Word of the Day
How Our Faith May Be Confirmed (Mon. May 17)
·
The word of the day is “so.” Nowadays, people are disposed to believe many things with little evidence to confirm them. Yet when it comes to religion, doubt, cynicism, and indifference to the truth prevail. Today in our reading of Acts 6:8-7:5; 47-60, the apostles face the Jewish council. And the high priest asks, “Are these things so? (OSB vs. 7:1). Just as the Jewish officials and Pilate demanded that Jesus answer the false accusations against Him (Matthew 27:12; Mark 15:4), the temple court challenges Stephen to answer the false charge of his opponents (vs. 7:1). But there is a deeper question behind the challenge, “Is it “so”?  Is what Stephen is saying and doing true? In today’s study, we…
The Morning Offering
He Who is Without Sin?
·
Christ asked those without sin to cast the first stone “We have all sinned and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).” We Orthodox often miss the mark in understanding and ministering to this world. We fail to heed the words of Christ, “to love one another as God has loved us”, and forget we are charged by…
Word of the Day
The Origins of a Continuing Historic Ministry (Sun. May 16)
·
The word of the day is “appoint.”  Today’s society believes that there always is a better way.  Invention will improve anything. Innovation will make everything function more efficiently and easily. However, the foundations of Holy Tradition in the church are enduring. One of these is the church order of ordained clergy. Today in our reading of Act 6:1-7, we read of the establishment of the order of deacons in the church. The twelve apostles said, “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint for this business [of administration and caring]”  (OSB vs. 3). Based on this model, our deacons continue to serve the church today.…
Eastern Christian Insights
True Faith Requires Devotion Despite Disappointment: Homily for the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women in the Orthodox Church
·
Mark 15: 43-16:8            Christ is Risen! It is easy to assume that we have strong faith when it seems like everything is going our way. All too often, that means that we have come to trust in ourselves for following a religion that we imagine will give us what we want.  When difficult struggles come, however, the truth about our weak souls is revealed. Then we come to see that real faith…
The Whole Counsel Blog
The Magnificat
·
In the previous post, the visit of the Theotokos to St. Elizabeth was discussed with particular reference to St. Luke’s use of the Old Testament within the narrative to communicate a further depth and context to what is otherwise a reasonably simple event. This post will continue the narrative, particularly addressing the song of the Theotokos, the Magnificat, which would become the Ninth Biblical Ode. Luke 1:46: Verse 46 begins the Magnificat proper. the Theotokos’ response to receiving the sign of St. Elizabeth’s pregnancy and her prophetic testimony is to issue forth this prophetic song, which stands in parallel, as already mentioned, to the pattern within the Old Testament of biblical odes following great acts of deliverance by God in…
Word of the Day
Witness Without Compromise (Sat. May 15)
·
The word of the day is “obey.” In every revolution, there is a moment when the rebels defy authority. Without the courage of some to do so, there is no change. There is only compliance. Today we find in our reading of Acts 5:21-33 that such a moment occurred when the apostles again appeared before the high priest and members of the Sadducees, the religious sect that ruled the temple.  When the high priest sternly reminded Peter that he was told to cease speaking of “this Name [of Jesus”] (OSB vs. 28), Peter was defiant. “We ought to obey God rather than men,” he said (OSB vs. 29). That was the decisive moment that would free the new Christian movement…
The Morning Offering
Laying Blame
·
Putting the blame in the right place We all have a natural tendency to lay blame on others, when in truth we must blame only ourselves. When facing our own sins and shortcomings, it is always easy to put the blame on others, yet our faith tells us that spiritual progress can only come with the acquisition of a humble…
Glory to God for All Things
Stumbling Toward Salvation
·
On occasion I have written on topics that seem to scandalize readers, or certainly cause difficulty for many. Some of those topics have been articles on the wrath of God; the radical forgiveness of everyone for everything; the commonality of our life and our salvation; and various posts on giving thanks always for all things (there are others as well). I am not intentionally contrarian – I do not write in order…
A Lamp for Today
Lighting Up the Apocalypse 8: Rewarding Works with the Morning Star
·
Rev 2:18-29; Daniel 7:9-14; Daniel 10:1-9; 2 Kings (4 Kingdoms) 9:30-37 Each of the words to the churches comes with a self-given title by Jesus, and emphasizes one or more of the features of the vision that John has seen just before Jesus speaks. The Thyatiran Church hears from “the Son of God,” who has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like burnished bronze. He searches their hearts. Here is…
Faith Encouraged
Wasting Energy Hiding!
·
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…
Word of the Day
When Dishonesty Threatens Our Oneness in Christ (Fri. May 14)
·
The word of the day is “fear.” We may have a rosy picture of the life of the first believers who were filled with the Holy Spirit, bold in the proclamation of the Gospel, united in a common life, and fearless in the face of arrest, imprisonment, and death. Yet, in today’s reading of Acts 5:1-11, we hear a note of sobering realism. Luke reports the first instance of troubles in the community. As a divine punishment for cheating and lying, a couple fell dead at the feet of the apostles. Luke, the writer of Acts, summarizes the somber response of the faithful, “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things” (OSB 5:11).…
The Morning Offering
Obscuring the Message
·
Acknowledging Warts and Wrinkles If we do not live in repentance and humility, we clergy betray Christ, Whom we claim to serve. We must be willing to put aside all intellectual and romanticized notions of the Church, acknowledge the many warts and wrinkles and institutional flaws that have accumulated over the centuries, and live in imitation of Christ, Who came…
Every Thought Captive
Medicine in the Machine
·
I was recently in the emergency room with the family of a parishioner who had had an unexpected medical emergency. After waiting a while for the results of the procedure a man abruptly appeared clad in the iconic medical digs. This was obviously the person we were anxiously looking to hear from. Before we received the eagerly anticipated news, I was given the once over. For, of course, I was clad in cassock and cross. Our eyes were not to meet again. What happened in the next two and half minutes is something to which I…
No Other Foundation
The Emigration of Abraham
·
Significantly the story of the salvation of the world began in a pagan place far away from what would eventually become the Promised Land. That is, it began in Ur of the Chaldeans with the emigration of the family of Terah (Genesis 11:31). What prompted Terah to uproot his family from a prosperous city and to wander afar from all the security he had known we may never know. Was he part…
Faith Encouraged
Life or Judgement? You Decide
·
Christ is risen! One of the oldest manuscripts we have for the earliest days of the Christian Faith outside the Gospels is the Didache or “The Teaching of the 12 Apostles.” This ancient writing dates from the First Century A.D. and begins with an intriguing phrase: “There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways.” It seems this basic wisdom of two…
The Morning Offering
Postponing
·
I postpone the day of my own repentance Every aspect of my life should be a reflection of my faith in Christ, yet I utterly fall short in living this out as a reality. I find it difficult to look closely at myself, and at my relationships with others. How easily I fall into the trap of judging others, finding…
Word of the Day
How to Fill Spiritual Emptiness (Thurs. May 13)
·
The word of the day is “filled.” Most believers go through times of spiritual emptiness. They feel that they are in a spiritual “black hole.”  Their heart feels hollow.  They keep going but they are running on an empty tank. Today in our reading of Acts 4:23-31, we read that the new community of believers gathered after the religious authorities had released Peter and John. Luke then reports, “And when they had prayed… they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (NKJV vs. 3).  Today in our study of Scripture, we find a way to fill an empty heart. A Prayer for Spiritual Fullness St. Paul prays that God would grant…
Faith Encouraged
True 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…
Word of the Day
Proclaiming the Word With Boldness (Wed. May 12)
·
The word of the day is “bold.”  Many people today have claimed the privilege of promoting their views boldly and without restraint. Not wanting to be drawn into futile arguments, others have kept silent. But what about the Gospel of the Resurrection?  How forthright are we in proclaiming the most important message of Christ’s work of salvation? Today in our reading of Acts 4:13-22, we hear Peter’s daring proclamation that salvation is obtainable only in the Name of the Crucified and Risen Christ (Acts 4:12).  In response, the council of religious authorities “marveled” “…when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,” though they “perceived that they [the apostles] were uneducated and untrained men” (Acts 4:13). Today we consider what…
The Morning Offering
The Disturbed Heart
·
And the forgetfulness of the things of God The passions that create a state of unrest in our hearts cause us to forget the real purpose of our life, which is union with God. Saint Basil the Great tells us we cannot approach the knowledge of the truth with a disturbed heart. Conflict, downheartedness, lust, worry, and judging others, are…
Glory to God for All Things
"Make It So!" vs. "Let It Be!"
·
Abba Poemen said, “Teach your mouth to say that which is in your heart. +++ Some years back, while driving through the mountains here in Tennessee, with an out-of-date GPS system in my car, I was instructed to take a particular turn and cross a bridge. Something inside me (guardian angel?) whispered a word of caution (it was night as well), and so I took the turn carefully and slowed. It was…
Praying in the Rain
What Does Success in Bodily Warfare Look Like?
·
Some of the most accessible and practical wisdom from the ancient Christian desert tradition can be found in the letters of Sts. Barsanuphius and John. They lived in Gaza (Palestine) in the early sixth century. Over 800 letters are preserved for us, and in these letters we get an inside look at what spiritual guidance looked like in the desert monasticism of those early years. And although much is different in the…
The Morning Offering
YouTube video (click here to watch)
·
Faith Encouraged
God Doesn't Condemn You
·
Christ is risen! The famous author J.K. Rowling once said: “I’m interested in that drive, that rush to judgment, that is so prevalent in our society. We all know that pleasurable rush that comes from condemning, and in the short term it’s quite a satisfying thing to do, isn’t it?” And she’s right! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ranted and raved at the TV news reports, or some post…
Word of the Day
What Kind of Power? (Tues, May 11)
·
The word of the day is “power.”  Power is the dynamic ability to do something.  It is a force that produces an effect or the capacity to act upon something. In today’s reading of Acts 4:1-10, the religious authorities arrest Peter and John for preaching the Risen Christ. And the rulers interrogate the Apostles asking, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” (Acts 4;7).  Our close reading of this question will open new insight into Peter’s response to the religious authorities and the superior nature of the power of the Name of Jesus. An Important Point Missed With one exception, all the major translations of Acts miss an important point about the question of the power…
The Morning Offering
One Person at a Time
·
Changing the World Must Begin with Me The Elder Sophroni of Essex said he believed in changing the world, one person at a time. These words are in agreement with those of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, who said acquiring inner peace causes a thousand around us to be saved. As long as we concentrate on the failings of others, inner…
Behind the Scenes
Rejecting the Messiah, Live Q and A on Lord of Spirits, and More This week on AFR
·
LIVE SHOWS: There are 6 live shows this week! Remember, you can hear our live shows on the Ancient Faith Radio app or on our website. During the show, call 1-855-AFRADIO (1-855-237-2346) with questions or comments. All programs are recorded. Listen to previous episodes at the links provided. Paul struggled to understand why his own people rejected the Messiah. His conclusion was surprising: it was part of the plan of God that the Jewish people did not…
