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.



June 12, 2020

Saint Onuphry of Malsk and Pskov (+ 1492)

St. Onuphry of Malsk and Pskov (Feast Day - June 12)

Venerable Onuphry was a disciple of Euphrosynus of Pskov. Having secluded himself on Sennoy Island, located on Lake Malsk, he founded a monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God at Malsk, four versts from Izborsk and 56 versts from Pskov.

The Saint died on June 12, 1592 and was buried in the Nativity Church, in a chapel named for him.

The memory of Saint Onuphry is also celebrated on the so-called “Malsk Sunday,” the first Sunday after the Saints Peter and Paul Fast. In ancient times, abundant snow fell on this day, from which all crops and plants could die, but through the prayers of Saint Onuphry, the snow melted quickly without causing any harm, and this year the harvest was larger than before. Since then, they have established an annual celebration in memory of this miracle.



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