A great man is one who collects knowledge the way a bee collects honey and uses it to help people overcome the difficulties they endure - hunger, ignorance and disease!
- Nikola Tesla

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.
- Franklin Roosevelt

While their territory has been devastated and their homes despoiled, the spirit of the Serbian people has not been broken.
- Woodrow Wilson

In this episode of the New Pascha video podcast ministry of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, a young Orthodox couple, Josef and Effy Candelario, talk to Fr. Bratso Krsic about their missionary journey from California to Greece, Albania and Sweden.

Djordje Popovic, founder of SAFKOS (Serbian American Foundation for Kosovo) and Vlada Vladic, founder of Vlada’s Seeds Of Life talk to Fr. Bratso Krsic about their inspiring endeavors to improve the lives of others.

Fr. George Gligich, St. Peter the Apostle Serbian Orthodox Church, Fresno, CA, and Fr. Daniel Kirk, St. Herman of Alaska Mission parish, Kalispell, MT, talk with Fr. Bratso Krsic about the supreme road to knowledge – love and other facets of contemporary Orthodox ministry.

Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the keys of restorative healing and synergy with God with words like these: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.” Saint John Chrysostom helped to prove it in his treatise that demonstrated if a man doesn’t suffer injury by his own hand then nothing or no one can harm him. In a time where so many derive self-worth from how they’re perceived by strangers on social media, while surveys show church attendance decreasing – well before the pandemic – Saint John’s words have never been more relevant and needed in order to bring a portion of God’s people back to Him in soul-saving humility.

Deacon David Williams and Dr. Gaelan Gilbert (Reader Anthony), professors from St. Katherine University, a regionally-accredited Orthodox Christian institution of higher education in southern California, talk to Fr. Bratso Krsic about Orthodox education, challenges and opportunities in pursuing our goal – shaping image of Christ within our souls.

The miraculous healing at the pool that takes place in the Gospel lesson for the fourth Sunday of Pascha is an example of something that’s been made abundantly CLEAR at this point in the life of God’s people Israel, though it’s not been abundantly ACCEPTED: the Messiah had come as THE FULFILLMENT of the Mosaic Law and the Prophetic teaching: Jesus Himself proclaimed it with those very words during His sermon on the mount.

NEW PASCHA Crosstalk presents: Pastoral reflections of the clergy of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church. This episode features Fr. Serafim Gascoigne, from Pokrov of the Theotokos parish in Seattle, Washington, and Fr. Bratso Krsic from St. George parish of San Diego, California.  These reflections are timely. They are permeated with pastoral insight, Orthodox Christian spirituality, and care. We are not alone because we are of the Church; we are united in the bond of love; God, Theotokos, and saints are with us.

NEW PASCHA Crosstalk presents: Pastoral reflections of the clergy of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church. This episode features Fr. Bratso Krsic from St. George parish of San Diego, California, Fr. George Elliot of St. Andrew Fool-for-Christ parish, Anderson, California, and Fr. John Suvak from St. John the Wonderworker parish, Eugene, Oregon. Their insights are uplifting and timely. They are personal testimonies from concerned and loving priests addressed to their flock and beyond. The Resurrection of Christ is the source of our renewal and life.

SA

 

People Directory

Branko Tomović

Branko Tomović (Serbian Cyrillic: Бранко Томовић; born June 17, 1980) is a Serbian-German actor. He was born in Münster, Germany, though his actual origin is from the Carpathians in Serbia. His parents emigrated in the 70's from the Golubac Fortress area on the Danube and Branko was raised between Germany and Serbia before he studied acting at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City. Tomović was first seen on the big screen in the lead role in the American Film Institute/Sundance drama Remote Control, for which he received the OmU-Award at the Potsdam Film Festival.

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Publishing

Holy Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan

by Bishop Athanasius (Yevtich)

In 2013 Christian world celebrates 1700 years since the day when the Providence of God spoke through the holy Emperor Constantine and freedom was given to the Christian faith. Commemorating the 1700 years since the Edict of Milan of 313, Sebastian Press of the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church published a book by Bishop Athanasius Yevtich, Holy Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan. The book has 72 pages and was translated by Popadija Aleksandra Petrovich. This excellent overview of the historical circumstances that lead to the conversion of the first Christian emperor and to the publication of a document that was called "Edict of Milan", was originally published in Serbian by the Brotherhood of St. Simeon the Myrrh-gusher, Vrnjci 2013. “The Edict of Milan” is calling on civil authorities everywhere to respect the right of believers to worship freely and to express their faith publicly.

The publication of this beautiful pocket-size, full-color, English-language book, has been compiled and designed by Bishop Athanasius Yevtich, a disciple of the great twentieth-century theologian Archimandrite Justin Popovich. Bishop Athanasius' thought combines adherence to the teachings of the Church Fathers with a vibrant faith, knowledge of history, and a profound experience of Christ in the Church.

In the conclusion of the book, the author states:"The era of St. Constantine and his mother St. Helena, marks the beginning of what history refers to as Roman, Christian Empire, which was named Byzantium only in recent times in the West. In fact, this was the conception of a Christian Europe. Christian Byzantine culture had a critical effect on Europe; Europe was its heir, and then consciously forgot it. Europe inherited many Byzantine treasures, but unfortunately, also robbed and plundered many others for its own treasuries and museums – not only during the Crusades, but during colonial rule in the Byzantine lands as well. We, the Orthodox Slavs, received a great heritage of the Orthodox Christian East from Byzantium. Primarily, Christ’s Gospel, His faith and His Church, and then, among other things, the Cyrillic alphabet, too."