Word of the Day
Corrected Version: Serving with Tender Affection (Wed. Nov. 24)
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I apologize that I sent an unedited version of today’s post. Here is a corrected copy. The word of the day is “affection.” In this season of the Nativity Fast we pray and fast to intensify our hope in the coming of our Savior. But are we just marking time before the Savior appears? In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Paul reflects on his success among the Thessalonians. He recalls that he preached the Gospel to the Gentiles in Thessalonica. But in our reading, the apostle discloses that he earnestly desired to give the believers something more than the Gospel. He writes, “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel…
Faith Encouraged
A Blessed Thanksgiving To All
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From all of us at Faith Encouraged Ministries, Faith Encouraged TV, and Faith Encouraged Daily Devotionals, may the God of Loving Grace keep you and your family during this Thanksgiving Holiday. Remember that Fr. Alexander Schmemann once said: “Everyone capable of Thanksgiving is capable of salvation and eternal joy!” We are SO THANKFUL for YOU! (And for all of you outside the US, we are especially grateful on this American Thanksgiving for…
Faith Encouraged
Being Grateful Makes You Strong
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St. Paisios said, “Sometimes the devil deceives us and makes us unable to be pleased with anything; however, one can celebrate all things in a spiritual manner, with doxology, and secure God’s constant blessing.” The older I get, the more I see the gratitude and the cultivation of gratitude that is the key to spiritual peace. The ability to be grateful is in direct proportion to humility and honesty. But how do we…
Walking an Ancient Path
Liturgy Quick-Start Guide #3: Traveling Companions on the Journey
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We’re standing in the nave of our local parish, discreetly adjusting our waistbands because of the Pandemic Pounds we’ve gained, taming the children and taming our thoughts. But where are we, really? When I set out on a road trip, I usually consult Google Maps on my phone. To find directions to the place where I want to go, I input my current location then type in my destination. My starting point…
Word of the Day
Serving With Tender Affection (Wed. Nov 24)
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The word of the day is “affection.” In this is the season of the Nativity Fast we pray and fast to intensify our hope in the coming of our Savior in both his Advents. But are we just marking time before the Savior appears? In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Paul reflects on his success among the Thessalonians. Yes, he recalls that he preached the Gospel to the Gentiles in Thessalonica. But in our reading, the apostle discloses that he earnestly desired to give the believers something more than the Gospel. He writes, “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you…
Faith Encouraged
Imitators Of Christ!
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“Early is on time. On Time is late. Late is unacceptable!” These were my words, but they were coming out of my daughter’s mouth! She was giving a friend of her’s a hard time about being late to dance practice. We don’t “do” “Greek time” or “Country time” or any other ethnic excuse for being late in our house. That’s not how we treat other people or ourselves. Needless to say, I…
Word of the Day
Waiting with Eager Longing (Tues. Nov. 23)
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The word of the day is “wait.” In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 1: 6-10, Paul recalls that the Thessalonians had received the Gospel with joy as well as trials. The Apostle thanks God that the Thessalonians have turned from idolatry to the service of God. And they have learned “to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead…” (vs. 10). The virtue of waiting is a predominant theme in this Epistle. Here at the beginning of his letter, the Apostle refers to the expectation of the return of Christ. And at the end of the Epistle, St. Paul prays that “your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord…
Beyond the Bars
An OCPM visit to Pennsylvania Part One
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by Niko Petrogeorge If someone approaches you with anger how do you respond? Last week, my colleague Fr. Stephen Powley and I visited SCI Waymart, a state prison in Pennsylvania. We made rounds with Fr. John Kowalczyk, an Orthodox priest and contract chaplain at SCI Waymart. At a certain point, we walked into a unit that had two or three day-rooms that shot off of a central control area. When we walked…
Every Thought Captive
An Orthodox Defense of Patriarchy
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“Patriarchy” is not a monolith. There is the patriarchy of fallen nature, whereby fallen men rule for the sake of ruling, and the patriarchy of Christianity, whereby men rule lovingly for the sake of peace. Christian patriarchy is feared or hated because of the abuses of natural patriarchy, and it’s admittedly difficult to distinguish the two because men sometimes use faith to legitimate their selfish desires. They are distinct, nonetheless, and in what follows, I’m going to expound on and defend this particular form. The Marital Polity The marital union could be described as the smallest…
Faith Encouraged
My Slave, My Bishop!
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The transformation in our world from a time when slavery was a “peculiar institution” to a time when the notion of “purchasing” a human being is unthinkable is nothing short of wonderful! And yet, human trafficking is still a very real crime in our modern world, even in our own “land of the free.” Look at our lesson today in Philemon 1:1-25: PAUL, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,…
Word of the Day
Five Marks of Effective Preaching (Mon. Nov. 22)
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The word of the day is “power.” Today we read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5. This passage begins the first epistle of Paul that is included in the New Testament. Paul established the congregation at the important seaport of Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. According to the Orthodox Study Bible, he wrote this letter from Corinth in 50 or 51 AD, about six months after he had organized the church. Paul indicates that the work of building the church in Thessalonica had been exceptionally successful. He writes, “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Angels are the Original Saints
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Remembering Sion
Making Angels Out of Men
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We celebrate today the Synaxis of the Bodiless Powers, the feast-day of all the holy angels, from their Chief Commanders Michael and Gabriel to each of the guardian angels whom the Lord God appointed to watch over every one of us — throughout all our lives — at Holy Baptism. Today should therefore be a day of great joy and profound gratitude for every Christian, no less than our namesday on which…
Word of the Day
Nothing Matters but a New Creation (Sun. Nov. 20)
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The word of the day is “new.” In our reading of Galatians 6:11-18, St. Paul dismisses both “circumcision” that would identify one as a Jew and “uncircumcision” that would identify one as a Gentile. He writes, “ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (vs. 15). Various versions say that neither one of these marks of identity “avails for nothing” (NKJV), “means anything” (Berean Bible), “counts for anything” (NET Bible), “is of any importance” (Weymouth New Testament) or “matters” (Good News Translation). What Matters Yet the Greek term assigns even less significance to these outward signs. The original language says that neither “circumcision” nor “uncircumcision” “is” anything (vs. 15). The only thing that…
Glory to God for All Things
I Will Go Into the Altar of God
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Most of my early Church memories center around Sunday School (I think that we did not “stay for preaching” very often). The small Baptist church that we attended was about a mile from our house and was conveniently connected by a railroad track, generally inactive on Sundays. My older brother and I often walked along the track on Sunday mornings when the weather was pleasant. The earliest Bible verses I can recall…
Eastern Christian Insights
Preparing for Christmas by Offering Ourselves as Holy Temples: Homily for the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple in the Orthodox Church
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Hebrews 9:1-7; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28 Today we celebrate the feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. Her elderly parents Joachim and Anna offered Mary to God by taking her to live in the Temple in Jerusalem as a young girl, where she grew up in prayer and purity as she prepared to become the Living Temple of the Lord in a unique…
Word of the Day
From Tent to Temple: the Resurrection of the Body (Sat. Nov. 20)
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The word of the day is “resurrection” In our reading of 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, St. Paul uses a metaphor to describe our hope of transformation from the corruptible physical body to the resurrection of the incorruptible body. He states, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (vs. 1). Remember that in Plato’s Greek philosophy, the body is the “prison house of the soul.” The body’s functions, such as the five senses and the body’s sensations of pleasure and pain, are restraints to realizing the soul’s true nature. Death is the release of the soul and its return to…
Frederica
Found: The Church of the Glorious Martyr
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[2021-11-19] Biblical Archeology Review has reported the discovery of a 1500-year-old church about 15 miles southwest of Jerusalem. It began as a simple chapel, built inside a cave where a saint was martyred (a “martyrium”) and buried. Archeologists found a large mosaic set in the floor of the courtyard that…
Faith Encouraged
Salvation IS Violence!
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Our modern world seems to run on violence. And it seems that every day the news is of more violence there and more violence here. From college campuses arguing over speech and “safe zones” and “trigger warnings” to the very real violence of terrorism all meant to disrupt and destroy. And can we even talk about what seems to be “perpetual war” in hotspots around the world where our soldiers are sent…
Word of the Day
Paul's Companion: Luke, the Beloved Physician (Fri. Nov. 19)
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The word of the day is “Luke.” In our reading of Colossians 4:10-18, St. Paul ends his Epistle with greetings from his companions. The Apostle mentions seven names, but the most important among them is Luke. He writes, “Luke, the beloved physician… greets you” (vs. 14). The Orthodox accepts church tradition that St. Paul is speaking of the writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Our reading confirms that this preeminent historian of the life of Jesus and the early church was with Paul in Rome. We can imagine that he not only tended to Paul’s physical condition but also provided moral support to him in his imprisonment. And he was not only beloved but…
Praying in the Rain
On Discernment
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In the letters of Sts. Barsanuphius and John, there is an interesting exchange between a young zealous monk and St. John (letters 503 – 570). In the first letter we find out that the young monk is upset with his spiritual father, who was also his cellmate, because he eats and sleeps too much. Apparently the spiritual father was eating three times a day, instead of once a day as was usual…
Faith Encouraged
Are You Friendly?
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“Daddy, I don’t have any friends!” It was a heartbreaking moment in the life of my daughter’s young life, and it broke my heart for her. She was learning a lesson that we all have to learn: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 We, humans, crave companionship. We long for connection and to be known in…
Word of the Day
Vigorous Prayer (Thurs. Nov. 18)
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The word of the day is “earnestly.” In our reading of Colossians 4:2-9, Paul closes his letter with some parting counsel. Before ending his Epistle with salutations, the Apostle writes, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” (vs. 2). With these words, Paul urges the believers in Colossae to continue to pray. That should go without saying. Prayer, after all, is the breath of the soul. The body cannot survive for more than a few minutes without breathing. Likewise, the neglect of prayer deadens the soul. Strong Prayers Paul not only urges us to pray, but he teaches us how we should do it. He writes that we should offer our petitions and supplications to God with…
No Other Foundation
Biblical Women: The Prophetess
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There is one woman in the Bible who is consistently ignored. That is perhaps not unexpected, since her name is not given. Her presence can be first detected by the exegetically keen-sighted in Isaiah 7. On the eve of an expected invasion of Judah by a northern coalition of Israel and Syria, the prophet Isaiah went to visit his king, Ahaz, who was nervously inspecting the city’s defenses by the conduit of…
Faith Encouraged
Outward Focused
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The myth of Narcissus is legendary. Narcissus was a man who was exceptionally handsome and knew it. And his actions reflected his utter disdain for those who loved him. He walked through life proud of his appearance and dismissive of those who admired him. Nemesis watched Narcissus and how he treated those around him and lured Narcissus to a pool where Narcissus could see his reflection. Narcissus fell in love with his…
Word of the Day
Everything To Be Done in the Name of the Lord (Wed. Nov. 17)
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The word of the day is “work.” In our reading of Colossians 3:17-4, St. Paul echoes the Table of Duties that Household Duties that he already conveyed to the Ephesians (5:22-6:9). It is a shorter list, that omits the comparison of the marriage of husband and wife to the relationship of Christ and His Church. It also excludes the duty of masters. Paul gives two instructions that all the faithful should follow whatever their station in life. He begins his directives, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (vs. 17). Then at the end of his guidelines, he says, “Whatever you do, do…
A Healing Driven Life
A Nativity Musing: The Inescapability of our Need for Love
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If there is one resilient and God given aspect of us that has remained intact throughout history and time, it is our innate desire to love and be loved. At our core we want to belong. We want to be loved and needed. Safety has also always been important for us. We like to feel safe. No matter how ugly or disturbing the world becomes, no matter who we are, this innate yearning for love and safety holds true. Perhaps the real tragedy is when this innate urge and desire becomes buried under layers of hurt, alienation, anger, and fear. When this occurs, the one who just wanted to be loved like everyone else, can become the stereotypical difficult person.…
