Chancellor’s Diary

by Fr. John Jillions

February 6, 2015

Acts 13:1-3

Liturgy, fasting and hearing the Holy Spirit: Barnabas and Saul sent out as missionaries

SS Paul & Barnabas
The Apostles Paul and Barnabas

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyre′ne, Man′a-en a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping…

February 4, 2015

Acts 12:6-25

Peter Delivered from Prison

St. Peter
Peter Delivered From Prison (Caracciolo, 1578-1625)

6 The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; 7 and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he…

February 3, 2015

Postfeast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple

Acts 12:1-6 Persecution and Prayer

1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword; 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened…

January 29, 2015

Acts 11:19- 30 First Gentile Mission Planted in Antioch

Antioch
Antioch (modern Antakya, Turkey)

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoeni′cia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyre′ne, who on coming to Antioch…

January 27, 2015

Acts 11:1-18 “Who was I that I could withstand God?”

Glorify God

Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, 3 saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” 4 But Peter began and explained to…

January 24, 2015

Acts 10:34-48 “God shows no partiality”

The Good News is for All

34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is…

January 22, 2015

Acts 10:9-33 Call Nobody Common or Unclean

St. Peter's Vision
Peter’s Vision

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heaven opened, and something…

January 21, 2015

Acts 10:1-7 Cornelius

St. Cornelius
St. Cornelius the Centurion (as first Bishop of Caesarea)

10 At Caesare′a there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly…

January 16, 2015

Acts 9:32-43 Peter the Apostle and Missionary

St Peter & Tabitha
Peter heals Dorcas (Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy)

32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aene′as, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aene′as,…

January 15, 2015

Acts 9:26-31

26 And when he [Saul]  had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached…

January 14, 2015

Acts 9:19-25

St. Paul
Mosaic of St. Paul being let down from Damascus wall

For several days he [Saul] was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And in the synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed, and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called on this…

January 13, 2015

Acts 9:10-19

Baptism St. Paul
St. Ananias baptizes St. Paul

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Anani′as. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Anani′as.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is…

January 9, 2015

Acts 9:1-9

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from…

January 8, 2015

The Ethiopian Eunuch: converted through Reading the Scriptures
(Saint John Chrysostom, On Acts, Homily XIX)

St. Philip
St. Philip and the Ethiopian

Before turning to the next and pivotal section in the book of Acts—Saul’s conversion from persecutor to preacher—it’s worthwhile looking at how Saint John Chrysostom spoke to his congregation in…

January 7, 2015

Postfeast of Theophany; Synaxis of St. John the Baptist

Acts 8:26-40

26 But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. 27 And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Can′dace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of…

December 23, 2014

Blessed Christmas and New Year!

Nativity
The Nativity of Christ (Mosaic from Chora Church, Constantinople, 1315-21)
Magi
The Magi and Herod (Chora Church, Constantinople)
Flight Egypt
The Flight into Egypt (Chora Church, Constantinople)

As you can tell from the stories and photos from Halki and Constantinople, and before that the trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg, it has been a…

December 12, 2014

Acts 8:14-25 The Holy Spirit and Simon the Samaritan Magician

14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samar′ia had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16 for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the…

December 2, 2014

Acts 8:4-13 Philip and the Samaritans

4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to a city of Samar′ia, and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. 7 For unclean spirits came out of many who…

November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving

As Americans prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow I would like to press “pause” on reading Acts and leave you instead with a collection of New Testament verses on thanks and thanksgiving.

Eucharist
The Eucharist

In the Gospels, by far the most frequent use of these words is in connection with Christ giving thanks in what we…

November 25, 2014

Acts 7:54-8:3 The Martyrdom of Stephen and the Persecution of the Church

St Stephen
St. Stephen’s Martyrdom

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see…