Welcome
Ancient Faith Blogs presents a select group of writers and thinkers who regularly post on matters of theology, culture, art, parish, and family life.
Explore the blogs » More about Ancient Faith »What’s new?
The Morning Offering
The Two Natures of Christ
·
Christ is both human and Divine Jesus has two natures, two minds, two wills, and therefore He is never one without the other. Christ is always both God and man. The human nature of Jesus Christ is a manifestation of the Divine Person of Christ because Jesus is not just a manifestation, Jesus IS a manifestation. We cannot say just…
Behind the Scenes
Renewing Your Marriage: Information on the Upcoming Online Retreat
·
Marriage is hard work. Sometimes, it’s harder than it needs to be because we don’t have the right tools to help us in our struggles. Join Fr. Nick and Dr. Roxanne Louh for a life-giving online marriage retreat. Drawing on faith and psychology, the Louhs will help you understand what makes couples argue and how you can turn those hard times into strengths. As you learn more about the mind and…
Glory to God for All Things
Doing the Good You Can Do
·
I re-publish articles from the past from time-to-time. Usually, they are from years back. This post is from last August. However, in light of recent conversations, it seemed worth re-posting much sooner… +++ St. John the Baptist confronted a difficult question. Soldiers came to him (it’s not clear what kind of soldiers these were). We are told: Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them,…
Faith Encouraged
3 Insights for A Faithful Life
·
Our busy lives really do challenge us in keeping our priorities in the right order, don’t they? We moderns are a complicated mishmash of schedules, opportunities, affluence, and “freedom.” And that multiplication of events, desires, hopes, and advertisements don’t seem to be slowing down. It seems that each new day brings a new barrage of invitations, exhortations, and marketing all meant to fill up every available moment of our day with “You…
The Morning Offering
Our Unity in Christ
·
We Chrisitians are collectively united in Christ The Church Fathers saw Orthodoxy as a Way of Life, rather than a religion. Although the Church has many of the same attributes as religion, this does not mean she is herself a religious institution. Rather, she is a Hospital for the Soul, wherein we can receive the healing that makes it possible…
Every Thought Captive
Congress as ‘sacred ground’?
·
To listen to the New York Times and the Washington Post tell it, the events of 6 January were nothing less than an unforgivable act of sacrilege and blasphemy. ‘Inside the most sacred spaces of American democracy,’ went the New York Times report by Grynbaum, Koblin and Hsu, unfolded an abomination of desolation worthy of the breaking news format ‘reserved for foreign wars, natural disasters or terrorist attacks’. Now, I am someone who likes public order and stability as public goods. Order and stability are valuable no matter…
Faith Encouraged
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear!
·
Praying in the Rain
Fleeing To The Desert, A Little Bit
·
Is it possible to flee to the desert a little bit? No and yes. No, you can’t flee a little bit, for fleeing a little bit is not fleeing at all. But yes, you can flee a little bit, if that little bit is complete. Here’s what I mean. We are all called to flee the world, in the sense of fleeing the sinful ways of the world. But we are not…
Faith Encouraged
Look To Yourself And Know Yourself
·
The great, ancient philosopher Lao Tzu said “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” And I would, arrogantly, add that the first step in mastering yourself is truly knowing yourself. And that, my angels, is much more profound than what any of us might imagine. Of course, this is what’s behind all the Divine Mysteries of the Faith; the confrontation with…
The Morning Offering
Theophany
·
Also known as the Feast of Lights The Feast of the Holy Theophany of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated each year on January 6 (19 New Style). The Feast commemorates the Baptism of Christ and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity. At the Baptism of Christ, all three Persons of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and…
Behind the Scenes
The Ancient Faith Radio Monday Newsletter
·
Welcome to the first edition on this blog of the Ancient Faith Radio Monday newsletter! Subscribe to our email list to receive the weekly lineup in your inbox. We’ll keep you posted on the live shows airing each week, as well as new podcasts and special events. 3 New Podcasts 3 Men and a Bible: Exploring the Sunday Scripture Readings. Join Fr. Panagiotis Boznos, Nick Lionas, and Steven Christoforou for their weekly Orthodox…
Glory to God for All Things
The Last Temptation
·
I have pondered, from time to time, the oddity of Christ’s “last” temptation. The first temptation was that of turning stones into bread, the second, that of throwing Himself down from the Temple. The third and last temptation, however, was to be given “all the kingdoms of this world.” I understand hunger. Fasting for 40 days easily explains that the first temptation surrounds food. I have less comprehension regarding casting oneself down…
Every Thought Captive
Live Broadcast Tomorrow Evening!
·
Faith Encouraged
An Eternal Citizenship
·
“This world is not my home. I’m just a’passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door. And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” That’s an old spiritual that I use to sing as a boy in church. And it strikes me now as a wonderful and terrible song. Wonderful in the sense that it preserves the Christian hope…
The Morning Offering
The Middle Way
·
Do not turn to the right or to the left (Prov. 4:7) Evil is the sickness of the soul, for it deprives the soul of its own healthy nature, which is virtue. Virtues are in the middle between excess and laxness. It is the middle way that keeps us on the road to salvation. This is why we must not…
The Morning Offering
Abbot Tryphon's YouTube on Intercessory Prayer (click here to watch)
·
Shepherding our Little Flock
Cultivating Daily Repentance: A Prayer
·
I have mentioned several times throughout the blog that a part of our evening prayers each night is for each child (and adult) to answer the question: “What did I do today to make God sad?” I really like this phrasing – surely a gift to me from my guardian angel – since it seems to cut to the heart of a spirit of repentance – a sense of not wanting to…
The Morning Offering
Bullying
·
Children must be taught kindness at an early age More and more frequently we read about children taking their own lives, having reached a place where they would rather be dead, than live another hour suffering from bullying. Too often parents and teachers have ignored the problem of bullying, dismissing it as nothing more than “kids will be kids”, and…
Eastern Christian Insights
How to Cultivate Gratitude, Not Worry and Fear: Homily for the 12th Sunday of Luke in the Orthodox Church
·
Luke 17:12-19 It is easy for people to fall prey to the passions of fear, worry, and anger in response to the great challenges that our nation and world face today, as well as to those we encounter in our families and in other areas of our lives. In such circumstances, we must not ignore the importance of one of the most basic virtues necessary for human…
The Morning Offering
Spiritual Therapy
·
Monasteries are therapeutic centers for spiritual healing Monastics are an integral part of the Church and should not be seen as independent of the Church Universal. Monks are bound by the same Gospel as other Christians and need to avail themselves to the missionary and pastoral needs of the Church, as needed. Although a primary role of monasticism is to…
No Other Foundation
Jerusalem
·
Since the days of King David, Jerusalem has been a city of destiny, the center of the world, and the hometown of every soul that yearns for the Kingdom of God. A beloved song from my Jesus People days ends with the words, “The highway to Your city runs through my heart”, and that city is Jerusalem. I am not the first or only person to think so. An epitaph inscribed on…
A Lamp for Today
The Complete Community
·
Hebrews 13:17-21, Judges 1-5, Psalm 1, St. John Chrysostom’s Sermon 34 on Hebrews This Sunday we read the conclusion of that rich letter to the Hebrews, the authorship of which was debated even by some fathers. Whether the letter is indeed by St. Paul, or by another master of theology, rhetoric, and pastorship from those early years of the Church, it speaks strongly to us today. In Hebrews 13:17-21, which are given…
Faith Encouraged
You Are Given The Kingdom!
·
I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense right off the bat. But it really is true; God wants to GIVE you everything He has! AND, you’re going to have to WORK for it! I really do get why this paradox is so confusing and, frankly, off-putting. How can both of these truths BE true? God is all-powerful. Who can resist Him? No one, that’s who. Humanity is bent toward selfishness and…
The Morning Offering
Remembrance of God
·
Remembrance of God is the foundation of all good things The importance of having a regular confessor can not be underestimated. Most of us find it uncomfortable to think upon our faults, failures, and sins, because we like to “feel good” about ourselves. We puff up our image around others, brag about our accomplishments, and feign humility. We try to…
Faith Encouraged
After the Temptation
·
The old saying is “It is easier to avoid temptation than to resist it.” And while that may be true, our real lives have shown is that we will most likely have to resist temptation more than we will be attentive enough to avoid it! But that isn’t all bad. The truth is learning to resist temptation builds those spiritual muscles that give me the confidence to grow in my faith and…
Beyond the Bars
Honoring the Ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2021
·
Every year we observe Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in honor of the civil rights leader’s achievements in advancing racial equality through non-violent protest. Dr. King’s peaceful approach, inspired by Christ and the teachings of the Holy Bible, revolutionized this nation and its trajectory. Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry honors his legacy and all those who stand up to defend the oppressed. We do this by not only affirming the sanctity of…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Christian Media in a Cancel Culture World
·