Fr. Michael answers two questions about the passions.

Too often we say that we love the sinner but hate the sin; however in practice, I don’t think the sinners can tell the difference. May God help us to care for the bodily needs and to lovingly honour our neighbours, especially those we disagree with, and let us strive in appropriate measure to be diligent in our life of prayer and in our ascetic disciplines so that even without a word we may influence our neighbour to turn from what is evil to what is beautiful.

It seems the future of the Church, the future of the next Great and Holy Council (or the continuation of the one that has already begun) depends mostly on us, the people: the moms and dads, the brothers and sisters, the laity in general and the married priests and simple monastics. We’re the one’s whose holiness or lack thereof determines the holiness of tomorrow’s generation of leaders in the Church.

Jesus called the Apostles to leave everything to follow Him and become fishers of men. And He calls all of us to take up our cross and follow Him right in the midst of our daily lives, making those places of weakness and failure become occasions of beauty and blessing.

It is easy to assume that we have strong faith when it seems like everything is going our way. All too often, that means that we have come to trust in ourselves for following a religion that we imagine will give us what we want. When difficult struggles come, however, the truth about our weak souls is revealed. Then we come to see that real faith in God is not about serving or congratulating ourselves, but something entirely different.

What does the Orthodox Church have to say about Charlottesville? In the vocabulary of the day, nothing. In the language of the redemption of mankind: the Good News of Redemption found alone in Jesus Christ, and a life committed to imitation of his Royal way. The greatest mistake any human person can make, in this situation or any other, is to think that human means and ways will solve the tragedies and disasters of the fallen world. The solution must come from outside us, above us. Salvation is not found in killing our neighbor or our enemy. Salvation is found is seeing the Lord Jesus Christ in neighbor and in blessing our enemy, both. So if you wish to be saved, and if you want to make “a positive change in the world,” look neither to the Left, nor to the Right. Look up to Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the World.

We read Acts 11:19-30, our epistle for this Sunday, by means of a Jewish text, 2 Esdras 10:21-23, and in the light of Psalm 43 (MT 44) and Genesis 22:15-18. The Christian Diaspora is understood by Luke as used by God for the growth and maturity of his people, and not simply as an occasion for great lament. This insight contrasts with Jewish responses to the earlier Diasporas caused by Assyria and Babylon, for we know that God turns even martyrdom and dislocation to His purposes: He is the One who tramples down death by death.

This week we consider the deep canticle of the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 26:9-20), interpreting its more difficult phrases in the light of some of the Church fathers, and with reference to the story of the flood in Genesis 6-9, Psalm 119, Romans 8:22-39, and 2 Peter 1:19.

Welcoming the Christ Child: Family Readings for the Nativity Lent, "Tobit and Tobias and The Prophet Isaiah," by Elissa Bjeletich, illustrated by Jelena Jeftic (Sebastian Press, 2017).

Fr. Harry Pappas, priest at Archangel Orthodox Church in Stanford, Connecticut, and an adjunct professor at St. Vladimir's, leads the seminary's second annual Public Lenten Retreat. Titled "Back to Basics: Old Testament and Life," his presentation is divided into three parts, the third of which, "How New Life Appears," can be heard here.

Frank (or Isaac, in the Church), a regular member of the community, passed away suddenly near the end of March. A mixup with his phone provided the community with the chance to learn of his passing, and opened the door for his daughter to share her grief with others who also loved her father.

In the original usage, the Trisagion was sung as a refrain to Psalm 80. The cantor would chant verses of the psalm as all walked in procession and the people sung the Trisagion hymn as its refrain after every verse.

Today we begin a series on the use of the Old Testament in the early chapters of the Gospel of St. Matthew. We will examine his citations in his narrative of Christ’s birth, childhood and adulthood up to the time He settled in Capernaum, bringing a great light to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali and to all the world. St. Matthew (either the actual author of the Gospel or the one under whose blessing and authority it was first disseminated) took care to present Jesus as the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, and by examining the use of the Old Testament in this Gospel we can see how deeply and creatively the Church used those Scriptures.

We continue our series examining St. Matthew’s citations of the Old Testament. Today we look at his citation of Jeremiah 31:15. It reads, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are not.” The LXX renders it more or less the same way, though the order of the chapters is different. In the LXX the text is found in Jeremiah chapter 38, not chapter 31. But the meaning of the text is the same.

We conclude our series examining St. Matthew’s citations of the Old Testament. Today we look at his citation of Isaiah 40:3, which reads, “A voice cries, ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of Yahweh! Make straight in the desert a highway for our God!”

Fr. Apostolos Hill preaches on what to do when we come upon disagreeable passages in Holy Scripture, such as Abraham's statement to the Rich Man that he has already received his "good things" in his life and can expect nothing more.

Dr. Rossi interviews the parish priest at St. Justin Martyr Orthodox Church in Jacksonville about parish life, outreach, and evangelism.

Dr. Albert Rossi reflects on the spiritual lessons that can be learned from the famous Mona Lisa.

Fr. Philip LeMasters discusses the sexualized culture of Hollywood.

How does one attain spiritual wisdom? This week offers reflections grounded in the sayings of St Isaac of Syria, on wisdom approached through humility, prayer in the scriptures, and love of neighbor.

In this episode, Fr. Dcn. Matthew explores the commentary on the "Holy God..." by the 14th-century Byzantine lay theologian, St Nicholas Cabasilas. What is the significance of this ancient hymn of glorification of the Trinity? This episode features portions of recordings of the hymn by St Anthony's Monastery, the Monastery of St John the Wonderworker, the Stretennia Men's Chorus, and St Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary.

In this episode, Archimandrite Irenei explores the commentary on the "Holy God..." by the 14th-century Byzantine lay theologian, St Nicholas Cabasilas. What is the significance of this ancient hymn of glorification of the Trinity? This episode features portions of recordings of the hymn by St Anthony’s Monastery, the Monastery of St John the Wonderworker, the Stretennia Men’s Chorus, and St Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary.

Richard Barrett, protopsaltis and choir director at Holy Dormition Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, MA—and the co-host of A Sacrifice of Praise—interviews Amy Hogg, Samuel Herron, and Gabriel Cremeens, the individuals behind the new Trisagion School of Byzantine Music, an online Byzantine Chant training program whose mission it is to offer Byzantine Chant instruction in English with a focus on the ever-growing English-language repertoire available in Byzantine notation.

In this meditation on Isiah 1:16-31, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Bible’s prophetic voice on behalf of the poor.

When at His baptism the Father speaks of Jesus as his "Beloved Son", declaring Him "well-pleased", the expression would have evoked in the mind of Jesus and anyone else who heard them two Biblical texts with which Jesus Himself was already familiar from the years of study in the synagogue.

Why was the meeting between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew so important? We're looking at Catholic-Orthodox history in this week's Be the Bee!

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 If your parish suddenly disappeared, would anyone notice? Are we living out the Gospel in our neighborhoods and communities? Because we believe the same things that the first Christians taught. But do we act like them? Last week, we talked about the importance of prayer. But we can't forget almsgiving in our spiritual practice. We've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you work through how you can better love your neighbor. https://mailchi.mp/goarch/be_be_bee_148 Questions you might be struggling with, that we'll touch on in the video: How do we act like Christians? How do I love my neighbor? How to act like a Christian? What is unchristian like behavior? What are Bible rules to live by? What is social justice in Christianity? What does the Bible say about social justice? What is social justice really mean? Social justice and the Gospel? Why do young adults leave the Church? Why do people quit going to Church?

Matthew introduces us to one of the most prominent females in early American Orthodox history. Learn more HERE.

Brendan Lawlor hopes his Irish G4D Invitational will "get the ball rolling" for the future of the disability sport.

The BBC's Nikita Mandhani reflects on her personal experience of the second wave in India.

Thousands of Derry City fans travelled to Dublin for the FAI cup final but the Candystripes lost out to Drogheda two-nil.

Council leader Nick Adams-King reacts to budget and says it is 'deeply disappointing' for local growth.

Community groups say they are being asked to put plans in place for terrorism, bombs and drones.

Emily Sutcliffe says it is "unfair" she has lost her account documenting life with her two sons.

My Life My Choice founder Michael Edwards is recognised during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

The comedian has been praised by students at the Royal National College for the Blind, where he studied.

A Norwich disability group thanks a charity for making a city beauty spot more accessible.

‘Don’t play Wordle’ is the plea from striking New York Times workers who are complaining about what they say are unfair labour practices. The New York Times Tech Guild, which […]

The post Boycott Wordle – New York Times workers plead, DNA firm disappears without trace appeared first on Tech Digest.

Advanced marketing techniques such as Account-based Marketing (ABM) and 1-1 marketing require a more individualised approach than traditional inbound marketing tactics. No longer can we paint with a broad brush, as marketers. We must find ways to speak directly with individuals, rather than an audience.

Traducción jurada para su visado español en EE.UU. Como ya hemos comentado en otros artículos, son numerosos los procesos de migración en los que se suele requerir que la documentación...

La entrada TRADUCCIÓN JURADA PARA VISADO ESPAÑOL – EE.UU. se publicó primero en Nartran Translations.

SWORN TRANSLATION FOR SPANISH VISA Immigration processes usually require a sworn translator to translate the documents you need to apply for your paperwork. This is the case of many of...

La entrada SWORN TRANSLATION FOR SPANISH VISA se publicó primero en Nartran Translations.

Selon l'economiste Bertrand Martinot, il faut introduire une dose de capitalisation pour des raisons d'equite entre generations et d'efficience economique.

Malgré un télescopage plus que dommageable avec l’affaire Ferrand – il aurait déjà dû démissionner – François Bayrou a annoncé un train de mesures visant à moraliser visant à encadrer les élus. Et bien celles-ci vont dans le bon sens. Bien sûr, on pourra...

Si la question de l’hystérisation des réseaux sociaux ne date pas des Gilets Jaunes, nulle doute qu’elle revient sur le devant de la scène. Je ne parle même pas des théories du complot lié à ce mouvement. Pour ma part, les choses sont claires, il est...

1. Budget 2025 : quatre questions sur la revalorisation des pensions de retraite prévue pour janvier  franceinfo
2. Retraites revalorisées : les réactions des retraités face aux revalorisations annoncées pour janvier et juillet 2025  franceinfo
3. Annonce contestée de Laurent Wauquiez sur les retraites : « L’épisode dit toute la fragilité de cette coalition voulue par Emmanuel Macron »  Le Monde
4. Retraite : voici de combien votre pension sera revalorisée en 2025, selon votre profil  Capital.fr
5. Revalorisation des retraites : quelle hausse à partir du 1er janvier 2025 ? Qui est concerné ?  Sud Ouest

1. Mobilisation - Les agriculteurs, en colère, vont organiser un barrage filtrant dans le Loiret  La République du Centre
2. L’Union européenne sacrifie l’agriculture française pour sauver l’industrie allemande  Marianne
3. Colère agricole. Retrait des panneaux routiers : peut-on contester une amende pour excès de vitesse?  Ouest-France
4. Colère des agriculteurs : la FNSEA annonce de nouvelles mobilisations  Actu Orange
5. L’appel de plus de 600 parlementaires français à Ursula von der Leyen : « Les conditions pour l’adoption d’un accord avec le Mercosur ne sont pas réunies »  Le Monde

1. UN chief warns COP29 summit to pay up or face climate-led disaster for humanity  The Globe and Mail
2. Climate Summit, in Early Days, Is Already on a ‘Knife Edge’  The New York Times
3. At COP29 summit, nations big and small get chance to bear witness to climate change  The Globe and Mail
4. Terence Corcoran: COP29 hit by political ‘dunkelflaute’  Financial Post
5. COP29: Albania PM goes off script to ask 'What on Earth are we doing?'  Euronews

Les faisans ne sont pas tous égaux face au renard, les plus doués en termes de mémoire ayant le plus grand territoire et surtout les plus grandes chances de survie, selon une étude lundi.

En théorie, rien de nouveau, la taille du territoire de la plupart des animaux serait liée à ses capacités cognitives, ne serait-ce que pour se souvenir de ses limites. Mais cela reste difficile à prouver "parce qu'ils peuvent avoir d'autres raisons de se limiter à un petit territoire", par exemple s'ils y trouvent suffisamment de ressources, explique le biologiste de l'évolution Robert Heathcote, de l'Université de Bristol.

Pour en avoir le cœur net, une équipe de l'Université britannique d'Exeter, et d'universités néerlandaise et israéliennes, a mené une expérience grandeur nature dans une forêt du Devon, dans le sud-ouest de l'Angleterre.

Avant d'y être lâchés, 126 faisans élevés en captivité ont subi sur quelques semaines trois tests jaugeant leur capacités cognitives, et notamment deux types de mémoire spatiale.

La mémoire dite de travail, qui est de court terme, permet à un individu de se souvenir que s'il a trouvé un ver de terre à un endroit, il ne sert à rien d'y retourner cinq minutes plus tard. La deuxième, dite mémoire de référence spatiale, de plus long terme, permet au faisan de se souvenir d'un trajet même après plusieurs jours.

L'étude publiée dans Nature Ecology & Evolution établit que c'est cette mémoire de référence spatiale qui dicte la taille du territoire d'un faisan. Ce territoire, "qui est la zone où il passe l'essentiel de son temps, est aussi celui qu'il connaît le mieux", selon M. Heathcote. Son étendue va de moins de cent mètres de long et jusqu'à un kilomètre carré.

- Territoires de la mort -

En l'espace de six mois, les chercheurs ont enregistré la prédation de 45 faisans, tous sous les crocs de renards roux. Chaque volatile était équipé d'une minuscule balise d'une dizaine de grammes, conçue par les chercheurs israéliens, permettant sa localisation quasiment en temps réel.

"Ce qui a permis de savoir quand la trajectoire de la balise n'était plus celle du faisan, mais était devenue celui du renard", explique en souriant M. Heathcote à l'AFP. La déambulation prudente du volatile se muait, une fois saisi dans la mâchoire de son prédateur, en trajectoire rectiligne, rapide et lointaine du renard, vers un endroit où dévorer tranquillement sa proie.

Les faisans les plus susceptibles de terminer leur existence de cette manière étaient ceux ayant une piètre mémoire de référence spatiale. Leur fin était aussi beaucoup plus probable aux frontières de leur territoire. "La connaissance d'une zone aide le faisan à rester vivant", et inversement, selon le Dr Joah Madden, de l'Université d'Exeter, cité dans un communiqué.

Même dans les zones de chasse préférées des renards, que M. Heathcote a baptisé "territoires de la mort", les chances de survie d'un faisan dépendent avant tout de son expérience du terrain. Les plus habiles n'évitent pas la zone de la mort, mais "avec le temps ils peuvent apprendre quelles sont les voies les plus rapides et les plus sûres pour échapper à une attaque".

Pour les faisans qui échappent aux crocs, reste le risque de finir criblé de plomb par l'homme.

(Belga) La reine Mathilde et la princesse Élisabeth effectueront une visite de travail en Égypte du 14 au 16 mars, a indiqué le Palais royal dans un communiqué lundi soir.

"Cette visite marquera l'intérêt historique de la famille royale pour l'Égypte antique et rendra hommage à la reine Élisabeth, dont l'intérêt et la passion sont à l'origine de l'épanouissement de l'égyptologie en Belgique. La Reine et la Princesse visiteront plusieurs sites que la reine Élisabeth a elle-même visités lors de ses voyages en Égypte, notamment le tombeau de Toutankhamon. Au Caire, elles assisteront également au vernissage d'une exposition consacrée à la reine Élisabeth et à l'égyptologie belge", peut-on lire dans le communiqué. La Reine et la Princesse visiteront aussi différents sites archéologiques à Louxor et ses environs, où des institutions et des universités belges effectuent des fouilles. Cette visite de travail commémore par ailleurs plusieurs anniversaires célébrés en 2022 et 2023: le 200e anniversaire du déchiffrement des hiéroglyphes par Jean-François Champollion, les centenaires de la découverte du tombeau de Toutankhamon et de sa visite par la reine Élisabeth, le 125e anniversaire de l'émergence de l'égyptologie belge et le 75e anniversaire de la mort de l'égyptologue belge Jean Capart. (Belga)

The problem of dispatching is key to management of shared bicycles. Considering the number of borrowing and returning events during the dispatching period, optimisation plans of shared bicycles dispatching are studied in this paper. Firstly, the dispatching model of shared bicycles is built, which regards the dispatching cost and lost demand as optimised objectives. Secondly, the solution algorithm is designed based on non-dominated Genetic Algorithm. Finally, a case is given to illustrate the application of the method. The research results show that the method proposed in the paper can get optimised dispatching plans, and the model considering borrowing and returning during dispatching period has better effects with a 39.3% decrease in lost demand.