Monachos.net - What's New

Sunday of the Last Judgement: Reflections on the Fear of God

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 2 Mar 2008 19:41:54 +0000

An article reflecting on the third pre-Lenten Sunday in the Orthodox Triodion, dedicated to the Last Judgement.

Preparing for Lent: Recipes without Oil

webmaster@monachos.net — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:55:12 +0000

A current thread in the Discussion Community focuses on providing a number of oil-less recipes for the fast. Read the contributions of others, and provide your own.

Reflections on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son

webmaster@monachos.net — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:54:13 +0000

Reflections on the hymnography for this pre-Lenten Sunday: 'All to no purpose have I left my true home...', and theme of exile that characterizes the Fast.

Materials for pre-Lent 2008

webmaster@monachos.net — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:51:41 +0000

Our thorough resources for Orthodox Great Lent have been updated for 2008. These include a calendar of the main dates in pre-Lent and Lent; prayer, articles and reflections on the themes of the Fast; hymns and greetings; daily lectionary readings; discussions of Lenten iconography; prayers in English, Greek and Church Slavonic; pastoral reflections; guidelines for fasting; and numerous other resources updated throughout the Great Fast.

The Life and Passion of St Cyprian

webmaster@monachos.net — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:41:36 +0000

We have added the full text ofThe Life and Passion of St Cyprian by Pontius the Deacon, to the Patristics Master List library.

The 'False Decretals'

webmaster@monachos.net — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:35:02 +0000

Added the complete collection of the 'False Decretals' - an important collection of pseudepigraphical documents from the ninth century, purporting to be a collection of letters from various popes that were of great influence in the development of canon law.

Gregory Palamas, On the Dormition

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:33:39 +0000

St Gregory Palamas' homily on the Mother of God as ever-virgin and sanctified by God, delivered on the feast of the Dormition (falling-asleep) of the Theotokos.

New texts by St Cyril of Alexandria

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:31:08 +0000

We have added several texts by Cyril of Alexandria: the Canons from the Synod in Trullo; his Homily 1 on Luke 2.4-8; together with his Against the Synousiasts; and Against Julian.

Two texts by St Constantine the Great

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:58:50 +0000

Added two sets of texts by the sainted emperor Constantine I ('Constantine the Great'), which are pivotal documents in church history, relating to the granting of freedom and permissions to the Christians: firstly, the 'edict of Milan' from the year 313, together with Galerius' edict of toleration from 311. Secondly, a collection of edicts on freedoms for the Christians, defining their new state in the Empire.

'A time to feast and a time to fast' - Lenten reflection for 2007

webmaster@monachos.net — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 08:57:32 +0000

Added this year's Lenten meditation: 'A time to feast and a time to fast', by Archpriest David Moser - a reflection on the nature of fasting and its relationship to the spirit of celebration in the Church. This document has been added to the large collection of Lenten resources on the web site.

Excerpts on the Fathers of Mt Sinai

webmaster@monachos.net — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 08:56:39 +0000

Added excerpts concerning the holy fathers of Mt Sinai, by St Anastasius of Sinai. This extraordinary text contains Anastasius' recollections of the lives of the Sinaite fathers, much in the style of the Sayings of the Desert Fathers.

Letter of St Anthusa, mother of St John Chrysostom, to her son - On Ideal Friendship.

webmaster@monachos.net — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:55:18 +0000

Added the letter of St Anthusa, mother of St John Chrysostom, to her son - On Ideal Friendship. Apart from being an insightful witness to the theological relationship of Chrysostom to his mother, this epistle is also an important document on early views of Christian friendship.

Full text of the Monastic Rule of St Pachomius

webmaster@monachos.net — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:47:34 +0000

Added the complete Rule of St Pachomius to the patristics library. This is the full text of the longer Rule by Pachomius, remembered as the founder of the cenobitic monastic life. The rule offers practical organisational prescriptions for monastic living, and an insight into the early communal life of the desert monastics.

Justin the Martyr's First Apology

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:46:28 +0000

Added the complete text of Justin the Martyr and Philosopher's First Apology, one of the more important examples of writing from the apologetic period of the mid-second century, containing his articulation of a number of Christian beliefs and practices in the framework of a defence aimed at the state. Text includes full footnote references.

Tertullian of Carthage, On Baptism

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:45:13 +0000

Today we have published Tertullian of Carthage's On Baptism, a discussion of baptism as vehicle of the grace of the Spirit, including a detailed description of the baptismal rite known by Tertullian in the second and third centuries, with a commentary on its various elements.

Twenty-two Spiritual Homilies by St Macarius of Egypt

webmaster@monachos.net — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:42:17 +0000

Added a new collection of texts to the Patristics Library: Macarius of Egypt - Twenty-two spiritual homilies. This important collection of patristic homilies by St Macarius focusses on the nature of the soul and the state of humanity in prayer. Deeply ascetical in orientation, these spiritual homilies constitute an important witness to the understanding of the soul and prayer in the Christian desert fathers.

Four homilies on prayer by St Theophan the Recluse

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 4 Feb 2007 09:24:49 +0000

Four homilies on prayer by St Theophan, delivered between 21st November and 20th December, 1864. These texts are in a new translation, and deal with the practical means of the attainment of prayer in its various levels.

Reflection on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son

webmaster@monachos.net — Sat, 3 Feb 2007 12:35:58 +0000

A reflection on the liturgical imagery of the present weekend of pre-Lent, dedicated to the memory of the Prodigal Son and his return to his father's house. This text focuses on the hymns of the feast and the themes of exile as preparatory for the Great Fast.

Launched the Orthodox Great Lent area for 2007

webmaster@monachos.net — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 09:48:38 +0000

This week Monachos.net opened the Great Lent and Pre-Lent Area for 2007, including resources for every week of the Fast and all the weeks of preparation. The pre-Lenten area includes reflections on the current weekend's Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, as well as a host of materials for the coming weeks, and a calendar of Lent 2007.

Added first chapters of John Moschus, Spiritual Meadow

webmaster@monachos.net — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:26:02 +0000

We have placed on-line the first 77 chapters of John Moschus' classic Spiritual Meadow, a travelogue of John's travels through the extent of the Byzantine Empire in the seventh century, and his impressions of the ascetics met during these travels.

Innocent of Alaska's, The Way into the Kingdom of Heaven

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 15:24:02 +0000

Added the full text of Innocent of Alaska's The Way into the Kingdom of Heaven - a brief text that has become a classical introduction to Orthodox life, and is often used as a catechism of instruction in the faith.

Letter of Nectarius of Calama to Augustine of Hippo

webmaster@monachos.net — Fri, 5 Jan 2007 13:22:08 +0000

The English text of a letter to Augustine by one of his contemporaries.

Texts by Simeon Metaphrastes

webmaster@monachos.net — Thu, 4 Jan 2007 05:19:51 +0000

Added several new documents to the Patristics Master Library from the writings of St Simeon Metaphrastes: Excerpts from the Life of St Nicholas; the Martyrdom of the Holy Confessors Shamuna, Guria and Habib; an Acrostic Poem translated by Elizabeth Barrett Browning; and Simeon's famous Post-Communion Prayer.

New texts by Severus of Al'Ushmunain

webmaster@monachos.net — Wed, 3 Jan 2007 07:17:53 +0000

From the corpus of the 10th-century bishop Severus of Al'Ushmunain we've added extracts from his History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria, including various prefaces by Severus and others; the Legend of Christ's Priesthood; the Life of the Apostle Mark, including the evangelisation of Egypt; the Life of Demetrios, patriarch in the time of Origen and one of the last famous married bishops; and the Life of Cyril of Alexandria, an important example of how the famous Alexandrian bishop was remembered in the tenth century.

Monachos.net Major Fundraising Appeal

webmaster@monachos.net — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:04:23 +0100

Monachos.net has launched a major fundraising appeal for the web site and forum. Learn how to can contribute by purchasing a block of our commemorative image.

The new Monachos.net Discussion Community

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 22:36:57 +0100

The Monachos.net Discussion Community has been upgraded to an entirely new operating platform, allowing a rich increase of features and options for Community Members.

If you've not yet explored this large on-line discussion forum, visit the new system to see the largest patristic- and monastic-centred discussion forums on the internet.

Monachos.net Server Upgrade

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 13:39:02 +0100

Monachos.net is about to undergo a major server upgrade, transferring the site and all its services to a new dedicated server during the week of 27th-31st March 2006. The new server will provide increased performance for the site, including faster page load times, more robust forum performance, and greater reliability in times of peak usage.

Preliminary steps for this upgrade took place over the weekend of 25th-26th March, preparing the various portions of the site for transfer to the new server. Those preparations now complete, the transfer will take place during the present week of 27th-31st March, and we hope all elements will be complete by the weekend.

Please be advised that some areas and features of the web site may be unavailable for periods during this upgrade. This is a normal part of the upgrade process that regrettably cannot be avoided. However, please be assured that such pages/functionality will return once the upgrade is complete.

In particular, the Discussion Community message forum, as well as certain other dynamic elements (web site search engine, printable version generation, etc.) will be effected with brief outages of operability.

We thank you for your understanding, and look forward to the speedier and more reliable service the new servers will provide.

Special Lenten Appeal

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:57:39 +0100

This year, for the first time, the Special Lenten Appeal is collecting donations in support of the Monachos.net web site itself. Read information on how you can contribute to the future of this web site and its resources through a small donation.

Icons of the Precious Cross

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:55:38 +0100

Information on the main icons employed for the Sunday of the Adoration of the Cross, including examples of two variations on the standard icon. Full-size images are included, as are descriptions of the contents of the icons.

New 'About our Icons' section

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:54:07 +0100

This new area offers explanatory descriptions of the icons used on Monachos.net, as well as presenting our smaller icons in larger sizes, and demonstrating variations on the standard icons of major feasts and commemorations.

Materials for the First Week of Great Lent

Mon, 6 Mar 2006 16:14:57 +0100

A collection of materials for the First Week of Great Lent, as for other weeks of the Fast. This week's materials include all portions of the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete; the Lenten Prayer of St Ephrem in English and Church Slavonic; the Akathistos hymn to the Mother of God (as chanted on Friday); and a host of other materials.

Monachos Position - Application Deadline Approaching

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 13:17:49 +0100

Monachos.net continues to welcome applications for the position of volunteer Manager of the Monachos.net Links Catalogue. Please note the deadline is fast approaching! Applications must be received by Wednesday 1st March 2006.

If you would like to have an active role in bringing together resources on Orthodoxy through patristic, monastic and liturgical study, for distribution to a world-wide audience, please see our further particulars on application.

Position Available: Manager of Links Catalogue on Monachos.net

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 22:39:04 +0100

We have begun advertising a vacancy for the position of volunteer Manager of the Monachos.net Links Catalogue. If you would like to have an active role in bringing together resources on Orthodoxy through patristic, monastic and liturgical study, for distribution to a world-wide audience, please see our further particulars on application.

Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:20:46 +0100

The on-line edition of the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, as divided into four portions and read during the first week of Great Lent, has been thoroughly updated. The text has been edited and additional rubrics added, and each of the four days' portions entirely re-formatted for easier reading and printing. Missing portions in the earlier (2002) Monachos edition have been filled in as appropriate.

Two Hymns (Anacreontica 19, 20) on Jerusalem and the Holy Land

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:30:09 +0100

Two poems from the collection of Anacreontica by Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem (5th/6th c.), forming a cry of longing for the holy city of which he was bishop, apparently written during a voyage away from his see. They describe a course through all the major shrines and sights of the city in the sixth century from the perspective of their caretaker and pastor, and thus form an important witness to the life of the Holy Land in one of its golden ages.

Prayer to the Mother of God

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:28:49 +0100

Sixth-century prayer of the patriarch of Jerusalem, on the role of the Mother of God as New Eve and reparation of Eve's transgression, united to Christ.

Homily Against Nestorius

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 10:30:16 +0100

An important homily delivered (in the 5th century) by Bishop Proclus of Cyzicus, in the Great Church of Haghia Sophia in Constantinople, in the presence of Nestorious, wherein he confronts the latter's ideas and offers his confession of the single person in two natures who is Jesus Christ.

Description of the Liturgical Year in Jerusalem

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:53:11 +0100

Written in the fifth century by a pilgrim named Egeria of whom little is known, the present text is of near-unparalleled importance as a witness to liturgical practices in the Holy Land in the fifth century AD. Commentary on the services of the entire year, with extended treatment of the Lenten and Paschal seasons, as well as certain liturgical rites (baptism, consecration of churches, etc.).

Updated edition of the 'Rule' of St Benedict

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:19:18 +0100

Improved formatting and user study features for this important text.

The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 08:12:12 +0100

The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity is an early and important martyrology. Written in part by Perpetua of Carthage's own hand prior to her martyrdom in AD 203, it is also one of the earliest Christian documents to have been written by a woman.

'On the Holy Trinity' by Bishop Hilary of Poitiers

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:04:33 +0100

One of the most important texts from the mid-fourth century on the articulation of Trinity in the context of Arian concerns.

'Rule' of St Benedict of Nursia

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:06:53 +0100

Rule is a classic text of the monastic heritage, both East and West, addressing the ordering of life of monks and nuns and the manner of monastic living.

The letter of Pope Agatho of Rome to the Emperor

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 18:07:17 +0100

Read as an official document of the sixth ecumenical council

Decree of Alexander of Alexandria on the Deposition of Arius

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 18:08:01 +0100

Alexander's report of events surrounding Arius, bundled with several lesser epistles.

'Life A' of Athanasius of Mt Athos

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 18:08:54 +0100

Life of the founder of the Great Lavra and coenobitic life on the Holy Mountain

'Life B' of Athanasius of Mt Athos

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 18:09:40 +0100

Shorter life of the founder of the Great Lavra and coenobitic life on the Holy Mountain, with introductory materials.

Death and New Life in the Nativity of Christ

webmaster@monachos.net — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 18:10:50 +0100

The 2005 Nativity Epistle for Monachos.net, by Hieromonk Raphael (Vereshack).

'On the Resurrection of the Dead' by Athenagoras

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 08:21:17 +0100

An important early defence of the doctrine of resurrection from the dead.

The Patristics Master List

Sun, 6 Nov 2005 08:22:39 +0100

A centralised index of patristic source documents in English on the internet?a thorough catalogue of the writings of the fathers and mothers of the Church on-line. Includes Monachos Library documents, with thorough study tools, as well as links to other web sites.

Discussion Community Re-Design

Sun, 9 Oct 2005 08:23:31 +0100

The Monachos.net Discussion Community, the on-line and e-mail based message forum of Monachos.net, has undergone a re-design of its layout and formatting scheme, including the addition of new functionality.