This is an insightful book. As I have read it I greatly appreciated the author's illustrations, the quotations, and the insights into the behaviors and reactions that I see in myself and those around me. It is well worth reading.

So far, I am loving this. As a former Baptist who is pursuing the Orthodox faith, the author is very relatable and addresses everything that I currently wonder coming from an evangelical background as he did. Definitely a must read for anyone who wants to know the "why" behind the Orthodox ways. Totally explains the history and reasoning behind liturgy. Love this book! Seems like it was written for me.

This is perhaps one of the most important recordings of Byzantine liturgical chant in English produced to date for two reasons: first, it presents this rich musical tradition artistically sung in modern English and second, it provides a rich body of texts concerning the mystery of death and paradise generally unfamiliar to Western culture.

For those of us who use English as our first language, Fr. Apostolos Hill and his supporting singers give a truly prayerful and artistic performance, letting us experience these ancient chants with a refreshing immediacy. The singing captures the Greek vocal style and ornamentation of the vocal lines while preserving a pristine clarity of the texts. The musical clothing of the vernacular flows naturally and convincingly. The musical effect as a whole is soothing and suitable for private meditation.

However, it is the nature and scope of the texts themselves that provide the listener from Western religious traditions with new theological approaches to the mystery of death and resurrection. The Orthodox funeral service presents images that are significantly different from Catholic and Protestant celebrations in ways that are both complementary and challenging. For instance, the hymns of St. John of Damascus form a meditation on the immediate feelings of separation and fear of death experienced by the surviving family and friends of one who has recently died. While Western liturgies tend to focus on the deceased being welcomed in the heavenly community of saints and angels, these intensely pastoral Orthodox texts address the immediate feelings of pain, sorrow, and confusion experienced by the survivors.

The accompanying texts included with the CD are of outstanding quality. They very clearly outline a theology of death and paradise in a way comprehensible to those who may have no connection with Eastern Christianity or even a basic formation in any form of Christianity. Particularly effective is the explanation of Paradise as the original blissful state created by God for humanity, and also as the goal and promise for those who live by faith.

Best book I've read in a long time

OK

This is a great book to read on how a layperson can apply the ways of Orthodox monastic life to their own life in the modern world.
It's easy to read, and like the author mentioned at the beginning where people would read the Ladder of Divine Ascent during Lent, the chapters are short that makes it easy to read a chapter a day during Lent.

A great book from great author.

A quality-made little prayer book. I like the design, easy to read fonts, and the material used for the cover. Papvassiliou and Ancient Faith have done it again! What a great gift idea for your family and friends. So handy, you may want to have a copy for each room of the house. What a great way to encourage you to pray. Thank you for this book!

A quality-made little prayer book. I like the design, easy to read fonts, and the material used for the cover. Papvassiliou and Ancient Faith have done it again! What a great gift idea for your family and friends. So handy, you may want to have a copy for each room of the house. What a great way to encourage you to pray. Thank you for this book!

Another great little book from Papvassiliou! I so enjoy his style and easy to read descriptions about our 12 Great Feasts. These "meditation" series are fast reading and helpful to me as I learn more about each Feast and why we celebrate them. I believe this book can be a good tool to introduce your friends, who may want to learn more about Orthodoxy and the Feasts. Glory to God for All things.

Wonderful book.

Many prayers in modern English (no Thy, Thou, Thee, etc.) for many situations. Only suggestion was to better categorize some of the prayers (example one Departed prayer would be better be on the the Departed Chapter, and not the chapter after) or a chapter just for Psalms. A minor observation, and still great to have on hand in a life in Prayer.

A beautiful book, so inspirational! thank you Jonathan for writing it...

Awesome!!!

Great

An excellent and profound examination of the Book of Revelation. This book explains all of the symbolism contained in the last book of the Scriptures. It's easy to read and well documented. Highly recommend if you're looking to completely understand the "sometimes" hard to understand language of this biblical and spiritual book called the bible, especially Revelations. This book is like a key to the secrets of the Kingdom of God.

The best review I can give is one that is already well known about it and probably on the book itself... It is so non-judgemental in its approach that even lesbian professors teach from it. However, just because its not mean, doesnt mean that it skirts or downplays the christian perspective. We have given this book over 10 times to religious friends (catholic, protestant and even non-religious) that are struggling with friends and family members that are questioning their sexual identity. Great book.

It is one of the best books I have ever read. Simple, engaging and transforming, I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to know themselves better and wants to make a difference in this world by becoming a healing presence.

This book is so good !!! I want to buy copies for all my friends and family!!

I’ll be honest. It was not a quick sell for me, “A Gift for Matthew”.

“But the illustrations are world class” I said to myself. And it’s a topic near and dear to me, ICONS; my career, my vocation, my ministry. Surely I can get on board with a book such as this.

But I had trouble being enthused.

You see, there are many ways to make an Orthodox Christian icon. The truth is there are factions within the Orthodox liturgical art world. I had concerns that this book was presenting a singular method of icon creation as representative of all methods. And this method is not necessarily mine.

But I didn’t give up on this book. I could see this book was made with pure love both in the writing and illustration. It was a book worth contemplating. Besides, how could I expect a single, simple, children’s book to encompass all the intricacies and varieties of Orthodox icon making, let alone my esoteric concerns!?

Then the epiphany struck that allows me to praise this book, whole heartedly. “A Gift for Matthew” captures a truth broader than any esoteric sub-faction squabble of iconographic methodology.

This book captures the joy of creating! Amen.
Matthew discovered the joy of being a creative being! Matthew’s discovery is a great and perfect thing! It’s a discovery readers might be nudged into themselves by reading “A Gift for Matthew”. I hope so!

We are all created in the image of our creator. Our Creator creates! We find our true selves when we find our own creativity...just as Matthew did!

“A Gift for Matthew,” the fruit of the collaboration of Nick Muzekari (author) and Masha Lobastov (illustrator), is a wonderful introduction to the world of iconography for a young audience.

My family and I have had the privilege of knowing Nick and his family for the past year or so through the Antiochian Orthodox parish of St. Philip’s Church (Souderton, PA). As relatively recent, yet serious inquirers into Orthodoxy, we are always on the lookout for resources that will help clarify and explain various aspects of the Orthodox Faith, especially for our three kids (ages 6 and below).

And this wonderfully illustrated, charming story effectively introduces the Orthodox practice of writing icons and the theology or “theory” behind it.
In the story, a young boy, Matthew, visits a monastery with his mother, and spends the day with a monk, Brother Justin (and his cat, Paizousa), as he goes through the various stages of writing an icon of St. Seraphim, and then, of the Theotokos. Through Matthew’s experience under Brother Justin’s tutelage, the reader is introduced to such things as the kinds of paint used to make icons, the prayerful, contemplative nature of icon writing, and the typological connection between icon colors and the created order.

Most importantly, younger readers are given a picture of a person (Matthew) they can identify with who is excited about the making and use of icons. At the end of the story, Matthew is presented with a surprise gift, an icon of St. Matthew the Evangelist, and his excitement is apparent! While more subtle, perhaps, the setting of the story in a trip to a monastery introduces the monastic side of Orthodoxy and may stimulate interest in and questions about that in young readers.

This book has been a welcome companion in our attempt to introduce icons into our home and our kids’ lives. The organic nature of the story and the illustrations makes it very relatable, and resonates with how “natural,” how instinctive, our kids’ reactions have been to icons, to identifying with images of our Lord, the Theotokos, their patron Saints, and various biblical images.
It should be said, too—and this is by no means a critique of “A Gift for Matthew”—that this book is not intended to introduce the practical use or veneration of icons as such, whether at home or in church. Perhaps we could hope to see a companion book appear in which Matthew takes a trip to church—on the Sunday of Orthodoxy perhaps—and experiences icons in an explicitly liturgical setting!

In sum, if you or someone you know has younger children who would welcome and benefit from an introduction to iconography, by all means avail yourself of this charming story!