Charities
"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. (Matthew 6:1-4)
September 30, 2004 to October 6, 2004
Sgs 5-8
Is 1:1-4:1
Is 4:2-6:13
Is 7:1-9:1
Is 9:2-10:34
Is 11-14
Is 15-19
The above is Revised Standard Version.
Bible Reading Plan for 2004
CHARITIES
It is important to do good works all throughout the year. The following list of charities are a portion of those to whom we donate from St. John's on a regular basis. You can find out more about them by visiting their web sites. Links to some of these charities are in the left margin.
Orthodox Christian Mission Center
OCA Mission Appeal
OCA Charity Appeal
Orthodox Christian Fellowship
Project Mexico
International Orthodox Christian Charities
NJ Right to Life
St. Peter's Haven in Clifton
Eph 3
Eph 4
Eph 5
Eph 6
Phil 1:1-26
Phil 1:27-2:11
Phil 2:12-30
Sept. 30
Oct 1
2
3
4
5
6
Mother of God of Pelagonia
The Holy Virgin and the infant Christ are depicted on a gold background. The Virgin’s purple maphorion has long fringes, and on the edges is an embroidered text of Psalm 44. Her perpetual virginity is symbolized by three stars on her maphorion; one star on each shoulder and one above her forehead. One star on this icon is obscured by the figure of the infant Christ but it is understood to be there. Christ is dressed in a patterned white tunic with a blue belt adorned with gold steaks and a cinnabar cloak. The belt strapped on Christ’s shoulders is an iconographic detail that scholars explain as an allusion to “Christ as prelate who sanctifies the temple.”
The Icon of the Holy Virgin Pelagonitissa is considered a variation of the Virgin of Tenderness. The infant Christ hugging His mother with His back turned to the viewer boosts the drama of the mother worried for her frightened child. This image, conveying the heightened emotions of the mother and the child is also related to another iconographic type, the Holy Virgin of Sorrows. It is believed that the image was created following older Slavic traditions, in monasteries in the Pelagonia region of Macedonia.
