The year was 1985. Little did I know my prayer would be answered 40 years later!

We had new neighbors down the street. Mike and J.J. Vigil had moved out of state. In their place were new Filipino neighbors, Malcolm and Douglas MacLean.  Malcolm was my younger brother, Eric's age. Douglas was younger and the first one to start the Tamiya obsession in our neighborhood when he bought the Grasshopper, a 1/10 scale remote control buggy. These were the types of R/C cars that required you to build everything from boxes and bags of parts and required lots of tuning and you painted them yourself. They would take easily 6 hours to build with a father's help.

Some of my brothers friends, Scott and Jeff, also got Grasshoppers. But Malcolm eventually got the Hornet, which came out later that year, which was a supercharged version of the Grasshopper. Eric followed, as did some others. 

I watched and learned, and I fell in love with the Frog, known as the Mighty Frog in Japan, where Tamiya originated. It came out in 1984 but was more expensive and more complicated than either the Grasshopper or the Hornet. Unfortunately, it was too expensive and I never got the Frog. Instead, eventually, when visiting my cousin, Dana Genereaux, in 1985, who was my brother's age and also had a Hornet, I got the Pajero, pronounced Pah-Hair-Oh, but I mistakenly pronounced it Puh-Jer-Row. Looking through my cousin's catalogues and magazines, I still wanted that Frog, as it was the best looking RC buggy in my eyes. 

Forty years later similar things happened again. Tamiya still makes these rc cars but have updated the technology over the last four decades. My youngest son, Cyril, wanted the Candy Lime Green Edition of the Grasshopper, and it was a hit. My younger son, Daniel, soon decided that he wanted the Black Edition Grasshopper II, which was a reimagined version of the Grasshopper, that was the equivalent of the Super Hornet, a souped-up version of the original Hornet. Watching the enjoyment Cyril got in building and bashing his car, he wanted to have that same enjoyment. I got them all the best hop-ups to make sure they had the best of the updated features available from both Tamiya and small third-party companies.

Then the moment came. My boys wanted me to get an RC car too, so I could race with them, against their new rc buggies. I eventually agreed, and got a Tamiya Frog re-release as an early birthday and Father's Day gift. I took my time building it over 3 weeks and finally got a chance to drive my dream buggy, forty years later! 

Sometimes God says no to your prayers, but it is, "No, not now, but maybe someday later." I am thankful for this blessing that came 40 years later and is even more appreciated than it would have been back in the day. 

You can see more photos on my instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/vhaidrasaga/

American Christian Nationalism?

American Christian Nationalism is coming up in the news a lot lately. But what does the Church have to say about this movement that seems to have its root in the heresy of phyletism and tribalism? Here are the five Orthodox Christian articles that I was able to find on this pertinent subject that address this from the point of view and instruction from the Orthodox Church Fathers and saints. 

For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church published as an official position statement by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Endorsed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the New Rome, and All Holy Athos. 




Nationalism is Not Christian by Father Theodore Bobosh of Saint Paul Orthodox Church in the OCA: Orthodox Christian Church in America & regular contributor at OrthoChristian.com. I see this article has been shared on many sites in the Orthodox online world. 




Christian Nationalism [PART ONE], [PART TWO], & [PART THREE] by Father William Olnhausen, of Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church. This blog post has also shared on many other sites, but as with the above, I wanted to share the link to the original. 




Rejoicing in a Nation’s Saints—Without Nationalism by Mother Cornelia, a Russian Orthodox Christian Nun.




Orthodoxy & Nationalism by Dr. Nicholas Sooy of St. Gregory the Theologian Orthodox Church and regular writer in the Orthodox Christian periodical, Jacob's Well, a journal published by the Diocese of New York and New Jersey of the OCA: Orthodox Church in America. 

What articles have you seen about the Orthodox Church's stand on Christian Nationalism, especially the modern movement in the United States of America? 

What Septuagint (Old Testament) to Use for Study?

The Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint over the errant Masoretic Old Testament for many reasons previously mentioned in articles on this blog. See the following blog posts for more on that: 

• "Protestant Myths About the Deuterocanonical Old Testament"
  from 02 August 2010 
  
  
• "The Text of the Orthodox Bible"
  from 25 November 2010 
  
  
• "Metropolitan Isaiah: Which English Translation of the Bible Should I Use?"
  from 29 September 2011 
  
  
• "Why Orthodox Christians Prefer the Septuagint"
  from 10 March 2012 

But if you aren't fluent in Greek, then which English translation should you use for Bible study? While the Lancelot C. L. Brenton Septuagint Version is written in a poetic style like the KJV and NKJV versions of Holy Writ, it is not as good for accuracy, as beauty is the more important goal. 

After decades of studying this, and since Holy Apostles Convent has yet to make an Orthodox Old Testament or a Prophetologion, I have settled on the NETS: A New English Translation of the Septuagint translation. It uses a more wooden literal translation for better understanding like The Orthodox New Testament and The Orthodox Psalter (Psalterion), which makes it worthy for study. 

This is how the translators and editors at the Oxford University Press describe their translation:

"The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of Jewish sacred writings) is of great importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The first translation of the books of the Hebrew Bible (plus additions) into the common language of the ancient Mediterranean world made the Jewish scriptures accessible to many outside Judaism. Not only did the Septuagint become Holy Writ to Greek speaking Jews but it was also the Bible of the early Christian communities: the scripture they cited and the textual foundation of the early Christian movement.

Translated from Hebrew (and Aramaic) originals in the two centuries before Jesus, the Septuagint provides important information about the history of the text of the Bible. For centuries, scholars have looked to the Septuagint for information about the nature of the text and of how passages and specific words were understood.

For students of the Bible, the New Testament in particular, the study of the Septuagint's influence is a vital part of the history of interpretation. But until now, the Septuagint has not been available to English readers in a modern and accurate translation. The New English Translation of the Septuagint fills this gap."

As an added bonus, the version linked above is the same size as the other aforementioned books, as seen in the photo of one of my bookshelves above.  

Christ Opening the Eyes of the Blind Man through the Works of His Apostles and their Disciples

Just like previously with my physical therapist, my doctor at MyoCore (MyoFascial Release and Chiropractic) and I were talking about the stories behind the stories in the Holy Writ, such as how the reason that Jesus used dirt to make the blind man see was because the blind man was born without eyes and Christ was showing us that he was God by making human organs from the dust, like he did when he created Adam in the Garden of Eden on the sixth day. 

He, being unaware of many of these connections that fascinated by them, asked for 5 or 6 books that would open his eyes to these connections. Thus I suggested the following: 

1. The Orthodox New Testament Volume One: The Holy Gospels (Evangelistarion)
2. The Orthodox New Testament Volume Two: Acts, Epistles, & Revelation (Praxapostolos)
3. The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion According to the Seventy, With the Nine Odes, & Patristic Commentary
4. The Lives of the Holy Prophets: The Major & Minor Prophets of the Old Testament
5. The Lives of the Holy Apostles: Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Jude, Simon, Matthias, Mark, Luke, & James
6. The Life of the Virgin Mary, The Theotokos

I also pointed to him to the following three blog articles I wrote on this blog:

1. The Gospel According to Saint John, Chapter Six: A Parallel of the Passover & the Exodus of Israel
2. The Theophanies of Christ in Both the Old & New Testaments
3. Types & Anti-Types in the Holy Bible

If you or anyone you know are interested in the connections of the Old Testament to the New Testament, or the stories behind the stories in the Bible, as explained by the apostles and their disciples, check out these books and articles, which will help you see what perhaps you were once blind to and you too can have your eyes opened like the blind man that Christ healed. 

How Should We Live?

 

Because we all need a reminder from time to time, including myself... 

Luke 3:11 “And answering, he saith to them, ‘The one who hath two tunics, let him share with him who hath not; and the one who hath food, let him do likewise.’” 

Acts 5:32 “And of the multitude of those who believed there was one heart and soul; and not even one of them was saying that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them.”

Acts 5:34 “For neither was there any among them in need; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, they were bringing the values of those being sold,” 

Romans 15:1-2 “We then who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. For let each of us be pleasing his neighbor for the good, toward building up.”

Iakovos (James) 2:15-16 “Now if a brother or sister be naked and wanting of daily food, and any of you should say to them, ‘Go in peace, warm yourselves and feed yourselves,’ but ye give them not the necessities of the body, what is the profit?”

The above quotes are taken from The Orthodox New Testament:  Volume 1, The Holy Gospels, Evangelistarion & The Orthodox New Testament: Volume 2, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, Praxapostolos. 

More on Some of You Wrongly Trying to Elevate Worldly National Politics to Dogma

Just a few reminders from the Holy Writ, which you should be holding above that of politicians, if you are a Christian, even if only in name. I offer these quotes without commentary, as they should be clear to anyone that this vile gnashing of teeth over politicians as if they were saviours to you, your land, your city, your state, your country, and the world is contrary to the teachings of the Church and thus, Antichrist behaviours which you should repent of. I say this, having once been guilty of this same mortal sin. 

The following quote is from The Orthodox Psalter with Commentary (Psalterion): 

Psalm 145:2 (146:2) Do not have trust in rulers, in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. 

The following quote is from The Orthodox Study Bible: 

1st Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 12:19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” 

The following quotes are taken from The Orthodox New Testament: Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, Volume 2: 

Romans 12:14 Keep on blessing those who persecute you; keep on blessing, and not cursing. 

Romans 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject to authorities which govern. For there is no authority except from God. So that the one who sets himself against the authority hath withstood the ordinance of God; and they who have withstood shall receive judgement to themselves. For the rulers are not a terror to good works, but to bad ones. And dost thou wish not to be afraid of the authority? Be doing that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same. For he is a minister of God to thee for the good. But if thou be doing evil, be afraid; for not in vain doth he bear the sword, for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to the one who practiceth that which is bad. Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath, but also because of the conscience. For on this account ye also pay tributes; for they are public workers of God, persevering for this same thing. Render then to all their dues: to whom the tribute is due, the tribute; to whom the customs duty, the toll; to whom the fear, the fear; to whom the honor, the honor. 

Titus 3:1-2 Be reminding them to submit themselves to rulers and authorities, to obey a superior, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to not be contentious, but equitable, showing forth meekness toward all men. 

Hebrews 13:17 Be obedient to those who lead you, and keep on submitting, for they are watchful for your souls, as those about to render an account, that they may do this with joy, and not groaning; for this would be unprofitable for you. 

Iakovos (James) 1:26-27 If anyone among you seem to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceivith his heart, the religion of this one is vain. Religion pure and undefiled before the God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 

1 Peter 2:13-25 Therefore be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as being supreme, or to the governors, as being sent by him indeed for punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good; for so is the will of God that by doing good ye may muzzle the ignorance of foolish men— as free, and not as those who are having freedom as a cloak of wickedness, but as slaves of God. Honor all, be loving the brotherhood, be fearing God, be honoring the king. Household slaves, be subject in all fear to your masters, not only to the good and fair, but also to the crooked. For this is a grace if for the sake of conscience toward God anyone endure griefs, suffering unjustly. For what kind of good report is it if, when ye sin and are buffeted, ye shall endure? But if, when ye do good and suffer, ye endure, this is a grace from God. For to this ye were called,  because Christ also suffered for us, leaving behind for you an example, that ye should follow His footsteps: "Who did not sin, neither was guile found in His mouth"; "Who, when He was reviled, reviled not in return; when He suffered, He threatened not, but kept on giving Himself over to Him Who judgeth righteously; Who "Himself carried up our sins" in His body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, should live to righteousness—by Whose bruise "ye were healed." For ye were "as sheep being led astray," but were turned about now to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 

I'm so Sick and Tired...

 ...too many people, not only Orthodox Christians, but people who declare any faith, or even no faith at all, have made it clear their one and only true religion. It is, sickeningly, whatever their political party tells them to believe. Their only 'saviour' is their favoured political candidate. 

It should be clear to any person of faith, that neither American party of the duopoly teaches the same as the Bible. Each pick and choose parts to say that they do, and show how their opponents' teach the opposite, but as politics prove time and time, politicians and political parties cannot be trusted. 

"Do not have trust in rulers, in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation." 

-Psalm 145(146):3

Bible verse comes from THE ORTHODOX PSALTER: THE PSALTERION OF THE PROPHET AND KING DAVID, With the NINE ODES and the interpretation of how the Psalterion ought to be recited during the whole year Translated into English from the Greek according to the Seventy, and compiled, arranged, and versified according to the Greek Psalterion, including Patristic Commentary.

A True History of Palestine and Israel 🍉

This true history, given by The Reverend Priest, Father David of Saints Constantine and Helen Antiochian Orthodox Church, is a great telling of the history of Palestine and Israel of the last 2000+ years, that simply states facts without excusing any of the many evils done by either the Zionists nor Hamas. 

His message of the forgotten people of this world begins at 01:26:00 at https://www.youtube.com/live/WyRTVHB6sE4?si=nrsaWCElm5JiMOgg and I cannot reccomend this highly enough. 

Connecting the Dots & Finding the Hidden Truths Behind Well-Known Stories

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently shattered my ankle, damaging a lot of the soft tissue in my lower leg and foot. I have had home health nurses and physical therapists visiting my home three times a week since then to help me get to the point where I am now walking with a very cool yet functional cane. 

My physical therapist and I were talking about the stories behind the stories in the Bible, such as how the reason that Jesus used dirt to make the blind man see was because the blind man was born without eyes and Christ was showing us that he was God by making human organs from the dust, like he did when he created Adam in the Garden of Eden on the sixth day. 

He, being unaware of many of these connections, yet fascinated by them, asked for books that would show him more. Thus I suggested the following six books for him: 

1. The Orthodox New Testament Volume One: The Holy Gospels (Evangelistarion)
2. The Orthodox New Testament Volume Two: Acts, Epistles, & Revelation (Praxapostolos)
3. The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion According to the Seventy, With the Nine Odes, & Patristic Commentary
4. The Lives of the Holy Prophets: The Major & Minor Prophets of the Old Testament
5. The Lives of the Holy Apostles: Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Jude, Simon, Matthias, Mark, Luke, & James
6. The Life of the Virgin Mary, The Theotokos

I also pointed to him to the following three blog articles I wrote on this blog:

1. The Gospel According to Saint John, Chapter Six: A Parallel of the Passover & the Exodus of Israel
2. The Theophanies of Christ in Both the Old & New Testaments
3. Types & Anti-Types in the Holy Bible

If you or anyone you know are interested in the connections of the Old Testament to the New Testament, or the stories behind the stories in The Holy Writ, check out these books and articles, which will help you see what previously was unseen to you. 

POLL: The Pandemic & Orthodox Churches

If you are a part of any Orthodox Church (Eastern or Oriental) in the USA, please click on the link below to take part in a large national survey. It's about the effects of the pandemic on parish life, and is funded by the Louisville Institute. Your responses are strictly anonymous. Please also pass this on to any Orthodox friends or relatives; the more participants, the more meaningful the data will be! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PandemicAndYourParishNow

Help and Pray for Ukraine

Are you wondering how to donate and help Ukraine besides prayer, and don't want your money to errantly end up in the hands of scammers? You can donate money that will 100% go the Ukrainian people, without any executive or administration fees to pay anyone a salary through the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA at https://www.uocofusa.org/news_220224_1 marking your donations with the comment, "LET’S HELP UKRAINE". They have already used this money to get everyday supplies and medical supplies to the people of Ukraine and evacuate an orphanage of children and their teachers to Poland with the donations that they have received so far. If you prefer to donate with Facebook's own platform, you can do so at the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA at https://www.facebook.com/uocofusa.

Real Cancel Culture

Cancel culture is real and both the left and right are guilty of using it against their perceived enemies. Sometimes it can be used to shutdown a harmful practice, but often times it can also be harmful to the innocent. In my lifetime I remember BADD (Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons) trying to shut down D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) in the 1980's due to the Satanic Panic, which has been proven to be a false and unnecessary panic. My Dungeon Master's (referee's) parents bought into it and did not allow their son to play D&D anymore at his house. Instead we had to play a Christian RPG (Role-Playing Game) called Dragon Raid at his house. We still played Dungeons & Dragons at my house, because my parents did not buy into the panic. You can read more about the fraudulent Satanic Panic and attempts to cancel D&D at https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26328105

Recently a priest's blog was removed from Ancient Faith Radio after multiple warnings about not posting about partisan politics. This was not a case of internet opinion charging him before he was in a court of law, but a company that warned a content provider to stop a prohibited activity over and over until they felt they had to remove him. People cried "Cancel Culture" but this is NOT cancel culture. He was removed from one platform, no judgement was made upon him as a bad person, and AFR even offered to help him set up his blog at new platform. AFR only made a statement about it because the priest had made one first, claiming he was cancelled (Which he has now, thankfully retracted). I am not even a fan of AFR, but these are facts, which I will not twist because I like and respect the priest in question. 

However in the modern day, there are actual victims of cancel culture in the world. The problem is that this is done off of accusations, not someone being found guilty in a court of law. In fact, one of these cancelled creators, Zak Smith, actually ended up suing his accusers and was found that he was being defamed and that the accusers had to pay-up and/or post retractions to their accusations. But those facts were not important to the Twitter troll mobs who keep spreading the accusations (only made on social media) and as such, no one will publish Zak's work. Zak, thankfully, makes lots of money from his art, but the TTRPG is missing out by not having his Adventure Campaigns which are also works of art. There are others that are also being cancelled and it is hurting their ability to make a living for them and their family. To this end, I recently interviewed Zak, being a fan or his art and writing and wanting to get the facts of his story from his POV without the interviewer (me) passing judgement. WARNING: This interview has adult language and talks about adult situations. 

We need to be patient and let the facts come out in courts of law when accusations are made and remember, at least in America, that people are considered innocent until proven guilty. We don't need a litany of Heart Queens yelling, "Off with their head" anytime anyone is accused of anything bad. 

After Almost 20 Years, I Finally Found Book 4 of "The Monastery Builders" Series

For almost 20 years I had been looking for book 4 in The Monastery Builders series, and yesterday, I finally go it! Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. This is an incredible hagiographical series that I recommend for all Orthodox Christians. They were all published and printed with the blessing of His Grace, ALYPY, Bishop of Chicago, Detroit, and Middle America of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR).

Here are links to all five books of The Monastery Builders series. Unfortunately, since it has long been out of print, they are not all available at good prices or even available at all.

1. The Lives of the Monastery Builders [This brown book was published in 1988] 
2. The Lives of the Monastery Builders of Soumela [This green book was published in 1991] 
3. The Lives of the Monastery Builders of Meteora [This blue book was published in 1991] 
4. The Lives of the Monastery Builders of The Great Cave (Mega Spelaion) [This purple book was published in 1992] 
5. The Lives of the Monastery Builders of The Holy Mountain Athos [This black book was published in 1992] 

Rejoice! Book 5 of The Philokalia has Finally Been Published in the English Language!

The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries by spiritual Elders and Saints of Orthodox Christianity First published as a compiled manuscript in Greek in 1782, The Philokalia has exercised an influence in the recent history of the Orthodox Church far greater than that of any book apart from the Bible. It is concerned with themes of universal importance: how one may develop their inner powers and awake from illusion; how they may overcome fragmentation and achieve spiritual wholeness; how they may attain the life of contemplative stillness and union with God.

For many years, Orthodox Christians have been awaiting the English translation of the 5th and final book of the Philokalia, the first 4 books having long been translated by Bp. Kallistos Ware and Mother Maria. However, the fifth book of the Philokalia has been translated and published by Anna Skoubourdis and Saint George Monastery in 2021, in both hardcover and paperback, just like the other four volumes published in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Here are the links to all five volumes that are now available: 

• The Philokalia: Volumes I, II, III, & IV in 4 paperback books
• The Philokalia: Volume I in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume II in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume III in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume IV in hardcover
• The Philokalia: Volume V in paperback
• The Philokalia: Volume V in hardcover

This is great news for English-speaking Orthodox Christians everywhere! Glory be to God! 

The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church has Finally Been Completed!

Back in 1986, The Reverend Father Michael Azkoul, Ph.D. wrote The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church: Volume 1: God, Creation, Old Israel, Christ in 236 pages, which was edited by Hieromonk Gregory of Dormition Skete with the blessing of His Grace, ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) Bishop Alypy of Cleveland. Save for its attacks on Blessed Augustine of Hippo, the author of The City of God, it is a good book that does a really good job of explaining the typology of the Old Testament revealed in the New Testament's Holy Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, and I hoped to see Volume 2: The Church and Volume 3: Mystagogy of The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church in the future. Volume 1's five chapters are: 

1. Introduction
2. God: The Holy Trinity
3. The Creation
4. The Economy of Old Israel
5. Jesus the Christ

The second and third books were not to be, as Father Michael Azkoul broke away from the ROCOR and joined the HOCNA (Holy Orthodox Church of North America) while then-Archimandrite Gregory (Gregory Abu Assaly) later departed ROCOR for one of the GOCs (Genuine Greek Orthodox Churches). Interestingly, Father Michael Azkoul in now in one of the GOCs that Archimandrite Gregory was formerly a member of, and now-Archbishop Gregory is the head of his own GOCA (Genuine Orthodox Church of America).

In 2020, Archbishop Gregory completed the volumes of The Teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church in 602 pages, making it into one book, making a re-edited, reformatted, and revised Part 1 while also adding a Part 2, the later of which consisted of what would have been Volume 2 and Volume 3 in Father Michael Azkoul's original plan. Volume 1 has now been renamed Part 1: God, Creation, and the Economy of Salvation. The chapters to Part 2: The Church are: 

1. The One Church
2. Christ and the Church: The Heterodox
3. The Church of God
4. Mystagogy I: Holy Baptism
5. Mystagogy II: The Eucharist
6. Mystagogy III: The Other Mysteries
7. The All-Holy and Ever-Virgin Mary, The Mother of God, with All the Saints
8. The End of the Age
9. Augustine of Hippo

While the unfortunate attacks on Blessed Augustine of Hippo (commemorated 15 June in the Orthodox Church) remain, besides this, this is a very good book that is a good introduction to Orthodoxy, even better than the far more-errant introductory two volume set, The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way, by the then-layman Timothy Ware, now Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware). 

Which Orthodox Christian Prayer Book do you use?

Not too long ago, there were not many choices for an English Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians. But today there are 4 strong prayer books for Orthodox Christians who prefer to use English to pray. There are actually many Orthodox Christian prayer books today, but I can only strongly recommend these four: 

I.) The (ROCOR - Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) Holy Trinity Monastery "Jordanville" Prayer Book in hardcover for $18.69, first published in English in 1960 and revised constantly, is considered the Russian style gold standard. When verses from Holy Scripture are used, they previously used the King James Version and now use A Psalter for Prayer which is a new blend of the KJV and the Cloverdale Edition of the Psalter. It has evening prayers before sleep rather than the service of the compline.

II.) The (OCA - Orthodox Church in America) Saint Tikhon Monastery Press' Orthodox Christian Prayers in imitation leather for $24.95, published in 2019 as spiritual successor to many other lesser-quality OCA prayer books of the past. This newest version improves everything from all the previous OCA versions of the prayer book, and had excellent formatting that means most prayers start at the the beginning of a new page, rather than somewhere in the middle or bottom of the page. It means they made interesting decisions on font sizes to make this work, but in the end, a job well done. When verses from Holy Scriptures are used, they use A Psalter for Prayer. rather than the Psalter of the Orthodox Study Bible like some previous OCA prayer books had. It has both the compline and prayers before sleep as it is made for Orthodox Christians of any jurisdiction. It also has 3 bookmarks sewn into the spine!

III.) The (HOCNA - Holy Orthodox Church in North America) Holy Transfiguration Monastery's Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians in hardcover for $24.99 first published in 1987, it is very similar to the ROCOR Prayer Book, but made for members of Greek parishes. When verses from Holy Scripture are used, they use The Psalter: According to the Seventy. It has the compline rather than evening prayers before sleep. 

IV.) The (GOA - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America) Newrome Press' Orthodox Christian Prayer Book in hardcover for $29.99, published in 2016 is the first GOA prayer book to be considered as a good enough book to replace the earlier HTM prayer book. Newrome Press makes beautiful books inside and out. When verses from Holy Scripture are used, they use the Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible. It has the compline rather than evening prayers before sleep. It also has 2 bookmarks sewn into the spine!

Which one do you prefer, and why? I've used each of them at one time or another and all have their strengths and weaknesses, but they all do the same thing, help you to pray to God. 

The Orthodox Psalter has been Updated and Expanded! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As you know, back in 2011 I highly recommended "The Orthodox Psalter" by Holy Apostles Convent in this blog post/article and continued to point out the superiority of the translation in another blog post/article the same year. I still stand by that recommendation, but recently I found that there is a new 3rd edition of this Psalterion published in 2017.

There are 9 more pages of patristics than the 1st edition, which includes explanations of verses and psalms from the Church Fathers from both the east and the west. The Orthodox Psalter includes both the Septuagint and KJV numbering systems, 20 Kathismas, 9 Biblical Odes, 160 pages of Patristic Commentary, 6 Tables for Usage, 2 General Listings, The Verses and Couplet to the Prophet David, and the excellent introduction, "In Praise of the Psalms" by Saint Basil the Great. All in a full-sized 6.25" x 9.25" sturdy Deep Purple Smyth-sewn case-bound book, with gold stamping, and a burgundy double-sided grosgrain ribbon marker. As an author I appreciate that it is printed on high-opacity acid-free 80-pound cream coloured pages, in a very easy-to-read 14-point bold typeface for the Psalms, and a readable and clear 10-point typeface for the Commentary. 

Aesthetically, the "Deep Purple" that I think of more as an indigo, looks great with the green "The Holy Prophets", the dark navy "The Orthodox New Testament Volume One", and the dark burgundy "The Orthodox New Testament Volume Two". These books are must-haves for any Orthodox Christian. 

The Orthodox Psalter and the other mentioned books are available at Amazon or can be ordered directly from the Convent.

My 2nd Novel, "Vhaidra & the DRAGON of Temple Mount" is NOW Available!

Many of you know that besides blogging here at the Orthodox Scouter, I am also top-selling author of epic fantasy fiction novels. My first novel, Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos was a top-seller at Barnes & Noble, was a HPB Pick at Half-Price Books, and sold well at Amazon and more than 50 bookstores across the USA and in more than 20 countries. 

Today, I wanted to share that yesterday I released my second novel in THE VHAIDRA SAGA, a sequel to Vhaidra and the DESTINY of Nikodemos that is titled, Vhaidra and the DRAGON of Temple Mount. This novel takes the characters through many years of peace followed by the beginning of some very big troubles. Here is the back cover blurb for it.

The War of the Dragons begins here...

What secrets lie in Sicyon's mysterious Temple Mount? Who are ATHIE, DAMIANOS, and KOSMAS, and what is their connection to the orphaned half-dragon MIKHAIL? Are the forces that are purportedly working for a better tomorrow in Sicyon truly what they say they are?

After the devastating Battle of Sicyon in “Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos,” House Iroas ascends as VHAIDRA the dark elf monk and NIKODEMOS the human cleric raise a powerful house of half-drow warriors in the overworld. Meanwhile, the young half-dragon, MIKHAIL, his human milkmaid and astonishing ranger, MIRIAM, and the flirtatious dwelf dancer, TI'ERRA, change the ascetic half-orc wizard, ELDER DIONYSIOS, forever, as his hidden history intersects with his future, whether he likes it or not. 

The obsidian half-dragon grows from a baby to Sicyon’s powerful stylite and protector, but will his abilities be enough to stave off both the imminent threat of the mighty white dragon from the north or will Sicyon get a long cold winter that it can never wake from? Will the diabolical forces within Sicyon that conspire against ARCHON JUSTINIAN and his allies be able to exploit VHAIDRA, NIKODEMOS, TI'ERRA, ELDER DIONYSIOS, MIRIAM, and MIKHAIL to create the civil war that they so desire? Find out the answers to these questions and more in the exciting adventures of Vhaidra & the DRAGON of Temple Mount! 

It is currently available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and eBay, and will be in many more bookstores very soon. It is already getting 5-star reviews, and like my previous novels it has been enjoyed by people of all ages and people who never had read fantasy novels before.

The National EOCS Virtual Religious Retreat is this Saturday!

 Please go to https://www.eocs.org/2020-religious-retreat-registration to sign up for this first virtual national retreat for the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting! 

Preliminary Schedule (times are EDT)

1:00 pm -  Opening Remarks and Prayer

1:10 pm -  Presentations from churches with Scouts chartered to them: 

• St. Demetrios, Astoria, NY & St. John the Theologian, Tenafly,NJ

1:30 pm -  Breakout sessions on North American Eastern Orthodox Saints Peter the Aleut & Olga Michael. Ambassadors from Holy Cross presenting to Scouts separated into Grade levels K-3,  4-5, 6-8, 9-12

2:00 pm -  Presentations from churches with Scouts chartered to them:

• St. Nicholas, Flushing, NY,
• Holy Cross, Brooklyn, NY
• St. John the Baptist, Euless, TX

2:25 pm -  Breakout Sessions on North American Eastern Orthodox saints

• Saint John Maximovitch 
• Saint Nikolaj Velimirovic

Ambassadors from Holy Cross presenting

• Separated into Grade levels K-3,  4-5, 6-8, 9-12

2:55 pm – Presentations from churches with Scouts chartered to them.

• St. Demetrios, Camarilo, CA

3:05 pm -      Scouting Religious Awards recognitions(only for those present)

• Scout & Ambassador Talent Show
• Closing Remarks and Prayers
• Vespers            

On a Personal Note: My Novel, "Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos" was released today!

Those of you who know me personally or follow me on social media may know about 2 major and very important things that have happened to me in the last 24 hours.

1. Yesterday, I, along with 110 others were laid-off by the Boy Scouts of America, a reduction that I am told was about 40% of its staff. 
   
   
2. Today, my side-gig became my only gig, as my first novel was published. 

Because of the above, I hope I can ask you, my friends, my family, and my followers to purchase my novel, which is now my only source of income. 

Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos is Available NOW at Amazon! I will provide links below so that you can purchase it at your nearest Amazon online store. It will be available from other bookstores a little later, but depending on the retailer, you may have to ask for it. It is distributed through Ingram, the world's biggest book distribution company.

• USA: https://amzn.to/3fTpTNG
• UK: https://amzn.to/30EXZia
• GERMANY: https://amzn.to/2CGDPfF
• FRANCE: https://amzn.to/3eZ52XT
• SPAIN: https://amzn.to/30E9oP7
• ITALY: https://amzn.to/3hsAdN5
• JAPAN: https://amzn.to/3fZW8Le
• CANADA: https://amzn.to/3hrYpiA
• AUSTRALIA: https://amzn.to/2OPZsN5
• INDIA: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1734914009/

When you order my book from Amazon, please click on the follow the author button, so you can be updated about my future books and any special deals from me. You will also be alerted when the eBook (later this year) and if an Audiobook version (not this year) comes out, along with my next novels.

Thank you for your patience with my many posts about my novel during the publishing process. Now that my book is available, I am hoping that you are able to purchase my book, and if you love it, give it a 5 star review. If you do not, please email me and let me know what parts you did not like and then donate it to a library or sell it to a used bookstore. Feedback is a very valuable gift and will help me improve my novels that follow after this one.