Every time I think of the Super Bowl commercials, the one I remember most is Mean Joe Green and the little fan meeting each other as the great Pittsburgh Steeler player comes off the field. Those of a certain age already have a smile on their face. That kid will never forget that moment! And I bet he still has the jersey. In today’s Gospel Lesson we revisit one of the most…
There’s one sure way for any politician to get an applause line in a stump speech. All he or she has to do is say “I support our troops!” And rightly so. The brave men and women who serve in our military perform a vital function in the preservation of our liberty, and we, as a nation, should always show our gratitude for their sacrificial service. The truth is freedom isn’t free,…
Today is the feast of the Three Hierarchs, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom, the great 4th century preacher in Constantinople. Each year this feast day marks a powerful moment in the history of the Church. You see, at one time, these three saints had singular and separate feast days, and, as humans will do, controversy ensued. There developed over the years something of a rivalry…
He’s my brother. You know the song. Everytime I think about that song, it reminds me of a story I saw once about two brothers, one very healthy and one with a severe disability, and the stronger brother decided to do triathlons to get his brother outside more. Of course they always came in last because the disabled brother had to be carried by the abled brother. They always ended the races…
Yesterday our parish was blessed with a visit by our Metropolitan (our bishop). Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta tries to visit all his communities through the year, which keeps him on the road a lot. But yesterday was our turn and it was a wonderful day. But it is always a treat to have him with us. Why do you think that is? Besides being a gracious man, and a good preacher, there…
“Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see.” On this Zaccaeus Sunday as we enter the wise preparation time approaching Great Lent, let us as ourselves if we are willing to do anything to see Jesus.
On this Saturday, let us remember our persecuted brethren in the Middle East and our brothers and sister in the Ukraine. For peace from above and for the salvation of the world, let us pray to the Lord.
I recently received a note from a young man asking about our Orthodox faith. He is 15 years old and is already asking the questions that have him on a spiritual journey. Here’s an excerpt from his note (it is edited by me to avoid polemics and get to the heart of his comment): “I look at (my current tradition) and I see separation within the Body of Christ. I see how…
Who are you? Really, putting all our false faces aside and pulling back the curtain of our real selves, who are you? I know, I know, that’s a bit heavy for first thing in the morning. But entering into the life-long process of answering that question requires some prep work so we avoid continuing to lie to ourselves. And that’s where some fundamental choices about reality come into play. We live in…
