Ig I’d wear a band on my left and the diamond on my right,

Father: The tradition comes from St Boniface, Apostle to the Germans (675-754), cutting down a tree considered sacred to pagans and using its wood to build a church.

Saint John Chrysostom had some pretty damning things to say about Christians being circumsized.

Love this!

What happens if a lady spills it on her clothes? Do you still have to suck it out of the material? Do you make her undress? Do you burn the dress? Who's paying for her dress?...

The association with Christmas comes from St Boniface

“Thus says the Lord: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ This was brought up in our Orthodox Church the other day and the answer was a big No to Christmas trees… and even the Bible actually talks about something like it.

My favorite explanation is the story of St Bonafice the enlightener of Germany. In those times there were still Norse pagans that had dedicated a fur tree to Thor called the "thunder oak". The saint took up an axe and chopped it down, afterwards using it as an opportunity to preach the gospel. The Nativity Tree is the equivalent of killing a false god and hanging on your wall like a deer's head.

Isn't Jesus Christ the Tree of Life? And at the same time the first fruit of the tree of the cross that budded, the first fruit of the resurrection? The Christmas tree can also be related to the tree that bears good fruit. I think there are many connections that can be made regarding the tree.

so decorate your christmas tree with icons of jesus' family, with jesus being at the top. cool cool

Our circumcision is the Holy baptism

Connecting a Christmas tree to symbolize a genealogy table is too much of a stretch for me. Let's obey the hierarch and find something within tradition to replace it. Actually there is iconography to remind us of what is the Holy and Divine Nativity of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

IIRC, the Christmas tree comes from Christmas tradition called Adam & Eve trees where the parish would host a performance recreating the story of Adam & Eve.

the clipers are unhinged love it

This eagle looks like it came from the Hunger Games movie series.

☦️🙏🌲

We have one up in our church also. It's just traditional now for all Christians

That, and it looks pretty. We are allowed to have pretty things, look at most of our Churches.

I do not believe an Orthodox Church should have a Christmas tree in it not because it’s pagan related but a church is no place for this kind of thing

Since God is Jesus father shouldn't we be looking at Mary's lineage? Mathew lists mostly the males which must be Mary's bloodline I would guess.

Beautifully explained. Thank you, Fr.

They can be, but not required...although circumcision of the heart is required

Respectfully, The hedge clippers are poor taste Fr. You could have made the point without that.

Yes, this is similar practice to the Catholic Church

Can you please keep my man in your prayers he believed in Jesus and I believe he’s demon possessed he doesn’t wanna mention Jesus and he has dark thoughts can you please please please keep him in your prayers I’ve been praying for a miracle and that he returns to God 😭

Archbishop Fulton Sheen the Catholic Archbishop?

You're going to frighten the male converts! 😂 Nice short though.

Lose the bouzoukia

God bless your soul Father

How many times have l tried to explain this to my evangelical friends whi insist that it is idle worship. Perhaps they purposely don't want to understand.

Yes, we do not become gods, however, immortal spirits, joint heirs brethren, with the son, which clearly means, FAMILY. Ephesians 3;15. I'm really liking the Greek orthodox attitude on this, however, not the embrace of graven imagery on steroids. I just don't understand that.

How do I spell the name of the earliest writings of the Apostles mentioned at about 2:34? Im a newly baptized Orthodox and this is super interesting to me

In all honesty a clergyman like everyone else needs to pay for food pay for gas also pay bills

Watching from Canada 🇨🇦 Thank you!

Thank you Father, for the reading written out (above) to follow, look forward to the opportunity to come to divine Liturgy if even on line ( not exactly the same, but as close as I am able) We can thak God for the ability to come online for services. We thank you all for taking this time and the work it takes to allow us to have this opportunity. Do not say this so much, am sure, but I mean it all sincerely, Some are not able to do this differently . Need confession and communion, but this is not figured out yet anyway. The must be some way to receive and to maybe online, but it would be too time consuming, for any priest am sure, to do this alone. Blessed communion can be sent and mailed to people but yet at a price, (Maybe for a donation everytime?) and then online confession one person at a time, but very hard to have enough people to handle it . Someday this will be figured out am sure though, Many years to you all! Thanking our Lord for all of this, and the future that He will bring forward one day,

IDOLATRY

HAVERHILL MASSACHUSETTS Holy Apostles Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church, NEEDS A HEAVY DUTY AUDIT☎️✍️IMMEDIATELY

Father, DO YOU THINK SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS SHOULD BE TELLING, CHILDREN OF GOD 1. SANTA CLAUSE IS REAL? LEPERCHONS ARE REAL? & OTHER DEMONIC CHARACTERS OF THE SAME ESSENCE is REAL? ✍️AINT WE AS ORTHODOX SUPPOSE TO SPIT ON POMP? IM FROM HAVERHILL MASSACHUSETTS WHERE OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL IS TEACHING MIXED SIGNALS 🎤🤔☎️AN AUDIT IN HAVERHILL MASSACHUSETTS IMMEDIATELY

My NOTES 📝

Haverhill Massachusetts, Holy Apostles & Peter Orthodox Church 🤔☎️AN AUDIT CALLED ON ALL PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS IMMEDIATELY

FATHER, WHAT DO YOU SAY🤔SHOULD PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS HOLD BELIEFS THAT ABORTION IS A RIGHT FOR INDIVIDUALS? & IF THEY DO BELIEVE ABORTION IS HEALTH CARE SHOULD THEY BE PARISH COUNCIL WHO HOLD SEATS ON THE CHURCH & HOW DO YOU THINK MOTHERS & FATHERS WHO TERMINATE THEIR OWN CHILDREN TREAT OTHERS🎤IN THE CHURCH , IM FROM HAVERHILL MASSACHUSETTS

It’s a horrific and traumatic medical practice in the west - completely unnecessary for our boys. All you have to do is watch a video of the procedure and know it’s not right. Beware it’s traumatic just to watch. But if you’re a parent, then inform yourself and don’t do this to your baby! Thank you father for clarifying. Many converts are confused because Protestant culture encourages it

I find it hard to imagine that if something like this had happened during the Last Supper, Jesus would have told the apostles: Bend down and suck everything off the floor!

Martin Luther, is that you?

Sop it up with his tongue? Did I hear that right?

Deacons we need to not allow this to happen 😔

But the word of God says all males are to be circumcised. Listen to the word of God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob not man and their decision. ❤Some holy days you can not participate in if not circumcised. God was going to kill a man when he didn't circumcise his son. His wife did it and saved his life❤

Modernism. See the cut hair and cut beard? We have weak leaders today.

"We also affirm that this [that every man is guilty or original sin] is indeed, the truth. The psalmist says in the 50th Psalm: 'Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.' [Ps 50:5] And the Lord says in the Gospels concerning the purging away of such original sin: 'Unless one is born of water in the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven' [Jn 3:5]." -Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople and the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to Augsburg

I appreciate you addressing my question from last week. I hope you didn't feel on the spot. I have been listening to you for a number of months now and I have come to really respect you (Padre Maggos) for being willing to put yourself out their and answer questions in a live format. I hope that I didn't make you feel attacked, as this was not my intention, I was simply concerned for the logical outcome of what was misspoken about God's relationship to time. I sincerely apologize for any discomfort caused or if disrespect was communicated. Que dios te bendiga!