The Word of the Day
Water from Our Own Wells: Rejecting Envy and Covetousness (Tues. March 7)
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The word of the day is “cistern.” In today’s reading of Proverbs 5:1-15, the sage warns against the seduction of loose women and urges the chastity of a faithful marriage. To picture his counsel, he uses a striking image, “Drink water from your own cisterns and running water from your own well” (NKJV vs. 15). The practical lesson is that there is no reason to draw water from someone else’s supply when we have our own. Of course, that applies to sexual relationships. But like so many folk sayings, the maxim has a wider application. Today we will look at covetousness and envy as overwhelming desires for the possessions of others. The Social Context of Covetousness and Envy Covetting is such…
Faith Encouraged
The Painful Pruning of the Spiritual Disciplines
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It wasn’t that I didn’t try. I did try. I read how to do it. I got some good advice. I bought the right fertilizer. I weeded. I hoed. And the garden still crashed and burned! Hey, I guess I’m not very good at gardening. Kind of like I am fishing. Oh well, some of us have talents in other places. But there was one gardening principle that caught my attention; pruning.…
The Word of the Day
The Lamentation of Adam and Eve (Abridged from “The Expulsion of Adam" Feb. 26)
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Today in our reading of Genesis 3:21-4:7, we hear the lamentation of Adam and Eve who are driven out of the Garden of Eden because of their sin. This is the season to confess that we too have rejected the love, we have offended the righteousness, and we have turned our back on the goodness of our God. It is the time to wake up to the truth that like our first ancestors, we stand outside the gates of Paradise and must weep for what we have done. We should lament because of the remembrance of what we once had and lost. We should be like the People of God who wept when they remembered Zion (Psalm 137:1). Likewise, we…
The Word of the Day
Leaving Pharaoh’s Palace: The Example of Moses (Sun. March 5)
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The word of the day is “choose.” What way of life do we choose? Is it the way of the pleasures of this world or the way of the promises of God? In today’s reading of Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-12:2, we focus on Moses, who had a choice to make between his Egyptian upbringing and His lineage as a member of the People of God. The apostle writes, “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin…” (NKJV vs. 24-25). Today we will explore that choice and apply it to ourselves. Today’s reading recalls that Moses…
Eastern Christian Insights
Seeing Heaven Opened as Living Icons of Christ: First Sunday of Great Lent (Sunday of Orthodoxy) in the Orthodox Church
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Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40; John 1:43-51 On this first Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorate the restoration of icons centuries ago in the Byzantine Empire. They were banned due to a misguided fear of idolatry, but restored as a proclamation of how Christ calls us to participate in His salvation in every dimension of our existence. The icons convey the incarnation of the God-Man, Who had to have…
The Word of the Day
A Different Kind of Kingdom (Thurs. March 4)
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The word of the day is “kingdom.” As our reading of Hebrews 1:1-12 begins, the apostle argues that the angels may be magnificent. But the divine Son of God is greater than the most stupendous angel. Through Him, the worlds were made. He was the agent of the creation who laid the foundations of the earth. In Him, the brightness of God’s glory shines. With Him, there is no change or alteration. On Him, God has poured the anointing oil of kingship, for He came to earth to establish an everlasting Kingdom, a reign that is far superior to any rule or authority on earth. Other kingdoms rise and fall. Other kings make laws, collect taxes, govern lands, exercise authority, appoint administrators,…
Faith Encouraged
That Woman YOU Gave Me!
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“She made me do it.” This was the “excuse of my daughter when I asked her why she hit her sister! Wow, that’s a lot of power to give to someone else! It seems we humans have a particular gift for shifting the blame to someone else when we make mistakes. We also seem to be particularly good at excusing or justifying our choices even when those choices turn out badly! When…
The Word of the Day
Almsgiving: Medicine for the Soul and Justice for the Poor (Fri. March 3)
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The word of the day is “give.” We naturally think that our possessions are ours to do with as we choose. Accordingly, if we should give some of them to those in need, well, that is our choice. If not, that is our right as well. But in today’s reading of Proverbs 3:19-34, we discover a striking insight. The writer of Proverbs teaches, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is the power of your hand to do so” (vs. 27). Today we will draw out the meaning of this wisdom for our stewardship of what we possess. On first reading, this verse sounds like the commonplace advice that we should pay our debts promptly.…
Beyond the Bars
Push Your Comfort Zone: Eddie Bocanegra on Welcoming the Stranger
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“When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand,…
A Lamp for Today
Light from the Canticles 5: With Habukkuk in Humility, Hope, and High Places
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Habakkuk 2:1-4 3:1-19; Joshua 10; Exodus 15 For several years, as we sang the fourth Ode of the Paschal canon, I was mystified at the prominent role given to a relatively obscure prophet, who wrote three short chapters of our Old Testament. We sing: The inspired Prophet Habakkuk now stands with us in Holy Vigil. He is like a shining angel, crying out with a piercing voice: ‘Today salvation has come to…
No Other Foundation
“The Cult of Bareness”
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I cannot be the only one who has had the experience of visiting a non-Orthodox church service and finding it stunningly empty and plain. After long familiarity with Orthodox worship with its icons, incense, candles, vestments, Gospel books, and crosses, attending such services produces a kind of sensory deprivation, rather like sensory overload in reverse. Entering those churches and experiencing their services left me looking around almost madly for something focus and…
Faith Encouraged
A Living Breath of God
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Phillip James Bailey, an English poet of the late 19th century, once said: “Let each man think himself an act of God; his mind a thought; his life, a breath of God; and let each try, by great thoughts and good deeds to show the most of heaven he hath in him.” One of the amazing revelations of the Orthodox Christian Faith is the high dignity humanity has in this wondrous creation.…
The Word of the Day
On Trusting the Lord and Relying on His Wisdom (Thurs. March 2)
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The word of the day is “trust.” Our society values self-reliance. We teach that maturity means that we no longer depend on others for direction or support. When we are fully grown, we should take our own path in life. However, our reading of Proverbs 3:1-18 teaches us the opposite. The wise teacher of Proverbs says, “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight” (OAB vs. 5). Today we will consider what it means to trust the Lord for wisdom. We will also find that reliance on God’s wisdom should apply to everything we do. Our key verse (vs. 5) is a favorite of many. It is worth memorizing so that we keep it in mind…
Faith Encouraged
You Are Made in His Image
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Shakespeare’s Hamlet has a character named Polonius and Shakespeare has him utter those now-famous words “For the apparel oft proclaims the man.” And then, of course, there’s the famous business advice “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have!” All this focus on apparel makes one wonder if men are unaware of their true selves. And that, dear one, is seen in the fervent scramble of humanity to “find”…
The Word of the Day
Four Things Necessary for Seeking Wisdom (Wed. March 1)
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The word of the day is “seek.” We would like to think that gaining spiritual understanding comes from the sudden unveiling of a revelation, a quick flash of insight. But our reading of Proverbs 2:1-22 teaches us we must search diligently for wisdom. And it assures us that this earnest search will be rewarded. The author of Proverbs writes, “If you seek perception with a strong voice, and if you seek her as silver and search for her as treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (OSB vs. 4-5). What, then, is necessary for our search? Knowing What We Seek When we search for something, we need to know what we are looking for. If we…
Faith Encouraged
Forgive and Be Forgiven - Sunday's Homily
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On the Sunday of Forgiveness, we are confronted with the reality that if we don’t forgive we won’t be forgiven. That’s because a heart gripped by grudges, bitterness, and unforgiveness cannot receive forgiveness no matter how much it is offered by our Loving Lord. A clean heart is able to let go of past wrongs and is also able to receive forgiveness and be healed of the spiritual illness of untamed passions.…
Praying in the Rain
Forgiveness On A Snowy Day
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I wrote this to my Church Forgiveness Sunday morning: I got up early this morning to blow the snow off my driveway, but the snow is too wet to blow. My snow blower is no match for ten inches (24 cm) of wet snow, and my back is no match for more than a few runs at it with a snow shovel. I will not be able to make it to Church…
Faith Encouraged
God Starts the Clock
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Harvey Mackay said “Time is free but priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back” This “gift of time” is all about perspective and maturing enough in your life to appreciate the nature of your time here in this life. And time is, in fact, God’s idea. He created time; the…
The Word of the Day
Three Ways of Closing Our Ears to Wisdom and How to Open Them (Tues. Feb. 28)
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The word of the day is “reject.” Many think that the ways of God are hidden and only known to a select few who have the time and resources to probe into them. However, in our reading of Proverbs 1:20-33, we hear wisdom herself speaking in urgent cries in every public place. Thus, we read, “Wisdom sings in the streets. She moves boldly in the squares. She preaches on high city walls. And sits at the gates of lords. At the gates of a city, she boldly says…” (vs. 20-21). Wisdom is not hiding herself but loudly proclaiming her counsel in the street. But do we hear her when she calls to us? Today’s reading describes several ways of closing…
Faith Encouraged
When God Speaks
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If this world is ever going to recover what we have trashed by falling for the delusion of materialism, we are going to have to start with the idea of Logos. It is this precious and vital fundamental understanding of human reality that locates true meaning in God’s Word. And I’m not talking about the Bible. Though the scriptures are treasures without compare, the true rediscovery of real meaning in the world…
The Word of the Day
The Wisdom of Proverbs in Hebrew and Greek (LXX) Texts (Mon. Feb. 27)
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The word of the day is “wisdom.” As we begin the Lenten fast in the Orthodox Church, we turn to the books of Genesis and Proverbs for our daily readings. As we seek to return to the Lord and His ways, the Book of Proverbs offers us practical wisdom to guide us. In today’s reading of Proverbs 1:1-20, we hear, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and there is a good understanding in all who practice it” (OSB Proverbs 1:7 from the Septuagint). This principle maxim is the foundation of the book of Proverbs and is the key to understanding the counsel that the Church provides for the 40 days of Lent. The Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint (LXX), an…
The Word of the Day
The Armor For Spiritual Struggle (Sun. Feb. 26)
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The word of the day is “armor.” In our reading of Romans 13:11-14:4 today, St. Paul announces that the Day of Christ’s return is “at hand” (vs. 12). When that time comes, we will be clothed with the white robe of victory. We will stand before the Throne of God and glorify the God of salvation (Revelation 7:9). But though it is near, that glorious moment has not arrived. Paul says that we must put on the armor of conflict instead of the white robe of triumph. He writes, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (vs. 12). Today, on the eve of…
Eastern Christian Insights
Lent is the Journey Back to Paradise Through the New Adam: Homily for the Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheese Fare) in the Orthodox Church
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Romans 13:11-14:4; Matthew 6:14-21 On the last several Sundays, our gospel readings have challenged us to return home from our self-imposed exile. Zacchaeus gave more than justice required to the poor and those whom he had exploited from his ill-gotten gains, and was restored as a son of Abraham. By her persistence and humility, the Canaanite woman received the deliverance of her daughter as a sign that Christ calls all people…
Glory to God for All Things
Forgiveness for All the Sundays to Come
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I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (John17:20-21) The Elder Sophrony, together with St. Silouan, wrote about the “whole Adam.” By this, they meant all the human beings who have ever existed and those yet to come. For Silouan and Sophrony, this was something known in the present tense, a “hypostatic” knowledge of the fundamental unity of the human race.…
The Word of the Day
Tending to What God Has Established in Us (Sat. Feb. 25)
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The word of the day is “established.” Recall the Parable of the Sowing of the Seed. Especially, call to mind the seed that fell on rocky ground. It sprang up energetically but soon withered in the blazing sun. It did so because its roots had no depth. We can say that it was not “established” in the Word of God. In our reading of Romans 14:19-23 and 16:25-27, St. Paul concludes His epistle with a benediction. He writes, “May He who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…be glory through Jesus Christ, forever” (vs. 25). Today we focus on how God establishes us in the faith and life of Christ and how we must tend…
The Word of the Day
Bonus: the Expulsion of Adam from Paradise (Sun. Feb. 26)
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On the last Sunday before Great Lent, we recall the eviction of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Accordingly, the hymns for this day are filled with lamentation. Thus in Matins, we hear, “In times of old did Adam sit and cry in sorrow opposite the delights he had in Paradise; his hands did upon his forehead strike, as he said this: O merciful Lord, have mercy on me who have fallen” (GOA Digital Chant Stand) The Lamentations of Adam and Eve Adam and Eve shed bitter tears of anguish because they were thrown out of the Garden the Lord God had prepared for them. From now on, suffering, death, and corruption would be their inheritance and not…
No Other Foundation
“Great God Almighty’s Gonna Cut You Down”
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Recently I heard a very dark and serious song about the judgment of God and His wrath against sinners. It was the folk song “Great God Almighty’s Gonna Cut You Down” (accessed here). I was not aware of the song before; apparently it is an American folk song. The oracular Wikipedia informs me that it was first recorded by the Golden Gate Quartet in 1946 and issued in 1947 by the Jubalairies,…
