God infuses His Energies into the icons The Old Testament God was revealed to us by Christ Jesus. Prior to the incarnation of the Logos, God’s people were forbidden to make any image of Him, for no one had seen His face. Yet when Christ said to His disciples, “he
Category: The Morning Offering
Inheriting Adam’s sin, but not his guilt 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
When charity becomes an occasion for self worship Food is a common problem for many people, for food so often fills a void, becoming a way of comforting oneself when faced with the stresses that are a part of our modern, everyday world. Being in service to others, such as
Taste from the ocean of grace that is Orthodoxy It is unfathomable for me to think what my life might have been like had I never become Orthodox, never entered the monastic life. The joy I feel at having tasted from the ocean of grace that is Orthodoxy! She has
The Feast of Saint Tryphon, Abbot of Vyatka Please pray for me on this my Names Day. I honor my patron with his icon hanging on my icon corner in my study. I am sharing this homily by my friend Archpriest Basil Rhodes, rector of Saint Nicholas Church in Saratoga,
Living Orthodoxy in a Non-Orthodox World In this pluralistic society there are many Orthodox individuals who have found themselves sharing their lives with non-Orthodox family members. Sometimes these families are not even practicing Christians, so the struggle to keep to the traditions and practices of the Orthodox Faith can be
Bringing the Kingdom of God into this World The Gospel demands Christians usher the Kingdom of God into this world, not by political ideology, but by the individual Christian’s transformation of self. This command to usher in the Kingdom of God is not about neutrality in the face of evil,
The Call to Monasticism is all About Relationships The monastic vocation is a special calling from God that is all about relationships. It is a relationship that involves community (the monastic brotherhood), but primarily revolves around the monk’s relationship with God. Monks are not holy men who are living lives
The Ability to Express One’s Emotions, and be Empathetic to the Needs of Others When we are in our head, we are more judgmental, yet when we are in our heart, we become non-judgmental. Being critical of others is not an Orthodox trait, for being critical, whether of other people,
The Church’s Holy Tradition is our guide to the Holy Scriptures The Bible can only be understood through the interpretation of the Church, for the Holy Scriptures came forth from the Church. The reformers dumped the papacy only to replace that institution with themselves as the ultimate authority. Since reason