistle and Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

 Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Mode Plagal 1.
Psalm 11.7,1
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 16:16-34

English

In those days, as we apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice." The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's fetters were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, "Men, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

Sermon for the Sunday When the Gospel of the Blind is Read (St. Sebastian Dabovich)

By St. Sebastian Dabovich

(Read first the ninth chapter of St. John)

His is the Gospel for today. What lesson have we to learn on this day? We must find the substance in these words, and feed on it, for it is spiritual food. When we have digested this Divine food, it will be assimilated with our natures, and our humanity will become purer, brighter, stronger, yea—and perpetual, so long as it lives with the Word of God, for hath not the Savior Himself said when the devil tempted Him who hungered in the wilderness: That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God? So then, have we considered the Gospel while being read? If so, we find that the principal subject of it is the miracle which was worked by our Lord Jesus Christ. Next, we observe the man who was the object of the miracle, and finally we get a perspective of the condition. The circumstances which surrounded this miracle were most unfavorable for the blind man's confirmation in the faith, although he succeeded against such materialistic odds, and likewise for an open manifestation of the glory of the Wonder-worker Himself, yet the greatness of which became the more conspicuous as passion-bound opinions, systems and classes strived to overcome or, in the least, to belittle it. When I stop to meditate, it seems that I am transported to the green hills of Judea, where the common folk of both hill country and populous valley are all astir with lively discussions in the midst of their every-day duties, as in their homes they go about to and fro, and, mind you, it is all about religion and politics; religion first and politics after—insomuch as it is related with the proud nature of a people, who boasted of being the chosen race of God, who expected His messenger, and were to be ruled by none other than the Messiah Himself, unto all ages. It was a day of expectations, indeed. The intellect of the masses had been sharpened to a turning point. The very “times” themselves were full with signs. Everybody was inquiring. The people willingly divided themselves into two sets: those that taught and those that were taught. The nearer that some of them had gotten to the truth, the more danger there was of taking falsehood for the truth, and thereby more danger of two blind men falling into one pit. Passions, although with a semblance of a higher quality, yet human and materialistic, ruled the hour. In such a midst Christ, the only true teacher of men, had come. No one condemned false doctrine so energetically as this teacher had done, and no one had taught with such invincible strength and power as He did. Now the whole company of teachers arose against this One, and, notwithstanding their divisions, they knew how to agree in one and the same decision which suited them all, and that was: That He led the multitude astray (John vii: 12), He speaketh blasphemies (Luke v: 21), He pervertelh our nation (Luke xxiii. 2), and, at the end, for His teaching said they: He is worthy of death (Matt. xxvi. 66). But they could not destroy the work of Him, whom they hated, for the people did see in Him The Great Prophet (Luke vii: 16). Above His calling as a teacher, He had the merits of a miracle worker. What now could His angry enemies do or say against this?