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Come to “Timeless Wisdom” Melbourne’s Lenten Retreat

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Wed, 28/02/2018 - 4:01pm

Timeless Wisdom Banner

Timeless Wisdom: Orthodox Spirituality Today A Lenten Retreat—16th to 18th March 2018, Belgrave Heights Come join the English-speaking Orthodox parishes of Melbourne for a weekend of spiritual feasting. People will be flocking to experience the “Timeless Wisdom” of ancient Orthodox Spirituality in a thoroughly modern setting. But for those who cannot make it, remember that all weekend services will be served at The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church.

Finding Grace in Great Lent

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Sat, 24/02/2018 - 10:30pm

Fr. Geoff serves the Akathist to the Theotokos in the Small Chapel at Lent

Well, we’re approaching the end of the first week of Great Lent in 2018. God’s been good, very good to us. And the season of Great Lent is rewarding! Let me relate a little of what is happening in the parish and what God is doing in our lives. Beauty and Charity Just in time for Great Lent, our re-covered Gospel Book arrived. It was covered by an Orthodox monastery in Belarus, and it is a gorgeously beautiful covering.

Patriarchal Letter for Great Lent 2018

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Wed, 14/02/2018 - 1:00pm

Patriarch John X at St. Paul's Orthodox Church, Dandenong, on 20 December 2017

By the Grace of God, John X Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Antioch To My brothers, the hierarchs and Shepherds of the Holy Church of Antioch, My spiritual children throughout the Apostolic See,  My brethren and beloved spiritual children: 

How to prepare for Great Lent in 2018

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Tue, 23/01/2018 - 1:00pm

St. George Orthodox Church in NYC, featuring Christ the Pantocrator icon on the ceiling

The Orthodox mind is a prepared mind. We never just “do an event.” We prepare for the event. And we never just prepare for an event, we prepare to prepare to prepare for the event! The fulcrum of our liturgical year is Pascha. Holy Week Prepares us for Pascha. Lent prepares us for Holy Week. And the week following Zaccheaus Sunday is when we prepare for Lent. So, today is the day we prepare to prepare to prepare for Pascha.  What follows are six questions we can ask ourselves to see if we’re truly ready for Great Lent.

How Calvin thought to reinvent God

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Tue, 16/01/2018 - 10:40am

Artist’s depiction of John Calvin in his study.

John Calvin’s ideas are both celebrated and mourned. Some present them as the first flowering of rational Christianity; by others as a terrible deformation of the doctrine of God. Yet no matter the genius of the idea: logic alone won’t perpetuate itself in the lives of succeeding generations.

Six adults baptised, received into the Orthodox Church

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Tue, 09/01/2018 - 1:00pm

Six candidates for baptism

God is on the move. He is calling people from all backgrounds and walks of life into communion with His Church. And He is calling members of His Church to cooperate with Him in this saving activity (1 Corinthians 3:9). The Good Shepherd was witness to this Divine activity on the weekend before the Nativity. Six adult catechumens were baptised on the Friday and received into communion on Christmas Eve.

Meet Metropolitan Basilios

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Thu, 28/12/2017 - 8:00am

Patriarch John X and Metropolitan Basilios

Meet the new Metropolitan Archbishop of the Antiochian Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Basilios (Kodseie).  Metropolitan Basilios was elected by the Holy Synod of Antioch to the Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines on 4 October 2017, and was ordained as Metropolitan Archbishop at the Lady of Balamand Cathedral, Lebanon, on 19 November 2017. 

Fr. Geoff’s Christmas Address

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Mon, 25/12/2017 - 9:00am

Fr. Geoff and clergy

As this calendar year comes to a close, I am enormously grateful to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit for all the many and varied blessings we have received this year. Truly His mercy abounds. The Good Shepherd parish, located as we are in the centre of Melbourne’s population, has a mission to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all Australians. We model the ancient tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy in a modern, secular culture. We conduct our services in English so that Australians of all backgrounds can learn, grow and find healing in their body and soul.

Patriarchal Letter for Nativity 2017

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Fri, 22/12/2017 - 4:00pm

Patriarch John X at St. Paul's Orthodox Church, Dandenong, on 20 December 2017

By God’s Grace, His Beatitude Patriarch John X Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East To all my brothers, the Shepherds of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, and to my spiritual children throughout the Apostolic See of the Church of Antioch, “Beholding him that was in God’s image and likeness fallen because of the transgression, Jesus bowed the heavens and came down; and without suffering change, He made His dwelling in womb of a Virgin.” — The Entreaty, Great Vespers of the Nativity

10 ways to put Christ back into Christmas

Submitted by Fr. Geoff Harvey on Sat, 02/12/2017 - 3:00pm

Nativity of Christ Icon

Seemingly every year there’s a mad rush to tie up loose ends at work, shop, party and stress over visiting the relatives. Despite our streets and shops having awesome decorations, Christmas in Australia has become increasingly secular. The most counter-cultural thing you can do is to make this season an opportunity for increasing your spiritual sensitivity.

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