Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



April 5, 2015

The Annual Palm Sunday Reception of the Holy Cross from Mount Athos to Petrokerasa

A portion of the True Cross from Xeropotamou Monastery

The most important, significant and holiest event in the religious life of the people of Petrokerasa, is when the Holy Cross from Xeropotamou Monastery in Mount Athos is brought to this village in the region of Thessaloniki.

For three centuries (since 1753) the Holy Cross has come to this village every year, departing on the Saturday of Lazarus, accompanied by at least two Athonite monks and by the ecclesiastical delegation of the village that goes to the Monastery for this purpose.

The cause and occasion for the Holy Cross first being brought to Petrokerasa was a tragic life and death circumstance for the people of Petrokerasa, because a terrible infectious disease broke out and affected the entire village, which came after a devastating earthquake and aftershocks that lasted one and a half months. At that time a delegation of the village was sent to Xeropotamou Monastery to plead with the fathers of the Monastery for help. Indeed the Holy Cross was sent to the village and saved Petrokerasa and its inhabitants from extinction and then, out of gratitude, they began to invite the Holy Cross back to the village annually.

Thousands of pilgrims arrive at the village on Palm Sunday to venerate the Holy Cross, at the reception of which is present all the Authorities of the Prefecture and Region.

Since September of 2007, a new arrival for the Holy Cross to the village was established, during the week of the feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable Cross (September 14th), as an extension and renewal of this sacred custom of the annual reception on Palm Sunday, because in recent years the Holy Cross does not remain in the village for as many days as it used to, but it departs on Holy and Great Monday.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Reception of the Holy Cross in 1930

Reception of the Holy Cross in 2012
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