Praying in the Rain
"Go and Learn What This Means..."
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Twice in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 to the Pharisees, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (9:13 and 12:7). The full quote from Hosea goes like this: For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. In the context of the prophecy of Hosea, the knowledge of God does not refer to merely a mental or even a heart knowledge. The knowledge of…
The Morning Offering
September 6 / August 24
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Saints of the Day August 24 / September 6. Hieromartyr Eutychius, disciple of St. John the Theologian. Translation of the Relics of St. Peter,Metropolitan of Kiev. St. Arsenius, abbot of Komel (Vologda). St. George Limniotes the Confessor of Mt. Olympus. Martyr Tation(Tatio) at Claudiopolis. Virgin Martyr Cyra of Persia. New Hieromartyr Cosmas of Aetolia, Equal-to-the-Apostles (also entered atAugust 4). St.…
The Morning Offering
Photo of the Day:
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September 5 / August 23 Saints of the Day Apodosis of the Dormition (Epistle & Gospel of the Feast). Martyr Lupus, slave of St. Demetrius ofThessalonica. Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons. St. Callinicus, Patriarch of Constantinople. Saints Eutychius and Florentiusof Nursia. (Greek Calendar: 38 Martyrs of Thrace. St. Nicholas the Sicilian who struggled on Mt. Neotaka in Euboea.) Quote of…
Glory to God for All Things
It's All in the Family
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Fr. Thomas Hopko has observed on occasion that many times saints of the Church are found in “clusters,” particularly in clusters of a single family. Thus it is that within St. Basil the Great’s family, his brothers, Gregory of Nyssa and Simeon, as well as his sister Macrina, and his mother are all saints of the Church (did I leave any out?). At one point, during the history of Orthodox Britain, there…
Praying in the Rain
Still Thinking About Money
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In 2 Corinthians we see St. Paul walking a tight rope. St. Paul spends a good deal of the first part of the letter saying that he does not “peddle” the Word of God, he is not commending himself, and he sincerely preaches the Gospel; yet in many respects, 2 Corinthians could be read basically as a fund raising letter. The letter reveals the awkward position “bondservants” (slaves) of the Church–ministers–find themselves…
The Morning Offering
September 4 / August 22
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Saints of the Day Martyr Agathonicus of Nicomedia and his companions Martyrs Zoticus, Theoprepius, Acindynus,Severian, Zeno and others who suffered under Maximian. Virgin Martyr Eulalia of Barcelona. St. Anthusa. Hieromartyr Athanasius,Bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia, and Martyrs Charesimus and Neophytus. St. Bogolep of St. Paisius of Uglich Monastery. New-MartyrsBishop Ephraim of Selenginsk and Priest John Vostorgov (1918). (Greek Calendar Martyrs…
Praying in the Rain
The Poor
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In the discussion of a previous post, someone brought up a quotation by St. John Chrysostom found in the Orthodox Study Bible (Matthew 26: 6-13). St. John’s commentary concerns the anointing of Jesus by a woman in Bethany before His death, and the disciples’ indignant response to the waste. St. John comments that the disciples were not wrong “in principle.” He goes on to say, “If anyone had asked Christ before the…
The Morning Offering
September 3 / August 21
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Saints of the Day Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy. Martyr Bassa of Edessa and her sons Theogonius, Agapius andPistus. St. Abramius, archimadrite, Wonderworker of Smolensk, and his disciple St. Ephraim. St. Abramius the Lover-of-labor ofthe Kiev Caves. St. Theocleta the Wonderworker of Asia Minor. St. Cornelius, abbot of Paleostrov, and his disciple St. Abramius.St. Isaiah of Mt. Athos. Quote of…
Glory to God for All Things
The Secular Man and the Christian Man
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Many Orthodox writers have spoken about the nature of the secular world, the defining form of modernity. I take here an opportunity to make a small comparison between the secular man and the Christian. The secular man may believe that there is a God, but he also believes that the situation and outcome of the world are dependent upon the actions of human beings. The Christian man believes that there is a…
The Morning Offering
September 2 / August 20
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Saints of the Day Afterfeast of the Dormition. Prophet Samuel. Hieromartyr Philip, Bishop of Heraclea, and with himMartyrs Severus, Memnon and 37 soldiers in Thrace. Martyr Lucius the senator of Cyprus. Martyrs Heliodorus and Dosa (Dausa) in Persia. (Greek Calendar: Martyr Photina at the door of the Church in Blachernae.) Repose of Righteous Hieromonk Seraphim of Platina. Quote of the…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Priorities and Practicalities
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The following is a recycled post from my previous weblog, originally posted in October of 2008. In a conversation I had recently, I was struck by how religious fervor is so often given over to nearly everything but religion. In this particular discussion, my interlocutor was greatly concerned about people who had no health insurance, because of a frequent interaction with such people, some…
The Morning Offering
September 1 / August 19
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Saints of the Day Afterfeast of the Dormition. Martyr Andrew Stratelates and 2,593 soldiers with him in Cilicia Martyrs Timothy, Agapius and Thecla of Palestine. St. Pitirim, Bishop of Perm. Opening of the Relics of St.Gennadius, abbot of Kostroma. St. Theophanes, new Wonderworker of Macedonia (Mt. Athos). Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Of the Don. Quote of the Day…
Praying in the Rain
All We Lepers Ten
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When Jesus heals ten lepers, only one, a foreigner, returns to give thanks in a loud voice, falling at Jesus’ feet. Jesus says to him, “arise, go your way, your faith has made you well.” A long time ago, someone explained to me that this meant that while all were healed of the disease of leprosy, only the one who returned to give thanks was restored completely. That is, the body of…
Glory to God for All Things
A Culture of Remembrance
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America is torn in a debate at present over the building of a Mosque at Ground Zero, the former location of the Twin Towers in New York, destroyed by an act of terrorism. At the same time, an Orthodox Church that was crushed by the falling towers has been ignored by New York authorities. It is a painful time, full of the anger and recriminations that seem to accompany all political discourse…
The Morning Offering
August 31/18
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Saints of the Day August 18 / 31. Afterfeast of the Dormition. Martyrs Florus and Laurus of Illyria [Eph 6:10-17; Lk 12:2-12]. Martyrs Hermes, Serapion and Polyaenus of Rome. Martyrs Hilarion, Dionysius and Hermippus; Hieromartyr Emilian, and others (about 1,000) of Italy. Saints John and George, Patriarch of Constantinople. St. Barnabas and his nephew St. Sophronius, monks of Mt. Mela…
Glory to God for All Things
Compassion
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The Elder speaks on the circumstance of being harmed by a brother in Christ: If it is necessary to grieve at all, then we should grieve for the loss of that person who has harmed us, not for the loss of our possessions. For, that person has done injustice to himself by being cast out of the heavenly kingdom. ‘Wrongdoers shal not inherit the kingdom of God’ (1 Cor. 6:9). As for…
The Morning Offering
August 30/17
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Saints of the Day Afterfeast of the Dormition. Martyr Myron of Cyzicus. Martyrs Straton, Philip, Eutychian and Cyprian of Nicomedia. Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius and Coronatus, with others at Caesarea in Bithynia. Martyrs Paul and his sister Juliana of Syria. Martyr Patroclus of Troyes. St. Alypius the Iconographer of the Kiev Caves. St. Philip, monk of Yankov (Vologda). New-Martyr Demetrius of…
The Morning Offering
August 29/16
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Saints of the Day Afterfeast of the Dormition. Translation of the Image Not-made-by-hands of our Lord Jesus Christ from Edessa to Constantinople Martyr Diomedes the Physician of Tarsus in Cilicia. St. Cherimon (Chaeremon) of Egypt. St. Joachim, monk of Osogov. St. Gerasimos the New Ascetic of Cephalonia (Mt. Athos). New-Martyr Nicodemus of Meteora. New-Martyr Stamatios of Thessaly. New-Martyrs Priest Vladimir…
The Morning Offering
THE DORMITION OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY.
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August 28/15 St. Macarius the Roman, abbot, and St. Chariton. Diasozousa Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Repose of Elder Anthony of Murom, friend of St. Seraphim of Sarov (1851), Archimandrite Hieron, founder of New Athos (1912), and Abbess Rufina of Harbin and Shanghai (1937). Quote of the Day “Sometimes prayer seems to flag and we cry, ‘Make haste unto…
The Morning Offering
Galatians 2:6-10
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August 27/14 Saints of the Day August 14 / 27. Forefeast of the Dormition. Prophet Micah. Translation of the Relics of St. Theodosius of the Kiev Caves. Hieromartyr Marcellus, Bishop of Apamea. St. Arcadius, monk of Novotorzhk. Martyr Ursicius at Nicomedia. New-Martyr Simeon of Trebizond. Greek Calendar: Martyr Luke the Soldier.) Commemoration of the disciples of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk:…
Praying in the Rain
The Work of God
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The Morning Offering
Thursday, August 26 / 13
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(Church Calendar) Saints of the Day August 13 / 26. Apodosis of the Transfiguration. St. Maximus the Confessor (his serice is sung on August 12). St. Tikhon (Tychon), Bishop of Voronezh, Wonderworker of Zadonsk and All Russia. Opening of the Relics of St. Maximus of Moscow, fool-for-Christ. Martyr Hippolytus of Rome and those with him: Martyrs Concordia, Irenaeus, and Abundius.…
Glory to God for All Things
Treasure in a Box
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Suppose you had a great treasure and placed it in a box – locked tight – and kept the key to yourself. Others could desire the great treasure. The treasure could be given to them – though still in the locked box. Suppose, as well, that the content of the treasure is described in writings of those who have seen the treasure. But the box is locked. And now lets add about…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
"Foundations of the Orthodox Faith" series fully online
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My Foundations of the Orthodox Faith series is now fully online at Ancient Faith Radio. This series represents an attempt at a sort of catechism—approaching the faith from four foundational angles: the revelation of God to man, authority in the spiritual life, worship, and morality. As with most of my work, I attempted to keep these talks fairly free of religious jargon, approaching the…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, August 25 / 12
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Saints of the Day August 12 / 25. Afterfeast of the Transfiguration. Martyrs Anicletus and Photius (Photinus) of Nicomedia. Martyrs Pamphilus and Capito. Hieromartyr Alexander, Bishop of Comana. St. Pallamon of Egypt, instructor of St. Pachomius the Great. (Greek Calendar: Saints Sergius and Stephen, monks. Soldier-martyrs of Crete.) (Service to St. Maximus the Confessor is transferred to this day.) Support…
Praying in the Rain
Slaves, Victors and Forgiveness
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St. Nikolai of Zica (Velimirovich) in his Akathist to Jesus the Conqueror of Death (Ikos four) says, “For a slave, the most difficult act is to forgive; but for a victor, the act of forgiving is already part of his victory.” It may be particularly difficult for a slave to forgive because she is still suffering under the oppressions of the very one she needs to forgive. The victor, on the other…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, August 24 / 11
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(Church Calendar) Saints of the Day August 11 / 24. Afterfeast of the Transfiguration. Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Euplus of Catania. Virgin Martyr Susanna and those with her: Martyrs Gaius, pope of Rome; presbyter Gabinus his brother and father of Susanna; Maximus, Claudius, and his wife Praepedigna, with their sons Alexander and Cutias. Martyrs Basil and Theodore of the Kiev…
