Behind the Scenes
Humans of Ancient Faith: Natalie Wilson
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Humans of Ancient Faith is a series of mini-interviews designed to introduce you to the many wonderful human beings who make this ministry possible. We asked the same 5 questions in each interview, and let the interviewee choose a sixth question. Today’s guest is composer Natalie Wilson. ++++++++++++++ If you were named for your defining characteristic, what word or phrase would be your name? “Nat Ears.” You know, like bat ears, but…
Faith Encouraged
The Selfless Love of God
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Telly Savalas was one of my favorite actors as a kid. I loved his “Who loves ya, baby” catchphrase when he played detective Kojak on his TV show! Wait, you don’t know who Telly Savalas is? Well, I am an old man, so perhaps he was before your time! What isn’t before anybody’s time is the whole idea of love. Most of our movies are about this one way or another. Most…
Word of the Day
Discernment: The Key to Applying Paul's Ethical Principles to Specific Situations (Thurs. August 12)
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The word for today is “edify.” In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 10:28-11:7, Paul outlines even more ethical principles on the question of whether believers should eat the meat of pagan sacrifices. Just before our reading, he writes, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify” (1 Cor. 10:23). And in today’s passage, the apostle writes, “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or the church of God (OSB vs. 32). But how do we decide what is “edifying,” that is, what builds up the faith and love of others and what tears it down? And how can we to determine…
Word of the Day
Discernment: The Key to Applying Paul's Ethical Principles to Specific Situations (Thurs. August 11)
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The word for today is “edify.” In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 10:28-11:7, Paul outlines even more ethical principles on the question of whether believers should eat the meat of pagan sacrifices. Just before our reading, he writes, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify” (1 Cor. 10:23). And in today’s passage, the apostle writes, “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or the church of God (OSB vs. 32). But how do we decide what is “edifying,” that is, what builds up the faith and love of others and what tears it down? And how can we to determine…
Beyond the Bars
What is Life Like Behind Bars?
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We often forget that our Lord Jesus Christ was a prisoner, that he himself experienced the loneliness, isolation and restriction that is prison. Perhaps that is why He commanded us to visit prisoners (Matthew 25:36 – “I was in prison and you visited me.”) But what is prison like and how does a prisoner spend a typical day? Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry recently interviewed a former prisoner who converted to Orthodoxy…
Behind the Scenes
Humans of Ancient Faith: Fr. Philip LeMasters
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Humans of Ancient Faith is a series of mini-interviews designed to introduce you to the many wonderful human beings who make this ministry possible. We asked the same 5 questions in each interview, and let the interviewee choose a sixth question. Today’s guest is blogger and podcaster Fr. Philip LeMasters. ++++++++++++++ If you were named for your defining characteristic, what word or phrase would be your name? My name would be “Constantine,”…
Faith Encouraged
There IS An Escape!
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Sin is boring! It really is. Because of my ordination and the blessing of the bishop, I am blessed to hear confessions from the faithful. Hearing confessions, I confess, is one of the most wonderful, challenging, and rewarding parts of my priesthood. And the reason is I get invited into the lives of people I genuinely love and respect. And I get to hear from them about their struggles. And I get…
Word of the Day
Sharing in the Cup of the Lord or the Cup of Demons (Wed. August 11)
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The word of the day is “partake.” What does our partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ mean for our participation in other ways of sharing in spiritual things? In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 10:12-22, St. Paul returns to the topic of eating food offered to idols. He states emphatically, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” You cannot partake of the Lords’ table and the table of demons (vs. 21). In today’s reading, Paul teaches that because of the temptation of idolatry, one should not eat meat that has been sacrificed on pagan altars. We will find that this principle also applies to us and our participation in rituals, activities,…
Glory to God for All Things
Tradition as Communion
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That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also…
Faith Encouraged
Indulging In Immorality
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Antone Lavey, the founder of the Church of Satan in California, once described Satanism as “indulgence instead of abstinence.” A fitting description of the slavery of indulging one’s desires with no disciplines. And a powerful example to us of a society lost in the delusion of self-indulgence. We really have come to a point in our modern world where our affluence has placed even the manipulation of our physical bodies within the…
Word of the Day
The Past Events of Scripture Provide Instruction for the Present (Tues. August 10)
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The word of the day is “type.” Sometimes temptation surprises us with a sudden and unexpected assault. At other times, temptation comes upon us so gradually that we hardly notice it at first. In the beginning, the enticement to sin carries us along gently as a hint of desire. But then that passion propels us along more swiftly until we find ourselves in the raging currents of craving. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 10:5-12, Paul warns the Corinthians against the complacency of spiritual pride. They should be watchful lest they get carried away in grievous sins such as lust, idolatry, sexual morality, or complaint against the Almighty. He writes, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest…
Every Thought Captive
Guidance for our Times, and Always: Twenty Beautiful Life-Giving Patterns of Reality Concerning Sex and Marriage
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In light of the widespread misunderstandings and confusion about human sexuality and marriage in our own day, and the vast amount of suffering that this is bringing to so many people, especially young people, I would like to humbly offer this list of simple, clear patterns of the way Reality has been set up by our Lord for the optimal well-being of all. I hope and pray that this list will be helpful for those who are wondering how to personally navigate among all the various views about sexuality that are vying for our attention today. …
Faith Encouraged
The EyeWitness
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“We have an eye witness.” Well, that got his attention. You see I was helping with an investigation with a recent spate of home burglaries in the area and we had caught a suspect in one of the neighborhoods where this was happening. This young man had been very successful in avoiding being seen or caught in the act until he robbed a house next door to a stay-at-home mom. This lady…
Word of the Day
How to Serve the Lord with God Pleasing Motivation (Mon. August 9)
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The word of the day is “motive.” Our motivations are hidden from others and even ourselves. But God knows the secrets of the soul. Thus, St. Maximos the Confessor says that the “Logos” (Jesus Christ who is the Word Incarnate) judges the intentions and thoughts of the heart, that is, the invisible underlying disposition and the motives hidden in the soul” (St.-Maximos-the-Confessor 1981, Kindle Loc 13302). Today in our reading of 1 Corinthians 9:13-18, Paul defends himself against the false accusation that he is proclaiming the gospel for monetary reasons. He answers, “What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in…
No Other Foundation
Re-discovering Mary
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The Mother of Jesus is without dispute or serious rival the most famous woman in human history. This being so, it seems odd to speak of the need to re-discover her. Surely the most famous woman in history could hardly get lost? But that, I would argue, is just what happened to her, at least here in the West. The Mary with whom we have to do was a Jew in first…
Remembering Sion
Made Perfect Through Sufferings
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After several weeks of almost unprecedented temptations of both soul and body here at the monastery, we have just heard these beautiful and inspiring words from St. Paul in today’s Epistle lesson: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). And in today’s Gospel reading we are being given an earnest of this comfort and…
Word of the Day
The Shared Virtue of Being Like-minded (Sun. August 8)
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The word of the day is “like-minded.” The Roman playwright Terence (+159 BC) observed, “There are as many opinions as there are people: each has his own view” (Terence c. 160 BC). That observation holds for our time just as it did for the first century before Christ. However, in today’s reading of Romans 15:1-17, Paul writes, “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another” (OSB vs. 5). Today we will consider what it means to be of one mind with our fellow believers. In today’s reading of Romans 15:1-7, St. Paul applies what he has said about respecting the conscience of those who have misgiving about eating food that has been…
Eastern Christian Insights
Opening Our Eyes and Mouths to the Glory of God: Homily for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Seventh Sunday of Matthew, and the After-feast of the Transfiguration of Christ in the Orthodox Church
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Romans 15:1-7; Matthew 9:27-35 It has never been hard to find people who view Jesus Christ in many different ways. Some use His name as a curse word or the punch line of profane jokes. Some make Him in their own image as a symbol of whatever they happen to want most in this world. Some view Him as a teacher or prophet to be admired, but…
Word of the Day
To Present Our Bodies as Living Sacrifices (Sat. August 7)
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The word of the day is “sacrifice.” When we desire to grow in the spiritual life, we might be tempted to disregard and even denigrate the body. We might treat it as the seat of the passions and the source of the corruption of our soul. However, Paul says that we should “glorify God in your body and your spirit” (OSB 1 Cor. 6:20). Today we will seek insight into offering our bodies as “living sacrifices” to God as Paul instructs in our reading of Romans 12:1-3. In today’s short passage, we read a fitting summary of our study of 1 Corinthians about the moral issues of celibacy, marriage, and foods offered to idols. All these deal with the conduct…
Faith Encouraged
The Feast That Tells You Who You Are Meant to Be!
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Here’s a long quote from C.S. Lewis’ book “The Weight of Glory” “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all,…
Word of the Day
The Ethics of Regard for Others (Fri. August 6)
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The word of the day is “eating.” Our society assumes that morality is a personal matter. Thus, each person has the right and duty to follow their conscience. However, in today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 7:35-8:7, Paul teaches the principle that believers should consider the conscience of their fellow members in matters of ethics. Regarding the issue of eating meat that had been offered to idols, Paul notes, “.… for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience being weak, is defiled” (OSB vs. 7). For the sake of these brothers and sisters, Paul directs that the Corinthians who have no scruples about eating such meat should refrain…
Every Thought Captive
Orthodox Social Thought and the Apostles
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“I am convinced and believe that even after the resurrection [Christ] was in the flesh. Indeed, when he came to Peter and his friends, he said to them, “Take hold of me, touch me and see that I am not a bodiless ghost.” And they at once touched him and were convinced, clutching his body and his very breath. For this reason they despised death itself, and proved its victors.” St. Ignatius of Antioch Growing up, my mother tried to enforce age-appropriate entertainment consumption for me. However, she did make exceptions, one such being legal dramas…
Behind the Scenes
Humans of Ancient Faith: Bev. Cooke
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Humans of Ancient Faith is a series of mini-interviews designed to introduce you to the many wonderful human beings who make this ministry possible. We asked the same 5 questions in each interview, and let the interviewee choose a sixth question. Today’s guest is author Bev. Cooke. ++++++++++++++ If you were named for your defining characteristic, what word or phrase would be your name? I had no idea, so I polled the…
Faith Encouraged
This Is What Defiles A Person!
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After having lived through this pandemic that scared us all, the old wisdom of “wash your hands” took on a new urgency. Of course, modern medicine was completely transformed when we discovered that hygiene was key to patients surviving! Washing your hands keeps you healthy! It’s a good thing. And once again we see the parallel between the physical wisdom of disciplined behavior and the spiritual application of the very same wisdom.…
Word of the Day
How to Read Scripture in Its Spirit and Its Historical Context (Thurs. August 5)
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The word of the day is “opinion.” Scripture is inspired and timeless. Yet, it is written in human terms, at specific times, and in particular places. Thus, the form of the message shapes its meaning. Today we find that Paul distinguished between the inspiration of the Spirit and his personal opinion in response to the social context of his day. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 7:24-35 we find that Paul is struggling to answer the questions that the Corinthians have asked about some practical matters of the Christian life. Paul has already addressed questions of marital relationships (1 Corinthians 7:2-23). Now in today’s reading, he addresses the question of the relative merits of celibacy and marriage. In reading these…
Growing the Church
On the Darkness
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I caught the darkness. I was drinking from your cup. I caught the darkness drinking from your cup I said is this contagious? You said just drink it up.[1] For some time now, I have been talking about a darkness descending on our society and our Church. I have, as have many others, variously called it a new Dark Age, which is being caused by radical individualism and which, like its medieval…
Glory to God for All Things
The Communion of Friends
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You meet someone and like them. You slowly get to know them. Conversation and sharing, listening and learning, a picture or a reality begin to emerge. You think about them when they’re away. You’re aware that you matter to them as well. The thought of anything hurting them is painful. This is friendship. We easily reduce friendship to a set of shared emotions. Why we like someone else, we can imagine, rests on…
