The Morning Offering
Sunday, May 10 / April 27 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Sunday of the ParalyticChrist is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Happy Mothers Day! Saints of the Day April 27 / May 10. Hieromartyr Symeon the kinsman of the Lord. St. Stephen, abbot of the Kiev Caves and Bishop Vladimir in Volhynia. St. John, abbot of Cathares Monastery at Constantinople. New-Martyr Elias Ardunis…
Glory to God for All Things
Going Home - A Personal Journey
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I do not know enough languages to gauge how universal is the concept of “home.” It has very strong connotations in English – and is particularly strong in its usage within the Southern United States. I suspect much of this is rooted in family and place – and requires a fairly stable culture. The culture in which I grew up was reasonably stable – though I experienced major upheavals in my surrounding world…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, May 9 / April 26 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 26 / May 9. Hieromartyr Basil, Bishop of Amasea. St. Stephen, Bishop of Perm. Righteous Virgin Glaphyra. St. Ioannicius of Devich in Serbia. St. Justa. (Greek Calendar: St. Nestor the Silent. Saints Andrew and Anatole, disciples of St. Euthymius the…
The Morning Offering
Friday, May 8 / April 25 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 25 / May 8. Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark St. Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople. St. Sylvester, abbot of Obnora. Greek Calendar Martyr Nice. Eight anchorites who were martyred. Repose of Bassian the Blind of the Kiev Caves (1827). Photo of…
Glory to God for All Things
On Behalf of All and For All - A Family Reunion
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As a child one of my more common experiences was the gathering of my extended family. My mother was one of twelve children, my father one of five. Their siblings largely settled in the same South Carolina county that was home. There they settled into their careers and set about having their own families during the time known as the “baby boom.” Theresult of this stability was a very large extended family.…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, May 7 / April 24 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 24 / May 7. Martyr Sabbas Stratelites (the General) of Rome, and 70 soldiers with him. Martyrs Eusebius, Neon, Leontius, Longinus, and others at Nicomedia. Martyrs Pasicrates and Valentine in Moesia (Bulgaria). St. Thomas the Fool of Syria. St. Elizabeth…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, May 6 / April 23 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 23 / May 6. Holy Glorious Great-martyr and Victory-bearer and Wonderworker George. Martyrs Anatolius and Protoleon, soldiers converted by witnessing the martyrdom of St. George. Martyr Alexandra the Empress (also 21 Apr). Martyrs Glycerius, Athanasius the Magician, Valerius, Donatus, and…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, May 5 / April 22 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 22 / May 5. St. Theodore the Sykeote, Bishop of Anastasiopolis. St. Vitalis, monk of Gaza. Apostles Nathaniel, Luke, and Clement. Translation of the Relics of St. Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel), prince of Pskov. Martyr Epipodius of Lyons. (Greek…
Glory to God for All Things
The Bells
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I can never begin describing the layers upon layers of Orthodox Tradition when I am writing or speaking with others. This is true, at the very least, because the Tradition is itself also the “life” of the Church (in Orthodox understanding). A life – particularly a life that is Divine, cannot be described. It can only be experienced. Description, at best, only offers a small glimpse. One of the elements of Orthodox…
The Morning Offering
Monday, May 4 / April 21 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 21 / May 4. Hieromartyr Januarius, Bishop of Benevento, and his companions: Festus, Proculus, and Sosius deacons; Desiderius, reader; and Eutychius and Acutius, laymen; at Pozzuoli. Hieromartyr Theodore of Perge in Pamphylia, his mother Philippa, and Martyrs Dioscorus, Socrates, and…
Glory to God for All Things
Conversion to the True and Living God
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I grew up in a culture where religious conversion was frequent as well as often short-lived. Religiously, the only remedy to many of the ills of life was conversion. On the face of things I could hardly argue with that now. However, the deeper problem within that particular religious culture was a very truncated view of conversion. For many, conversion was accompanied by emotion (it should be truly “heart-felt”) as well as decision. But the only action…
Glory to God for All Things
Living a Personal Life
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In the common use of the English language, it would seem strange or impossible to say that someone was living an “impersonal” life. And, even in our classical Christian vocabulary, we would say that God (Who is Person) has created us in His own image and that we are inherently “personal.” And yet, the Church also recognizes that it is our personhood that is most effected by the fall. In theological terms,…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, May 3 / April 20 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Holy MyrrhbearersChrist is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 20 / May 3. St. Theodore Trichinas (the Hair-shirt Wearer), hermit near Constantinople. St. Anastasius, abbot of Sinai. Blessed Gregory and Blessed Anastasius, Patriarch of Antioch. Hieromartyr Anastasius II, Patriarch of Antioch. St. Alexander, abbot of Oshevensk. Child-martyr Gabriel…
Praying in the Rain
For fear of the Jews
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One of the phrases that repeatedly appears in the biblical and liturgical texts surrounding the death and resurrection of our Lord is “for fear of the Jews.” This is a very misleading, though accurate, translation of the text. It is accurate because, well, that is what the text says. It is misleading–and, I might add, has been used to justify terribly inhuman behavior to Jews throughout Christian history–because it gives the impression…
Glory to God for All Things
What Matters - Still True
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Perhaps I am in an introspective mood – but I find myself lately going back and reading my earliest posts – they only go back to October of 2006 – though there have been nearly a thousand of them. It is an exercise in consistency and in growth. Would I have said something differently now than I said then? This is among my earliest efforts and remains as true to me now…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, May 2 / April 19 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 19 / May 2. St. John of the Ancient Caves in Palestine. St. George the Confessor, Bishop of Antioch in Pisidia. St. Tryphon, Patriarch of Constantinople. Martyrs Christopher, Theonas and Antoninus at Rome. St. Nicephorus, abbot of Katabad. Hieromartyr Paphnutius…
The Morning Offering
Novice Christos
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Friday, May 1 / April 18 (Church Calendar) Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 18 / May 1. St. John, disciple of St. Gregory of the Decapolis. St. Cosmas, Bishop of Chalcedon, and his fellow ascetic St. Auxentius. Martyrs Victor, Zoticus, Zeno, Acindynus, and Severian of Nicomedia. St. Euthymius the Enlightener of Karelia, and…
Glory to God for All Things
The Presence in the Absence - A Timely Re-posting
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This short post is among the first to appear on this blog – dating back to October of ’06. In the light of conversations here over the past few days, it seemed timely to bring this back to our attention. I I have written on the topic of the absence of God (or our sense of it) since the beginning of my work. And even though conversations with contemporary non-believers can be…
Glory to God for All Things
Eastern Christian Blog Awards
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Eastern Christian Blog Awards is receiving nominations in a variety of categories. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a category “Best Eastern Christian Blog that Atheists Read”. But here is the web address should you want to nominate a blog. My blogroll contains some excellent blogs – any number of which could be called “best.” This blog won an award last year. Awards may only be a measure of readership, etc., but…
Glory to God for All Things
A Pascha of Incorruption
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I urge readers to follow the link to the website Ora et Labora and read the newly translated article: A Pascha of Incorruption, written by the New Hieromartyr Hilarion (+1929). It is an exquisite commentary on the Orthodox teaching of Pascha, but also demonstrates how the theology of the Church survived and prevailed through its liturgical life and prayers, despite official efforts (in Russia in the 19th century in this case) to…
The Morning Offering
Little Oliver
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Thursday, April 30 / April 17 (Church Calendar) Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 17 / 30. G Hieromartyr Simeon, Bishop in Persia, and those with him: Martyrs Abdechalas and Ananias, presbyters, Usthazanes, Fusicus (Pusicius), Ascitrea, and Azat the eunuch. Martyr Adrian of Corinth. St. Acacius, Bishop of Melitene. St. Zosimas, abbot of Solovki.…
Glory to God for All Things
Unbelief and the Two-Storey Universe
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I have written extensively about what I have described as a “two-storey universe.” In short, this is a description of how many modern Christians see the world. There is the first floor – the natural world which operates according to naturalist, “secular” rules, and the second floor – the world of God, heaven, hell, angels, etc. The spiritual crisis of much of modern man is the inherent disconnect in these two worlds. It…
The Morning Offering
The Monastery's Kitchen
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Wednesday, April 29 / April 16 (Church Calendar) Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Saints of the Day April 16 / April 29 Virgin Martyrs Agape, Irene and Chionia in Illyria. Martyrs Leonidas, Chariessa, Nice, Galina, Callista (Calisa), Nunechia, Basilissa, Theodora and Irene of Corinth. St. Theodore-Bassa, princess of Novgorod. New-Martyr Michael of Smyrna. The Weeping Icon of the…
The Morning Offering
Christ is Risen!
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Tuesday, April 28 / April 15 (Church Calendar) Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Photo of the Day: Taken during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Saints of the Day April 15 / 28. Apostles Aristarchus, Pudens and Trophimus of the Seventy. Martyr Sabbas the Goth of Walachia. Martyrs Basilissa and Anastasia of Rome, disciples of Apostles Peter and…
Glory to God for All Things
The Unplanned Life
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The following article was first written and posted in March of 2007. I have added a few additional thoughts to the end. One of the geniuses of modern life is the plan. It is certainly the case that if you have a company and a product, or whatever passes for those in these days, there is probably a plan to go with them. Occasionally you hear from Christians, “God has a plan for…
The Morning Offering
Annual Pilgrimage
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ll-Merciful Saviour Monastery’s 23rd Annual Monastery Pilgrimage Vashon Island, Washington Beginning with the Feast of Saint Olav of Norway, Tuesday, August 11th, and Concluding with the Patronal Feast of the Monastery, The Feast of the All-Merciful Saviour Friday, August 14th (August 1st, Old Style). Clergy: Bring your red vestments. Camping space is available in the Monastery’s Saint Seraphim’s Wood, and…
The Morning Offering
Our Newborn Goat
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Monday, April 27 / April 14 (Church Calendar) Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Photo of the Day: The newest member of our community. Any ideas for a name for this newborn miniature goat, would be most welcomed. His mother, Olivia, is very proud, as she should be! Saints of the Day April 14 / 27. St. Martin the…
