HELENA BURNS WITH ZEAL FOR THE LORD!
A few words in a sermon ignite a spiritual fire in the twelve-year-old Helena, a flame which both cauterizes her passions and purifies her through a life of suffering. The Grace of the Holy Spirit lovingly – and very unpredictably! – shepherds her across the decades through the political upheaval of 6th and 7th Century Syria and a maze of personal struggles. Join her remarkable spiritual journey of sanctification through a life fervently devoted to Christ.
This historical fiction novel splendidly weaves the reality of first-millennium Christians living in the Eastern Roman Empire with enduring spiritual questions contemporary young adults regularly encounter. Peer into the daily life of another culture and reflect on the abiding concerns of every person of faith though the eyes of Helena. Inspired by the lives of several different
saints of the Orthodox Christian Church, this page-turner illumines mature issues ever-present in the modern world with the light of faith.
An afterword by Hieromonk Macarius (Ruegemer) on The Mystery of Suffering provides a theological framework to examine the themes covered in the novel, making this an ideal text for a book club.
Cuprins
Chapter One Helena and the Sermon 1
Chapter Two The Bishop 15
Chapter Three Decisions in the Light of Day-Part One 28
Chapter Four Decisions in the Light of Day-Part Two 39
Chapter Five The Night of the Big Fire 53
Chapter Six The Attack 59
Chapter Seven Anastasia-Part One 68
Chapter Eight Anastasia-Part Two 82
Chapter Nine Philip 96
Chapter Ten Arrival at St. Simeon’s 112
Chapter Eleven A Frame upon Which to Hang a Cassock 132
Chapter Twelve Abraham’s Visit 146
Chapter Thirteen Omar’s Raid 159
Chapter Fourteen Antioch 170
Chapter Fifteen A Monk Immerses Himself Beyond Imagination into the Life of This World 181
Chapter Sixteen Behind Her Eyes, in Her Teeth, in Each Follicle of Hair 199
Chapter Seventeen Brother Andrew, You Should Not Be Here 212
Chapter Eighteen I am 232
Chapter Nineteen If the Whole World Runs to the Place of Refuge 250
Chapter Twenty The Abbot’s Death 263
Chapter Twenty-One Anna 277
Chapter Twenty-Two The Air Her Soul Floated Through 295
Chapter Twenty-Three Yohanna, the Relic Thief 306
The Mystery of Suffering An Essay on the Role of Suffering in Our Salvation 321
Bibliography 355
About the Author 361
Despre autor
Fr. David Smith is a graduate of Drew University (BA), Asbury Theological Seminary (M.Div) and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (D.Min). He has been a priest for 33 years and has served churches in London, Ontario and Utica, New York. He is currently the proistamenos of St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church in Syracuse, New York.Fr. David is the author of three books: Mary Worthy of all Praise (2003 Ancient Faith Publishing), Christianity and Pleasure (2008 Regina Orthodox Press) and Help, I’m Bored in Church (2014 Ancient Faith Publishing). He is also the host of a popular You Tube program called ‘Tradition Today’ (on the ‘Fr. David Smith’ channel).Fr. David and his wife, Donna, live in Dewitt, New York and are the parents of four children: Caleb (married to Tanja), Jesse (married to Yasmine), Ana (married to Shaun) and Lucy (married to Ben). He and Presbytera have four grandchildren: Zoey, Macie, Makenzie and Jack; and three on the way.
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