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.



January 13, 2021

Three Prayers For Every Orthodox Christian Household


Prayer When We Light an Oil Lamp 
or a Candle In Our Homes

Let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

Prayer When We Light Incense In Our Homes

Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord.

We offer you this incense, Christ our God, as a fragrant spiritual aroma; accept it upon your heavenly altar, and send down upon us the Grace of Your All-Holy Spirit.

Prayer When We Drink Holy Water

Lord make this to be for me a source of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a deliverance from sins, an averting of diseases, to be unapproachable by hostile powers, filled with angelic strength.

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ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ ΟΤΑΝ ΑΝΑΒΟΥΜΕ ΤΟ ΚΑΝΔΗΛΙ 
Ἢ ΕΝΑ ΚΕΡΙ ΣΤΟ ΣΠΙΤΙ ΜΑΣ

Οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ἡμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ἡμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα καὶ δοξάσωσιν τὸν Πατέρα ἡμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ ΟΤΑΝ ΘΥΜΙΑΤΙΖΟΥΜΕ ΣΤΟ ΣΠΙΤΙ

Κατευθυνθήτω ἡ προσευχή μου ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν σου· ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν μου θυσία ἑσπερινή, εἰσάκουσόν με, Κύριε.

Θυμίαμά σοι προσφέρομεν, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας πνευματικῆς· ὃ προσδεξάμενος εἰς τὸ ὑπερουράνιόν σου Θυσιαστήριον, ἀντικατάπεμψον ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν τοῦ Παναγίου σου Πνεύματος.

ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ ΟΤΑΝ ΠΙΝΟΥΜΕ ΑΓΙΑΣΜΟΝ

Κύριε, ποίησον αὐτὸ καὶ δι᾿ ἐμὲ «Ἀφθαρσίας πηγήν, ἁγιασμοῦ δῶρον, ἁμαρτημάτων λυτήριον, νοσημάτων ἀλεξιτήριον, δαίμοσιν ὀλέθριον, ταῖς ἐναντίαις δυνάμεσιν ἀπρόσιτον, ἀγγελικῆς ἰσχύος πεπληρωμένον».
 
 
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