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Fasting – Prayers by the Lake – XLI
Read more: Fasting – Prayers by the Lake – XLIBy St. Nikolai Velimirovich XLI With fasting I gladden my hope in You, my Lord, Who are to come again. Fasting hastens my preparation for Your coming, the sole expectation of my days and nights. Fasting makes my body thinner, so that what remains can more easily shine with the spirit. While waiting for You, I […]
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The Difficulty of Lent
Read more: The Difficulty of LentMany of our readers come from communities who use the Western calendar, on which today is the first day of Great Lent, Ash Wednesday. Orthodox Lent begins on at sundown this Sunday. This short reflection may be of help for us all. Great Lent is one of the most important spiritual undertakings in the course […]
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Orthodoxy Where You Live
Read more: Orthodoxy Where You LiveI live in East Tennessee. It is an area of the nation famous for Davy Crockett (his descendants are still here). It is the place where bluegrass music originated. It was settled by Protestants – mostly Scots-Irish – which means Protestant Scots who had once lived in Scotland. It is a land of the Cherokee, […]
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Standing on the Edge
Read more: Standing on the EdgeOne of the peculiar marks of life in the modern world is the sense one has of standing on the edge. We are always (it seems) either standing on the edge of disaster or on the edge of some great discovery. Of course, a lot of this is simply the way we market the world […]
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Simple Suggestions for Orthodox Study of Scripture
Read more: Simple Suggestions for Orthodox Study of ScriptureSaint Isaac the Syrian writes, “Very often many things are said by the Holy Scriptures and in it many names are used not in a literal sense… those who have a mind understand this” (Homily 83, p. 317). +++ The Holy Scriptures are indeed edifying for the Christian life – particularly as they are read […]
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Scripture and the Church
Read more: Scripture and the ChurchI have written several posts lately on Holy Scripture – reading comments tells me that there is a point that needs to be underlined that I have neglected to some extent – the relationship between Scripture and Church. Much of the modern world is today the product of Protestant cultures – or cultures in which […]
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St. Silouan on the Love of God
Read more: St. Silouan on the Love of GodI cannot remain silent concerning the people, whom I love so greatly that I must weep for them. I cannot remain silent because my soul ever grieves for the people of God, and I pray for them with tears. I cannot refrain from making known to you, brethren, the mercy of God and the wiles […]
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The Peace of God – St. Silouan
Read more: The Peace of God – St. SilouanThe following small quotation is from the book Wisdom from Mount Athos: the Writings of Staretz Silouan 1866-1938 +++ We must always pray the Lord for peace of soul that we may the more easily fulfil the Lord’s commandments; for the Lord loves those who strive to do His will, and thus they attain profound […]
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The Beatitudes – Sung by the Monks of Valaam Monastery
Read more: The Beatitudes – Sung by the Monks of Valaam Monastery
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Turning Points
Read more: Turning PointsOn February 15, 1998, on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, my family and I were received into the Orthodox Church by Chrismation, bringing both the end to a very long pilgrimage, and the beginning to one far longer. It is significant to myself and my family, that this year the calendar has come back […]
Michael, Kevin, Abortion is a good example of the law of unintended consequences. For years, conservative voters championed pro-life candidates,…