Chancellor’s Diary

by Fr. John Jillions

June 9, 2015

Acts 21:37-22:29 Paul Testifies About His Experience

Rome
Ancient Roman road in modern Tarsus (southeastern Turkey)

21: 37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four…

June 5, 2015

Acts 21:17-36 When Others are Offended

St. James
St James, the Brother of the Lord

17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And…

June 4, 2015

Acts 21:1-16

Map Jerusalem
Map of Paul’s journey to Jerusalem

And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Pat′ara. 2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoeni′cia, we went aboard, and set sail. 3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to…

June 3, 2015

Acts 20:17-38 Paul and the Presbyters

17 And from Mile′tus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders [presbyteroi] of the church. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with…

June 2, 2015

3rd Day of the Holy Trinity

Acts 20:1-16 Paul in Troas

Troas
Map of Paul’s journey, including Troas

7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered. 9 And…

May 29, 2015

Acts 19:21-20:1 “Resolved in the Spirit”

19:21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedo′nia and Acha′ia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedo′nia two of his helpers, Timothy and Eras′tus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23…

May 20, 2015

Resurrection

Leave-taking of Pascha: Christ is risen!

Acts 19:11-20 Magical Thinking

11 And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the…

May 19, 2015

Acts 19:1-10 “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit”

Map
Map of primary cities in Acts

While Apol′los was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard…

May 15, 2015

Acts 18:18-28 “Love is in jeopardy” (Saint John Chrysostom)

18 After this Paul stayed many days longer, and then took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aq′uila. At Cen′chre-ae he cut his hair, for he had a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself went into the synagogue…

May 13, 2015

Acts 18:1-17 Paul in Corinth

Corinth
Main street in ancient Corinth

1 After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aq′uila, a native of Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them; 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed…

May 12, 2015

Acts 17:16-34 Paul Engages the Athenians

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the market place every day with those who chanced to be there. 18 Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic…

May 8, 2015

Acts 17:1-15 “Men who have turned the world upside down”

Moni Vlatadon
Mone Vlatadon monastery in Thessalonica, on site where St. Paul is said to have preached

1 Now when they had passed through Amphip′olis and Apollo′nia, they came to Thessaloni′ca, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he…

May 7, 2015

Acts 16:16-40

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed,…

May 6, 2015

Mid-Pentecost

Acts 16:11-15 The Conversion of Lydia

St. Lydia
St. Lydia of Philippi, “Equal to the Apostles”
St. Lydia Church
Church of St. Lydia in Philippi
Roman House Plan
Roman house plan
Roman House
Preserved Roman house

11 Setting sail therefore from Tro′as, we made a direct voyage to Sam′othrace, and the following day to Ne-ap′olis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the leading…

May 5, 2015

Vision of Orthodoxy in the New World

Montreal Institute
Metropolitan Tikhon, Dr John Hadjinicolaou at Montreal Institute of Orthodox Theology

This past weekend, I was in Montreal with Metropolitan Tikhon for the annual bilingual (French-English) colloquium of the Montreal Institute of Orthodox Theology. Now under the umbrella of the University of Laval, for the last 17…

April 7, 2015

Descent to Hades

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

I will be serving from Holy Thursday through Pascha at the women’s Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA.

The Chancellor’s Diary will resume with commentary on the Book of Acts sometime in Bright Week.

Best wishes to you all for celebrating a peaceful and joyful Holy Week and Pascha.

Come, O…

April 2, 2015

Acts 16:6-10: Divine Guidance and Decision-making

St Paul
The vision of the Apostle Paul

6 And they went through the region of Phry′gia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come opposite My′sia, they attempted to go into Bithyn′ia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 so, passing…

April 1, 2015

Acts 16:1-5

And he [Paul] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Ico′nium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in…

March 27, 2015

Father Thomas Hopko: Memory Eternal!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us… (Hebrews 12:1)

I don’t have words to properly express my thoughts, feelings and gratitude for the days…

March 20, 2015

Father Thomas Hopko: Memory Eternal!

Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko
Fr Thomas Hopko, at unction service on March 14, 2015

When word of Father Tom’s repose came during the Holy Synod meeting this past Wednesday, the bishops broke from their deliberations and immediately sang a memorial service in Saint Sergius Chapel. Father Tom, as Dean Emeritus of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary,…