Saint Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church
Proclaiming & Living the Holy Orthodox Faith
in the California Central Valley

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Saint Mary Magdalene
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What We Want in Our Political Leaders

Website of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship

"....In a word, we want leaders who are not prisoners of power, profit, possession, position, privilege and pleasure."

 

Fr. Michael Gillis

December 12, 2020

Success through failure in Lent

Fr. Michael Gillis

 

What is confession?
Why is it necessary?

Read an article:

 Confession -
Not a novel but a battle

THEOPHANY

SHOWING THE WORLD TO BE THE WORLD
Fr. Stephen Freeman

ON DIFFICULTIES IN CHRISTIAN LIFE
Igumen Nektary (Morozov)
A mountain ahead. Hurray?

Is God a Fool?
May 23, 2022 · Fr. Stephen Freeman

 

PRAISE YE THE LORD FROM THE HEAVENS
Hieromonk Pafnuty (Fokin)

Essential Truths needed for salvation

  • Accept God's power and be afraid
  • Always live in the Now and don't expect anything
  • Confess sins and beg God's forgiveness
  • Truly believe in forgiveness. Forgive yourself and forgive others
  • There really is a path to salvation
  • Acknowledge mysteries, miracles, angels, and saints
  • Believe in the devil; don't be distracted by his tricks

(This list was offered by an old friend and is his personal list which helps him during his struggles and are of course shared by many believers)

What is Incense?

The ingredients given to Moses by God: 

Ex 30:34-38 - 34And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord38Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”

 

(Wood) Resins: 

Resins are natural secretions which occur when the bark of the plant is damaged, which provides protection from pests. Frankincense, myrrh, copal, damar, and amber are common resins. Resin don’t give off much scent until they are burned; exposure to high heat causes resins to give off smoke and aroma. Benzoin is a very common fixative with an earthy “vanilla ice cream” scent.

 

Athonite incense, in the tradition of the Greek monasteries of Mount Athos, are made from pure frankincense tears ground into a powder and mixed with fragrant oils and aromatic wood resins.  The mixture is kneaded into a “dough-like” consistency; rolled and cut.  The pieces are coated with a very finely ground white clay to mitigate the stickiness to keep the rolled pellets from clumping together. The incense is finally cure for at least 30 days which results in a substance of complex fragrances.

 

Some popular types of Athonite incense include: Old Church - a woody blend of frankincense, cedar, fir needles, and vetiver.  Burning Bush – soft floral with cinnamon, clove, and honey.  Jerusalem – powerful rose with berry, and honey.  Bethlehem Rose – rose with vanilla.  Damascus Rose – intense rose fragrance with rich amber.  Byzantium – geranium, lily, wild berry, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.  Evergreen and Embers - fir, spruce, balsam, cedarwood and moss with touches of cinnamon, cloves, and eucalyptus (great during Nativity season).  Nazareth – sandalwood, musk, florals, and cinnamon.  Iveron – white blossoms, rose, lily, and musk.  Certain varieties of incense are popular during particular Festal seasons - such as rose scented varieties for celebrations of the Theotokos. Other varieties (such as Nazareth) may be "low impact" for those persons with sensitivities to smoke or asthmatic.

 

Athonite style incense is burned using a charcoal tablet in a “burner” with is usually metal, stone, or other heat resistant container. 

(The types of charcoal and charcoal burners are covered in these articles  ---->>>>HERE)

Prayer corner with icons, Bible, candles, and incense
Prayer corner with icons, Bible, candles, and incense
Prayer corner with icons, Bible, candles, and incense

Why Do We Call

The Priest “Father”?
Source: Out of Egypt
FR. JAMES GUIRGUIS | 23 AUGUST 2022
The Reading from 1 Corinthians 4:9-16

What Does the Cross

Mean for us Today?
PRIEST ROBERT MICLEAN | 02 OCTOBER 2022

A Particular Scandal
Source: Glory to God for All Things
ARCHPRIEST STEPHEN FREEMAN | 01 AUGUST 2022

 Wednesday April 21 @ 6 PM   

Liturgy of  the Presanctified Gifts 

A Potluck supper follows service 

What is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?    HERE is a brief explanation!

10 Essential Conditions for Coming to Know

God’s Truth and Finding Life

PROTOPRESBYTER THOMAS HOPKO (+2015) | 13 APRIL 2016

Prayer is Not Optional
Albert S. Rossi

St. Vladimir Monastery Summer Institute