SSCORRE!
Saint Sophia Cathedral
Online Resources for our Religious Edification
What Spiritual Benefit Can Be Derived From This Quarantine?
Coping with COVID-19 for Orthodox Christians
Family/Adult –
Rediscovering the Beauty of Orthodoxy
“…With all the fear most of us are experiencing as we collectively look toward an uncertain future, this can actually be for us a precious time, for it allows us to look at the beauty that we so often do not see…. We must remember that this period of trail and separation will pass, and our world will be restored to the beauty God intended, if we let it. The preoccupation with the material world that has been filled with consumption of goods, and the acquisition of perishable things, can be beautifully replaced with that which is truly important, and of an eternal value for we Christians, if we let it…”
Compassion
“…This pandemic is clearly offering all of us the opportunity to learn that this life is not just about me, but about all of us. If my neighbor is suffering, I must offer my love and support, that they not be left alone in their suffering….”
Pre-school/Elementary – Checking on our Neighbor
“…Think of the countless lonely people who are sequestered in their homes and apartments… missing the companionship of their friends and neighbors. Think of all the single people whose social life has been based in the local church, now deprived of their spiritual family, as well as the Eucharist..
What can we do? I for one have created a contact list, with the names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of people I care about. I have been making a concerted effort to call or email everyone on that list at least once every week or two. I want to let them know that I have been thinking about them, and praying for them. I want to let them know that I covet their prayers, and that I miss them.
…Just because we may have family around us, does not mean they do. Now is the time for us to let those who mean so much to us, know we care.”
(excerpted from The Morning Offering Blog, 4/9/20)
Middle School – Be the Bee #139 – Christianity Under Quarantine
Responding to the struggle of being Christians under quarantine.
High School – It’s Not a Conspiracy, It’s An Opportunity
“…The confinement is a good opportunity to experience the hesychia dear to Orthodox spirituality, a state of solitude and especially of exterior and interior calm; to rest from the incessant movement, noise, and stress linked to our usual living conditions, and to re-inhabit our interior dwelling – what the Hesychastic Fathers call “the place of the heart. Confinement also allows [families] to be together more often then usual, and this is beneficial for everyone… an opportunity to strengthen relational bonds positively….”
A Message from Maria Spanos
I am passionate about our Orthodox Christian faith and seek to help others learn as much as they can about it. My purpose here is to share online resources that help strengthen our relationship with Christ and bind us closer to His Church. I believe they are invaluable in learning about our precious Orthodox Tradition, and are a great aid for teaching family members, friends and others about Orthodoxy. ~Maria
Two of my favorite quotes:
“A true Christian behaves in this life so that it may be a preparation for the future one and not only a life here below. In his actions, he does not think what will be said of him here but of what will be said there in heaven; he represents to himself that he is always in the presence of God, of the angels and all the saints, and remembers that someday they will bear witness of his thoughts, words, and deeds.” — Saint John of Kronstadt
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“Of all the holy works, the education of children is the most holy.”
— St. Theophan the Recluse
