Praying in the Rain
New Year Thoughts
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In 1993 Bill Murray starred in Ground Hog Day, a movie about a completely selfish weather broadcaster who spends a year trapped in the same day—Ground Hog Day. After repeating the same day several times, Phil (Murray) figures out that he can use the new knowledge he learns each day (names, personal information, and predictable actions) to manipulate people in the small town where Phil is trapped in order to indulge his…
Praying in the Rain
Wealth and Poverty
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“I am poor and needy, O Lord, come to my aid,” says the Prophet and King David. There is a kind of wealth that makes you arrogant and independent even if you do not have a cent. And there is a poverty that takes no notice of visible signs of wealth, for it sees them as only transient: tools to be used, responsibilities to be managed, tokens of the greater judgment that…
Glory to God for All Things
Remember God Always
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Somebody asked Abba Antony (St. Antony the Great of Egypt), “What shall I do in order to please God?” He replied, “Do what I tell you, which is this: wherever you go, keep God in mind; whatever you do, follow the example of Holy Scripture; wherever you are, stay there and do not move away in a hurry. If you keep to these guide-lines, you will be saved.” +++ This small story…
The Morning Offering
His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch
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The Morning Offering
Monday, December 28 / 15 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 15 / 28. Hieromartyr Eleutherius, Bishop of Illyria, and his mother Martyr Anthia. St. Paul of Latros. St. Stephen theconfessor, Archbishop Surozha in the Crimea. Martyr Eleutherius at Constantinople. St. Pardus, hermit of Palestine. Martyr Bacchus the New. Martyr Susanna the deaconess of Palestine. St. Tryphon, abbot…
Glory to God for All Things
What's In The Cave
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It is traditionally understood that Christ’s nativity was in a cave (not in a stable). The cave served as a stable – not unusual for the area of Bethlehem. However, the traditional icon of Christ’s nativity reveals the cave in an unmistakeable manner. The cave of Bethlehem resembles the cave of Hades into which Christ descends at His death. It also resembles the space framed by the rocks in most icons of…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, December 27 / 14 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 14 / 27. Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius and Callinicus of Apollonia. Martyrs Apollonius, Philemon, Arianus and Theoctychusof Alexandria. (Greek Calendar: Four guards converted by St. Arianus and martyred.) Repose of Blessed Recluse John of Sezenovo Convent (1839). Photo of the Day Our monastery’s temple, as you first see…
The Morning Offering
Witnessing Goodness, in a Fallen World
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of Alaska, I spent seven hours with the family and fellow police officers of Pierce County Deputy Sheriff Kent Mundell, on Western Christmas Day. Returning to the monastery around eight this evening, and spending time with my monastic community (and Hammie, our beloved Norwegian Forest Cat sitting in my lap), I’ve found myself unable to sleep. I sent out my…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, December 26 / 13 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 13 / 26. Martyrs Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius, and Orestes at Sebaste Virgin Martyr Lucy of Syracuse. St.Arsenius of Latros. St. Gabriel, Archbishop of Serbia. St. Mardarius, recluse of the Kiev Caves. (Greek Calendar: St. Ares, monk.) Schemamonk Pantileimon the Resurrected of Glinsk Hermitage (1895). Photo of…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Ecological Vision in James Cameron's Avatar
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Ecology was never particularly a subject I thought I would find myself thinking too much about, much less writing about, but it seems to keep coming to the fore for me, especially as I’ve begun to apprehend more of its theological, rather than secular/political, significance. Framing this theological vision in terms of “the story of home” (which is one literal rendering of oikologia, from…
The Morning Offering
Today is the Feast of Saint Herman of Alaska
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, according to the Julian Calendar. Since our celebration of Christ’s Holy Nativity, is on January 7th, I will be leaving for Harborview Medical Center, in Seattle, following today’s Liturgy, in order to allow the other chaplains to be with their families for Western Christmas. Please remember the family of the Deputy Kent Mundell, who is on life support, and…
Glory to God for All Things
Christmas in General
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“Peace on earth! Good will towards men!” is a common greeting to be found on cards during this season of the Nativity. These are, of course, the words sung by the angels the night Christ was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:14). It is also a phrase which admits of several interpretations. The possibility of various meanings is very likely the reason for its popularity on greeting cards. Who could be opposed to…
The Morning Offering
(I am forced to sent this out early, and incomplete, since I'm leaving for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, to spend the night ministering to the family, and the police officers, who are keeping vigil for the police officer who was ambushed, and who is fighting for his life. Please pray for all concerned.)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Thursday, December 24 / 11 (Church Calendar) Saints of the Day Saint Daniel the Stylite, Photo of the Day The Holy Virgin of the Burning Bush Thought for the Day Many years ago, while still a college student, I was riding on a city bus in San Francisco, California. Above the seat…
The Morning Offering
Your prayers are needed
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Many of you have heard the reports that two more police officers have been shot this week, again in Pierce County, Washington. This, following the funeral of the four Lakewood Police Department officers, murdered, in cold blood, in an area coffee shop. That shooting happened about a week following the assassination of a Seattle police officer, shot point blank range,…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, December 23 / 10 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 10 / 23. Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes and Eugraphus of Alexandria [Eph 6:10-17; Lk 21:12-19]. St. Ioasaph, Bishop ofBelgorod (also 4 September). Martyr Gemellus of Paphlagonia. St. Thomas of Bithynia. Blessed John, king of Serbia, and hisparents Stephen and Angelina Brancovich. (Greek Calendar: Hieromartyr Theotecnus. Martyr Marianus. Martyr…
Glory to God for All Things
The Smallness of God
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An annual December posting: Whom have we, Lord, like you The Great One who became small, the Wakeful who slept, The Pure One who was baptized, the Living One who died, The King who abased himself to ensure honor for all. Blessed is your honor! St. Ephrem the Syrian +++ We draw near to the Feast of our Lord’s Nativity, and I cannot fathom the smallness of God. Things in my life…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, December 22 / 9 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 9 / 22. The Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos [Gal 4:22-31; Lk 8:16-21]. Prophetess Anna (Hannah),mother of Prophet Samuel. St. Stephen the New Light of Constantinople. St. Sophronius, Archbishop of Cyprus. (Greek Calendar:Martyr Sositheus. Martyr Narses of Persia. Martyr Isaac.) Icon of the…
Praying in the Rain
A Note to a Young Christian on Responsibility in Relationships
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Now, I want to explain something to you. My goal is to help you become a good son/brother/friend without slipping into patterns of thought and response that do not help you or those you love. For the sake of your own psychological heath, it is probably a good idea not to be too concerned about how you feel about your mother (brother or friend) and what she does or doesn’t do, says…
Glory to God for All Things
The Angels Sing
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A Serbian Christmas Song – lyrics by St. Nikolai Velimirovich Andjeli Pevaju Noć prekrasna i noć tija, nad pećinom zvezda sija, u pećini mati spi, nad Isusom andjel bdi. Andjeli pevaju, pastiri sviraju, andjeli pevaju mudraci javljaju: Što narodi čekaše, što proroci rekoše, evo sad se u svet javi, u svet javi i objavi: Rodi nam se Hristos Spas za spasenje sviju nas. Aliluja, aliluja, Gospodi pomiluj! (deep voice) no matter what…
The Morning Offering
Monday, December 21 / 8 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 8 / 21. St. Patapius of Thebes. Holy Apostles of the Seventy: Sosthenes, Apollos, Cephas, Tychicus, Epaphroditus,Caesar and Onesiphorus. Holy 362 Martyrs of Africa, martyred by the Arians, and Martyr Anthusa, at Rome. St. Cyril, abbot of Chelmogorsk. New-Martyr Priest John (Kochurov) of Chicago. Photo of the…
Glory to God for All Things
The Silent Word
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Phillips Brooks, the Anglican priest who wrote the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” offered a very rich phrase with his observation, “How silently, how silently, the wondrous Word is given…” The ubiquitous sound of Christmas music has accompanied me into almost every store and restaurant since late November. At its best, the music is quiet and reverent. At its worst, the music jars the mind with every imaginable form of cultural…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, December 20 / 7 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 7 / 20. St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. St. Anthony, abbot of Siya Monastery (Novgorod). St. Nilus, monk of StolbenskLake. St. Paul the Obedient. St. John, faster of St. Sabbas’ Monastery. St. John, faster of the Kiev Caves. Martyr Athenodorus ofMesopotamia. St. Gregory the Silent of Mt.…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, December 19 / 6 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Feast of our Father Among the Saints, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra Saints of the Day December 6 / 19. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia [(1) Prov 10:7, 6; 3:13-16; 8:6, 32, 34, 4, 12, 14, 17,5-9; 1:23; (2) Prov 10:31-11:12; (3) Wis 4:7-15. Matins: Jn 10:9-16.…
The Morning Offering
Friday, December 18 / 5 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 5 / 18. St Sabbas the Sanctified, Martyrs of Karyes, St.Nectarius of Bitola, Sts. Karyon and Zachariah Photo of the Day Quote of the Day “What we gain by fasting is not so great as the damage done by anger; nor is the profit from spiritual reading…
Glory to God for All Things
Christmas Throughout the Ages
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I’ll have to ask for forgiveness at the outset on this post – mostly because of its speculative nature – something I generally prefer not to engage in – at least not for others to read. The Incarnation of Christ is significant in the course of our salvation – but we all too easily look at the story from a mere moral or soteriological point of view and fail to stop and…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, December 17 / 4 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day December 4 / 17. Great-Martyr Barbara and Martyr Juliana at Heliopolis in Syria [Gal 3:23-29; Mk 5:24-34]; St. John Damascene.St. John, Bishop of Polybotum. Repose of St. Gennadius, Archbishop of Novgorod. New Hieromartyr Seraphim, Bishop of thePhanar in Greece. Hieromartyrs Damascene, Bishop of Glukhov (1935) and his father…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The Cosmic Cathedral
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Sunday of the Forefathers of Christ, December 13, 2009 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick Emmaus, Pennsylvania In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. If you follow the news, you know that this past week and in this coming week, the city of Copenhagen, Denmark, is hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference. During…
