St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville Kentucky USA

With St. Simeon, the God receiver, as our patron, the skete seeks to practice the ideals found in our Rule, The Thousand Day Nazareth. In simplicity and poverty, the skete embraces the struggle of inner life through the practice of the Prayer Rope.

See our website at www.nazarethhouseap.org

Donations should be addressed to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, Kentucky 40071.

Important Notice: All writings, posts, graphics & photographs in this blog are the copyrighted property of (unless otherwise indicated) Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and cannot be copied, printed or used without written permission from NHA Media, Taylorsville, KY.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The Wait of Advent










Here we are, well into the Advent Season.  A time of preparation of our hearts, a purging of our habitual transgressions.  A time of expectation of His arrival, Our Saviour.

This anticipation, this Advent, is intensified in Sierra Leone.  As people of faith, we know we can do nothing on our own, it is our Creator that guides us through.  The villagers of Sierra Leone see this in reality in their everyday life and they have no doubt that their existence is sustained by the Almighty. Day after day, I see from those Sierra Leoneans (who are able to find an internet connection) posts on Facebook of thanksgiving to God for seeing them through the night and enabling them to see the sunrise another day.  In the midst of the current 'plague', I see  and hear from them, far more prayers of thanksgiving than petitions.  This has been going on before Ebola was a word in their vocabulary or a reality in their life and it will continue long after the disease disappears.  The villagers for the most part live off the land, they know the origin of what they receive to provide them sustenance.  So when their needs require hospital beds, medicine and supplies they have no choice but to wait for its arrival.


So as we contemplate the Season of Advent, Christmas and the New Year; as we wait in anticipation of the celebration of the meaning of Christmastide; lets bear witness to the waiting and anticipation of those in the Ebola Hotspots of West Africa who must wait and hope for that which saves them.

To give towards the NHA Shipment of Hospital Beds and Equipment desperately needed in Kabala, please CLICK HERE.  And while you are at it, won't you consider making a recurring monthly donation through this link as well?

Our NHA School in Kabala has been forced closed by the Ebola Outbreak.  All schools in Sierra Leone have been ordered closed by the Government.

Last week, James noticed some of our boy students playing along the road, getting into mischief - a very normal activity for little boys.
So James took them to the local Automobile Mechanics in the town and had them provide a little "vocational" studies.  The students loved it.


NHA has been hiring locals for odd jobs to stimulate the work force in the area.  So many shops and companies have had to shut down due to ebola.

We've suffered an outbreak of snakes taking refuge in the rocks around the school and compound.  James hired some laborers to remove the rocks in order to keep the area safe.  These husbands and sons worked very hard for us. We are very thankful for their help and they are happy to receive good pay to provide for their families.









Tuesday, December 2, 2014

#GivingTuesday: Its about Love

I was just asked if I have anything positive to report.  "Don't give me the negative, my day is bad enough, I want to hear the good news."  I can only respond to that demand by giving you Nazareth and by that I give you love.  That's what Nazareth House Apostolate is today, tomorrow, everyday.  It is love and it is relationship.  The recipient giving birth to the giver so that they both may shine.  An honest ongoing relationship of the two blessing each other.  The love of NHA shows in this video.



Nazareth House Apostolate is not wrapped up in a neat little package; or decorated all fancy - a feast for the eyes.    We don't glitter and sparkle.



We are real and many times we are messy and dirty, spilled out on the floor, broken and troubled.


Things go wrong, things get fixed, things go wrong again - its life.  Yet in the midst of that we make life happen and in our living life - we shine!


And through it all we smile because


we know that God is deeper and more real than any of our pain or troubles.   We are not alone.  God sees, God hears, God knows, God loves...


Today is #GivingTuesday, please consider giving a donation to Nazareth House Apostolate 


 Tomorrow, another crisis may rise.   Jesus didn't teach to run away from, ignore,  or hide from life's miseries.  He taught us how to go through them.  One foot in front of the other.






"Let's do this thing, okay?" 




you can also set up an ongoing monthly gift at the above link.  Thank you.