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Ancient Faith Blogs presents a select group of writers and thinkers who regularly post on matters of theology, culture, art, parish, and family life.
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Word of the Day
On Not Judging Others Before the Time When God Will Judge (Sat. Sept. 26)
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The word of the day is “judge.” Who are we to judge others? There is one Judge and one final time of Judgment. When we condemn others, even if we think they deserve it, we act as if the “End Time” had already come and we are sitting on the throne of Christ. Thus, we forget our own sinfulness by our concentration on the faults of others. Today, in our reading of 1 Cor. 4:1-5, Paul answers those who are judging him. They are impugning his motives (9:1-14) and comparing him to their standards of wisdom in teaching and eloquence in preaching (1:17, 2:1). Judging Others Puts Them on Trial The Greek word for “judge” calls to mind the setting…
A Lamp for Today
Lighting Up the Apocalypse 16: Silence, Trumpets, and Suspense
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Lighting Up the Apocalypse 16: Silence, Trumpets, and Suspense Revelation 8; Exodus 7-12; Ex 19; Ezekiel 33; Isaiah 19; Zech 9; Zech 13:8-9; Eccl 3:7 In Revelation 7, we witnessed the opening of the first six seals, beginning with the White Rider, and capped by a twin vision of the people of God, first numbered particularly, and then depicted as an innumerable host, clad in white, and made clean by the “blood…
Faith Encouraged
What Is Real?
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“Reality, What a Concept!” Of course, this is a flippant way we moderns have dealt with the struggle of all of humanity through the centuries with our own existence. Whole religions have developed around the idea that all of this life is unreal, suffering is unreal, existence is unreal. And then there are other philosophies who’ve argued just the opposite! The whole philosophical argument between Plato and Aristotle was all about how…
Word of the Day
Spiritual Things Are Seen by the Words and Deeds They Produce (Fri. Sept. 24)
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The word of the day is “saw.” The virtues of faith, hope, and love are matters of the heart and so we might think that they are invisible. But spiritual things can be seen by their effects. Today we learn that our words and deeds make the inner condition of our souls visible. Today in our reading of Galatians 2:6-10, St. Paul recounts the turning point of the acceptance of Gentiles into the Church. He reports that when he met with the apostles in Jerusalem, they accepted his missionary work among Gentiles. The Lord had entrusted the mission to the Jews to the apostles in Jerusalem. Likewise, these church leaders “saw” that the Lord had committed the outreach to the…
Praying in the Rain
Aceticism: Facing The Sun
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A confusing aspect of our Christian growth is that we can, sometimes even at the same moment, have a very peaceful, godly thought full of love for God and neighbour, and then have a terribly sinful and embarrassingly nasty thought. How can this be? If God is alive in us, how can such terrible thoughts keep appearing in our minds? How do we combat this? One unhelpful way to combat this experience…
Faith Encouraged
Slave And Free - Which One Are You?
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“Did you hear…” That’s the beginning of a moment that rarely turns out good! And that’s because this is usually the beginning of a conversation that is more gossip than true. But we do love to gossip, don’t we? Unfortunately, there are real consequences to spreading stories, especially when those stories are either untrue or, (sometimes worse yet) half true! And it seems to be so easy to not get the story…
Word of the Day
Defending Our Liberty in Christ (Thurs. Sept. 23)
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The word of the day is “liberty.” There is physical imprisonment. But there is also spiritual bondage. To be sure, there is slavery to sin (OSB Romans 6:20). But we can be freed from sin only to be enslaved by another kind of captivity. In today’s reading of Galatians 1-10, 20-2:5, Paul writes about “false brethren” “who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage” (OSB vs. 2:4). Today we learn of Paul’s teaching that the Galatians should not trade their freedom in Christ for new spiritual bondage. This case teaches us to fiercely guard our liberty in Christ against those who would enslave us with…
Every Thought Captive
Christian Sexual Ethics: What Went Wrong? pt. 2
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We must begin by recognizing that Christianity was born into a world whose assumptions about sex and marriage were radically foreign to our own. Aristotle devotes a chapter of the Politics to discussing the ideal age of marriage. Questions of mutual compatibility or love do not enter the discussion. The issue as he frames it is that of how to maximize the couple’s childbearing potential. Since a man (as he believes) remains fertile about twenty years longer than a woman, the man should be roughly that much older at marriage. It is important, too, that both…
No Other Foundation
The Church and Politics
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This last Monday Canada had (or rather “endured”) another federal election. It was called in the midst of a pandemic and at a time when the country was badly divided. Given this, feelings have been running high all over, and the Church is caught in the midst of it. This provokes the question: how involved should the Church be in politics? Please note the precise form of the question. It is not,…
Faith Encouraged
Know Yourself, Test Yourself
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It is said that Aristotle once declared “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” And yet, St. Basil taught that the most terrifying thing for a man to do was to look into the “abyss” of his own soul. It seems one of the most important activities of one’s life is also the most difficult. But that makes sense. We, humans, are notorious for noticing the weaknesses of others all the…
Word of the Day
Being in Christ and Living in Christ (Wed. Sept. 22)
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The word of the day is “in.” We often use the expression “in Christ” or “in the Name of Christ.” What do we mean? Today in our reading of 2 Corinthians 13:3-14, Paul uses the term “in” in two senses. He writes, “since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you” (OSB vs. 3). He also says, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you– unless indeed you are disqualified” (OSB vs. 5)? Today we will analyze today’s passage according to the meaning of these two uses. Our study will help us expand our…
A Healing Driven Life
On the Road from Jerusalem to Damascus: Navigating Life-Stages Peacefully
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This past Sunday allowed us a final liturgical meditation on the cross before the Leave-taking of the Elevation of the Holy Cross. The presence, existence, and image of the cross measures our attachment to this world. It is indeed a measuring stick. When we see the cross, do we feel indifferent, or do we yearn for something more than this world? Perhaps there was a time when we were sitting in traffic, and we caught a glimpse of a cross sitting high on top of a church. Did it for a moment, pull us from this world and towards the Kingdom of God? The epistle and gospel reading this past Sunday were both about attachment. They were about attachment and…
Glory to God for All Things
Healing the Heart
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The heart itself is but a small vessel, yet dragons are there, and there are also lions; there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil. But there too is God, the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasuries of grace—all things are there. (H.43.7) St. Macarius If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were…
Faith Encouraged
It's Good, But Not Easy
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Every parent has heard themselves say this at one time or another: “If you two don’t stop bickering, I’ll stop this car and punish you both!” I mean, surely I’m not the only one! Please tell me I’m not the only dad that has threatened this! Seriously, as parents, we really do set expectations of behavior for our children. One of the most fundamental tasks of parenting is to both model and…
Word of the Day
How to Treat Open and Unrepentant Offenders in the Church (Tues. Sept. 21)
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The word of the day is “repented.” Today’s reading from 2 Corinthians 12:20-13:2 concerns the treatment of open and unrepentant sinners in the Body of Christ. The Lord said, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance (OSB Luke 15:7). But what about sinners who do not repent and yet remain in the church? On the one hand, the Lord taught, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (OSB Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, Paul wrote: “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard,…
Faith Encouraged
Prepared For Battle
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I love this Armed Forces Motto: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.” Isn’t that great? In other words, when you put the time into preparing for battle, the more ready you are to face the fight. And what is true for physical fighting is also true for the spiritual battle each of us faces every day! What? You didn’t know this was going to be a…
Word of the Day
The Place of Miracles in Scripture and In Faith (Mon. Sept. 20)
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The word of the day is “signs.” Christianity is a religion of miracles. In our scientific age, we might minimize the importance of supernatural events in the scriptures and the founding of Christianity. But in today’s reading of 2 Corinthians 12:10-19, Paul points to the “signs and wonders” that demonstrates that he is an apostle like the others. Thus, in today’s passage, we learn the significance of miracles and their role in the achievement of our salvation. Miracles in the Book of Acts The Book of Acts reports an astonishing number of such signs, wonders, and miracles. People who gather from all parts of the world hear the Gospel in their own languages (2:22); a lame man walks (3:8); earthquakes accompany…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
AFM Statement Regarding Abbot Tryphon's Blog
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Greetings, all. As you may know, I am the Chief Content Officer for Ancient Faith Ministries. A number of folks have written to us regarding AFM’s decision to remove Abbot Tryphon’s blog from our site and offer to help him move it elsewhere. So I wanted to say something about that, speaking now in my official capacity as CCO. (If you are not interested…
Word of the Day
The Sentinel Guarding Our Heart (Sun. Sept. 19)
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The word of the day is “watch.” In times of peace and security, there is no need for a sentinel to be on guard. However, all the moral chaos and faithlessness surrounding us should remind us that “the Kingdom of God suffers violence” in this world (Matthew 11:12). Moreover, the conflict that we are waging in our own souls also shows us that, as Paul wrote, we have not finished the fight (1 Cor. 9:26-27). Thus, Paul’s closing words in our reading of 1 Corinthians 16:13-24 apply to us as well as Paul’s flock: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love” (vs. 13). Today we learn how critical…
Eastern Christian Insights
We Must Freely Take Up Our Own Crosses: Nothing Can Force Us To Do So: Homily for the Sunday After the Elevation of the Holy Cross in the Orthodox Church
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Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1 In our time and place, there are dangers in being too comfortable with the symbol of the Cross. Some people wear one around their necks simply as a piece of piece of jewelry without any particular spiritual significance. Across the centuries to this very day, some nations and groups use it as a vague symbol of religious endorsement for whatever they want to…
Word of the Day
The Mystery Known Only by the Spirit (Sat. Sept 18)
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The word of the day is “mystery.” Are there things that only believers understand? Is there wisdom that only those who are “mature” in Christ have? In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 2:6-9, Paul answers, “Yes.” He writes “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory” (OSB vs. 7). Today, we will consider the hidden wisdom of God and how it either confounds us or teaches us. In today’s passage, Paul seems to be talking nonsense. How can he, a human being, claim to talk about the divine wisdom hidden in the mind of God? How can he maintain that he has insight into what God has…
Praying in the Rain
Peace In Chaos
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One of the things that Fr. Stephen De Young reminds us of in his book, The Religion of the Apostles is that God’s fundamental triumph is over chaos, death being an aspect of chaos. The Church believes and teaches that God created the world out of nothing, Genesis 1:1. However, beginning with Genesis 1:2 and following, throughout the whole bible, the emphasis is on God’s triumph over chaos. And this chaos is…
Glory to God for All Things
A Noetic Life
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The Native Peoples of Alaska and the far north really do have over 50 words for snow. In total, there are around 180 words for snow and ice. There is “aqilokoq” for “softly falling snow” and “piegnartoq” for “the snow [that is] good for driving a sled.” There is also “utuqaq,” which means, “ice that lasts year after year” and “siguliaksraq,” the patchwork layer of crystals that forms as the sea begins to…
Faith Encouraged
Can You Hear Me?
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“Um, sorry, what did you say?” That’s the response I get many times when I’m talking to my younger brother. His hearing took a beating years ago when he was working at a car body repair shop. The steady noise combined with his serious work ethic damages his hearing, so now, I have to repeat myself a few times sometimes when there is a lot of ambient noise around us. And of…
Word of the Day
Commitment to the Truth in Times of Deceit (Fri. Sept. 17)
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The word of the day is “false.” Ours is an age of lies and deception. But we aren’t the only society in which falsehoods suppress the truth. In today’s reading of 2 Corinthians 11:5-21, we note how seriously St. Paul takes the false teachers who are misleading the congregation in Corinth. The apostle is so concerned—and incensed—that he is willing to defend himself on the low level of his adversaries. Our reading today teaches us to rededicate ourselves to the truth of the Gospel and represent that truth by speaking, acting, and living. In today’s passage, Paul begins his diatribe against those who are pretending to be apostles. He writes, “For I consider that I am not at all inferior…
Every Thought Captive
Christian Sexual Ethics: What Went Wrong? pt. 1
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On September 12, 1966, William F. Buckley hosted Hugh Hefner on his weekly talk program, Firing Line. Their subject was the “Playboy philosophy” that Hefner advocated through his magazine and associated enterprises such as the Playboy Clubs. Hefner was an articulate and thoughtful spokesman for his views. He described his goal as to replace the “old legalism” of “thou shalt not” with a more flexible and realistic approach to sex that truly promotes human happiness. Far from seeking to undermine marriage, he said, the Playboy philosophy by emphasizing sexual enjoyment would lead to a “more truly…
Shepherding our Little Flock
God is Above
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Someone in Charge This is a phrase that my parish priest often reminds us of – “God is above.” Not in the sense that He is at all distant from us, but in the sense that He is in charge and He is watching over us. I find it a thought of immense comfort. Our children also find immense comfort in knowing they are being watched over by someone “in charge.” Despite…