Sound, practical advice along with deep spiritual background for being a healing presence to others. Highly recommended.

This is a fantastic book!

Abbot Tryphon writes very well about the experience of Orthodox life. I recommend this book as a daily reading source.

Thank you, Father Andrew, for explaining the One Holy Apostolic Faith in such an explicit, yet succinct manner. I will definitely recommend your book to family and friends - both Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.

Meditations for Pascha is the fourth book in a series by Fr. Vassilios Papavassiliou. The previous three were Meditations for Advent, Meditations for Great Lent, and Meditations for Holy Week. The book begins by discussing the meaning of the week which follows Pascha, also known as Bright Week or Renewal Week. There are three themes for this week - water, light, and renewal. It is in this week that we celebrate all things being made new by Christ's Resurrection. We also begin to get hints of Pentecost, despite it still being more than a month away. The rest of the book dedicates individual chapters to the weeks that follow Pascha, like Thomas Week; Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, Week of the Blind Man, etc.Thomas Sunday was an interesting read. For starters, it is also known as Antipascha, not because it is in opposition to Pascha, but "instead of Pascha." On the Sunday of Pascha, in the evening, there is a Vespers service called the "Agape Vespers." In this service, the Church hears about the first post-Resurrection appearance of Jesus. If people are unable to make it to this service, then the following Sunday, known as "Thomas Sunday," they can hear about Thomas seeing the Risen Lord. Therefore, some of the Church is like Thomas in that he wasn't present when all the others first saw Jesus after his Resurrection. Little things like this are what makes the Orthodox calendar so awesome.Another section, I particularly liked is the Week of the Paralytic. We all know this Gospel story from John. There was a man who lay at the pool of Bethesda who was paralyzed for 38 years. An angel would go down and stir the waters, and the first person who went in the water was cured. However, for 38 years, someone always went into the water before him, so he never was healed until Jesus came and healed the man Himself. Instead of focusing on the paralytic, Fr. Papavassiliou focuses on those around the man and compares them to us. We are all suffering from some sort of spiritual illness or paralysis. We may try and do good for our neighbors and help them when it's convenient for us. But what about when it comes down to us or them? Will we choose them over us? We like to think so, but unfortunately we are usually selfish and think only of ourselves.This was another superb book of meditations by Fr. Papavassiliou. I believe there is one more book coming out in this series on the Twelve Great Feasts. After that, I believe the series will be done. I'm not sure the ins and outs of publishing and what kind of response is needed to merit a new printing of a book, but if possible, I think combining all of these Meditations books in a nice leatherette edition would be a nice idea, especially if it is the same quality as The Ancient Faith Prayer Book.

Excellent book. Chapter 5 and after put it all together.

I have been familiar with these Fr. Farley study guides and am pleased with their Biblical insight. The scripture is translated from the earliest and best manuscripts and then follows the explanations and a discussion of the actual Greek nouns and verbs used to relate the true meaning of the words. I have all the Farley study guides and have read the four Gospels. The insight provided is an absolute must for Bible readers. On to Acts next!

A clear and concise treatise that deconstructs some of the patently bad theology and doctrine we all were taught in the Western Church and replaces it with the ancient Christian view of the universe that is compatible with the immanence of the Word in creation, the indwelling presence of the Spirit in us, and the reality of the "cloud of witnesses" surrounding us all.

Love the read. Easy to digest. You will finish it in 2-3 days tops as you cannot put it down.

I have read it twice on my Kindle paperwhite a work. The book has a healing presence to me. Just maybe God can use me to help others. Reading on a Kindle is wonderful. You are all to yourself, no one knows what you are reading and you can be in a roomful of people.Great for Lent!

A friend lent me this book and thus introduced me to Orthodoxy. Gallatin starts with his personal experiences as an evangelical minister and the void he felt in spite of being a church leader. I shared many of his misgivings. Then he goes into explanations of why some of the bigger sticking points for protestants--e.g. the veneration of the Theotokos and icons--are not as heretical as they may have assumed from their vague knowledge of Roman practice.

It's a very good prayer book, but I wonder why the prayer to the Holy Spirit does not always precede the Trisagion prayers?
I also would like to have the midnight prayer to the Theotokos included in the same style as the other translations. The early evening prayers should not be referred to as Vespers.
I did not know that the basilisk was indigenous to ancient Israel, or that we judged God, but rather He was blameless in His judgements.
Inspite of my laymen criticism, I recommend the prayer book. I use it and considering ordering the leather bound edition, but I'll wait for the new, improved,version.

A great read for anyone who wants to really understand what this Gospel is saying. Perfect for both beginners (people who have never actually read the Bible) and even some real gems and reflections in here for "experts" as well.

Includes a more literal english translation of every verse meant to be understandable for anyone at any level. The verses are broken up into groups of 1 to 10 at a time, followed by a paragraph or two for each verse. It really "opens up" the book to you in a way you can more easily digest and understand.

Following Egeria, written by Fr. Lawrence Farley, is a unique commentary on the Holy Land, its history, and the state of its holy places today. The book gets its name from a fourth century text written by a pilgrim now known as Egeria. Using Egeria's journey as a road map, Fr. Lawrence paints a picture of his own pilgrimage that is both arresting and informational. Each section begins with an excerpt from Egeria's account detailing a specific holy site and introducing an early example of Christian piety and practice. Fr. Lawrence explains, from there, his experience traveling to the holy site, its present state, its history, and anecdote or two about his experience. He often comments on the Roman Catholic and Orthodox cathedrals that sit next to one another in such sites, how they differ, and their specific claim to fame.Early on in the book, Fr. Lawrence comments on the human desire for certainty. He writes that, 'Piety wants to touch the actual spot where sacred events occurred . . . ' and for many pilgrims, uncertainty is 'too much for their piety to bear.' He notes, however, that, 'varying degrees of certainty can actually aid our faith and maturity . . . piety cannot feed on scholarship. But the cautions of scholarship can still serve to remind the pious that our hope lies not in the accuracy of our pious pilgrimage, but in our faith in God and in His mercy. It reminds us that we are saved, not by ascertaining the authentic and accurate route of the Via Dolorosa, but by trusting in Christ . . .' (40, 41). Fr. Lawrence continues this theme of certainty throughout the book, unveiling the erroneousness of certain claims (such as the Via Dolorosa, which, he comments, only intersects a possible route taken by Christ somewhere near the Holy Sepulchre) using history, scripture, and archaeology.While Fr. Lawrence certainly suggests that a visit to the Holy Land is 'worth it,' he also mentions that, 'holiness is not the special gift of the Holy Land. No one will find God there who did not carry Him with him in his heart when he arrived, and if God is not encountered at home, He is perhaps not any more likely to be found in Palestine . . . Holiness is no easier to attain there than at home' (179).Though I was skeptical at first, wondering why anyone would care to read a book about someone else's journey to the Holy Land, Fr. Lawrence completely won me over. This book is a gem'worth reading if you plan on visiting the Holy Land or not. Just as Fr. Lawrence explains his visit to the Holy Land as adding a 'dimension of depth to [his] previous years of Scripture reading,' this book does the same; it turned the knob on my 'blurry image' of the Holy Land'and how it relates to what we read in scripture'and brought everything into 'clearer focus' (170). Fr. Lawrence comments on this himself with the 'actual distance between Golgotha and the Tomb, the distance and depth across the Kidron Valley, [and] the distance from the Old City to Gethsemane, the location of the pool north of the city where the Assyrians challenged Hezekiah' (170). Though I was not with Fr. Lawrence on his pilgrimage, I feel like I travelled with him; his vivid descriptions and unparalleled explanations make the book a lucid journey from your reading corner to the Holy Land.Finally, throughout the book, Fr. Lawrence makes a number of stellar similes, comparisons, and contrasts. He makes one such contrast between the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: the Wailing Wall is approachable only by Jews, only Muslims can enter the Dome of the Rock, but all can enter and experience the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, within which the Stone of Anointing is often found miraculously wet with myrrh (myrrh-streaming). He writes,Here then is the basic difference between modern Judaism and Islam on the one hand, and Christianity on the other: in Christianity alone one can come and find daily miracles, a place where God is not simply up above, the distant recipient of prayer offered at a wall or in a mosque, but here with us now, sacramentally and miraculously. In Christ alone, God is with us, and He acts and saves, and transforms, and heals. He is active here and now in our midst: changing bread and wine into His Body and Blood, using water to bestow forgiveness and new birth, giving holy fire to those who wait for Him every Pascha, and pouring out his grace. . .. . . Here [the myrrh-streaming stone of anointing] is a miracle, a true outpouring of grace'and one that is available for everyone who comes, be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or anything else. Unlike the entry to the Temple Mount, here no one searched us for weapons. No one stood at the door telling people they could not enter unless they were Christian. Christ died for all, even those standing and swaying at the Wailing Wall, even for those removing their shoes to enter their exclusive mosques, and every one of them was freed to come and pray and find the bountiful, flowing grace.The Stone of Anointing is the first thing one sees as one enters the Church of the Sepulcher, and I wonder if perhaps this is not why the Providence of God causes this stone to flow with myrrh, rather than the top of Golgotha or the Tomb. It must be daunting for a devout Muslim or a Jew to enter this place, for in this church they might feel very out of place. Yet here at the very door they would find a divine welcome'a fragrant gift, an outpouring of love. Such myrrh and love do not flow at the Wailing Wall, nor in the mosques of Temple Mount. They do flow here. Unlike the Wall and the Dome, this is not just a building. It is the true House of the living God.Following Egeria, published by Ancient Faith Publishing, is a quick (180 pages), and delightful read. It is a journey on which you will certainly learn something. I highly recommend it. It is one I will use, for years to come, as a reference for the holy sites of the Holy Land.This review was originally published on www.BenCabe.com

This is a tender and beautiful story about repentance and Christ's unfailing patience and love for us. The illustrations are playful and full of light, and you and your child will enjoy recognizing many of the saints depicted at the end of the book. A book you will love to read to them!

this is a wonderful inspiring story.

It left me wanting more. I am a new convert to Orthodoxy, and this certainly helped me to understand the ways of the ancient church. I found myself shaking my head in agreement with much of what I read. Thanks for sharing your work with us Fr. I hope to read more of your work soon!

As a convert to Orthodoxy this artist found iconography the perfect painterly practice. Then I got a little uneasy with the confines and my spiritual advisor, a Bishop, told me "You don't have to paint icons all the time." That's been a hard one to sort out for me -- secular vs. sacred art. This young man provides me some very useful direction. I've bought several copies of the book to share with my artist friends.

A great in depth study.

I completed this book early in the morning, reclining in my bed. The author has allowed me to see places in my heart that heretofore were not visible to me. If there's any chance it might have this gracious effect for you, do not delay in reading it. Glory to God for all things!