Orthodox Literature
When it comes to prayer and faith, the main thing is to be sincere. A heartfelt “God, forgive me!” is much stronger than a prayer that you mindlessly repeat without understanding its meaning.
A simple and short appeal to the Almighty is typical for those who only begin their faith journey. As it grows stronger, a person acquires the natural need to learn more, pray more often and longer, and do it according to the rules. What to say in the morning and the evening? What are the best words and thoughts to begin an important task? How exactly do we turn to God, the Mother of God, and the saints? What wisdom did the apostles and saints leave us and how to understand it?
The answers to these questions are in religious literature. The wisdom of Christianity accumulated over thousands of years can be found on the pages of numerous books. Reading them, a believer gets his own wisdom, strengthens his spirit, and finds peace, tranquility, and strength through the knowledge of the truth.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov once said about reading religious literature: “Don’t look for pleasure, don’t look for delight, don’t look for brilliant thoughts: seek to see the infallible holy truth”.
You can buy religious literature in a church or order it online on the website of the Andcross Orthodox Art Corporation. All books are of high quality and will serve for decades. Almost all of them are limited editions and rare finds.
Many books weren’t printed in ordinary printing houses, but handmade by monks and nuns living in monasteries. They were made with the blessing of the clergy, with prayer, kind thoughts, and care for brothers in faith.
On the Andcross website, you can buy various versions of the Gospel book. They may differ in the number of pages, size, and design. Each of them has noble leather bindings and quality white pages. There is a special version released for monasteries on Mount Athos – the cover is made of firm black leather with metal corners.
Having such a book at home is highly important and good for the soul. “Do not be content with the fruitless reading of the Gospel Book,” Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov said, “try to fulfill its Commandments and read it by doing. This is the book of life, and it’s necessary to read it by living”.
You can also buy a set: the Holy Gospel Book and the Book of Psalms. There are many books containing the collections of psalms in the Andcross online store. They have different designs so you can choose the most suitable cover.
Psalms are used in certain church services, however, this isn’t their only use. They are also used for praying at home. They read psalms at the Divine Liturgy, intercessory prayers, and prayer services for the repose.
Saint Athanasius the Great described the meaning of the Book of Psalms for believers this way: “I think that the whole human life, the entire state of the soul, and the whole movement of thought is measured and embraced in the words of this book so that nothing more can be found in a person”.
Of course, there is a large selection of Orthodox prayer books on the website. Although they contain different prayers, they are all suitable for reading at home. With such a book at home, a Christian will always find texts to start and finish any important task, wake up, or go to bed with prayer. To thank Our Lord and the saints in moments of joy, to ask for their help in difficult moments, or to repent of committed sins – there is a suitable prayer for everything in this wise book.
You can also buy the Book of Akathists to the Mother of God and various saints on the website of the Andcross Orthodox Corporation. Like the Book of Psalms, it’s used not only in churches but also at home. Regular listening and singing strengthen faith and soul and help a person to get rid of unwanted passions and doubts, calm down, and enjoy life.
You can also order other Orthodox literature in the online store, for example, the priest’s service book. If you don’t want to choose various versions, you can buy a set of books: they have the same hardcover made of thick black leather and are handmade by nuns living in an Orthodox monastery. This set includes the Gospel Book, prayer book, kanons, and the book of Akathists.
The online store has a form allowing you to order the selected items quickly. If you have any questions, contact the corporation by e-mail: store@andcross.eu
In addition to books, the Andcross International Orthodox Art Corporation offers many other products for believers. There are icons, crosses, bracelets, candles, table bells, rings, and sets of religious items. These items are also made in accordance with centuries-old Christian traditions and consecrated according to the Orthodox rite.
Pilgrim Ecclesiastic Educational Centre Andcross