Praying in the Rain
Icons and Idols
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(From a letter to an inquirer) Probably to begin with, I suggest that you get some icons (if you haven’t already) and set up an icon corner or wall or space in your house where your family can say prayers together (and individually). Just one icon will do and it need not be an expensive hand-painted one. You can cut the icons out of the Orthodox Study Bible and put them on…
Praying in the Rain
Love Every Person
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The Morning Offering
September 23 / 10
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Saints of the Day: Afterfeast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora at Nicomedia.Martyr Barypsabas in Dalmatia. Saints Peter and Paul, Bishops of Nicaea. St. Pulcherius the Empress. Synaxis of the HolyApostles Apelles, Lucius and Clement of the Seventy. St. Ioasaph, monk of Kubensk (Vologda). St. Paul the Obedient of the KievCaves. St. Cassian, abbot of…
Glory to God for All Things
Existence and Truth
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Fr. Sergius Bulgakov, as a young man who returned to the faith following a flirtation with Marxism, came to an understanding that the Christian faith is not to be understood as a moral structure, but as a matter of true existence. This distinction is deeply important in Orthodox understanding, and has been a hallmark of Orthodox teaching in the 20th and 21st century. Few matters of the faith draw out this distinction…
The Morning Offering
September 22 / 9
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Saints of the Day Afterfeast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna. MartyrSeverian of Sebaste. St. Joseph, abbot of Volokolamsk (or Volotsk). Martyr Chariton. Martyr Straton. St. Theophanes the confessorand faster of Mt. Diabenos. Blessed Nicetas the Hidden of Constantinople. St. Joachim, abbot of Opochka Monastery (Pskov).Opening of the Relics of St.…
Praying in the Rain
Tolstoy and the Orthodox Church, Some Reflections
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One of the ways to understand Tolstoy’s relationship with the Orthodox Church is in the context of his search for certainty, certainty regarding truth. Tolstoy’s relationship with the Orthodox Church is paradoxical, that is, very Russian, quite Orthodox. In 1878 at the age of 50, Tolstoy was experiencing a kind of religious awakening during which he frequently attended the village Church wanting to absorb the spirituality of the people. However in the…
The Morning Offering
September 21 / 8
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The Nativity of the Theotokos Saints of the Day THE NATIVITY OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY. St. Serapion, monkof Spaso-Eleazar Monastery (Pskov). St. Lucian, abbot of Alexandrov. St. Arsenius, abbot of Konevits. New-Martyr Athanasius ofThessalonica. New-Martyr Alexander (Jacobson) (1930). (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Rufus and Rufianus. Martyrs Severus andArtemidorus. St. Sophronius of Iberia, Bishop) Icons of…
Praying in the Rain
Speaking in Tongues
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My internet connection has been down, so I’m late responding to Anonymous’ question about speaking in tongues. As many of you know, I was a Charismatic/Pentecostal Christian before I became Orthodox. I was a tongues speaker. After I became Orthodox, I found myself using (what we called) “prayer language” less and less–not because anyone told me not to pray in tongues. What I found was that the Jesus Prayer as a prayer…
The Morning Offering
September 20 / 7
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Saints of the Day Martyr Sozon of Cilicia St. John, Archbishop and Wonderworker of Novgorod. Martyr Eupsychius of Caesarea inCappadocia. Apostles Evodus (Euodias) and Onesiphorus of the Seventy. St. Luke, abbot near Constantinople. Martyrdom of St.Macarius, archimandrite of Kanev. St. Cloud (Clodoald), abbot-founder of Nogent-sur-Seine near Paris. New-Martyr priest John Maslovsky. Repose of Elder Macarius of Optina (1860). Quote of…
The Morning Offering
September 19 / 6
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Saints of the Day Commemoration of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Colossae (Chonae) Martyr Eudoxius and those withhim Martyrs Romulus, Zeno, Macarius and 11,000 others in Armenia. St. Archippus of Herapolis. Martyrs Cyriacus, Faustus,Abibus, and 11 others at Alexandria. Hieromartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortyna. St. David of Hermpolis in Egypt. Martyrs Calodote,Macarius, Andrew, Cyriacus, Dionysius, Andrew the soldier,…
Glory to God for All Things
Knowing What We Don't Know
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The New Testament, particularly in the writings of St. John (but in St. Paul’s works as well) say much about “knowing” God. In St. John’s Gospel Christ says, “And this is eternal life: that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Thus, knowing God is equated with salvation itself. On the other hand, we speak of God as “incomprehensible and unknowable” (for…
The Morning Offering
September 18 / 5
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Saints Zachariah and Elizabeth Saints of the Day Holy Prophet Zacharias and Righteous Elizabeth, parents of St. John the Forerunner. Martyrs Urban, Theodore, Medimnus, and 77 Companions at Nicomedia. Martyr Abdias (Abidas) of Persia. MartyrSarbelus of Edessa. Martyrs Ththuil (Thithail) and his sister Bebaia. Virgin Martyr Rhais (Raisa) of Alexandria. Martyrs Juventiusand Maximus at Antioch. Appearance of the Holy Apostle…
Glory to God for All Things
The Cross and the Cosmos
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During this Afterfeast of the Holy Cross it seems worthwhile to continue with thoughts on the instrument of our salvation. In a short work, The Beginning of the Day, (I believe it was a special printing and is not generally available), Met. Kallistos Ware notes this about the Cross and its connection with the whole of creation: …[The] created order in its entirety participated in the Savior’s Passion: the earth shook, the…
The Morning Offering
September 17 / 4
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Saints of the Day Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch, and with him Martyrs Urban, Prilidian, and Epolonius and their mother Christodula. Holy Prophet and God-seer Moses. Opening of the Relics of St. Ioasaph, Bishop ofBelgorod (also December 10). Martyr Babylas of Nicomedia, and with him 84 children. Martyrs Theodore, Mianus (Ammianus), Julian, Kion (Oceanus), and Centurionus of Nicomedia. Martyr Hermione,…
Glory to God for All Things
The Tree Heals the Tree
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Readers of the New Testament are familiar with St. Paul’s description of Christ as the “Second Adam.” It is an example of the frequent Apostolic use of an allegoric reading of the Old Testament (I am using “allegory” in its broadest sense – including typology and other forms). Christ Himself had stated that He was the meaning of the Old Testament (John 5:39). Within the Gospels Christ identifies His own death and…
The Morning Offering
September 16
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September 16 / 3 Holy Martyred King Edward of England Saints of the Day Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia, and those with him: Martyrs Theophilus deacon, Dorotheus,Mardonius, Migdonius, Peter, Indes, Gorgonius, Zeno, Virgin Domna, and Euthymius St. Theoctistus, fellow-faster with St.Euthymius the Great. (services combined) Martyr Aristion, Bishop of Alexandria. Martyr Basilissa of Nicomedia. St. Pheobe,deaconess at Cenchreae near Corinth.…
The Morning Offering
September 15 / 2
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Saints of the Day Martyr Mama of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and his parents, Martyrs Theodotus and Rufina [Rom 8:28-39; Jn15:1-7]. St. John the Faster, Patriarch of Constantinople. 3,618 Martyrs who suffered at Nicomedia. Righteous Eleazar, son ofAaron, and Righteous Phineas. (Greek Calendar: Martyrs Aeithalas and Ammon of Thrace.) Kaluga Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Quote of the Day “…When…
The Morning Offering
September 14 / 1
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Beginning of the Indiction (Orthodox New Year) Saints of the Day Church New Year. St. Symeon Stylites (the Elder) and his mother St. Martha. (The services to the Saint and forthe New Year are combined.) (Vespers only) Martyr Aeithalas of Persia. Holy 40 Women Martyrs and Martyr Ammon the deaconand their teacher, at Heraclea in Thrace. Martyrs Callista and her…
Praying in the Rain
The Virtues are the Christian Way
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St. Maximos the Confessor, in his forth century on love, verse 74, in the Philokalia (vol. 2) says that the biblical use of the word “way” is equivalent to the classical word “virtues” as it is used in patristic Christian teaching. The Greek of the Bible is called Koine Greek. It is a simplified form of Greek developed under Alexander the Great and his descendants in the third century BC so that…
Glory to God for All Things
The Cross of Christ
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The Mystery of our Salvation is contained within the Cross of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. And it is correct to say the “mystery of our salvation,” for what is contained there is more than a cosmic transaction (Christ pays for our sins): it is also the whole of our way of life. It is truly the mystery of our salvation. The extent of this mystery is hinted at in Christ’s…
The Morning Offering
September 13 / August 31
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Saints of the Day: The Placing of the Cincture (Sash) of the Most Holy Theotokos Hieromartyr Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage. St. Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople. St. Gennadius Scholarius, Patriarch of Constantinople. St. John, Metropolitan of Kiev. (Greek Calendar: Four Martyrs of Perge in Pamphylia. Martyrs Menas, Fausus,Andrew and Heraclius. Martyr Phileortus. Martyr Diadoch. Eight Virgin Martyr of Gaza. 366 Martyrs…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Can you then think that you are still among men?
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For the priestly office is indeed discharged on earth, but it ranks among heavenly ordinances; and very naturally so: for neither man, nor angel, nor archangel, nor any other created power, but the Paraclete Himself, instituted this vocation, and persuaded men while still abiding in the flesh to represent the ministry of angels. Wherefore the consecrated priest ought to be as pure as if…
The Morning Offering
September 12 / August 30
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Saints of the Day: Saints Alexander, John and Paul the New, Patriarch of Constantinople. Repose of St. Alexander, Abbot of Svir. Translation of the Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky. St. Christopher of Palestine. St. Fantinus of Calabria. Opening of theRelics of St. Daniel, prince of Moscow. Synaxis of the Serbian hierarchs: Saints Sabbas I, Sabbas II, Arsenius I, Eustathius I,…
The Morning Offering
September 11 / August 29
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In memory of all those who lost their lives on 9/11 Saints of the Day: The Beheading of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John St. Alexander, abbot of Voche.New-Martyr Anastasius of Bulgaria. New-Martyr Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsa (1936). (Greek Calendar St. Theodora ofThessalonica. St. Arcadius of Arsinoe on Cyprus, Bishop of and Wonderworker. Translation of the Relics of St.…
Praying in the Rain
On Interpreting the Interpreters of the Holy Fathers on Education
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I have not read most of what St. Gregory Palamas (or any Church Father for that matter) has written. I have read his homilies (at least those recently published in English by Mount Thabor Publishing), bits from the Philokalia, and about twenty years ago The Triads, published in the Classics of Western Spirituality series–of which I understood absolutely nothing. However, the great majority of what he has written I have not read.…
Glory to God for All Things
Something from Nothing and the Apostolic Hypothesis
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On September 8 the Orthodox Church celebrated the Nativity of the Mother of God. This is one of a number of feasts involving the life of the Virgin Mary, particularly during this time of the year. Many of the feasts mark events that are unfamiliar to many Christians, in that they are based on Tradition and have no direct account within the Scriptures. This would be especially troubling for some, if these…
The Morning Offering
September 10 / August 28 Saints of the Day:
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St. Moses the Black of Scete. Uncovering or the relics of St. Job of Pochaev. St. Sabbas, abbot of Krypetsk. Righteous Anna the Prophetess. Righteous Hezekiah, king of Judah. Synaxis of the Saints of the Kiev Caves whoserelics repose in the Far Cave of St. Theodosius. St. Amphilochius, Bishop of Vladimir in Volhynia. St. Theodore (Theodosius inmonasticism), prince of Volhynia…
