Today is the beginning of Great Lent for most Orthodox Christians (a handful of Western Rite Orthodox Christians will begin with their Ash Wednesday the day after tomorrow), and I’ve decided to try my hand at doing 40 days of blogging—posting at least once a day from today through the Friday before Lazarus Saturday. This is my first post for Great Lent. Today Iā¦
Introduction In a recent article atĀ First Things, Peter Leithart laments the āhigh-churchismā of non-Protestant celebrations of the Eucharist. For Leithart, the essential difference between āhighā and ālowā liturgies is that of the preparatory ritesānot necessarily the external ornaments of incense, bells, and vestments. Beyond mere simplicity, the Protestant or āPuritanā sacramentalism was one that eschewed excessive and unnecessary foreplay: The low-church Reformersā¦
By Fr. Gregory Hogg Commemoration of the Holy Innocents,Ā 29 December 2014 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. John 6:51 The young children ask for bread, But no oneā¦
Editorial comment: This has gotten republished more times than I can count now, mostly without asking (which, while I won’t be hounding people, should still be noted as illegal in most countries). I don’t mind too much, but I do mind that in some places (like church newsletters), it’s gotten republished either without my name on it or having altered the text and stillā¦
Lists like this are usually so much clickbait, I know, but I thought it was nevertheless worthwhile to compile a list of most of the reasons why I became and/or remain an Orthodox Christian. Some of these things were not really on my radar when I became Orthodox in 1998, but they are part of the reason why I genuinely do love belonging toā¦