Fairfax, Virginia – Theosis: Spiritual Reflections from the Christian East has completed its first full year of publication with the August 2013 issue.  The monthly magazine from Eastern Christian Publications is a small format, full color, pocket-size booklet that contains a collection of educational essays by leading scholars and daily prayers for the saints and feasts according to the Byzantine Church calendar.  Despite the small size, it’s full of a month’s worth of reading material, photo essays and iconography.

Editor and Publisher Jack Figel said, “In addition to the general spiritual enrichment of the faithful and clergy, I believe Theosis is also a valuable product that can be used for:

• Gifts to catechists at a local parish in thanks for their service
• Material for teens to provide them with a colorful, informative,  regular publication to combat the pressures of our secular world
• Monthly reminders from parishes for young adults away at college to keep them involved in their Eastern traditions through short daily prayers, educational essays and colorful images
• The basis of a monthly prayer group or adult catechetical activity using the writings of world-class theologians
• Monthly meditations, daily prayer and short stories of the lives of the saints for elderly shut-ins”

Father John Basarab, Jack Figel’s pastor at Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Annandale, VA said, “Theosis is a cross between Reader’s Digest, a prayer book, and the wall calendar of saints, that all fit in your pocket.”  Father Chris Zugger, author and retired priest in Albuquerque, NM, commented that “Theosis feeds your soul for a whole month for only $5.00, less than a typical fast-food meal.”  Subscribers have commented:

• “I carry it with me in my purse and pull it out to read something short while I wait for my coffee to cool off at the local cafe.”
• “I keep mine next to my bed and read a little from it each night.”
• “It’s so great to read a little story about each saint on each day so we know something about them when we pray to them.”
• “I send them as gifts to my adult children who don’t live near a Byzantine church so they can stay connected to their roots.”
• “After I read a few pages of an essay, and it says ‘to be continued’, I want to read more right away and can’t wait for the next issue to arrive.”

Individual subscriptions are available for just $60 per year for the print version and $29.95 per year for the electronic version which is sent by email each month to your computer or smartphone.  Bulk subscriptions are available for $48/year in quantities of 10 or more per month for church store or distribution in a parish.  The first full year of publication—12 booklets—are available at a special discount of $25 plus postage.  Place your orders online at http://www.ecpubs.com/theosis.html  or by calling the ECP office at 703-691-8862.