Faith Encouraged
A Spectacle to Angels and Men!
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Christ is born! “You’re making a spectacle of yourself.” With that, my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Thompson, set about correcting me for being the class clown during math! Since I didn’t know what a “spectacle” was, she suggested I look it up! Mrs. Thompson was a really good teacher! “Spectacle” is defined as “a visually striking performance, or display; an event or scene regarded for its visual impact.” It comes to us…
Word of the Day
Hope Motivates and Directs Our Lives (Mon. Jan 4)
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The word of the day is “faith.” In today’s reading of Hebrews 11:17-23, 27-31, we see the power of faith to bring our hope near to us so that it informs and shapes our lives. In the preceding verse, we find that Paul speaks of the hope for a “better, that is, a heavenly country… a city prepared for the faithful (vs. Hebrews 11:16). All the examples of faith that follow are instances that depend on and move that hope closer to its realization. Faith Moves Hope Forward For example, Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac (vs. 17) looked forward to the sacrifices of God’s only Son. The blessing of Jacob and Isaac concerned the “things to come’ (20). The blessing of…
The Morning Offering
Fertile Ground
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A grateful heart is fertile ground When we strive to interact with members of our family, with our friends, our coworkers, and all others, with respect, humility, and dignity, we lay the groundwork for the abundance of Grace needed to quicken our heart for the things of God. The soil is prepared for the planting of seeds that allow us…
The Morning Offering
Abbot Tryphon's latest YouTube video (click here to view)
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Eastern Christian Insights
Preparation Requires Repentance: Homily for the Sunday Before the Theophany of Christ in the Orthodox Church
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2 Timothy 4:5-8; Mark 1:1-8 Today is the Sunday before the Feast of Theophany (or Epiphany), when we will celebrate Christ’s baptism in the river Jordan and the revelation that He is truly the Son of God. His divinity is made manifest and openly displayed at His baptism when the voice of the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him…
Word of the Day
To Love His Appearing (Sun. Jan. 3)
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The word of the day is “love.” Today’s reading allows us to consider what is our primary hope in life and death. In 2 Timothy 4:5-9, St. Paul says, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (vs. 9). Paul believes that his death is near. “For I am already,” he says, “being poured out as a drink offering (vs. 4:6). The Mosaic Law required that “libations” (“drink offerings”) accompany the daily burnt offerings, the Sabbath offerings, the monthly offerings, the Paschal offering, and the Feast of Weeks offerings (Number…
The Morning Offering
Manifesting the Kingdom
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Ushering the Kingdom of God into our world The Gospel demands Christians usher the Kingdom of God into this world, not by political ideology, but by the individual Christian’s transformation of self. This command to usher in the Kingdom of God is not about neutrality in the face of evil, but a recognition that the Church is only the Church,…
Every Thought Captive
Christmas Season and the Pandemic of Loneliness pt 3
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We all desire to be connected, respected, and loved. Aristotle was absolutely right, humans are political animals, we are made for connection, and for living together. It is the rare individual who can go off and do it on their own. Those who do this successfully from the point of view of the Church are those who are immersed in prayer with the God of love. St. Seraphim’s exodus and return to the world was one marked by love and compassion, echoing with the Paschal greeting, “Christ is…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Going Home: On Becoming a Student Again
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Word of the Day
All Physical Things are God’s Creation (Sat. Jan. 2)
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The word of the day is “creature.” As we begin a new secular year, we might consider the nature of the material world in which we live. Yes, we live in the hope of a “better country,” our eternal inheritance. But the material world, though subject to corruption, is not evil. In our reading of 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5, St. Paul writes, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (vs. 4). The Law of Moses divided food and drink into qualities of “clean” and “unclean” as if they were intrinsically good or bad. But the Lord said, “Not…
The Morning Offering
A Bird with One Wing
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We cannot authentically live our Christian faith without Holy Tradition The Bible can only be understood through the Church, for the Holy Scriptures came forth from the Church. That the reformers dumped the Papacy only to replace that institution with themselves as the ultimate authority, turned the interpretation of the Scriptures into a debatable subject between believers, with the end…
Word of the Day
A Better and Heavenly Country (Fri., Jan.1)
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Blessed Feast! The word of the day is “country.” As we begin a new secular year, hardly anyone of us would like to go back to the difficulties of the past year. We cling to the hope of a better year ahead. This is in keeping with our reading of Hebrews 11:8, 11-16. The apostle writes about those who spend their entire lives in hope. He says, “but now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (vs. 16). Our reading begins with Abraham’s call to leave his homeland “to go out to the place where he would receive his inheritance”…
Faith Encouraged
A New Year And A Renewed Obedience
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Christ is born! Glorify Him! “Do as I say, not as I do!” I remember thinking “Well, that’s not very convincing.” How can someone who refuses to follow their own advice have any credibility at all? My mom drove that point home to me as I watched her follow her convictions when it would have been temporarily easier for her to “bend” her convictions to bring her some temporary comfort. She just…
The Morning Offering
The Two Great Commandments
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“Love thy God with all your heart, mind…” and secondly, “Love thy neighbor…” We live in a world bombarded with thousands of messages, some subtle and some not-so-subtle, of merchandising that impacts the way we interact with others, and the way we relate to God. Much of what we glean from these messages is narcissistic in nature, estranging us from…
Beyond the Bars
Happy New Year from Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry!
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Happy New Year! Despite the immense challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and a generally hectic 2020, your prayers and financial support allowed Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry to adapt and continue to minister to those who are incarcerated and their families. Fr. John Kowalczyk, Director of Field Education Studies at St. Tikhon’s Seminary, federal corrections chaplain, and OCPM board member said that the mantra many prison ministry volunteers adopted during the pandemic is “keep…
Remembering Sion
Living in Apocalyptic Times
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There is no question that we live in troubling times. The 20th century witnessed an unparalleled persecution of Christianity across the entire world – primarily through revolutionary violence in the East, but primarily through worldly seduction in the West (if you doubt that the two are comparable, I will simply point to the witness of Alexander Solzhenitsyn who had ample occasion to experience both for himself). Such persecution was prophesied to us…
Faith Encouraged
Humility Exalts!
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Christ is born! Glorify Him! On this last day of the year, hear this from St. Paisios: “Humility and Love, there you have it. This is everything!” As we say “goodbye” to this unique year of challenges and difficulties; trials and triumphs, let’s recalibrate our ideas of “success” and “happiness.” The only way to do this well and avoid the pitfalls of arrogance and short-sightedness is through true humility. Humility shuts down…
Word of the Day
Hang Onto the Shield of Faith (Thurs. Dec. 31)
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The word of the day is “confidence.” In times of trial, what do we need to endure? Our reading of Hebrews 10:35-11:17 answers, “Therefore, do not cast away your confidence which has a great reward” (vs. 35). The Greek word that is translated as “confidence” is derived from the term for outspoken speech. From this, we get the thought of “boldness” (Strong’s #3954, 194). Such assurance will see us through the ordeals that we face until we receive the reward of our determination. Do Not Cast Away Our Shield By all means, the apostle teaches that we must never “cast away” our confidence. The author may have been thinking of the shield that soldiers in Greece and Rome carried into…
The Morning Offering
The Church
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The place wherein we receive the healing that comes from Christ Orthodoxy is all about community. The fierce individualism found in much of what claims to be Christianity is in opposition to the Orthodox understanding of faith. The Church as the Body of Christ is where we are united in Christ, becoming part of community. The ancient Greek word Ecclesia…
Glory to God for All Things
A Deeper Morality
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“Not guilty by reason of insanity.” Such a ruling in a modern court-of-law makes complete sense, even if some would argue that the bar for measuring insanity is rather unclear. It carries with it an understanding that we are not always responsible for our actions. In modern thought, we consider that the exercise of free-will is an essential part of wrong-doing. In that sense, a crime is a misuse of the will. There…
No Other Foundation
In Praise of Old Wolves
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Many decades ago, I was a Wolf Cub. This is not, of course, a confession of lycanthropy, but of my membership in an organization for young boys. The Wolf Cub organization was patterned after The Jungle Books written by Rudyard Kipling, and founded by Lord Baden-Powell (1857-1941). I still have the thin red textbook of the Cubs, entitled, “Tenderpad to Second Star” (i.e. from the first initiation to getting the reward of…
The Morning Offering
Abbot Tryphon's YouTube video on Depression (click here to watch)
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Faith Encouraged
Stop Hiding From God's Generosity!
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Christ is born! Glorify Him! Listen to St. Poemen. “As far as you can, do some manual work so as to be able to give alms, for it is written that alms and faith purify from sin.” Why? Why does almsgiving and faith purify from sin? Why is the purposeful discipline of generosity so important to a mature Orthodox Christian life? Here’s a hint: Becoming like God is absolutely essential if I’m…
Word of the Day
The End of Sacrifices for Sin (Wed. Dec. 30)
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The word of the day is “sacrifice.” In today’s reading of Hebrews 10:1-18, the apostle announces the end of sacrifices for sin. He writes, “For by one offering He [Christ] has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (vs. 14). Therefore, there is no longer any need for more offerings for sin. All that is necessary for our redemption has been fulfilled. A One-Time Offering The apostle argues at length that the sacrifices of the Old Testament were ineffective because they had to be repeated again and again (vs. 11). But Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was “once and for all” (10). The proof of its efficacy was that Christ “sat down at the right hand of God” after He…
The Morning Offering
Becoming Like Christ
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What does the Lord require of us? As we examine how we live our lives as Christians, we look to those who leave an impression of goodness, kindness, and humility, as examples of the person we would like to become. That saintly person, by their every example, exudes the humbleness of the Lord, and love seems to be palpable when…
Faith Encouraged
Just A Few Days Left!
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“καλά Χριστούγεννα! Very grateful to have your guidance and wisdom, Father Barnabas.” “Merry Christmas Father, to you, your family, your parish, your congregation, and the whole world. Greetings from Greece!” “Merry Xmas Father. God bless🙏 Greetings from Sydney, Australia. Please continue your mission in helping our souls intact.” “God Bless From UK Romania” These are just a few of the comments we’ve received on our Faith Encouraged TV YouTube channel in the…
Faith Encouraged
You Need AWE In Your Life!
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Christ is Born! Glorify Him! The Christian Church has been around a long time! And the place it’s existed the longest is the place where it first sprang up. The Church is, at its heart, a Semitic Faith, an Eastern Faith. And that’s because the Christian Church is the fulfillment of the promises made by God to Abraham, the father of the Faithful. So there are a lot of Jewish elements in…
