Eastern Christian Insights
Baptism, Chrismation, and Communion in the Orthodox Church on the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
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Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28 It is entirely fitting that we have celebrated the holy mysteries of baptism and chrismation on this great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. We are baptized into the death of Christ in order to rise up with Him as we are illumined and reborn for eternal life. We put Him on like a garment in baptism for restoration and fulfillment as those…
Word of the Day
Living Uncomplicated Lives that Are Not Entangled in the World (Sat. August 14)
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The word of the day is “owe. ” In today’s reading of Romans 13:1-10, St. Paul speaks of the believer’s duty to the government. He writes that we are to be subject to its secular authority, for God has appointed it. By it, the Almighty orders the world for its good (Romans 13:1-4). However, elsewhere, St. Paul said that we are citizens of another Kingdom. He wrote in Philippians that “… our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20a). And in Ephesians, the Apostle wrote, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19). Today we will answer the question that if we are subjects of…
The Morning Offering
THE MONASTERY'S PATRONAL FEAST
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The Feast of Christ the All-Merciful Saviour Today our brotherhood celebrates the Patronal Feast of our monastery. Thirty-five years ago the beloved and ever memorable Archimandrite Dimitry (Egoroff) of Santa Rosa, CA tonsured Father Paul and me as Orthodox monks. Having previously been monks in the Eastern Catholic Church, we found ourselves drawn to Orthodoxy, and placed ourselves in the…
A Healing Driven Life
Putting our Finger to the Wind: Mastering Pandemic Fear
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Many of us might remember that expression, “a finger to the wind”. It is something someone would do to get a sense of which direction the wind was blowing. It would help the individual be informed so they could make the best decisions moving forward. It is not an act to be taken lightly and it has great meaning. It is a sign of being deliberate and prepared. Clearly, there is much more meaning figuratively to that expression. All of us, hopefully, have attempted to gain a sense of which way something is going before making a decision. The alternative is to disregard the direction of the wind and allow ourselves to be swept up by the wind and carried…
Behind the Scenes
Humans of Ancient Faith: Jerry Minetos
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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 our director of development, Jerry Minetos. ++++++++++++++ If you were named for your defining characteristic, what word or phrase would be your name? Durable What is your earliest…
Faith Encouraged
Conflict Isn't Bad, Schism Is!
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As much as we might hate it, conflict isn’t bad. It’s just not pleasant. But if the highest “good” in our lives is to avoid unpleasantness, then we are headed for either eternal delusion or a rude awakening. I’ll go even further and say that conflict is necessary for a “happy” life! Yep, if you’re going to be “happy” you NEED conflict. Just like a muscle doesn’t get stronger unless it has…
Word of the Day
The Cross: The Point Where Those Who Are Divided Come Together (Fri. August 13)
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The word of the day is “division.” Our world seems hopelessly divided. Many delight in division and profit from polarization. Even the church is divided. Ecclesial denominations maintain and promote the distinctions between Christians. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 11:8-22, St. Paul gets to the rotten core of the problems in the congregation at Corinth. The members of the church are divided in mind, behavior, and worship. Their separation from each other is most apparent at the time when they ought to be united. They are separated from each other when they ought to be sharing together in the one Heavenly Bread and one Cup of the Body and Blood of Christ. In response to reports of the divisions Paul expresses…
The Morning Offering
BARGAINING WITH GOD
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Our Prayers Should Not Be in the Form of Bargaining When we approach the Lord with our needs we should take care that our prayer not be a form of bargainingl. God knows our needs before we ask, and it is from our fallen nature that we tend to approach God while trying to bargain with Him. If we want…
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…
The Morning Offering
GOD'S CREATURES
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Let Us Show Compassion For All Of God’s Creatures These very moving photos first appeared in a French newspaper. The photos showed a male swallow attending his mate, who’d been hit by a car and was unable to fly. The male sparrow was photographed bringing food to the female in an attempt to aid her in this critical time of…
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,…
The Morning Offering
STANDING BEFORE GOD
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The Orthodox Practice of Standing for Worship Standing before God has been the only acceptable posture for Orthodox Christians from the earliest of times. We recognize that a faithful servant would never sit before his master, for the faithful are all servants of the Lord, whom we worship as we stand in our temples. The Holy Apostle Paul tells us,…
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…
The Morning Offering
HOLY TRADITION
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Holy Tradition is the Memory of the Church at Work The fact that protestants, by and large, have traveled far from the faith and traditions of the Apostolic Church, is testament to what happens when one departs from the “memory” of the Church. This “memory” is kept alive through Holy Tradition, from which came the very Canon of the New…
The Morning Offering
Talk on the subject of anger. (click here to watch)
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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…
The Morning Offering
RIGHTEOUS ANGER?
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We Must Never Allow Ourselves to View Anger as Righteous Most people, when angered by someone, think the best way to deal with the anger is by avoiding the person who offended us. The problem with this approach is that it allows the anger to take root in the heart, festering as a sinful passion. Because anger is a sin,…
