No Other Foundation
Mixed Marriages
·
I have just finished reading a very interesting book entitled Mixed Marriages by the Reverend Anthony Roeber, an Antiochian priest and Professor Emeritus of Early Modern History and Religious Studies at Penn State University. As one might expect from someone with a PhD (mentioned on the back cover), it was a very scholarly work, with many footnotes. It was a bit difficult in spots to figure out exactly what he was trying…
Faith Encouraged
An Intoxicated Attention Span
·
Christ is risen! “Step right up Ladies and Gentlemen, see the most amazing sights you could ever imagine!” You’ve heard these words before. Carnival barkers trying to get you to spend the money to see the “amazing snake boy, half boy, half snake!” Or the “amazing Elephant Man.” Curiosity, entertainment, something “different,” something “tantalizing.” And it works. Of course it works, they wouldn’t keep doing it if it didn’t work! We humans…
The Morning Offering
Turning the Tide
·
Let us empower the generations that will follow us The Church is the Body of Christ, and by Her very nature is anything but an institution where one can be separated from others. We only let it separate us if we fail to involve ourselves as the people of God, with one another. The greeting given by Orthodox Christians, passing on the…
The Morning Offering
Pandemic
·
Why is God allowing this pandemic? Saint Paisios of the Mount Athos said, “So in every test, let us say, ‘Thank you, my God, because this was needed for my salvation.’” This is because a person has salvation not only by his good deeds, but also by his patient suffering of various griefs, illnesses, misfortunes, and failures (Luke 16:19-31, Mark…
Eastern Christian Insights
Set Free from the Fear of Death to Serve and Love: Homily for the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, Pious Joseph of Arimathaea, and Righteous Nicodemus in the Orthodox Church
·
Acts 6: 1-7; Mark 15:43-16:8 Christ is Risen! Today we commemorate those who, in moments of profound crisis, did not think only of themselves, but instead cared for the dead body of their Lord as a sign of their love for Him. With broken hearts and in terrible shock and grief, the Theotokos, Mary Magdalen, two other Mary’s, Johanna, Salome, Martha, Susanna, and others whose names we do not know, went early…
Praying in the Rain
Listening To The Least: The Myrrh-Bearing Women
·
On the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, it is important for us to reflect on the importance of listening to one another. Intrepid. That’s the word I would use to describe the Myrrh-Bearing women. The Disciples were cowering in fear, locked behind closed doors not knowing what to do. The Myrrh Bearers, on the other hand, were out before dawn bringing to the tomb the spices that they had prepared in…
Praying in the Rain
Thomas Sunday
·
We are coming to the end of Bright Week during which every day is Pascha. Every day, in monastic practice, we celebrate a Paschal Divine Liturgy. Every day the hymns reflect on the Resurrection of Christ rehearsing what exactly happened on that Day and reflecting on what it means cosmically and personally. All things are filled with gladness, having received the proof of the Resurrection. For Mary Magdalene came to the tomb;…
The Morning Offering
Military Chaplains
·
Our soldiers need the support of chaplains A number of years ago our monastic community welcomed seven military chaplains from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. These fine young men who answered the call to serve the nation as military chaplains, inspired me with their commitment to Christ, and their willingness to enter into a dangerous and combative world with our military, willing…
Father Bill's Blog
193. Third Sunday of Pascha: Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women
·
Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! This Sunday’s Lessons: 1 Don’t cooperate with the rats. 2 Do your duty. 3 Never fail to help the poor and needy. But first: Last year I started a series on the Sundays of Pascha but got distracted onto something else. This year we’re going to complete it, come what may. Probably. If today’s Post seems familiar, you’re right. Just to keep this series in order, I’m repeating last…
Praying in the Rain
Why Don't Temptations Go Away?
·
In homily 69, St. Isaac reminds us that temptations to sin come upon all people, even the “perfect.” Quoting freely from St. Macarius of Alexandria, St. Isaac reminds us that our inner state is rather like the weather. “There is cold, and soon after, burning heat, and then perhaps even hail, and after a little, fair weather.” I think some of us will find this shocking, that even the perfect experience…
A Lamp for Today
Multiplication, Ministry, and Maturity: Third Sunday of Pascha
·
Acts 6:1-7; Ephesians 4:10-13; Ex 18:19-21; Numbers 17; Deut 34:9 We may be surprised that we are running ahead this week in Acts’ story of the early Church, when we have not yet reached Pentecost. But it is indeed appropriate for us to be thinking of the burgeoning life of the Church at this season, since Easter is the beginning of new life for God’s people. God the Son did not simply…
Faith Encouraged
Are You Hiding WHO You Really Are?
·
Christ is risen! I come from a generation that was suspicious of tattoos! And the generation before me, forget about it! My grandfather, a lifelong police officer, always said that tattoos were degrading to a man. Wow, some pretty strong words, especially in light of today’s generation that consider “body art” a form of expression and even something to be celebrated. Times do change. Now this isn’t about tattoos; whether they are…
The Morning Offering
The Mother of God
·
The Veneration of the Holy Virgin in the Ancient Church All the early reformers, including Luther and Calvin, believed Mary to be Ever Virgin. The practice at the time was to refer to all cousins as siblings, and none of the early Christians believed Mary had born any children other than Jesus. The veneration of the Virgin did not begin…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Urgent Message: Help Ancient Faith Ministries
·
Praying in the Rain
Holy Saturday and Glorious Pascha
·
On Holy Saturday, we begin the day with the Vespers of Pascha. Christ has been active even though his Body still rests in the sealed tomb. We cannot yet sing “Christ is risen” for to our physical eyes, Christ appears to be dead in the tomb, but our hearts know that Christ is already destroying Death and Hades. Some of the Hymns for this service are set as the voice of Hades…
Praying in the Rain
Holy Friday
·
On Holy Friday, we offer three services. The first is the Royal Hours of Holy Friday, which continues the themes of last night, reflecting on the horror and injustice of Christ’s Crucifixion. When you were led to the Cross, O Lord, you cried out thus: “For which of my works do you want to crucify me, O Judeans? For healing your paralytics? For raising your dead as from sleep? I healed the…
Grace Here and Now
Mind. Blown.
·
Inside my brain is a six lane highway of racing thoughts, traveling recklessly fast under the influence of stress and anxiety. Countless times, I have, in vain, attempted to dwell in my head and direct the traffic – to get some thoughts to slow down and others to speed up in order to avoid yet another dangerous collision of fears, greed, resentments, biases, and insecurities. I have exhausted myself trying to…
Praying in the Rain
Thursday Evening of Holy Week
·
On Holy Thursday evening we commemorate the saving Passion of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ: the spiting, the scourging, the slapping in the face, the scorn, the mocking, the purple robe, the reed, the sponge, the vinegar, the nails, the spear, and above all the Cross and Death which he willingly suffered. Tonight are read all of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ betrayal, trial, humiliation and Death on the…
Praying in the Rain
Wednesday Evening of Holy Week
·
The usual service on Wednesday evening of Holy Week is the Holy Unction. It replaces in parish practice the Matins service for the Last Supper. However, this year our Bishop has asked us to pray this Matins service. I speculate that one of the reasons it is normally replaced by Holy Unction is that the hymns for this Matins service are extremely sad. The themes of the service are Christ’s humility in the…
Praying in the Rain
Tuesday Evening of Holy Week
·
On Tuesday evening of Holy Week, we commemorate the anointing of Jesus’ feet by the sinful woman. The hymns for this service contrast the beauty of her humility and repentance with the betrayal of Judas. Of all of the hymns that we chant throughout the year, I think tonight’s hymns are the most beautiful and profound. The harlot came to You who love humanity. She poured perfume and tears over your feet,…
Praying in the Rain
Monday Evening of Holy Week
·
On Monday evening of Holy Week, we remember that on this day the religious leaders, motivated by envy, strike a deal with Judas, motivated by love of money, to betray Jesus. The hymns, however, reflect mostly on the parables of Matthew 25. These parables are the heart of the Orthodox Christian understanding of how we ought to relate to God and neighbour in order to cooperate with God’s saving Grace. Consider, for…
Praying in the Rain
Sunday Evening of Holy Week
·
Tonight we pray the first of three Bridegroom Matins. For Holy Week all of the services are done half a day earlier than normal out of heightened anticipation (for example, on Sunday evening we are praying the service for Monday morning). The main hymn of Bridegroom Matins is a reflection based on Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore for you know not the hour when the Lord will come,” and Matthew 25:6, “At midnight…
Faith Encouraged
Power Doesn't Mean Authority
·
Christ is risen! Most people confuse power and authority. They think power IS authority but they are mistaken. In fact, I’d say the modern obsession with power is precisely because we have lost the ability to appreciate real authority. Just look at any community in the aftermath of some event that turns that community upside down. Riots break out and people demand that the authorities fix the problem by looting and destroying…
The Morning Offering
Post-Christian Era?
·
The decline of Christianity in America Some thirty-two years ago our monastic brotherhood arrived on Vashon Island, establishing ourselves in a rental house near the Village of Dockton. This little village had two churches, built by the original founders of the community. Dockton, in the 1880’s, had the largest dry dock north of San Francisco, and was the site for…
Walking an Ancient Path
Contemplatives in Confinement: New Habits to Keep, Post-Pandemic
·
On Holy Saturday Caitlin and I wore dresses and stood in front of our TV in the family room, ready for the Resurrectional Canon at 11:15 pm. Our coffee table featured candles, a censer with charcoal, incense pellets, and Bic lighter at the ready, and a jar of construction-paper crosses from Palm Sunday at our home church. Rob was at our parish church, monitoring the video livestream in the choir loft. …
Faith Encouraged
Counterfeit Communion
·
Christ is risen! St. Maximus the Confessor says “Food is not evil, but gluttony is. Childbearing is not evil, but fornication is. Money is not evil, but avarice is. Glory is not evil, but vainglory is. Indeed, there is no evil in existing things, but only in their misuse.” So, the evil one only wants to get you to misuse the good and make it a detriment to your soul! And this…
No Other Foundation
The Boundaries of the Peoples and Divine Favouritism
·
Buried away in the Book of Deuteronomy lies a poetic treasure and an exegetical puzzle. In Deuteronomy 32 we find the Song of Moses, an old Hebrew folk song written by Moses to warn succeeding generations about the dangers of apostasy. Moses knew that after his death Israel would fall away from God, and this song enshrines a story of their apostasy and return as a kind of perennial cultural caution (see…
