Faith Encouraged
This Isn't Magic - Holy Wednesday
·
On this Holy Wednesday: Let us pray to the Lord, O Lord who, in Your mercies and bounties, heals the disorders of our souls and bodies, do the same Master, sanctify this Oil, that it may be effectual for those who shall be anointed therewith, unto healing, and unto relief from every passion, every malady of the flesh and of the spirit, and every ill; and that therein may be glorified Your…
The Word of the Day
What Kind of Deliverer Do We Seek? (Wed. April 12)
·
The word of the day is “deliverer.” Today in our reading of Exodus 2:11-22, we find that Moses has grown up. Leaving the palace, he tried to join himself to his own people.  The Orthodox Study Bible comments that “He went out among His brethren because he refused to be the son of Pharaoh’s daughter” (Hebrews 11:24-26) (OSB fn. 2:11).  The Orthodox Study Bible adds that “Moses was forty years old at the time, and he knew he was Israel’s deliverer. Thus. He defended an Israelite and killed the Egyptian.” He supposed that the Israelites would understand his calling from God, but they did not” (OSB fn. 2:11). Moses: as Deliverer Now, if Moses believed he was the Hebrew’s deliverer, then it seems that he…
Faith Encouraged
The Negligence of Ignorance - Holy Tuesday
·
On this Holy Tuesday: Let us pray to the Lord. O you who observe all things with your eye that never sleeps, who afford us such saving lessons in your desire to grant mercy to all who seek it: We give thanks to you for raising us from bed and sleep to enjoy the light of another day. Receive this morning worship we offer you as we continue to follow the passion…
The Word of the Day
Behold, the Bridegroom Comes (Tues. April 11)
·
The word of the day is “compassion.”  Today’s reading of Exodus 2:5-10 tells the story of how the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt began. It started with compassion. An Egyptian princess discovers a basket made of bulrushes floating on the Nile. She opens the ark. Her heart goes out to the baby crying inside. She knows that the infant is a Hebrew boy who should have been killed at birth. But she saves the child and intends to raise him in the palace. The baby’s sister is standing by and runs to fetch the child’s mother. The princess will pay her to nurse the child. In this way, by compassion, Moses is delivered from death to be the one…
Glory to God for All Things
The Bridegroom and Judgment
·
Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching; and again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless.  Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom.  But rouse yourself crying: Holy, holy, holy, art Thou, O our God.  Through the Theotokos, have mercy on us. +…
Faith Encouraged
Overcome Mediocrity - Holy Monday
·
On this Holy Monday: I want to share with you some prayers that have helped me reorient my mind during this Holy Week to contemplate, for my salvation, the mysteries of this week as we walk with the Lord towards His holy death, burial, and resurrection. So, the devotionals will be a bit shorter and with one focus. Good strength this week. Let us pray to the Lord, O you who observe…
The Word of the Day
On Bearing the Fruits of Repentance (Mon. April 10)
·
The word of the day is “fruit.”  Today in Matthew 21:18-43, we read of another astonishing act of the Lord. We think of the Lord as merciful and longsuffering, and He is. Yet as He returns from Bethany to the Holy City, He stops to pick figs from a tree on the side of the road. But the tree was bearing only leaves.  In response, Jesus says, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again” (OSB vs. 18). Immediately the tree withers. The Gospel of Mark makes this seemingly spiteful action is even more puzzling. Mark says that figs were not in season at that time (Mark 11:13). Why then should Jesus expect to find fruit on it?  And why destroy it? The Story…
The Word of the Day
As It is Written (Sun. April 9)
·
Palm Sunday (John 12:1-18) The word for today is “fulfill.”  Today we follow the Lord as He enters the Holy City of Jerusalem. The multitudes greet Him as the King who “comes in the name of the Lord” (OSB John 12:13).  The crowd praises Him as the Son and successor to King David. And the throng shouts, “Hosanna.”  This term is a Hebrew word of prayer and praise that means “Save, we implore you!” (Strong’s, #5614, 277). Thus, in today’s Gospel (John 12:1-18), the Gospel writer John quotes the Prophet Zechariah, “Fear not daughter of Zion. Behold your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt (OSB vs. 15). The Kind of Kingdom He Comes to Establish Today we…
Eastern Christian Insights
The Mystery of Self-Emptying Divine Love Beyond our Comprehension: Homily for Palm Sunday in the Orthodox Church
·
   Philippians 4:4-9; St. John 12:1-18      The Desert Father Saint Antony the Great once tested a group of monks by asking them, beginning with the youngest, the meaning of a certain passage of Scripture. In response to their answers, he said, “You have not understood it.” Finally, he asked Abba Joseph, who said, “I do not know.”  Then Abba Antony said, “Indeed Abba Joseph has found…
The Word of the Day
God is a Consuming Fire (Sat. April 8)
·
The word of the day is “fire.” Today our reading of Hebrews 12:18-13:8 begins with a striking admonition: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:18-19). Today as we stand in the doorway of Holy Week, we have good reason to take this urgent counsel with ultimate seriousness. Indeed our King is coming to us and the events that the things He will endure on our behalf will be both dreadful and awesome. As the Lord prophesied, He comes “to bring fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49), the fire of God acting…
Remembering Sion
The Words of Our Mother
·
My brothers and sisters, we arrive today at one of the most joyful feasts of the entire Church year. Amidst the desert of Great Lent, the Annunciation comes as a true oasis for our parched and thirsty souls. As the troparion of the feast exultantly exclaims: “Today is the fountainhead of our salvation, and the revelation of the mystery which is before the ages!” And truly, the grace of God reveals today…
Glory to God for All Things
The Frightful Path of Judas
·
I recall the first time the phrase, “On the night in which He was betrayed,” struck my heart. I was attending the evening service of Maundy Thursday at my Episcopal parish when I was a student in college. There was communion, followed by the “stripping of the altar” that symbolized the arrest and scourging of Christ. But the phrase, “On the night in which He was betrayed,” haunted me through the rest…
Faith Encouraged
A Good Wife Is More Precious Than Jewels
·
My grandmother once told me “Son, a good woman is hard to find.” The longer I live, the more I think that it’s the fault of bad men that this saying may be accurate. But what does that even mean after all? Good according to what measure? Is it looks? We all know that physical beauty is fleeting. Is it intelligence? Using what standard? All of this feels so arbitrary. No wonder…
The Word of the Day
Called to Be the Voice of the Voiceless (Fri. April 7)
·
The word of the day is “speechless.”  Can those who have no voice get justice? If they cannot speak, they cannot be heard. Therefore, if their cause is to be considered, then someone must speak for them. In keeping with this thought, in our reading of Proverbs 31:8-31, the sage writes, “Open your mouth for the speechless… open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (NKJV vs. 31:8).  Today we learn that the Almighty expects us to defend those whose cause would otherwise be unnoticed or even purposely overlooked. The sage of Proverbs writes, “The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge” (NKJV Proverbs 29:7).  The Septuagint…
Faith Encouraged
Living A Sober Life is Normal Orthodoxy
·
In my old law enforcement days, I served on the DUI Task Force in our local community. This was when Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) was just getting started and there was a real push to get impaired drivers off the road. We had to do extensive training on just how alcoholic beverages or any intoxicant affected a person’s ability to safely operate their car. One tool we had was a car…
The Word of the Day
Overcoming Temptation: We Wage the Battle, But God Gives the Victory (Wed. April 6)
·
The word of the day is “horse.”  What strength can we rely on when we face temptation?  In our reading of Proverbs 21:23-22:4, the wise sage of Proverbs writes, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord” (NKJV vs. 31).  If temptation engages us in a battle, we might depend on our strength as ancient peoples counted on their chariots.  However, the sage states that rescue from our foes is in the hands of God, not warhorses or human power. Today we highlight the importance of trusting the Lord and not our own devices. The ancient Israelites did not have horses or chariots until the reign of Solomon. Therefore, to the Chosen People, the warhorse was a source…
No Other Foundation
Evangelizing the West
·
The Church has the same task in whatever land it takes root and finds itself, namely that of making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Trinity, and of teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded.  How it goes about fulfilling this task, however, varies with time and place. For example, in Russia and Ukraine, where the Orthodox faith was planted over a thousand years ago and…
Walking an Ancient Path
The Spiritual Journey Embodied: Prostrations
·
Today’s blog post was originally published in March of 2019, but it seems appropriate to revisit the topic of prostrations during Great Lent. — LH The Orthodox culture shock had been manageable so far. About 13 years ago my husband and I finally put down our introductory books on Eastern Christianity and approached the living, parish reality of Orthodoxy during something called the Triodion period before Great Lent. Because we had prepared…
Faith Encouraged
A Good Name is Better Than Riches
·
“Smiling faces, smiling faces, sometimes, they don’t tell the truth, smiling faces, smiling faces, tell lies, and I’ve got proof…” The Temptations did this song in 1971 and it’s a favorite. But its message is all too familiar. Sometimes, a friend turns out to be no friend at all. Sometimes, the smiling mask someone wears hides an evil and jealous intent. And too often we learn about this the hard way. It…
Faith Encouraged
Are You Foolish or Wise?
·
Drama! I confess I am not a fan of drama in my house. And here I am living with three women! I guess the joke’s on me! And one of them is a teenager and the other is a pre-teen! I’m doomed! OK, before I get in real trouble here, let me say that I have noticed the older I get, the more I like quiet and smooth sailing. And yet, I’m…
The Word of the Day
Righteousness and Justice Are Better Than Sacrifice (Tues. April 4)
·
The word of the day is “better.” Our secular society tucks religion away in a separate compartment. Our citizens can worship as they choose. But their faith is not supposed to have any bearing outside the sphere of their private “spirituality.” But in our reading of Proverbs 21:3-21, the wise sage writes, “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (NKJV vs. 3). To apply this proverb to our time, let’s suppose that righteousness and justice are matters that apply to our life in society. And let’s consider that sacrifices have to do with religious practices. If that is the case, then righteousness and justice are matters of public concern. They apply to our life…
Beyond the Bars
"Love was on Display at Golgotha": A Prisoner's Personal Encounter with Christ
·
While serving his life sentence, Doug went on a spiritual pilgrimage, experimenting with many different religions to try to find his faith. One day, going through a guided meditation, he was brought again to his visceral memories of being abused as a child. His body began to shake with fear and rage and, instead of observing and detaching himself from his thoughts like he was guided to do, he turned his pain…
Glory to God for All Things
Rest for Your Soul
·
If…then… Among the most alluring ideas in our lives are the notions of cause and effect, performance and award. Nothing seems more soothing than the simple promise that doing one thing leads to the reward of the other. It is predictable, subject to control, clearly delineates the rules of reward and punishment and makes obvious who deserves what. Nothing could be neater. The limit to this idea comes when we encounter living,…
Faith Encouraged
Save Your Life!
·
Why is it I keep having to learn wisdom the hard way? I mean, it isn’t like I haven’t had wise men and women and friends who have offered wise counsel. I’ve seen how bad choices can really wreck a life and then I’ve watched myself make those SAME BAD CHOICES! What gives? Well, what gives IS our common, human struggle. Our will, our “want to” is weakened by fear and death.…
The Word of the Day
Keeping Our Souls by Keeping the Commandments (Mon. April 3)
·
The word of the day is “keep.” It is possible to lose one’s soul.  The Lord said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (NKJV Mark 8:36).  But how does one keep the soul safe from loss?  In our reading of Proverbs 19:16-25, the wise sage says, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die” (NKJV vs. 16). Today we will consider how we might “keep” our soul instead of losing it. The Hebrew Term for Soul The Hebrew term for “soul” is derived from the thought of the animation of creatures that live and breathe.  As a result, it means the…
The Word of the Day
Cleansing by the Blood of Christ (Sun. April 2)
·
The word of the day is “cleanse.”  In these times, we think of disease in medical terms. We speak in terms of infections, cancers, and disorders of the heart and other organs. But when we speak of sin, we use words like transgressions, shortcomings, disobedience and “missing the mark.”  However, the Orthodox Church tends to talk about sin as a disease that needs healing and the corruption that needs cleansing. The Cleansing of Conscience The Orthodox approach to sin and redemption is in keeping with our reading of Hebrews 9:11-14.  In that view, the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice is purification.  The apostle writes, “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean,…
Eastern Christian Insights
Taking Up Our Crosses Takes Time: Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent with Commemoration of our Righteous Mother Mary of Egypt in the Orthodox Church
·
Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 10:32-45      We live in an age of impatience and self-centeredness. Anything other than instant gratification easily leaves us frustrated, angry, and discouraged. Of course, that is not a problem only in our time and place. Our Lord’s disciples betrayed, denied, and abandoned Him because they finally realized that He was not going to become a conventional political ruler who would satisfy their desires for…
