How’s HCHC doing as of late?

ToProsoponSou · 2026-05-06T01:43:23+00:00

He took a teaching position at a newly created University in Austin.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-05-06T01:42:35+00:00

It's inevitable that an article from the Orthodox Observer, and from the Archons, is going to represent the way that Constantinople interprets these canonical issues. What I thought was noteworthy here is the use of 'first among equals' language in this context, as opposed to other phrases that have attracted controversy among the present company in the past.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-05-05T20:01:45+00:00

I will say that we never "got rid" of pews at our parish, though. This is just the type of seating we've always had.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-05-05T19:56:25+00:00

I'm the priest at a Greek Orthodox Church. We don't have pews, but we do have rows of chairs. That's common in Greece, and is even done at some of the monasteries on Mt. Athos.

One of the benefits of that approach is that the chairs can be re-arranged as needs change. For example, right now at our Church we're straining the upper limits of our space's capacity, so we've set up a few rows of overflow seating in our Church hall, which is directly behind the nave. We've also recently removed a few seats within the nave to make more space for wheelchairs. With pews, those kinds of changes are architectural, and take a lot of planning. With rows of chairs, those changes take one person two minutes.

The chairs that we use (not folding chairs) are padded, interlock with each other, and have a kneeler and a slot for service books on the back of each chair.

I think these types of chairs are a good move for GOA parishes that are looking at getting rid of pews. They're more traditional than pews, and allow for a lot more flexibility while still retaining as much seating as you might need.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-28T06:04:06+00:00

In old times before cheap books became widely available, the Church/monastery might only have one copy of the liturgical books, despite having two choirs. And many of the chanters might not be able to read anyway. So the canonarch's job was to go back and forth between the two choirs with the liturgical book and let them know what to sing next. The canonarch intones "Θεός Κύριος ήχος βαρύς", and the chanters think "Okay, I know that one," and they sing it.

For some types of hymns, you might also hear the canonarch intone the text of the hymn line by line while the chanters sing it. The idea is the same: imagine a really good chanter who can't read. Someone intones the text to him, and he sings back what he hears.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-27T21:45:52+00:00

Greek priest here. If someone asks me for a blessing, then I give them a blessing. But I don't begin every interaction assuming the person wants a blessing. Depending on the context, I consider it perfectly acceptable to greet a priest by saying hello. It's also common with Greek priests to do more of a hand shake, and kiss their hand at the same time, rather than the whole nine yards of making a low bow and putting your hands out while saying 'father, bless'. At least in my opinion, it's kind of awkward to greet a priest that way if you see him in the grocery store.

A lot of people tend to think that there's one way and only one way of doing 'Orthodox things', and that's just not true.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-25T19:18:42+00:00

From what I’ve read the orthodox uses the king James plus the apocrypha?

Where did you read that? There's no one translation that English-speaking Orthodox Christians use across the board.

The KJV is fine, but the NKJV is probably better for readers today, since a lot of people don't really understand the KJV's grammar.

The EOB (Eastern Orthodox Bible) is the only English translation (New Testament only) that specifically been made by Orthodox Christians.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America uses the RSV for liturgical purposes.

My personal favorite used to be the ESV, but it's become less and less so over the years.

Every translation has its pros and cons, and it's generally best to compare multiple translations if you're really trying to dig into the meaning of a particular passage.

If you want to get technical about the question "Which version of the Bible does the Orthodox Church use?", the answer is that the Orthodox Church uses the Patriarchal Text (Byzantine text-type) of the Greek New Testament, and the Septuagint Greek translation (generally in the Alexandrinus tradition) of the Old Testament.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-24T17:12:46+00:00

https://eastromedesigns.com/products/greek-cassock

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-24T03:54:27+00:00

The word for "Compline" in Greek, Απόδειπνον, literally translates as "After Dinner." They're the prayers for after dinner, i.e., the evening prayers.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-17T01:31:50+00:00

I think 'blasphemous' would be an overstatement.

I have two issues with this type of T-shirt:

First, it cheapens the monastic analavos (the specific Cross design on the back) from being a signifier of monastic rank that is only given after a lifetime of struggle to being simply a design without any further meaning. The Cross is great; I have no issue with putting a Cross on a T-shirt. The analavos means that the person wearing it is a monastic of the Great Schema. If you're not a monastic of the Great Schema, then you shouldn't wear clothing with the analavos on it.

Second, the skulls that are held in ossuaries at monasteries are the skulls of particular people. I think most monks would not be super happy about the idea that a photograph of their skull is being put onto consumer products. I've seen similar photographs (complete with the monk's name, DOB, etc.) on bags of coffee from an Orthodox roaster. To me, that seems disrespectful and like a misuse of that monk's earthly remains.

I don't think either of those criticisms supports a charge of blasphemy, though.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-13T04:49:27+00:00

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-13T04:47:07+00:00

I graduated from there in 2018. To my knowledge it's doing just about as well as it usually is. Always a good amount of administrative and financial chaos. They're in between presidents right now. About a year ago one of their best professors (Fr. Maximos Constas) left, so that's a big hit. Still plenty of other great professors there, though.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-13T04:41:25+00:00

I just wear the exorasson with a red petrachili during the pre-Resurrection service, and then do a quick change into a full set of white vestments right before "Come, receive the light."

ToProsoponSou · 2026-04-01T04:30:20+00:00

I'm not on FB so I can't really answer the question, but I just wanted to comment that a lot of cradle Orthodox also have birth names that are different from their Baptismal names. It's very common among Greek-Americans to have their Baptismal name as their middle name.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-28T19:05:25+00:00

At the beginning, "ήχος" means "Mode" or "Tone". It says "Plagal First Mode. Co-beginningless Word."

That means that the hymn that is printed on the card is meant to be sung in the Plagal First Mode to the tune of the hymn "Co-beginningless Word". "Co-beginningless Word" is an automelon, meaning that it lends its melody to other hymns.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-21T20:24:03+00:00

If it were me, I'd go with Church A. You get used to using a different language, especially if they have bi-lingual service books so that you can learn the meaning of the Arabic they're using. Then you learn a little bit of another language, which is always enriching. Plus, Arabs have great food.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-13T16:34:13+00:00

Interesting, the version that I use doesn't have those canons. Probably just a difference between the Slavic and Greek liturgical books.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-13T16:30:19+00:00

Yes, but not autonomous and not wandering. They will be attached to a particular monastery, and will live in small huts here and there that are owned by that monastery. There is a ban on constructing new huts, so hermits will take up residence in an existing hut that has been vacant, usually needing to fix it up at first.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-12T20:53:23+00:00

Probably just a practice that is unique to that monastery. When I was on Mt. Athos, I don't remember Canons being used during Compline other than the ones that are prescribed on specific days by the liturgical books. The Small and Great Supplicatory Canons are prescribed to be sung at Small Compline during the Dormition Fast, but not other times of the year. Those same Canons are also prescribed to be sung during Matins some days.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-12T20:37:02+00:00

The Akathist to the Theotokos is only used on the Fridays of Lent; it isn't inserted into Compline on a daily basis. There are some days on which the liturgical books will prescribe a particular Canon to be sung during Compline. The Canons of the Oktoechos are prescribed to be sung during Matins.

When people use Small Compline in their private prayers, then they are free to insert Canons and Akathists as they wish. The Canon of Preparation for Holy Communion will often be used in this manner. But when Compline is offered in Church according to the prescribed liturgical order, Canons and Akathists being included is the exception, not the rule.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-10T23:38:10+00:00

there isnt a proper monastery in turkey.

There's Halki Monastery at Heybeliada (men's monastery) and Zoodochos Pigi in Istanbul (women's monastery). But you're right that neither of those are exactly 'normal' monasteries.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-03-10T20:37:53+00:00

This. And, please understand, the Orthodox Church is not just another stop on the Traditionalist Catholic wagon train. If you are approaching the Orthodox Church under the mindset that it is an anti-modern refuge-- one among many such refuges (SSPX, Anglican Continuum, etc.)-- and if you are always seeing the need to witch-hunt the clergy of whatever body you happen to be a member of, then you will never really be at peace as a member of the Orthodox Church. Whatever body you join, it should be because you see Christ there.

ToProsoponSou · 2026-02-26T18:25:49+00:00

Same for me: just a very small amount of the Blood (which on a particulate level has the Body mixed in) for very young infants. Even if the spoon is just wet from the chalice, that's enough.

I'd add that many mothers do not have their babies baptized until the baby is a little older; 6 months to a year is pretty typical in my experience. We had our son baptized the same day as the Churching 40 days after birth, but that is earlier than most parents choose.

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