Tag: Mercy

The Muskox Response To COVID-19

· Fr. Michael Gillis 1 Leave a Comment on %s
Last night I watched an episode of Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet on Disney Plus.   It was about Dr. Oakley treating an muskox.  The episode is called, “One Angry Muskox.”  In order to treat this animal, they had to tranquilize it, but before they could tranquilize it, they had to separate it from the herd.  And the reason they had to separate it is what I want to talk about.  They had…

Hope In God’s Mercy

· Fr. Michael Gillis 3 Leave a Comment on %s
Experiences of God’s mercy increase our hope.  However in the midst of difficult times, we don’t remember these experiences.  We don’t remember the times in the past when God saved us out of difficult circumstances.  Or worse yet, we have come to remember past deliverance from difficult or dangerous circumstances as luck, as accidental coincidence.  Or worst of all, we have come to remember past deliverance as examples of our own prudence,…

Tools For Theosis

· Fr. Michael Gillis 10 Leave a Comment on %s
This summer I had the privilege of serving two Orthodox youth camps, one in Idaho, USA and the other in Alberta, Canada.  The spiritual theme of both camps was the same:  “What’s in Your Toolbox?”  The idea was to talk to the youth about the tools the Orthodox Church provides to help them grow spiritually and morally. On the first day of the first camp, I asked the group—there were about fifty,…

Stretching Out Our Hands In Mercy

· Fr. Michael Gillis
In this season of repentance, let us stretch out our hands in works of mercy; and then the ascetic struggles of the fast will bring us to eternal life. For nothing saves the soul so much as generosity to those in need, and alms giving combined with fasting will deliver a man from death. Let us do all of this with gladness, for there is no better way, and it will bring…

Perfection and Mercy are the Same Thing

· Fr. Michael Gillis 1 Leave a Comment on %s
Christ commanded his disciples to give alms. To “give alms” means literally “to do” or “to make merciful deeds” or “acts of mercy.” According to the Scriptures, the Lord is compassionate and merciful, longsuffering, full of mercy, faithful and true. He is the one who does merciful deeds (see Psalm 103). Acts of mercy are an “imitation of God” who ceaselessly executes mercy for all, without exception, condition or qualification. He is…