The importance of preserving our common history Ridding a country of every memorial to the past is utter foolishness. Watching the news of the statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson being pulled down in Portland, Oregon recently, made me sick. Erasing the past does not make the future better, but only obscures history, making it more probable we will…
The Ship that is the Church As the waves of passions confront us and threaten to hurtle us against the rocks, it is good to remember that as long as we remain on board the ship of the Church, we are safe. We sail aboard a ship that is piloted by Christ Himself, and we are comforted with the knowledge…
How do we deal with the existence of evil in God’s creation? We’ve all read news reports of horrid cases of people being imprisoned for long periods of time by perverted individuals who have been later diagnosed as classic psychopaths. By definition, psychopaths are individuals who are hateful towards others, and incapable of empathy. Sometimes known as Dissocial Personality Disorder,…
He who does not love remains in death There are those who fear commitment for fear of loss. If we fear the other will either leave us, or be lost in death, we remain aloof from any possible relationship. We put on a facade of indifference for fear of rejection, depriving ourselves of any possible happiness. In fear of possible…
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:2) There is not one of us who does not meet someone in a given week who is not in need of encouragement, love, and mercy. They are often mothers whose children are going to bed at night hungry for lack of food money. Old women…
We must struggle that our prayer not become lifeless When we find ourselves struggling with prayer, and feel that it has become dry and lifeless, we are sometimes tempted to stop praying. When our prayer has become a struggle, it is good to remember that God knows our needs, and even knows what we want to say when we don’t…
Fasting is an essential part of our Orthodox journey Fasting was established by God Himself, as clearly seen in both the Old and New Testaments. The Lord Jesus Christ even went out into the desert for 40 days of fasting before beginning His early ministry. Regarding fasting Christ said “When you fast…” (Matt. 6:16), rather than If you fast. Our…
Dangerous times require priestly service that is gentle, patient, and merciful Orthodoxy has traditionally avoided clericalism, yet in more recent times this very corruption of priestly service has entered the doors of the Orthodox Church. It has led some clergy to seek out princely honor, danger not only to their own souls, but the souls of the laity who are…
The sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, resulted in our inheritance of death The fact that we Orthodox do not accept the doctrine of original sin as espoused in the West, does in no way suggest that we do not need to be born again (born anew). We believe, as did the Early Church Fathers, that we inherit…
Quietude, silence and prayer It is in keeping constant vigilance, guarding our senses, and living a life of repentance and self-rapprochement, that we can hope to gain control of our passions and enter into true communion with God. The basic element of such a life has got to include quietude, for it is in states of calmness and inner reflection…
Children learn to love God through the example of their parents Every Orthodox parent wants their children to grow up attending Sunday Liturgies and staying active in the life of the Church throughout their lives. Yet many parents don’t demonstrate the importance of having a personal relationship with God in front of their children. If you do not make God…
Because we are stuck in habitual and repetitive sins In the Mystery of Confession we avail ourselves before the analogion stand, upon which the holy cross and the Gospel Book rest. The priest stands in as the witness, whereas in the early Church confession was done before the whole congregation of the faithful. After we have confessed before the Lord,…