Hebrews 7:26-8:2; Luke 10:25-37 There is an ancient Christian saying that the rule of prayer is the rule of belief. Our worship as Orthodox Christians manifests what we believe, and what we believe informs our worship. How we pray shapes our souls and how we relate to God, as well as to our neighbors. We must live in accordance with our prayers and beliefs in order to avoid the…
Galatians 2:16-20; Luke 8:41-56 Many people are filled with fear and worry today, even to the point of losing all hope. The effects of the multi-layered trauma of the global pandemic remain with us, as do threats of so many kinds to peace and wellbeing around the world. Deaths of despair are on the rise in our nation, as are words and deeds…
Luke 16:19-31 A common theme of St. Luke’s gospel is that God’s Kingdom reverses the usual expectations of this world. Some who are last now will be first in His Kingdom, while some who are first will be last. (Luke 13:30) Luke records the Magnificat in which the pregnant Theotokos proclaims that God “has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and…
Luke 8:26-39 We are surely not aware of all the assumptions that we make about ourselves and about other people. Sometimes how we view ourselves or others becomes clear when something unexpected happens, whether for good or for bad. We can be greatly surprised when someone we know well behaves differently than we had expected. Sometimes we surprise even ourselves in how we respond to a challenge…
Titus 3:8-15; Luke 8:5-15 The Church is filled with beautiful icons, but they are not mere works of religious art. They show that the Savior has made us participants by grace in His deified humanity so that we also may shine brightly with the divine glory. The icons invite us to share in the blessedness that Christ has brought to those who bear the image and likeness…