Books published by publisher Conciliar Press

A monk prays deep in the forest. It looks like he is just doing simple, ordinary tasks, such as chopping wood and tending to his garden. But as he works he is really growing prayer. The monk prays continually throughout the day and night, and as the seasons pass, he becomes a holy man.This delightful, beautifully- illustrated book teaches children that no matter what they are doing, or what hour of the day it is, they too, can pray.

When the Son of God came down from heaven to become a man like us, He made it possible for us to see Him, touch Him, and make pictures of Him-pictures which we call icons. This little book brings God and His saints vividly into children's lives through icons, explaining in the simplest terms what each icon means and what the role of these holy pictures-and the holy stories and people they depict-can be in our lives. The colorful pages of Pictures of God are perfect for occupying little hands in church, for explaining the world of icons in the first years of Sunday school, and for read-aloud time with little ones at home.

Long revered in both East and West, St. Lucia is an early virgin martyr whose life and legacy shine as a light of faith, hope, and compassion in the darkness of winter and sin. Lucia, Saint of Light introduces young readers to both her life and her delightful Christmas-related festival as it is traditionally celebrated in Sweden and around the world. Daria Fisher's warm and vivid illustrations will make this book a favorite with children and parents alike. Brighten your home this winter with the festival of Lucia, Saint of Light!

The road to sainthood takes a lifetime to travel. . . . Late in the fourth century, Christians are labeled enemies of the Roman Empire--hounded, arrested, tortured, and executed. Macrina and her husband Basil, once-wealthy Christians, flee with their small son to the mountainous forests south of the Black Sea. There, Macrina embarks on a seven-year journey of unexpected tests and trials that will take her through a harsh and hungry wilderness pilgrimage, only to plunge her into poverty and danger on the streets of Neocaesarea. So begins Macrina's adventure in faith, as she undertakes the process of becoming one of the most influential women in sacred history, the mother and grandmother of saints. Readers of all ages will be fascinated by the story of St. Macrina the Elder, who had a profound influence on her grandchildren, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Macrina the Younger. She is truly a great confessor of the Orthodox Christian faith.

Everywhere in the Old Testament, the Fathers of the Church see Christ and the Church revealed. (Moses in the basket is a "type" of baptism, etc.) Using simple verse and colorful, semi-iconographic illustrations that are sweet and reverent, the series aims to introduce children to the profound truths revealed in the pages of the Old Testament. Our hope is that the readers will develop a thirst to meet Christ in the Scriptures that so richly reveal Him. Christ referred to the story of Jonah when He prophesied His own death and Resurrection: Just as Jonah spent three days in the belly of the great fish and then returned to the living, Jesus would spend three days in the belly of the earth and then rise from the dead. The Church reads the Book of Jonah during the Liturgy on Holy Saturday to emphasize this connection. The story of Jonah also figures prominently in Orthodox hymnody, where we implore God to save us from the tempest of our sins as He saved Jonah from the deep.

If you close your eyes and think about Alaska, what do you see? Eskimos and igloos? Mountains of snow? Polar bears and icebergs? Do you know that not all Alaskan natives are Eskimos? There are many different tribes of native peoples. Each has its own language and way of life. Many of these native peoples have been Orthodox Christians for over two hundred years. This is largely due to the missionary efforts of one man, St. Innocent of Alaska. He converted and baptized thousands of people into the Christian faith. He was a wonderful and godly man who lived a missionary life full of adventures that you would never dream of! Many people think that he is the greatest Christian missionary of all time!

The life of a princess isn't all glamor, handsome princes, and beautiful clothes. It's also devotion to duty, sacrifice for your people, and a lot of just plain hard work. And if your country happens to suffer two world wars and a communist takeover in your lifetime, it means danger and suffering, exile and heartache as well. Princess Ileana of Romania endured all this and more. But her deeply rooted Orthodox faith saw her through it all, and eventually led her in her later years to the peaceful repose of monasticism. But that life included sacrifice and hard work as well, because as Mother Alexandra she was called to build the first English-language Orthodox women's monastery in the United States-the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Princess Ileana's story is a thrilling tale of love and loss, danger and rescue, sacrifice and reward. Her inspiring life stands as a beacon of faith and holiness for young women of all times and nations to follow.

Ella's Story, the Duchess Who Became A Saint, brings to life the amazing journey of Princess Elizabeth, from privileged childhood to eventual martyrdom. While her biography, as St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, is available to adults, this is the first such book for girls, written in an approachable appealing style. Maria Tobias tells the Princess' story in such a lively way that the book is hard to put down. A true role model for today--Elizabeth, a real princess, is gifted with all those qualities girls still seek (intelligence, beauty, wealth, renown), converts to Orthodoxy and subsequently sheds all of this for the greater prize of the martyr's crown.

Father Jack Sparks has masterfully adapted the material from this highly treasured monastic work specifically for today's lay Christian living in the midst of a modern world. The result is a profound but highly practical resource for those who seek to strive with all their might against the enemies of our souls-the world, the flesh, and the devil. Study questions at the end of each chapter facilitate individual or small group study. Two other books in the "Unseen Warfare" series-Victory in the Unseen Warfare, and Prayer in the Unseen Warfare-are complementary in content, but do not overlap. Can be read separately or as a set.

At the moment of sunrise, a pilgrim visiting a women's monastery hears Christ's call to worship in the rhythmic call of the Talanton. This delightful childrens picture book features an audio CD on which you'll find:- Track 1-The tonk, tonk, tonk of a talanton's call to prayer - Track 2-The story Song of the Talanton, read by the author, Claire Brandenburg- Track 3-A recording of a Romanian toaca - Track 4-What is a talanton?- Track 7-Shine, Shine, New Jerusalem- Track 8-Psalm 142- Track 9-Litany of Fervent Intercession