The Word is on their annual July and August hiatus, but while we eagerly await the September issue we can still be fed by this beloved ministry of our Archdiocese, founded in Arabic in 1905 by St. Raphael of Brooklyn and in 1957 made an English language publication by Metropolitan Antony Bashir. At The Best of The Word, you'll find thought-provoking articles that share the blessed work being done in the Antiochian Archdiocese, and the wisdom of her workers. So whether you missed reading an issue (maybe even a few?) in print, or want to discover The Word for the first time, enjoy The Best of The Word.

Some recommendations to get you started: Kevin Allen's Church Growth, Orthodox Style; Gregory Cook's Words We Live By: ORTHODOX and American Ideals In Foundational Texts; Fr. Thomas Gallaway's The Sacred Nature of Sex; Harvey H.H. Homsey's Stewardship: Why My Family Tithes; and Fr. Joseph Purpura's Are We Doing Enough For Our Teens?

The Handmaiden: A Journal for Women Serving God Within the Orthodox Christian Faith is published quarterly by Conciliar Media Ministries of the Antiochian Archdiocese. Readers can sample the latest issue, "Good Stewards of the Earth," with the article A New Heaven and a New Earth: Church and Environment - Theological and Spiritual Insights, by Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis.

"This world is a never-ending movement toward the kingdom. Indeed, it is profoundly and intimately related to the heavenly kingdom. This means that what we do on earth matters for what we believe about heaven. ... We have learned not to treat people like things because they are created 'in the image of God.' We must now learn not to treat even things like mere things because they, too, contain the very trace of God."

His Grace Bishop THOMAS shares with us this article about St. Raphael originally published in the New York Times in 1895, on the occasion of the "Damascus Preacher" arriving in the city. Thank you Bishop THOMAS, and thank you Vera Acker, secretary of St. Philip's Church in Souderton, PA, for transcribing this piece of history.

Click here to learn more about St. Raphael Hawaweeny of Brooklyn.

From The New York Times, September 15, 1895:

MINISTER FOR SYRIANS

Christian Church to be Filled by a Damascus Preacher.

Fr. Patrick, one of the most thoughtful and prolific of today's Orthodox Christian writers, is the author of an important new book from Conciliar Media titled Creation and the Patriarchal Histories: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Genesis.

Click here for an excerpt titled Excursus: Esau, the Modern Man.

Click here to order your copy.

UPDATE: And, click here to listen to Ancient Faith Radio's interview with Fr. Patrick about the book!

Residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spend their days piling debris outside their ruined homes. One woman who lost everything only cared about not finding her favorite picture of her daughter. “This is a vibrant community, which has been changed forever. People try to go about their daily lives and they can’t deal with a lot of what’s hitting them emotionally right now,” says Father Chris Flesoras, a member of International Orthodox Christian Charities’ (IOCC) Emergency Response Network, known as the “Orthodox Frontline,” which is providing trauma counseling and coordinating resources with other charities on the scene.

Also, learn about the first response team from IOCC to the flood ravaged areas via this Ancient Faith Radio podcast with Fr. Haralambos (Bob) Fox, who is on assignment in Cedar Rapids, IA.