The Morning Offering
Wednesday, June 17 / June 4 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day June 4 / 17. St. Metrophanes, first Patriarch of Constantinople. Hieromartyr Astius, Bishop of Dyrrachium in Macedonia. Martyr Concordius of Spoleto. Martyrs Frontasius, Severinus, Severian, and Salanus of Gaul. St. Zosimas of Cilicia, Bishop of Babylon in Egypt. St. Methodius, abbot of Peshnosha, disciple of St. Sergius of…
Glory to God for All Things
A Slight Pause
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I leave in the morning (July 17) to conduct a youth retreat in S.C. at Sts. Mary and Martha Monastery. I will have some chance, in the evenings to check the blogsite (clear spam and make some responses). Whether I’ll have time to post time will tell. Please don’t take my reduced responses in the next few days for lack of interest. The present topic is of deep interest (I’ve written on…
Praying in the Rain
The Staretz Never Came
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When I was inquiring into Orthodox Christianity, I (and the group I was a part of) became convinced early on that we needed a staretz, an elder of profound holiness and insight to guide us. At the time, it made perfect sense. In the milieu from which we came, sincere earnestness was the primary—if not the only—indicator we had to spiritual vitality. And since we were an intensely earnest bunch of enquirers,…
Glory to God for All Things
More on the "Justice" of God
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I will add an additional thought (related to the previous article) on the future “justice” of God. There are many who imagine theologically that at some later point, a final judgment, God’s justice will be manifest. In this manifestation of justice, the punishments of hell figure prominently. Of course, this is simply poor theology. Eternity in hell is not a matter of justice nor can it ever be. Justice involves equality. For…
Glory to God for All Things
St. Isaac - Mercy and Justice
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There is a strain within some forms of Western theology that is deeply concerned with the “justice” of God. Some even go so far as to say that God is constrained by His justice – that He cannot deny its demands (to do so, they argue, would make Him “less than just”). It is common for Orthodox theology to find this problematic. Here St. Isaac of Syria states the case quite clearly:…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, June 16 / June 3 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day June 3 / 16. Martyr Lucillian and those who suffered with him at Byzantium: four youths, Claudius, Hypatius, Paul and Dionysius; and Virgin Paula. Hieromartyr Lucian, and with him Julian and Maximian, at Beauvais in France. Translation of the Relics of the slain Crown Prince Demetrius of Moscow.…
The Morning Offering
Monday, June 15 / June 2 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day June 2 / 15. St. Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople. Great-Martyr John the New of Sochi, who suffered at Belgrade. New-Martyr Demetrius of Philadelphia. Hieromartyr Photinus (Pothimus), Bishop of Lyons. New-Martyr Constantine of the Hagarenes (Mt. Athos). (Greek Calendar: Hieromartyr Erasmus of Ochrid, who reposed in peace,…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, June 14 / June 1 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! All Saints Saints of the Day June 1 / 14. Martyr Justin the Philosopher and those with him at Rome: Martyrs Justin, Chariton and his wife Charita, Euelpistus, Hierax, Peon, Valerian and Justus. St. Dionysius, abbot of Glushetsk (Vologda). St. Agapitus, unmercenary physician of the Kiev Caves. St. Metrius the Farmer. (Greek…
Glory to God for All Things
By Your Prayers
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It is a common phrase in Orthodoxy, “By your prayers.” it is a recognition that we cannot make this journey alone. I have days when I think I’m doing ok, and then there are much longer periods when I realize that only by the prayers of others and the mercies of God will I make this journey in any shape or form. I am probably more fortunate than many. I have a…
Glory to God for All Things
Multifarious Trials of Repentance
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Through repentance a person receives back that knowledge which was given to him as a pledge in baptism…. Repentance arises in a person through the activity of divine grace in the soul. It begins when God bestows on us a consciousness of our own sins. This consciousness penetrates into our thoughts as God sees to it that we suffer multifarious trials. Perceiving one’s own sins, Isaac claims, is more important than performing…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, June 13 / May 31 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 31 / June 13. Apostle Hermes of the Seventy. Martyr Hermias at Comana. Martyr Philosophus at Alexandria. Martyr Marus the magician who was converted on witnessing the martyrdom of Hermias. New-Martyrs Hierotheus, Bishop of Nikolsk (1928), and his friend Schema-hieromonk Seraphim (1923). (Greek Calendar: Five Martyrs of…
Praying in the Rain
Dark Belief
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If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk about what someone has called the dark belief. When God turns out not to be who we thought he was, particularly because the circumstances of our life are more painful than the God whom we had imagined would have allowed, cynicism and atheism (or agnosticism, her sister)seem appropriate coping mechanisms. Initially, there is a perverse joy in attributing to others the worst possible motives…
The Morning Offering
Friday, June 12 / May 30 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 30 / June 12. St. Isaac, founder of the Dalmation Monastery at Constantinople. St. James, monk of Galich monastery. Martyr Natalius. Martyrs Romanus, Meletius, and Euplius. Martyr Barlaam of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Repose of Abbot Ephraim of Sarov (1778). Photo of the Day Alexander Karg, placing the…
Glory to God for All Things
We Have Seen
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St. John, in the prologue of his gospel, says the following: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father (John 1:14). In his first Epistle he says the following: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, June 11 / May 29 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 29 / June 11. Virgin Theodosia of Constantinople. Repose of Blessed John of Ustiug, fool-for-Christ. Virgin Martyr Theodosia of Tyre. St. Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria. New-Martyr Andrew. New-Martyr John (or Nannus) at Smyrna. Commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council. (Greek Calendar: Hieromartyr Olbian, Bishop of Aneus, and…
Glory to God for All Things
For Your Kindness
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For the kindness of those who expressed their thanks for this blog – I offer my heartfelt thanks. The Eastern Christian Blog Awards have just been posted. Your kindness voted Glory to God for All Things “best” in two categories: Best Individual Blog and Best Theology Blog. I enjoy reading the blogs of others more than my own – so I’m not sure I would have described this site in the same…
Glory to God for All Things
Living on the First Floor
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I am currently working on a small book that gathers many of my thoughts on the metaphor of the “one-storey universe.” Readers of this blog should be well familiar with the image. I cannot claim to be its originator – I can think of several sources that first suggested this way of explaining things. It is a verbal effort to share a visual and kinesthetic experience. I think that much of my…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, June 10 / May 28 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 28 / June 10. St. Nicetas, Bishop of Chalcedon. St. Ignatius, Bishop and wonderworker of Rostov. Hieromartyr Helladius, Bishop in the East. St. Eutychius, Bishop of Melitene. Martyr Heliconis of Thessalonica. St. Sophronius, monk of Bulgaria. New-Martyr Demetrius. New-Martyr Zachariah of Prusa. St. Germanus, Bishop of Paris.…
Glory to God for All Things
Poems of Pentecost
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Among the many friends I have had who have now entered the larger life, several were poets. Francis Hall Ford was a parishioner in St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Mission in Chattanooga, which I had a share in founding. She and her family had year’s before entered Orthodoxy through the Greek Church. In later years she split her time between little St. Tikhon’s in Chattanooga and St. Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas where her daughter,…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, June 9 / May 27 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 27 / June 9. ASCENSION Hieromartyr Therapon, Bishop of Sardis. Translation of the Relics of St. Nilus of Stolbensk. Virgin Martyr Theodora and Martyr Didymus the soldier at Alexandria. Translation of the Relics of Saints Cyprian, Photius and Jonah, Metropolitan of Kiev. St. Therapont, abbot of Byelozersk.…
Glory to God for All Things
The Strange Land of Liturgical Knowledge
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I have been involved in Christian liturgical life for most of my adult experience. The first part of that experience was as an Anglican – a liturgical experience that is both Western and reformed. I have been involved in the liturgical life of Orthodox Christianity on one level or another for the past 16 years or so – and as an Orthodox priest since 1999. The two experiences are difficult to compare.…
The Morning Offering
Monday, June 8 / May 26 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! ~Day of the Holy Spirit~ Saints of the Day May 26 / June 8. Apostles Carpus and Alphaeus of the Seventy. Martyrs Abercius and Helen, children of Apostle Alphaeus. Great-Martyr George the New at Sofia. St. John Psichaita the Confessor of Constantinople. Opening of the Relics of St. Macarius, abbot of Kolyazin.…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, June 7 / May 25 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! ~`.~`.~Pentecost Sunday~.`~.`~ Saints of the Day May 25 / June 7. Third Finding of the Honorable Head of St. John the Baptist. Hieromartyr Therapon, Bishop of Cyprus. St. Dodo, prince of Georgia. Synaxis of Saints of Volhynia: Saints Yaropolk, Stephen, Macarius, Igor and Juliana. Righteous John and Mary of Ustiug (Vologda). Commemoration…
Glory to God for All Things
Babylon and the Trees of Pentecost
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From the Feast of Pentecost The arrogance of building the tower in the days of old led to the confusion of tongues. Now the glory of the knowledge of God brings them wisdom. There God condemned the impious for their transgression. Here Christ has enlightened the fishermen by the Spirit. There disharmony was brought about for punishment.// Now harmony is renewed for the salvation of our souls. The first time I saw…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, June 6 / May 24 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 24 / June 6. St. Symeon Stylites (the Younger) of Wonderful Mountain. St. Nicetas Stylites, wonderworker of Pereyaslavl-Zalesski. Martyrs Meletius Stratelates, Stephen, John, and 1,218 soldiers with women and children, including: Serapion the Egyptian, Callinicus the magician, Theodore, Faustus, the women Marciana, Susanna, and Palladia, two children,…
The Morning Offering
Friday, June 5 / May 23 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 23 / June 5. St. Michael the Confessor, Bishop of Synnada. Opening of the Relics of St. Leontius, Bishop and wonderworker of Rostov. Martyr Michael the black-robed of St. Sabbas’ Monastery. Virgin Euphrosyne, princess of Polotsk. St. Paisius, abbot of Galich. Holy Myrrh-bearer, wife of Cleopas. (Greek…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, June 4 / May 22 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day May 22 / June 4. Martyr Basiliscus, Bishop of Comana. St. John-Vladimir, ruler of Serbia. New Hieromartyr Zachariah of Prusa. Blessed James, youth, of Borovichi (Novgorod). Commemoration of the Second Ecumenical Council. Righteous Melchizedek, king of Salem. (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Marcellus and Codratus. Martyr Sophia and physician. New…
