By Timothy Schenone
Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary
Through your prayers and God’s mercy, as of August 2, the Shelly Fire is now at 92% containment.
In total, 15,520 acres burned. Although the fire has not been completely extinguished, evacuation orders have been lifted and life in Scott Valley is gradually going back to normal.
As we mentioned in our previous updates, there was a point at which the fire approached within two miles of the City of Etna. However, an unexpected thundershower resulted in much needed rain right over Etna and over the fire itself.
Thank God, this unexpected rainfall greatly helped the firefighters in their work and strongly encouraged those whose homes and lands were in danger.
This story of rainfall is very significant on this day, as today is the Feast Day of the Holy Prophet Elias, also known as the Prophet of Fire, who prayed for rain in order to end a deadly drought in the land of Israel.
Thank you so much to the brave firefighters, to the first responders, and to all of you who have been keeping us in your prayers. We ask for your continued prayers that the fire be completely extinguished. May the Holy Prophet Elias intercede for us!
In honor of this being the Feast Day of Saint Elias, we invite you to watch this excellent public lecture about the Prophet of Fire given this past April by Dr. Demetrios Albertis, an Adjunct Professor at the Seminary.
During the week of the Ordination of Presbyter Alexander Hahr in Sweden last year, the film crew of the Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary was able to conduct a Tea Time interview with the Ordaining Hierarch, Metropolitan Kyprianos II of Oropos and Phyle.
Metropolitan Kyprianos is a Hierarch of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece. He resides at the Holy Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina, which is located in Phyle, Greece, and which is the Mother House of the Saint Gregory Palamas Monastery in Etna, California.
In this episode, His Eminence talks about the challenges Orthodox Christians face living in a secular world and about the widely-held belief that humanity is currently living in the end times.
This episode was filmed in Sweden at the Saint Philothei of Athens Orthodox Convent and is the first episode of Tea Time at the Seminary in which the guest speaks wholly in Greek. English subtitles are provided.
Thank you to the nuns from the Saint Philothei of Athens Orthodox Convent, to our clergymen in Sweden, and to Metropolitan Kyprianos himself for joining us for this episode!
Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary
Etna, California
U.S.A.
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