Faith Encouraged
What Is Lacking In Christ's Afflictions
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Sometimes, the scriptures say things that really unsettle me. But I’ve learned when that happens, that’s a clue that I am approaching a place in my own heart that needs attention. And it’s beginning to dawn on me that most of the time I am unsettled by the wisdom of the Faith it’s because this wisdom is touching on suffering. Take, for example, this quote from St. Isaac the Syrian: If you would…
The Morning Offering
The Eucharist
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The necessary component to being a Christian The center of the Church’s Eucharistic liturgy is to be found in the descent, the appearance, the divine presence of the resurrected Christ, and is central to every moment of the liturgy. As believers, the partaking of Communion is actually that moment when we are encountering the living person of the Lord who…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The Defeat of Amalek
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Faith Encouraged
Listen To The Cross!
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“Until you have eradicated the evils in your heart, do not obey it, because the heart seeks to increase what it already has stored inside.” St Mark the Ascetic, On the Spiritual Law We prideful humans can’t understand the power of this wisdom without the “foolishness” of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Look at our lesson today in 1 Corinthians 1:18-24: BRETHREN, the word of the cross is folly to those who are…
The Morning Offering
Gratitude
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Looking at life as a whole Gratitude is an affirmation of goodness, for in our being grateful we affirm that there are good things in the world, and good people that are part of our lives. Our being grateful does not mean that everything in life is perfect, but it does mean that we look at life as a whole,…
The Morning Offering
The Healing Institution that is the Church
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Seeking out the hospital of the soul Orthodoxy offers a very precise way in which to enter into communion with God. It is a way that must be learned, for simply “becoming Orthodox” will not lead the seeker into an inner life that will transform, and enlighten. Membership in the Church is simply not enough, for the Church is not…
Eastern Christian Insights
God's Foolishness and Weakness Are Greater Than the World's Wisdom and Strength: Homily for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the Orthodox Church
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1 Corinthians 1:18-24; John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35            Before Pilate said of Christ “Behold your King!,” his soldiers had beaten and mocked Him.   They put a crown of thorns on His head, dressed Him in a purple robe, and slapped Him in the face as they said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Pilate could see that the Savior was no political threat to Rome and was reluctant to crucify Him, but…
No Other Foundation
Whatever Happened to Psalm 58?
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The 1962 edition of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer is very interesting. Along with the usual services of Morning and Evening Prayer and Holy Communion is a complete version of the Psalter. It is arranged for daily recitation at both Morning and Evening Prayer services so that the entire Psalter is recited liturgically every month. Well, more or less. For in the Prayerbook Psalter, right after Psalm 57 comes Psalm 59,…
The Morning Offering
The Salt of the Earth
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“Let him who thirsts, come to Me, and drink” The path of purification, illumination and theosis is to be found within the Orthodox Church, so it is therefore imperative that we boldly express our faith to the whole of the world. If we truly be authentic we will put aside all the weakness that is found in the so-called Christianity…
Father Bill's Blog
215. Four Days on the Holy Mountain - Part Two
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If you haven’t read last Friday’s Post, please do. Day Three: Friday September 20 already, 75, sunny There are no mirrors in this place, not even in the bathrooms. (We get the point?) Today – up for Orthros at 3 – couldn’t see anything in church, finally Fr B spotted me & we sat in outer church through Liturgy. He found me a new prayer rope. Did Jesus Prayer. Thought service would…
Walking an Ancient Path
Clearing the Cobwebs
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Readers of this blog have noticed the irregular schedule of my postings over the summer. My bi-weekly blog began featuring new material every three weeks, and it’s now been about a month since my previous post. To be honest, I’ve been facing a time crunch. Blogging requires the mental and spiritual space to think, pray, write, revise, and revise again. We’re all volunteers over here on the Ancient Faith platform, and…
A Lamp for Today
Exalting and Exulting in the Cross
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1 Cor 1:18-25; Gal 6:11-18, Col 1:19-20; Numbers 21:4-9, Exodus 15:22-26; Proverbs 3:11-18 And so we come to one of the oldest feasts in our church year, all but forgotten by most Protestants today. No doubt this is because it focusses upon a holy object, the elevated Holy Cross, and the Reformation cast doubt on the use of such things in worship, focusing upon God’s connection with the spiritual, rather than the…
Faith Encouraged
Now Is My Soul Troubled
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In our nihilistic age, with all the turmoil of our society from pandemics to politics to violence in the streets, we moderns seem to be having a crisis of purpose! I was having a conversation the other day with a dear, educated man, who also happens to be an ordained clergyman in one of the many Protestant denominations in our fair city, and the conversation turned, as it often does, to the…
The Morning Offering
The Divine Liturgy
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Where communion with God is restored At the Mystical Supper in the Upper Room Jesus gave a dramatically new meaning to the food and drink of the sacred meal. He identified Himself with the bread and wine: “Take, eat; this is my Body. Drink of it all of you; for this is my Blood of the New Covenant” (Matthew 26:26-28).…
Faith Encouraged
God Doesn't Condemn
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The famous author J.K. Rowling once said: “I’m interested in that drive, that rush to judgment, that is so prevalent in our society. We all know that pleasurable rush that comes from condemning, and in the short term it’s quite a satisfying thing to do, isn’t it?” And she’s right! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ranted and raved at the TV news reports, or some post on Facebook with…
The Morning Offering
Influencing Our Thoughts
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What we put into our minds does make a difference We have become a nation obsessed with violence, and our entertainment proves it. Movies portraying extremes in violence make huge sums of money for producers, studios and actors, while polluting the minds of millions of people with sick images of darkness, evil and extreme violence. The producers of twisted and…
Raising Saints
A Toolkit for Spiritual Growth
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I think the best teaching is simple and elegant, and Fr. Evan Armatas never disappoints. I’ve enjoyed his talks at our Metropolis’ Camp Emmanuel and his commentary on his live call-in show, Orthodoxy Live (which is essentially a grown-up version of every camper’s beloved Stump the Priest.) Fr. Evan has just released a new book, Toolkit for Spiritual Growth, and I think it would be great for a book study! Because the…
Glory to God for All Things
Doors, Windows, Mirrors, and the Secret Place
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My first impression of the monasteries on Mt. Athos began with their doors: massive, thick, iron and steel configurations with bars and locks. They are not decorative in the least. They are meant to keep out marauding Turkish pirates and the like. The walls of the monasteries are similar in their function. The whole structure, complete with the crenelations on the tops of the walls are more castle-like than anything else I…
Raising Saints
Tips for Teaching Online
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Are you teaching Sunday School classes online, perhaps over Zoom or another video conferencing software? Many of us are embarking on Zoom classes for the first time, so here are some thoughts to help you get started. Take a deep breath, and remember that our goals have not changed. The material has not changed. The students are the same, and you’re the same. The difference is this mode of communication, which has…
Faith Encouraged
Are You Hiding The Light?
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It was a favorite Sunday School song in my 1st grade class on Sundays! “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine!” We would hold up our right index finger as we sang the song. What a nice memory. But then…
The Morning Offering
True Evangelism
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We must love others into the Church Manifest destiny was the belief that the United States god-given right was to spread westward from sea to shining sea, spreading American beliefs across the continent. As we all know, the First Nations tribes (Indians) were seen as heathen, and fair game for the advancing peoples of European ancestry. Whole tribes were wiped…
Faith Encouraged
Merry Marymas!
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I suppose the whole world couldn’t contain the poems, stories, and memories we children collect about our mothers. I know I owe much of my good qualities to the brave lady who raised me and my little brother. And the one quality I always remember is that, no matter what was going on in my life, I could always, and I mean always, count on my mom. The bond between mother and…
The Morning Offering
Hell and Hate
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Being in the presence of God for all eternity, and hating it One of my favorite authors as a young man was Thomas Merton, the famous Trappist monk. In the introduction to his work New Seeds of Contemplation he wrote: “Hell was where no one has anything in common with anyone else except the fact that they all hate one…
Faith Encouraged
How Is Your Hearing?
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It wasn’t any medical condition. And yet, she just stared at me. I know she heard me, but she didn’t want to do what I was saying. Of course, she was only 3 years old, and 3 year olds are notorious for not being able to “hear.” at times. It reminded me of a funny story I once heard. A man was explaining to a group of new parents that “science” has…
The Morning Offering
Being Sensitive
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Being sensitive to other peoples crosses We humans are an odd species. We are capable of great sensitivity and compassion, yet we are also capable of terrible cruelty. Staring at people with facial deformities, or who may have peculiar, physically malformed bodies, may satisfy our innate curiosity, but the cruelty inflicted upon the sufferer is great. As a child I…
The Morning Offering
Prayer as Discipline
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Prayer with force is higher than prayer unforced Prayer is a discipline we must nurture, and one that must become a lifetime commitment. We must develop a lifestyle of prayer that is not merely a routine, but something that absorbs us completely. As we Christians go through ups and downs in our prayer life, a true prayer life necessitates we…
Eastern Christian Insights
Offering the Fruits of Our Lives Instead of Using Religion to Hoard Them: Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost and the Thirteenth Sunday of Matthew in the Orthodox Church
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Matthew 21:33-42      Many of us have become comfortable with the place of religion in our lives. We have our routines of coming to services, praying at home, and engaging in other spiritual disciplines. We are used to thinking of ourselves as Orthodox Christians and members of this parish.   Familiarity breeds contempt, however, and we must be on guard against the temptation of assuming that faithfulness to the…
