Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

Welcome to The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation Sacramento, California

Whether you are a first-time visitor, a one-time visitor, or you have just moved into the area and are looking for a new church home, we welcome you in the Name of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, and we ask His blessing upon you! Read More »

The Life Monastic

If you subscribe to National Geographic magazine, you will notice an article in the December issue about
Mount Athos, the heartland of Orthdox monasticism! (Check out their website www.nationalgeographic.com,
and also see Dr. Nick Rotas’ pilgrimage report from his trip a few months ago on page 8) By the 1960’s, mo-
nasticism seemed to be on the wane, but today we see a revival of interest in this anachronistic life. The
Athonite houses are full of monks, young and old, from every country and from every walk of life. What is
monasticism? What would lead a young man or woman to give it all up to become a black draped figure with
a long prayer rope? How does this unique form of spiritual life relate to us in the parish?

The monastic life is characterized by four disciplines: poverty, chastity, obedience, and prayer. If we think
about this for a moment, however, we should recognize that these are disciplines for every Christian! A monas-
tic gives up ALL possessions, but God calls all of us to detachment from the world and the things in it.

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