Glory to God for All Things
The Daily Battle
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More thoughts on the struggle with the passions: One of the essential understandings of the passions within the fathers of the Church is that they are not inherently evil. Gluttony may be a passion, but the desire to eat is a gift of God. Fornication is a sin, but the marriage bed is blessed, etc. Passions are our natural desires manifested in a disordered state. This is an important understanding – for…
Praying in the Rain
Marriage Will Reveal Your Sins
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In one of the workshops I attended during the Archdiocese Clergy Symposium last week, the Fr. George Eber said, “Marriage will reveal your sins.” That sure is true! I think one of the reasons why marriage is one of the only two paths the Church recommends as lifestyles leading to salvation (the other being monasticism) is because in marriage, it is impossible to hide our weaknesses. (By the way, people who are…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, July 29 / 16
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(Church Calendar) Saints of the Day July 16 / 29. Hieromartyr Athenogenes, Bishop of Heracleopolis, and his ten disciples. Martyrs Paul and two sisters, Chionia (Thea) and Alevtina (Valentina), at Caesaria in Palestine. Martyr Antiochus, physician of Sebaste. Martyr Faustus. Virgin Martyr Julia of Carthage. (Greek Calendar: 1015 Martyrs of Pisidia. Martyr Athenogenes.) Repose of Elder Theodore of Glinsk Hermitage…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The Worship of God
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Both parts of my talk “The Worship of God” are now available via Ancient Faith Radio here and here as part of the Roads From Emmaus podcast. My approach in this talk reflects one of my ongoing concerns—preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Trinity, in a world that increasingly is either totally ignorant of its Creator or only takes a sort…
Praying in the Rain
Overcoming Sin by Not Hiding
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In response to a comment to the blog entry “The Loving Act of Saying No,” I say the following: We don’t realize how much God loves us–not as abstract human beings, but as distinct persons. We are all sick and need to be healed and cleaned up (so to speak), but we must never lose sight of the fact that it is us whom God saves. When we get to heaven, God…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, July 28 / 15
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(Church Calendar) Saints of the Day July 15 / 28. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir (in holy baptism Basil), Enlightener of the Russian Land Martyrs Cyricus (Quiricus) and his mother Julitta of Tarsus. Martyr Abudimus of the isle of Tenedos. (Greek Calendar: Martyr Lollianus. Finding of the head of St. Matrona of Chios.) Photo of the Day Monastic cells. Quote…
Glory to God for All Things
Another Look at the Passions
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I have recently been reading Fr. John Chryssavgis’ In the Heart of the Desert, an excellent introduction to the teachings and spiritual practices of the desert monastics. His comments are interwoven with sayings from the Desert Fathers (and Mothers). I share here some of his work on the passions, very apropos of our conversations here over the past week or so. +++ When passions are distorted, then our soul is divided and…
Praying in the Rain
Letter to a Protestant Inquirer
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Letter to a Protestant Inquirer You are right. It is difficult to be an Orthodox Christian, because Orthodoxy requires that one be a Christian. However, the difficult part is not what you think. The fasting, long services, and prayers are tools. The real struggle is to repent. Repentance is not something one did in the past, repentance is an attitude toward life. One must be constantly turning away from self-centered and sinful…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, July 27 / 14
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(Church Calendar) Saints of the Day July 14 / 27. Apostle Aquila of the Seventy, and St. Priscilla. St. Ellius (Hellius) of Egypt. St. Onesimus, monk of Magnesia. St. Stephen, abbot of Makhrishche (Vologda).. Martyr Justus at Rome. St. Nicodemus of Mt. Athos (spiritual writer). (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Aquila, Hilary, Peter the New, and Heraclius.) Service to Saints Cyricus and…
Praying in the Rain
With The Fear of God
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With the fear of God, with faith and love, draw near! The fear of God is not just awe. The fear of God is a kind of fear. It is the knowledge that God is not to be trifled with, that God’s love is such that He will not shrink from extreme consequences to cure us of our sinful habits. It seems as though we can get away with our secret…
Glory to God for All Things
The Truth as it is in Christ
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In the Gospel record of Christ’s trial before Pontius Pilate, we are told that Christ said He had come to bear witness to the Truth. Pilate, in what he must have thought was a clever response, says, “And what is Truth?” We know from elsewhere in the Gospel that Christ explained, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” It is a statement that is easily tossed about – to settle…
The Morning Offering
Monday, July 26 / 13
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(Church Calendar) Synaxis of Archangel Gabriel Saints of the Day July 13 / 26. Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel. St. Stephen of St. Sabbas Monastery. Martyr Serapion. Martyr Marcian of Iconium. St. Julian, Bishop of Cenomanis (LeMans) in Gaul. Virgin Abbess Sarah of Scete in Libya. Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Axion Estin (It is Truly Meet). Photo…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, July 25 / 12 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 12 / 25. Martyrs Proclus and Hilary of Ancyra. St. Michael, monk of Maleinus. Martyr Golindukha, in holy baptism Mary, of Persia. Martyrs Theodore and his son John of Kiev. St. Veronica, the woman with the issue of blood who was healed by the Savior. Blessed Serapion,…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, July 24 / 11 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 11 / 24. Great-Martyr Euphemia the All-praised Blessed Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, princess of Russia, in holy baptism called Helen. (services combined) Hieromartyr Cindeus of Pamphylia. St. Nicodemus of Vatopedi (Mt. Athos). New-Martyr Nicodemus of Mt. Athos. New-Martyr Nectarius of St. Annes Skete (Mt. Athos). (Greek Calendar: St. Leo,…
Praying in the Rain
The Universal Application of Words
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[At Pittsburg Airport] When we speak of spiritual matters, we like to quote the fathers who have been helpful to us. We like these fathers because the way they talk about their inner life helps us identify what seems to be going on in our own inner life. For most of us, these fathers are not men whom we know personally; that is they are not spiritual fathers or confessors to whom…
Glory to God for All Things
Everywhere Present
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Everything you do, all your work, can contribute towards your salvation. It depends on you, on the way you do it. History is replete with monks who became great saints while working in the kitchen or washing sheets. The way of salvation consists in working without passion, in prayer…. May God give you the strength to keep your spirit, your mind, and your heart in the spirit of Christ. Then everything that…
The Morning Offering
Friday, July 23 / 10 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 10 / 23. Holy 45 Martyrs at Nicopolis in Armenia, including Leontius, Maurice, Daniel, Anthony, Alexander, Anicetus, Sisinius, Meneus, and Belarad (Verelad). The Placing of the Precious Robe of the Lord at Moscow. St. Anthony of the Kiev Caves, founder of monasticism in Russia. Martyrs Bianor and…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, July 22 / 9 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 9 / 22. Hieromartyr Pancratius, Bishop of Taormina in Sicily. Hieromartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortyna in Crete. St. Theodore, Bishop of Edessa. Martyrs Patermuthius, Coprius, and Alexander the soldier, in Egypt. Saints Patermuthius and Coprius, ascetics of Egypt. St. Euthymius of Karelia. Blessed Peter, Hieromartyr of Cherevkov…
Praying in the Rain
Boring Icons
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[From the Antiochian Village in Pensylvania after a glorious game of soccer that was worth the pain] All that the Church does is iconic. In fact, all of creation is iconic, and the Church functions as our teacher helping us learn how to read with the inner eye the Word of God that surrounds us. This reading with the inner eye is commonly called contemplation. The Fathers of the Church teach us…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, July 21 / 8 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 8 / 21. Great-Martyr Procopius of Caesarea in Palestine. St. Procopius, fool-for-Christ, Wonderworker of Ustiug (Vologda). St. Theophilus the Myrrh-gusher of Pantocrator Monastery on Mt. Athos. New-Martyr Anastasius at Constantinople. Righteous Procopius of Usya (Vologda), fool-for-Christ. (Greek Calendar: Martyr Theodosia, mother of Great-Martyr Procopius.) Appearance of the…
Praying in the Rain
It's Just Not Fair
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[From Pennsylvania] Last night at dinner, one of the priests around the table had written an essay, originally for publication in a U.S. journal, in which he suggested the following: Since it is claimed that the Angel Gabriel is the one who appeared and spoke to Mohammed telling him that God had no son, and since the Gospels asserts that it was the Angel Gabriel who appeared to the Virgin Mary telling…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, July 20 / 7 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 7 / 20. St. Thomas of Mt. Maleon. St. Acacius of Sinai, who is mentioned in The Ladder. Martyrs Epictetus, presbyter, and Astion in Scythia. Martyr Cyriaca of Nicomedia.Martyrs Peregrinus, Lucian, Pompeius, Hesychius, Pappias, Saturninus, and Germanus, of Dyrrachium in Macedonia. Martyr Evangelus, Bishop of Tomi (Constanta)…
Glory to God for All Things
You Are Not a TV Show
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The modern world, with the advent of technologies such as the internet and other instantaneous forms of digital creation, has created what is easily described as a virtual world. In digital comprehension, a virtual world is not a real world, but increasingly feels like one and, to some extent, can be experienced like one. Doubtless, human experience has known a variety of experiential worlds, but this latest, the virtual world, stands perhaps…
The Morning Offering
Monday, July 19 / 6 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 6 / 19. St. Sisoes the Great. Virgin Martyr Lucy, and Rixius, and those with them at Rome: Martyrs Anthony, Lucian, Isidore, Dion, Diodorus, Cutonius, Arnosus, Capicus, Satyrus, and others. Martyr Cointus (Quintus) of Phrygia. Martyrs Marinus and Martha, and their children Audifax and Abbacum (Habbakuk) and…
Praying in the Rain
The Loving Act of Saying No
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Love has boundaries. Sometimes we have to say no to those we love because to say yes would create a condition in which we are no longer ourselves and no longer able to love. Most of us have experienced the pain of having to say no to someone we love. As young adults, many people who love and respect their parents beyond words have to suffer through the anxiety and sometimes misunderstanding…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, July 18 / 5 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day July 5 / 18. St. Athanasius of Mt. Athos and his six disciples Uncovering of the Relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh St. Lampadus, monk of Hirenopolis. Martyr Anna at Rome. Martyr Cyrilla of Cyrene in Libya, widow. Saints Athanasius and Theodosius of Cherepovetsk, disciples of St. Sergius…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, July 17 / 4 (Church Calendar)
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! The Royal Martyrs of Russia Saints of the Day July 4 / 17. St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete. St. Martha, mother of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger. Holy Royal Martyrs of Russia Tsar Nicholas II, Tsaritsa Alexandra, Crown Prince Alexis, and Grand-duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, and those martyred with them…
