Fr. Apostolos Hill's homily talks about citizenship in the Heavenly Kingdom and how repentance is the entrance exam.

Fr. Apostolos Hill offers a Lord of the Rings based depiction of the centrality of the Kingdom of Heaven as the context for our lives in Christ, and a clean break from the various "kingdoms" which vie for our loyalties here below.

As Christians, we have been entrusted with the Kingdom of God. But this great gift comes with a responsibility. Fr Tom explains that the parable of the Vinedressers is God's warning to us to fulfill our essential mission to grow the Church. (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Eight days after the Lord's Resurrection, Jesus appeard to Thomas in His glorified body, manifesting the power of God's Kingdom. Fr Tom reminds us that the Lord grants us His Kingdom, here and now, and we recieve it when we are faithful. (Second Sunday of Pascha)

Jesus told His disciples that they could not cast out the demon in the epileptic boy "except by prayer and fasting." Fr Thomas reminds us that if we want to live in the midst of the Kingdom of God, we also must strengthen our faith through these essential disciplines.

Is the Kingdom of God some far away concept of heaven? Dn. Luke shares with us the tools the Church has provided to live as citizens in the Kingdom of God here and now as well as how to joyfully prepare for the fullness of the Kingdom at Christ's second coming.

If we are to live effectively in the power of God, if we are to know his power to save even in adverse circumstances; then we must listen to him now and do His will, not put it off, not make excuses.

Father Deacon Emmanuel gives the homily on the banquet story in Luke 14.

When we repent, when we seek to change our lives and our relationship to Christ, what is “at hand”? What is near? What is about to happen? The kingdom of heaven!

Are we slouched downcast in the belly of the fish or are we striding away from the shore with God’s net in our backpack? Fr. Gregory says the choice is always ours. Let us choose well.

Kingdom Struggles In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. God is one. Amen. On this Meatfare Sunday we are urged by the Church not to eat meat for the next week, as we prepare ourselves for Lent that begins on Monday, the 2nd of March. The challenge is to practise self-discipline, to experience that we “eat to live,” not “live to eat.” Yet in the Gospel today from the 25th chapter of St Matthew, Jesus Christ praises those righteous people who gave Him food when he was hungry and drink when He was thirsty. The righteous are puzzled, because they have not seen Jesus Christ. However, He explains to them that when you gave food and drink to those in need, you gave that nourishment “to Me.” It appears that possibly the Gospel and the theme for Meatfare Sunday might be in conflict about what attitude to take to food. However, in fact, the Gospel and Meatfare Sunday strongly support each other, because what is being considered is not our attitude to food, but our relationship to Jesus Christ. Meatfare Sunday urges us to become more self-disciplined so that we can draw closer to Christ. The Gospel today urges us to help those in need, to seek social justice, so that we can draw closer to Christ. In brief, both Meatfare Sunday and this Gospel are urging us to draw closer to Christ. In this Gospel “the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Later, in the Gospel of St John, Jesus Christ states: “I am the good shepherd; [and] the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” So, why are the sheep praised so much and the goats so rejected? The correct translation of this Gospel verse is “As the shepherd separates the sheep from the young kids.” St John Chrysostom points out that “indeed from sheep great is the profit—as from the milk, as from the wool, and from the young, of all which things the young kid [does not have]” [cited by The Orthodox New Testament: The Holy Gospels, Volume 1, Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, Colorado, p. 123]. To put it bluntly, the sheep have grown up and reached spiritual maturity, but the young kids have only begun their lives and are not yet spiritually mature. The division between sheep and young kids in this Gospel passage from St Matthew is linked to judgment on our lives, both God’s judgment of us and our own judgment of ourselves. Metropolitan Antony Bloom has written, and I quote, of how: “the day will come when we shall stand before God and [we will] be judged, but as long as our pilgrimage [on earth] continues, as long as we live in the process of becoming [that is, of growing closer to Christ], as long as there is ahead of us this road that leads to the full measure of the stature of Christ [that is, the importance of following Christ in our lives] which is our vocation [our calling], judgment must be [given on ourselves] by ourselves…. On [this] road [that leads to Christ] judgment is something which is happening all the time with[in] us; there is a dialogue, a … tension between [on the one hand,] our thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions and [on the other hand,] our conscience, which stands in judgment upon us…. There is a continuing dialogue with[in] us through our life,” concluded Metropolitan Antony [Meditations: A Spiritual Journey, Dimension Books, pp. 3-4]. In the reflection that Metropolitan Antony has set out, the sheep could be viewed as our consciences—our awareness of what is right—in conflict with many of “our thoughts, emotions, feelings [and] actions,” that represent the young kids. If Metropolitan Antony is right that “judgment is something which is happening all the time with[in] us”—and that is certainly an Orthodox Christian approach—then this separation between sheep and young kids is happening within us throughout our lives, as well as on the Final Day of Judgment. Essentially, we are trying now to rid ourselves of sin, through sinning less and less, as well as confessing whenever appropriate. However, we can’t rid ourselves of sin through willpower, but rather through prayer and listening to our consciences and listening to the Lord. In our lifelong battle with the tendency to sin, Metropolitan Antony points out; and I quote: “We very often walk in darkness, and this darkness is the result of our darkened mind, of our darkened heart, of our darkened eye; and it is only if the Lord Himself sheds His light into our soul, upon our life, that we can begin to see what is wrong and what is right in [our souls].” Metropolitan Antony then draws upon the writings of the Russian Orthodox priest, St John of Kronstadt, who boldly and rightly claimed that “God does not reveal to us the ugliness of our souls unless He can [observe] in us sufficient faith and sufficient hope for us not to be broken by the vision of our sins. In other words,” continues Metropolitan Antony, “whenever we see ourselves with our dark side, this knowledge increases, as we can understand ourselves [better and better,] more [and more,] in the light of God, that is, in the light of the Divine Judgement…. This means two things: it means, indeed that we sadly discover our own ugliness, but also that we can rejoice at the same time, because God has granted us His trust. He has entrusted to us a new knowledge of ourselves as we are, as He always saw us … [but in His mercy] He did not allow us to see ourselves [earlier] because we could not [yet] bear the sight of truth….[Thus] judgement becomes joy, because although we discover what is wrong [with our thoughts and our actions], this discovery is [given to us with] the knowledge that God has seen enough faith, enough hope and enough [courage in the face of pain and suffering] in us to allow us to see, because He knows that now we can act,” concludes Metropolitan Antony [Meditations, pp. 4-5]. I find those insights from Metropolitan Antony and St John of Kronstadt quite inspiring. When we seek to draw closer to Christ’s unique will for each of us, we still face problems and challenges in our lives However, we can be confident that as we see our sins more clearly this is itself a beautiful sign that God trusts us and is telling us that we are now ready to face and remove those sins from our lives. We are all in the midst of the pilgrimage on earth to draw closer to Christ, with the support of the Theotokos, the Mother of God, and the angels and the saints. This is not a mystic journey reserved for a few holy and sinless souls. On the contrary, precisely as Metropolitan Antony says: on this journey of drawing closer and closer to Christ, “the first step is to get to know ourselves”—our strengths and weaknesses, our hopes and our fears—both within ourselves and with regard to others. “The first step … in our evaluation of ourselves will be to measure this state of disruption [caused by the sin that presently exists within us].” To encourage us to evaluate ourselves, Metropolitan Antony sets out a number of tough questions that each of us, whatever our age, must answer for ourselves: “How much are my heart and my mind at variance [that is, not consistent] with one another? Is my will directed to one unique goal [of drawing closer and closer to Christ] or is [my will continually] wavering? How far are my [thoughts and my] actions directed by my [conscience and by my] convictions [or] how far are [my thoughts and my actions] under the [influence] of unruly impulses [that is, the sudden desire to do something without thinking of the consequences]? Is there any wholeness within me? … How separated am I from God and my neighbour?” [Meditations, p. 5]. These are tough questions that Metropolitan Antony poses to each of us. However, the very fact that we are asking ourselves these questions now is a sign that God is with us and that He will guide us to face our sins and draw closer to Him. Meatfare Sunday and this Gospel about the sheep and the young kids offer us encouraging guidelines for how to prepare for the season of Lent that will soon be upon us. Let us each face our sins, bring them to Confession, and get to know ourselves, so that we will then come to know Christ in His full, resurrected Glory. And so, we ascribe as is justly due all might, majesty, dominion, power and praise to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, always now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Father Emmanuel Kahn

Bobby Maddex interviews Summer Kinard, the author of the new Ancient Faith Publishing book Of Such Is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Philip Mamalakis, the author of the new AFP book Parenting Toward the Kingdom: Orthodox Christian Principles of Child-Rearing.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reads an essay he wrote for Jacob's Well, the official magazine of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA). "What is the border between Christ’s Kingdom and the kingdoms of the world? The Savior said clearly that His Kingdom “is not of this world,” but the world is where we have to live out our lives as His followers. Throughout the Divine Liturgy, we pray for the salvation of all, peace for the world, and the wellbeing of our civil authorities and armed forces. To do this with integrity, we must discern how to deal with political and social matters in ways that not only convey the transcendence of the Kingdom, but also show how God’s will can be done, albeit imperfectly and partially, here on earth. The border between these realms is real, but not impermeable." Read the essay at https://issuu.com/jacobswell/docs/jacob_s_well_spring_2021_final/s/12860328.

Fr. Thomas Hopko discusses He who offers and is offered on our behalf to God the Father on the Cross as the perfect sacrifice that saves us from our sins and transgressions and puts us right with God. 

Bobby Maddox, the Director of Digital Media for Ancient Faith Ministries, interviews Dr. Philip Mamalakis, author of the Ancient Faith publishing book Parenting Toward the Kingdom: Orthodox Christian Principles of Child Rearing, about the book's new Companion Guide.

Bobby Maddex interviews Kendra Hunter, Kristina Tartara, and Stephanie Petrides, the authors of the new companion guide to Dr. Philip Mamalakis's book Parenting Toward the Kingdom: Orthodox Christian Principles of Child Rearing, publishing by Ancient Faith Publishing.

Feeding a hungry person doesn't "fix" hunger: that person will feel hungry again. So what's the point of helping those in need?

And His Righteousness and all this will be added to you. Romans 5: 1- 10, Matthew 6: 22- 33.

这使中国经济增速连续两个季度低于5%的全面目标。虽然如此，但实际数据略微高于此前的市场预期。分析人士说，中国第三季度国内生产总值（GDP）呈现出喜忧参半的经济状况。

The present paper offers a critique of the General Data Protection Regulation in the realm of access to information. Even though the GDPR supports the constitutionally obvious position that the right to data protection does not outweigh other equally important rights, the enhanced protection of the right to the protection of personal data leads to the potential neglect of other constitutional rights, such as that of access to information. Data protection and access to information authorities should be established both on an EU, as well as at national level as a single authority. Scientific research must be facilitated through access to a multitude of information. The present article explores the question of data ownership and aims to propose a new system that will enhance access to information. A key tool of our research will be the comparative overview of existing legislative systems and a review of the different approaches in the case-law of independent authorities.

A new paper describing a system integrating a GDPR Ontology with blockchain to support checking data operations for compliance.

The post paper: Automating GDPR Compliance using Policy Integrated Blockchain appeared first on UMBC ebiquity.

This posting is for those of you who receive articles from this blog by email, and I am sure that many of you within the EU will have received similar notices from other organisations. On the 25th May the General Data Protection Regulation comes into force and as part of that we need to know … Continue reading Receiving blog postings by email – GDPR →

ProgDVB is a universal multimedia program for watching digital TV and listening to your favorite radio channels. It includes the convenience of PiP (up to eight channels simultaneously) while watching your favorite TV content enabling you to keep up-to-date on another program (like a football game for instance) at the same time. [License: Freeware | Requires: 11|10|8|7 | Size: 44 MB ]

Warns against compromising on Sindh's share in Indus River waters

April sixth through eighth of this year marked the beginning and bitter-sweet ending of yet another All About Worship “Kingdom Songs” retreat. Another group of talented writers passionately chasing their calling filed in and out of life-giving workshops with seasoned “pro-writers” like James Tealy (songwriting professor at Belmont University and writer of “Light of the World” recorded by Kari Jobe), co-writes with peers and pros like Krissy Nordhoff (writer of “Your Great Name” recorded by Natalie Grant) and Michael Farren (lead singer of Pocket Full of Rocks, writer of “Let It Rain” recorded by Michael W. Smith and number #1 Lauren Daigle cut “Trust In You”), worship sessions, Q&As, song critiques, and so many more activities featured in the packed schedule of education and encouragement.

Writers come from every corner of the country, the world even, to spend a weekend equipping themselves with tools and knowledge to cultivate their calling to write what the body of Christ needs to hear, to better capture the heart of God through song. The end of every conference is genuinely a bitter-sweet moment, traditionally marked with a prayer by the staff over the writers to strengthen, encourage, and protect them as they set out to pursue their gifts. The bitterness is found in having to say goodbye to newfound friends, fellow writers who share your struggles, your triumphs, your worries, and your unique joys. But the sweet is in knowing that right now, there are empowered songwriters with renewed confidence, sharpened skills, and rejuvenated spirits conquering fears and fighting for songs that will change this world and bring about the kingdom of God. The desire of All About Worship in putting on this event is fulfilled in writers taking what they gain from this conference and bringing new life into their homes and congregations (some even literally, congratulations Rezwana!). Dustin Smith (staff writer at Integrity Music, author of “Miracles” recorded by Jesus Culture) has been known to say on more than one occasion that, in writing songs for the Kingdom, we “put words on the lips of the most powerful force on earth - the church”, and as they settle back into their homes with new contacts, revitalized hearts, Skype co-writes brewing, and minds creating, they pick up their weapons and prepare to do just that.

“God is using music and praise to Him as weapons to tear down strongholds and I am in awe of how He goes about it all. His voice is ringing clear and the air is trembling with His spirit” – Rezwana Derbyshire, Kingdom Songs attendee.

To be able to continue an ancient practice of crafting songs to lift up to the one true God is an awesome, in the truest sense of an underappreciated word, responsibility and privilege. Kingdom Songs and the entire staff and crew are proud and humbled by the opportunity to come alongside songwriters, link arms with them, and walk out this journey together.

From the ancient psalmists, in every language, from edge to edge of this earth, the people of the most high God will praise His name. Because if we do not cry out, the rocks will. 

All the hard work it required to get up to speed on the new data law was worth it because of one extraordinary bonus...

Hello, can you help me to determine how long is or was this ticket valid? What means codes below? Thanks for clarifing. ---Quote--- TKT-065xxxxxxxxxx-xxx RCI- 1A LOC-XXXXXX OD-VIEVIE SI- FCPI-4 POI-JED *DOI-28NOV23 *IOI-XXXXXXXX...

Children's Geographies; 04/01/2022
(AN 155952647); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier

Children's Geographies; 08/01/2023
(AN 167303416); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier

The post 2024 United Kingdom Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People was curated by information for practice.

There has been much talk and concern regarding so-called Christian Nationalism in the past several years.

The GTPase FlhF, a signal recognition particle (SRP)-type enzyme, is pivotal for spatial–numerical control and bacterial flagella assembly across diverse species, including pathogens. This study presents the X-ray structure of FlhF in its GDP-bound state at a resolution of 2.28 Å. The structure exhibits the classical N- and G-domain fold, consistent with related SRP GTPases such as Ffh and FtsY. Comparative analysis with GTP-loaded FlhF elucidates the conformational changes associated with GTP hydrolysis. These topological reconfigurations are similarly evident in Ffh and FtsY, and play a pivotal role in regulating the functions of these hydrolases.

The title compound dipotassium gadolinium(III) phosphate(V) molybdate(VI), K2Gd(PO4)(MoO4), was synthesized from a high-temperature melt starting from GdF3 as a source of gadolinium. Its structure is isotypic with other MI2MIII(MVIO4)(PO4) compounds, where MI = Na, K or Cs, and MIII = rare-earth cation, MVI = Mo or W. The three-dimensional framework is built up from [Gd(PO4)(MoO4)] anionic sheets, which are organized by adhesion of [GdPO4] layers and [MoO4] tetra­hedra stacked above and below these layers. The inter­stitial space is occupied by K cations having eightfold oxygen coordination. The polyhedron of GdO8 was estimated to be a triangular dodeca­hedron by the continuous shape measurement method.

STT GDC India, in which Tata Communications holds a minority stake, has 28 data centres across 10 cities, with a combined capacity of more than 318 megawatt of IT load. It has about 1,000 enterprise customers.

On October 12, 2021, Bunting officially acquired MagDev Ltd, a UK-based magnet and magnetic assembly manufacturer.

The economy rolled on in the third quarter of 2017, growing by 3%, despite the hurricanes that battered the United States during the quarter.

Future Stars Welcomes Campers to Baseball Camp in Farmingdale

$GDRC represents a stable, secure, and reliable decentralized monetary system

Church Langdon Lopp & Banet LLC Recognizes Exceptional High School Students with Scholarship Awards

Dr. Shruti Hegde opens cardiac amyloid and cardio-oncology clinic at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Future Stars Announces Upcoming Tennis Camp in Farmingdale