Tag Archives: icons

St. Nicholas’ Cross

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December 6 is St. Nicholas Day. Every year, on whatever day we serve that is closest to St. Nicholas Day, we commemorate it by giving the folks three $1 coins in Jesus’ Name, and sharing a little bit about the life and work of this wonderful Saint.

A week from Thursday is December 6. So, this year, we are serving on St. Nicholas Day! Lately, we have been serving between 150 and 200 men and women. So we will be giving away about $600 that night. It will be great fun! The old heads know to expect this. They don’t spread it around though, hoping for leftovers. Every year, there are several who are just amazed!

But, you know, this is really not that big a deal. Adam Bruckner of Philly Restart stands there every Monday afternoon and writes several hundreds of dollars worth of checks for people to get their IDs or driver’s licenses. So once a year, we get to help people buy a couple bus tokens, or a couple loads of laundry or even a beer.

If you want to help us spread some cheer and sing the praise of St.Nicholas to the glory of Jesus Christ, you can use the Paypal button on the right or mail a check to:

The King’s Jubilee
27 North Front Street
Souderton, PA 18964

Thank you. May God bless you.

Troparion (Tone 4)
Your works of justice showed you to your congregation a canon of faith, the likeness of humility, a teacher of abstinence, O Father, Bishop Nicholas. Wherefore, by humility you achieved exaltation, and by meekness, richness. Intercede, therefore, with Christ to save our souls.

 

Memory Eternal!

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St. Myron of Crete

This icon of St. Myron of Crete was donated to St. Philip’s in honor of Myron Starinshak.

I just learned via Facebook that our dear friend, long time supporter and brother in Christ, Myron Starinshak, passed away this weekend. Before he had his strokes a few years ago, he served faithfully, riding shotgun in the TKJ-mobile with me, to serve on the streets of Philadelphia. For many years he was a true, steady bass in the choir. He helped me at a couple of icon festivals. He used to do dozens of odd jobs around church. As soon as we know funeral arrangements, I will post them.

He was faithful to the end. He will be missed. May his memory be eternal!

Intercession for Our Lawsuit

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St. John the Almsgiver

St. John the Almsgiver by the hand of Niko Chocheli

St. Justin Martyr
St. Justin Martyr by the hand of Nick Papas 

We ask you to join us in asking for the intercessions of our patron St. John the Almsgiver and St. Justin Martyr for our lawsuit today and tomorrow in federal court. May the Kingdom of God prevail!

Saint Basil the Great

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How many precepts you ignore, since your ears are plugged with avarice! How much gratitude you ought to have shown to your Benefactor, how joyful and radiant you ought to have been that you are not one of those who crowd in at others doors, but rather others are knocking at your door. But now you lower your eyes and quicken your step, muttering hasty responses, lest anyone pry some small coin from your grasp. You know how to say only one thing: “I do not have, I cannot give, I myself am poor.” You are poor indeed and bereft of all goodness: poor in love, poor in kindness, poor in faith towards God, poor in eternal hope. Make your brothers and sisters sharers of your grain; give to the needy today what rots away tomorrow. Truly, this is the worst kind of avarice: not even to share perishable goods with those in need. (Saint Basil, “On Social Justice”, p.68-69)

How many precepts you ignore, since your ears are plugged with avarice! How much gratitude you ought to have shown to your Benefactor, how joyful and radiant you ought to have been that you are not one of those who crowd in at others doors, but rather others are knocking at your door. But now you lower your eyes and quicken your step, muttering hasty responses, lest anyone pry some small coin from your grasp. You know how to say only one thing: “I do not have, I cannot give, I myself am poor.” You are poor indeed and bereft of all goodness: poor in love, poor in kindness, poor in faith towards God, poor in eternal hope. Make your brothers and sisters sharers of your grain; give to the needy today what rots away tomorrow. Truly, this is the worst kind of avarice: not even to share perishable goods with those in need. (Saint Basil, “On Social Justice”, p.68-69)

Operation: Clean Start Bucket Delivered

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Last night we delivered an Operation: Clean Start bucket full of cleaning supplies and equipment to a couple who has just moved into an apartment. We also were able to give them some dishes and pots and pans. There was too much for them to carry home, so we gave them a ride. Daniel and Sadie are very grateful and want to convey their thanks to all who participate in this ministry. Sadie said thank you for the book, too. They also are thankful that we didn’t just back down in the face of the mayor’s intimidating, unjust decrees.

Next week, we will be delivering another Clean Start bucket and hope to have dishes, silverware and pots and pans to go with that, as well. Let us know if you have items you wish to donate. Or if you want to put gas in the tank of the TKJ-mobile, so we can keep making the deliveries, the donate button is up there on the right. May God bless you as you bless the poor in Jesus’ Name.

OPA!

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On Memorial Day weekend, Holy Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Elkins Park, is hosting their annual OPA Festival. Thousands of people come for the food and the crafts and the dances. Again this year, someone is sponsoring ads for both The King’s Jubilee and “Come and See” Icons, Books & Art to help this ministry. In fact this year, there will be two ads for TKJ. Since they asked to sell the magnets at the Resource Center, we are using the business card ad to advertise the magnets.

Here are the PDFs of the ads:  

The King’s Jubliee color ad

TKJ business card ad

“Come and See” Icons, Books & Art ad

Tuesdays in Philadelphia – over

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We have stopped serving on Tuesdays in Philadelphia. The Word In Action International Ministries has been able to recruit more volunteers. Also, the city is closing the Ridge Ave. Shelter, in front of which they serve, as their second site. Then there is my health. I have just been running ragged, trying to keep the business going, serving two nights on the street, laying the groundwork for the future of this ministry, while doing battle with whatever demons are whispering in the mayor’s ear.

I’m tired and broke and my customers are tired of waiting three weeks or more for their icons.

Righteous Tobit

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OK. How often do we think of Tobit? The two ministries that Tobit is known for are burial of the dead and almsgiving. He would sneak out at night and bury the fallen soldiers, even though they weren’t Jewish and it was likely to get him into trouble. Here is what he had to say to his son about almsgiving:

Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be envious, neither turn thy face from any poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee.
If thou hast abundance give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little:
For thou layest up a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity.
Because that alms do deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness.
For alms is a good gift unto all that give it in the sight of the most High.
- Tobit 4:7-11

Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold:
For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:
But they that sin are enemies to their own life.
- Tobit 12:8-10

Archangel Raphael

 The Holy Archangel Raphael appeared to Tobit and aided him and his family in various ways. This icon has symbols in the corners which recall Tobit’s story.

Tobias was Tobit’s son. Tobias’ dog that accompanied him on the journey is on the upper left, The fish that nearly ate Tobias, but instead was eaten by him, and whose organs were used to deliver Sarah from the demon and Tobit from blindness is on the upper right. An eye representing Tobit’s sight that was restored is on the lower left. A bag of coins representing the treasure that was recovered is on the lower right. Tobit is a wonderful tale of stewardship, faith and doubt, romance and an ecology that encompasses the seen and unseen worlds in time and eternity. it is in Tobit that we learn that Raphael is one of the seven Angels who bear the prayers of the saints to the throne of God.

This icon is by the hand of Nick Papas of Houston, TX, and is avaiable from www.comeandseeicons.com