ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Synaxis of All Saints of Messenia

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 30, 2017

Synaxis of All Saints of Messenia

On the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers, the Church celebrates the memory of all those Saints who are associated with Messenia, a district of the southwestern Peloponnese. The twelve Saints who are celebrated are:

1. Holy Apostle Caesar, First Bishop of Koroni (Dec. 8)

2. Saint Athanasios, Patriarch of Constantinople, whose relic is kept in the Church of Saint Constantine in Androusa. (Oct. 28)

3. Saint Nephon, Patriarch of Constantinople (Aug. 11)

4. Saint Athanasios, Bishop of Methoni (Dec. 10)

5. Saint Agathokles, Bishop of Koroni (Sept. 9)

6. Saint John, Bishop of Messene (July 13 or the first Sunday after)

7. Holy Great Martyr Xenia of Kalamata (May 3)

8. Venerable Martyr Elias of Ardounis (Jan. 31 and the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers)

9. Venerable Martyr Theophanes (June 8)

10. Saint Theodore of Koroni (May 12)

11. Saint Hierotheos the New of Iveron (Sept. 13)

12. Saint Leo of Methoni (May 12)

Meglynarion

Rejoice Messenia which in Christ, bloomed forth wondrously, twelve Saints, that day and night, richly intercede fervently, for her children in the heavens, that they may partake of grace.