A very inspiring history that underscores the validity and importance of this singular miracle. Is it not significant that there is only one miracle which is firmly locked in time and space, so to speak, and that it occurs in the very heart of the Church, right at that point where the world was redeemed, and not in any other place? We are given many less public miracles of a more personal nature, to guide and inspire us, but this one stands out as a bold reminder that we are One Body, and that all--not just some--are called to salvation.

The heavy cloak of modernity makes it hard to see miracles even when they occur in broad daylight, and just as hard to retain their significance in our hearts. So it is quite wonderful to have this book as a solid reminder that the holy fire has persisted across centuries, under many circumstances even more challenging than our own.

It is filled with compelling and inspiring stories which go straight to one's heart, filling it with a very robust feeling of being alive in Christ.

This ornament is beautiful, but I didn’t realize that it was a round hollow disc, about 1” thick and 3” in diameter, made of some kind of plastic material. I thought it was a glass ball with a little concave flattened side with the icon. It’s still lovely and looks beautiful on our tree, doesn’t look cheap at all, and is definitely lighter and less breakable than it would have been if glass, so all in all it’s probably better this way. But just different than I was expecting. Still, lovely!

Great assortment of cards!

Beautiful Christmas is a charming and delightful coloring book. The images evoke not only familiar icons recalling images from the life of the Most Holy Theotokos and Nativity but also include other traditional Christmas and winter-themed pages, puzzles, and games. The cover is nice and heavy and the pages suitably thick enough for markers and watercolors. The bookbinding is quite tight, making it a little challenging for little ones to open and hold the book flat. We solved this problem by taking the coloring book to an office store and having them rebind it as a spiral— lays perfectly flat now!

Although, I did not personally have some of the same experiences as Lydia, I do remember having many of the same feelings of the struggle of being in between childhood and womanhood. This young lady felt she had been left behind as her family found Orthodoxy when she was not sure of her faith at all. I journeyed with her as she dealt with her feelings about a friend’s pregnancy, the relationship with her family, specifically her mother, new friendships at college, and her own personal tragedy. Through it all, I was there listening, to the beautiful and wise words of Saint Lydia, to whom she writes. My heart broke with Lydia’s, and leapt with hers. I experienced the ups and downs with her as I listened to her story. Saint Lydia’s words of understanding, support, and encouragement are those any young person trying to navigate their way in this world should hear. This book is a gentle reminder for me to continually look toward the saints for wisdom and love.

I received a free book credit in return for an honest review.

Absolutely beautiful ornament. It arrived in perfect condition, and it beautifies our tree wonderfully!

This is a well-paced, clear and accessible resource that draws extensively on the historical context and the personal experience of worship, to connect both the historic Jewish and early Christian forms of worship to contemporary Orthodox liturgics. Its style and performance make it possible to be understood by a wide variety of listeners.

This is a collection of one hundred prayers written by St Nikolaj from when he was serving as Bishop of Ohrid in Macedonia, with the Serbian Orthodox Church. This book was first published in 1922, and the prayers speak to the modern world. The Lake in the title is Lake Ohrid.

St. John Maximovitch called St Nikolaj a modern day Chrysostom (for my non-Orthdox friends, St John Chrysostom is a 4th Century saint known for his eloquence, the power and beauty and truth of his words).

The prayers here are wide ranging, and many are very modern. They speak to the struggles of remaining faithful in the face of ridicule from the modern world. When we know so much from our scientific endeavors, why bother with God? Why remain faithful?

From the 17th prayer-
They fly through the air and arrogantly say: "By ourselves we have created wings for ourselves, where is your God?" But I ask them: "Who gave you the idea of wings and flying if not the birds, which you did not create?"
Yet see what happens when You open their eyes to their own frailty! When irrational creatures show them their monstrous power; when their mind becomes filled with wonder at the starry towers, that stand in space without pillars or foundations; when their heart becomes filled with fear of their own frailty and insanity--then, in shame and humility, they stretch out their arms toward You and cry: "Holy Mighty!"
It's a beautiful and powerful collection. One that I'll be returning to, I am sure. The prayers here are full of great teaching on how we should orient ourselves in relation to God and the world around us.
Here is another line that particularly stuck with me, from the 41st prayer-


"False fasting accompanies false hope, just as no fasting accompanies hopelessness.

But just as a wheel follows behind a wheel, so true fasting follows true hope."

I was a bit wary of this book - I tend to listen to audio books in the car on my commute, and is that the best place for prayer? You pray along with this book - you can't help it. But like the monk who asked his abbot, "Father, is it permitted to smoke while praying?" "no." "Father, is it permitted to pray while smoking?" "Of course." - Our modern lives have us stuck behind the wheel - it shouldn't be the only place we pray, but while we are there, if we do pray, isn't that good?

This is a very good offering to those who are interested in the Orthodox Church. The author does a very good job at presenting a very good foundation of Orthodox Teaching in a manner that is accessible for any inquirer or Orthodox believer. I found the Author was particularly successful in address how modern psychology and Orthodoxy might differ and align on specific issues. The chapter on the thoughts and Logosmi was particularly good. This is often an area where many people have difficulty in understanding how the Orthodox Church views both the mind, heart and the inner tension of living a life that strives towards sanctification. I would recommend this Audiobook to anyone who is interested in Orthodoxy but may not be familiar with the technical aspects of Theology or the Liturgical practices of the Orthodox Church. I found this Audiobook to be done very well. The recording and presentation by the narrator was very good.

We were in the Holy Land just last year, and so the photos meant a lot to us. I think the calendar layout in the church seasons will be helpful, too. We really like the calendar!

This is a very good offering to those who are interested in the Orthodox Church. The author does a very good job at presenting a very good foundation of Orthodox Teaching in a manner that is accessible for any inquirer or Orthodox believer. I found the Author was particularly successful in address how modern psychology and Orthodoxy might differ and align on specific issues. The chapter on the thoughts and Logosmi was particularly good. This is often an area where many people have difficulty in understanding how the Orthodox Church views both the mind, heart and the inner tension of living a life that strives towards sanctification. I would recommend this Audiobook to anyone who is interested in Orthodoxy but may not be familiar with the technical aspects of Theology or the Liturgical practices of the Orthodox Church. I found this Audiobook to be done very well. The recording and presentation by the narrator was very good.

Thank you Ancient Faith the opportunity to review Beautiful Christmas in exchange for a review!

I wanted to review this book with my developmentally delayed special needs daughter because coloring is very beneficial for developing creativity as well as fine-motor skills.

I love the wide variety of coloring pages. Some pictures have larger coloring spaces making it easier for those who are younger or have less developed fine motor skills and need a bigger space to practice staying in the lines. Others are more detailed with smaller spaces and delicate designs that require more patience and fine motor skill to complete.

Along with variations in the coloring spaces and details, we discovered icon coloring pages, coloring pages for St. Nicholas, St. Lucia, and Gabriel as well as some wonderful general Christmas pictures such as Christmas trees. These pages were tucked in with Orthodox Christmas scenes such as Mary and Joseph setting out on the journey to Bethlehem, the animals in the cave, the wise men, and even the flight into Egypt.

The quality of the coloring book is excellent! It has a very sturdy cover. My one complaint though is that the binding makes it difficult for the book to lay flat for coloring. I just bent it back to loosen the binding to help it lay more flat. This made it easier for Supergirl to color the pages on the left.

My daughter was excited when she found pages to color about St. Nicholas and she said the coloring book reminded her of Christmas Eve.

Beautiful Christmas also includes mazes and "find the difference" activities. making it more than just a coloring book. Despite my complaint about not laying flat, I still rate this as 5 stars and believe this would make an excellent gift for your child, grandchild or godchild!

Great, inspirational stories about (mostly) regular people striving to lead holy lives.

Beautiful. Kontakion is perfect for this card.

Recently, I listened to the audiobook version of “Orthodox Worship: A Living Continuity with the Synagogue, the Temple, and the Early Church” written by Benjamin S. Williams and the late Harold B. Anstall, as read by Deacon Kenneth Timothy, and published by Ancient Faith Publishing.
This book is a wonderful resource for people new to the Orthodox Faith. The six plus hours of the audio book traces Orthodox Christian worship from the revealed worship of the Jewish people through the worship of the earliest Church, through the history of the changes in the circumstances of the Church and the corresponding changes in the worship of the Church, ending with a painstakingly thorough explanation of the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. Anyone who wants to understand the beauty and meaning of the worship of the Orthodox Church needs to either read or listen to this book.

Love this prayer rope!

Beautiful!

I think it is well written, easy to share with young children.

We love our new Icon of Saint Euphrosynos the Cook.
This “window to heaven” is inspiring and truly graces our kitchen!

Amazing book, May our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ bless you and your parish. Pray for us always. In Christ.