Compassed with perils, let us flee to the icon of God’s most pure Mother and her infinite goodness, while crying from the depths with grief and pain of soul: Swiftly hearken to our prayers, O immaculate Virgin, for thou hast been rightly called Quick to Hear for thy mercies; for thou art our defender in all need, our ready helper in every adversity. *
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When any given person begins a blog site it is obvious they have something they would like to share with others. They feel that they have found something good and worthwhile, something that could perhaps be of some benefit to others. Often someone just wants share their life and reflections with those who are close. And so, an Orthodox Christian and a monk (who at times has been asked to share some reflections I have authored) I too, have decided to post a blog, in order—so-to-speak—to share things that are close to me with those who are close to me. I believe this site should be dedicated to our most pure Lady the Theotokos. It is especially to her icon “She Who Is Quick to Hear” that this site is dedicated to. Thus it is that this icon and the tropar are above*.
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So, in setting out upon this I refer to the Elder John of Valaamo, who in writing to a correspondent once said not to accept his advice if it was inconsistent with the Holy Scriptures and the message of the Holy Fathers.
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Father Gregory The Greek Archdiocese Metropolis of Denver
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St. Arsenius Hermitage
P.O. Box 1683
Decatur, TX 76234
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*This tropar is from “The Supplicatory Canon to our Lady Quick to Hear” published by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. http://htmp.org/
panagiaquicktohear.com 
Evlogeite!
I just waned to thank you, Father, for your series on The Theology of Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko: Orthodox or Opinion. I knew of some errors of Fr. Hopko’s but I did not know many of the things you have addressed. It is a really important work, and I am glad you have taken the time to address these teachings.
What an incredible blog! Thank you so much for this. I found you through Matushka Constantina’s blog “Lessons from a Monastery”. I, too, thoroughly enjoyed your series on the teachings of Fr. Hopko’s and also your post on the Harry Potter series. God bless you and your efforts!
Father Gregory, Evlogeite,
Please advise us an email and some contact details as we would like to send you an icon from Greece.
Stavros P.
Athens
Greece
I am honored at your offer of this gift. My address is P. O. Box 1683, Decatur, TX 76234. My email is monkggz@gmail.com. Outside of my blog site do you know me at all? Have we ever met?
Fr. Gregory
Your blessing. Thank you for your posts. I am always very moved by what you post, and even more so by the fact that you do so in a Western, “Anglo-Saxon” environment. I am sure that such an approach is particularly unpopular there.